The Earth Dragon Stronghold - Dragon Knights #23 - A Bedtime Adventure

0:04 He Hello, friends from across the nation, around the world. My Martin and you are listening to Dad's Bedtime Stories. Tonight, We're gonna finally be continuing with the Dragon Knights series, a series that is now twenty three chapters long, I believe, and is you know, getting more intense with every single chapter.

0:27 In the last chapter, we discovered the background of the Earth Dragon General who turned out to be Bennett's father, if you remember that, and we're gonna continue on from there when this series is over. I do plan to do something else Dragon Knight related. I'm just thinking maybe more of a you know, a series of individual stories from the Dragon Knights universe, so people can suggest new and interesting dragons and writers and things like that. To me, make one off stories might be the best way to go for a Bedtime Stories podcast, But you can let me know your thoughts and your ideas if we do something like that. If you like the podcast, don't forget to rate it and review it wherever it is you're listening,

1:14 share with a friend, and to support the podcast financially and to get ad free episodes, you can join us on Patreon. It does take a lot of effort to make three episodes a week regularly, so again, I really appreciate all my Patreon sponsors, and as much as ads aren't my favorite, they also help the podcast run. Ads like this possible one. Now it's time to close your eyes, get as comfy as you can in that bed, and imagine yourself doing what the kid in the story does.

1:53 This one's a bit of a two parter. We're going to start off from an outside perspective back at the Earth Dragon's Stronghold, and then go back to you and your perspective is the main character, if that makes sense. Chapter twenty three, The Battle for the Earth Dragons, Part one, Basalts Orders Basalts stood on the highest balcony of the Earth Dragon's Stronghold, looking out across the mountains. The stronghold was enormous. Great stone towers rose from the mountains themselves.

2:38 Walls thicker than houses surrounded the inner fortress. Well tunnels twisted beneath the earth in every direction. It had been rebuilt since the Dragon King's original invasion, but it had never truly been restored. The dragons living there were all controlled. Their eyes glowed with the Dragon King's magic. Their riders commanded them through false connections instead of sharing their power through true bonds. Basalt knew the difference better than most.

3:17 He heard the beating wings above him, and an enormous elemental dragon descended from the clouds and landed on the balcony. It was larger than nearly every dragon in the stronghold. Its scales shifted between black, red, green, blue, and gray, while strange energy moved beneath them, like light shining through stained glass. The Dragon King sat upon its back. Three more elemental dragons landed behind him, each carrying one of the elementes, the Dagon King's most powerful riders. Basalt lowered his head, My King, the Dragon King climbed down. You have heard what has happened. The Fire Dragon's stronghold has fallen.

4:20 Hundreds of fire dragons now serve the rebellion. They have chosen riders. The water stronghold has fallen as well. Splash and Icetorn betrayed me, and many water dragons have formed new bonds. The Dragon King walked toward the edge of the balcony, and now even Violet has revealed herself. Basalt said nothing. He'd known Violet for many years. He'd always sensed there was something unusual about her loyalty, though he'd never imagined how long she'd been waiting. The Nature's stronghold now belongs to the rebellion. Violet and Bloom are reunited.

5:19 The jungle fights for them. More natured dragons find right as every day. He slowly turned back toward but Salt, and worst of all, my daughter stands among them. There was something beneath the dragon King's anger when he spoke about August, something quieter, something almost wounded. But it disappeared quickly.

5:52 I have allowed this to continue for far too long. I underestimated them when they were merely children hiding in caves. I underestimated them when they began freeing individual dragons. I will not underestimate them again. Bassalt looked toward the mountain passes. They will come here next. Yes, they have fire dragons, water dragons, Nature dragons, and a small number of Earth and wind dragons free during the fighting. The King's face twisted slightly. But most of the Earth dragons remain here, most of the wind dragons remain mine, and I still have the elementes. He motioned towards the three elemental dragons behind him. These three will remain around the perimeter. They will use their elemental camouflage to become completely invisible. They

7:10 will scout the rebels approach and strike from positions the enemy cannot locate. Basalt studied the three riders, and you will return to the castle. No, the answer surprised him. I will remain here, the Dragon King said. The other battles will lost because I was not present. My armies fought the rebels, but no one attacked the source of their strength, the true bonds, Bassault said, exactly, they believe those bonds make them powerful. I will show them how easily bond can be broken. The Dragon King raised one hand, closing his fingers slowly. When the rebels enter the battlefield, I will reach into every dragon's mind. I will block their connection and replace them with my own. Basalt imagined

