#moonshadow elves are the worst kind????

[kradogsrats]

I just want to return to What We Know About Ghosting(tm) for a minute since we've now seen three Ghosted Moonshadow elf characters with very different reactions to it:

The Convict: Redfeather is Ghosted for an unknown reason, but one she claims not to regret, she has essentially leaned in to it and rejected Moonshadow society and her previous identity in turn. Redfeather implies that many Ghosts react as she did and discard everything from their previous lives, including their names.

The Penitent: Tylluan is Ghosted for being kind of a shitty leader, and has come to accept their sentence while still deciding to work to fix their final mistake, not with the intent to reverse their punishment but to help their former community in the way they should have before. Tylluan is a bit weird about their name—it's possible the implication is supposed to be that the closer they get to their goal of fixing their mistake, the more comfortable they feel reclaiming it? They go by Feathershawl for the entirety of "The Lost Oasis," but then switch to saying they prefer to be called Tylluan at the start of "The Gloaming Glade." (It's noted that "most elves" refer to them as Feathershawl, whatever that means.)

The Martyr: Rayla, of course, is Ghosted for a misunderstanding of what was actually an incredible sacrifice on her part, for which she still blames herself rather than her community, but still holds to her identity and (it seems) the hope that one day she can return. Rayla, as far as we know, never even considers the possibility of abandoning her name.

Ghosting appears to be very localized to individual communities, since Tylluan, for example, is invisible only to the people of the town he was exiled from—a Moonshadow PC is not indicated to have any problem seeing him. Mechanically, it's something that can be done to an individual in absentia by all of the community members undergoing a ritual, but it's not clear if this is the only way to do it or if it can be performed on the individual instead (which seems like it would be more efficient, at least).

(I will note that there are a lot of things that make absolutely ZERO sense about ANY of this, such as the fact that a Ghost can still enter their community and simply cannot be seen or heard—but can still affect their surroundings. I, for one, would hesitate to punish someone in that way simply because APPARENTLY THEY CAN COME BACK AND FUCK WITH YOU AND YOU LITERALLY CAN'T STOP THEM IN ANY WAY. Maybe there's some intricate thing going on that prevents a Ghost from doing actual harm to the community that exiled them and its members, and Tylluan is able to affect things in the Hollow Wood because they are acting in its defense, but... that's really needlessly complicated, imo.)

Following the very community-centered nature of Ghosting, Tylluan can be un-Ghosted depending on how "The Gloaming Glade" plays out, so we know it's both reversible and, again, basically subject to the whim of overall community majority attitude. This very localized status is interesting, since it implies that Moonshadow communities are not only insular with regard to other elves, but even with regard to other Moonshadow elves. Unless there's a way to detect if someone has been Ghosted by a community, it wouldn't be quite as devastating to just... pick up and go to another community. The implication here, I think, is that moving between communities is regarded as generally suspicious unless there's a negotiated reason (marriage, training in a trade, etc.)—you can't just show up, because you will presumably be actively rejected.

Finally, the fact that we know Ghosting can be reversed makes Moonshadow justice in general just... even more bonkers. I feel like one of two things has to be true: either a) there's some kind of super-Ghosting that is used for actual severe crimes and expels the individual from ALL of Moonshadow society, not just their local community, or b) Rayla is actually correct in her somewhat naive assumption about Redfeather's crime being a circumstance similar to her own, where she was served a legalistically simplistic punishment over a very complicated situation with mitigating circumstances. ADDITIONALLY, Rayla is, or is at least willing to believe that she is, STILL GHOSTED two years after it has presumably come out that she SAVED THE DRAGON PRINCE'S LIFE AT LEAST TWICE. Did Zubeia just like... not dispatch that memo to the Slivergrove, because it kind of seems like the least she could do, given that it was on her order that the assassins were sent in the first place? Is the Slivergrove SO insular that it only accepts messages from even the fucking DRAGON QUEEN if they include assassination orders? The alternative is that everyone in the Silvergrove is so fucking insane that they heard all of that and were like, "yeah, but..." and let the punishment stand, despite presumably knowing Rayla since she was a baby. (Though to be fair, they probably knew all the assassins who died since they were babies, as well. But still.)

Now, maybe the happy alternate to that will be that they DID un-Ghost Rayla, but she's so self-hating that it doesn't occur to her that would ever happen without some further grand redemption gesture on her part, and they just literally couldn't find her to tell her that. (Ethari like "OH MY GOD RAYLA IF I EVER SEE YOU AGAIN YOU'RE GOING IN THE TODDLER LEASH FOREVER" and crying.) Maybe now that she's back in fairly static, predictable company (Katolis, Callum and Ezran, etc.) the news will reach her?

Anyway, TL;DR: Moonshadow Ghosting: still absolutely fucking insane, possibly the most bizarre thing we're supposed to accept about the setting.

[raayllum]

Amaya's arc (S1-S5)

On the surface, Amaya can come off as a very flawless character.

She's a total badass, she's gay and pretty, she sees through Viren's bullshit (er, droppings?), she's kind to those in her employ, she's loyal and forthcoming, she loves her nephews and her sister, and she's not unreasonable in her elf prejudice in addition to letting go of it fairly quickly. She's also Deaf / perceived as disabled (noted here as many Deaf people do not view themselves as disabled) and, in addition to being gay, that can sometimes make people overly sanitize a character due to notions of disability making someone (particularly women) more 'innocent' or 'pure' due to infantilization.

However, I've touched briefly on her main flaw of being callous and dismissive in the past, and I've always wanted to talk more about Amaya's general arc, specifically in how she grows in empathy throughout the seasons. So let's talk about it

Just a quick disclaimer: S2 will not be really touched on as she only appears in two episodes, and they mostly serve as plot set up for S3 rather than doing any real emotional work or characterization for her. Cool? Cool

Cyclical Limbo

Amaya in S1 both perpetuates the Cycle, and she doesn't. On the one hand, like Viren, she's deeply concerned with the safety of the Breach, enough so that she's willing to return to it and delegate the search mission to Gren rather than insist upon undertaking it herself.

She hates elves and considers them monsters, much the way Claudia does in S1. In spite of a lifetime of fighting Sunfire elves at the Breach, she considers Moonshadow elves to be "the worst kind" of elf, like a monolith of loathing and fear (perhaps because of their sneaky ways or associations with death).

At the same time, she's not purely an antagonistic force to anyone. Corvus, her trusted tracker, offers Rayla a deal that shows reason ("Give me the boys peacefully and I'll let you go") and, more importantly, she foils Viren's plans to be king with her entry and reaffirmation in 1x04 and 1x05. This leads to him not having the throne all the way until two seasons later, and is undeniably a good thing.

So while Amaya is an ally to the boys and an antagonist to Viren, this plants her firmly in the middle, of both perpetuating the cycle and helping to stop others from perpetuating it. We see her increased antagonism with the Sunfire elves in s2 lean along the former vein as well.

Until of course, we don't, and we get to the heart of Amaya's arc:

Seeing Yourself In Your Enemy

This is most evident in some ways in season three and season five, with season four being an effective turning point in a dual sort of way. We see this most clearly in her bond with Janai, as Amaya sees a fellow warrior in her and that encourages Janai "to do the same" over warrior's honour. The show ramps this up in 3x07, as Amaya witnesses and comforts Janai through the most devastating loss in Amaya's loss: that of a sister.

A: When I was growing up, my big sister Sarai was the smartest, strongest, bravest person I knew. When she died, I felt lost and weak without her. I hated feeling that way, so I learned to be strong alone. Stoic, strong, and lonely.

From this point onwards, her and Janai are allies in going to the Storm Spire and in fighting Viren. It's worth noting that Amaya had no knowledge of or reason to expect finding the boys when she arrived there, so she'd clearly decided to throw her lot in entirely with Janai and her troops and fight "until the last [person] standing" alongside them.

However, Amaya's expanding heart and loyalty doesn't mean all her elf related biases disappear overnight (the same Karim's reservations about humans don't), and this is where we get to season four. Much like in season one, Amaya here stands in a limbo position. She's marrying into the elven royal family, but isn't aligned with all their traditions, most notably the full significance of the Soul Candle and initially foreshadowed due to the messed up proposal dance.

Amaya is at first solely on Lucia's side, which makes sense; Amaya is more practical than not, and this is part of the reason she can make quick and fast but strong alliances and see through Viren's bullshit.

However, her old flaw of being dismissive and sometimes insensitive also comes back.

A: What do you mean 'injustice'? All Lucia has done is put out a candle. And she was the one who was burned. K: She profaned a sacred rite. What would the punishment be in the human kingdoms? A: For blowing out a candle? Usually come clapping, followed by a slice of birthday cake. K: You see? This is the problem! Like all the other humans, even your wife-to-be thinks this is a joke.

That said, it's not as though Amaya is wrong; we are, of course, supposed to understand immediately as audience members that while what Lucia did was wrong, sentencing her to death over it is also wrong and to root for her to live (even if, at this point, she likewise doesn't think she's done anything wrong).

I think it's doubly worth noting then, her speech at the trial that she gives for Lucia, and about herself:

I came here to defend Lucia, but now I see that I cannot. She is not innocent. Prince Karim is correct: she had every opportunity to consider the pain she could cause, and she did not. She was callous. She was careless. She was cruel. And in truth...

She places herself in Lucia's shoes. This is her amends to Karim for her insensitivity, and an extension of both support and consideration for the position Jana is in, as well as a plea.

But all I ask is that your justice is compassionate. Death is not the answer. We gain nothing if we throw away the chance to learn and grow.

This is, of course, a lesson Amaya has learned personally, through her relationship with Janai — first as an enemy turned friend, then as a lover turned wife — but, of course, through her relationship with Rayla, which she first hand acknowledges in S5:

But her arc with this general theme of empathy doesn't stop there. Not only is there a nice piece of irony with Amaya initially not believing Rayla's assertion that she's alone (even when Rayla arguably does):

A: 'We'? How many of you are there? R: It's just me. I'm alone. A: Liar.

5x04 gives the two women a chance to talk and reconcile beyond that, with Amaya reminding Rayla that she doesn't have to be alone, and that she can rely on the people around her. Namely, the very nephew Amaya once attacked Rayla to protect.

A: Love and trust grow a kind of strength that is much bigger than we each possess. To have that kind of strength, it is not enough to love someone. You have to trust them to share the burdens you carry.

Likewise, this scene also brings Amaya's arc of seeing herself in others full circle, as this parallel makes plain, as well as it being a parallel that Rayla is not only able to acknowledge, but it gets through to her:

R: That does sound like me sometimes. [...] Thank you.

While Amaya can still be coarse and is undeniably clever, she's softer, more open, and more compassionate than she was two years ago. Elves are no longer monsters. People are far more capable of change, herself included, her adaptability to life and its sudden swerves in many ways one of her greatest strengths. Amaya is a warrior yes, but more than that — like her friends and family, the people she surrounds herself with — she has an even bigger heart, when given the chance.

[beautifulterriblequeen]

hi and welcome, it's new theory time wunce agayne, with I, your host, BTQ, stitching things together that maybe fit perfectly or maybe have no business touching at all: you decide!

Today's post inspo began several days ago when I started playing the Xadia game and discovered some cool lore that I just could not stop thinking about, so here, below the cut for all the spoiler reasons, is a screenshot of what you can find in the game, and what I would love for it to mean!

Topic: How Aaravos was tricked into that mirror prison

Context: We all wonder what happened to Luna Tenebris, how she died, where she went, all that good stuff. This isn't about answering those questions. This is about what she did before she died, and why. If she died at all (yeah that's always the question with Moon beings innit)

If you've played the game you'll know the context for this screenshot:

Ethari says, "Someone with the power to influence the Blood Moon itself used blood magic to become... something else."

and, well,

Luna seems to have disappeared during a Blood Moon. But she might not have died, despite what everyone thinks- she might have just become something else.

Why would she do this?

