Will has now come into his own as the Faraway Paladin. With strong friends and an even stronger spirit, he has saved Beast Woods and its people from their plight. There's great cause for celebration...but all is not well in the land. Strange happenings are afoot, beginning with plants blooming out of season and dying at random. At Duke Ethel's request, Will and Menel are off to investigate, not knowing that their journey will lead them to an ominous prophecy and the Rust Mountains, the capital of the dwarves.

In the city of the dead, long since ruined and far from human civilization, lives a single human child. His name is Will, and he's being raised by three undead. The three pour love into the boy, and teach him all they know. But one day, Will starts to wonder: "Who am I?"Will must unravel the mysteries of this faraway land, and unearth the secret pasts of the undead. He must learn the love and mercy of the good gods, and the bigotry and madness of the bad. And when he knows it all, the boy will take his first step on the path to becoming a Paladin.

Though wary, Will and his allies at last set upon the forbidding Rust Mountains where the foul dragon Valacirca awaits. A bloody battle is all but certain, and words of warning come from every direction imaginable-including from the god of undeath. Yet not even a nostalgic reunion can deter Will. He means to stay his course and fight. Thus the curtain rises on a tense clash in the lost underground kingdom... Is Will strong enough to hold his own against a dragon feared by even the gods, or will this be the Faraway Paladin's last stand?

After a thorough restoration under the leadership of Will, the city of Torch Port is now home to diverse folk from all over the world. Its newest citizens are dwarves from the Rust Mountains, former warriors turned vagabonds by the fall of the Iron Country. Will sets out to learn about their past, hoping not only to help them out as much as he can, but also to investigate rumors he's heard about an imminent threat lurking in the mountains. Then, a mysterious prophecy shakes Will's resolve: "Thou shalt challenge the dragon with the protection of the god of the flame and die defeated, thy purpose not fulfilled."

Heralded as a hero for his hand in slaying the wyvern in Whitesails, Will steps into his own as the paladin of a faraway land. He uses his new decoration to rally men in the name of liberating Beast Woods from its demon plight, but the battle ahead won't be an easy one. He'll come to learn the hard way that heroes don't just fight-they protect. The greatness of their deeds lives on in song and the hearts of men, a candle of courage for all even in the darkest of times. And for Will, his own saga is just beginning...

In the fight against death, Will finds a new guiding light-and not a moment too soon. He must quickly learn to take what he gains in the face of great loss and soldier boldly, reverently forward into the future. With new life and purpose, Will takes his first steps out into the world. Yet life on the outside is harsh. The land where beasts roam and demons maraud is a dark one. Even the kindness of strangers can be cruel here. The bustling city, too, is cloaked in shadows all its own. Will must continue to fight, both for his life and the light he now carries with him.

Contains the Complete Volumes 9-10! Under cover of night, Will and his party set out on a quest to slay the calamitous elder dragon Valacirca, bringer of war and transgressor upon the dwarves’ former home. Before they can vanquish the ancient beast, however, they must survive the journey to the Rust Mountains where it dwells. The way is long and fraught with dangers both anticipated and unexpected. But even with the odds against them, Will, Menel, Reystov, Al, and Ghelreis venture forth, emboldened by each other’s bravery—for where there is darkness, there may always yet be light.