8:25 hundreds of dragons suddenly turning against the children and their riders on their backs their army. You will destroy itself, the king continued. Those who survive will face the full strength of the earth Dragon army. The king stepped closer. This battle will end the rebellion. You will stop them here and now. Basalt lowered his head. As you command the preparations began immediately. Earth dragons raised new rings of stone walls around the valleys. The first walls were low enough to tempt dragons to fly over them, but strong enough to hide new weapons placed behind. Giant spear throwers were constructed along the mountain ridges. Each one could fire an iron bolt as long as a tree trunk. Catapults

9:30 were placed on high towers, some loaded with boulders, others carried enormous metal nets or stone containers filled with sand that would explode into blinding clouds. Rotating launchers were built into the walls, each holding rows of sharpened metal spears. Deep tunnels were dug beneath the surrounding valleys so that the Earth dragons could wait under ground burst up beneath the attackers. Stone platforms were placed at different heights along the cliffs, allowing dragons and soldiers to attack from every direction.

10:13 The three elementes vanished into the surrounding mountains, taking up hidden positions. The Dragon King remained inside the central tower with his enormous elemental dragon and Basalt oversaw it all. He checked the walls, He inspected the weapons, He positioned the dragons. He created a battle that the rebels should not be able to survive. But each night Basalt returned to the highest balcony and stared toward the horizon. Somewhere beyond those mountains, Bennett was coming, and when his son arrived, Basalt would finally have to decide who he truly was.

11:06 Part two, Preparing the Dragon Knights. Your perspective. You stand on one of the enormous wooden platforms inside the Nature Dragon's stronghold, looking down at the army gathering below. Your forces have grown quickly. Hundreds of fire dragons have bonded with riders from the mining villages around the volcanoes. Water dragons now train beside fishermen, workers, former soldiers, and others chosen After Splash and ice Thorn helped free the stronghold, Nature dragons moved through the jungle with their own new riders, practicing vines, healing, magic spores, roots, and of course, the ability to communicate with living things. There are a few Earth dragons among you, now freed during some of the

12:06 previous battles, but there remain a number of dragons that haven't chosen new riders. They tell the same story. Their riders are still alive. They can feel them faintly hidden in prisons, camps, castles, or distant villages. Somewhere. One day they will find them again, assuming you can survive the next battle. Violet, the Nature Dragon General, approaches with Bloom walking behind her. She now wears her true green Nature Dragon armor rather than the black and red armor she wore when serving the Dragon King. August walks beside you.

12:58 The world has been restless, Violet says, you mean you spoke to the world again. You ask, I listened. The roots beneath us connect to forests, grasslands, farms, and even the small plants growing between the stones of the earth Dragon stronghold, and August asks, your father will be there. August's expression Titans, he knows we are coming, Violet continues, and he knows that his control spell is the greatest weapon he possesses, and we can reverse it. You say, yes, some of you can. Some of your closest friends have learned enough to help. But this army contains hundreds of new rightsitis. If the Dragon King attacks every bond at once, many will not know what's happening until it's too late.

14:10 You look down at the dragons below. Then we teach everyone the training begins that day. At first, you return to the same method August used when teaching you bunny rabbits. The rabbits are placed throughout a large jungle clearing, with piles of carrots nearby. To make the experience a slightly less insulting, You and August teach the riders to ignore the huge elemental power flowing from their dragons and find the smaller source of human magic within themselves. Many struggle, but eventually you help the knights find their inner magic, and you teach them them to create a temporary connection with the rabbits, one that takes over the control center of their brain, one that allows them to order the

15:11 rabbits to walk where they want them to walk, and to do what they want them to do. No one truly enjoys this kind of magic. It feels imposing and wrong. The connections are released quickly, and the rabbits are given plenty of carrots afterwards. Once the riders understand what the spells feel like, though, the lessons become more serious. You and August attempt to connect to them to their dragons.

