Ep 3 Brimstone: Chapters 13-20

Summary

Fantasy Fangirls — Ep 3 Brimstone: Chapters 13–20

Podcast Date: December 15, 2025
Hosts: Lexi (fantasy lore nerd, older sister) & Nicole (romantic at heart, younger sister)
Book Covered: Quicksilver series — Brimstone by Callie Hart (chapters 13–20)
SPOILER WARNING: Full spoilers for Brimstone and Quicksilver (including bonus chapters)

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Episode Overview

In this episode, sisters Lexi and Nicole journey through chapters 13–20 of Brimstone, bringing their signature mix of in-depth lore analysis, character exploration, meta-theorizing, and sisterly banter. They break down plot events across two primary realms (Zelvarin and Amon Traeth), spotlight major character developments (Carrion, Kingfisher, Foley, Seras), explore the nature of demons and alchemy, highlight easter eggs, and share their favorite moments—culminating in an analysis-rich episode that’s equal parts fun, theory, recap, and riotous laughter.

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1. Chapter Summaries — "Lorreth's Ballad" ([08:31])

Nicole kicks off with “Lorreth’s Ballad,” a rhythmic and rhyming recap of each chapter’s major events. (See full script above for poetic highlights.)

Key Plot Beats:

• Kingfisher & Carrion’s dangerous quest in Zelvarin: outmaneuvering guards, seeking a demon-haunted treasure tower, and confronting the scorpion demon Joshen.
• Seras in Amon Traeth: racing to uncover alchemical secrets to combat the spreading Rot, navigating library politics, and meeting the reclusive vampire Foley.
• Dream sequence: Seras and Kingfisher share a magically-charged, steamy reunion in the dream-space Huntsman Cottage.

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2. Key Discussion Points & Insights

A. Zelvarin Plotline & Character Dynamics

Timestamps: 12:24–85:08

Ambush & Escape:

• Carrion and Kingfisher are ambushed by Madra’s guards expecting portal travelers; escape is only possible because Fisher plans ahead with magic and a shield ([14:20]).
  • Lexi: “Fisher does have his shit together, and Carrion is freaking out even the Quicksilver… It is a little bit like, come on, Carrie, I know what you’re getting yourself into.” ([14:20])
• Notable comic relief: Fisher throws Carrion out a window to escape, landing in a market stall (“My cabbages!” Avatar reference, [16:09]).

Interpersonal Tension:

• Fisher consistently underestimates Carrion, seeing him as “the smuggler,” not as King or equal ([16:07-35:22]).
  • Nicole: “It is this little inner monologue moment that highlights how, to Kingfisher, Carrion is less than. Which we will later learn, Carrion, when he’s viewed as less than, he will play into that illusion…” ([16:09])
• Carrion’s “playing dumb” becomes a tactical tool—people underestimate him, and he exploits it.

Carrion’s Hidden Depths:

• While dismissed by Kingfisher, Carrion’s strategic thinking comes through. For example, banking on the Brigands Bank as a silver source, not Madra’s treasury ([33:04]).
  • Lexi: “Kingfisher…thinks himself far superior…homie’s a little cocky, but…it’s this moment where Carrion’s strategicness is showing.” ([33:32])

Demon Trap Showdown:

• Carrion and Fisher are duped into a bell-tower demon trap by Vorath Shah, who serves Joshen, the scorpion demon ([46:31]).
• Joshen is a nightmarish demon made of scorpions, able to induce cursed dreams with his venom ([47:32]).
• Kingfisher displays cunning and advanced bargaining—utilizing knowledge from his mother and shadow magic—to weaken the demon and strike a deal for antidote venom ([68:25]).

Notable Quotes:

• Lexi (imitating Carrion): “Carrion goes, ‘fuck Kingfisher.’ It’s just so perfect.” ([17:03])
• On Joshen: Lexi: “Joshen, Lord of the Desert, King of the Dark Dream, AKA the Scorpion King… who is made of millions of scorpions, capable of being all of them skirting around the floor or combining themselves together into one giant figure.” ([47:32])

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B. Amon Traeth Plotline & Lore

Timestamps: 85:08–117:39

The Rot Crisis:

• The Rot is spreading rapidly. Daily reports show a horrifying scope: 1,373 confirmed dead, 1,665 infected, over 7.8 square miles affected ([85:54]).
• Warriors, led by Dania, try to cull the infected, with limited effect.

Alchemy & the Library:

• Seras seeks alchemical knowledge in the palatial library, trading blood for access to a special book ([91:10]).
• Introduction of Owlgatt—the prickly library keeper—and Guru, the blood-lapping shadow cat ([90:31], [91:10]).
• Lore: The library holds hundreds of magical origami ‘stargazer’ birds, which will reveal Adina’s hidden book to Seras.

