Bound by epic legends passed down through the Moonshadow Archipelago, both the balance-oriented Ffolk druids and the northern paladins who placed greater importance on enforcing justice held an instinctive fondness for inherently good Metal Dragons.
For it was said that Tyr, the God of Justice, dwelled in the House of the Triad, the realm nearest to the Seven Heavens of Mount Celestia. Though not many Metal Dragons worshiped Tyr alone, the Platinum Temple of Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon King, stood next door in the Golden Heaven of Mercuria, the second layer of Mount Celestia.
In the early years, when Tyr had first descended upon the Coriel World and led two hundred divine envoys across the Vernon Coast to suppress the remnants of the ancient Jhaamdathi Pantheon, he had received the Platinum Dragon King's aid. The two had maintained a fine personal friendship ever since.
Thus, in Coriel, when paladins encountered evils they could not eradicate, they often sought the aid of Metal Dragons—especially Gold and Silver Dragons. Such pairings had long been celebrated in bards' songs.
Even on Mount Celestia, such pairings had their counterparts. Among those aasimar dragon riders, many had been paladins in life. After death, they entered the supremely good Mount Celestia and became aasimar. There were even tales in Coriel of dragon riders who, after dying in battle, ascended to Mount Celestia alongside their dragons.
And that was precisely why, when Edwina saw the enormous silver dragon falling from the sky, she truly thought she had witnessed a miracle.
She had even cried out Tyr's divine name because of it.
Yet with the storm passing overhead, dull thunder continued to rumble through the gloomy sky. Pale-faced, Edwina immediately begged the God of Justice for mercy.
"What do we do now?"
The paladin, who had once sought