#ezran being scared of monsters

[adashulaz]

Kpp'Ar told Soren that monsters only stick around if you think they exist and fear them so if he tells himself that they don't exist, he'll stop being so scared and they'll just go away. Kpp'Ar also told Soren that even if he can't stop believing in monster and can't stop being scared of them then Kpp'Ar will take care of them because he knows a trick that will get rid of them.

Soren tells Ezran the same exact thing that Kpp'Ar told him when Ezran is crying about a monster he saw in his closet or under his bed. Soren tells Ezran the exact same thing Kpp'Ar told him, word for word. He even tells Ezran that if needed, he can do a simple trick to keep the monsters away until the end of time.

[raayllum]

Rayla's Super Selective Hearing, or What is Callum Actually Afraid of?

There's a running current throughout the series, but especially Arc 2 and S6 in particular, about recognizing fear in another individual and the importance of it as a sort of moral horizon line not to cross.

We see this time and time again being twisted/warped with the dark mage characters:

as well as others as a warning sign

which is contrasted most notably with Rayla in S1 as an explicit reason for mercy and recognizing personhood:

RUNAAN: You let him go! RAYLA: Runaan, I'm sorry. The human — he looked up at me and I saw the fear in his eyes. RUNAAN: Of course he was afraid, but you had a job to do! (1x01)

RAYLA: And then I just... let him go. I don't know why. EZRAN: Because you felt for him. RAYLA: But he was a human. My enemy. EZRAN: Yeah, but then you saw he was scared, and you knew he was a person, just like you. RAYLA: That shouldn't have mattered. I had a job to do. (1x08)

and in pleas of ignoring fear:

versus reassurance that it's okay, even if the two can overlap:

And fear, is, of course one of the most consistent feelings that Callum has towards Aaravos, and subsequently one of the threads built upon between Callum and Rayla.

Some of this, mind you, is because they're going to have to confront the "it doesn't matter that the human was afraid, you had a job to do and should've killed him" holdover whenever Callum gets possessed again, which is also part of the reason why Runaan turns and flees from Rayla's compassion and forgiveness in 6x09: he's afraid he doesn't deserve it, and that he "can't go back". He's worried that he's too far gone, and that he's a monster.

This also plays into Viren's realization and acceptance of what had happened with Lissa, who was terrified of him and said similarly that he had "become a monster" as previously noted (and eventually he was able to acknowledge that she was right).

This same fear of becoming monstrous one of the many fears we see plaguing Callum in S6: that not only will Aaravos control and/or manipulate him, not only did he do dark magic again, but that if it happens again or if Rayla finds out that she'll be scared of him, down to similar framing to boot.

Callum's fear doesn't come to fruition in 6x03, with Rayla being not scared of him, for scared for him. As she lists out reasons why he shouldn't do dark magic (without knowing why he did so), she cites:

Because it's dangerous. Because it hurts you. But most of all, because it makes you vulnerable to the thing you're most afraid of. [...] I just don't understand why you would keep doing it, knowing that it puts your life in terrible danger.

And Rayla has good reason to think that Aaravos is Callum's worst fear, given that Callum has emphasized his fear over Aaravos a few times to her:

So Callum is scared of Aaravos, as are most of the characters, but the possession gets to him specifically. Part of this is because the possession strips Callum of the quality he cares about the most: his agency ("You think [making a mistake because Aaravos took control of me] makes me feel better? That makes me feel worse" / "I felt so weak and out of control. I was his puppet"). This is also what he affirms to Ezran in 4x05 ("when he took over my whole body and used me like a puppet").

The other side is one that he spells out for us in 4x07, so let's go line by line now that S6 has provided more reaffirmation / context.

I'm not afraid that he'll hurt me.

This line, of course, shows Callum's selflessness and willingness to risk his life (1x02, 2x07, 3x01, 3x09, 5x08), in addition to his rationale for asking Rayla to kill him. If his destiny under Aaravos and the harm it brings it inevitable, his own life and safety would be a reasonable concern, but it's not. And we know this because it's Rayla's primary concern in the possession plotline, and one that's not good enough for him. "We're all in danger," he rebuts when she just talks about him; she questions why he would use dark magic again when "it puts your life in terrible danger". But just his own life being at risk isn't enough to get him to not do something — at least not when he has a good enough motivation ("You can risk your life to learn magic" vs jumping off the Pinnacle or trying to take Ezran's place).

I'm afraid that he'll use me

This line is the crux of Callum's dynamic with Aaravos on his end — the fear, the concern, the paranoia. In 4x07, it's a scary possibility; in 6x01, he treats it more like an imminent inevitability unless he can find a way to destroy the pearl: "As long as it's here or anywhere, it poses a threat, because Aaravos can manipulate people on the outside. Like he did with Lord Viren. And... me." We'll get to why I think this change of "he will" (still leaves some room for doubt) to "he is" (he is going to) has happened in the next couple of lines. We also see that Callum finding out that Aaravos has used him in switching the pearl in 6x06 was enough to break his spirit even without knowing anything that leaving the pearl back in Katolis was going to lead to, so the stakes of the action itself (losing agency/control) are high. It's scary to think he might've already "played into" Aaravos' hands per his 'destiny' even if we know (thanks to the pawn intro) that he hasn't and much more is in store.

But what is Callum scared about when it comes to Aaravos' hold on him? Especially since 6x01 trims both of these things out of the mix in terms of verbal dialogue.

to do awful things

This is the first thing Callum mentions, so it accordingly has weight. We see that Callum, like the bulk of the main cast but especially the core trio, wants to and tries to do the right thing ("The right thing, I hope") and it's something he admires in other people ("she does what's right even when it puts her own life in danger"). He doesn't want to cause unnecessary suffering and he doesn't want to hurt people, and unlike characters who also feel that way most of the time but don't follow through (hi Claudia, hi arc 1 Viren), he is usually accordingly tormented and guilty when he feels like he hasn't lived up to his own ideal (apologizing to Ez for his temper, doing dark magic, etc).

However, "awful things" is a little vague. It can't include hurting the people around him per say because that gets its own distinction, so what does 'awful things' refer to? Harrow refers to his choices with the Magma Titan and Avizandum and Zym as "terrible things"; Soren asserts the same about trying to kill the princes; and Terry most explicitly tells Claudia that "I've seen you do a lot of awful things, dark magic things". So the most distinct thing we can get there is 1) killing and/or sacrificing people and/or 2) dark magic in general.

This is, to me, part of why 5x08 is so difficult for Callum as an episode, because he's forced to do some terrible things. Finnegrin tries to make him pick which one of his loved ones is losing a hand; Callum is nearly coerced and then chooses to use dark magic; he gives a dangerous man an even more dangerous spell and the trade doesn't even amount to anything.

Because if it comes down to doing terrible things, Callum would prefer doing that in order to not

or hurt people I care about.

Callum clearly thinks that dark magic and doing dark magic is awful. We see this routinely expressed throughout the series, scaffolded by dark magic always being a last resort and nothing else for him thus far: "But is it really so wrong?" "Yes!" (2x08); "But in your eyes I see guilt. What have you done that's got you so twisted up inside?" (5x08); "I did it, I'm ruined, it's too late for me, who cares?" (6x03)

Ergo, on Finnegrin's ship, in his own eyes, he did something awful. This is because I think it's evident that being vulnerable to Aaravos isn't Callum's worst fear, as Rayla posits: it's losing her or Ezran.

Being vulnerable and possessed by Aaravos is scary to him because it might mean hurting them. Yes he doesn't want to do something awful, but we've seen in canon that he's willing to if the alternative is letting either of them die (much like how Rayla didn't want to emotionally hurt Callum, but it was a trade she was willing to make if it meant keeping him physically safe). We know he's not worried about Aaravos controlling him just for his own safety (points to previous sections).

The phrasing of the line itself is interesting, as you can read it two ways, of him being scared Aaravos will use him to hurt his loved ones, or scared that Aaravos (generally) will hurt his loved ones. Neither is an appealing prospect.

But as Finnegrin says:

All that talk about how love makes you stronger, but the second you see that elf girl in pain, you completely lost yourself.

Callum would rather do something awful (dark magic) and make himself vulnerable to Aaravos, his 'worst fear,' than lose Rayla (or Ezran), which is his Actual worst fear. This is, of course, just perfect Greek tragedy irony: Callum getting possessed in order to save Rayla, only to inadvertently put her in danger again under Aaravos' control. Nor is this exclusive to Callum — I imagine the worst fears for basically everyone in TDP would be the loss of the people they love, even over the loss of their own life, and this is something we see reflected time and time again with Harrow and Sarai, Gren and Amaya, Aaravos and Leola, Rayla and Callum, etc.

What is more exclusive to Callum is the sheer lengths he may be willing to go to in order to not lose them. As he says in 4x07, he's afraid Aaravos will use him because it could lead to doing awful things or hurting people he loves; in 6x01, his speech has changed because he has a better understanding of how/why Aaravos would be able to manipulate him, and because he knows he'll do things he considers awful to protect/save the people he loves.

After all, as previously noted, Callum is afraid of having no choice... and that's exactly what happened.

[dragon-susceptible]

Different Path Taken Ch9: Suspicions

First foray into Ram's POV! I almost didn't have time to finish this today, so it might need some cleanup. Ram's hot temper and suspicious bitch nature has tipped him off to something the others don't want to consider yet.

Ram’s blood ran hot as he followed on Runaan’s heels, frustrated as he barely kept up with the older man’s longer stride.  Usually he outstripped everyone, but when Rayla was in danger, it seemed nothing slowed Runaan down.  It would be sweet if it weren’t so unprofessional.

The drop off by the waterfall forced them to take risks to descend.  Andromeda’s swords flipped into climbing picks and she was fine, and Runaan tied a rope to his arrows and lowered himself, but Ram just free climbed down after them.  He only slipped once, and luckily Andromeda was there to catch his hand until he found his footing again.

They could hear the roaring of some creature in the water before they saw it, and the crack of something like lightning despite the day being clear.  There was nothing they could do from the distance about the water serpent that Rayla was clinging to when they first caught sight of it, and Runaan swore as they kept running.  By the time they broke the treeline by calmer waters, the princes and the egg were safely on the bank and Rayla was dragging herself up out of the water, soaking wet, as the smell of seared fish hit them like a wall.  She was shaking as she handed the glow toad over to Prince Ezran.

“Rayla!  You saved Bait!” the younger prince said delightedly. “Without you, he would’ve been -” he broke off and covered the toad’s ears with his hands. “Fish food.”

“That was brave, Rayla.” the older one said sincerely, as she began to squeeze the water out of her hair and looked up at the other assassins’ approach. 

“No, I already told ye.  I’m afraid of water.” Rayla said almost grumpily, her shoulders still hunched in on herself.

“I know,” Prince Callum said at the same time. “That’s why doing what you did was so heroic.”

“What happened?” Andromeda asked.

“Rayla went back into the water to rescue Bait from the monster!” Prince Ezran said brightly. 

Back into the water?  She had turned around for the toad, after reaching the shoreline?  Ram felt a bit bad for how he’d spoken about her that morning, seeing as now she had been the one to help fix what went wrong.

“I was still scared tae death.” Rayla pouted at the boys.

Ram cleared his throat. “Courage isn’t the absence of fear, Rayla.  It’s the judgment that something else is more important than fear.  Apparently, like rescuing a glow toad.”

She squinted at him. “Thanks, Callum.  And thanks, Ram.  I think.”

“Just take the fucking compliment.” He grouched, self-conscious when her father shot him an appreciative look. 

“I did!” Rayla sputtered. “I just thanked you, ye grumpy bastard.”

“Children, please.” Runaan said in a longsuffering sort of tone and Ram’s ears heated with embarrassment as he looked away.  More warmly, Runaan rumbled, “Rayla.  I’m glad you’re all right.  You went back into the water to rescue the prince’s pet, is that right?”

“Yes?” She said uncertainly.

“You did well.” Runaan paused, and then added, very gently, “I am proud of you.” When Ram looked back, Runaan had folded his daughter into a hug, and Rayla was burying her face in his coat, shivering in her wet clothes.

“Why wouldn’t you just tell us about your fear?” Prince Ezran asked kindly. “It’s okay to be afraid of things.”

“I guess I was afraid of bein’ afraid.” Rayla confessed, looking down as she was released from Runaan’s arms. 

Runaan frowned, but before he could answer, Callum interrupted. “That’s kinda circular.  But hey, worth noting, you’re not afraid of being afraid of being afraid!”

Ram squinted at the boy, wondering if he was joking or just really on something.

“That’s deep.” Rayla said dryly. “But stupid.  The thing is, Moonshadow elves aren’t supposed to show fear.  Ever.”

That wasn’t . . . entirely true.  Ram waited for her to add the caveat about ever in front of the humans, but she didn’t.  

“That’s sad.” Prince Ezran said.

“It is our way - outside the protection of our forest, that is.” Runaan said, looking Rayla over with a concerned furrow to his brow. “A Moonshadow elf may feel however they feel, but it is not safe to allow others to know our fears, lest they be used against us.” He tilted his head at Rayla. 

She looked away from him, down at the ground, and hugged her own arms. “My parents aren’t really dead.” She confessed to the riverbank, and Ram blinked with surprise that she was willing to share this with the human princes. “But I wish they were.  They’re cowards.”

It didn’t escape Ram’s notice how Runaan flinched, almost imperceptibly, at her fierce tone.  Her parents had been his closest friends before they left for the Dragonguard.  Ram often wondered how he coped.

“What do you mean?” Prince Callum asked.

“My parents were part of an elite force, the Dragonguard.  Eight elven warriors chosen to protect the egg of the dragon prince.  Storm archdragons only lay an egg every thousand years, so that egg is so rare and precious - but when the humans came and killed the Dragon King, the Dragonguard, my parents, failed in their duty.  They ran away.  I’m so ashamed.” 

Prince Callum reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. “Rayla, I’m so sorry for what humans did.”

The thing was, Ram was actually starting to believe him.  But Rayla’s story made him think, too.  Her parents were the ones who had failed to protect the dragon prince.  Then their daughter came to Katolis to avenge it, and was the one to find it?  And the king who had come to kill the dragon king may not have even known it was stolen, from the sounds of their story back at the capital.

They had assumed Rayla’s parents fled because their bodies were never found, unlike the Lux Aurean knights and Skywing mage that had been at the dragons’ side.  But if the egg was stolen, and not destroyed, why had they assumed it was dead?

“That’s why I have to make things right.  When I first came here, I was on a quest for revenge, but the moment I saw that egg, everythin’ changed.  Now this is a journey of redemption.” Her eyes flicked over to Runaan as she said it, and he nodded slightly at her.

Well, it wasn’t like the whole team wasn’t well aware he had brought her specifically to make up for her parents’ mistakes.  He would never have brought another assassin her age on such an important quest, no matter how skilled they were.  Ram wasn’t bitter, anymore, though he certainly would have been a few years before, he was strong enough to admit.

“We’re in this together.” Prince Callum said firmly.

“Speaking of, what happened there?” Andromeda asked, gesturing to the lake, which was littered with floating seared fish.

“Oh!” Prince Callum held up the primal stone. “I kinda don’t know how to finish the spell but I saw Claudia make a rune and shoot lightning from the primal stone, so I did that.  I thought I could get rid of the monster so Rayla could get Bait to shore.  And it worked!”

Runaan blinked and Ram’s eyes went wide, dread settling in the pit of his stomach. “You don’t.  Know how to finish the spell?” Runaan echoed. “And you started it anyway?”

“Well, yeah.  It’s fine though!  All the lightning dissipated into the water and got rid of the monster!  And now Rayla and Bait are fine.” The boy said proudly.  Ram felt a bit faint.

“There’s usually a spell word in Ancient Draconic to finish a spell,” Rayla said nervously. “You didn’t hear her say anythin’?”

“I mean, I think she called me a fool, but not really?”

“Fool sounds about right.” Runaan said tiredly. “Ram, we’re going to need to start holding lessons in Ancient Draconic to prevent any . . . magical incidents, if the prince is going to keep this primal stone.”

Ram knew better by now than to protest the subtle order and suggest they just take it away, so he just nodded. “I’ll write something up.”

“Wait, what about Callisto?” Rayla asked anxiously, looking around their shoulders. “I knew they’d be a little later, but is he okay?”

Runaan shook his head. “Alive, last we saw.  Skor’s fetching him.  They should be catching up with us soon.”

“We’re here,” Skor’s rough voice called from the trees, and Ram looked over relieved to see both of them.  He winced when he saw the sling holding Callisto’s left arm to his chest, though, and the way the older elf leaned on his glaive to walk.

“I’m sorry,” Callisto rushed out before any of them could speak. “I fucked up.  I lost focus and I should have been payin’ more attention.  That was on me.  Rayla, I’m sorry, I promised you I’d keep you safe, and I failed you.  Runaan, I put your daughter in harm’s way with my mistakes, and I’m sorry.”

“I’m the one who distracted you,” Prince Ezran said softly, and they all looked at him in surprise. “This is all my fault.” His little gray eyes welled up with tears but he looked back at them bravely.

Runaan shook his head and knelt in front of the child. “Even if you were what he was distracted with, Callisto is a grown elf who is capable of managing their own focus, Prince Ezran.  Unless you were somehow physically forcing it, whatever fault there is for what happened lies squarely on his shoulders, not yours.”

Callisto nodded. “He’s right, lad.  I know better than to let conversation take all my attention.  This wasn’t your fault.”

Runaan rose again once Ezran sniffled and nodded, wiping his face clean, and looked over at Callisto critically. “You know what you did wrong?”

“I do.”

“Then that broken arm is more than enough consequence and will teach you more than I ever could.” Runaan said firmly. “How does it look?”

Callisto grimaced. “I’ve got an extra elbow in there, if you catch my meaning.”

“You seem remarkably lucid.” Runaan said with a shade of surprise.

“Someone’s holdin’ a numbing spell on it for the time being, but that’s not a long-term solution.” Callisto tilted his head towards Skor to punctuate the statement. “I can’t splint it or brace it, it’s the bound hand, so it’ll just keep makin’ things worse.”

Rayla frowned. “I know it’s not a good solution,” She said tentatively. “But if you’re gonna lose the hand anyway, is it worth savin’ it for now, with it so badly hurt?  Or could ye just . . . take it early so you can heal?”

“No.” Runaan said very firmly. “The bindings don’t work that way.  They continue to tighten until the spell is released.  They are bound to a death.  If their target cuts them free ahead of time, they will take that blood price from the wearer.  If we try to remove the limbs early, the bindings kill us.”

Rayla paled. “Right.  Definitely not doin’ that then.”

The bindings would kill them, they’d nearly lost Callisto anyway trying to make up the time they’d lost.  Ram frowned and was asking nearly before he thought about it. “Runaan, may I speak with you for a moment?” As an afterthought he added, “Perhaps away from the children?”

Runaan shot him a surprised glance but nodded and slung his pack off his shoulder. “Rayla, search through my pack and find some spell cord.  We can use that to bind Callisto’s arm and ensure he’s still able to move without excessive pain without anyone needing to hold the spell from their own core.”

“Got it.” She agreed, and immediately knelt to investigate.

“I’ll manage.” Callisto argued.

“Don’t argue with me, Callisto.  Skor is right.  This will only grow worse from here.” Runaan said firmly. “All of you get some rest.  You in particular, we will need it.  And no boat from here.  It’s too much of a risk.”

Rayla slumped with relief. “No more boat!”

“No more boat.” Callum agreed with a sigh. 

Callisto pursed his lips and shook his head, but he didn’t argue, and when Skor urged him, he at least sat down to rest as instructed.  Ram waited until Runaan turned to walk into the trees.  

They only needed to be out of earshot, not out of sight, so Ram didn’t concern himself with getting hidden.  They could still see movement from the others through the trees when he stopped and turned, tugging at his jacket nervously. 