Foley’s Entrance & Role:

• Foley, Lorath’s long-lost friend, attacks Seras (believing she killed Fisher), but a chaotic confrontation leads to his capture and reintroduction to the world ([104:54]).
• Foley’s deep knowledge of alchemy and the library positions him as a potential mentor to Seras ([115:47]).

Alchemist Mysteries:

• Seras is referred to with loaded nicknames: “Kingkiller,” “Day’s End,” “Last Tide,” and “Name Breaker,” all hinting at greater mythic significance ([97:56-99:57]).
• Repeated, intriguing allusions to Seras’s unique heritage and potential future power, to be explored in future books.

Favorite Quote:

• Lexi (on stargazers): “It’s always magic that lights the way and where any kind of life exists, so does magic. For this to come from Tal, who is a vampire…feels like he has lost the light…he has to keep believing for his sanity.” ([92:23])

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C. Dreamscape Reunion

Timestamps: 117:39–122:56

• Seras, finally able to sleep, dreams herself into the magical “Huntsman Cottage” where Kingfisher waits.

  • Dream-sex scene is both plot-critical (bonding, magical healing, evidence left on their real bodies) and spicy.
  • Lexi: “There is physical evidence that they were here in their minds. So yes, Nicole, I think you’re right about them finding each other here because they are God bound mates.” ([122:16])

• Playful banter about Kingfisher’s protective, “dirty mouth” persona:

  • Notable quote: “[Fisher:] ‘Sit on my face and ride my tongue until I fucking die.’” ([118:22])

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3. Rusarius’s Library: Lore Topic — All About Demons ([124:48])

Lexi breaks down everything known about demons in the series:

• Demon Types: Regular demons (like Joshen, Morthil the spider demon) vs. Demon Gods (the Under Gods, from realm of Dioxis, ruled by Styx).
• Traps & Magic: Demons are ancient and powerful. Old alchemical traps (runes, etchings) can snare them but deteriorate with time, often with unintended effects.
• Physical Forms: Demons are terrifyingly mutable—Morthil is a spider-fea chimera; Joshen is made of scorpions.
• Venom & Curses: Joshen’s venom causes nightmarish hallucinations and a cursed sleep unless cured by his own “willing” antivenom.
• Light as Weakness: Joshen’s vulnerability to light was key in his defeat.
• Unresolved Demon Lore: Hints remain about other demon names and the connection between Under Gods and series protagonists.

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4. Theories, Foreshadowing & Meta Moments

Timestamps: Scattered after 122:56, particularly during “Oracle” and “Library Lore” sections

• Joshen’s prophecy to Kingfisher about having to “visit the darkest of all places to kill a queen” is assumed to relate to Madra and the realm of Dioxis ([71:20]).
• Hints about future bargains, significant “sacrifices,” and trades at the end of the book set up book three’s stakes ([73:28]).
• Multiple references to the “God bound” nature of Seras and Fisher’s bond—suggest they may always find each other in magical dreamspaces, even if separated ([120:14]).

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5. Notable Quotes & Favorite Moments (with Timestamps)

Comedic/Heartfelt:

• “Kingfisher throws Carrion out the window. I want to take a moment of just sheer bravo for Anthony Palm here as he goes…‘fuck Kingfisher.’” — Nicole ([17:03])
• “You mean they go to the windows, to the walls—tell us what dropped.” — Lexi after a slapstick escape ([131:33])
• “Carrion genuinely, truly does think that beer is supposed to be hot. And Fisher’s like, ‘no, no, it is not supposed to be hot.’” — Lexi ([132:13])

Meta & Series-In-Jokes:

• “Is Callie Hart a SpongeBob fan? …The bartender that Carrion Swift slept with works at a place called the Dusty Crab. That is the Krusty Krab.” — Nicole ([133:56])

Steamy:

• “Lines like, quote, ‘sit on my face and ride my tongue until I fucking die.’ Oh my god. This sound going around on social media is just Chef’s kiss.” — Nicole ([118:22])
• “Back in Quicksilver there was this constant, ‘I hate you so much that I want to fuck you,’ but now it’s ‘I love you more than anyone else has ever loved another person’…and there’s this element of deep cherishing each other…” — Nicole ([120:27])

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6. Easter Eggs, Predictions, and Observational Humor

• Nicole’s “Bowels Count” (tracking how often the word ‘bowels’ appears in the text): “Four total for our bowels count in this book.” ([130:09])
• Goats Watch: “Because we get our first mention of goats with Fisher saying that Joshen will turn into the remains of a goat.” ([130:23])
• The use of magical origami, mythic nicknames, and mind-reading hints at larger series mysteries to come ([97:56]).

