After the world that he had come to know and love came crashing down around his feet, Lord Jason Tolbridge, former Commander of the Royal Legions of Ishtabar, strove to find himself. This he did as he settled down into the life of a hermit on a lone island far from his homeland, though a force came all too soon that would change Jason's life forever. Steel, a brazen young solider determined to make a mark within Ishtabar's Royal Legions, arrives on the back of a young red dragon. at his father's dying request, Steel seeks out Jason to ask if he will train him in the ways of war for he longs to advance from the ranks as a basic solider to those of an elite warrior. But when he approaches Jason, he discovers that he is no longer interested in the ways of war. Finally, after much cajoling, Jason agrees to teach the hot-tempered young man, against his better judgment. But with Ishtabar on the cusp of war, Jason and Steel are called back home. Will Jason finally be forced to come to terms with his past and face the present danger that may threaten his future?