The mysterious life force of a long-dead dragon swirls inside the crystalline pommel of a magic sword's detached hilt. Within the Kingdom of Egatoth, its existence and location are known only to a trusted few. But now, a disgraced wizard conspires with a power-hungry prince to acquire the hilt, revive the dragon, and unleash campaigns of war and pillage against the kingdom's peaceful neighbors. Standing opposed is the prince's younger brother, who escapes the conspirators' clutches and embarks with his fiancée and a pair of skilled woodsmen to thwart the plot. Racing time, they risk traversing an ominous forest populated with terrifying creatures and an unknown human colony that treats trespassers most unkindly. With the kingdom's future hanging in the balance, creatures must be slain, secrets must be revealed, and an old warrior must atone for a long-ago shame.