The Right Hand of Velachaz

2004 EPPIE Award Finalist for Best Young Adult Novel. Twelve-year-old Teman finds himself drawn into a world he never dreamed he'd be a part of-a world of magic and mystery: a world of heroic quests and demonic creatures, a world of dragons. Plucked from the streets to help the wizard Velachaz hide a secret past, Teman soon discovers that he shares the gift of Magic. As he practices to master his first spells, he meets a strange young knight-to-be who is off to slay a dragon.
When the knight turns out to be Velachaz's nephew Galen, the quest is on. Teman and Vela journey north with the youth in hopes of saving Galen from himself. They encounter one adventure after another along the way, learning from each other as they go. But Teman has a secret of his own. He hopes to save the dragon from Galen's sword before either one of them gets hurt. What they find when they reach the dragon's lair is the biggest secret of all. The story is peopled with interesting characters and supernatural beings, from the plucky servant Sally whose sling seldom misses to the eccentric artist Mad Elaine, the wood sprite Rowan, the wicked cat-woman in her ruined tower, and of course, the dragon. In the end, only by working together can Teman and Velachaz hope to save the day.