“Ram?” Runaan prompted, pausing too and giving him one of those piercing looks.

Ram shook himself. “Does this all seem a little suspicious to you?” He asked bluntly. “We’ve almost lost someone every day since Rayla didn’t kill that guard.”

Runaan narrowed his eyes and folded his arms. “I know you are too intelligent to imply what it sounds like you are implying to my face.” He said flatly. “Rephrase, Ram.  Now.”

Shit, bad word choice, Ram did not like being the one Runaan was staring down with that look on his face. “I’m not implying anything about Rayla.” He said firmly. “This with Callisto, it made me think, and it didn’t actually start with us coming to Katolis, is the thing.”

“What is ‘this’, in your mind?” Runaan prompted, still warily.

Ram gestured helplessly. “All of this, Runaan. The misfortune.  I thought this morning of it as if it started when we came to Katolis, but it didn’t.  It started on the eve of winter’s turn moons ago.  We knew the Dragonguard ran because their bodies were never found.  So we launch our mission for vengeance, arrive in Katolis only to find the egg intact and alive, which means it was also never found.  Why did the dragons assume it was dead, when we came to the opposite conclusion about the guard?”

Runaan frowned deeply, and Ram took it as vindication that his mentor was as troubled by this as he was. “That is . . . troubling.” Runaan admitted.

“On top of that, the egg was hidden away in a dungeon upon arriving in Katolis, and even the princes didn’t know it was there.  Is that the behavior of a victorious king?” Ram pointed out. “Would he not want his people to know of his success?  Why hide it away?  Or was it not the king who took it?”

“They did say the egg was held by the dark mage, who turned his magic against Prince Callum that night.” Runaan mused, glancing back towards the group they had left on the lakeside.

Ram nodded. “Rayla doesn’t kill one guard, and we all almost lose our lives.  And then we leave, yet the king dies anyway without us lifting a finger, and we take the blame.  We go to this Banther Lodge to try and cover a potential threat, and we almost lose you and Rayla.  We try to make up time with the river, and we’ve wounded and nearly lost Callisto.  Something isn’t right here, Runaan.  It’s as if we’re being haunted by some forces beyond our control, and it all started with the Ghosts.”

Runaan’s eyes narrowed and he gave him a searching look. “What are you suggesting, exactly?”

“I don’t know.” Ram admitted. “I don’t see how they could have contacted the mage without the dragons’ knowledge, so I don’t believe they planned the theft with him.  But it does seem suspicious that our path has been so haunted surrounding the mission - and the daughter - they abandoned.”

Runaan hummed thoughtfully, scanning the trees around them as if automatically as he considered.

“We thought them alive because the dragons said they found nothing.  But the dragons also could not have found the remnants of the egg, as it’s alive and well.  The Dragon Queen had to know it left the cave intact.  What else didn’t she tell us?” Ram said helplessly. “We don’t know why the egg was stolen, or why the dragons thought it dead.  We don’t know what happened to the king of Katolis.  If we were wrong about the egg, what else are we wrong about?  Both kings are dead and the princes have been threatened and the only common thread is that dark mage and the disappearance of the Dragonguard.  Are we fighting the war we think we are, or are we all being led about like puppets on strings?”

Teal eyes narrowed and Runaan ran a hand down his face, pausing with it half-covering his mouth in thought as he stared at the ground. “Those are serious questions, Ram.” He said slowly.

“I know.” 

A long, slow breath from the older man and Runaan looked him in the eye. “I have no proof you are wrong to ask them.” He admitted. “It may be that you are right.” He spread that hand that had been on his face out towards the forest. “On the other hand, sun’s truths - the simplest explanation is usually the right one.  Everything that’s caused us trouble so far has had a straightforward explanation, most of them disconnected.  We should tell the other assassins of your concerns, but I do not think we have enough information to take them as a serious threat just yet.”

While it still worried him, Ram would take what he could get.  Runaan had not gotten to the age of 35 as an assassin by taking unnecessary risks.  His judgment was one to be trusted. “I understand.”

“We will keep this quiet from the princes and Rayla.” Runaan added, almost offhandedly, and Ram stiffened. “We do not have enough information to confirm, and the children have been through enough, and we do not have the trust required to match our concerns to their faith.”

Ram glanced down at his own gauntlets and took a chance before the bitter taste in his mouth overwhelmed him. “I know I just asked you for advice, but may I also offer you some?” He asked carefully.

Runaan raised an eyebrow at him. “Offer me some?” He said skeptically. “I'm listening.”

“Make a decision about Rayla.” Ram dared to meet his gaze. “And I don't mean about your personal relationship and your family, that's your business.  Make a decision about whether she's one of us or one of the children.”

“Excuse me?”

Ram looked at him seriously, hoping Runaan would listen to him even as the older man bridled. “You keep doing this, Runaan.  Just now you told me to keep something from her while we tell the other assassins.  You call her an assassin but you treat her like a child.”

Runaan actually paused at that, and though his lips were pulled back halfway to a snarl, his eyes cast down to consider Ram's words.

Ram pressed on to make his point. “I'm not saying this because I resent her special treatment, Runaan.  I'm saying it because it doesn't just hold her apart, it's going to hurt her. Maybe get her killed.” Or the rest of them, but he had a feeling focusing on his daughter would get through to Runaan more.

“And how do you know this?” Runaan challenged him, but his tone wasn't as strong as one who was convinced of his challenge.

“I know what it is to grow up with a father with high expectations.” Ram reminded him, wincing at the rawness in his own tone. “And I promise you, Runaan, it doesn't matter how much you've reassured her or what you've said to tell her you'll always be proud of her.  She knows what you believe she's capable of.  That's why she pushes herself so hard.  She's going to keep pushing herself harder and harder and getting into situations she can't handle all in the hopes that one day, she'll do something impressive enough that you'll actually treat her as the assassin you tell her she is.”

Runaan tilted his head at him, something wounded flickering in his eyes. “Has she said anything of this?”

“No.  And maybe I'm entirely off the mark - I'm not Rayla, and you're not my father.” Ram admitted. “But I know what it felt like when I was doing what she's doing, when I was living in my father's shadow and expectations no matter how proud he was of me.  It's frustrating and confusing and it nearly killed my relationship with him.  This is why I became an assassin so late, why I left the keepers.

“You and Rayla are very different people than my father and I,” Ram continued, meeting Runaan's gaze bravely. “I don't think you ever could drive her away the way my father drove me away.  But you can hurt her the way he hurt me, and you're doing it with this double standard you keep.  Make a decision, Runaan.  I'm not telling you what the decision should be - she's not my daughter and this isn't my mission.  But I wasn’t ready for this much pressure when I was 15, and you were right to tell me so. Maybe she is.  I don't know.  But make a decision, because this double standard isn't fair to her or any of us.”

Runaan looked at him for a long moment and Ram couldn't quite read his expression.  He gave a long sigh through his nose. “Your father and I disagree on a great many things, Ram.”

“I’m aware.” Ram said dryly, remembering well the sour look on his father’s face and the argument that had ensued when he revealed he was moving to Runaan’s troupe from Silerian’s.

“But he raised a good son.” Runaan said simply without reacting to his smart comment, managing to surprise him. “And you've become a good man.  It . . . will take time.  But I will give your words serious thought.  I thank you for your honesty.”

Ram nodded. “Thank you for hearing me out, on my suspicions and on this.”

“And you're right.” Runaan admitted. “Rayla should be told of your thoughts.  I was wrong to think to keep them from her.”

“I will tell her when I go to apologize for what I said this morning.” Ram promised, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Good.” Runaan glanced back towards the camp, ears pricking towards the brief burst of noise. “Was that all?”

“Yes.  We should go make sure Callisto is well enough to travel.” Ram agreed, and they headed back towards the camp in step.  He was relieved to have gotten all that off his chest.  He just hoped Runaan would follow through.

And that he was right, and the simplest explanation was the right one.

[amber-in-the-rough]

My biggest shock in s6 was that the craziest theory about Aaravos got confirmed. He's a freaking GIANT AAAAAAAAA So, not only is he dragon size, but also the master of all arcana and- it's a like a multi-arcana archdragon with a thousand-year revenge plan and he also lacks any semblance of a working moral compass. NOW I see why Zubeia said he was no ordinary enemy and why they couldn't fight him directly. Such a being is better not triggered at all, imho. Otherwise you'll get a walking catastrophe, oh wait, we just got that, thank you the Startouch council or whatever it is you are called.

My second biggest shock were Ezran's words to Viren. "Good. Because you don't deserve any". It came unexpected and left me at a complete loss. In Russian I would say как удар поддых, like a punch to the stomach that leaves you breathless and gasping for air. I never thought Ez had such mercilessness in him. He always tries to solve things without violence, with peace, he always believes everyone deserves mercy, a second chance or at least compassion. And here... He showed none of that. As if Viren was an exception that couldn't change and would always remain a villain. It really makes me scared of the moment Ez would meet Runaan. Oh boy.

And the third biggest shock was a parallel "You keep calling it a monster". Whenever I rewatch Sarai saying it, it always hits so hard. <Does it think, does it feel, does it have a family? Maybe it's the last of its kind?> The Behemoth thought, felt and had a family he missed terribly. So, when I heard Rayla say that line, I knew immediately some moral dilemma was coming. Thankfully, it resolved in the best way possible. "Luna's love is with you even when the Moon is not". 🥲🥺😭 I saw the reference to Ethari, I did and it also caught me off guard, this time in a good way.

[theredhairedmonkey]

Post-Mortem

Or: Soren deserves some sympathy and understanding for once.

It was only when he was finally about to fall asleep, not more than a handful of hours after saving Ezran and Callum from the wrath of Rex Igneous, that the panic consumed Soren.

He awoke with a cold sweat on his forehead as he tossed and turned in his sleeping bag. He couldn’t shake off the images that haunted his waking mind: his father’s twisted face, his sword piercing his chest, his blood staining the ground. He had done it to save Ezran, to save the world from a madman who wanted to start a war. But he still felt like a traitor, a murderer, a monster.

He opened his eyes and saw the stars above him, shining brightly in the dark sky. He heard the crackling of the campfire and the soft snores of his friends, all sound asleep and prepared for the journey. They were safe, they were happy, they were alive. He should be grateful for that. He should be proud of what he had done. But he wasn’t. He felt empty, broken, alone.

He couldn’t stay here any longer. He needed some space, some air, some peace. He got up quietly and grabbed his blanket and his sword. He didn’t want to wake anyone up or cause any trouble. He just wanted to be by himself for a while. He walked away from the campsite, into the woods, hoping to find a spot where he could calm down and clear his head.

He stumbled upon a small clearing with a pond and a large rock. He decided to sit on the rock and look at the water. Maybe it would help him relax. He wrapped his blanket around him and leaned back against the rock. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe slowly and deeply.

But it didn’t work. His heart was still racing, his chest was still tight, his mind was still spinning. He felt like he was suffocating in his armor, like he was drowning in his own guilt and pain. He opened his eyes and saw his reflection in the pond. He hated what he saw: a scared boy with haunted eyes and quivering lips.

He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He wanted to scream, to cry, to lash out at something. But he couldn’t. He had to be strong, he had to be brave, he had to be a soldier. That’s what Katolis had taught him. That’s what father had expected from him.

But where was his father now? Alive and well, by all accounts. As though his fateful decision meant nothing, was for nothing. He had committed himself to the hardest decision of his entire life and it was all a cruel fantasy his sister had concocted.

Soren felt a tear roll down his cheek. He wiped it away angrily and cursed under his breath. He hated himself for being weak, for being emotional, for being human.

He heard a rustle behind him and turned around quickly, ready to fight. But it was only Callum, holding his staff and looking concerned.

“Soren? What are you doing here?” Callum asked softly.

Soren felt a surge of shame and embarrassment. Even years later, the first thing Soren sees when he sees Callum is that same little boy he used to mock for being unable to hold a sword. For being weaker than him. Callum was the absolute LAST person he wanted to see right now.

He didn’t want Callum to see him like this, to pity him or judge him or mock him. He wanted Callum to respect him and look up to him and trust him.

He tried to act casual and cool, but his voice betrayed him.

“Nothing. Just… enjoying the view.” Soren said with a forced smile.

Callum raised an eyebrow and walked closer to him.

“Really? Because you look like you’re having a hard time.” Callum said gently.

Soren felt a flash of anger and defensiveness.

“What do you know? You don’t know everything about me.” Soren snapped.

Callum sighed and sat down next to him on the rock.

“Maybe not everything. But I know enough.” Callum said calmly.

Soren looked away and bit his lip.

“Like what?” Soren asked bitterly.

Callum put his hand on Soren’s shoulder and spoke sincerely.

“Like how you’re brave and loyal and kind. Like how you risked your life to save Ezran from your father. Like how you’re hurting right now because of what you had to do.” Callum said softly.

Soren felt a lump in his throat and shook his head.

“No… no… you don’t understand… I’m not… I’m not…” Soren stuttered.

Callum squeezed his shoulder and smiled sadly.

“Yes, you are.” Callum said firmly.

Suddenly Callum straightened up. “Alright, let’s work through this. You just have to breathe.” He closed his eyes and raised his head. “Take a deep breath and just…be.”

Soren eyes darted back and forth, as though waiting for Callum to finish his thought. “Be…what?”

Callum shrugged. “You know, just…be. Like, with the moment. Imagine yourself as just a pocket of air, flowing and blending in with the wind around it. Don't try to force yourself to think or feel anything, just let the moment take you to where it wants to go, one breath at a time.”

As Callum waved his hand, Soren just raised a brow. He had never known Callum to be this spiritual.

“So what are you supposed to be now, a breath mage?”

Callum blinked. “I mean…sorta yea. Feels like an oversimplification, but that’s pretty much the gist of it.”

He tried to follow Callum’s advice, closing his eyes and letting the moment take him where it wanted to go. Not to synchronize his breathing as Viren had taught him, but to just disappear for a while. And gradually, his panic subsided, his thoughts quieted, and the present finally caught up with him.

Soren felt a sob escape from his mouth and buried his face in his hands.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” Soren repeated over and over again.

Callum patted Soren’s back.

“Hey… hey… it’s okay… it’s okay… you don’t have to apologize…” Callum whispered soothingly.

Soren’s face fell into his hands as he cried. He cried for his father, for his sister, for himself. He cried for the past, for the present, for the future. He cried until he had no tears left to cry. Callum kept his hand on him the entire time.

After a while, Soren’s crying subsided and his breathing slowed down. He felt calmer and lighter and warmer. He lifted his head and looked at Callum’s face. He saw kindness and compassion and friendship.

He saw hope.

“Feeling better?” Callum asked softly.

Soren nodded and sniffed.

“Yeah… yeah… thanks…” Soren said gratefully.

“Anytime, buddy.” Callum said warmly.

Soren smiled back and hugged him.

“Thank you, Callum. Really. You’re a good friend.” Soren said sincerely.

Callum hugged him back and winked when they parted.

“So are you, Soren. So are you.” Callum said happily.

Soren chuckled. “You know, don’t take this the wrong way, but for a moment there you did remind me of the previous High Mage. On his best days, that is.”

Callum raised a hand as though to respond, then let out a sigh. “I’ll…take the compliment, I guess.”

Soren chuckled as his lightly elbowed him. "Don’t worry step mage! Your worst days are still better than his best days."

“Well,” Callum breathed. “Wanna see something the previous High Mage probably would never show you?”

Soren nodded, so Callum eagerly drew a rune. “Scintillans micat.”

Suddenly, the pond erupted in a series of silent sparkling lights. With a wave of Callum’s hand, the sparkles combined and transformed into a flock of baby dragons, all flying away into the night sky.

They stayed like that for a few moments, enjoying the silence and the stars and each other’s company. Then they got up and walked back to the campsite.

Soren had learned something that night: that he was not alone, that he had his friends, that they could all heal together.

That they could be happy again.

[raayllum]

In arc 1 I would agree it's definitely about power, but in arc 2 I think it's shifted slightly. The problem isn't that he's too powerful - it's still that he isn't 'powerful enough' to be able to compete with Aaravos (at this time). Callum has always chased magic because he wants agency and self-recognition, coupled together with immense curiosity as a drive. Arc 1 is him well, believing his potential and that being a mage is a Positive thing; it's what he was born to do ("I will learn magic. It's who I am"). And that path is rewarding to him in a lot of ways on an emotional level because it allows him to save and protect his loved ones (Ezran and Rayla). And his temper came out the most / most of his frustrations were born from not having magic, and therefore not being able to help ("I want to go down there with you [...] but I can't do that! I can't do anything!"). But especially by the end of S3, Callum has been able to push past limits and his best is enough. He can stop most of the monster soldiers; he can unlock the Sky arcanum; he can reject dark magic; he can summon wings to save Rayla. Being a mage is a Good Thing.

Arc 2 starts poking at all of that... because being a mage isn't solely a good thing. Power and magic, dark or not, can corrupt people, or warp them and make them lose their mind(s). Being a mage leaves him open to Aaravos' manipulation and possession. It sends Finnegrin after him in particular and is what leads to his torture. Connecting to the Ocean arcanum and primal magic in general wasn't enough to get him out of a tight spot. The very thing he chased to be able to protect his loved ones is now what may put them in more and more danger, and thereby he's back to feeling helpless, "weak and out of control" (4x07) all over again, but with even more worrisome and personal consequences.

I've pointed this out before, but Aaravos can channel any and all kinds of magic through his pawns when he's connected to them. Their magical prowess doesn't matter to him beyond making it easier for them to do things when he doesn't feel like possessing/helping them. Viren, with Aaravos' assistance (and the staff?) could use all six primal sources. Callum could be connected to zero primal sources, and it wouldn't necessarily matter to Aaravos, because the possession is made possible through dark magic. Callum's magical abilities (with both dark and primal magic) originally came from rejecting a dichotomy of either "powerless human OR dark mage". Now he's realizing that "a dark mage IS a powerless human" because it (and Aaravos) increasingly chips away at their agency (literally and emotionally), even as they increasingly turn to it out of desperation because the alternative choice of not saving their loved one is too unbearable.

The very thing he chased to try to protect his loved ones is now precisely what's putting them in danger. He's still scared of having not enough power or not enough control, but 5x08 see his breakthrough in realizing what does control him: Love.

To love is simply to know this: the tides are truth as the ocean is deep. / [While clasping his wrist like a chain, imitating how dark magic freed him] The Ocean arcanum is accepting that there are depths you can't see, parts of yourself you can't understand, and things you can't control.

Cut lines from Finnegrin: Seems to be that love's got a tighter grip on you than those chains around your wrists. So I'll do you a favour and set you free.

I don't think his own personal arc has switched that much, just that he's waded out deeper into magic and the world to see beyond the more positive surface level to some darker and more dangerous lurking underneath. His foil relationships, though (namely Viren and Rayla) have been switching, which is really exciting.

I think this has been said before in different words but I feel like in the first arc of the show Callum struggles with not being strong/powerful enough and in the Mystery Of Aaravos arc he struggles with being so powerful it scares him and sometimes I think about that and go "wow"

[meganwasbored]

The Dragon Prince Thoughts Season 1 Episodes 1 and 2

I was gonna post the whole season at once but by episode 2 I realized that would be way too long

Episode 1

-I misunderstood the begining for a second and I thought the elves pushed the humans to the west to protect them from the magic but now I see that they’re enemies and that makes a lot more sense

-“Take that, marshmallow monster!” Oh I already love him

-“I wasn’t scared, Bait was scared” AWWW HES SO CUTE

-The jelly tart scene reminds of the little brothers from Brave

-It’s only the first episode and someone’s already gonna die this is wack

-THE WHOLE SWORD TRAINING SCENE AND SOREN LETTING CALLUM WIN TO IMPRESS CLAUDIA BIG BROTHER ENERGYYYY

-Harrow knows he’s probably gonna die but he still tries to keep the boys happy I love him

-“Everything’s going to be fine, alright? I’m sure of it.” The fact that he has to say that clearly means everything’s NOT going to be fine

-AWW HE WANTS TO HELP TO PROTECT HIS DAD EVEN THOUGH HES NOT REALLY HIS DAD IM CRYING

-“Life is precious. Life is valuable. We take it, but we do not take it lightly.” Dang.

