When war threatens the village of Salus, many look to sixteen-year-old Moose Atwater for salvation. But Moose has a secret: he lied about being the Chosen One. He didn't think they'd actually
believe
him. All he wanted was to be treated like an adult and get a bully off his back. With the fate of the village on his shoulders, Moose must seek out an ancient spirit atop the tallest mountain to ask for his people's protection. But Moose has never left Salus, and all accounts of the journey speak of a scary and dangerous wilderness with beasts of the forest, blood-thirsty brutes of the rocklands, and prowling dragons among the clouds. Terrified that the truth will come out and the quest will claim his life, Moose's only hope of reaching the summit lies with a friend who can't keep up, a guide who may be mad, and a protector who doesn't care if he lives or dies. To his surprise, there is beauty and wonder to be found in the wild, and what he discovers as he climbs the mountain will change everything he believes about his people, the war, and the spirit itself.