I'm guessing it wasn't for fun. Something desperate must've been happening. Luna disappeared 300 years ago, hmm, what in the world could've been happening at that moment...?

No, we all know.

You remember the Jailer. She's a human. No arcanum at all. She may be a dark mage, or she may just be a trickster magician. Either way, her whole deal is that she thinks outside the Cosmic Order box - she thinks in ways even Aaravos can't. And human ideas in times of desperation can break a lot of conventions and even taboos - just look at the things Viren, Claudia, and Callum have done when they had to.

So if the Jailer is thinking about dark creative solutions as the only way to trick a godlike Star Touch elf, maybe one of those ways was to get the Archdragon of the Moon to turn into something else, with magic that worked outside the laws of the Moon Arcanum.

We've all seen what Kim'dael can do - her Moonshadow powers and her forbidden magics are available to her at any time, not just during a full moon. Now imagine that ability for a blood magic archdragon.

Yeah.

Why the Queen of the Dragons, though?

I think they needed that much power to combat Aaravos. No one else could've done it with the confidence to succeed. And then there's the whole Moon theme of sacrifice, which all the Moonshadow elves keep demonstrating so determinedly. Surely their dragon queen has the same sentiment, deep down.

This still doesn't tell us what she did. But if she could use her massive illusion/deception powers at any time, they could trap Aaravos in any instant of their choosing instead of luring him to the predictable full moon. And seeing what sort of shenanigans are possible in the game when Moon creatures step outside their boundaries, well, there is certainly a lot of room for surprise there. In several directions. And they'd only have to surprise Aaravos once.

(side note: I can see now why Amaya says Moonshadow elves are the worst kind lmfaooo PLAY THE GAME IT'S SO FUN)

This whole theory feels very Moonshadow because even though I have this central nugget that feels plausible, I still wonder about so much more. For instance, what happened to Luna after this? Where is she now? Did she willingly die to keep from turning into a monster? Is she stuck in the spinning water that bears her name on the map? Is she alive somewhere still, lurking? Is she- NO SPOIL ME I JUST STARTED THE GAME. Idk if she's in there or not, shh.

Anyway. I haven't been able to stop thinking about this lore since I saw it in the game. And there's so much more than this even in the small bits I've played so far! If you're into the lore of The Dragon Prince, you'll wanna get this game!

But, serious lore enjoyer face. This one's extremely fun to think about.

[yurayuramiharin]

Ruthari #7 for the prompt? 👀

Ship + kiss writing challenge

7: A kiss to shut up

When the two elves were heading back to their sleepy village, the horizon was glowing with pinks and violets of the incoming sunrise. They’d been out all night, watching Moonstriders on a secluded clearing by the waterfall and strolling through the Moonshadow Forest trembling with the magic of the Spring Equinox. 

Ever since they’d left the clearing, Ethari was silent, so silent that Runaan, the least talkative elf in Silvergrove, was starting to panic and making up the worst scenarios. He’d asked the young metalsmith for a hangout a few days ago when Lain had literally pushed him inside the forge and demanded that he finally asked Ethari out and quit his endless pining. Runaan would never dare to call it a date, let alone say it out loud. And certainly, he would never expect that Ethari would agree to hang out with him. 

In his head, Runaan thought that Ethari hated their hangout and would rather keep quiet about it than make Runaan sad. He should’ve planned this hangout better. Shadows, he didn’t even know if Ethari liked Moonstriders in the first place! Runaan should’ve known that not everyone was obsessed with Moonstriders as much as he was because regular elves were not necessarily interested in details of their behavior, when and where they migrated during the year, or how their age could be estimated by the slight differences in the color of their feathers–

“Runaan?” Ethari’s gentle voice struck him out of his thoughts. He rapidly turned his head towards the metalsmith, afraid that on top of everything, he'd upset Ethari by ignoring him. Instead, he saw Ethari smiling at him in a way that made his heart skip a beat every time.

"I was asking if you think they're going to be there next week too?" Ethari asked, continuing to walk leisurely next to Runaan.

"Y-yes, they should be there until mid-May," Runaan mumbled in response.

"I see," Ethari nodded before the silence fell between them again. Runaan couldn't bear it. He stopped and so did the other elf.

"Ethari, I… Please don't have to pretend you're enjoying this," Runaan stuttered. "I know you agreed to come only because you're too kind to refuse,"

"Runaan, I'm not pretending!" Ethari instantly protested but Runaan was too caught up in spilling his thoughts.

"I know that I can be annoying, t-that I don't usually talk, and when I do I mostly talk about Moonstriders or combat. And I know I don't always get the jokes you and Lain tell me," 

"Runaan…" 

"A-and even though I know you're the kindest elf in Silvergrove, I didn't expect you to agree to come to hang out with me like that, a-and you asked me if I know someplace special and this was the only— mmh!" Runaan was not allowed to finish his sentence when Ethari cradled his face in his hands and pressed their lips together. 

Just like that, the whole world around them went still. Runaan froze, too stunned to react when Ethari's soft lips kept moving against his own, and it felt nowhere near the way Runaan had pictured it in countless of his dreams. It felt even better, warmer, and sweeter than Moonberry Surprise and Runaan wished their kiss would never end.

In the end, Ethari pulled away from him but didn't let go of Runaan's face. He was looking at him with those deep brown orbs and Runaan had to remind himself how to breathe again when Ethari chuckled and shook his head with eyes closed. 

"Now that you finally shut up, listen to me," Ethari laughed, slowly stroking Runaan's cheekbones with his thumbs. "I loved our hangout, every second of it. I love when you tell me about Moonstriders, how your eyes light up whenever you do," Ethari spoke and Runaan could swear that if it wasn't for the rising sun blinding him from behind the trees, he would think that he'd eaten poisonous berries and was now hallucinating. 

"You're not annoying in the slightest. Even when you're not talking, you're a wonderful listener and it made me so happy when you invited me to come with you tonight. It was amazing and I was hoping we could do that again."

"E-eee…" Runaan tried to say something but it seemed like Ethari had temporarily taken away his ability to form coherent sentences. Ethari was practically grinning with delight now, his smile brighter than the sun before his eyes. 

"I take it as a 'yes' " Ethari whispered before he pulled Runaan's face closer once again, sealing their arrangement with a kiss. 

[lairofsentinel]

Finally I watched the Dragon Prince season 4. I’m.... quite disappointed. I have the perception that they gave us almost nothing in 9 episodes. 

What do we know about “new” lore? that aaravos was such a powerful mage that even all the arch-dragons together had no chance against him? We already knew or at least, inferred it with the previous 3 seasons.  It was supposed to be that “all the arch-dragons know a small clue to the place where aaravos is imprisoned”.... but it ended up that just one dragon had ALL the information. In a fucking tooth. Like, seriously... Zubeia could just have said “yeah, the earth dragon has the map”, and it would have been more honest. What was presented as a journey, visiting each dragon across Xadia, was just a meh, copy-paste the tooth. 

What more? A mere slight shallow cameo of an earthblood elf village... where we only saw the “introduction” of characters... like, a whole fucking season to not give us more than 2 “kind of outcast” earthblood elves, while we know nothing about their culture. Moonshadow elves had been developed a lot in the last season... what happened here?

We saw a bit about the ruthlessness of the sun elves, sure. But nothing too new because most of the cultural aspect they showed, we already knew it. The funerary rite was new, if I dont recall wrongly.    Each season in the previous ones built a lot more of lore. Here, we don’t even have too much of char development.  I mean, sure, there is a bit... there is a small bit that tells us “the villains are just people loving too much using the worst means”, but that’s all... 9 episodes for just that...  I don’t know, I hate to be that kind of person who only see negative stuff, but... I was expecting lore, some more pushing into the mysteries we knew already, some hints....  and this is called “the mystery of Aaravos”? there is nothing about him. We know he is free enough to break the fancy mirror and possess Callum.  The season felt to me so “filling”. I don’t know what happened, honestly. Pretty sad about it...  ah, sure, the gollum.... which seems to be Aaravos’ body, while his spirit is trapped in that place reflected in the mirror.  That’s all the lore...  

In the whole season I liked the scene with Erzan talking about cycles of love, pain and loss with zubeia in front of him... but... that’s the most significant thing for me. Which is nothing related to lore, lol.  Anyways...

[retvenkos]

sprinting through cobblestone streets |

The Dragon Prince - Callum, Rayla, and Ezra, x Platonic!Reader, slight fluff requested by @biqherosix​​

tw: a mob, feelings of inadequacy

word count: 2.3k

prompt: “have you always been this idiotic?”

A/N: alright, so i know the request just said callum,,,, and i was going for that originally,,,, but then this happened. i hope you don’t mind? i was going to rewrite it but then it was 2k words and i couldn’t part with it.

Summary: Being half-elf, half-human, there was nowhere that (Y/n) truly belonged. But perhaps their luck would change, when they run into a group of idiotic travelers about to be run down by an angry mob...

Being half-elf in the Human Kingdoms was risky living. (Y/n) had been born on the human side of the Breach, and yet, every day was a danger - a possibility that fear would threaten their very existence. (Y/n) had known very early on how to live as an outsider; they knew how to hide their more telling attributes and how to stay away from towns. They lived in secret, away from everyone else and only stopping into town when necessity called for it, but there was always a low level of risk, to their existence. Not a day passed where (Y/n) wasn't constantly looking over their shoulder; there were always on edge, even in the comfort of their own home.

(Y/n) had been to Xadia once, when their elven parent begged their Queen to take mercy on (Y/n), for they were just a child and a victim to their parent's whims. It wasn't their choice to be half anything - all they had ever wanted was a place to be whole. The Lux Aureans turned them away, and before (Y/n) could return home, they tried to run away.

They had foolishly thought that other elves would take them in - that perhaps Xadia was a more just place than their family had feared.

They had made it far, but not far enough. 

(Y/n) was brought back to the Human Kingdoms with their hood pulled over their head to hide their pointed ears. In Lux Aurea, it had been a horror that they did not have any horns. Here, in this place they would learn to call home, it was a blessing that there was less of them to hide.

(Y/n) had learned long ago to make no friends, to keep their head down and work hard, praying that perhaps, one day, they would be allowed into Lux Aurea as something other than the child of a traitor.

One day, (Y/n)'s parents had woken them in the middle of the night, pressing coin into their hand and telling them that it happened - they had been found, and they had to split up. They had kissed (Y/n) on their forehead, and it was the last they had seen of a friendly face for a year.

(Y/n) had run, only settling down to create roots when they had made it to Katolis - far from where each parent would be. They were careful, in this strange, new kingdom, settling in the thick of a wood where men rarely traveled, preferring to stick to the wider roads. For months, they lived without incident, only visiting villages for supplies twice - walking for days at a time so they weren't seen in the same place twice, and not coming from the same direction.

When supplies were running low once more, (Y/n) took the last of their coin and headed toward a new village - one further away, where no one would know their face. It had been a week's walk, but the burn in their thighs would be worth the protection. They slipped in amongst the crowd easily enough - the day was cold, the seasons changing to something with more of a bite and everyone had a thick cloak on, most of them with a hood pulled up, barely above the eyes. (Y/n) had found a villager to barter with easily enough, and it was when they had almost secured a reasonable deal that they heard the shouts that plagued their worst nightmares.

"You're an elf!"

Their blood ran cold.

(Y/n) had spun on their heel faster than lightning, their hand flying to the dagger they kept strapped to their side. Their heart was pounding with enough force to knock out any attacker they came up against, and despite the fear that struck their heart, (Y/n) kept a cool head. In a crowded marketplace like this, it wouldn't be long until innocent farmers became an angry mob, their ranks full of pitchforks and butcher knives. They expected to worst to greet them, but when (Y/n) turned, the horde of villagers wasn't looking at them at all, but three other travelers, one of which was unmistakably an elf.