-ok I like Soren so far but he’s kinda being a brat about the moth like read the room nobody has time for your complaining. No offense.

-“he looked up at me and I saw the fear in his eyes” + “He didn’t do anything to me! How could I take his life?”

*ahem*

ANYWAY

Episode 2

-“Yesterday I had two eggs for breakfast and I was starving. Today I had four eggs

and I’m stuffed. So, tomorrow…”

“Three eggs! I get it!”

“I was going to say two eggs and one sausage.”

I don’t know your name but I love you random guard

-I’ve known Callum for one episode and I will already die for him

-Callum’s entire conversation with the king I wanna cry

-“The great illusion of childhood is that adults have all the power and freedom but the truth is the opposite. A child is freer than a king.”

-“Take care of your brother” STOP ITTTT

-THE HUG

-I could write a whole essay just on that two minutes

-He tripped. He was running for his life and he freaking tripped.

-“Hey you swept the leg!” BRO WHAT ARE YOU DOING RUN

-THE LETTER ROLLED OUT OF THE BAG I REPEAT THE LETTER ROLLED OUT OF THE BAG

-“I am prince Ezran.” STOPPP ITTTTTTT

-“An assassin doesn’t decide right and wrong, only life and death.”

“That was really clever but come on, really?”

I love them already

-“It’s not a good time!”

“…you mean because you’re with a girl?” HAHAHAHAHA

-Help why is Ezran so chill about this

-DID HE PUT THE LETTER BACK IN THE BAG THATS ALL I CARE ABOUT RN

-“I would rather die a king than live as a coward.” Stop because I volunteer to die for

him

-Ok I get why he’s so against dark magic and he’s valid for that but also literally what else is his plan, like yeah he’s likely to die either way but like dude we can have this argument another time

-“stubborn and ungrateful” WOAH BACK UP THAT WAS TOO FAR

-WAIT SO YOU DESTROYED THE EGG WITHOUT THOUGHT OR PERMISSION??? AND NOW MY MANS GONNA DIE FOR IT??? OH HECK NO I DONT LIKE YOU ANYMORE

-YEAH WOULD YOU VIREN??? Yeah that’s what I thought get out of my face

-I don’t blame you anymore Soren I see where you learned the attitude

-“He’s a glow toad🙄”

-YEAH YEAH COOL EGG DID HE PICK UP THE LETTER THO

[wildselkie]

Top 10 Scenes in TDP Season 1 (pt. 1/3)

Top 10 Scenes in TDP Season 1 (pt. 1/3)

*not ordered in which is better or worse, but it will be in chronological order*

Also some things are worded weirdly. I have a pain in the ass time trying to get my thoughts across in words so... I thank you for your patience :))

_________________________________________

1) The scene where Callum, Ezran, and Rayla find the dragon prince. Ep. 2

I think this is one of the more pivotal moments in the show. I mean it is literally the scene that sets the story in motion after all! Two human princes, an elf assassin, and the lost dragon prince (who was thought to be dead/gone/egg destroyed(?)).. this is just IT.

*also i’m aware that Ez probably found the egg first cos he already knew about this secret area but still

2) Viren (attempts to) proposes the idea to trade his life in for Harrow. Ep. 3

Now there are other well thought and well written posts on this scene with Viren and Harrow, so I won't waste your time with all the gushy stuff. I find this scene important because it shows the lengths that Viren would go for his friend. Whether he's doing out of the goodness of his heart or some other selfish reason... maybe both(?)..

!WARNING! MINI VIREN POST ALERT EVEN THO I SAID I WOULDN'T GET INTO IT

In the book Moon, it dives deeper into the plot along with expressing the characters' thoughts and feelings. As for Viren, it's stated in the book that he wanted to:

"offer his life for Harrow's, but he wanted him to understand that this was more than just a sacrifice of a subject to his king. This was personal"

"... he would need to be straightforward. He wanted to say simply I love you and I will die for you" (Ehasz 80).

I have no doubts that Viren didn't not love Harrow or anything of the sorts, but at the same time it feels like there was another motive. Maybe there was, who knows.

All we know about Viren is that he's a father of two (Claudia & Soren), divorced/ separated from his wife, and he's a dark mage. Of course there's some more (like he's taller than Harrow according to the character line up)... also his staff... like if you look at it, it's the same one as the mage who faced Sol Regem all those centuries (?) ago. Maybe he's related to him, or possibly descended from one of the followers. I'd imagine that teaching dark magic may be a thing within his family and ancestors... he taught Claudia dark magic. That doesn't prove anything but it's a small thought.

ANYWAY-- this scene is one of many scenes that show Viren in a vulnerable state. The book gives a look into how he felt when he decided to sacrifice himself and everything. It's just interesting and I'm here for it. 

3) Amaya and her weapons grade baguette Ep. 4

On a less serious and more fun note, the fact that Amaya is a breakfast connoisseur is just perfect. Amazing. Fantabulous.

"As a breakfast connoisseur, she was offended that Ezran would neglect a hearty morning meal" (Ehasz 120).

I only emboldened and italicized "offended" because in the show YOU CAN LITERALLY SEE HER FACE WHEN EZ TELLS HER.

Bruh she was so offended lmaooo

It's right at 13:36 time in the show... the slow zoom in and all 😂

4) Amaya and Gren meeting Viren at the statue Ep. 5

I’m trying to see if I should have paired this with the first scene where Amaya arrives first. That scene is pretty calm but has a somber feeling. It introduces the relationship of Amaya and Sarai without having to directly say it. 

But this scene here is... interesting. Not in a good way or bad way, but we see they’re reminiscing of the past. At some point, they all got along nicely. Callum even noted in his spellbook that Viren’s family became like a second family to him when he moved to the castle. 

This interaction was cute tho. It started out positive (sort of) with them joking about Viren eating the last jelly tart which pissed Sarai off lol. But then Viren went on to apologize to Amaya and reassured her that what he does is out of the goodness of his heart and love for Katolis. But...

“Aaaaand, he’s back, Amaya thought” (Ehasz 150). 

And then went on to sign that he’s on a bunch of bs. See? Even Amaya knows he’s full of shit lol. But really tho... it makes me wonder how much of bs Viren goes on even before the events of the current story line. 

5) Rayla saves Bait from the sea monster Ep. 5

Let us give a round of applause for Rayla going against her fear of water to save Bait, the grumpy frog who hates her. I think this just goes to show how compassionate Rayla really is. This would include the time when she goes back to grab bait back in the banther lodge in episode 4. 

6) Viren giving his kids their *secret* missions Ep. 6

Okay this isn’t just one scene. I cheated yeah yeah whatever >:3

When Viren is telling Soren what he must do when he finds the princes, at first he doesn’t fully get it, but then.. OH n0

Viren’s intentions are starting to unfold and come together as one. Like, this man just told his own SON that should he find the princes, he should kill them. This 18 yr old bby 

bruh

And Viren didn’t say it aloud, but he heavily implied it. Only to then gaslight him later on when Claudia confronts him in prison. 

As for Claudia, Viren tells her that she must retrieve the egg. And do everything in her power to bring it back, even if it means that she’ll have to sacrifice Soren... her own damn brother ;-;

7) When Callum finally lets Rayla hold the egg Ep. 6

This scene is pretty big. Rayla knows that Harrow is long gone and is trying to find a way to tell them. Obviously she doesn’t choose the best time to try it.

They were in a dire situation that could potentially kill them (even tho they had plenty of those moments already). The reason why this scene is so big is because it shows her struggle to break the bad news (ever since the right binding fell) as she continues to grow closer to them. Here you can see Callum passing the egg to her, despite her hand being in the terrible state that it is in. It is also the scene where right before passing it, he finally tells Rayla that he trusts her. 

8) Human Rayla!! Ep. 7

Human Rayla is so corny but it’s the good kind of corny. One of the best comedic jokes in the series! 

That is all cos human Rayla needs an AU of being a nighttime tv host or smthg

9) Viren and Runaan Ep. 8

yo this is alot okay. The scenes with these two introduced some Moonshadow philosophy and such (ie. not being scared of death). Runaan being the stoic and serious assassin that he is. And Viren not having any of this shit. 

There are three major things here:

 Runaan knows about the mirror and is most likely aware of who Aaravos is. He literally says, “That mirror? You have found something worse than death.” Goddamn...

And then Viren just... trapped his soul.. his essence into a goddamn coin. Just like that? wow. And hold it, almost admiring it in front of Gren. 

Also this is the first time we officially see Viren in that form. In the beginning of episode 5 we are given a darkened silhouette of Viren and the butterflies. But here we see the damage resulted from years of having done dark magic, and it’s horrifying. He is the high mage and all but goddamn. I mean with every action there are consequences so- 

10) Callum destroying the primal stone Ep. 9

I feel like this is one of the “of course it’s this one!” scenes but it really is! Callum realizes that only a sky dragon can be hatched in the eye of storm and there he is with a literal storm in his hand. By now, Callum has come to understanding what feels right and that being a mage is his destiny. But he also understands that he needs to sacrifice some things for new beginnings. This whole journey was to get the lost dragon prince home and restore balance and peace and with the egg starting to die... well you can’t really do that without the egg. 

It’s at 18:50 where he realizes all of this. It’s one of the big boy moments in the show. Seriously, it’s a big moment and the suspension helped get the feels in. And we got a cute baby dragon!! 

End, begin. it’s all the same. (pls someone get that reference ;-;;;)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some honorable mentions:

- Episode 7: Claudia and Soren interacting. I love their sibling bond; it’s so silly and sweet and I love it. It makes me wish I had an older brother of some sort. 

Ellis and Ava,, I like the flashback story given when they meet the dragang. I just like it, okay? Smol chiald w/ smol wolf pup and a hippie Lujaane seeing the beauty & strength in Ava. 

CGI Coran. That all I have to say about that guy lmao

- Episode 8: When the group is going up the cursed caldera and they encounter that giant leech. Like can we just appreciate Callum’s funny way of making out a plan? Fat respect for that. 

Another is when the group split up and waited for the leech to leave. The conversation between Ellis and Callum were sweet as was the one between Rayla and Ez. I loved Ellis’s admiration for Callum being a mage. And her expectations of what a mage was is pretty hilarious. So wholesome. The same goes for Ez when he gave Rayla that daily fill of positivity. 

Like... Ellis is telling Callum how smart and confident and cool he is. And meanwhile Callum is like... it’s not me, it’s this. *whips out primal stone* And she goes on to tell him that she believe he’ll be amazing with or without the stone. 

And Rayla is telling Ez how she failed in her job of killing the enemy. And Ez is telling her how she’s awesome at everything she does.

this is the positive wholesome shit I come for like... this is parallels but GODDAMNIT it’s so.. ;;;;-;;

Yo this is long ENOUGH! Thank you so damn much if you read to the end. You’re the real beauties. Anywho... uh parts 2 and 3 will be up soon. 

 It’s 11 now so I need some sleep. goodnight kids

[rissa-posts]

Favorite quotes from each episode season 1

1: Echos of Thunder (first of all- the more you think of it, the more chilling this episode title is)

-"In the old times, there were only the six primal sources of magic: The Sun. The Moon. The Stars. The Earth. The Sky. And The Ocean."

What a way to set up the world. Just enough information to explain that there is a magic system, but it doesn't infodump you with rules. Also the animation timing and Aaravos narrating makes it an amazing shot.

-(after Callum stops Claudia from running into a tree) "You're no fun"

This depiction of siblings is just so accurate.

-"You let him live, but you've killed us all."

This sent chills down my spine the first time and all the times after that. It reminds me so much of the Trolly problem. Sparing Marcos is a great way to introduce Rayla, but it led to her teammates getting killed and her father figure being captured.

2: What is done

-"I brought you because you're talented. Maybe the fastest and strongest of any of us. But it takes more than that. There's an instinct. A moment of truth. And in that moment, you hesitate."

This is another that really brings out Rayla's characterization without showing you much. It tells you very well that she is able to fight, but not willing to kill.

-"Yesterday, I had two eggs for breakfast and I was starving. Today I had four eggs and I'm stuffed. So, tomorrow-" "Three eggs, I get it. We don't need to talk." "I was going to say two eggs and one sausage."

Come on. This was hilarious. Also- the introduction of female side characters just being there instead of a bunch of copy-paste male guards.

-"There are centuries of history. Generations of wrongs and crimes. On both sides. I am responsible for some of those wrongs."

Enter the grey morals of the world. There is no clear cut good and evil. Just a war because both sides believe the other is in the wrong.

-"I am Prince Ezran."

Callum! Loves! His! Brother!

3: Moonrise

-"If I told you, you would try to stop me." "So, shouldn't I just try to stop you then, even without knowing?" "Goodbye, Claudia"

This is literally the one scene that makes me question if something happened to him when he talks to Viren. Before, he was decent, even with deranged morals. After, though, he is just evil.

-"It's not a weapon. It's an egg!"

This brilliantly show the difference in how the elves and humans view dragon. The humans see them as weapons because dragons defended the border against them. The elves see them as just other creatures because dragons worked with them.

-"But if today is my last day as king, you will know your place."

Before, I saw Harrow as the wise king (especially because he was able to admit his mistakes in ep 2). But here, you can see that he is also powerful, someone you do not want to mess with.

-"I will kill you." "Probably."

Rayla rushing into battle to protect the princes? Yes please! (I would say to protect the egg, but Runaan would not have hurt the egg)

-"Say the word and I'll go back into that tower with you"

You mean, the exact moment I fell for Rayllum?

4: Bloodthirsty

-"Unbind yourself! Unbind... thyself. UNBINDO!"

Rayla you dork. (Also this quote was my first popular tumblr post, so it has a special place in my heart)

-"It is tradition to mourn fallen kings for seven sunsets. You've not even given him one."

Evil Viren... begins. Also Opeli is an amazing minor character.

-"Just no more detours, all right? Or heartfelt speeches."

Rayla was trying to kill Callum one day ago, and is now listening to him? Putting herself in danger for him? I love them so much

-"I don't believe in locks"

GREAT introduction for Amaya, I love her. Also, the way Gren said it with such enthusiasm even though he did have to makes me so happy!

-(in ASL) "He says, if we don’t let you go, you'll kill them and drink their blood"

This was pretty heartless of Callum. But it got them out of that situation I guess. But like, poor Rayla.

-"You called me a bloodthirsty monster. You have no idea how that feels." "But I don’t actually believe any of that."

It was still heartless, Callum. I'm glad this conversation took place though, it allows Callum to understand why what he did was wrong.

5: An Empty Throne (I'd like to start by saying this is by far my favorite episode)

-"Know what? I'm just gonna throw it." "What? No!" "Yeah, I'm gonna throw you the Primal Stone."

Is Callum channeling Sokka here or something? (Also this foreshadows the finale)

-"What? I have nice legs."

Ezran you are adorable!

-"Are you, like, this black-flippin', tree-climin', sword stabbin' elven worrior, but scared of a little splish-splashin'?"

Rayla: Nooo! that's what I'm sensitive about!

-"I am a servant of Katolis! I am a servant!" "Those are awfully nice clothes for a humble servant, Viren."

You tell him, Amaya! What a way to shut down Viren! I'm here for sassy Amaya.

-"I admit it. I hate water. I'm afraid of it. It makes me sick. All of the bad feelings."

I just love how Rayla decides she can tell Callum and Ez these things. She trusts them so much I-- I love her so much.

-"Come on, Rayla, do it for the frog. The grumpy frog that hates you."

Rayla protecting Bait for Ezran! Even though she is afraid! How can you not say that is cute!

-Amaya's sign language to the statue and Gren

You don’t have to know exactly what she is saying to know what she is saying. I love the show for being able to convey that so well.

-(kicks boat away) "Goodbye, boat."

Callum respecting Rayla's fear? I'm here for it!

6: Through the Ice

-"They're not prisoners. They choose to Travel with me."

I know no one is going to believe her, but it is true. Also, I believe this sentence is why Corvus doesn't attack them again and instead helps. He decided to watch them and see if it was true.

-"You are to return with the terrible news that both the princes have died."

Aka the exact moment Viren became an irredeemable villan to me.

-"I'm habsolutly hurious."

Rayla has my exact sense of humor! I laugh so hard at this every time!

-"if you have to choose, choose the egg"

Viren was already irredeemable. This just dug the ditch deeper.

-"Because it has to come from you. Human Princes, returning the egg to the Dragon Queen. That's the gesture that matters. That could end the war, and change the world."

This is so true. Rayla doesn't want to be a hero, she wants this war to end. Just like Callum.

-"He'll get it. He'll save the egg. We have to believe in him... He's brave and strong. He can do this."

This is so wholesome. Rayla believes in Ez so much! I love how there is no bias of 'hes just a kid.' He is capable in Rayla's eyes.

7: The Dagger and the Wolf

-"She's beautiful. She's your mother?"

Rayla simultaneously hints that she is bi and flirts with Callum. Indirectly calling him beautiful. (I don’t care if it is a reach).

-"Get ready to meet... Human!Rayla!"

Rayla is such a dork oh my gosh.

-"If I fail, I don’t know what dad will do to me!"

I feel so bad for Soren. This, to me, solidify that Claudia is the favorite.

-"You're one of them!"

Hearing a human call elves 'them' hit me so hard.

-"Just take the dagger! Don't hurt me, please!" "I'm not going to hurt you. And I'm not going to steal from you, either."

I was hoping this would make dagger guy rethink his beliefs.Unfortunately, he raised a mob instead.

-"If only... I weren't... so muscular."

Soren, I love you.

8: Cursed Caldera

-"Wait I've got it! Flash! Woof! Whoosh! Slish-Slash!"

This was big Sokka energy don’t lie.

-"No way. That won't work. This is my slish hand." "Uh, really?" "No, not really, dummy."

Callum having to clarify if she was joking or not gave me life.

-I'm going to have a whole post about the children encouraging Callum and Rayla.

-"That mirror? You have found something worse that death."

This foreshadows Aaravos, sure. But it also foreshadows how potentially powerful/dangerous he really is. And we haven't seen Aaravos in action all that much!

9: Wonderstorm

-"You might say it's... the Kaltallest."

Puns! I love Puns!

-"I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

Callum admitting he was wrong says so much about their relationship. And the jerkface dance! Callum is willing to do it even if he was embarrassed!

-"I know what I have to do."

Callum gave up his magic for the egg! After an entire season of him being excited to be a mage, this honestly surprised me. His sacrifice is huge.

[acexadia-blog]

Thunder

I was re-watching The Dragon Prince recently, and I noticed something about the opening.

When we learn about the backstory behind the events that are about to take place, we don’t get the Dragon King’s name. The humans are the ones who named him Thunder. That implies either one of two things: 

They don’t know the Dragon King’s name. 

They know the Dragon King’s name, and ‘Thunder’ is the nickname human soldiers, the ones who might face him in battle, call him.

Calling the Dragon King Thunder for both of those reasons gives him a sense of mystery and an aura of fear. Not only does using the name Thunder distance the Dragon King away from being a king, but also from being an intelligent being. 

Thunder is a name to be whispered in camps before battle, with an air of fear around it. And who wouldn’t be afraid when facing a being who’s lived for thousands of years, and has been killing your people for hundreds of years? Not to mention the fact that dragons as a whole are just plain terrifying to face.

The humans on that battlefield, the ones who survive, they’re going to remember that forever. And if they make it back to the human lands, they’re going to spread stories, rumors, myths, about the Dragon King who guards the border.

The Dragon King has been guarding the border for around a thousand years. That’s plenty of time for legends to develop. 