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7. Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment | Content | Timestamp | |--------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|------------| | Intro/Lorreth’s Ballad | Rhymed chapter summaries, spoiler warning | 04:05–12:24| | Quicksilver Key Insights | Zelvarin (Fisher & Carrion’s journey) | 12:24–85:08| | Amon Traeth Arc | Seras in the library, Rot crisis, Foley introduction | 85:08–117:39| | Dreamscape Scene | Seras & Fisher’s magical-cabin reunion | 117:39–122:56| | Theories/Foreshadowing | Prophecies, plot speculation, reflection | 122:56–124:48| | Library Lore | All about demons—magic, history, species | 124:48–130:04| | Prancing through the Snow | Favorite jokes/moments/quotes | 130:04–136:34| | Outro & Fan Club Shout-out | Fan engagement, social media, credits | 136:34+ |

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Conclusion

This episode masterfully balances deep dives into plot and character dynamics (especially among Kingfisher, Carrion, Seras, and the newcomers), meta-lore explorations of alchemy and demons, delightful sisterly banter, meme-worthy quotes, and thoughtful speculation—all essential listening for Brimstone/Quicksilver fans. Lexi and Nicole’s genuine chemistry, humor, and exhaustive knowledge make even the darkest moments of Brimstone feel packed with magic.

Closing thoughts from the hosts:

• “Thank you so much for listening to this Brimstone episode three! … If you have a person in your life who you’re like, you know what, I could be knocked out and foaming at the mouth for an hour on the floor with them and it would…suck, but we’d at least feel shitty together—this is a great episode to send to them. You’d be my person.” — Nicole ([138:42])

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For further exploration:

• Listen to next week’s episode covering chapters 21–28: more on Elroy, alchemy, and the march towards Brimstone’s explosive climax!
• Join the Fantasy Fangirls fan club or follow on social media for additional content, trivia, and shenanigans.

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“A mind full of shadows is a dangerous thing when you already live in the darkness…”

— Joshen, Chapter 17 ([68:25])

Transcript

[Lexi]

Mic check 12 Are we recording? Hi, I'm Michelle Bernstein, an award winning chef, restaurateur and mom. I have a lot on my plate including my psoriatic arthritis symptoms. That's why I was prescribed Cosentyx. It helps me move better.

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[Lexi]

Your rheumatologist about Cosenty.

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[Nicole]

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[Lexi]

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[Nicole]

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[Lexi]

Have you ordered your Dream Boxer yet? This boxer has sold out three times before and they just released such a cute holiday stripe pattern in dark cherry. We love it. The super leak proof Dream Boxer feels like pajamas but with serious overnight protection. It's genius really. The loose fit boxer with built in super comfy brief for secure coverage that can absorb seven to nine super tampons worth. And while you're on the website, check out the cozy sleepwear cute loungewear. There are so many great gift ideas that I don't even know where to start. So.

[Nicole]

So I have three different pairs of Nyx in three different varying absorbencies. I have like a super, like super intense absorbency. I have like a medium one and then I have a very, very light one. They all three feel so comfortable you don't even notice you're wearing like the super absorbency because they're just so comfortable. They're just there. I love it.

[Lexi]

So head to nyx.com and use code FFG for 20% off your order. That's K N I X.com code FFG. Happy shopping. Foreign.

[Nicole]

Welcome to the Fantasy Fangirls podcast where two sisters dive deep into beloved fantasy lore, character theme series and more.

[Lexi]

I'm Lexi, older sister and fantasy lore nerd.

[Nicole]

And I'm Nicole, younger sister and romantic at heart.

[Lexi]

And today is episode three of Brimstone by Kali Hart, where we are covering chapters 13 through 20. Please, oh please listen closely to our spoiler warning for these Brimstone episodes. Spoilers. Spoilers. Spoilers for all of Brimstone. Yes, that even includes the last sentence of the book. We may also reference any of the bonus chapters from Quicksilver or Brimstone. I know today we're referencing one from Brimstone.

[Nicole]

Joshen's secret is laden with every single Easter egg we need for the literal last line of the book and we will, unsurprisingly be talking about it. So if you have not read up to that very last line, then please go finish the book. We will be here when you're done.

[Lexi]

Next. We at Fantasy Fangirls are adults who say adult things about adult books. In other words, friends, this podcast is.

[Nicole]

Rated R. The Huntsman Cottage Was I expecting this book to give us dream sex?