"An elf? No way!" One of the travelers - a young boy with messy brown hair, chuckled nervously, projecting his voice in an almost comedic way, trying to wave off the villagers as the group slowly backed up, edging themselves towards the mouth of the street, where they might find a chance of escaping. "We're all very much human, here..."

(Y/n) slipped their bag of coin into their pocket, ducking and weaving through the crowd to edge their way closer to the ostracised group. If (Y/n) could find an outlet, maybe they could sneak off and save their own skin. But if they could create a distraction of some sort and pull the elf and her friends to safety, maybe they could be given some type of reward...

A reward that might earn them a place in Xadia.

 "My human friend is wearing an elven costume! Y'know, for... a play?"

(Y/n) sighed at the lame excuse before pushing over a street cart.

The villagers were startled, caught off guard by the loud crash and apparent destruction, and it was just enough time for (Y/n) to rush forward, seizing the elf's arm and dragging her forward out of the crowd. The boys followed in suit, and together they got a head start, sprinting through the cobblestone streets.

"Hey!"

The villagers got their bearings quick enough and were only more enraged by the idea of a chase. (Y/n) took a sharp turn down the narrow street that they had originally entered into town from, ushering the group forth. A hay cart stood in the middle of the street, and (Y/n) picked up the young boy that held a glow toad by the back of his jacket to help him vault over the obstacle. The other boy from earlier - the one with the terrible excuse, jumped over with a fair amount of success -  the adrenaline mixed with some quick thinking leading him to step on boxes nearby like makeshift steps, making the jump easier to handle. The elf jumped over with remarkable agility and (Y/n) followed in suit, the sudden movement pushing their cloak back, revealing their best-kept secret - their elven shaped ears. 

(Y/n) cursed but didn't have time to scramble for the hood, instead choosing to press forth, leading their new allies into the woods, where they had just enough time to find a hiding place from the mob, the hay cart having been the perfect barrier.

Only half of the villagers passed by their hideout, judging by the cacophony of footfalls and heavy breathing, accompanied by the gruff voice of one villager, who decided to round everyone up and wait by the main road - they would have to get out, somehow.

The group had managed to stay exceptionally still, while their pursuers cleared out of the wood, but (Y/n) could feel three pairs of eyes watching them, their level of scrutiny unsettling.

When all was quiet, (Y/n) dared to venture forth, and they found the woods uninhabited. The three that (Y/n) had saved were slower to exit their hiding spot, and when they did, they turned on (Y/n) quickly - the elf already whipping out her swords.

"Who are you?"

"You mean other than your savior?" (Y/n) said, putting their hand on the hilt of their dagger - just in case.

"What are you, then?" The elf took a step forward, her accent punctuating her every word. "You're not human, but you're not elf either."

"I'm both."

And the revelation was just enough to stun the elf, allowing the idiotic boy from earlier to step up. "Well, thank you for your help back there. Right, Rayla?" —he shot a glance at the elf and she pushed her lips together, clearly still on edge— "I'm Callum and this is Ezran with Bait. And you are...?"

"(Y/n)." They crossed their arms against their chest, narrowing their eyes.

"(Y/n)," Callum repeated, nodding his head slowly as he shot wayward glances back at his friends, who were still assessing the situation. Ezran peered up at (Y/n) with a trepidatious kind of respect while Rayla still held her swords out, her brow furrowed, mirroring (Y/n). 

"What were you doing in a human village, (Y/n)?" Rayla all but spat, tightening her grip.

"Apparently being smarter than you - have you always been this idiotic?" (Y/n) turned to look at Callum and he reeled backward, offended. "Going into a village market with an elf is a death sentence! You could have been caught."

"You went in there!"

"Because I had to! You are a human traveling with an elf - you could have easily gone without her."

Callum blinked, tilting his head to the side. Little Ezran walked up, tugging on his brother's sleeve. "(Y/n) has a point, y'know."

"Yeah, well, we just didn't think of it," Callum mumbled, earning a scoff from (Y/n), which elicited a glare from Rayla. "But in our defense, things were going smoothly until I tripped and pushed Rayla's hood back."

(Y/n) chuckled darkly, rolling their eyes, and Rayla took the opportunity to press forth. "What are you doing here, anyway? Shouldn't you be in Xadia?"

(Y/n) took a step closer, as though daring Rayla to make a move. "Shouldn't you?"

"Whoa!" Callum stepped between the two, gingerly pushing them apart. "Shouldn't we all be?"

(Y/n) shot him a suspicious look - one that they had been saddled with their whole life. It felt odd, almost, giving it to someone else. "Why would you be heading to Xadia? Why are you traveling with an elf, anyway?"

Callum chuckled nervously again, grabbing the back of his neck with one hand and pointing at (Y/n) with the other. "I mean, no better place than Xadia - right? The magic, the elves, the dragons..."

"Callum doesn't know what he's talking about," Rayla recovered, but there was a slight shake to her voice - a tell. "He's taking me to the Moonshadow Path - we're friends. He's not coming with me. Humans don't belong in Xadia."

But Callum winced at that, and Ezran looked down, his feelings hurt. If Rayla noticed, she found no point in disputing her statement, choosing instead to press forth.

"Do you?"

And (Y/n) thought of why they had saved this group of idiots in the first place... in the hopes that they would get the recognition needed to belong in Xadia. For a couple of humans, a glow toad, and a Moonshadow elf, they seemed pretty intent on making it to the magical world beyond the Breach. Whatever their reason, it must have been good, seeing as they banded together, despite the hatred that ran between their races. (Y/n)'s immediate reaction was to leave and never look back - face the consequences of saving these odd travelers and find a new village to buy grain from, continuing to live the way they always had - but they couldn't. For a reason that was beyond what (Y/n) had always thought to be true, a feeling that went beyond their mantra to make no friends and keep their head down, they felt the urge to stay.

Ignoring the voice in their head that screamed at them to not make such a stupid mistake, (Y/n) lifted their hand and pushed away Rayla's sword with the tip of their gloved finger.

"I don't belong anywhere. But I hoped that by saving you, maybe I could." 

Ezran took a sympathetic step forward, coming out from behind his friends, and looking (Y/n) deep in the eye. There was something in his gaze that made (Y/n) feel like he understood them, despite their lives being so different. Callum put a hand on the younger boy's shoulder and (Y/n) noticed it was in his eyes, too. They turned to Rayla, and she looked away, but there was a fury in her eyes - a familiar wave of anger that had to be righteously earned from being cast out, from being an outsider in a place that should have been home. 

Suddenly, it dawned on (Y/n) that this ragtag group of wanderers didn't belong anywhere, at least, not anymore, and were walking to Xadia with a hope that (Y/n) had lost long ago.

"You can belong with us if you want," Ezran spoke up, and his words seemed to have the conviction of one twice his age, as though he had been born to royalty. (Y/n) entertained the idea as they considered his words. He certainly held the air of a royal, and he had nice enough clothes to be in the nobility.

"Ezran." Rayla fixed him with a look, one that implied they had secrets to keep.

"They saved our lives, Rayla, we can't just leave them."

The elf hesitated, but Callum stepped forward, a bit of suspicion still swimming in his eyes, but something more hidden beneath. "What Ez means to say is that you can journey with us if you want."

(Y/n) raised an eyebrow. "And you're sure Rayla isn't going to kill me when my back is turned?"

"Not if you don't give me a reason to," Rayla said, and Callum turned to her with a poignant stare.

"We need all the help we can get, Rayla. We need to be safe if we're going to make it back to Xadia"

"Do you trust them with our cargo?"

(Y/n) cocked their head, and Rayla looked at them with a harsh glance. Callum sighed. "I don't think we have much of a choice."

"Alright, then," Rayla sighed, taking a step forward and extending her hand. (Y/n) hesitated for a moment before pulling off their glove, exposing their lack of a fifth finger, and clasping it with hers.

"You'll take me to Xadia?"

And Callum was the one to answer, shaking (Y/n)'s other hand with his own. "You can walk with us as long as you'd like."

-- taglist: message me if you want to be added to a taglist!

[ask-runaan-anything]

Have you ever had to be away from Ethari and Rayla on the winter solstice night? I’ve heard that day is special to Moonshadow elves, as the longest night.

No one drags Moonshadow elves away from their family and traditions on the Eve of the Winter’s Turn.

We would go, if we had to. But traditionally, no one asks it of us, and that’s very kind of them. It’s good to celebrate the longest night with those you hold dear.

I mean, I spend as much of it as I can in a corner, on a tree branch, or otherwise at the edge of the festivities, but I deeply enjoy watching my people relax and bond together. We all deserve to do the things that make us happiest, and for us, Nocte Longissimum is one of those things.

Of course, this past year there was a certain emergency meeting that may have interrupted said festivities. A certain Queen of the Dragons having the worst day of her life, insistent that the leader of the Moonshadow assassins stop lurking in the shadows and attend to her urgent demands for justice.

Grief and rage are liquids. They splash, and they soak into others, if you’re not careful. And it’s hard to be careful about such things when you’re not wearing waterproof socks.

But alas. Dragons don’t wear socks.

this year has been about four years long can i have a celebration day that isn’t rife with whump please first new year’s and then my birthday if i didn’t already have white hair i would now moon help me i’m so tired and i want to go home

[scarletemeterio-thesecond]

hey, i saw you write for tdp, could i request a soren x reader imagine where reader is a half-elf or something like that? please make reader gender neutral if you can

Omg, my first request! I love this idea, there are not enough Soren imagines, and of course I'll make it gender neutral! I hope you like it! It's a bit long because I had to put some context in it, much love <3

•••

Uncovered Secrets (Soren x Reader)

Warnings: Mentions of death

Genre: Angst, a lil bit of fluff.

Fandom: The Dragon Prince

Summary: See request

Word Count: 1978

part 2

I've always had to hide myself from everyone. I had to learn from a young age how to do it. I've always been told how, when I was a baby, I was found at the border and given to my father after saying he would take care of me, and he has ever since. I'm a hybrid, half Moonshadow Elf and half human, so I had to learn as soon as possible how to do magic in order to create illusions to hide my appearance. I remember when I first did it at the age of ten, I was so happy, all those years of covering my head and half of my face were over, I didn't even have to paint my eyebrows anymore; I could finally be normal and treated like any other human in Katolis.

Life from that moment really changed for me. My father was a respected general so I'd always lived in the castle, but I started hanging out with the other kids, Prince Callum and Lord Viren's children. We quickly became inseparable and did pretty much everything together. I think it's safe to say that everyone knew about my special friendship with Soren. I don't know why, but we just understood each other even from a young age, and it only got stronger as the years passed. He was always there for me as I was there for him, he'd helped me a lot when my father passed away and I trusted him with my life, we knew everything about each other... except for what I really was. I thought about telling him a couple times but I knew it was wrong, and I knew how much humans hated elves, even Soren. But this was the life I had, I was destined to hide from the people I cared about the most. Or at least, that was until Rayla appeared in our lives.

The two Princes, Rayla and I discovered that the egg of the dragon prince hadn't been destroyed, and we were going to take it home to its mother. During our trip, I decided to tell them the truth, if Rayla had been accepted as our friend then there was no reason to fear anymore. Thankfully, I was right, nothing changed between us and I even stopped using magic to hide my true appearance. It was weird but at the same time it felt right, it was freeing.

We've been staying with Lujanne for a few days now, enjoying the little dragon's company and giving ourselves a little break. Rayla and I knew we had to go, though, but the Princes weren't very interested on leaving yet, so we agreed to stay one more day. Everything seemed fine but the elven girl and I felt a bit unsafe, so we decided to take turns and keep guard in case something or someone decided to appear.

It was my turn to keep guard so I was looking for Rayla to replace her but when I found her she was lying on the ground, surrounded by two people. I prepared myself to attack, thanking my father for all those sword and combat lessons he'd make me take, I wouldn't let them hurt her.

"Get away from her!" I yelled as I approached them, but I stopped when I realized who they were. Soren and Claudia were standing a few feet away from me and it felt like I hadn't seen them in a lifetime.

