Gerald and company race back to his hometown to face his nemesis Argyll, but the dragon has vanished without a trace. In Argyll's wake Gerald finds only mystery and misery.

A great dragon lord is missing after a nearby battle that no one in the village noticed, despite a large chunk of forest being laid waste. The biggest clue is a stump that is no longer wood, containing a cursed sword no one has been able to remove. Evidence suggests the involvement of someone who died centuries ago.

Despair, strange visions, lethargy, jealousy, and other vexations plague the inhabitants of the formerly peaceful Scottish village, including Gerald and his fiancée Sally.

Gerald must find the source of these curses and break their evil magic by traveling to a country he has never heard of, somewhere to the east. Once there, he ends up spending the night inside an active volcano.

After that, things start to get really weird.

Young adult fantasy. Historical fiction with dragons.

Other volumes in The Dragon Lord Chronicles:

1. Year of the Dragon Lord
2. Nemeses Unexpected