[Lexi]

No.

[Nicole]

Am I mad also? No. Am I going to go through it? Yes. So so please be mindful of those little listening ears.

[Lexi]

Additionally, we are so excited to see you at upcoming live events.

[Nicole]

Lexi and I will be part of the Fantasy Fangirls Charity livestream on Monday, December 29, but there's a twist for this live stream. We are going to be playing a game of TTRPG Think Dungeons and Dragons during the stream and if you donate you will be able to influence the way the game plays itself out. It's going to be super. So much fun. Be on the lookout for more info in the coming days and on March.

[Lexi]

6Th through 8th in Dallas, Texas, we will be podcast partners at Dreamers and readers festival.

[Nicole]

On April 8, we are partnering with the Denver Nuggets and Rebecca Yarros for a fourth wing themed basketball night at Ball Arena.

[Lexi]

Plus we have a very exciting something on April 19th in Seattle. More details coming soon on that.

[Nicole]

Check out our website or the links below for more information to most of these events, including a promo code for Dreamers and readers.

[Lexi]

Also.

[Nicole]

Also in case you missed it, welcome, welcome, welcome Fantasy Fan Fellas to the Fantasy Fangirls Media Network.

[Lexi]

Our very own Executive producer Hayden and Book Talk star Stephen Walker recently launched a new podcast where every week they dive deep into Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn.

[Nicole]

Hayden is an expert in Sanderson's Cosmere and has already read the Mistborn series.

[Lexi]

But Steven has not, so each episode only includes spoilers up to the chapters covered as Hayden takes Steven through his first time reading Mistborn.

[Nicole]

Episodes 5 through 7, pin ultimate episode of the season are available now on the Fantasy Fan Fellas feed. It is only available on the Fantasy Fan Fellas feed going forward, so be sure to give them a follow link in the show Notes Last thing before.

[Lexi]

We jump Into Brimstone Episode 3. If you love Fantasy Fangirls and want more events, more community, more content and so much more, please check out Fantasy Fan club.

[Nicole]

We have three membership tiers that you can join. Number one is the Hive Mind, which includes access to our BOP and Discord, live Q&As from Lexi and I, a book club often featuring the authors themselves like Callie Hart. We also have community events, promo codes for live events, plus 20% off and access to exclusive merch that is for $6 a month or you can join the Spice Watchers which includes everything from the Hive Mind plus early access to ad free episodes, our full episode outlines and special voting privileges. That is for $10 a month. And then last but not least, we have the Feral Fans includes everything from the previous two tiers plus behind the scenes content, a welcome gift giveaways, private Discord channel, and your name shouted out on the podcast that is for 25amonth.

[Lexi]

Join the party at fantasyfangirls.com fan club. The link is also in the show Notes and really and truly, thank you so much for supporting us as we've turned this podcast into a dream come true. It is all because of you.

[Nicole]

And now it is time to go back to the Silver City itself.

[Lexi]

Zulvarin to start off every episode, Nicole does us the honor of summarizing this stretch of chapters. So gather round as we sing Loras ballad to discuss what happens in chapters 13 through 20 of Brimstone.

[Nicole]