"Oh, great, another elf?" Soren said. "So what, there's like a whole other group of you?" I could sense the hatred and disgust in his voice. He didn't recognize me, neither of them did. Before I could say or do something, Rayla woke up and took them by surprise.

She started fighting with Soren and I got out of my trance only when Callum showed up, trying to calm everyone down. He was happy to see them and I would've been too, but I just couldn't believe what had happened.

"She kidnapped you and Prince Ezran, how can she be good?" asked Claudia about Rayla. "And it seems like she didn't act alone because there's another one of them too!".

"No, wait! There was no kidnapping, Claudia. We went with her by choice" explained the older Prince. "And what do you mean by 'another one of them'?"

"Well, what does that mean then?" said Soren, pointing at me. Hearing him speak about me like that was the worst thing I could've ever imagined.

"That is (Y/N)" answered Rayla, clearly annoyed at the blonde boy.

"What do you mean? (Y/N)'s hair is not white and they don't have horns, or pointy ears, or those weird things under their eyes! Stop lying!"

"Soren, she's right. It's me" as soon as I said that I used my magic to change how I looked, going back to how they knew me. "I'm a hybrid, I've been using magic ever since I was ten to blend in".

I could tell he was shocked and he opened his mouth to say something but the words never came out.

"Listen, guys, it's late. Let's just get some rest and cool off, okay?" We all agreed to Callum's words and went back with the others but I could tell there was a thick tension in the air. And that tension stayed there until we all went to bed.

When we woke up, we had breakfast together and I started using my magic again, at least when Claudia and Soren were around, I already knew what they thought of me and I didn't want to put up with their looks too. I spent all day learning some magic with Lujanne, it was nice to learn from an actual mage and it didn't hurt to get my mind off some things for a while.

When I was done for the day and ready to go to bed, I heard someone knocking the door.

"Come in" I said loudly.

"You'll never guess what happened today, (Y/N)" said Rayla as she entered the room, we had become good friends in the last couple days and it felt nice to have someone kind of like me around. She told me about what Soren had done earlier that day, and about how she tried to talk to Callum but he didn't pay any attention to her. "And I just talked to Lujanne because maybe she would help me and I realized that the only way for them to completely trust me is by telling them the truth, even if it hurts them".

"The truth? What do you mean, Rayla?"

"This is not easy to say but... Their father is dead and I've been wanting to tell Callum but I just don't know how to and I-"

"Hey, Rayla. It's okay, you're just trying to protect them, I'm sure they will understand. We're friends, remember?" I interrupted her, trying to clam her down. She let out a deep breath and nodded with her head. "Can I tell you something?"

"Of course, (Y/N). We're friends, remember?" she said, repeating my words. I smiled weakly before continuing.

"I'm not totally surprised about what you said about Soren, not after how he reacted with me at least. And you know what's the worst part? I'm sure that his father is behind what happened earlier today. I know him but he just needs Viren's approval, you know? And it hurts, a lot actually. I just hope he realizes there are people who truly care about him before it's too late".

"You like him, don't you?" I opened my eyes at her words, trying to deny it but all she did was smile. "You're not very good at hiding it, (Y/N)".

"I guess I'm not. I just hope that deep down you are wrong and that they both realize that what they're trying to do is wrong".

"I hope so, too" she hugged me tight, wrapping her arms around my neck. "It's late, I think I'm gonna go to bed" she said as she started heading towards the door to go to her room.

"Go, I'll stay up a bit longer".

And suddenly that 'bit longer' turned into at least two hours. I couldn't sleep, I just kept thinking about Soren and his attitude. I decided to get out of my room and go to the Moon Nexus, if I was going to stay awake thinking about things at least I would have a nice view while doing it.

I was standing against the edge when I heard someone coming. I started hiding my true appearance out of instinct but was interrupted in the middle of the act.

"You don't have to do that". Soren's voice sounded loud in contrast to the silence of the night. I stopped using my magic and he came to my side. "Can't sleep?"

"Yeah... What made you change your mind?" He stood there looking confused, not understanding what I was talking about. "Yesterday you didn't even recognize me without the illusion and even looked disgusted at the sight of me. What's changed?"

"I noticed you hide your elf-like features when I'm around, but I've never seen you being more you than when you stop hiding" I looked at him confused, I thought I'd made sure to use my magic whenever he was around. I could tell he saw how disconcerted I was. "I saw you practicing your magic earlier today and then playing with the kids. I've never seen you so... Happy and free".

There was a brief silence between us until I broke it.

"That's because I've never truly felt like that, until I stopped hiding".

"I'm sorry for acting like that yesterday, I was a fool. And I think you look really cute like this".

"So you don't hate me?"

"How could I ever hate you? You're the most important thing in my life, (Y/N)".

I smiled at his words and turned my gaze to the water underneath us. I looked into his eyes again and we started getting closer and closer, but just when our lips where about to touch, I backed off.

"I'm sorry but I really need to ask you something. Why did you lie to the boys earlier, saying that King Harrow missed them?" he looked confused and a little bit scared.

"W-What to you mean?"

"There's no way you hadn't known that he was dead, you literally are a Crown Guard, Soren. So just tell me why you did it, please".

Again, there was silence, but this time it was tense and extremely awkward.

"I-I'm sorry but-"

"But what? You can't tell me? Why? Because it would ruin whatever plan your father has regarding the Princes?" I stopped to look at him but he was avoiding my eyes. "Because you don't want to admit that it was a strategy to be able to kill the boys a lot easier by making them trust you?" I said, remembering what Rayla had told me before about the zip line.

He just stood there, now a few feet apart from me and I could se how surprised he was, but I also could see something else, that I was right about my assumptions.

"You don't understand, (Y/N), I-"

"Oh, no, Soren. I think I understand really well".

As soon as I said that I left, going back to my room with tears running down my face, and ignoring Soren's voice calling for me. How could he even think about doing that? How would I tell the Princes? Would I even tell them at all or would I just try to keep them safe without destroying the image they had about his so-called friend? I had so many questions and not even one answer. I only knew that Rayla wasn't wrong at all.

•••

Oh, boy, this took a long time to write. I was thinking about doing a part 2 but I'm not sure about it.

-Mica :)

[musesofolive]

(Pictures courtesy of picrew)

Name: Aylin (common used alias: Thana)

Age: 36

Pronouns: she/her

Birthday: December 28th

Sexuality: polyromantic/demisexual

Height: 5’11

Personality:

Most closed off, loner person you could really get. Feelings? What are those? She took them from a young age and buried them so deep not even she knows where she put them, really. Usually plays up a cold and harsh exterior to literally everyone, no one in the last like two decades has ever seen her smile. Ever. Not even a tiny one. Apathetic is the best way to describe her and she just...is constantly in survival mode. Life is just one big task for her, so she’s not really living, you know? She eats, drinks and sleeps because she knows she needs it to function. She works purely for the money to continue to function, other than her vengeance against Xadians. Her vengeance is maybe the only thing that actually keeps her alive, without it she would have given up a long time ago, honestly.

Background:

This is back before the modern events take place, far back enough where the war hasn’t started yet and there hasn’t been a border made to separate humans from Xadia. Born to a human mother and a Moonshadow father, the mother died in childbirth. Her father wasn’t going to just leave Aylin there for the humans where he couldn’t take care of her (especially when she was the only thing left of her mother), so, against his better judgement, took her with him to his village. It was...rough, he got brought before the council, he was a hair away from being ghosted if not just outright killed, the only reason he got to stay was because of Aylin. The whole, she’s an innocent byproduct of his egregious mistake and she shouldn’t be deprived of care because of this.

Besides, they thought she would turn out more elf like as she grew up...they were wrong. The only elf like qualities she retained were the pointy ears and her very lightly, lightly purple tinted skin (even though it looked more just extremely pale than anything else.)

and even though the council thought she was an innocent byproduct, the village had differing opinions, especially the kids. Because you know, where adults will still respect the decision made and simply act cold and distant, kids can be cruel since they don’t really respect societal rules, so naturally they taunted and teased her mercilessly as well as her father. But, Aylin got the worst of it. It only really started getting out of hand when the craftsman’s son took one of the prongs off the fire and scarred her with it, branding her with an ‘X’ at the top of her forehead. She had already been quiet and withdrawn from the bullying, but she became effectively broken after that incident. She only left her house to go to school, her father would get anything she needed beyond that for her, also trying his best to keep his daughter safe. But he could only do that for so long.

When she was 16 he got sick, pretty much bedridden and she had to go and care for him, putting on her cold and apathetic face to ignore the looks of disgust sent her way by the other villagers. Almost broke the hand of the craftsman’s son when he tried even going near her again. But no amount of care or healing saved him, and he died by the end of the year. And so the only elf to ever treat her with any kindness and love was ripped from her life. She ran from the village not long after, not being able to take their passive aggression, and went to seek solace with other elves, which didn’t work. All only saw her half human side and gave her the same mistreatment for it. Those experiences only hardened her heart more and made her hatred for Xadia burn brighter until she had enough. If all the elves were ever going to see was her human side, then she’d go and be with the humans. So, she fled to the nearest human grouping, started going by Thana, and dropped the name Aylin almost completely.

That being said, she knew the humans would only ever see her elven side as well, so she usually kept her hair down, using it to cover her pointed ears, and if her hair wasn’t down then she wore a hood to hide them. Over her years of survival, she became a pretty good tracker and hunter, so she started off with that. Going off hunting to bring meat to the butcher in exchange for coin. She fit in quite well, especially with her resentment of the humans, and got involved in her fair share of human rebellions and organizations hoping to undermind Xadians in any way. Of course most were crushed, but that didn’t stop her from joining any she came across, even starting her own which involved the bloodshed and deaths of a couple people from her village. Any opportunity to cause havoc for the arrogant elves was one she’d take, taking out her anger and hurt on all of them. After years of mistreatment and abuse from Xadians she absolutely refuses to just...let it go. In her mind they had their chance to accept her and they didn’t take it, so now they’ll pay the price. She’s unknowingly in danger, though. The Moonshadows, after her attack on her old village, decided enough was enough and banded together a group of assassins to take her out for good.

