Life was hard for Sophie, recently orphaned in Victorian London. Then an uncle died and left her a substantial legacy -- if she can return a dragon's egg to an uncharted region of Asia in a year's time. Her only guide is a tiny ivory figurine of a unicorn which comes to life and talks to her when she wears a magic ring. With a telepathic cat and other companions, Sophie will be betrayed by a treacherous guide, captured by fierce Mongols, caught in an avalanche, and lost in an underground maze, all while the deadline approaches, after which her heroisms and hardships will have been for nothing.