We know that the Dragon King can turn into a bolt of lightning. We also know that Katolis and the castle are fairly close to the border--General Amaya gets there fairly quickly. They’re not on the edges of the continent, they’re near the border. Possibly, Katolis is on the border, with no other human nation as a buffer between them and Xadia. So Katolis probably has a great deal of legends surrounding Thunder, as well as terrifying first hand accounts of soldiers returned from the breach.

And what do we have, right after the intro where we learned all about Thunder?

This scene.

Ezran is clearly terrified here, and Callum is definitely scared. Could this be just a fear of thunderstorms and lighting? Possibly. But I think it’s something deeper. It’s the flash of lightning that wakes Ezran up, not the thunder.

Callum and Ezran, along with every other human child in Katolis, probably grew up with the legends of the Dragon King who can shake the earth and sky with his voice, and turn into a bolt of lightning. 

Take a look at the conversation they have:

It’s okay, Ezran. It’s just a thunderstorm. Nothing to be afraid of, go back to sleep.

I wasn’t scared... Bait was scared.

There’s a lot to dig into here. There’s an underlying context to the way Callum reassures Ezran--he could just be assuring Ezran it was just a loud noise, and there’s nothing wrong. Being startled awake by a loud noise can cause fear in anyone, so it’s not surprising he called out for Callum.

However, I think it’s more than that. Callum was reassuring Ezran that it was just a thunderstorm... not Thunder. If legends about Thunder are common, and if it’s known widespread that he can turn into a bolt of lighting? Ezran and Callum have certainly heard the legends before. And who wouldn’t be afraid of the monster above, if all you’ve ever been taught to see is a monster?

Everytime a thunderstorm occurs people could be afraid it wasn’t just lightning, it wasn’t just a thunderstorm... but Thunder, the Dragon King.

[raayllum]

What if… the last quasar diamond is used for Callum…? To completely purge the dark magic from him…? After Rayla tearfully keeps her promise of killing him, and is devastated, before remembering about the spell…?

Short Answer: I don't think the quasar diamond will be used for Callum, that he'll literally die, or that Rayla will kill him.

Long Answer: (aka why I think the above)

I don't think Callum is going to be permanently/temporarily killed this season. Some of this is because resurrection magic is very complicated in-universe and can't be something that's easily done (otherwise we'll run into trouble with stakes later). Aaravos helping Callum save Rayla's life (magic, corrupted primal stone, etc) feels within his aims for me, but someone doing something like that without Aaravos feels less tangible. Even with a quasar diamond, Rayla isn't a mage, and while quasar diamonds can restore a body to a separated soul, we know they can't restore it to lost souls (of people who are fully dead) otherwise Aaravos would've been able to restore and bring back Leola by opening up the Moon Nexus and unleashing the dead.

The other main reason is that Callum literally dying isn't really needed, I think, when it comes to his character arc. If/when he willingly corrupts himself with dark magic, he is going to be metaphorically killing himself three times over: it means allowing himself to be totally corrupted (death one), turning himself over to Aaravos (death two), and knowing he made Rayla promise to kill him (death three). (This is also why I find the "he uses dark magic to destroy/coin Aaravos" less effective, since it means that Rayla isn't bound to kill him — she only promised specifically if he's under Aaravos' control — and it removes the biggest fear factor of why Callum is scared to do dark magic as well.)

Either way, Callum dying wouldn't add much to Callum's arc, so what about the other half of the equation? What would killing him give to Rayla's arc?

Well, it also wouldn't give much. There'd be irony in Rayla starting arc 2 wanting to kill a high mage of Katolis but being unable to, only for her to kill the high mage she wanted to save more than anything? If this would be closer to the beginning of her season arc, with time to grow after (the regret, or un-making her choice later when another opportunity is presented). Rayla has had six seasons of routinely sacrificing herself and what she wants (being with her loved ones) with precious few exceptions, even if we've seen her steadily grow more positively in S4 onwards in particular (god bless you 5x04). Killing him is what's expected of her as an Assassin and a Good Moonshadow Elf, which is set in opposition to her being a Hero ("Rayla saves people" / "It was rescued? By who?" "...Me").

So Rayla, who always sacrifices, continues to sacrifice. Even though — from a meta narrative perspective — she and Callum are set up to the be the inversion of Viren and Lissa. Viren sacrificed the people around him (including her) and did dark magic, so she saw him as a monster and left. Meanwhile, Callum and Rayla are set up for Callum to do dark magic because he refuses to sacrifice Rayla. Because of this, even though he sees himself as a monster (evidenced by the corruption and Aaravos' control), Rayla will not and she will refuse to leave him, bringing him back to himself (possibly with Ezran's help).

I also think some of this ground work is laid because Callum isn't just scared of being possessed and hurting people; he's also specifically scared that Rayla will be scared of him (6x03), that he will no longer be someone she knows and loves. However, we also know thanks to 6x03 (and 6x06: "You're a good person Callum. Maybe the goodest") that that's not true or going to happen. She knows who he is, who he Truly is, and that he's acting out of love. In saving him, not only does she reaffirm his identity, she reaffirms her own (more on Rayla being unable to kill without also symbolically killing herself here) with the most important bit dropped in here:

As long as Callum is Callum (“you’re the destiny is a book you write yourself guy”), he’s worth saving. As long as Callum is Callum, she can be Rayla (“Rayla’s brave. She saves people” / “Rayla. My name is Rayla, and I’m going home”). As long as she’s Rayla, he can be Callum. Because if Callum isn’t Callum, then he’s dead, and if he’s dead, she can kill him. And if Rayla kills him, if Callum is dead, then she won’t be Rayla anymore. Because to literally kill Callum would be to simultaneously symbolically/emotionally kill herself.

In going to save him, also (which Runaan might be primed to encourage or be a catalyst for), Rayla gets to demonstrate her growth by refusing to sacrifice herself and refusing to sacrifice him. Previously, she's sacrificed herself for him, sacrificing both her life and their happiness. In 4x03/4x09 and throughout arc 2, what we see what she wants most is not just Callum being alive, but having a life with Callum ("what I most deeply desire is what I could've had all along"). To be together, rather than being separated (6x09). So Rayla choosing him, and their life together, and what she wants, un-making her choice to leave at the beginning of the arc / timeskip — refusing to sacrifice him the same way he refused to sacrifice her, reaffirming both their identities, bringing them both back from the dark paths they thought they couldn't escape (being Aaravos' puppet or dead, being an assassin or dead) — that's the Character Growth, and where I think we're headed.

Conversely, if she kills him — she arguably hasn't changed, and not even necessarily changed for the worst. It'd work more for me if it was like end of S6 with S7 to go and wrap up her arc, but given that it's the final season of the arc that started with "no I'm not going to kill you, I came back For You and will keep coming back for / To You"... yeah, we're gonna end S7 on a high note, character arc wise, for just about everyone in the main cast, I think (likely excluding Aaravos, possibly Claudia, and potentially Karim).

Additionally, although quasar diamonds aren't seemingly affected by being used for dark magic (i.e. there's no corruption), there's no indication they can purge dark magic. And even if they could, and it'd give Callum another blank slate, presumably... But would that really matter on the tail of a season where he had a blank slate and (under my assumptions, mind you) threw it all away under the worst possible circumstances/consequences of doing so? Am I really going to believe he'd always be able to stay away from dark magic no matter what after going back on that promise at least two, if not three, times? (As always, prepared to eat my words later, but this is where my head is at / where I think the narrative set up is going in terms of him using it again with what we have rn; more alternative narrative legwork could happen in S7 that'd make the opposite outcome make sense to me.)

I think it's far more effective if Callum keeps (or doesn't) the taint of dark magic, but Aaravos can never use it to control him again. He can use it under extreme circumstances (like Viren did in 6x08, which was the right thing to do) but without the biggest consequence of doing so. He'll also have the certainty that no matter what he did or what he does ("It doesn't matter what you did before, I just want you to be okay again" / "None of this matters... It means I trust her. Unconditionally"), Rayla will be there and they'll accept and love and fight for each other, always, that they'll never sacrifice each other but go together in all things, and that freedom to exist and be loved is True Freedom from Aaravos and from the corruption of dark magic.

[dragon-susceptible]

Part One of the next chapter anyways XD

Ezran especially wasn't built for all this hiking after being dunked in an icy lake! He doesn't even have the adrenaline from being chased by an angry lynch mob in this to keep him going.

Callisto: reinventing the glaive as a spider defensive measure for 28 years

Ikr Ezran's really just not sympathetic at all

That did all make sense! It's one of my favorite things when writers do that too, that's why I'm leaning so hard into the feral aspects of the elves. Which thing was it that set of the tangent though, out of curiosity?

To be very fair, Rayla was dropped into a fast river by an immortal cannibal witch when she was 8 and almost died, right after being abandoned by her parents before she trusted anyone to actually come save her, so yk. She's got trauma about the water. Ram can't help his phobia any more than she can help that, but yk, she's at least got a REASON for her fear. Medieval world probably wouldn't know that phobias are a crossed wire in the brain that can't just be undone with exposure.

I . . . yk I didn't plan that but you're right, I think this is the first time they've agreed with Ram.

That . . . would be author's error. But I'm gonna say Callisto was honest about it because they are genuinely terrified and communicating that to Runaan directly was more important than not exposing the weakness to Corvus. And also it was funny, and Callisto is easily swayed to do things for the humor value.

They are in love, it's so fun.

Corvus is mostly confused because he's never realized spiders get bigger than his hand sometimes, actually.

Oh Rayla wasn't trying to get anyone to shut up, she was roasting Ram for "hearing something" when there were people talking. Of course he heard something. People were talking.

Leave them alone they're trying!

No one told Ezran to ham it up at all, he's just choosing to do this because he knows it's how he would normally act! If he didn't know the voice calling for help was fake, of course he'd suggest they go help! But it's hammed up a little because he's very much acting.

Nah no mummy, ngl that scene actually genuinely unsettled me so I was good to skip it lol, sends a shiver down my spine just thinking about it.

You 100% get a free pass for these two. Callisto actually also thinks it's funny because of how simply ludicrous it is, once they're free of the immediate fear, and sometimes when it gets tripped but they're handling it they're just laughing while shaking because WHY IS THIS THE THING THAT SHAKES THEM. It's so stupid it's funny! Even while scared!

Corvus and Andromeda are doing really well for being unaware the monsters are illusions yeah lmfao

Ram's hiding behind Rayla the same way everyone hides behind Shaggy and Scooby in Scooby-Doo. He's very visible back there. He's just put her in front of him and is cowering.

Skor let them figure it out for themself! He just confirmed it for them. Callisto and Ram were both genuinely frightened here, yeah, and Callisto would have been a mess too if they hadn't figured things out when they did. But Ram did have a very dramatic reaction lmao. That's why he's gotta cover it up with all the Annoyed.

Runaan would argue that he's an effective teacher. He lets his students learn for themselves instead of just lecturing, as long as it's safe to do so. The fact that these people are all grown-ass adults who are his subordinates now does not mean he's forgotten that he trained every single one of them except Skor.

Well you know Skor has privileges. Because they're in love. And they both know it.

Rayla's never going to stop bullying him. She bullies people as a form of affection.

Runaan's not sad about leaving the spider behind lmao, he elaborates right after that. He sounds sad because the spider is all that's there. There used to be life here, the center of a whole society, and now it's just . . . a horrible illusion meant to scare people away from a desolate ruin. It's sad.

Callisto also slightly may have forgotten Corvus was there when they admitted to being terrified.

Runaan doesn't trust Corvus yet and he's very aware that giving humans knowledge about magic can be risky af.

Do let me know when you figure it out, I'm very curious what that phrase has done.

Gods, me every time Ellis is onscreen, yeah.

Many internal, some external, yes.

Andromeda has no patience for Runaan's modesty, he's a master and should damn well claim the title.

Meanwhile Rayla: yeah but like he's also a gay disaster. you don't see him when he's at home. the second we get through the front door his entire brain turns off- Runaan: How About You Stop Talking Right Now Immediately

Why don't you ever trust me? They'll be fine. They'll make it to the peak well before dawn. They have a dragon egg to hatch!

Different Path Taken Ch21 P1 Wonderstorm

I was real tired for a few days and couldn't finish it but here's part 1 of the next chapter. This chapter should finish out the events of Season 1 of the show, once I'm done with it.

“There it is!” Ellis said brightly, pointing up at a twisted tree silhouetted in moonlight on the horizon, far up the slope. “That’s the tree I hid in with my Ava, where the miracle healer found us!  Well, the Guardian.”

“We should be able to make that within the hour.” Runaan estimated.

Privately, Callisto suspected he was overestimating the children’s capabilities.  It hadn’t escaped their notice how heavy little Ezran’s steps were and how the boy’s head hung down as they walked once they had caught up with the scouts.  Besides, they had other obstacles to deal with.

“Spiders.” They muttered like a swear as they used their glaive to cut away some webbing from the path ahead, keeping it at arm’s length.  Should they be using their full length glaive with one hand like this?  No.  Were they doing it anyway to stay away from the damned spiders?  Yes. “Why did it have t’be f- spiders that survived over here?”

Ezran tilted his head at them. “Are you afraid of spiders, Callisto?” He asked curiously. “They’re not so bad.”

“I maintain that anyone with an ounce of sense is at least a little afraid of spiders,” Ram insisted from ahead of them, also scowling at the webs with his ears laid back, and waiting while Rayla rolled her eyes and cut a path for him with her longer swords. 

“Anyone?” Runaan prompted with an amused sort of tone. 

“Yes,” Ram said haughtily. 

“I’m not afraid of spiders, I’m just reasonably cautious of things that can kill me,” Rayla retorted. “Which is what you should be.” She pointed at him with her sword and an unimpressed expression.

Callisto growled with their own ears lying flat. “I actually almost agree with him.  Spiders are a blight upon existence and I for one am terrified.” They cast a halfhearted glare at Skor, who was closest to them, and found him just smiling fondly at them.  Their cheeks heated up under the soft look and they quickly turned back to the path and yelped as they almost ran into a thread, ducking quickly around it instead. 

Corvus was staring at them in confusion. “What kind of spider could make a web this big?” He asked suspiciously, examining some of the webs closely. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Magical spiders,” Runaan replied with no small amount of amusement.

He was taking far too much pleasure in all of their distress, in Callisto’s humble opinion. 

“Did you hear that?” Ram yelped. 

“No, everyone’s too busy talkin’.” Rayla replied spitefully.

“Hush!” Callum shushed her, looking around suspiciously.  Ellis and Ava were even quiet, with the wolf’s ears laid back.  Callisto cursed in their own mind as they pricked their ears up to listen, grip tight on their glaive. 

The rustling of the webs sent a chill up their spine.  It was the spiders.  They knew it was the spiders.  How many were there, to have built a nesting colony this size?

In the distance there was a voice.  Someone moaned as if in pain and Callisto swore under their breath out loud. 

“Did you hear-?” Callum asked, worriedly.

“Yep.  Ignorin’ it.  Keep walkin’.” Rayla ordered, finally sounding a bit tense herself, and marched ahead.  Smart kid.  Those voices weren’t real.  They were never real.  There was no reason for anyone else to be up here.

“But what if someone really needs help?” Ezran protested, tugging at her arm. 

Runaan put a hand over his mouth briefly, his eyes sparkling entirely too much, and Callisto frowned at him.  That was out of character.  In what world was it funny for a small child to be concerned about someone’s life?  Someone needed to explain to Ezran that these voices weren’t . . .

“Ezran, ye have a good heart.” Rayla was telling the boy sincerely, and then her expression and ears both went flat as she added, “It’s super annoyin’.  I guess maybe a couple of us can go check.”

“No.” Callisto snapped. “No one’s leaving the group.  There’s no reason for anyone else t’be up here.  It wasn’t real.  Whatever we heard, it’s not real.  You know that, Rayla - this is a place of power just as much as Moonshadow Forest, we don’t follow the voices.”

Her eyes widened at the reminder and she winced. “Right.  Yeah.”

“There’s always voices in the Forest and few of them are real,” Ram explained for the human children’s benefit, though he had both his daggers in hands and he only spared them a glance while searching the webs for the things they could hear shuffling around them. “If you follow them, they pull you into the darkness, into the wild, and then - well.  Most don’t come back.”

“That’s enough of those stories,” Runaan admonished. “We keep moving.  Do not split up.  If you hear something, check with the rest of us.  If no one else heard it, neither did you.”

They kept walking.  Callisto hugged close to Skor’s path, letting him cover their wounded side.  He did so without complaint, even conceding to pulling out his sword for their comfort though his eyes crinkled with amusement when he did so.  The human children were sticking quite close to Runaan now.  Ram and Rayla were scouting ahead, attached at the hip, and Andromeda and Corvus walked together as well, both seeming hardly bothered by the spiders.  The human looked a bit unsettled by the sheer scale of the webbing, but Andromeda was just wary.

Thus it was that Rayla and Ram were the first to actually confront the spider.  Ram shrieked while Callisto’s eyes were on the children and they flinched, brandishing their glaive up only to see him hiding behind Rayla.  The girl was facing off against one of the largest spiders they’d ever seen and it took every ounce of discipline in their body not to recoil from it as well.  How could something that size have survived in Katolis of all places?  Most every magical creature in Katolis was stunted and small compared to their Xadian counterparts, without-

Wait.  The spider chittered and postured but it wasn’t outright attacking even as they all scattered for cover.  Callisto wasn’t immune to the panic, darting behind some rocks with Skor as soon as the others moved, their heart pounding in their chest as their nerves warred between not wanting to take their eyes off it and wanting to get away. 

How could something that large have survived here?

A brief glance around revealed nothing but desolation under the webbing.  There was nothing for it to feed on but the magic of the Nexus, and while that was necessary, it wouldn’t be enough to support a physical creature.  Spiders still needed to eat.  One this size would have a corresponding appetite, too, it would be willing to feed on things as large as drakes in Xadia.  What even lived on this side of the breach that was big enough for them?

Unless - 

Runaan had been amused.

He’d mentioned a training exercise.

Callisto glanced at Skor suspiciously.  He raised his brows at their expression at first, and then a slow smile spread across his mouth as he nodded slightly. 

They peeked around the rock at the spider, which hadn’t moved, and was still blocking their direct path up the slope, chittering aggressively. 

A glance over at the rock behind which Runaan was hiding, nearly standing straight behind the stone in order to give the gaggle of children around him room to cower, revealed that Ezran didn’t look afraid either.  Neither did Callum or Ellis.  If anything, Ezran looked a bit delighted, and was giggling about something.

The Guardian of the Nexus used illusions to keep humans afraid of the slopes.  This creature wasn’t behaving like a normal spider.  There was nothing around that it could eat. 

“It’s not fucking real, is it?” They hissed to Skor.

His smile broke into a fond grin and he shook his head.

“What are we going to do?” Ram’s voice had gone up several octaves and when they managed to find him, he was cowering behind a tree and Rayla this time, wide-eyed and nearly panicking. 

Runaan at least had the decency to look a bit concerned at that, but Callisto didn’t want to gamble on his mercy when he’d apparently decided they all needed a lesson in being observant and aware of their surroundings.  They all should have realized that a place like the Moon Nexus would be rife with illusions just like their forest was, especially with the Guardian shaping those illusions into reasons to keep the humans away. 

“It’s not real.” They called irritably. “It’s an illusion.  The Guardian’s using it to scare the humans back down the mountain.  Why else would a creature this big be wandering around here where there’s nothing to eat?”

Andromeda groaned deep in her chest and audibly facepalmed. “Oh, we should have realized.”

“What about the creature down the -” Ram broke off and growled, glowering at Runaan. “That other creature that we passed before, that was dead - that wasn’t real either, was it?”

“No,” Runaan admitted, smiling gently at them. “It wasn’t.  I was a bit disappointed you all didn’t realize that.  There isn’t enough food around for a creature that size, either.”