15:49 The riders must sense your magic entering their minds and push it away, but first, many can't do it, Some free ease in place, some begin walking in circles, but slowly they improve. They learn to feel the false connection. They learn to place their own human energy against it and redirect it or cut it in half. Their dragons even learn to help through their true bond, pushing strength and awareness back towards their riders. Violet and Bloom walk among the groups, teaching them to ground themselves through the living world, giving them the mental strength they need to perform so many tasks, and at the same time, regular dragon night training continues. Splash and ice Thorn join with Bethy and Luna to help train the water riders. Ash

16:56 and Cinder work with the fire riders, jew Rules and Vine, with the help of Violet and Bloom, train the nature knights. Bennett and Granted train the small group of free Earth riders, and James and Whisper teach the few wind riders who have been freed how to maintain focus while moving at incredible speed. Connor and Bolts just practice striking nearby controlled targets without actually hitting them, and Curtis and Phoenix develop clouds of sleeping spores to disable enemy riders. Since well nobody else has their exact powers to help train. After several weeks, the army is ready. You stand on the highest platform of the Nature Stronghold. Ellie waits behind you.

17:55 August and Eliara stand to one side. Violet and Blue Looms stand to the other. Splash, James, Ash Connor, Curtis, Bethy, Jewels, and the rest of your friends gather nearby. Below you, hundreds of dragons and riders wait for years. The Dragon King has forced dragons to fight against the people they were meant to choose. You say, the jungle becomes quiet.

18:29 He took true bonds and replaced them with chains. He turned dragons into weapons and riders into prisoners. You look across the army, but the real dragon knights have returned. The dragons begin to rumble and growl. The Fire dragons are free. A roar rises from the Fire dragons. The Water Dragons free. The Water Dragons cheer. The Nature Dragons are free. The entire jungle shakes as the Nature Dragons roar, and now we are going to free the Earth Dragons.

19:18 The army erupts. When the Earth's Stronghold falls, only the Wind dragons Stronghold and the Dragon King's personal army will remain. The end is in sight. Soon dragons will choose their riders freely again. Soon this world will belong to dragons and humans together as it was meant to be. You raise your sword, Let's restore what was stolen. You climb onto alley. Hundreds of dragons take to the sky behind you.

20:02 The fire dragons form the largest part of the formation. Water dragons fly beside them, drawing moisture from the clouds. Nature dragons carry vines and seeds woven around their bodies, and a much smaller group of earth dragons flies near Bennett and Granite. James Whisper, and the few free wind dragons move around the outside of the formation, scouting ahead.

20:34 The earth dragon's stronghold eventually appears between the mountains. Massive walls circle the entire region. Towers line the cliffs. Machines point toward the sky. They have been preparing for us. Violet says. You fly over the first wall. A hornasts and the mountains explode. Trees, sigh spears tear through the air.

21:07 Catapults launch boulders, Nets and stone containers spread out. You yell. The dragon formation breaks. Earth dragons burst from the ground below. Entire mountain sides open as controlled dragons launch boulders into the sky. Then elemental attacks strike from nowhere. A wall of fire appears beside you at least spins away, only to be struck by a blast of wind from another direction.

21:41 Water whips around a fire dragon and freezes its wings. Vines reach out of empty air and sees riders. The alementes are invisible. August shouts. Your army attacks back, but there's nothing clear to aim at. Fire fills the sky. Water dragons create shields, Nature dragons send roots toward the walls, and the few free Earth dragons try to break the enemy weapons, but they're facing an entire stronghold filled with dragons of their own element The battle quickly becomes chaos.

22:23 You and Elly dodge another spear. A boulder crashes into a group of water dragons. A hidden elemental blasts fire, ice, rock, wind, and vines into the center of the formation. For the first time, it looks as though your arm you might actually be overwhelmed. Then an enormous shadow passes over the battlefield.

22:50 The largest elemental dragon you've ever seen descends from the clouds. The dragon kings stand on its back. He raises both arms. A wave of strange energy rolls across the sky, and Alley screams. You feel something cold reaching through your bond. All around you, dragons begin to struggle. Their eyes flicker yellow.

23:23 Some turn toward their own riders, others lose control of their wings. The Dragon King's voice booms across the mountain. You have brought every dragon you freed directly to me. His enormous dragon circles above the battlefield. You believe your bonds make you powerful, but every bond can be blocked, every dragon can be controlled. When this is finished, your own ah ME will destroy you. The spell pushes harder against Eli's mind, but you recognize it. You find your own inner magic and push back. It's too bad, You shout that we already know how your spell works. The Dragon King's expression changes, and so does everyone else. Across the battlefield. Riders resist, Hundreds of true bonds flare with light. Fire.

