Book excerpt: On the ancient plains of Krynn arise new perils. The village of Yala-tene is flourishing. Twelve years of peace and plenty have allowed the little settlement to grow into a thriving town. But its peace is threatened--from within by an ambitious priest of the dragon cult, and from without by a savage horde of warriors, bent on conquest. Against this array of evil, Chief Amero and the bronze dragon Duranix strive to hold the fragile threads of civilization together. Best-selling writing team Thompson and Cook return to the world of Dragonlance in the second book of the epic Barbarians trilogy.