There really wasn’t enough food around for anything to be confined to the mountain, except perhaps some birds.  Callisto groaned and rubbed their own face. “You’re a cruel, cruel teacher sometimes, Runaan.”

“You did figure it out eventually,” Runaan replied placidly. “And no one was going to get hurt.  My apologies to you both, though, I didn’t realize the next creature we would encounter would be a spider, or I might have had second thoughts.  I know the two of you are -” there was that damned smile again - “uncomfortable with the creatures.”

“That’s one way of putting it,” Ram gingerly lowered himself from the tree with a distrustful glower at the illusion spider, which appeared to be stuck in their path, making the same few chitters on repeat. 

Callisto scowled at Runaan too. “Absolutely bloody terrified,” They corrected, and flinched momentarily when they felt something on their shoulder before realizing it was Skor’s hand.  Before he could remove it they tucked their glaive into the crook of their arm and grasped his hand to hold it there, looking over at him gratefully.  While he’d clearly known as well, he had at least been there to comfort them through their fear. “Thank you.” They murmured softly to him.

Skor smiled much more softly than Runaan, and nodded, giving their shoulder a squeeze.  He brushed his hand down their arm.  It wasn’t quite a proper scent mark but it was as close as they generally got these days, and they took comfort in his assurance.

“Don’t worry, Ram,” Rayla was teasing him, smirking broadly. “I’ll still protect ye from the big scary illusion spider.”

Ram wrinkled his nose at her but he did, in fact, keep her and Callum between himself and the spider as they moved past it.  Callisto couldn’t help the way their heart beat faster and the terrified quiver in their ears as they had to walk towards the creature, and then walk away with their back to it while it kept making those noises.  It helped that Skor walked right at their heel and kept his hand on their shoulder or arm, something to remind them he was there to help.

“There should be nothing on these slopes worth fearing, anymore,” Runaan said with a note of regret as they left the spider behind. “The only thing we left worth protecting was the Nexus, and the Guardian’s illusions have been all that’s necessary to protect it for centuries now.”

“Centuries?” Corvus asked, frowning curiously.

“Magic is a muscle or a skill like any other, for an elf,” Runaan said, with a bit more chill in his words than when he spoke to Callum about the topic. “Those who exercise it more gain a greater well of it within themselves.  Over time, a creature of magic may become more magic than flesh - and the flesh ceases to age.  The Guardian of the Nexus has held her post for over three centuries.”

“So . . . how old are you?” Ellis asked. “You can do magic too!  We saw you!  When your hand glowed around that other thing, it did it did!”

He had fucking known all the way back there, the bastard.  Callisto huffed, but tilted their head, curious how he would respond with all the humans present.  It really wouldn’t tell them much, they supposed, so there was no real reason to keep it a secret, but it also was the sort of personal information that assassins usually wouldn’t speak about outside of the forest.  

Runaan seemed to be having a similar internal debate before just sighing. “I’m thirty-five.  I don’t have nearly the magical stores that an Archmage like the Guardian has - I just know a thing or two about illusions.”

“A thing or two,” Andromeda echoed almost mockingly. “Not as though you’re the best in the Assassins’ Guild with illusions or anything.”

Rayla scoffed. “It’s true though, he’s pretty weak as a mage compared to - uh.  Compared to his husband.”

Callisto barked a laugh at her casual roast of her guardian, as Runaan scoffed in disbelief. “That’s enough of that,” Runaan said loftily. “We’re starting to get into the sort of information we don’t share outside the Forest.”

“Sure,” Rayla teased. “That’s why ye want me t’ stop.”

Callisto chuckled and focused on the path ahead, once more secure in the knowledge that the creatures they were hearing were nothing more than illusion.  Perhaps Runaan was right, in that case.  His estimation of how long it would take them to reach the rim made a lot more sense now.  They’d make the peak before dawn. 

[tenspontaneite]

Peace Is A Journey (Chapter 5/?)

In which Rayla and the Princes both learn some unfortunate truths.

(Chapter length: 11k. Link to Ao3 version)

They spent the rest of the evening in relative ease, the tension around the issue of Rayla’s hand ebbing from the boys in the face of cooked food and a cheerful campfire. The fish itself was variably tasty – the river trout were delicious, and a few of the others, but a couple types tasted so unbearably fishy it was hard for Rayla to stomach them. Still, she did her best to eat as much as she could, urging the others to do the same – they could carry some of the leftovers with them, but they wouldn’t stay fresh for long.

She ushered everyone to bed when the sun had barely set. “We need to set out as early as possible tomorrow.” She informed them, in no uncertain terms. “We lost time today, and there’s probably people tracking us. We need to get as far from the lake as we can, as fast as we can.”

Thus, their little party settled down for their second night in the pilfered tent.

Callum was no less active in his sleep this night than the first, and judging by the ambient rustling, Ezran was just as bad. Rayla stubbornly faced away from them and did her best to ignore it. The presence of the two humans in the tent was, at least, less jarringly foreign and unsettling now, and she got a bit more sleep that night than the previous. She woke up at dawn and shook both princes awake at the same time, slipping on her boots and hurrying outside to get a start on packing up the camp while they were still blinking groggily at the tent roof.

After a breakfast of cold fish, Rayla led them off on their journey while they were still half-asleep and yawning every other second. Neither of them woke up enough to hold conversations for a good half hour of walking, which suited Rayla just fine. She was used to silent travel.

As they receded from the lakeside, they travelled into a forest that was composed mainly of birch, beech, and elm – a fairly young-looking forest with rotting stumps that indicated a cull within at least the past human generation. Evidently, it was close enough to human habitation to be used for logging every decade or so. It made Rayla a little wary of potentially running into woodcutters, but none of the stumps seemed even vaguely recent, and there weren’t any suspicious branches or wood chips laying around to indicate recent activity, so it was probably fine.

Still. They’d be crossing the road at some point today, which held a considerably higher risk of humans. She’d stay alert, and maybe ask Callum for a time estimate once he was awake enough to make a comprehensible reply.

Eventually, one of the boys did summon the presence of mind to talk.

“Do we have to get up this early every day?” Ezran asked plaintively, when he finally gathered his wits enough to attempt coherent speech.

“Better for us if we do.” Rayla answered, watching as Callum lifted his head to listen, still with that bleary half-asleep look in his eyes. “Starting our walk at this time of day means we can stop in mid-afternoon to make camp, and still get a good seven or eight hours of walking done.”

Both princes groaned in concert at that. “Eight hours.” Callum bemoaned, voice groggy but somehow still expressive enough to evoke dismay. “My poor legs.”

Her lips quirked at their woebegone expressions. She remembered the early days of her journey to Katolis. She’d had the advantage of a near decade of training and excellent physical fitness, but her legs had still objected vehemently to the amount of travel. “Yeah, your legs will probably hate you for a while.” She said, only a little sympathetically. There was a certain satisfaction in being able to speak from the position of experience. There was also satisfaction in the knowledge that her legs, by now very well-accustomed to travel, probably wouldn’t pain her at all until they got to the mountains.

“What do you even do when you walk for that long?” Ez wondered, raising a hand to rub at his eyes. Bait hopped along beside him, looking as grumpy as ever. “‘I spy’ would get really boring after that long. Or word-association. Or – any game.”

“Mostly you just walk. And daydream.” Rayla said honestly, thinking back on her long weeks of travel. Certainly the assassin squad had conversed among themselves while they travelled, but always quietly, to ward off the risk of becoming unwary and opening themselves to attack or ambush. All things considered, her last few days of travel had been much louder than she was used to.

“I guess I’m pretty good at daydreaming.” Ezran allowed, after a moment. “I bet it still gets boring after weeks though. You were travelling for months. Didn’t you get bored?”

Rayla had generally done her very best to avoid looking even vaguely bored or inattentive during the course of the journey, because Runaan had a near-supernatural sense for that sort of thing. The second he suspected her attention might be lapsing, he tended to materialise behind her to make her recite some aspect of her book-learning. Poison-making processes, sometimes, or the most common edible plants in the eastern Pentarchy, or how to make a decent wound-cleaning poultice in the absence of actual good medicine. The other assassins had found it very amusing up until he started doing the same to them.

It had been a very well-educated squad of assassins that finally arrived at Katolis, after two months of that.

“…Well, you find ways to pass the time.” Rayla said eventually, after a conspicuously-long pause.

“We’ll manage just fine, Ez.” Callum said, apparently unconcerned, from the lofty position of someone who could draw while walking.

She eyed him. He looked vaguely more alert now. She waited until he noticed her staring and then promptly engaged him in a discussion about their map and the likely distance to the road.

(In conclusion: Callum said he would be able to judge their distances and walking speed much better after they actually reached the road, but until then he really didn’t know.)

  The day fell into a rhythm that Rayla was very familiar with; periods of wordless travel broken by nothing but the sound of their footfalls in the forest, and occasional interludes of idle conversation. The reality of the long journey ahead of them was starting to sink in for the boys, it seemed, because a lot of their talking seemed centred around the things they’d miss while they were gone, and how many lessons they’d have to catch up on once they were home again, and how worried certain family members must be, and how maybe they should send a letter, and how exactly they were supposed to send a letter from the middle of a forest with no trained crows.

Rayla stayed very carefully out of those conversations. Guilt prickled nearly as unpleasantly as the ache and the burn in her bound hand.

The princes seemed at least vaguely accustomed to physical activity, because the relatively-brisk walking pace on flat land didn’t leave them out-of-breath or panting. They started complaining of stiff legs alarmingly early, though.

“I already miss the boat.” Ezran declared, around three hours into their walk. Rayla snorted loudly at that, attracting looks from both boys.

“You have to admit, the boat saved us a lot of walking.” Callum said to her, one eyebrow raised as if to dare her to deny it.

She ignored it. “Maybe so. Doesn’t mean I miss the boat, though. I’m much happier to be walking.”

There were a few seconds of quiet, uninterrupted walking before Ezran spoke up. “Rayla, can I ask something?” She looked at him, finding curious eyes staring back at her. She slowed a little, to allow him to fall into pace with her.

“What is it?” She inquired, a little wary of his caution. Neither he nor his brother had asked about her hand again, but she was aware of their attention flickering to it from time-to-time; now didn’t appear to be one of those times, but…she was still anxious about it.

She’d need to tell them about the binding, and soon. She was uncomfortably aware of it.

He hesitated, and bent to pick up Bait, who had croaked up at him in a plaintive sort of way. “…Were you always scared of water?” he asked, and she stilled for a moment, skin prickling with an entirely different sort of discomfort. “Or did something happen?” he hefted Bait in his arms, settling the weight of the glow toad against his chest. Callum looked over at the question, plainly curious about her answer, even if he’d not been the one to ask the question.

It was on the tip of Rayla's tongue to deny every hint of fear, even given what they'd talked about the day before, even given they knew. Admitting to fear was just – not done. Shameful. But these were humans. It's not like they understood that. It was...probably fine. "…Nah. Nothing happened. I've just always been scared of water. Even when I was a wee thing."

“Huh.” He considered that, mulling over whatever implications that had for him, and after a moment concluded aloud “so that means you were already scared of water when you learned how to swim?”

“Well, yeah.” She admitted, thinking back on it with a shiver. “Mind, didn’t get around to it until I was a bit older. But yeah.”

“But you did it anyway.” Callum pointed out, the hint of a smile at the edge of his lips. She watched him warily, just a little tense, braced despite everything for accusations of cowardice. “That’s more bravery for you.”

She blinked, befuddled, her posture loosening. “…Oh. Er…”

“You were scared of water but you learned anyway.” Ezran agreed, in what felt like a solemn repetition of their post-lake-monster discussion. “That’s super brave.”

Back home, she’d be getting side-eyed, maybe muttered about. There was a low-level, unspoken acknowledgement that people were scared of things, that fear existed – but showing any sign of it? Allowing it to affect your actions? There were more effective ways to damage your reputation, but not many. And here they were calling her brave for it. “…If you say so?” She offered, uncertainly.

“Well, yeah. You could have just…refused to learn to swim, right?” Ez said, and then looked momentarily flummoxed. “Or would people have made you?”

She huffed. “No one would have made me learn.” She said, tempted to laugh a little at the mere concept. Runaan would have garrotted anyone who tried. Even if he was silently disapproving of her cowardice himself all the while.

“So, you were brave.” The littlest prince affirmed, with all the assured confidence of a child who knew how things were. “You learned, even though you were afraid.”

“Well, yeah.” She snorted, and narrowed her eyes a little balefully at the thought that provoked. "Not learning to swim is like askin' for water to kill you."

Callum laughed at that, sounding surprised. “Well, that’s one way to put it.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “And how would you put it?”

He considered it for a second, and said “’Going near water before you know how to swim is dangerous’, maybe. At least, that’s what dad used to tell Ezran when he was a tiny thing, back when we visited the Great Bay.”

Ezran’s face scrunched up, and thankfully Callum’s attention seemed more on that than the way Rayla couldn’t help but tense whenever the King was mentioned. “I don’t remember that.” He complained.

Callum reached over to ruffle his brother’s huge hair. “Well, you wouldn’t. You were like, shorter than dad’s knees. But you liked the water – kept trying to play in it, even though it was dangerous.”

He snickered. “Like Bait!” The glow-toad made a grumpy noise at that, eyes rolling to the side.

“Pff. Yeah, like Bait.”

“…How old were you when you learned to swim, Ezran?” Rayla asked after a moment, curious despite herself. She’d learned late, once she’d managed to find the courage for it. When did humans usually learn? Did they all usually learn, or was it just a high-class-human thing?

The boy’s face screwed up again. “Uh….”

“You were six.” Callum said, patiently, and smiled as he looked ahead, eyes half-lidded as he recalled the memory to mind. “You learned in a little pool-thing full of seawater. It had mosaics of whales around it. Don’t you remember?” Rayla huffed a soft laugh at that. Callum would remember the poolside artwork, wouldn’t he?

Ezran squinted. “….Was one of the whales purple?”

“…There was not a purple whale, no.”

“Then nope, I don’t remember a thing.” He declared, entirely unconcerned, and put Bait on top of his backpack so he could adjust his straps. “I do remember that time you freaked out about us drowning, though.”

Callum laughed sheepishly, as if embarrassed, while Rayla just – stopped short for a second, creating a noticeable pause in her stride, which didn’t go unnoticed. “Sorry, did you say drowning?” She asked, incredulous, absolutely certain that there couldn’t have been anything that dire in their pasts, if they mentioned it so casually, and went swimming so casually.

“I didn’t do even a little bit of drowning.” Ezran attested, eyes bright, as if relishing an oncoming opportunity to mildly embarrass his sibling. “But Callum-“

“Ez.“ Callum groaned, raising a hand to his face. “It’s not – look, it was perfectly reasonable!”

Rayla tilted her head, curious, and fell into step with Callum as they walked, sensing a story. “…What happened?”

“It was a few years ago, maybe?” Callum hedged, looking uncomfortable. “There’d been a storm a few days before we got to the Great Bay – and, well, some of the sailors…They were telling all these horror stories, about how it was lucky no one drowned, and about times when people had drowned, and – I think I was very sensibly concerned!”

“He made a huge scene at the harbour.” Ezran explained to Rayla, smiling almost fondly. “Wouldn’t let anyone get in any boats. He got really worried about me, the big doof.”

She squinted at him, uncertain. “…That makes sense?” She tried, glancing at Callum as if to gain some insight as to why Ezran seemed to find humour in the situation. “I’d have been worried too?” Granted, she was a little biased on the matter, as she took it as a given that water would attempt to kill anyone who ventured near it, but…

“Thank you, Rayla.” Callum said, with a pointed glance at his brother. The brother in question answered him with a sunny smile.

“Well, yeah. But like, he didn’t just leave it there.” Ezran beamed up at his brother, who looked away, conspicuously uncomfortable. “Callum’s a worrier. So he got Aunt Amaya to teach him some field-healing, just in case I got hurt.” Field-healing? Rayla eyed him, intrigued.

The elder prince folded his arms, defensive. “Look, it was a useful thing to learn! Plenty of people learn field-healing!”

“Yeah, but you learned it because you cared about me.” Ezran said, still beaming like a miniature sun.

Callum did not deny it, but did look a bit grumpier. “So?”

“So, stop being embarrassed about it.” Ezran told him. “I think it’s nice.”

Rayla looked back and forth between them as this proceeded, eyebrows raised. Apparently, accusing Callum of being a concerned and caring person was an easy way to embarrass him. She silently committed that information to memory, considering ‘field-healing’ with interest. He shifted a little, shoulders hunching slightly under her assessing eyes. “Field-healing?” She quoted, keen to chase up that mention of a potentially useful skill. “What does that mean for you?” With luck, it was what she thought, and there were more practical skills in these humans than she’d previously known.

“Er.” Callum hesitantly met her curious gaze, and shrugged a little, sheepish. “Well, sort of basics to do if someone gets hurt? How to wrap bandages and stuff, or what to do if someone chokes, or stops breathing.”

“Oh, we have that too.” Rayla recognised, pleased, with a vaguely victorious-feeling thrill at the confirmation of her guess. Maybe someone in this group other than her knew something useful, after all! “Except we call it ‘first aid’.”

He looked interested now, too. “Makes more sense as a name than ‘field-healing’, I guess. I mean, I know it’s mostly soldiers who learn it, but still.” He straightened, earlier embarrassment evaporating in the face of his fascination. “I wonder if elves and humans teach the same things?”

“Well, one way to find out.” Rayla said, and shot a half-grin at him. He tentatively smiled back at her.

Ezran looked between the two of them, and sighed. “This is going to turn into two hours of listening to you guys talk about field-healing, isn’t it.”

“…Honestly, I could probably use the refresher.” Callum admitted. “It’s been a couple of years.”

“I’ll just be glad if there turns out to be more than one of us who knows what to do with a bandage.” She said, and then, true to Ezran’s prediction, the next good hour was nothing but discussion of the differences and similarities between elf and human first aid. Runaan would have been proud of such productive use of travel time.

Rayla learned some interesting things: for example, humans had almost no antibiotics whatsoever, and therefore did a lot of dying of infection when they got seriously injured. They used distilled alcohol to disinfect – a small bottle of which she’d purloined from the Lodge – but if infection set in there was little they could do to stop it. They used some tinctures known to help fight infection, but had no refined medicines for it like elves did. They could mostly only soothe the symptoms.

It made her wish, sincerely, that she hadn’t had to leave all of her things behind. The assassins’ first aid kit had been very comprehensive. She resolved to keep an eye out for any potentially useful medicinal plants along the way.

For the most part, though, it seemed that you cared for injured humans much the same way as you cared for injured elves. They apparently had the same general heart rates, suffocated just as quickly if their airways were blocked, and the thing to do with someone who’d choked or drowned and wasn’t breathing was pretty much the same.

It was half-way through discussing resuscitation of non-breathing people that Rayla realised that, surely, there had to be a difference here.

“Wait.” She said, abruptly enough that everyone stopped walking, Callum falling silent in the middle of what had been a description of how humans did chest compressions. “How do humans restart someone’s heart if you don’t have mages?” They didn’t use dark magic, did they? …But how else would they do it?

Callum stared at her blankly. She wasn’t sure if that was just confusion at being interrupted or a sign that something was very different here. “…Restart someone’s heart.” He repeated, brow furrowing, and glanced bemusedly at Ezran, who shrugged helplessly. “Like…uh, what do you mean?”

“When you’ve got someone whose heart isn’t working right.” She elaborated, a tad impatiently, but also with a distinct sinking sensation in her gut. “How do you get it going again without a sky mage handy?”

There was a brief period of silence. Then: “You’re saying elves can restart hearts?” Callum exclaimed, eyes wide, and…that was a pretty clear sign that her hunch had been on-point. That was…unfortunate. “How?”