24:40 Dragons roar as their riders drive the spell away. Water dragons strengthen their riders' minds. Nature. Dragons ground themselves through the world. The yellow light disappears from their eyes. No, the Dragon King shouts, this cannot be happening. You reach toward the false connection between him and his enormous elemental dragon.

25:12 You can feel the chain. You grab it with your mind and begin pulling. The Dragon King, realizing what's happening, reacts instantly. A bolt of lightning blasts from his hand and strikes you in the chest. You're thrown from elly. The wind catches you before you fall, but by the time you look up, the Dragon King and his dragon have disappeared. He's using elemental camouflage. August calls you search the sky, but can't find him. The battle continues. The spear throwers fire again. The invisible elementes attack from new positions.

25:58 The Earth Dragon arm He pushes your forces backward. Then the ground shakes. A gigantic dark earth Dragon bursts from the mountain beneath the strongest wall. Basult, the Earth Dragon General, sits on its back. Bennett stares at him. Basult raises one hand and hundreds of stones rise into the sky. You brace for the attack, but the rocks turn. They smash into the giant spear throwers. They crush catapults and tear apart the rotating launchers. Basult fires another ring of stones into apparently empty parts of the sky, and each one strikes an invisible elemental dragon. Their camouflage flickers. There.

26:57 You shout, Connor and Bull strike the first with lightning, James in whisper blast the second with a tornado Violet and Bloom sees the third with vines. With their location revealed, the others attack as well, and the Alementes are quickly defeated. Riders blasted off of their backs, leaving them useless. You, August, and the other trained riders move toward the controlled earth dragons.

27:31 You find the false connection and pull them loose. The riders around you do the same, and one by one the Earth Dragon's eyes clear. Some roar with anger, others stare at Basalt. Then the Earth dragons turn against the remaining soldiers of the Dragon King. The battle ends quickly after that. You land before the gates of the stronghold.

28:05 Your friends gather beside you. Bennett and Granted land nearby. Basalts dragon descends in front of them, and Basalt climbs down slowly. He looks at Bennett. My name is Basalt, he says, and I believe I'm your father. Bennett freezes, Basult tries to explain everything he tells them about Mirah, about the rebel camp, about the information he gave to the Dragon King, and about secretly protecting Bennett from inside the army. I portrayed your mother, Basult says, I betrayed the rebell I serve the Dragon King. I know I can never expect you to forgive me. Bennett doesn't say anything.

29:11 August walks toward Basalt's dragon, and it's time to free him, she says. Basalt looks up, but the dark Earth Dragon, please do I was never worthy of a dragon. August removes the control spell. The dragon's glowing eyes become clear. For a moment, it simply stares at Basalt. Then a beam of silver and brown light shoots from its chest and connects to his true Earth Dragon armor forms around Basalt.

29:54 Stone and metal cover his arms, legs, and chest. Silver lines low across the armor, like veins of ore through rock. Basalt looks down in disbelief. You demonstrated friendship to dragons, the Earth Dragon says, when it counted most you acted, but I controlled you. You were used as I was. Yet when given the choice, you turned against the one holding the chains. The dragon lowers its head. You were always meant to be a dragon knight, but the will of the world knew you first had to fulfill your purpose.

30:53 As the Earth Dragon, General Basalt places one hand against the dragon's snout. Bennett watches silently. He's not ready to forgive his father. If this man actually is his father, he has a lot of questions, but those can wait. The gates of the Earth Dragon's stronghold open. Freed dragons begin searching for their true riders. Some feel their riders imprisoned somewhere inside the mountains. Others sends people far beyond the stronghold and prepare to find them. You look around at your exhausted friends. The Earth Dragons are free. Only the Wind Stronghold and the Dragon King's personal army remain.

31:53 Melly creates a quiet room inside the stronghold using stone, wood, vo and soft moss. You climb into the bed and pull the covers up to your chin. You close your eyes, and with each breath, your body begins to relax. Your arms become heavy, your legs sink into the soft mattress, and your mind begins to wander off to thoughts of new dreams, new adventures, and the final battles still to come.

32:37 Good Night everyone, and.

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