[hoothalcyon]

Nyx and Ethari as Travel Companions: How They Could Work

seeing as I love both characters, I thought it’d be interesting to explore the ways in which they’re different as well as what kind of travel companions they’d be! credit for this idea goes to @beautifulterriblequeen :)

i’m having trouble coming up with where exactly they’d be headed, so for this post I’ll be looking into the current states of their characters and the ways in which they could help each other.

this post is LONG so beware lmao

the first idea i can think of is how blatantly opposite the two are. Nyx’s entire character represents being free and living without constraints, and her wings help her achieve this unique lifestyle. she’s a nomad and a thief, relinquishing herself from: a stable, down to earth lifestyle, and proper morals. she does what she wants because she finds entertainment in it as well as a means of providing for herself and living. she steals because she has to and wants to. I’ll get more into how this could also cause her to face disadvantages later on.

ethari is so very different. in s3 we see how he is bound to his devastating grief for runaan and the societal expectations that the silvergrove imposes. he ghosts rayla because he does not have the luxury of autonomy and individual choice, and he regrets it. as I mentioned earlier, he is in heavy grief, which no doubt has taken over his life, due to everything he considered so significant in his life shattering and breaking before his eyes. although the silvergrove has provided many benefits to his life in the past, such as meeting his husband and friend group, keeping him and the other elves safe, giving him a stable occupation which he seems to like, it can also be accounted when recognizing the negatives present in his life. 

back to how nyx’s lifestyle could affect her negatively. the state of her day to day is ambiguous, and whether she has a group of other skywing friends or she is completely by herself is up for debate and to the audience’s imagination. personally, i like to hc she’s completely alone it’s for the angst, so it’s no surprise to anyone how this can affect someone negatively. loneliness is debilitating, and it affects one’s self worth and general mood. i definitely headcanon that underneath nyx’s zany and cunning exterior, there’s a somber, lonely elf. 

what caused me to think this? weeelll~

the simple act of her asking why rayla saved her along with her reacting like that when callum started talking about how much he loves and adores rayla tells me that she was not only surprised by the fact that someone thought she was worthy enough to be saved, but that seeing callum love rayla so deeply and adoringly made her realize/remember what a gap she has in her life, and how she doesn’t have someone to be the callum to her rayla. she’s faced with a number of realizations in this scene, and they all pertain to the absent spaces in her personal life. she also probably blames herself for this, so ouch. 

this would be very different if nyx and ethari’s roles were reversed in this scenario. ethari would be gazing at what he has lost, rather than never had. he’d be hit with the all-too-real memories of having a close and warm love like rayla and callum do.

so, what can nyx and ethari do for each other? i’ll start with what ethari can do for our lonely rogue.

ethari is no doubt a warm person, his caring nature is unavoidable, and he has a positive outlook in general and on everyone he meets for the first time, and this radiates outwardly. he provides a welcoming aura, and makes you want to be honest and good. this is probably what began to break down runaan’s walls when they met and started courting. ethari’s inherent warmth brought runaan out of his shell, and if he can do that for the repressed leader of the assassins, he can do it for anyone.

ethari would look at this lanky, winged elf and continually give her the benefit of the doubt/leeway, even after she’s given him reason not to and shown her shiftiness. ethari is married to runaan, who knows all the tricks of stealth and achieving what you want while still deceiving your victim/onlookers. nyx could probably only trick ethari once without him having expected it, and then he would begin to see her internal planning and know when she’s about to strike. but like i said, he wouldn’t get mad at her like rayla or anyone else would, and it’s not because of how her resources can help him. 

this would surprise nyx, as she’s used to her victims being either surprised, mad, or any other negative emotion. she wouldn’t let this catch up to her until later, when she’s finally been forced to be vulnerable and unable to keep her feelings and thoughts inside, which says a lot, considering how she keeps it all concealed under a zany exterior. 

the event in which nyx would be vulnerable is when the two are having an intimate conversation, in which nyx tells ethari about how lonely her lifestyle is and what she’s left behind and omitted as a means of achieving this. i could see the topic of what ethari does for a living coming up, and as he goes into detail about everything he makes and how unique and customized everything is, nyx could have an oh shit moment; some of the things she steals aren’t just random trinkets, they could be customized gifts that someone got from their loved one or were going to give to a loved one. bonus points if one of the things ethari mentions is something he made for rayla or runaan--showing how the things we give to others can sometimes hold even deeper sentimental meaning. she begins to see these things as stories rather than items to be stolen. 

another step in this conversation that i could see is nyx becoming slightly on board with accepting that maybe her lifestyle choices aren’t the best, but then retracting once she remembers that with friendships and emotional attachments comes emotional pain and turmoil. having heard ethari’s painful story of watching his husband’s lotus sink, she knows that letting yourself love and be loved often comes with detrimental results. she admits that she’s not sure if she’s ready for everything that friendships and relationships come with, especially the sad parts [insert her gesturing vaguely at ethari]. ethari quickly settles her worries by giving a heartfelt confession of how every minute that he spent basking in the wonderful and warm love he had with runaan was worth the terrible pain that the grief of him dying has left him with. after that, nyx admits another fear she has, one that rayla prodded out of her months before her and ethari’s journey; that she doesn’t know if she’s even worth someone’s attention or love. ethari yet again quickly shuts this down by using an analogy. His analogy involves him comparing the skywing to his crafts, and how his crafts aren’t worthy because of their use or even because of the effort he puts into them, but because they exist, and how that’s always for a reason.

now onto what nyx can do for ethari!

although ethari is a warm, loving person, he’s “in the worst grief of his life”, as stated by devon giehl on the HBMP podcast. his usual light has dimmed into one not as bright as his usual spark, as well as one more easily extinguished. this is where nyx comes in. ethari’s usual younger, larger than life female figure in his life (rayla) isn’t attainable yet, and could possibly be who he’s on his journey to find. 

the skywing’s energy is infectious, and the impossibly heavy anchor of grief slowly begins easing up on him as he watches her carefree demeanour and looks across the desert; a place he’s probably only been to a few times. rayla would hate this fact, but nyx would remind ethari of rayla. she’s cunning, quick witted, skilled, and has her own ideals. her offhanded comments and determination would remind him of the many years he housed rayla and got to witness her grow as a person. his heart would soften quickly, and nyx would find herself a new, loyal moonshadow friend. any companionship for ethari is sorely needed by him, and the spirited and energetic skywing would be a perfect match.

ethari and nyx’s journey would provide a sense of a good kind of unfamiliarity to ethari, as he has the chance to guide himself how he wants, rather than how the silvergrove/his culture wants (runaan is obviously exempt from this, i mean like, he’d be free from the silvergrove’s expectations and limitations, not runaan’s). nyx would stress this, and would cheer and holler as the moonshadow begins to let go of his stubborn moonshadow-isms. she shares her outlooks and beliefs on life, and how she tells him it’s good for anyone, especially moonshadows, to begin to think for themselves and break barriers on what is expected of them. ethari finds this difficult, but considering how he’s hinted at being “softer/different than the others”, he might take to this more easily than other moonshadows (*cough* runaan).

that’s all for my thoughts on what kind of travel companions nyx and ethari could be for each other! i might add onto this later on if I think of anything

[kradogsrats]

Do you think Ghosting could be sort of like shunning in some religious communities…?

I think that's almost definitely what inspired it! Which kind of says a lot about Moonshadow society since groups that practice shunning tend to hit a lot of the markers for what defines a cult. :|

One possible difference that would be really significant is how compulsory everyone in a community participating in the Ghosting is—shunning doesn't work if only some people do it, the point is that the target loses their entire community. Generally AFAIK anyone who doesn't participate in the shunning winds up shunned, themselves. That's one of the more cult-like aspects of it.

Rayla initially believes that surely Ethari wouldn't have gone through with Ghosting her, which could go either way: it may be just be wishful thinking that he would defy the entire community for her, or he and Runaan may have refused to participate in Ghosting Tiadrin and Lain (see below) so she believes he will do so again. Tylluan's community also uniformly ghosted them—the person who replaced them as a leader was a close friend of theirs, and while she's generally sympathetic to them, she also refuses to discuss them in public or otherwise indicate that she supports their plan to save the town. So there is at least a little bit of that aspect to it, with social pressure to not speak about people who were Ghosted, but maybe that also means that the actual magical part is voluntary? I don't know. It's kind of unclear.

But with regard to that... by how we've seen Ghosting applied, it would be logical that Tiadrin and Lain were almost definitely Ghosted. Which means that if participating in the Ghosting is compulsory, Rayla has almost definitely Ghosted her own parents, which will cause a very fun(tm) moment when they are released from the coins. If it's not compulsory (like maybe you can get a "conscientious objector" exception if you're otherwise a sufficiently established community member) I think it's likely that Ethari, at least, did not participate. Runaan's a bit of an open question on that for me, and it probably would come down to either whether or not he actually believes Tiadrin and Lain would be even capable of abandoning their posts or Ethari demanding he not do it. And then if either of them refused, I very much doubt they would have allowed Rayla to do it. (Assuming they could prevent her, which... I was going to say obviously the guardian of a minor would have be involved in that decision, BUT Rayla is apparently culturally considered old enough to die on a mission into enemy territory to assassinate a heavily-guarded major political figure, SO YEAH.) But I think the question of whether or not she would have voluntarily is an interesting one—was Ghosting her parents an effect of her destructive attitude toward them (and herself), or was NOT Ghosting them part of its cause?

[raayllum]

Your Aunt's Spirit In You :: Callum & Amaya, a Meta

Was thinking about these two due to writing a scene between them in a recent oneshot, and then about the similarities they have, so thought - why not? Especially for a shorter meta than more of the long form ones I have siting in my drafts, let's talk about Callum and Amaya

As always, SIMILARITIES first:

Both loyal siblings to a monarch (Sarai through marriage, Ezran through birth)

Taken captive and interrogated by elves

Willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of the group (special shout out to 3x01 which puts this back to back * )

* This is slightly negated by Rayla, not Callum, being the one to actually risk her life (as she talks Callum out of risking his own quite easily) whereas Amaya goes through with it. Still, Callum's sentiment and willingness is there (and on multiple occasions), so it's included. ("I need you to kill me" being another example)

Skeptical, distrustful, and good at reading people (even if Callum changes his mind about Rayla and Amaya does not about Viren)

Good planners / generals (see my General Callum tag here)

Often times more decisive than their partner (Rayla often hesitates, which Janai worries about as well) and encouraging them to prioritize their own needs as well above just their 'duty'

In 4x01, they are both worried about secrets (as a result of war based trauma) and potential attacks, even though both 'secrets' wind up being something positive and wonderful (successfully for Amaya - as she is proposed to and happily rejoices with her partner - and an attempt for Callum, as it leaves him forlorn because his partner is still missing)

Slightly darker sense of humour, maybe ("Now that you'll officially be my little brother, I'll try not to beat you up too much" + "Besides, she only eats three people a day. It's a small price to pay for peace")

And last but not least, there is Janai's assessment of their similarities (aka the meta title) that accompanies the soundtrack piece of "Like Aunt, Like Nephew".

Callum does often undertake dangerous quests / make dangerous choices (travelling across the world to return a dragon egg, throwing himself off a mountain, running into what he believes to be a trap, etc). This is, however, much like how Aaravos' assessment of Callum in 4x04 ("and my favourite, the human mage, already tainted by darkness, and destined to play right into my hands") is true for all of his mage pawns up to that point (Ziard, Claudia, and Viren in the past), true of just about every character in the show. Which makes sense - in an action/adventure fantasy show, most of the characters are going to have to be okay about throwing themselves into danger just by proxy of genre. In most of the trio scenes where someone is hurling themselves into danger, it is usually Rayla first - and then Callum, stepping up if/when she can't do something on her own.

As you might've noticed while there are similarities, outside of their skepticism and willingness to sacrifice (which is again, something most characters in the show have) there aren't that many that go beyond more surface level "these events both happen to these characters," as Amaya and Callum's mindsets aren't that similar, which are the bulk of the main differences we're going to talk about next.

DIFFERENCES:

Prejudice (or therefore lack of)

Amaya is very prejudiced against elves ("Moonshadow elves - the worst kind [...] Don't worry, Callum, I've slain monsters before") at the beginning of the show, whereas Callum never is. He still holds some poor misconceptions (mostly the blood drinking) but he still always sees them as 1) people and 2) therefore worth reasoning with: "Can't you just make peace with them? You don't want to die, I'm sure the elves and dragons don't want to die, so everyone agrees"and his first conversation(s) with Rayla.

2. The ways in which Amaya is similar to Viren are largely different than the ways Callum is similar to Viren.

Amaya devoted her life to safeguarding the Breach and their kingdom's borders, a form of security that Viren was worried about and continued to be worried about once he came into power. Amaya and Viren can both be a little two-faced, willing to present a trusting front and hide their ulterior motives (most notably from each other, and something Rayla has in common arguably with both of them), whereas Callum is incredibly honest most of the time and is very bad at covering up his emotions (something he also has in common with Rayla, since although she often tries to cover things up, she routinely fails at it).

Viren is willing to send his children after the princes in spite of the danger of their secret missions ("if you must choose, choose the egg") and Amaya is willing to hold the Breach rather than go after her nephews, leaving Corvus to do so in her stead. This is very different than Callum, who automatically and often times insists on going along with his loved ones (Ezran, Rayla) when they're embarking on dangerous journeys of their own.