Chapter 13 Kingfisher is ready for an attack with ease. While him and his quicksilver laugh at Carrion's pleas In the blink of an eye, the lights are out. Madras Guardians are not ready. They jump with a shout. Matter of seconds, the guards are all gone. It takes less than that for Kingfisher to throw Carrion on Madra's front lawn. With a glamour in place, they're off like the wind to track down co bank owner Eric for the win. Chapter 14 Back in Amontreus, things are getting worse as the rot keeps spreading throughout the Yvelya verse. Teladeus and Seris take a detour to see what Owlett has in her library. They hope she has what they need inside the library. Owgot's kind of a bitch, but be nice now Ceres, or you won't get the books from the witch. Let's see what information on Alchemy she can glean. Just a few drops of blood and Serious can learn what books she can read. Right after Owet leaves for the shelves, a blur comes crashing into Seiris herself. Well, bad news bears. Seirrus's magic swells where the Shadow cat dwells. Chapter 15 Back in Zelvarin, Vorath swears he doesn't know where Eric ran off with all of Carrion's dough. Karion cuts through the bullshit with barely a hit. Vorath has choice but to do as His Highness sees fit. So Vorath does what Vorath does best. He cheats. He lies. At his master's behest, he leads them both to a tall bell tower where the light never touches the prey for devour. Inside the tower, Vorath shows his hand, leading Carrion and Fisher to a demon trap be damned. Chapter 16 with folly now bound in the library chair, it's time to get some answers. But all he does is glare. He doesn't believe Kingfisher's alive. Nice try. For fuck's sake, Ferris, you stopped his knife in his lost brother's thigh. But Lorath is here to set things straight. Folly, I'd like you to meet Kingfisher's new mate. Chapter 17 the floor is now covered in scorpion's galore, climbing up Fisher's thighs and stinging him more and more. Carrion's condition on the floor is far worse, to the point where he'd rather be carried off in a hearse. Thank the gods for Idina and the stories she told to a young Kingfisher about the demons of old Joshen's A demon that thrives in the dark. But with the light. Oh boy, boy. His body will embark with nothing but his hand. Fisher pounds at the wall, unleashing magic on the wards that are playing hardball. Needing to stop his mother's voice of the dead Kingfisher finally breaks through the well with an off with his head. I wish it were that easy. It's time for a deal. Joshin can live if he helps our boys heal. Chapter 18 it's been 800 years since these wolves were united. But neither Folly nor Lorath seemed too excited. With the tension now gone, the awkwardness sets in. In maybe Folly can teach serious the way of his grandpappy's kin. Oh, wait, Cerus, before you go, when did you last sleep? Your body needs rest or the consequences will be oh so deep. Chapter 19 after they barely escape out of the tower alive, Kingfisher shows Carrion how to make the cure to survive. The venom might be gone, but his broken bones remain. Kingfisher follows Carrion to his domestic domain. Kingfisher can't help but ask his new bunk mate, Carrion Swift. Are you in love with my mate? Alas, he tried, but his heart wouldn't bear it. So, cheers, gents. Take the antivenom and submit. Chapter 20 Staring at the wall, she's getting nowhere. Who knew sleep would be something that could be so rare? At last she's done it. She's fallen asleep. She finds herself in a cottage surrounded by snow.

[Lexi]

So deep.

[Nicole]

Kingfisher is here. Outside chopping wood. But inside, in the cabin, he makes Seiras feel oh so good. I said a bang bang, bangity bang. Kingfisher won't let her bite him. Dang. After their fun, the two reconvene from the library to the bell tower and everything in between.

[Lexi]

Yay. Sex. It is time to dawn our relics and step through the Quicksilver to explore key insights, character analysis, lore, foreshadowing theories, and oh, so much more. So, friends, for these episodes three and four, when our main characters are split up in different realms, Nicole and I are going to divide, covering these chapters by location instead. So the first half of the segment is going to be in Zilvar, and then the second half in Amon Traeth, and then we'll bring it all together in the Dream Cabin because yay for episode flow. All right. Yes. So let's jump right into Zelvaran. Yay. We've been waiting to cover this since Callie teased before. Way before Brimstone's release. So, Kingfisher and Carrion have three tasks here in Zelvarn. Number one, get a lot of silver to bring back to Yvelia for enough relics to evacuate the realm. Number two, get information on the Feeders that came from Zelvarin. And number three, bring Hayden Fain back to Yvelia so Seras can finally be reunited with her brother and Kingfisher's secret. Number four, kill Madra. You know, no big deal, just a little laundry list of things to do while they're here. All right, so stepping through the Quicksilver, Kingfisher and Carrion are immediately ambushed by Maja's guards, who were clearly ready for fey warriors to travel through the portal. Last time Fisher came through the Quicksilver, Maja's guards had not been expecting someone to actually come through. So at that time, there were only about eight of them to get past. They had been more guarding the quicksilver versus expecting somebody to come through. This time, however, Fisher is not surprised at all that there is a whole unit of archers firing iron tipped arrows at them. And if it wasn't for Fisher carrying a shield through the quicksilver with them, they would both have become pink cushions. So in conclusion with this scene, Fisher does have his shit together, and Carrion is freaking out even the Quicksilver. And Fisher is making fun of Karen. I love our boy Carrion. We're gonna be definitely defending him here soon. But in this moment, it is a little bit like, come on, Carrie, I know what you're getting yourself into.

[Nicole]

Funn. Now, it's important to note that neither Fisher nor Carrion have brought their God swords with them because they cannot risk Magic getting her hands on one of them and stealing the quicksilver again. Which means that they would be stuck in Zolvarin for who knows how long. So better safe without them rather than, you know, sucks to suck being in Sylvarian. Can you imagine Kingfisher and Zolvarin for even a year? No, no.

[Lexi]

He would definitely kill Madra at some point though.

[Nicole]

He would probably spend a lot of time asleep. He'd be like, I'm going to the Huntsman cottage. Goodbye. Karen would be like, fuck you, dude.

