The Ghost of the Battlefield

Military action

The Bonner Boys clash swords with Leonis Justus over the fate of all dragons.

Demi speaks to Braes while the rest of the party sleeps on the flight to Martial. They get on well together, but as everyone wakes up he voices his concerns to Indigo. Their group is now sided with neither the Metallics that want the Canticle nor the Chromatics who want to kill Demi to prevent it. They are truly on their own, and he isn’t strong enough to fight them all off. Indigo isn’t sure how best to continue in this situation, all he knows is that they have to.   In the distance they see a massive plume of smoke, beneath them people run for safety. Quickly swooping down, the people of Martial tell them that a dragon fight destroyed their hometown. And the dragons are still there.   Soaring into Martial, they see Gould and Leonis, but not the Bronze Dragon. They make a plan for Lyr to escape with Demi while they distract Leonis. A plan that fails immediately.   Leonis calls them his enemies. His fury burns as bright as the fire around him, the smoke blotting out the sun. He doesn’t understand why he’s the only one willing to do what’s necessary to bring peace to Bonner. Daryl tells him it’s because he doesn’t talk to the others. He just fights.   It comes in an instant, as Daryl searches for the right words. An alternate solution to the canticle. The idea just comes out, “A Council of Dragons.”   Suddenly it clicks for Indigo, Danger, and Lyr too. Get all the dragons together and make them police themselves. They think it’ll work, but Leonis doesn’t think they could even convince all the dragons to gather in one location. He demands Demi. They say no. Braes growls at Gould. Leonis and Gould attack!   The fight rages across martial. Leonis has picked up some new armor and other toys. An animated shield and the magic sword Defender. He’s nearly impossible to hit. Meanwhile, Gould is easily stronger than Braes. Braes who’s always the weaker in the fight. Not today. He reaches deep into the reserves of his being and brings the fight to Gould.   That’s when a fly whispers in Daryl’s ear to go inside Martial stadium. It’s Birinj, the Bronze Dragon. He can’t escape because of Bran, his amnesiac dragonborn’s deathly fear of fire. Birinj tells Daryl how he saved Bran’s life as he lay dying in the Battle for the Sky. Daryl realizes that the Bronze Dragonborn is Cole Mirari.   Indigo tries something new. With a touch, he turns Danger into a giant ape. Danger rips the roof off a nearby building and tosses it at Leonis. Something even he can’t block. He’s crushed but not done. So Lyr entraps him in spike growth.   Daryl convinces Cole not to fear the fire and gets him out of the stadium. Leonis uses his magical horn to summon spirit berserkers, but he doesn’t have the strength to continue much longer. Danger knocks Leonis out. The berserkers vanish.   Gould is more open to a Council of Dragons, but still appears concerned that they won’t be able to gather everyone. He defers to Braes with new respect. Braes suggests they gather treasure for the other dragons. Though there is little treasure they do not already possess. Braes already knows where they should go. Duintal, home of the River King. If they steal the right treasures from the Fey Lord, the dragons will gather themselves.