Warriors of Virtue

Ryan Jeffers is a middle school student who struggles with a leg disability that keeps him from playing sports and makes him feel isolated. He works as the waterboy for his school football team and secretly dreams of grand adventures through comic books. He hides his depression about his condition from his mother, clinging to fantasies of a better life.

The restaurant owner Ming gives Ryan a manuscript that represents the five elements of Tao and urges him to live beyond his limits. Ming explains that the book contains guidance for navigating life and fending off despair. Ryan pockets the manuscript, unsure of how it will change him.

Brad and his friends challenge Ryan and Chucky to cross a narrow pipe at a water plant to sign their wall. Ignoring Chucky's warnings, Ryan steps onto the pipe, and a concealed mechanism dumps him into the water. The accident abruptly uproots his ordinary life and kicks off his journey into Tao.

Ryan awakens in a strange forest and is attacked by figures drawn by a lake creature. He discovers his leg has returned to service and he can move with new power. A dwarf-like stranger, Mudlap, and a girl named Elysia appear, driving off the attackers and signaling that Ryan is now in Tao.

Elysia brings Ryan to Master Chung, who introduces four warriors—Lai the Wood Warrior, Chi the Fire Warrior, Tsun the Earth Warrior, and Yee the Metal Warrior—anthropomorphic kangaroos who guard the Tao wisdom. They explain that Yun, the Water Warrior, left the group after a past war and that Komodo is seeking the Manuscript to steal Lifesprings. Ryan learns the manuscript could trigger a wider conflict between realms.

Komodo's henchmen capture Ryan, but Yun arrives and rescues him. Ryan convinces Yun to return to the Lifespring to stand against Komodo, setting the stage for their cooperation. The plan is to retrieve the manuscript and protect the Lifespring.

Mudlap lures Ryan into General Grillo's arms, but Master Chung arrives in time to save him from capture. The rescue deepens Ryan's ties to the Tao world and he starts to understand that trust is fragile in this war-torn land. Meanwhile, the pursuit of the Manuscript continues.

Yun, Yee, and Chi pursue the manuscript but are betrayed by Elysia, who joins Komodo in a vengeful plot. The trio fall into a trap but manage to escape using their skills and teamwork. Elysia's betrayal demonstrates the complex loyalties at play in Tao.

Komodo fights Chung and ultimately kills him, then captures Ryan and drags him to his palace. Elysia's involvement becomes clear as her desire for vengeance surfaces. The stakes rise as the Manuscript's power becomes a weapon.

In the palace, Elysia pleads with Ryan to read from the Manuscript so Komodo can invade his world. Ryan cannot read the book, and Komodo's anger explodes into violence, killing Barbarocious as he strikes at Ryan's last defenses. Ryan manages to escape, knowing that the manuscript's secret is key to the war.

Komodo returns to the Lifespring and splits into five versions of himself to fight the Warriors one-on-one, and defeats them all. Ryan discovers an inscription in the manuscript and uses it to trick Komodo into overusing his powers, weakening him. The warriors purify Komodo's spirit and restore balance to the Lifespring.

Back at the water plant, Ryan refuses to cross the pipe again, but the mechanism opens anyway and traps Brad on the far side. Brad's insults lead Ryan's friends to abandon him to the police, illustrating the social costs of the desire to fit in. Ryan watches the consequences and begins to understand responsibility for his actions.

That night, Ryan apologizes to his mother for an earlier argument and speaks of Tao as a guiding idea in his life. He also mentions telling his dog about Tao, signaling a new, hopeful outlook. He climbs into bed ready to start a different life with Tao as his compass.