Rayla stared back, similarly wide-eyed. “….There’s a spell?” She explained, scrambling for the words. Everything had been so similar up to this point that it was abruptly difficult to try to think of explaining something so obvious to members of a species who had no way to restart hearts. So…did their version of resuscitation ever actually work on anyone whose heart had stopped? How ridiculously low must the survival rate be? “A sky magic spell. It uses lightning to start the heart again?”

Both boys looked utterly flummoxed by this knowledge. It was not a promising sign.

“…Lightning can restart hearts?” Callum offered, weakly, after several moments of mutual astonishment.

“Does this mean Callum can learn how to restart hearts?” Ezran added, after a moment, and the mage in question looked like he might fall over with shock and glee at the mere words.

“Er…maybe if he spent a month training under a master sky mage. Or master healer.” Rayla hedged, and watched Callum’s face fall, a little regretful at having to disappoint him. “I don’t know the spell’s words, let alone the rune, and even then – I’m pretty sure you need training to use it right.” Still, her mind automatically tried to think of what sort of thing you’d call a heart-starting spell. Had she not heard it mentioned in her classes? Surely it had a name. She was sure she remembered something like that. Something that reminded her of the word ‘impulsive’, maybe?

“…I suppose it would be pretty weird for you to know a super specific heart-starting lightning spell when you don’t know the normal lightning spell.” Callum said, ruefully, and after a moment kept walking. “I still can’t believe elves can restart hearts.”

“I still can’t believe that humans can’t.” Rayla retorted, and followed after, the three of them falling back into step as they walked onwards. “What do you do if you get someone who’s not breathing and has no heartbeat, then? Just leave them for dead?”

“Well, you can try to do life-breaths and compressions for a while, and see if their heart starts on its own, but…” he looked almost apologetic as he trailed off.

So, in essence, human resuscitation only really worked on people whose hearts were still beating, and they had no goal of ‘keep going until the nearest sky-healer arrives’ to work towards, because they had no sky mages. That was…incredibly unfortunate.

“I mean, I don’t know how it is for elves, but for us having no heartbeat means you’re dead.” Ezran informed her, looking up with a light frown. “Even I know that, and I’m only ten.”

Rayla considered that, and then pointed at both of them sternly. “Neither of you are allowed to go near water until we get to Xadia. Or heart-stopping poisons. Or lightning.”

“What if it’s my lightning?” Callum asked, reasonably, and she rolled her eyes.

“Well, if it’s your lightning spell, it’s just the people around you that need to worry.” She informed him, and then stopped. Her mind, still half-stuck on trying to remember the name of the heart-starter spell, clicked over on the world impulsive, and her mouth opened into a silent ‘o’. “Inpulsis,” She announced, after a second, sure that that was right, a flutter of triumph rising in her chest at having remembered it.

Callum and Ezran both blinked at her, perplexed. “Impulsive what-now?” Callum inquired.

“Inpulsis. That’s the Draconic word for ‘shock’. I’m pretty sure it’s part of the heart-starting spell – and that doesn’t help you, since we don’t have the rune, but-“

Excitement dawned on his face as he caught her meaning. “-but it might work for the lightning rune I know?” he finished, eyes lighting up. He was reaching for the primal stone before she could get a word in edgewise.

“Wait just a minute,” She chided him, grabbing him by both wrists to stop him from doing anything, well, impulsive. “If you’re going to test out that spell, you’re going to do it somewhere more open than this. In a clearing. With the two of us a safe distance away from you. Alright?” Her left hand felt tight and sore in its grip around his wrist; she let that one go first, and then the other, bringing her good hand over to rub uneasily at the bad one.

Callum, for his part, looked mildly startled at having been stopped in his tracks like that, but registered the sense in her words after a few moments. “…Yeah, that may be a good idea.” He agreed, somewhat chagrined, and turned the primal stone in his hands a few times before he reached to put it away. “Maybe we can stop somewhere for lunch soon and try it?”

“In an hour or so, maybe.” Rayla decided, rolling her bad hand carefully. It felt strange – and stranger by the hour. Oddly numb, yet still painful. It prickled with electric tingles of pain and a nearly cold-feeling sensation every time she moved it…but if she didn’t move it, it started aching awfully.

Callum’s eyes didn’t miss the motion. They tracked her hand for a few seconds, narrowing slightly, and then returned ahead. He offered a smile. “Well, let’s get moving then. And then later we can find out if Inpulsis is the right word for the lightning spell.”

  Inpulsis was not the right word for the lightning spell.

“It felt – weird.” Callum tried to explain after the fact, apparently having difficulty putting the experience into words. He tried to flatten down his hair for the fifth time, with no more success than before. His fingers crackled with static. “Like the rune was fighting the word. It felt like – I forced the magic through a shape it didn’t fit into? It was close enough to do something, but – the rune didn’t fit the word. The magic – well.”

“The magic didn’t like it.” Rayla summarised, dryly, trying to pat the static from her own hair. Ezran wasn’t even trying to sort out his, abandoning it as a lost cause.

“It really didn’t.” he admitted, eyes all disappointed and mournful at the primal stone in his lap.

The spell, when forced through the mismatching word, had crackled outwards in a shapeless mess, causing an outwards surge of weak, unfocused electricity that gave all of them a mildly unpleasant shock. Ezran had checked on the egg and reported it delighted with the situation, but the rest of them had certainly not enjoyed it.

“Cheer up, maybe there’s another rune that’ll work with that word.” She said, a little guilty at having provided the wrong word in the first place. Really, what had she been thinking? The lightning spell probably wanted a more strongly lightning-y word than ‘shock’. Like whatever ‘lightning’ was.

…Wait.

Rayla stared straight ahead for several seconds and then buried her face in her hands, uttering a despairing groan. ‘She might have called me a fool’, he’d said. Lightning. It was so obvious. If anyone was a fool, it was obviously her; how could she have not remembered it?

“…Rayla?” Callum questioned, sounding vaguely alarmed.

“Did you get zapped too hard?” Ezran added a second later, similarly anxious.

“Fulminis.” Rayla said, and then sighed gustily, thoroughly abashed at not having remembered that to begin with. “That’s the draconic word for lightning. You said what’s-her-name – Claudia? – called you a fool. I bet she was actually saying fulminis.”

There was a brief, somewhat stunned silence.

“…That would make sense, but also I’m not in the mood to get shocked again if it’s wrong.” Callum admitted after a moment, eyeing the primal stone warily.

Ez passed the egg, currently situated in his lap, over to his brother. “Hold the egg? I think it pulls in lightning. Maybe it’ll help if it goes wrong again.”

Callum paused, put down the stone, and carefully accepted the egg. He pulled it into his lap with a strange expression, and Rayla wondered if he, too, was realising that this was the first time Ezran had passed the egg to anyone since they left Katolis. He observed its gentle glow for a few moments, and then took a careful breath. He reached for the primal stone, settling the egg more solidly in his lap with the other hand, and then raised it with his finger poised to Draw. “Time for you guys to stand back again.” He said, and both of them scrambled for the treeline.

Rayla watched from the shadow of a conifer as he drew the crackling line of the rune in the air, heart racing a little from the apprehension of it. Would it be right this time? Were they all about to get shocked again? She really hoped she wasn’t wrong again.

“Fulminis,” he said, in a clear voice that rang the length of the clearing, and in a sudden sharp motion, pointed the hand that had drawn the rune at the ground in front of him.

Lightning cracked, with a sharp flash and hiss, and disappeared into the ground within a second. It was somewhat anticlimactic, actually. At least for a moment.

A heartbeat passed, then another, and then “it worked!” Callum cheered, delighted, throwing his hands up. He nearly dislodged the egg, and lowered his arms hastily around it to stop it from falling. Cautiously, Rayla approached, Ezran beside her, as Callum stood with a brilliant smile. She wondered if he was about to shout about magic again, like he had the first time he’d realised he was a mage.

Instead, he passed the egg over to Ez and in the next second threw his arms around her shoulders. She startled, hands jerking up in surprise, and wavered uncertainly for a few seconds before she warily returned the embrace. “Well, I’m glad it worked this time?” She offered, startled at the sudden hugging. Apparently, the new spell had made him a very happy mage indeed.

He pulled back a second later, still beaming, though he looked vaguely more self-conscious about it now. He brought up a hand to make another try at flattening his hair, sheepish. “Yeah, me too. Thanks, Rayla. Now I’ve got two working spells.”

Ezran inspected the two of them for a few seconds, head tilted, as if considering something. He shook it off and raised the egg. “I think the egg’s sad you didn’t hit it.” He commented. “It really likes sky magic.”

Callum shot him a strange look. “Well, I mean, I could always intentionally shoot lightning at it, now I know the spell?” He suggested, brow furrowing. “I don’t know if that would be safe, though. Fulminis seems like a strong spell.”

The two of them looked at Rayla then, as if she were any more of a dragon egg expert than them. She raised her hands to forestall the notion, the left one sending complaints of pain up her arm as she moved it. “Don’t look at me, I don’t know how dragon eggs work.”

“Better safe than sorry.” Callum decided, after a second. “No shooting lightning at the egg of the Dragon Prince.”

“Sounds sensible.” Rayla agreed, and after a moment, held out a hand in the direction of his sketchbook, slung securely-closed over his shoulder. “Have you got any spare paper? Maybe I’ll try to see if I remember any more Draconic while we walk.”

  By the time the forest started thinning out, becoming little more than groves of saplings around groves of coppiced stumps, Rayla hadn’t had much success in remembering anything definitively sky-related, but she’d managed some things. Mainly she was just writing down every word she could remember, idle phrases and idioms and names of calendar months included. It was probably mostly useless, but she reckoned Callum would probably get a kick out of it anyway.

She closed the paper and handed it back to him, interrupting what had been a quiet background conversation between the brothers on the topic of the relative scariness of various waterfowl. “I’ll try to remember more later, but for now, shh. I think we’re close to the road.”

“…How can you tell?” Ez asked, obeying her by at least keeping it to a whisper.

She waved around them. “Younger trees. Lots of woodcutting.” She explained briefly, and watched them stare around them as if noticing the state of the forest for the first time, eyes wide and dawning with recognition. For a second, she was briefly disorientated to watch them looking about like that, their knowledge and experience so immensely distinct from her own that something as obvious as the artificially-thinned forest was a surprise to them.

Moon and Sun help them when they got to Xadia, was all she could think. Hopefully by then she’d have squashed some useful knowledge into their skulls.

Rayla pressed a finger to her lips again, to reinforce the command for quiet, and led their suddenly much-stealthier party through the young trees. Predictably, before long they reached the road. It was broad and loosely paved, covered in rows of carefully-placed wide stones that had been beaten flat and smooth by the impact of many, many feet and hooves. Mosses and weeds grew out from between them, disturbed in places by recent traffic.

There weren’t any humans in sight, or within the range of her hearing. Silently, she gestured them across the road and into the treeline on the opposite side, and kept them moving. About ten minutes of brisk walking later, she said “well, that was anti-climactic.”

Taking that as permission to speak again, Callum shrugged. “Would have been pretty unlucky if people were passing through at the exact time we crossed.”

“Yeah, exactly.” Rayla agreed, a little grimly.

Ez tilted his head at her. “Did you think we’d run into people anyway?”

She patted him on the shoulder and paused for a moment to answer. “Let me share an elven proverb with you: when you’re travelling in a human kingdom with humans after you, don’t rely on luck to keep you alive.” It was almost even an actual proverb. If you counted phrases frequently-uttered around a campfire of assassins to be proverb. Of course, if she were being accurate to the source material, she’d have finished it with ‘because luck is a fickle ballsack and should not be trusted with anything important’.

The little prince considered that. “Good advice, I guess.” He assessed, and kept walking.

“How long do you think we were walking, to get to that road?” Callum asked her a second later, reading for his sketchbook-map with that increasingly familiar thinking-about-things look on his face.

Rayla took a second to gauge her constant awareness of the position and movements of the moon, accounted for the half-hour or so they’d spent having a break, and said “’bout five-and-a-half hours.”

“Nice.” Callum pronounced, and spent the next hour filling in an absurd amount of detail on his map, and periodically tripping over tree roots in the process.

  The walk to the road and its accompanying time-stamp allowed Callum to make a pretty decent estimate of not only the scale of his map, but also their walking speed. With that in mind, he started drawing in as many towns, minor rivers, mountains, and roads as he could think of, thinking on every map of Katolis he’d ever been shown. It was actually pretty absorbing work, so he didn’t notice Rayla scoping out their surroundings for a good place to camp until she caught him by the shoulder to stop him walking on without her.

“We’ll stop here for the day.” She announced, setting down her bag and the tent pack with a decisive thunk. Callum was reminded, abruptly, of how much more weight she was carrying than the rest of them. He felt briefly guilty, but reassured himself with the knowledge that he was at least learning useful camp-things, like fish-cleaning and tent-pitching.

“Thank goodness.” Ezran sighed, parking himself and his bag and also Bait on a patch of grass. He, apparently, had been paying attention, and was not surprised by the sudden end to the day of walking. “My legs feel weird.”

“Weird how?” Callum inquired, whose legs felt sore and stiffer than usual, but mainly around his joints. He’d sort of expected the actual muscle-parts of his legs to hurt, but they were alright for now.

“Like my knees and hips are going stiff.”

“That’ll be worse in the morning, and also you’ll probably feel it in your calves and thighs too.” Rayla informed them, sitting herself down next to the bags. “It’ll be much worse once we start taking on the mountains.”

“Joy.” Callum deadpanned, and after a moment, sat down with the rest of them, shrugging off his bag and putting down the sketchbook-map. Rayla watched him interestedly for a second, then nodded towards his book.

“Can I look at that?”

He passed it over. “Sure.” She opened it carefully at the map and ran analytic eyes over it, humming approvingly and nodding at parts. He assumed she was considering routes, so left her to it, shuffling over next to Ez. He stretched out his legs, shaking them a little to try to exorcise some of the growing stiffness of them. “So, what do you think of our first full day of walking?” He asked, settling comfortably next to his brother.

His brother considered it. “Less boring than I thought.” He said, optimistically. “There’s lots of stuff to look at. I used to walk around the woods a lot back home, but these are all new.”

“The views get pretty great up in the mountains.” Rayla commented absently, still looking over the map. “Even if it is cold as-“ She broke off her sentence abruptly, not even seeming to realise she was doing it. He wondered for a second if she’d been distracted by something in the book, but, nope. He shrugged a little, and returned his attention to the map, and the mountain range they were approaching.

“Whereabouts did you cross over the Belt?” He asked, after a moment, and shuffled over to her instead. She looked up, blinked, and then smirked, indicating a point on the map near a point of interest he’d marked out.

“Round here, ish.” She said, in a suspiciously nonchalant voice. He eyed her a little sceptically, and looked back at the page.

“Wouldn’t have thought you’d risk crossing the mountains that close to a fort.” He commented, eyes lingering on where he’d drawn a sort of square for the best – and most heavily guarded – crossing through the mountains.

Her smirk widened again, and he found it very suspect indeed. “It was the best option for us.” She said, delicately.  “Wasn’t exactly risk-free, but then – it’s not like there are any easy or risk-free routes, through this mountain range of yours.”

Even though she was acting downright shifty, he could still agree with the sentiment. One thing that decidedly obstructed travel in Katolis was their longest mountain range, creatively dubbed the Belt of Katolis. A mountain range that, shortly, they would have to contend with.

It ran in a sort of loose curve of peaks from the northern land-mass of the kingdom to the south-east, coming around to enclose a portion of the southern kingdom in a hook of mountains, and stretching along the Great Bay. The tallest mountain in Katolis, mount Kalik, was near the southern-most edge of that hook, and Castle Katolis itself lay within the lowland cradle of the Belt. There was pretty much no way to travel to Xadia by land without having to get past the Belt…and there was only one somewhat-easy way through.

“The Pass of Viatori is pretty easy, but that doesn’t really help us much.” He said, watching her reaction with narrow eyes, as he poked at the square representing the fort that, allegedly, her team of assassins had passed quite close to.

She blinked at him innocently. Too innocently. “Isn’t there a fort there?” She asked, as if they’d not just mentioned the fort less than a minute ago.

“Yes. Yes there is.” He fixed her with a suspicious stare, which she blatantly ignored.

“I vote we don’t try to cross the Belt at a guarded fortress full of human soldiers.” She said, cheerfully.

“…Yeah, let’s not do that.” He stared at her for a few long seconds, in which she did not offer any explanation for all the smirking and suspicious reactions, or remove the unusually self-satisfied expression from her face. Finally, he raised his hands up, and said “Okay! What is it? What’s – what is it about Fort Viatori that you’re smirking at?”

She eyed him for a few seconds, plainly amused, then finally conceded. “…We didn’t cross near the Pass.” She admitted, looking somewhat smug about it. “We went through it.”

He stared. Ezran, who’d been listening in, looked impressed. “How, exactly, did six elves get through one of the most heavily-defended places in the Pentarchy?” Callum asked, at last, honestly baffled.

She leaned over and patted him on the shoulder. “The answer to that, my human friend, would be ‘Moonshadow elf powers’.” She informed him, with some cheer. “We used our first full moon in Katolis to cross it. No one saw a thing.”

For a second, Callum stilled, remembering the shadowy half-visible forms of the assassins at King Harrow’s door. Remembered watching them flow like living darkness around the guards trying to save his father’s life. He shivered, then pushed the recollection away as violently as he could. Pushed the thoughts of home and family away just as insistently.“…That’s pretty cool.” He managed, not entirely naturally. Rayla’s good humour dimmed a little as she looked at him, a hint of concern passing over her face. He hoped she wouldn’t ask.

If she’d been planning on it, Ezran neatly derailed it with his curiosity. “So you get special powers at full moons?” he inquired, eyes wide with interest, and Rayla leaned back from Callum to blink at him.

“…Yeah.” She said, after a moment. “I forgot you didn’t see it. I was in my Moonshadow form when I came to find you, but I think Bait’s light counts as sunlight. Turned me right back.” She shrugged, eyes wandering to Callum again.

Fascinated despite himself, he perked up a bit. “Huh. That’s interesting.” He commented, looking across at the glow toad held in his brother’s arms, then back at Rayla. He hesitated. “I…actually saw some of the other assassins, when I went up to the tower.” He admitted, voice a little low, and she looked at him sharply. A second later, her features softened with understanding. “I didn’t get a great look at them, though. They were all sort of…shadowy. Kind of almost invisible.” He shrugged. “I’m guessing that’s how you got past the Fort Viatori guards?”

After a few moments, she nodded. “They weren’t expecting us, so it was pretty easy. Just had to pass through when no one was looking, one by one.”

Ezran observed them, eyes a little solemn as he picked up on the mood. Then, determinedly, he looked at the map, and pushed to conversation elsewhere. “So which way are we gonna go?”

A second passed where Callum and Rayla looked at each other and silently, somewhat gratefully, agreed to let the uncomfortable topic drop. Rayla shrugged, leaned over to indicate their current route of travel, tapping the map with a slender finger. “We’ve just got to get past a couple of towns and then we’ll be near the foot of…whatever this mountain is called.”

He glanced at it. His handwriting, admittedly, had been very squashed in that region. There were a lot of mountains to name. “Dorel.”

“Yeah, that one. Callum, are all these mountain-squiggles to scale?”

He checked. “You mean, did I draw bigger lines for the bigger mountains?” She nodded at him, and he tilted a hand each way, uncertainly. “Sort of. I drew the really big ones bigger, but the rest…I can’t remember how big those are meant to be.”

She huffed, sounding more thoughtful than annoyed. “Well, whatever. We should try to cross over…Dorel, and past…” She squinted at the map. “I...as…solek?”

“Iasolek.” He confirmed.

“Past that. And then onto this….I’m not even going to try to read that. Then maybe if we’re lucky we can follow this river valley here instead of having to go over this…other mountain, too.” Ezran snickered a little, apparently amused by the illegibility of his mountain-names. Callum rolled his eyes and declined to try to fill in their knowledge.