On that note, Amaya and Viren are both also taken captive by the Sunfire elves and given the Trial of Light, with very different outcomes that S5 also reaffirms for Callum, so let's talk about it:

3. The Light Will Decide Your Fate

During Janai's interrogation of Amaya, and Finnegrin's interrogation of Callum, the two respond very differently. Both Janai and Finnegrin want information, but Janai doesn't resort to torture even when Amaya remains entirely silent on any and all matters, and Finnegrin keeps pushing at Callum (and Callum keeps giving up information) even if he doesn't give up what Finnegrin wants, at first.

Amaya's trial is specifically about whether or not she's "pure of heart" or, more accurately, whether or not she's done dark magic. Her interrogation and test, if you will, ends with her passing it - to Khessa's surprise. Amaya is not a mage, and certainly not a dark mage, and is therefore going to interact and approach the world differently than a mage - human or elven or otherwise - would. Callum's interrogation and test is also about dark magic, and he does not 'pass it', lmao.

Because where Amaya had to confront the Light, Callum had to confront his Dark.

This is where we get into more of the mindset differences.

Amaya is willing to cut her losses (if she cannot successfully defend the Breach, she will destroy it, circa 3x01) but Callum almost never does (staying too late in the Great Bookery, for example; holding onto hope that Harrow might be alive even when he knows deep down he knows better, etc). Amaya refuses to give up the Sun Seed for her partner's life, knowing it safeguards a bright future and is what Janai would want her to do; Callum does give Finnegrin the spell and does dark magic to save Rayla, even when she wouldn't ultimately want him to do either of those things on her behalf. 5x08 makes this comparison particularly clear by juxtaposing these two deals and scenes throughout the episode.

Part of this is because, as Amaya acknowledges, for a great deal of her life, she and Callum had very different ideas regarding strength - which is exactly what allows these perspectives to switch:

When she died, I felt lost and weak without her. I hated feeling that way, so I learned to be strong alone. Stoic, strong... and lonely.

But the last two years have changed everything. Meeting Janai, falling in love, I am stronger than I ever was... because we are stronger together. And I realized that was the real truth of me and Sarai, too.

Callum has, up until about halfway through 5x08, always believed that he (and others) are ultimately stronger together, and we see this reflected through the first four seasons and into season five. However, the back half of 5x08 begins to greatly challenge this. Meanwhile, this is something that both Amaya and to a more detailed degree, Rayla, have had to learn. Because, when it comes to how they've responded to trauma, Amaya and Rayla are more similar to one another (and arguably to Viren in this way) than Amaya is to Callum, who by and large has a very different trauma response.

CONCLUSION (??)

While Amaya and Callum do have some similarities, Amaya is not extraordinarily similar to either of her nephews - Callum included - due to their differences in occupation, mindset, and trauma response. The similarities they do share are mostly things that they each share with Viren (such as skepticism) or share with most of the general cast (intelligence - although Callum is a standout - and bravery, for example). Most of their parallels, therefore, are put there to provide contrasts within similar themes (mostly in S1, 4x01, and 5x08), and they do not parallel more than any particular pair of characters in the show (seriously, you could throw a dart and probably find parallels between almost anyone, the show is so steeped in them, so looking at consistency and structure is key). Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed.

—Dragons out

[beautifulterriblequeen]

some fresh Moonshadow assassin angst

Today in "I'm gearing up to write more whump so I'm thinking about sad things":

These two panels from Bloodmoon Huntress will not let me go.

Firstly, I love that Rayla and Runaan are coming at this argument from two totally different places, and they do not reach an accord.

Runaan is tired and hurt and he has a whole new elf living in his house when he gets home from a rough night.

Rayla just got left behind by her parents and had one of her new dads say "I kill people" instead of "good morning" at the breakfast table.

Rayla's reaction to Runaan's statement isn't super obvious without dialogue, but in the top panel it looks like she's jerking back from Runaan in alarm and/or disgust after he told her what his job actually is.

Moonshadow elves respect life. She's seen him be respectful of everything from grasshoppers to flowers to elves. And then he drops this bomb on her. It seems wrong! And Ruthari were kinda lying to her all along! Rayla's still little, she just had the worst day of her life yesterday, and she does not take this well.

So Runaan immediately frames his work in the way he uses to justify it to himself: if I don't do this, then someone I care for will have to.

The implication is clear to us, if not to Rayla: Someone Must Stab. And Runaan has decided that it should be him, so no one else has to darken their soul with such deeds.

Why must someone stab? Well, my perennial favorite is Dragon Politics. If the Dragon Queen Luna Tenebris decided that asking for mercy for the good humans meant the Moonshadows needed to bear the burden of weeding out the bad humans forever, she probably has enough magic to make that a binding deal. And with the art book telling us that "blood promises" are A Thing for Moonshadow elves, well, it's looking more and more likely that there is, in fact, some kind of horrible curse on the Moonshadows.

On the Moonshadow assassins.

And specifically, on Runaan's bloodline. Which may be the same exact thing.

If every assassin in the Moonshadow Forest is related to Runaan by blood because they're all descended from the same elf, that's a lot of people to protect! Remember how Rayla tells Villads that she's an assassin, even though she hasn't killed anyone? It sounds like "assassin" is more of a clan or family assignation rather than a job title. Maybe it's even a bit of a curse in itself. If the assassins are all descended from the Moon Druid who begged for mercy, if she became the first assassin out of a sense of duty too (and if she is the Bloodmoon Huntress, then this is extra angsty, imagine if your grandma just refused to die and wandered the world being creepy and raiding family reunions, if she liked moonberry surprise you'd just never get any, wow rude).

So someone from Runaan's family has to go do the Dragon Throne's bidding, and soft boi Runaan doesn't want his people to have to suffer death/injury/ghosting because they're soft too. So he gets it together and volunteers as tribute, learns to kill by telling himself he's protecting dozens, hundreds of elves with each precise stab. He has to make it make sense.

And then, see, once he's learned how to be an efficient killer, he can't stop. If he does, someone less skilled will have to try, and they might fail, and people will suffer. His people, and possibly the target as well. So he trains, constantly, relentlessly, to remain in top form, to be able to accept all the missions himself.

Runaan is a cat, guys, and he's the cat with the highest kill count in the neighborhood, the one who greets you every morning with another dead bird or mouse on your doormat. He's ruthlessly efficient and he's never off the clock.

Okay, I'm sure he is off the clock sometime, but you get what I'm saying. Runaan intends to do as much of the killing his people are asked to do as he can, because he's better at it and his loved ones will be safer at home than out in the field.

This is as much as he can do for them within the framework of the rules, and this is probably what got him chosen as their leader.

The other assassins that go on Runaan's mission - except for Rayla - have shoulder markings, so I still think they've managed to take targets before. Runaan mentions that Rayla hasn't taken before, as if that stands out among the elves he selected. He can take all the missions he likes, but I bet there have been overlapping missions where he just couldn't be in two places at once, or missions where he had to take backup with him, and so these elves have done the stab before, either alone or at Runaan's side.

Here's where a whole new layer of angst comes in, though: in Tales of Xadia, the TDP ttrpg, we were given twelve pre-generated characters to play with before we learned how to make our own. One of those characters is a Moonshadow assassin named Eljaal, who went after their target only to see him fall and perish in an accident.

Not taking their target themself is Bad tm for Eljaal, because they're not sure they will be accepted back home after having failed their mission. And so, they wander the world seeking new alliances and new purpose.

The key to the angst that Eljaal's backstory reveals is in the time stamp for Tales of Xadia. It's set between S3 and S4 of the show.

That's after Runaan has been cursed into a coin. After he can no longer take on the bulk of the missions. So others must still do the stabbing.

It's apparently going as well as Runaan feared: soft elves are having trouble killing people. Eljaal has the same covered-shoulders look that Rayla has, hiding the place where Runaan's other assassins bore blue markings like military ranks. Eljaal is old enough to be wearing horn cuffs, but they've never taken a target before?

Possibly. Runaan's overdrive to spare his loved ones the need to go stabbing may have resulted in a whole bunch of assassins who have never gone on a mission in their lives, and who are suddenly being asked to do so! To their cost.

Runaan dedicated his life - in the most literal sense, "my heart for Xadia" - to protecting those he loves from harm, but when he fell, they were suddenly in danger anyway. All his years of training and effort to keep them safe was for nothing. Just like Rayla, he wanted to change things, to make a difference. But he couldn't. He just ingrained the cycle a little deeper.

The Moonshadow assassins are possibly in more danger now than they ever have been. There's something evil driving their bond to the Dragon Throne, and until that is dealt with, Runaan's extended family will continue to be killed, scattered, and ghosted. Except for the ones who may follow in Runaan's footsteps and go around killing people really efficiently. And that's... not better.

Am I actually getting my accursed Oath of Fëanor, TDP-style? Am I?? *maniacal fangirl laughter*

Listen, the real secret here is the dragons. They're so big and tall, their legs are like skyscrapers that rise into the fog and we kind of tune them out with all the angsty action going on down on the ground. But their giant pawprints are all over Xadia.

Eljaal's backstory indicates that Zubeia, for all her light and love, is ordering assassins out into the world to take targets even after everything Rayla did to bring her baby back to her.

Ohohoho. Dragons.

[heroesandmasterminds]

Book One: Moon Appreciation Week

S1 E4: Bloodthirsty

Massively late because my WiFi has been terrible this week!

1. It's taken me this long to notice the gigantic lake in the south of Xadia. And even then it might only be because I saw it in the novelisation's map.

2. The music paired with the episode's name in the title card is eerie.

3. Rayla's early attempts to wrestle with the binding are so endearing and that staring contest with Bait is just top notch!

4. The Valley of Graves scene is so haunting and beautiful. The music, the sadness on everyone's faces, the light so visible even from high above and the winding path it makes. This shot is stunning. It's clear how beloved Harrow was.

5. I stan Opeli. She is the original anti-Viren activist and we adore her.

6. The music is used masterfully - Callum's theme plays not in spite of his and Ezran's absence, but to highlight it. Utter genius.

7. I get LOTR vibes from the statues at the entrance to the Valley of Graves itself. (Having only started it a few days ago, I am now noticing all the LOTR-ish aspects of TDP I never did before.)

8. And Claudia has invented coffee. The beautiful hot brown morning potion.

9. VIREN IS FULL-ON SCAR AND CALLUM AND EZRAN ARE SIMBA SO DOES THAT MAKE HARROW MUFASA AND PIP IS ZAZOO?! OHHHH DAMN WOW THAT'S GREAT. And Viren, I have to admit, is a great public speaker.

10. Opeli, you beautiful badass lady. She's having none of Viren's scheming.

11. The way Claudia plays with the spider, letting it scuttle on her hand for a few seconds before crushing it, is something that is so telling about her character and the apathy and disregard she has for other living things.

12. Rayla can't help but like Callum right away and it's adorable!

13. At first I thought the 'cube thingy' was some kind of primal stone for all the sources so Callum could use them all. Turned out it wouldn't be that easy.

14. Also I was like, 'THERE WILL BE HUMANS BECAUSE YOUR DAD WAS SENDING YOU THERE' literally from the moment they mentioned the Lodge.

15. The taffy hippo!

16. Aww Callum's just trying so hard to apologise and make up for it after sticking his foot in his mouth!

17. That smug look he gives her even though there's a tree between them is just... AAAAHHHHH THEY'RE SO CUTE!

18. Callum's drawing must be so precise and speedy, to get such an accurate rendering of the game room that quickly.

19. Yes Ezran well done for remembering!

20. AMAYAAAAAAAA also the way she just tosses her helmet for Gren to catch is gold.

21. It's so sweet how Callum makes a fool of himself to warn Rayla.

23. I just love that shot of Callum holding Ezran's shoulders as they smile at each other. It's so sweet and a lovely reminder of the positivity of their dynamic.

22. That death stare Rayla gives Callum.

24. It's interesting that Amaya thinks Moonshadow elves are the worst kind when supposedly it's Sunfire elves Katolis particularly hates and is likely to find on the border.

