Brave boys, to have come so far. - The third book of the Adventures of the Realm series. There's never a good time to take the North Road. But Andrew, David, Will Scarlet, and Swain certainly chose a bad one! Swain's brother, Dean the Headless, may be part of a strange and terrible project - the Chimera. The Black Dragon, the darkest kingdom of the North, has collected pieces to this ultimate warrior for generations. Once the Mechanic has the parts he needs, he'll bring his creature to life. Andrew and David are eager to get back home as soon as possible. If the North Road destroys itself, so be it. But Swain can't leave his brother behind. They're soon lost in Colonel Cob's Maize, trapped by Ian the Rough, and tracked by the All-Smelling Nose of Kris Kringle. They must get home before they become pawns of the powerful forces of the North. Or a powerful evil tears brothers apart.