At fourteen, Tiffin's job is to tend the family's animals. His father is the local blacksmith; his aunt, the companion to the Princess. He longs to become an etherae - an individual trained to wield elemental powers over earth, plants, food, and more. But Tiffin has too many responsibilities to make it anything more than a wishful thought.

A fatal sickness is spreading throughout the land, and the only known cure is made from a rare dragon scale plucked from the deadliest of the dragon breeds. The etherae can only guess where to find the dragon, but no one can get close enough to get a scale without being barbecued. To make matters worse, the only etherae powerful enough to make the potion in time has gone missing!

When Tiffin's aunt succumbs to the illness, he journeys to retrieve the rare dragon scale praying that someone can be found to brew the antidote. Tiffin has no guarantee that if he's successful his aunt will survive, but he rides fearlessly toward the lair.

He has less than a fortnight to find the scale, return, and hope that the potion can be brewed in time.