In 1440, when a famine threatens the Yoruba village of Ife, the king chooses Kai and her sister to seek help from the Yoruba in the North, and they set out on foot through dense forest and golden savanna on an adventure that teaches them a great deal about their country and themselves. Simultaneous.

In the Yoruba village of Oyo in 1440, Kai has the opportunity of realizing her dream of becoming a sculptor, but at the price of separation from her life in Ife and the loss of her new-found closeness to her sister.