Dragon eggs aren’t supposed to hatch empty. Nicai hopes the stone will solve their problems, only it’s making matters worse. And then the darkness from the prophecy arrives in the form of Ryze, a tyrant who ruled Amaria a millennium ago. He’s always been power-hungry, and now that he’s been resurrected, he’s even more ruthless and cunning. Nicai’s and Koll’s dragons both are grounded, stricken by that strange illness. Can the two dragon hunters alone take on Ryze? Or will all hope be lost to the coming darkness?