[Lexi]

Fisher throws out his shadows, engulfing the entire hall of mirrors into darkness. The Guardians cannot see anything now. Not even Faye can see through his shadows. Like Carrion cannot see through his shadows darkness here either. I also loved a little bit about how Fisher sees a monochrome when he is looking through his darkness.

[Nicole]

Okay, so I feel like this has to be some Half God foreshadowing here. Since he sees what the Fae cannot see when his shadows flood their vision. I feel like that's just like a nudge, nudge, wink, wink as to how other his magic is, which is thus linking us to the Half Gods.

[Lexi]

I hadn't put those two together, but yeah, I suppose you're right there. And in this darkness, they are able to fight their way out of the hall with little effort on their Fisher's part. Since Fisher is using his magic to make the Guardians shoot each other instead. I also love how his Shadow magic jams the keyhole.

[Nicole]

Okay, I want Kingfisher on my fighting team. You know those, like, who would you pick no matter what? Kingfisher, because he. This is brilliant right here. This is like offensive on steroids. I love this. So smart.

[Lexi]

So step one of entering Zilvarin complete. Step two, escape the palace.

[Nicole]

A theme we're going to see over and over and over again in this first Zolvarian section is Kingfisher's not so generous view of Carrion. Now, Carrion has given him absolutely nothing to go off of that would make him think to the contrary. But even the quicksilver in Fisher's mind is like, this dude's an idiot. It manifests in Fisher quite literally not telling the smuggler any of his plans with getting out of the palace. Note, in his mind, he repeatedly calls Carrion the smuggler, not his king. Rarely Carrion. It is the smuggler. It is this little inner monologue moment that highlights how to Kingfisher Carrion is less than. Which we will later learn Carrion, when he's viewed as less than he will play into that illusion that someone has over him. It's an easy way for him to know exactly how much others underestimate them. Honestly, Carrion's fucking brilliant for doing that. And right now, that's exactly what Kingfisher is doing. Wildly underestimating the smuggler. But it brings to a brilliant moment in this book. With the hall of mirrors cleared, it's time to get out of the palace. Where's the door? Doesn't matter. That window looks great. Kingfisher throws Carrion out of the window. I want to take a moment of just sheer brava for Anthony Palme here as he goes, this is Carrie. He goes, fuck King Fisher. It's like so perfect. The two land 60ft below onto a canopy over a food stall with a screaming woman saying, my cabbages. Not really, but I hope you got that reference. So step two Escape the palace complete. Maybe not their most graceful though. We've all been there. You have the best intentions of getting your loved ones something thoughtful, something unique for the holiday season. And you end up losing track of time and you have to go the classic gift card route.

[Lexi]

Wow.

[Nicole]

Just at me. Why don't you?

[Lexi]

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[Nicole]

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[Lexi]

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[Nicole]

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[Lexi]

Yes, one of my favorite features is Squarespace's email campaigns. You all know me, I come from a marketing background. I've used this tool for our own newsletters and I can confidently say that these Squarespace tools have it all and I love them. You have everything you need to engage clients, promote your services, and grow your business all in one place.

[Nicole]

Head to squarespace.com FFG for a free trial. Then when you're ready to Launch, use code FFG to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. When it comes to holiday gifting, I want to give people things they actually will really love. Like beautiful, timeless pieces they'll wear for years. That's why we're going with quints. From Mongolian cashmere sweaters to Italian wool coats, everything is premium quality at a price that actually makes sense.

[Lexi]

I'm giving your husband another Quince gift card for Christmas. It's literally the third year that I've done this in a row.

[Nicole]

But we all win, right?

[Lexi]

Quince has something for everyone. It has soft Mongolian cashmere sweaters for $50 that look and feel like designer pieces. They have silk tops and skirts for dressing up, perfectly cut denim for everyday wear, and outerwear that actually keeps you warm. Like for instance, their Italian wool coats are standout pie, beautifully tailored, soft to the touch and crafted to last for season. Every clothing item is made with premium materials from ethical, trusted factories and priced far below what other luxury brands charge.

[Nicole]

The cashmere feels incredibly soft, it's structured and it doesn't pill. My favorite. It's the kind of quality I'd expect from like a $200 sweater, not a $50 sweater. So it's a win win. I also recently got this second skin T shirt bodysuit and it is my favorite thing ever. It's so cute I can layer it under things. I got like some cute jewelry I can wear with it. It's perfect for my pants, which you'll never guess I also got from Quince. I only wear quints now.

[Lexi]

Find gifts so good you'll want to.

[Nicole]

Keep them with quinn.

[Lexi]

Go to quince.comffg for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's huinc.comffg to get free shipping and 365 day return quints.comffg hi, this is.

