Dragon Run

Dragon Run by Matthews, Patrick. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780545450683.

A boy goes on the run in this fast-paced fantasy debut. Can a zero become a hero? Testing Day is supposed to be a day of celebration for Al Pilgrommor. Born into a wealthy family, he expects to follow in his successful fathers footsteps. Of course, that all depends on the rank number Al receives at the testing. The higher the rank he has tattooed onto his neck, the better his life will be. To his surprise and horror, Al is revealed to be rank zero, the lowest of the low. Hes now not only an outcast - hes also a danger to his entire family. So Al goes on the run, fleeing the brutal Cullers, men who hunt down zeroes . . . and put them to death. Cast out of his home, cut off from his friends, and armed with only a sword and his wits, Al is reduced to just surviving. As he meets other outcasts, however, he begins to suspect that he is a pawn in a larger game - and that he might have the power to tip the scales in a high-stakes struggle between man and dragon.