“We’ll definitely be able to follow that river. It’s one of the two biggest in Katolis, completely cuts off the Belt from the northern mountains. Has a huge valley with its own, like, farms and villages and stuff.” He informed them. It was called the Rhodane, but he doubted either of them cared about that.

“Well, yay.” Rayla said, unenthusiastically. “Then we can follow that river to – actually, Callum, what do you think the chances are of us finding some sort of boat here?” She moved her finger over to where the Rhodane cut eastward towards the sea, coming out near the narrowest part of the Great Bay.

He inspected it. There were a lot of big towns along the edge of the Great Bay, some of which he and Ez were very familiar with from their yearly visits. The joining of the Rhodane to the Bay in particular was home to one of the largest cities of the kingdom. “I mean, there’s a lot of towns there. If we couldn’t find something, I’d be surprised. Worst-case, we might have to stow away on something.”

“That’s not what I’d call worst-case.” She said, in tones of dark humour. He was briefly curious about what she did consider ‘worst-case’, but she moved on too quickly for him to ask. “But okay. So, we travel to here and try to get a boat across the bay. Save ourselves a week or three of walking.”

“Maybe if we’re lucky we can find a boat to go along that river, too.” Ezran suggested, drawing a disgruntled look from Rayla.

“….Maybe.” She agreed sourly, and sighed, leaning back to stand up. “Well, that’s our route for the next couple of weeks planned, at least. I’m going to go fill up our waterskins. Can you two get started on the tent?”

“We can get the poles done, easy.” Ez declared after a moment, leaning over to roll her tent pack towards him.

“Good. Callum, if anything attacks you while I’m gone, hit it with lightning.” She instructed, and he felt himself break into a silly grin at the reminder of his second functional spell.

“Got it.” He agreed happily, and she rooted for their now-empty waterskins and disappeared into the trees within the minute. He watched her go for a second, then shuffled over to help Ez pull everything from the tent pack.

By the time Rayla returned, they’d got all but one of the poles assembled and set into the outer-tent, and were half-way through pushing the last one through. She dropped a waterskin between them with an idle warning of “the stream was pretty leafy, so there might be some pine needles in there.” She settled beside them, inspecting their work on the poles and apparently deeming it perfectly satisfactory as they both took a drink.

It seemed, really, that they were starting to get the hang of this camp thing. That they were starting to fall into a routine, their various roles becoming more practiced and starting to slot properly together. It left Callum feeling even more cheerful than the day’s success with magic had, and when he braced his end of a tent pole against the ground, waiting for Rayla to push the tent into shape-

Everything had been going so well. He wasn’t expecting it to suddenly go wrong.

He didn’t see what happened, but out of nowhere, Rayla let out a strangled scream, dropping the tent and clutching her hand to her chest, face twisting with pain. He was scrambling haphazardly over the still-flat tent towards her before he could fully process what had happened, Ez shooting to his feet from where he’d been sitting a couple of metres away. “What is it? What happened?” he demanded as he reached her, heart suddenly in his throat and pulse thrumming with alarm.

“Are you okay?” Ezran echoed, anxiously, arriving just a second later, staring up at her with worry. She was exhaling in a slow, measured breath, and didn’t look at either of them for a few seconds. When she did, her eyes flickered uncertainly between them, the look on her face settling into something considerably more worried than pained.

“…It’s fine.” She said, softly, after a few seconds. She was still holding her hand to her chest, its dark fingers cradled beneath the pale skin of the other. “I just – slipped. Hit my hand.” She looked away.

He’d noticed the darkening colour of her hand, of course he had. He’d noticed the way she carefully avoided using it for anything too intensive, too, avoiding supporting much weight on it or moving it too quickly. He hadn’t asked, because it was pretty obvious from the previous evening that she didn’t want them to. But…

“…Look, I know you don’t want to talk about it, but – your hand,” He gestured at it, a little lost for words. It very clearly was not alright, and now, was very clearly hurting her.

She said nothing, averting her face from their eyes. Her shoulders had hunched upwards, and it ought to have looked defensive. With her expression, though, and the way her body closed in as if to shield her hand, she just looked…scared. It was a bit frightening to see.

“Rayla.” He said again, helplessly, and held his hands out. “Just…let me see?” She hesitated, face turning ever-so-slightly their way, and he added “Please?”

She sighed, very quietly, and slowly uncurled the hand from her chest, extending it warily towards him. Ezran watched wide-eyed from his side, fingers clutching at his own sleeves as if he could draw support from their fabric. He leaned against Callum’s side in a way that told him better than anything how worried his brother was.

He hesitated, and moved his hands out to reach hers, his fingers settling on the bruised-looking skin as gently as he could. He watched her carefully, but if it hurt she didn’t show any sign of it, so he turned her hand over, looking in dismay at the state of it. Surreptitious glances hadn’t been quite sufficient to reveal how badly-off it seemed. It looked swollen, engorged and angry with dark blood, and up along the wrist…

She watched him, silent, as he trailed his fingers up to feel at the silvery ribbon-thing. It was punishingly tight, squeezing the wrist so tightly that the dark swelling even extended a little way up the arm. She hissed a little when he poked around it, and he drew back from it instantly, his hands settling around her cool skin. Was it supposed to be that cold?

He looked up at her face, and she still wasn’t saying anything. “Rayla.” His voice felt almost like he was pleading, at this point. He wished she would just – say something. Even if it was ‘mind your own business’. He exhaled, heavily, and in the face of her ongoing silence, spoke again. “At least – tell us if there’s anything we can do to help? This looks-“ He stopped, and swallowed back the word. It looked bad, is what it looked.

She exhaled, softly enough that he could barely hear it, and finally spoke. “…Thanks. But there’s not a lot to do about this.” She hesitated, and then drew her hand back from his, fingers of her right hand settling over the ribbon on her wrist. Her shoulders slumped, as if in defeat, and eventually she said “This is an assassin’s binding. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to tell you, but – I have to.” Her eyes closed tightly shut for a moment. He’d never seen her look so afraid. Not even in front of the river. “I have to.” She repeated, quieter.

Ez shifted, anxious and uncertain against Callum’s side. “…What does it do?” He asked, voice uncommonly small.

Her jaw clenched for a moment. “It’s-“ She started, then stopped, helpless. “The night-“ She tried again, apparently unable to find the words. She shook her head violently and, almost angrily, forced the words out. “We all bound ourselves. All six of us. It’s – it’s a Moonshadow elf ritual. We bind ourselves to take a life – and if we don’t-“ She hesitated again, fingers cradling the viciously-tight band at her wrist.

Understanding dawned on him, horribly, a second behind a bigger realisation. “It’s getting tighter.” He said, the other part of the knowledge just-there, his mind just a second away from making the connection-

She met his eyes, and said “this binds me to the death of Prince Ezran. It’ll never come off while he’s alive. It’ll just get tighter and tighter until I lose my hand.”

Ezran’s fingers clenched in Callum’s jacket, tightly. He stared at Rayla, wide-eyed, apparently tongue-tied. Callum wasn’t doing any better, unable to manage any words himself for a good few moments.

He didn’t for a second consider distrusting her, he realised. He wasn’t sure when, but…at some point in the last few days, he’d got to know her enough that the idea she might kill Ezran to undo this binding – he couldn’t even fathom it. He didn’t trust as quickly or easily as Ez did, but…he knew she wouldn’t. “Oh, Rayla.” He spoke quietly, understanding, and hating the understanding.

She shifted, nervously, as if concerned about the direction of his thoughts. “I’m going to pay that price,” She said, quickly, insistently. “I won’t – I’m not going to hurt Ez.”

Ez sniffed, and finally left Callum’s side, stumbling forwards to hug his would-be assassin around the middle. “I know you’re not going to hurt me, Rayla.” His words were muffled, but utterly crestfallen. “You’d never. It’s just –“ he broke off, sniffling, and Rayla’s arms slowly lowered to settle around his shoulders. The look on her face was a bit heartbreaking. Relieved, but horribly conflicted.

“It really sucks.” Callum finished, for his brother, unable to look away from her face. She seemed to find the eye contact uncomfortable, and dropped her gaze to Ezran’s hair, but – no wonder she’d had a hard time saying this.

“Yeah.” Agreed Ez, miserably, still pressing himself tightly into the embrace. “That.”

“…I guess so.” Rayla offered, quietly, after a moment. She stiffened suddenly, looking alarmed. “Ez?” Callum followed her eyes and saw that Ezran’s shoulders were shaking – he was crying. Not hard, maybe, but… “Ez – it’s-“

“It’s not alright.” He cut her off, pulling back to stare at her fiercely, his eyes brightly, coldly blue. They were all the more vibrant for the tears at their edges. “It’s not fair. You shouldn’t have to lose your hand because – because-“ His face screwed up and he pulled an arm back to wipe at his eyes.

Rayla looked incredibly bewildered by the sudden manifestation of crying-Ezran. Callum might have found her expression funny if not for the circumstances. “Ez – okay, it’s not fine, but there’s worse things than losing a hand. I’ll be alright.” She rested her good hand on his shoulder, hesitant, plainly uncertain of what to do.

He refused to be soothed, upset transmuting fast to an almost indignant affront with the situation at hand. “Isn’t there anything we can do?” he demanded, stepping back to ball his hands tightly at his sides, still seeking comfort even though he’d stepped away. “Can’t we cut it off? Or – or find some kind of spell to get it off?”

Her head lowered, eyes averting to the side. “…Believe me, I’ve tried.” She said, regretfully, and slowly flexed the dark fingers. “If there’s anything that can break this stupid binding – it’ll be in Xadia. There’s no way my hand will last that long.” She exhaled, heavily, and Ezran’s bubble of protective fury burst like a balloon. “It’s okay.” She tried to assure him, not sounding especially certain of the words herself.

Callum stepped forward then, jaw tight, and settled a hand on Ezran’s shoulder. “It’s not okay, Rayla.” He insisted, firmly, his brother’s agitation rousing his own. “Come on – there’s got to be something. Some weird counter-ritual, or weird spell, or weird amulet that can break magic – I don’t know, a weird something. Just think. Maybe there’s something you haven’t thought of!“

Her eyes snapped up to his, now looking vaguely annoyed. “No. There’s nothing. Like I said, if there’s anything that could help, it’s in Xadia.” Her words were shorter, now. Clipped. She folded her arms around herself and turned away, as if to close the subject. “It’s not nice, but – I’m going to lose this hand. I’ve accepted that, okay? You need to accept it, too.”

He tugged Ezran back to his side, straightening unhappily. “Maybe you’ve accepted it too fast, Rayla. Look – maybe you can’t think of anything now to take that binding off, but what if we at least…saw a healer, or something?”

She cast a look at him that was almost scathing, bristling like a frightened cat defending her space. “What do you think a healer could do about a magic wrist binding?” her voice was cutting.

“…Maybe there’s magic healers.” He suggested, half-heartedly.

“In the Pentarchy? If there are, they’re dark mages.” She glared at him, looking offended at the very thought. “I’d rather lose both my hands than get treatment from that.”

Her voice was so poisonous on those words he didn’t even think of trying to suggest otherwise. He threw up his hands, frustrated. “Then just a regular healer! Who knows, maybe they’ve got some medicines to – slow it down, maybe?”

Rayla cast a sharp, abrasive glance his way, then looked stubbornly to the side, folding her arms. “Leave it. There’s nothing anyone can do. That’s it.” There was a warning edge to her voice, unpleasantly reminiscent of yesterday, just before she’d snapped at Ezran.

“But if we can get you more time-“ He started, initially stubborn, but cutting off quickly when she suddenly whirled around, fast as a striking snake.

“There’s no point, Callum!” She hissed, thrusting her hand out as if in demonstration. He winced at the sight of it, the entire thing dark as a bruise. “Look! The binding’s tightening and nothing’s going to take it off! I should just-“ Her other hand twitched in the direction of one of her swords. “I should just – cut it off now, so I can start healing from it sooner.” Her fingers brushed the folded form of the blade.

Ezran’s eyes went wide with alarm, and Callum was sure his weren’t much better. He shot his hand out to grab hers away from the blade. “-Don’t!” He said hastily, grip tightening a little on her fingers. She narrowed her eyes at him but didn’t move. “It’s – look, Rayla, I get what you’re saying, but – what if we do find something? Some sort of – magic thing, I don’t know, or something that can cut your….assassin ribbony-thing. If you cut your hand off now – if we find something? It’ll be too late.”

She stared at him, jaw clenched, and said nothing. Tentatively, Ezran shuffled over, and looked up at her, eyes pleading. “Callum’s right, Rayla. If we see a healer, maybe there’s something we can do to…help you, or slow it down, or…make it hurt less, even. And then we’ll have more time to find something to help you.”

Still she said nothing. “Do you want to lose your hand?” Callum demanded suddenly, unable to withstand her silence. “Don’t you want to try to find a way to keep it?”

Finally she spoke, ostensibly at Callum, but seeming to have a hard time meeting his eyes. “Of course I don’t want – of course I – I mean, no, I don’t want to lose my hand, but-“ She waved the hand in question at Ezran. “Look, I bound myself. And since I’m not going to kill Ezran, my hand’s the price. That’s how it is. And that’s fine! I’ll happily lose this damned thing if it means I don’t have to kill him.” She forced a conflicted, drawn-in smile for Ez. “You’re a good person, Ez. Worth losing my hand for, easy.”

Callum’s expression and grip both tightened, unhappy. Ez exhaled, deeply, and reached out to carefully take her ailing hand, like a mirror of Callum. “I…I appreciate that, Rayla. You’re a good person too. But you shouldn’t have to lose your hand for me. You should never have been meant to kill me at all. It was because of the Dragon Prince, right? Because everyone thought he was dead – there had to be revenge? But he’s not dead. And you shouldn’t have to lose your hand just because people didn’t know what really happened.” His expression went firm with resolve, eyes staring at her with unshakeable will. “This binding isn’t right, Rayla. It isn’t justice. If we just let it take your hand off without doing anything to try to stop it – that isn’t right either, don’t you see? You’ve got to let us try.”

Sometimes, when things were serious, and he stopped goofing around…Callum could see the future king in his brother. Could see their dad in Ezran. This was undeniably one of those times. He inhaled, breath shaky, and felt so proud of Ez that it hurt. He looked up and met Rayla’s eyes as he spoke, his fingers still clutched around her own. “Maybe we can’t save your hand. And…like you said, there’s worse things than losing a hand, if that’s what happens. But Ez is right – you shouldn’t have to lose it. Please, Rayla. Let us at least try.”

She stared at them, plainly conflicted, eyes flicking between him and Ez, and then down at her hands, held in their own. She produced a tiny, nearly inaudible sigh, noticeable mainly by the slight dip of her shoulders as she exhaled. “….Fine.” She said, quiet, tired. “We can try. I don’t think it’ll do any good, but-“

She was cut off, abruptly, as Ez barrelled forwards to throw his arms around her again, sending her stumbling backwards a few steps, hand falling from Callum’s. “I’m so glad.” Ezran mumbled into her armour, and after a second of hesitation, Callum stepped forwards to join in, one arm around her and one around Ezran. She was tense, but, well, that made sense.

“…You dumb humans.” She sighed after a moment, voice exasperated and fond, and tentatively returned the embrace. She allowed it to hold for a few seconds before stepping back, expression settling into something firm. “We’ll maybe go into some towns and – talk to healers, or whatever it is you think will help. But we’re not going out of our way to do it, okay? No wasting days just because you want to detour to – Human River Town, or Human Mountain Town, or wherever. And no putting our whole mission at risk!” She folded her arms and stared at them expectantly. “I’m an elf. You’ll be more likely to find an angry mob than a healer that’ll treat me.”

“We’ll figure something out.” Ezran said contentedly, beaming brilliantly at her, entirely satisfied with her agreement to let them try. She looked away after a second, and he understood why – Ez could be hard to withstand, when he was that…bright.

“…Don’t get your hopes up.” Rayla harrumphed, not meeting their eyes, sounding rather like she was trying not to get her hopes up. Callum eyed her, worried and sympathetic and not sure how to help, settling eventually on distracting her. He put a hand on her shoulder to get her to look at him, and then nodded in the direction of the flat and shapeless form of the tent.

“If it’s hard for your hand, maybe try to show me whatever it is you do to get the tent up, and you can do what I normally do.” He suggested.

Her eyes fixed solidly on his for several long moments, half-guarded and half-grateful. He felt it when her shoulder slumped, some of the tension easing from her body. “…Alright. Let’s give it a go.” She sighed, and smiled tiredly at him. After all the stress of this whole conversation, he was happier to see that smile than he could quite put into words.

His own posture loosened, as if his tension had been tied to hers, and he offered his own grateful smile in turn. “Come on, then. Camp isn’t going to make itself.”

Something about the way she looked at him seemed softer, then. Warmer, maybe. She reached out to tug him over to the tent, and he followed, wondering at the changes a difficult conversation could bring.

  End chapter.

   Timeline: This chapter takes place very slightly on 15.05, but mostly on 16.05, day 6 since start of canon, day 4 since start of travel. (In canon, this is the day Azymondias is born.)

On geography: if it’s not obvious by this point, I’m taking some pretty large liberties with the geography of Katolis, though its general shape remains the same. Some names of things are taken from heavily modified Latin words, some from heavily modified real European place names, and the Rhodane in particular is named after the Rhône, one of the major European rivers. Some locations in canon, like Mount Kalik and the Moon Nexus, have been shuffled around a bit, or a lot, to suit both plot and my own geographical additions.

On Rayla’s history: If canon declares that some childhood event prompted Rayla’s fear of water, I’ll edit this chapter. Otherwise, I’ll go with the explanation in this chapter, because I’m somewhat tired of characters’ fears always having a conclusive instigating event.

On worldbuilding: This section is pretty egregiously full of infodump, apologies in advance. I can’t not worldbuild.

In the piaj world, medical science is relatively advanced, due to the advances in knowledge and practice that magical understanding of the world allows, as well as magical tools. Elves are considerably more advanced than humans in this respect, but various avenues of espionage usually ensure that the human kingdoms still vaguely profit from advances in Xadian medicine. The human kingdoms have recently started pioneering hollow syringes, and have these available for administering medications in the largest, wealthiest cities. They are trying very hard to figure out how Xadians make their refined antibiotics and other medicines, but they are unlikely to accomplish this easily, as the processes involve magic.

Elves call first aid first aid. Humans call it field-healing, as it exists primarily among the military for use in the field. It is becoming more common for civilian humans to learn, especially among the household staff of the nobility. Most small villages will have someone with basic field-healing, and most towns will have several, as well as a proper healer.

The defibrillation spell is inpulsis vita. ‘Life shock’. When the rune is drawn and the words spoken, electric charge builds in the mage’s arms and will release through the palms of the hands, which are positioned on the patient as defibrillator pads would be. This spell acts as a biphasic defibrillator. Like real-life defibs, it only generally works on hearts that are in a ‘shockable’ rhythm – someone whose heart isn’t moving at all would get no benefit from it.

While casting the spell is relatively simple, actually using it properly is extremely difficult, because: 1 – the mage needs to be able to determine when the heart should be shocked, which needs either incredibly finely-tuned magical senses or otherwise a magical device to track the heart, 2 – the mage needs to be precisely aware of how long the charge takes to build before it releases, and match that delay to when the heart needs to be shocked. There is a leeway of several seconds where the charge will rest in the hands, and very skilled mages can prolong this, but after this it will release whether the patient is ready or not. Sky-healers generally need a lot of training to be able to use inpulsis vita successfully.

The spell was developed with the help of Sky dragons, some of whom were able to feel the electrical impulses in living bodies, and who advised elf Sky mages on what was happening (electrically speaking) with certain cardiac rhythms.