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[Nicole]

Of $45 for three month plan equivalent to $15 per month required. New customer offer for first three months only. Speed slow after 35 gigabytes. If network's busy, taxes and fees extra.

[Lexi]

See mintmobile.com mic check12 Are we recording? Hi, I'm Michelle Bernstein, an award winning chef, restaurateur and mom. I have a lot on my plate, including my psoriatic arthritis symptoms. That's why I was prescribed. It helps me move better.

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[Lexi]

Your rheumatologist about Cosentyx. It might be technically the middle of the night right now in Salvarin, but remember that there are always two suns up here, which means that, yep, it is light outside. So now that they've fallen into the square in the Hub, it is time to conceal themselves. Luckily, Fisher uses what he can of his small magic to glamour himself and Carrion to look human, since standing at seven feet with pointy ears and canines is not good here, where magic users are forbidden and Fae are more like a myth here. While we're on the topic of glamouring, I want to quickly highlight how this works with Fisher's magic, especially in a different realm. He has to dive deep into his magic reserves to cast the glamour over the two of them, where the layer of illusion clings to them like a second second skin. It doesn't take a lot of resources to glamour, but glamour is a small magic that Fisher cannot draw on as easily here in Zelvarin like he can where his magic is from. Yvelia. Ah, so this is an interesting fact that his shadow magic for him is from Evelia, but it's not necessarily supposed to be once when we get to the end of the book. I'm also guessing he is not limited on his magic in Daxis either.

[Nicole]

That would be my assumption, yes.

[Lexi]

There are some realms in this universe that have absolutely zero magic, and there Fisher would not be able to access any of his magic. But here in Sylvarian, old magic has clung to the bowels of this place so he can at least pull a little bit of his magic. But he only has so much and he just used up a lot of it in the hall of mirrors with the darkness and then with glamouring them here. So he has to be very mindful how and when he uses what little he has left until it replenishes, which.

[Nicole]

Is why he cannot give himself a fucking tan. With the two suns in the sky. People here have far more sun color on their skin, whether it's tanned or burnt. And then Fisher is, you know, his wintry pale little self, which makes him stand out quite a lot, even though other than that he does look human. I love that he never explains what he looks like, because I think like if I'm putting myself in Fisher's shoes, If I'm putting myself in Fisher's shoes, he is not the type of dude who would want to look at a mirror right now. He wants to see himself as that Fae warrior. Even when he looks at Carrion, he's like, I'm at least significantly better looking.

[Lexi]

So all of this about magic and not being able to access your magic as well in different realms. I'm guessing this is a big reason that Carrion has not been able to explore his own powers. Fisher will note that Carrion is kind of impressive with some small magics, but we will not see his plant magic until he's back in Yvelia. By the way, in I think it's even this stretch of chapters, or maybe it's the next one that Fisher is like, huh? I think that Carrion has fire magic. But we'll explain, explore that later. I have never once gotten the impression that Carrion has fire magic.

[Nicole]

I figured he's plant master.

[Lexi]

That's what I figure too.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

But anyway, so we're just gonna put a pin in that for right now and explore that later. Fisher does also know that Carrion's bloodline is particularly powerful, so I strongly believe that he is going to come into his powers too, in book three. Maybe he has his plant magic, and then maybe he also has his fire element magic. I don't. Again, I don't entirely know how it.

[Nicole]

Works, but yeah, I think he has a whole other magic as well. But again, I'm teasing that because I'm going to be talking about it for a long time next episode, so take.

[Lexi]

That with a grain of salt. I'm curious about that because I did not read it the same way as you did.

[Nicole]

That's unsurprising. Lexi, I do want to highlight a quick Daddy watch here, because as we see, or I guess as they smell later when they're in the sewers. Not sewers, waterways of the city. Carrion mentions how Fisher's father had glamoured his face since to basically be completely dampened. So I guess that actually tells us that when Sarus was all hot and bothered next to him last book, he couldn't smell it. Although I could have sworn there were multiple lines that, on a reread, highlighted that he could.

[Lexi]

So I think you're right on both ends here. I am under the impression that his previous glamour that Finran had put on him was like a blanket over his heightened senses. But Carrion absolutely still had better smell and sight and reflexes than most. As he exclaims in his bonus chapter, but he also says that there is, like that glamour over him. So think of it like how Carrion was tall for a human, but he was not as tall as a Fae. So that's the same thing with his senses. He could smell way better than any other humans, but he could not smell as good as he should be able to as a Fae.

