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Dragon Mage EKO IHARA HOME Eko grew up in Hayan, an island east of Emperor Song's empire. She lived in Bracken for a few years when she became Neru's Dragon Master. She now lives on an island in the Southern Ocean. But she returns to Bracken often to help Griffith train the Dragon Masters. STRENGTHS Eko is a Dragon Mage, so she can harness Neru's purple energy. She once used it like a whip to lasso Lalo the Lightning Dragon. Another time, she used Neru's powers to stop Worm from transporting.

BACKGROUND Eko was the first Dragon Master trained by Griffith of the Green Fields. The Dragon Stone chose her after King Roland got his first dragon— Neru, a Thunder Dragon. Eko loved Neru. But when the king began searching for more dragons to defend his castle, she became angry. She thought all dragons should be free even though she had a strong connection with Neru. She left the castle and took Neru with her. Over the years, her strong will and beliefs led her to do some harmful things. She attacked Bracken Castle. She kidnapped Lalo. She even teamed up with Maldred! However, her friendship with Rori helped her to see things in a different light. Now, she is a friend to Griffith and the Dragon Masters. DRAGON Neru the Thunder Dragon Rori reminds me of Eko, when Eko was the same age... —Griffith

Dragon NERU THE THUNDER DRAGON When you hear a loud boom in the sky, it may be thunder— or it may be Neru! POWER COLOR Purple

POWERS Neru can create a purple shield that protects him from attacks. His huge thunder booms shake the earth and can knock dragons out of the sky. He can make portals that allow him to travel to faraway places. DRAGON MASTER Eko Ihara SIZE LENGTH: 27 feet WEIGHT: 4,800 pounds Training Tip If you are training a Thunder Dragon, make sure you have a very strong connection before you try creating portals. If the portal isn't done right, you could end up someplace you don't expect and it might not be easy to get back! King Roland gave the emperor of Hayan a rare sapphire orb in exchange for Neru. —Griffith

WIZARDS' PRISON Most wizards who do bad things make it up by doing good deeds under the watchful eye of the Head Wizard. But the most evil wizards are sent to Wizards' Prison, where they won't be able to cause magical harm to the world. Wizards' Prison is located in a magical dimension. Nine wizards guard the doorway to this dimension, making sure nobody can get in or out. The walls of the cube-shaped prison are made of Guardstone. It is impossible to use magic near Guardstone unless you have a wand with an Oppistone tip. Guards use these wands to get in and out of the prison. The rooms inside the prison are very comfortable, because wizards believe that all people must be treated with dignity. Prisoners are given plenty of food and water, as well as musical instruments and books to keep them busy. Only one wizard has ever escaped this prison: Maldred of the Red Hills. The Head Wizard has vowed that this will never happen again.

STRANGE AND DANGEROUS CREATURES So far, we have discussed several evil humans who the Dragon Masters have faced. Power-hungry wizards and greedy rulers are always a danger to the world. However, Dragon Masters must be aware of the non-human creatures that can cause trouble. Some creatures are downright dangerous, with sharp claws or troublesome powers. Others are well... just weird. And some that look dangerous may actually be friendly. On these pages, you will learn which creatures to look out for, so you can tell the difference! —Griffith Finsterbuns These creatures from the Lofty Mountains look like rabbits with leathery wings, antlers, and sharp fangs. They won't harm humans, but they have a ferocious appetite for flowers.