25. That fight between Amaya and Rayla is brilliantttttt.

26. When Rayla says 'I'm alone' - I have a whole meta about that line.

27. Ezran trusts Rayla to know what to do and she does!

28. I appreciate that Callum at least tried to avoid hurting Rayla by signing the 'monster' stuff instead of saying it out loud.

29. I love that bit with Rayla and the arrows!

30. It's just so sweet that Callum apologises right away when it becomes clear that he hurt Rayla.

31. I feel so bad for Soren - he just wants his father's approval.

32. YES AMAYA STEAL HIS THUNDER!

33. I love those sketches of Callum and Ezran with Amaya and Harrow respectively.

Best lines in the episode:

Rayla: Unbind yourself! Unbind... thyself. Unbindo!

There's something to be said for the fact that these are the first lines in the entire episode.

Rayla: Don't judge me! So what I'm talking to my ribbon thing? How is that any worse than talking to a... whatever it is you are.

Rayla: Callum? Callum. Hey! That's your name, right? Callum? Clem? Or was it Camel?

Callum: Uh, it's Callum.

He doesn't know what to make of the non-stabby side of her and it's adorable.

Callum: Look, Rayla. Princes are supposed to be good at things. Swordfighting, leadership, riding horses. But I've always been kinda bad at, well... everything. So when I tried that spell, I was sure I'd end up on fire, or covered in spiders, but it worked. And then you called me a mage, and that felt... right.

Ahhh it's That Speech! The first time Rayla caves in and makes a detour for Callum's sake.

Amaya: I don't believe in locks.

Amaya: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Callum: This is one of your weirdest ideas.

Ezran: Weirder than snail armour?

Callum: Ez, snails already have armour.

Ezran: Then why do they keep getting smooshed?

Ohhh I love that scene. It's a reminder that yes, they're on a dangerous mission, and yes, Callum had to be a surrogate mother to Ezran, but they're also still brothers.

On the whole, I like Bloodthirsty because it's an episode where they're all just fumbling, wanting to trust each other but not sure how this whole thing will work, and Callum learns a few lessons about Rayla and remembers them, particularly in regards to her safety. Also, AMAYA.

[iwillhaveamoonbase]

We Could Be Heroes ch. 7

Runaan gripped the steering wheel as he and Ethari drove to the office of the Xadia Dispatch. “You’re sure your friend’s sister is going to be acceptable?”

Ethari shrugged. “Honestly? I don’t know a lot about her. My friend seems to think so and she’s got the best reputation on that whole paper. Did you schedule an appointment?”

“Aye. I’m not taking any chances to let anyone fuck with my kid.”

Ethari side-eyed Runaan for a moment. Ever since they had told Rayla to move in with Callum, Runaan had been silent on the subject. “I like Callum. I can see that he’s good for Rayla.”

Runaan sighed before running a hand through his long hair. “I do, too. I’ve been keeping tabs on him ever since Bandlr sent that first email. Doesn’t party, doesn’t dabble in dark magic, is known for being respectful towards women and elves. I know it was Rayla who fought telling us when they got serious and he still took half of the blame.”

Ethari was quiet for a moment. Rayla had always been just as stubborn as Runaan and her parents. It was both one of her best and one of her worst qualities. “I just don’t like the world he lives in. I have nothing against King Harrow and everything I’ve ever heard about Queen Sarai was positive. It’s just, Rayla’s been taught to live in the shadows and the sun is going to be on her from now on.”

“Trust me, Ethari, I don’t like it either. No one should live the way he does. Every little thing is picked apart, even his relationship with the King. No wonder he’s tried to keep a low profile since he entered the university. Yes, he lives in the lap of luxury and has never wanted for anything, but if that’s the price, I wouldn’t take it.”

Ethari kept an eye on the map as he hummed in agreement. “It’s coming up, get ready to turn left.”

Runaan moved to the left lane and turned on his blinker. “Got it. Now, if they refuse to let us in, I will run my blade through them until we get to the top floor.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I’m more serious than I am making cake for Rayla’s birthday.”

“Have you talked to Lain or Tiadrin?”

“No, and Rayla hasn’t either.”

“I wonder if they even know.”

Runaan was silent, his fingers minutely clenching the steering wheel. It bothered all of them that Rayla was not in contact with her parents. Lain and Tiadrin had missed far too much and communicated far too little. Perhaps, the honor of being part of the Dragon Guard came with a price far too steep for anyone with a family.

Runaan pulled in to the Xadia Dispatch office, a stylish building that obviously had some human influence if the giant windows and bright white walls with no greenery was any indication. Ethari gently squeeze Runaan’s hand before they parked. This was not going to be easy.

Getting to see the editor-in-chief was, shockingly, the easy part. The moment they stated they were the parents of the elf dating a human prince, the whole office seemed to be in an uproar. There were people coming up to them begging for the chance to interview Rayla. How on Earth any of this got so big so fast was beyond Ethari’s comprehension. It all seemed too fantastic and easy.

When Siobhan, a Tidebound elf, came into the editor-in-chief’s office, he realized just how easy their path had been so far. “I thank you for the opportunity, but I must decline,” came her even and slightly detached answer to their request.

Runaan clenched his fists again, though his face showed no sign of the turmoil Ethari could feel brewing in himself. “Why?”

Siobhan sighed. “The truth is, I don’t approve of their relationship. I don’t think I’ll be fair during the interview. I understand you want someone with integrity, but I’m not the person for the job.”

Ethari jumped in before Runaan could do further damage to the situation. “Then who do you recommend?”

“Everyone here is chomping at the bit for this opportunity.” A nonchalant shrug and a gesture towards the office accompanied her words.

“We don’t want just anyone. This is our niece. How this first interview goes is going to have a big impact on her life from now on. People will remember this. Who do you recommend?”

She looked down and shuffled through the list of reporters that the editor-in-chief had been so kind to give them. “None of these guys. Not her. Definitely not him; he has an anti-human agenda.” After a few minutes of this, she groaned. “It looks like I’m your only real bet. Everyone else has fudged interviews, has an anti-human stance, sensationalized something or other, or is just a bad reporter in general. This is…this is big and you need someone who isn’t going to treat it like a circus or an opportunity to spread their own agendas. I’ll do it, but I can’t promise anything. Once I go down there, I’m not going to hold back. I may very well insult your niece or her boyfriend. Are you alright with that?”

“Can’t you do this without your own bias?”

A snort and a head shake was her answer for a few moments. “See, everyone says they can, but no one does. We all come from places and experiences that have shaped us and our opinions. Emotions can run high during things like this. Not only that, but you have to understand that anyone who sees them is going to be judging something or other. They may judge Rayla’s clothes or Prince Callum’s knowledge on the sky arcanum. They could be judging if they sit too close to each other or not close enough. It’s going to happen and judgements can be placed in the opening and closing paragraphs that we are allowed to have. Not only that, but the editor-in-chief is able to make changes to fit their own rhetoric if they really want. It’s not ethical, but it can happen.

“But it’s even more than that. You said that you’ve met Prince Callum, right? Well, if it was as an introduction as her boyfriend, that means that this relationship is serious. It is possible that this could lead to marriage. And everyone is going to grab a hold on that. Your niece is going to be entering a world, perhaps until the day she dies, that is not as sparkly and shimmery as it appears. There is nothing like it in Moonshadow or Tidebound culture, not even Silvergrove, but I’ve been to a few events held on the border by the nobles of Katolis. It seems like they want for nothing, but they are held so strictly by decorum that any little thing that goes against it reflects not only on them, but on their families. And the world eats every little thing up and twists it until it’s something completely different.”

Ethari turned to Runaan, a tense look on his face. Runaan looked back and nodded, a silent agreement to whatever Ethari decided was best. Ethari sighed before turning to Siobhan. “We’ll take whatever you can give us. Just…try to be kind.”

Siobhan looked straight at them both, flickering her eyes between them. “I swear to be honest; nothing more nothing less.”

Runaan stood and crossed over to her, hand out. “Deal.”

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

Harrow looked over at Ezran as they adjusted their clothes. The rest of the Pentarchy had called an emergency meeting following Callum and Rayla’s announcement. A part of Harrow hadn’t wanted Ezran to come. He knew that there was going to be a lot of tearing down of Amaya and Callum. Ezran had insisted, calling it his duty as the future king and as a member of their family. “Are you ready, Ezran?”

“I’m not. Are you?”

“I’m never ready for a meeting with the Pentarchy. Queen Aanya’s mothers were excellent queens and good people, but it’s not about that. You have to understand that every ruler in there is not just thinking about what they want. They also have to think about their people and how best to serve them. Because Katolis and Duren are the border to Xadia, we are in a unique position and we have to respect that we are a group of five kingdoms trying to find reasonable answers that all of us can live with. Not necessarily like, but live with.” Ezran nodded, still looking a little scared. “When my father took me to my first Pentarchy meeting, he told me that I didn’t have to say a word. I could simply be an observer. It’s up to you if you want to talk or if you want to listen.”

“What did you do?”

“I listened. But this is far more personal than talk about trade. This is about our family. I’m going to have a hard time holding my own tongue, so I’m not going to tell you to hold yours.”

A guard came in, looking annoyed as he saw the two before putting on a neutral face. “Your Majesty, Your Highness, it’s time.”

“And so, it begins.” They walked from Harrow’s room to the meeting room. There were two extra chairs, one for King Ahling’s son and heir and one for Ezran. Harrow stood in front of his throne and gestured for Ezran to stand with him. “We do not sit until everyone has come. King Ahling is a little older and his knee has started to give him trouble, so he is the only one allowed.”

The kings and queens slowly filtered in, Queen Aanya stood the tallest of them all despite her youth and short stature. Prince Kasef tried to stand proud and acted like he belonged there. Instead, he looked like a child that still didn’t know what he was doing. After their greetings, they all sat and looked straight at Harrow and Ezran. It was silent for several minutes, fidgeting galore among the normally to-the-point royals. Queen Aanya shrugged before standing. “No one else wants to breach the topic, so I’ll do it. King Harrow, Prince Ezran. It has come to our attention that Katolis has not only one, but two members of its royal family in relationships with elves. We understand that Katolis and Xadia share a border and its position makes this far more likely than say, Evenere having the same situation. However, it does not change the fact that Xadian influence could start seeping into Katolis and then make its way into the rest of the human kingdoms. In full-confidence, and as clear as possible, we would appreciate answers you can give that will let us know that Katolis still has the Pentarchy’s interests at heart.”

Harrow nodded and turned to the others. “Anyone else have anything they would like to add to the matter?”

King Florian stood up, his arms behind his back. “Yes. Your step-son, Prince Callum, already has too much influence as a member of the royal family and his efforts in becoming an archmage without dark magic cannot be replicated. He continues to spout nonsense about how he accessed sky magic and it has led to nothing. Moonshadow elves can cast illusions, can they not? How does even he know that it’s not all a ploy to get him to the border and this Rayla isn’t there to influence him?”

Harrow waited for someone else to speak up, but the rest of the room fell silent. He stood, letting pride for Callum’s accomplishments seep into his voice. “If I may, I would first like to address my son, Callum. Callum unlocked the sky arcanum by chance when he was seventeen. He had been practicing with a primal stone and got very good very fast. He had grown up around dark magic due to my former councilor, Viren, and his former girlfriend is a dark mage herself. My departed wife, his mother, Sarai, had detested dark magic and her influence caused him to reject it and call it what it is; a short-cut that takes lives that are not the caster’s to give. Viren launched an attack at the castle and Callum had no choice but to break the primal stone to protect Ezran. In a moment of necessity, he took away his one shot at continuing to do magic.

“Viren had sent shadow wolves to in revenge the next night, attacking Callum in his sleep. My son fought the dark magic in him for several days. When he awoke, he talked about sails, and wings, and how the wind and sky relate to everything. I couldn’t understand what he meant, but he drew a rune and used ‘aspiro’ without the primal stone. You’re right, Callum can’t fully explain to anyone exactly what he has done or how he has done it, but he is making efforts to. He’s trying to unlock at least one other arcana so he can. You must all remember; my son is a nineteen-year-old young man who is still learning about himself and the part he plays in Katolis now that he is no longer a child. He is doing his best and I believe he will get there.”

