Prologue Page 1 Long before the two young dragons ever met, the world of Avarra was peaceful. Five great dragon clans lived across the land. The Flameclaws ruled the volcanic mountains, where rivers of lava glowed beneath black stone. The Stormwings lived among the clouds, soaring through thunder and lightning. The Frostfangs guarded the frozen northern peaks, where the snow never melted. The Stonebacks made their homes in enormous underground caverns and could shatter rocks with a single blow. And the Leafwings lived in the ancient forests, masters of camouflage and healing. For hundreds of years, the clans lived apart. They traded. They shared hunting grounds. Sometimes they even celebrated together. Page 2 Then everything changed. It began with a single dragon. Nobody knew who attacked first. The Flameclaws blamed the Stormwings. The Stormwings blamed the Frostfangs. The Frostfangs blamed the Stonebacks. And soon, every clan blamed every other clan. The war spread like wildfire. Mountains were destroyed. Forests burned. Rivers froze. The sky was filled with dragons fighting from sunrise until sunset. Generations of dragons grew up knowing only one thing: The other clans were enemies. Page 3 Twenty years after the war began, a battle raged above the ruins of an ancient city. A young Flameclaw watched from a distant cliff. His name was Riven. He was barely old enough to fight, but already he had been taught how to breathe fire, how to strike with his claws, and how to dodge an enemy's attack. Yet as he watched the dragons tearing each other apart, something inside him felt wrong. "This has to end," he whispered. Behind him, his mentor growled. "War doesn't end because you wish it to." Riven looked back. "Then I'll find a way." Page 4 Far away, on the other side of the battlefield, another young dragon was thinking the exact same thing. Her name was Lyra. She was a Stormwing. And although Riven did not know it yet, she would become his closest friend. Together, they would discover a secret that had been hidden since the beginning of the war. A secret that could either bring the five clans together... or destroy them all. Chapter 1 Enemies — Page 5 Riven hit the ground hard. THUD! Dust exploded around him. "Again!" shouted Master Varek. Riven groaned and pushed himself back onto his feet. The training grounds sat on a flat shelf of black rock overlooking the Flameclaw territory. Mountains surrounded them on every side, and orange light from the volcanoes painted the clouds red. Riven was exhausted. His wings hurt. His legs hurt. Even his tail hurt. But Varek wasn't finished. "Again!" Riven spread his wings. He launched himself into the air. Page 6 Varek immediately attacked. Riven twisted sideways, narrowly avoiding a claw that would have sent him crashing into the rocks. He turned and breathed fire. A bright orange stream shot toward Varek. The older dragon easily blocked it with his wing. "Too slow!" Varek rushed forward. Riven tried to dodge. Too late. The older dragon knocked him out of the sky. Riven fell. He opened his wings at the last moment and managed to catch himself. "Better," Varek said. "But you're thinking too much." Riven landed. "What am I supposed to think about?" "Nothing." Riven blinked. "Nothing?" "Your enemy moves. You react. That's all." Page 7 Riven looked toward the distant mountains. "And if my enemy doesn't want to fight?" Varek stared at him. "
