Jack, Wiley, and Plō head out with the war party from Timberfell to locate and annihilate the cinderbeaks that have been laying waste to their fields, but before they even traverse those fields they must first contend with a macabre—and deadly—enemy.

Young Jack's life hangs in the balance as Wiley and Plō contend with the malevolent figure who fired the arrow into the dragonling. Plō's powers of prayer are revealed to be more potent than his companions conceived, and the trio make their way to the last human outpost of Timberfell only to find the hamlet's in dire straits and desperate need of saviors.

Having narrowly escaped old debts and the law in Stormcross, Jack and Wiley Hàalfenwood and their newly contracted charge Plō make the journey to Felspite Forest—but first they must navigate the treacherous Elkway River, sneak by tower guards, and talk their way past Orc bandits. Young Jack's true nature is revealed, and he is visited by a strange, prophetic dream before the trio reaches Felspite and tragedy suddenly strikes.

In this inaugural chapter of the fantasy epic Of Scale & Shell, our unlikely heroes Wiley and Jack Hàalfenwood meet Plō in the town of Stormcross and agree to ferry him into dangerous Felspite Forest as he embarks on a pilgrimage with great meaning to his people. The trio makes a narrow escape from the Lazy Jester Inn when old enemies of Wiley's come to collect on a blood debt.