“And what of my second question? How do you know this isn’t all an illusion?”

“Moonshadow elves cannot hold an illusion for more than two years on this grand of a scale. It would be possible if Callum wore something imbued with Moon magic or had a rune forcibly put on him. We already checked for those possibilities. When Callum came with me to visit you two years ago, Queen Fereeda, that was because it was going to take him as far away from the border as we could get. He was stripped of his clothes and checked by healers for any signs of runes, unusual markings, or something lying under his skin. He was then made to replicate every spell he had learned since he began using the primal stone. Callum was still capable of doing magic to the exact same degree he was when we were in the castle back in Katolis. I understand your stance, which is why we had it done in the first place. We couldn’t be too careful, because Viren could have made an illusion as well and was trying to take control of the Pentarchy through Callum.”

King Florian nodded his assent, clearly placated for the moment. Queen Fereeda stood, locking eyes with Harrow. “I remember that trip. It is how King Harrow says it is. Prince Callum spent much of his time on the furthest possible reaches away from Xadia. He also told my own mages to stop using dark magic and try to use the sky arcanum. There was no result. Should my mages have been infected with dark magic, King Harrow? Or perhaps breaking a primal stone is the answer?”

“I can’t answer that question for you. Neither can Callum.”

“It’s been long enough,” the frustration they all probably felt was clear in Fareeda’s voice. “He should have an answer. I have heard rumors that he has officially been labelled as a potential threat to Xadia. My mages think he is a threat to humans. Why should we believe he isn’t? I understand that he is your son, so I ask you not to think of him as your child, but as a king would his subject.”

Harrow leaned back, stroking his chin. Ezran was practically humming with nervous energy, but Harrow saw that there was so much understanding brewing within him. Ezran would make a good king if he continued to have his good heart and understanding nature. “I’m not discrediting your stance, Queen Fereeda, but I must ask: does any of this have to do with the fact that Callum does not come from nobility? It’s not a secret that his mother was from a military family and his father was a poor artist. And this would not be the first time someone has given Callum less credence because of his parentage. Would you trust him more if he was of my blood?”

Queen Fereeda looked like she wanted to say ‘no’, but quickly stopped herself. There was silence until Prince Kasef stood up. “With all due respect to Your Majesties, may I interject?” Harrow nodded his assent with the others. Prince Kasef was not known for being sharp and was more well-known for his hot-headed behavior. But, the point of these meetings was to give everyone a chance to say their peace. “I would trust him more if he was of your blood, King Harrow. He has no real ties to you beyond his mother’s marriage and she passed long ago. He could very well be conspiring with the elves in Xadia and has been this whole time. As for the time in Evenere, what if there was a Moonshadow elf on board who cast an illusion on everyone? Frankly, your step-son shouldn’t have even been in the palace all these years to start with.”

Harrow was about to give a rebuttal before Ezran stood up. “With all due respect Your Majesties, I would like to say something on my family’s behalf.” The nods of assent were all Ezran needed, but he still looked to Harrow for permission. Harrow gave him an encouraging smile. “You say that Callum has no ties to our father. That’s not true. Callum is my half-brother, we share the same mother. His first tie to our father is through me. His second is through our mother, who loved our father and stood by him. His third tie is through the official adoption that took place a mere month after our parents were married. His fourth tie is the familial bond he and our father share, even if it is not by blood. His fifth is through Callum’s loyalty not only to our family, but to Katolis as a whole. I get what you’re saying, but I respectfully disagree. Callum would never act against our father, the only father Callum has ever really known.

“Questioning Callum’s loyalty to the good of Katolis, of human-kind, and all of the efforts our father and mother made is the same as asking anyone else here if they are loyal to the Pentarchy. As for the magic, I understand what Callum says when he talks about it. But I also know Callum better than anyone. There is a method to what he says. Perhaps that time when he was free from all distractions was what was needed for him to understand how it works and there are distractions everywhere now that he’s awake. Everyone is pulling him in a million directions and demanding answers. And when he gives them, they aren’t good enough. He hasn’t even graduated or been able to use any other primal magic. Give him time; he’s getting better at explaining it. This is new territory for the world, not just him. I would never go up to you, Prince Kasef, and demand to know exactly why horses in your country are paler and taller than most in Katolis without giving you time to do your research. And even then, it’s not equivalent. That research has already been done; this hasn’t.”

Kasef glared at Ezran before giving a stiff nod, finally sitting back in his chair besides his father’s throne. Instead of being upset, King Ahling laughed. “Well said, Prince Ezran. Between you and Queen Aanya, I feel like the Pentarchy is going to be in good hands.” Harrow noticed Kasef grit his teeth a bit at the praise.

“Thank you, King Ahling. I will admit that it is selfish of me to want to protect Callum. He isn’t just my brother. He’s my best friend and the one person I’ve always turned to when I’m scared, nervous, or simply so happy I could burst. We are a pair and, when I take the throne, I plan to have him right by my side. There is no one else I trust with my life more. He gave up magic, his destiny, to save my life without a second thought. That speaks more for his character and his devotion to peace and our family than anything I could ever say in this room.”

Queen Aanya stood, slowly looking around the room. “If everyone is satisfied with those answers, then I must ask that we turn to the subject of General Amaya and General Janai’s upcoming nuptials.” Kasef stood up quickly, taking a step towards Aanya. “Why are you the one in charge?”

Aanya raised a brow before slowly looking Kasef up and down. It was painfully clear just how unimpressed she was by his actions. She tilted her chin up and met Kasef’s eyes. “Because I’m the one that called this meeting. My people have benefited from Katolis’ help, but I will not pick a side based on that. I will also not stand back and let a war happen if I can help it. Technically, our war with Xadia has been at a standstill for generations. Battles have not been fought, few killings have been done in revenge, and the Dragon King, as well as the royalty of the Pentarchy, have not been assassinated by either side. I don’t know what’s going on in Katolis, nor do I understand Prince Callum’s ability to use magic, but I do know that I want peace. My people want peace. If Katolis already has two members of their royal family in relationships with elves, then they are closer to reaching an understanding with Xadia then the rest of us. I want answers first, but I would not be opposed to standing behind Katolis and King Harrow if it meant even a simple alliance. We must look past our prejudices and all the hatred that has been spread throughout the centuries and realize that all of this could finally come to an end.”

Kasef looked at Aanya and then at Ezran. “What of dark magic? The elves will not stand down until humans have stopped using it. We will not ask our mages to stop using our best means of protection!”

Aanya snorted before raising a brow. “That’s the most intelligent thing I’ve ever heard you said, Prince Kasef. My mages also do not want to give up dark magic, but Prince Callum’s abilities give us hope. IF he can explain it and it can be replicated, they are willing to give up dark magic. Only a fool ignores the damage dark magic does to the mind and body. If they aren’t willing to use primal magic and the elves are willing to come to an understanding, then they will no longer be under my protection. King Harrow, you are the most aware of the dangers dark magic presents. Please, share your thoughts.”

Harrow waited for Ezran, Kasef, and Aanya to sit before standing. King Ahling was right about Ezran and Aanya, but something about Kasef was not sitting right with Harrow. ‘Maybe he’s trying to prove he can be king when his father dies.’ “You all know the story of how we saved Duren from famine using dark magic. You also know that that story ends with the Queens of Duren and my wife’s deaths. After that day, Viren, my most trusted advisor at the time, continued to offer ‘creative’ solutions using dark magic. I picked and chose which ones to use, but I began to see what my wife had always seen.

“It was starting to twist him and we relied too heavily on magic instead of coming to a decision sooner. Queen Aanya, I apologize for what happened to your mothers. The blame for that day rests just as squarely on my shoulders as it does Viren’s. He suggested it, but I chose to do it. Sometimes it is tempting and there is no right answer. I can’t tell you what to do concerning your mages or dark magic. What I can tell you is that I no longer want it in my kingdom. The only person who is legally allowed to perform dark magic, currently, is the Lady Claudia because she uses it to keep her brother walking. Even then, my son is making efforts for her to discontinue her use of dark magic and she knows that if she uses it for any other purposes, she will lose my support.”

Everyone seemed satisfied with his answer, but Harrow wanted to nip the issue with Amaya and Janai in the bud. “As for General Amaya and the General Janai; they have both spent a lot of time on the border. Through peace talks and mutual respect due to their combat skills, a friendship was formed. Both Amaya and General Janai are private people and have kept some information to themselves, but I have no reason to believe that it is part of some plot to invade Katolis. General Janai has already come to Katolis and has been respectful, kind, and understanding. The Sunfire elves, due to Janai’s high position in their military and her sister’s position as leader at Lux Aurea, have agreed to pushing peace talks beyond the border and as deep into Xadia as possible.”

Aanya nodded. “Anyone else have any other matters?”

King Ahling raised his hand. “I, personally, am all for peace and for the potential future that has been presented to us. King Harrow, my one concern is still your step-son. I respect Prince Callum. He has been quite pleasant, if not quiet, every time I have met him. He understands that Prince Ezran is your heir and has no desire to go above his station.” Harrow gritted his teeth a bit. He knew that him being king was a mere accident of fate. Callum was just as much the future of Katolis as Ezran and it seemed like the world preferred to imagine Callum as a potential usurper or as a shadow. He had taught his sons that they were no better than anyone else because of their stations and to use their stations to help make the world into a better place. Perhaps, the rest of the Pentarchy needed the same lesson. “He needs to either explain the sky arcanum, and human mages need results, or he needs to unlock another and explain that one. Otherwise, I’m going to have to wonder if all of it is an illusion or a carefully crafted ruse. As to how it’s been going on so long, I’m not sure.”

Harrow locked eyes with all of the rulers, paying careful attention to Prince Kasef and Queen Aanya. He would need to talk to Kasef as soon as possible. “I understand and will pass on the message. When I have an answer, I will be sure to call the Pentarchy to meet. Until then, please have faith in my son’s efforts.”

A call to lunch led everyone to leave the hall. Harrow quickly called for Kasef, causing him to stall. “Yes, King Harrow?” His voice was taut and his jaw squared.

“Prince Kasef, I noticed you were upset with your father’s praising of Ezran and Aanya. You must understand, Queen Aanya needs positive influence from the rest of the Pentarchy. She is surrounded by sycophants who would destroy Duren if she let them. It does her good to hear from her peers that she is doing well. As for my son, it’s his first meeting here. I’m quite proud that he has spoken well, but you have spoken well yourself.”

“For a spoiled brat? I know how everyone sees me. I won’t deny, I’m not as intelligent or strategic as Queen Aanya and speaking like Prince Ezran does not come easily to me. My father admires both of them, and your other son, greatly. The last time he came back from Katolis, all he could talk about was the great future mage, Prince Callum, and how Prince Ezran will never have to worry about the same things Queen Aanya did as long as Prince Callum is around. Even if he’s nothing more than a step-prince.” That last word was sneered as Kasef made full eye-contact with Harrow. He must have known how it upset Harrow to hear that word. Yes, Callum was his step-son, but Callum was his son in his heart. He never appreciated the term ‘step-prince’ and had frequently tried to quash it. Unfortunately, the press got wind of it and refused to let it go.

“My sons will not follow my path and are already questioning what is thought to be truth. I admire them myself. Prince Kasef, please, be wary of those who try to whisper in your ear and tell you what the truth is with no evidence.” Harrow gave a quick bow to Kasef and left to join his son and Queen Aanya for lunch. He needed to be around those who saw reason after that headache.

[queenjanai]

my farest reach ever: in s1 amaya says moonshadow elves are the worst kind. if the moon and the sun are opposites, it means that sunfire elves are the best kind