Afterword: this chapter took a while partially because I wanted to get chapter 6 finished before posting it and partially because, well, this is an important chapter with some emotionally charged parts and I wanted to be sure it was right. Good news, chapter 6 is finished! Also it’s 15k, which kind of explains why it took me so long. I started ch7 today and churned out a whole 2.8k scene, so that was nice. Probably don’t expect an update for another week, maybe. It’s going to start slowing down now.

Thank you so much for all the comments and support, I really really do appreciate it. If this chapter hit you in the feels, be sure to let me know. This is where I start making Rayla suffer, basically. Even just next chapter we have several thousand words of condensed Rayla suffering. (there’s also lots of fluff though!)

[theredhairedmonkey]

What do you think will happen in "Through the Moon"?

Hmm, I’ve changed my mind a couple times as to what I think will happen, but I’ll let you know what I’m thinking right now, anon:

Since this story takes place in the Moon Nexus (and involves some kind of invitation for a ritual there), I imagine that some time must have taken place since the Battle of the Storm Spire. Just throwing out a number, I’ll guess that something like a year to 18 months have passed, which gives the trio enough time to change and adjust to the new peace they helped create.

So, some background on each of them before we dive into “Through the Moon.” All three are now living in Katolis.

Ezran is having a tough time, as he now has the most responsibilities of the three of them (oh, how the tables have turned). It turns out that Opeli’s “peace will require just as much strength as war” was not a joke. The battle to save Zym might have led to peace with the elves and dragons, but it has upended the entire world order. Katolis now has closer ties with the elves (the Sunfire elves in particular) and the Dragon King Azymondias than it does with several of the Human Kingdoms (particularly Neoloandia, which has cut off ties to Duren and Katolis after Prince Kasef’s death). 

The battle also shifted the balance of power; Katolis lost much of its army, while Duren, which suffered the fewest casualties, is now the strongest Human Kingdom and breadbasket for the Pentarchy. While Queen Aanya means well, King Ezran has been encouraged to allow General Amaya to rebuild the Katolian army. Additionally, racism against elves and dragons is a hard beast to overcome, and Ezran has been struggling with certain voices in his court that are urging him to take an aggressive stance against Xadia. Keeping these people pacified has been a challenge…especially now that Rayla is living in the capital as a permanent guest.

In spite of his age, Ezran is pretty much on top of this all—Corvus once commented that he had shown more “courage, strength, and grace than most leaders show in a lifetime,” and I think that will shine through here. He might not be the most learned or most well-informed person in the room, but he knows when to rely on experts and when to rely on his sense of right and wrong.

So, “Through the Moon” might show a little bit of that–how Ezran has begun to fill his father’s shoes (as well as make his own), how well he’s adjusted to being a ruler during peacetime, and how much he still has to grow.

Callum is a prince reborn. In just a few months after the battle, he quickly mastered Sky Magic in its entirety, even coming up with several new techniques along the way. He has also learned quite a bit about the other Primal Sources and their respective Arcana. Callum is also within striking distance of finally understanding the Moon Arcanum (more on that later).

He’s trying to help Ezran as best he can, but this “awkward step-prince” always had trouble succeeding at his princely duties, and that extends to administrative and political matters. He’s no Viren, and neither his personality nor his Sky Magic provides much help at court. His abilities are more physical than the creative, complex spells that Viren often does.

Instead, Callum finds that he’s most helpful outside and beyond the walls of the castle—this is, after all, where the sky is, and where Callum is at his strongest. He’s often flying to other towns, and helps the common people with building roads, constructing dams, clearing out fields for farmland, irrigation, and the like.

The people who knew him before are quite surprised by this change. He used to be this bookish artist boy who could barely hold up a sword, wearing a signature red scarf and blue jacket. Now, he’s a strong, confident mage, sporting sleeveless shirts that reveal elaborate runes on his arms. He can fly and is therefore more physically capable than any ordinary human in the kingdom. Many less tolerant people are also put off by how protective he is over his new elven, um, “friend” Rayla.

Now, on to Rayla. Hoo boy…

Here’s what we first hear about her—Only Rayla is still restless

At first, I was wondering why she was refusing to believe Viren is dead, when it seems everyone else is ready to move on. And then I remembered this scene:

Viren: “I’ll return for you soon. It will be a pleasure to add one more Moonshadow elf to my collection”

Both her terrified expression and her registering what Viren is saying help explain why she’s so restless—whatever was in that bag must contain something related to other Moonshadow elves (either their remnants or their essence).

Then, when talking to Callum about what he saw in his spell, she’ll start to put two and two together. Even if he didn’t understand what he was seeing, he must have seen Lain and Tiadrin get coined by Viren.

Rayla doesn’t know if they’re dead or not, but she realizes she needs to find that bag. Maybe they can be revived, maybe they can’t. But the pain of not knowing is overwhelming.

She’s also probably fearful of the man himself. While she’s been overpowered before, she’s never been so helpless as she was before Viren. His “I’ll return for you soon” line stays with her, and not being able to confirm beyond a shadow of a doubt that this monster is gone will haunt her.

And to make matters worse, no one has been able to find Viren’s remains. Most assume his body was just lost, perhaps in a ravine somewhere. But Rayla needs to find his bag of coins. Combine that with the sheer terror she expresses in the scene above, she probably doesn’t fully believe that something like a fall could kill someone like Viren. And part of her hopes that’s the case; if she’s right, there’s a chance she can find her parents’ coins (and whoever else) and either revive them or, at worst, make peace with the fact that they are gone for good because the uncertainty is just that painful.

Without knowing for sure whether Viren, her parents or Runaan are gone, she’s lost. At least Callum, who tragically lost his parents, knows they are gone. There is a bit of solace in the finality of accepting your loved one’s passing. Rayla, on the other hand, is trapped between hope and fear. Hope that they may be alive, fear that she’ll never know.

Callum will pick up on the fact that something’s wrong, and Rayla will likewise let him in. She knows now that she’s safe around him. She can be vulnerable and scared and raw around Callum, because he will never think less of her, never judge her, and never love her any less.

And this is just something she will absolutely adore about him. Even though he’s incapable of giving her closure (even as a mage, he can’t just bring them back or give her an answer), he’ll always try to make her feel better, even if only by a little bit and for a short while.

Nevertheless, the three of them are called to an ancient ritual at the Moon Nexus. I’m guessing that, since there’s peace with Xadia, Lujanne either invites the trio back, or reveals the Moon Nexus to the Human world. In either case, there’s an invitation for Ezran, Callum, and Rayla to come back and take part in this ritual.

At some point, either by accidentally overhearing something or just from Lujanne explaining the ritual, she learns that the lake is a portal between life or death.

This is her chance, she thinks. This portal contains the answers to all the questions she’s been craving. The questions that have been eating away at her that no amount of “Big Feelings Time” has been able to ease.

Part of it is to see once and for all if Viren is dead, but the main reason is that she wants closure. She wants to know whether she needs to save her parents and Runaan or mourn for them. At least then, in either case, she can move on.

But the portal is unstable, and the ancient Moonshadow Elves who destroyed it never intended for it to be reopened. It seems as though Rayla will have to risk life and limb (and maybe not just her life and limb) to reopen the portal. I’d wager that, in the midst of the ceremony, she’ll jump right into the lake because, let’s face it, jumping into certain danger is something she’s used to at this point.

And speaking of things certain characters are used to, Callum will for sure have another episode of “here I go doing something reckless to protect Rayla,” and follow her.

As a quick side note, if there’s a time for Callum to unlock the Moon Arcanum, it’s here. He’s already worked through his understanding of reality and appearance well enough to apply it when facing Sol Regem. He’s also cast his first Moon spell, and hence knows how it “feels” to do Moon magic. Just as with the Sky Arcanum, Callum’s got all the details he needs “swirling in his head,” and just needs a way to bring it all together.

But, for Rayla, this is very much an introspective journey– Will Rayla’s quest to uncover the secrets of the dead put her living friends in mortal danger?

I am very skeptical that we’ll learn Viren is alive before S4. That is such a huge reveal to occur before we even see the trio on screen! And to a lesser extent, I have a hard time imagining how S4 could start off with Rayla knowing that her parents and Runaan are indeed alive.

Instead, I imagine “Through the Moon” to be more of an introspective look into Rayla—How does she see the world? How does she see herself? What’s bothering her, and what does she do to overcome her internal strife?

This would honestly be a breath of fresh air—while S3 does a good job shining a light on Rayla, it’s mostly from Callum’s perspective (he notices her sobbing and goes to comfort her; he observes and comments how she’s a hero; he helps her work through her feelings about her parents).

This graphic novel is a great way to focus on Rayla’s perspective instead. Her journey at the end of S3 left us with a bit of a “now what”? So, this book might be a good way to begin answering that.

[littlemisssquiggles]

Dragon prince

Hmm,well now that you mention it, I do have like one.

It’sthe one I already shared in my draconic ramblings: I don’t think Soren’scondition is completely rectified. My hunch is that Claudia’s spell is only atemporary fix and that Soren will possibly begin to gradually regress back tohis paralysis. Like it’ll be something small like his fingers feeling oddlynumb which will hint to Claudia that her spell didn’t completely work.

Ihad a sad feeling that there is where the Dragon Writers are going to takeSoren and Claudia’s story. As evident this season, Claudia is in this to lookafter her brother. She’s in this more for Soren than Viren. Doesn’t mean shedoesn’t care for her father but as fans can tell there is much stronger bondbetween the siblings. I have a feeling the Writers might be setting up a darkand dangerous path for Claudia with her dark magic---to test how far she iswilling to go to help care for her brother.

Sorendoesn’t know exactly how Claudia was able to perform the spell. I think this isthe first time we’ve also actually witnessed Claudia, I guess, stealing thelife of another living creature to give to her brother. Before it was just herusing the body parts of magical creatures that were already killed. This time,Claudia killed for herself and because of this; we saw a change in herappearance that’s only the start.

Idon’t think the Writers introduced this detail if it wasn’t going to play a pivotalpart in Claudia and Soren’s side of the story. How far is Claudia willing to go for herbrother and what would Soren do if he discovered his sister’s descent intobecoming a monster of dark magic like their father?

We’veseen how much Soren seeks his father’s approval. This gave me the impressionthat Soren is somewhat willing to look the other way at his father’sdeviousness since his love for his father has made him blind. But, how blind isSoren to his sister? For the most part, Soren and Claudia are very honest andupfront with each other about everything. If Soren noticed his sister turning,would he look away as he did with their father or…will he try to help her? Becausebottom-line, whatif…Soren is actually more intimidated and scared of his father anddoesn’t want fear to ruin his perception and relationship with his sistereither. That’s my hunch as far as Soren and Claudia go. I don’t think we’re donewith Soren’s crippling paralysis yet and I also believe S2 isn’t going to bethe last time we see Claudia take from anotherliving creature.

Ifeel like it’s going to be a thing where little by little Soren is going torelapse into his paralysis forcing Claudia to perform the same magic she didlike last time and the more Claudia performs this magic, the more corrupt shebecomes and it will reach a point where she’ll even start to hide how much thedark magic is affecting her from Soren.

Ireally think this will become Soren and Claudia’s story for S3. But you know,it’s just a theory.

Ialso believe the popular fan theory that Prince Harrow’s soul is trapped in the bird. I candefinitely see Ezran meeting the bird and sensing his father’s soul inside ofit. From there, I think King Harrow will inform Ez of what Viren did. I’m notentirely sure what Viren did but I have a feeling it will end up sparking warwith the remaining three human kingdoms and Ez’s kingdom as opposed to the latter.I feel like part of Ezran’s story will be travelling to the other kingdoms to quellany uprising or feelings of betrayal sparked by Viren’s deeds.

I’mcurious to see what they do with Ez’s side of the story. I sincerely was not expectingthem to break up the draconic trio so soon. We are only in S2 and now the storyhas been divided in four parts---the part with Viren and Aaravos, the part withSoren and Claudia, the part with Ezran, Bait and his smexilous bodyguard (whichI feel will tie back in with General Amaya) and lastly the part with Rayla andCallum returning Zym to his mother in Zadia.

S3is definitely going to be cool to watch with the back and forth betweenstories. I mean TDP had been doing a great job so far balancing everything so I’mnot worried at all for the writing and pacing next season. I just want to see whereeveryone else’s individual stories are going to take them.

Formy last theory, I wonder if Callum is going to become a Primal Master. I meanit definitely feels like he’s being set up to be after the incredible feat he performedthis season. I also wonder who Callum’s father was and if Callum’s abilitiesare tied to him in any shape or form. That’s my curious question. So far,Aaravos is the only known Primal Master so…what if Aaravosis tied to Callum in some way? Did Aarvos know Callum’s father? Was Callum’sfather killed by Aaravos and was punished by the dragons? Was Callum’s fatherthe one who sealed Aaravos away and left the mirrors with the dragons? I’m notsure. These are just my curious questions. Anyways, that’s as much as I got forTDP theories for now.

~LittleMissSquiggles (2019)

[veifei]

TDP: Camping edition

This is superrrr long sorry, but it was really fun to write and I hope it’s fun to read. Maybe I’ll do more headcanons soon :)

Ezran has been bugging his dad about going camping for ages, because of how exciting and adventurous it seems to him

“Ezran, in reality it’s just sleeping outside in the dirt it’s not that fun.”

“No Callum, it’s an adventure!”

King Harrow surprises them one weekend when they wake up to find all the camping gear, and their dad in his signature I am a Dad going Camping™ clothes.

“Dad…what are you wearing..?”

Soren obviously agrees to come, and drags Claudia along, who protested against the idea, but came regardless.

It’s a literal heat wave outside and she’s in all black.

Oh yeah and Soren brings Marcos along, who is usually the peace maker when Claudia and him fight

“Claudia you are going to die in the heat…and then I’ll be able to say I told you so.”

“Shut up Soren, I’ll be fine.”

“Please don’t bicker too much guys...I don’t want to get a migraine like last time.” (poor Marcos)

Rayla agrees to come, but isn’t really too sure what the point of camping is

“So we go outside…set up tents…and sleep in them…for fun?”

“THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I’VE BEEN SAYING.”

Marcos and Soren are both pining hard for each other

And Claudia is just watching the gay disaster unfold

“So, Soren, are you uh, an outdoorsy kind of guy?”

“I’m gay”

“What?”

“I mean– yes. I am that kind of guy.”

Rayla just looks at Claudia like “Why are they both such disasters”

Claudia gives a shrug, smiling, and Rayla smiles back and whoops they’re gay too anyway moving on

King Harrow is that guy who sings those annoying road trip songs on their way to the campsite:

“99 bottles of magic on the wall, 99 bottles of magic, you take one down, magic it around-”

(Literally everyone except Ezran, who you bet your ass is also singing along) “STOP”

Callum is lagging behind because he likes to take in the scenery as he walks.

They get to the campsite and begin to set up.

Harrow helps Ezran, and so does Callum.

Claudia is scanning her spellbook for a spell that will put the tent together quickly--

But by the time she finds it, Claudia has already set it up:

“Oh…thank you”

“You may not have got it done otherwise”

Soren is Struggling™ but you know, our boy is too prideful to audibly ask for help.

Marcos sees him and just silently walks over, shows him how to do it, gives a charming smile with those gorgeous soft eyes of his, and then walks away (so it seems like Soren did it himself)

Soren is just smitten

King Hewwo tells the kids to collect some firewood, and Rayla, being the badass she is, is just running and jumping and swinging through trees like spiderman

“Oh my God she’s so…”

“Claudia, put the heart eyes away, and saliva back in your mouth–”

“Shut it, Soren!” But she’s blushing so like, he knows.

Ezran builds a little house for Bait, out of sticks and leaves, and so of course Bait is living the Good Life™

King Harrow already has his deck chair out, sunglasses on, just chilling in the sun with a cold drink by the time they get back from collecting what they need for the fire.

As the sun begins to dip below the trees they decide it’s time to start up the fire and Ezran and Soren are pumped, because marshmallows.

Callum’s already opened the bag and started eating, but Marcos saw and stopped him before he ate all of them.

Claudia hates marshmallows, so she came prepared and brought the ingredients to make bread so she could cook it over the fire (she also brought jam)

(Rayla) “Claudia doesn’t like marshmallows?”

(Soren) “Yeah she’s a monster I know.”

Harrow suggests campfire songs, but everyone is very against that

Claudia suggests they tell ghost stories instead (“I have a good one too!”)

“Oh God no.” (Soren)

Callum is all for it, Ezran is hesitant but braves on, Bait is asleep, Rayla is like “sure”, Soren has heard enough already (living with a living ghost like Claudia means you hear scary stories a lot), and Marcos is oddly quiet.

(King hewwooo) “Perhaps it would be best if we didn’t–”

“It was a dark and stormy night.”

“Alright-y then.”

Despite the super cliché beginning, it’s a captivating and very ominous story, and Claudia is a very good storyteller.

Soren is half asleep, because he’s heard this one at least five times, but becomes more alert when he feels a weight shift closer to him.

It’s Marcos--

“I sort of hate scary things.” Marcos leans closer to Soren and well, Soren is in low-key Gay Panic™ mode but convinces his mind to get his shit together

(GayPanic! Around the campfire)

“You can like, hold onto my arm, or something if you think it’ll help…if you, really are like, really scared--”

“Oh my goodness thank you, yes I am.”

He can’t feel his arm by the end of the story

So worth it.

Though in reality, it was never really finished, but King Harrow stopped it midway through (Claudia got carried away) when Ezran was huddled up next to Callum (whose arm was also quite numb because of the grip his brother had on it) just saying “No no, please don’t let Dr. Dark Magic steal my bones Callum, please no, please no–”

“Claudia look what you did, you made Ezran cry–”

“I am not crying Callum!”

And Ezran isn’t

But Marcos is.

“Woah, dude, are you OK…?” (Soren)

“I like my eyeballs in their eyeball sockets.”

“Me too man, me too. Now could you um, let go of my arm?”

“I could.”

It takes Soren nearly 10 minutes to pry Marcos off of him; not because it was difficult, but because he’s gay and didn’t make the effort.

Rayla is just amazed at Claudia for coming up with that:

“Wow, your mind must be so beautifully twisted to come up with something like that..good job.”

Claudia, huffing out a little giggle: “oh you know, it’s no big deal…”

Obviously Claudia tells Soren all about it, and he’s just–

“She called you twisted, and you’re giggling about it? I mean, what kind of compliment is that–”

Callum gets no sleep because Ezran is too afraid to shut his eyes

(“But he can’t get your eyes if they’re closed !!!”)

They use Bait as a light source so it isn’t completely dark in their tent too, and they talk for most of the night.

Soren gets almost no sleep because Marcos is scared and fidgeting, and he’s an awkward gay in a tent with the guy who numbed the feeling in his left arm, and who he likes.

“Soren, are you OK? I can hear you hyperventilating?”

“I’M GAY FOR YOU”

“What–”

“I mean– I’m…ok…how about you… ah fuck it. Alright…I like you.”

“Thank you.”

“????”

That’s how he confesses. Sorry I don’t make the rules.

Rayla and Claudia sleep just fine, as does King Harrow.

The next morning, Callum and Ezran are half dead (Callum told Ezran a cool, happy, and not at all scary story to ease his fear) and Soren and Marcos are running on gay energy alone.

Claudia knows something has happened (“SOO, you and Marcos…what happened?”)

“He admitted he liked me, and was like totally nervous and–”

“Soren you liar, that was you.”

“You said THANK YOU.”

Rayla just chips in with “You’re both just dorks.”

Ezran gets a piggyback ride from everyone, because he is literally exhausted--

First King Harrow, then to Callum, then Soren, then Marcos, then Rayla, then Claudia and all around again once more before they get back

Rayla picks up pretty leaves on the way back and gives one of them to Claudia

Bait just hops along happily to King Harrow’s terrible tunes.

Claudia nearly walks into a tree, busy looking at he spellbook, but Soren tugged her out the way.

Harrow makes Claudia promise the next time they go camping she won’t traumatise Ezran and Marcos with her stories.

behind her back, she crosses her fingers