A young troubled boy named Pete and his guardian dragon Elliott elude the abusive Gogan family, who uses him as a slave instead of a loved child. When he can successfully run away from them with Elliott, he stumbles into the town of Passamaquaddy – an ocean front harbor town filled with superstitious fishermen, drunken hooligans, and wary townsfolk. His arrival does not mix well with the citizens, as Elliott accidentally causes town rioting and gossip among the town drunks about him. Expecting to be an outcast yet again, Pete is taken in by the kind Nora who lives in a lighthouse with her father Lampie. While Pete bonds with them, the townsfolk have not lowered their guards and suspicions about Elliott. And when Dr. Terminus arrives, a phony con artist posing as a doctor, he sees Elliott as the ultimate profit to his fame. With Passamaquaddy filled with superstition, greed, and lack of imagination, life will not be easy before the town can ever believe Elliott.