Jaykriss is a typical teenager. He's bored with school, the girl he loves doesn't even know he's alive, and he and his mother disagree-a lot. The village Jaykriss lives in lies deep in a primevalforest. Life there is simple, and is predicated upon day-to-day survival. As his father is gone, Jaykriss must provide for his mother and sister. That is his primary role in life--and he is good at it. But Jaykriss is restless. He is curious and inquisitive. And he wants desperately to avenge the death of his father Glyndich--a warrior killed by a fearsome dragon known only as the Thrax. So how does a mere boy of fourteen who is simply trying to keep his family alive kill a legendary beast thought to be nearly invincible? To kill the Thrax, one must first find it. On a routine hunting trip, Jaykriss and his best friend encounter the Thrax at last. The terrifying creature chases them mercilessly through the darkening forest--and the boys eventually stumble into the refuge of an eccentric hermit whose home is filled with books from ancient times. The hermit teaches Jaykriss that all is not as it seems in his world. The mutants and dragons that populate their world are actually relics of a long-ago biological disaster. The Dark King, a ruler they revere as a god, is a vicious tyrant who will do anything to stay in power. Jaykriss realizes that there may be more to his life than he initially thought. He might be able to someday vanquish the Thrax. He may, in fact, be The One who Leads, prophesied to save the entire human race. But is Jaykriss truly ready for his destiny--or will that destiny consume him?