Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer’s Curse

A druid circle in northern Britain prophesies a falling star, signaling a looming conflict. Brude, a powerful druid, summons the Painted tribe to slaughter the druids and push the northern and southern clans toward war over Hadrian's Wall. The omen sets the stage for a clash of loyalties and magic that will shape the realm.

Lorne, an apprentice druid, narrowly escapes the massacre and begins to move through a wider struggle that tests loyalties and the use of magic. She carries knowledge about dragons that will become crucial later. The escape marks the start of a conflict that reaches far beyond the original circle.

Gareth, a gifted fighter among squires, must pass his final tests on the southern side of the Wall to earn knighthood. He excels in combat but cannot raise the required 100 crowns, causing Sir Horsa to postpone his knighthood. A peasant couple offers him shelter, setting the stage for unlikely alliances.

That very night, a meteor crashes onto the north side, revealing a dragon guarding nine eggs. Gareth grabs one egg and is badly wounded in the rescue, showing his courage and the dragon's danger. The event triggers Brude's claim over the eggs and the dragons' fate.

The wounded Gareth is saved when the dragon, which Gareth named Drago, shares its heart with him, binding them in a life-saving pact. Brude curses the dragon and seizes the eggs, setting up a race to retrieve them. Lorne intervenes to explain dragons' nature and the bond now tying Gareth to Drago.

Gareth meets Rhonu, the rebel leader, and Traevor, her uncle, along with northern clans opposed to Brude. They rally around the dragon as a potential ally and hope Gareth can convince Drago to fight for their cause. The group forms an uneasy alliance that broadens the conflict.

Drago returns with a plan to retrieve the eggs and bring dragons into humanity, but his powers wane in daylight or firelight. Brude's soldiers close in as the party tries to execute the rescue. The team escapes with the eggs, narrowly avoiding capture.

The party continues their trek toward the Wall on foot after an egg is destroyed during the escape. Drago attempts to teach Gareth how to shadow-jump, a skill that could outpace Brude's pursuit. Lorne reveals the Sorcerer's Curse placed by Brude to control Drago by the full moon.

During a bid to rescue Painted prisoners, Gareth shows real bravery by briefly freeing Drago from Brude's control, but Brude soon reasserts his sorcery. The group remains determined to move toward the Wall while keeping the eggs safe. The tension between control and alliance tightens.

As they approach the Wall gate, Gareth, Lorne, and Rhonu are arrested and the dragon eggs are seized as the Painted tribe advances. Drago is re-imprisoned by Brude, while the group improvises plans to recover the eggs. The incident marks a pivot toward a climactic confrontation.

Under a full moon, the Painted tribe attacks with Drago still under Brude's control, but Lorne's magic helps Gareth and Rhonu slip away. The battle tests loyalties as Brude's grip on Drago loosens enough to allow aid from allies. The eggs' fate hangs in the balance as the fight rages.

Gareth confronts Sir Horsa at the gate to protect the eggs, and Drago is freed to lend aid. Gareth kills Sir Horsa; Rhonu battles and kills Brude, though she is mortally wounded. The dragon's heart saves her, Brude dies, and the immediate threat is ended.

With Brude dead and Drago free, the Painted retreat and a fragile peace settles over the land. Hadrian's Wall is renamed Dragon's Gate, Gareth is knighted and becomes a leader, and Rhonu is saved by an unhatched dragon that shares its heart with her. The realm enters a new era as a baby dragon begins to hatch.