by Mark Cusco Ailes (Author)
The Dargles, winged dragons with hearty appetites, invaded the world of Weekland and struck fear in all its inhabitants. Gite, a watcher-turned-berry farmer, has twice escaped these loathsome creatures. But his luck runs out one day as he rescues a baby from the grips of the Dargles. Gite is captured and forced to work in the mines, digging for the ore that gives the dragons their strength and eternal life.
Gite's son, Jarat, yearns for adventure. And he's about to get his wish. Aided by Timbree, a Wote who sees the future, Jarat travels through a portal in a tree and recruits a bunch of adventurous kids from Valparaiso, Indiana, to help him in his quest to save his father. Timbree tells Jarat to "think of what you want to accomplish and believe in it." He also tells Jarat that help will come from the most unlikely places.
Jarat and his host of friends travel through the portal and meet many challenges in their quest to rescue Gite. They will discover if they have the strength, skills, bravery, and right attitude to face the hundreds of Dargles who stand between them and their goal.