[Nicole]

So I want. I wanted to pull this out in the Daddy Watch section because this could be a nod that Fisher's father's glamour was more powerful. So this could be a Fin Sticks reference. And you know how if Finryn is Styx as a God, he would probably have more powerful magic to tap in from. Especially because after Carrion points this out about, you know, Fisher's father's glamour being stronger, Fisher remains silent. He literally says, I kept my mouth shut. Like he's keeping information in. I think you're right. But then that's Finsticks. And we're both back and forth on.

[Lexi]

Finsticks because there's absolutely a lot more to his father. But I'm not saying that necessarily equals he is Finsticks or he is Sticks. We learn a little more about Zelvarin from Fisher. It is an ancient city whose history is well documented in Yvelia. It existed long before Magdra took the throne and used to even have a council of magic users instead of a monarchy. I love that. Now, remember from the UK bonus chapter in Quicksilver, we do know that Madra came into power after her father and the family before that. So it was in her family for a while. But I'm so curious about what changed from these magic users to Madras family. And I wonder if that also has to do with why she hate. No, I don't think that has anything to do with that. I think that's all about Triumvirate and her own stuff. Anyway. Zavarn used to be a much better condition too, with hanging gardens and large water fountains that children would play in. The concept is incomprehensible. Now, Lauren has always been a circular city, but it wasn't until Madra's reign that she segregated it into wards. And in fact, in Carrion's bonus chapter in the Target exclusive for Brimstone, it's set approximately 350 years ago. And during that is when Madra is starting to really segregate all of the different wards. And Carrion is even like. That doesn't seem like a good idea. That's a. That's cause for revolution. And ah, I love it. Soon when King Fisher and Carian are falling forth through the streets of the Third. Fisher will see for himself what life in the Third is like. The people are dirty, their clothes are worn, and many of them are so thin, with sunken eyes. Yet they are smiling and laughing together. Fisher almost can't believe that they found a way to make this their normal. How they can accept it and cope even in the face of such misery. They have built lives and community. And this is one of the reasons that he loves Cirrus so much. Even when faced with hardship, she never backs down. She is a survivor who can still see the good in life, life and others. There's a lot that has been going on in Zalvarin since Sarris's departure, Much of which we'll get into later when Ceres and Hayden are reunited. There are more guardians patrolling the Third. A whole unit guarding the Quicksilver pool since the last time Fisher went through Madra, spreading lies about Serris, turning her community against her.

[Nicole]

So Lexi, I think I can safely say that you won that bet.

[Lexi]

Yes.

[Nicole]

Which means that I am going to watch every single episode of Ted Lasso and post an apology video about how long it took me to watch and I quote, the most wholesome, best show ever.

[Lexi]

You see, you are saying all this with like, oh gosh, right now, but as soon as you start watching that show, you are gonna watch one episode and you are going to call me and you're gonna be like, oh my gosh, I might as well do the apology video right now. Lexi, you were right.

[Nicole]

Oh my God. All so it's time to enter step three. With only three days before they need to get back to Evelia, it's time to at least start checking one thing off their list. Let's go get some silver. But not from Madras palace or her treasury, much to Kingfisher's dismay. Instead, they are going to go to Carrion's opinion of the next best source. The Brigands bank. Which Carrion just so happens to be the co owner of. I love that he conveniently leaves the co owner out of this exchange though.

[Lexi]

Yes, Fisher, your assumption to break into Madra's treasury is silly. That's so silly. That idea would never work. Maja has possessively hoarded all of the silver in this city for centuries. And in the last 1,000 years, Carrion has not figured out where her treasury is because it is that well guarded. And if he hasn't been able to figure out after all of this effort over a thousand years, now is not really the time to rely on finding it. And breaking in when they have a three day time limit.

[Nicole]

Don't get me wrong, I adore love. He's a top book boyfriend, Kingfisher. But this is just another nudge as to how he thinks himself far superior, especially a far superior thinker in this duo. Kingfisher is a barge in kill all who needs to be killed. And he's just such a good fighter, so he'll be fine kind of a person. TL Dr. Homeboy's a little cocky, but it's this moment where Karen's strategicness is showing. And God, I feel like I did with Sarah's last book in our coverage. King Fisher is thinking the worst in Carrion.

[Lexi]

At least he will evolve even through the course of this episode.

[Nicole]

That is true. He will do that.

[Lexi]

This makes me wonder about foreshadowing for later. We have to come back to Madra and Zavaren and all of this. There's so much buildup around it. Maybe we will go to the Treasury. Maybe there is something to this treasury if even Carrion can't find out where it is. It could also just be a convenient plot device because we have to go see Joshin and all of that. But maybe, maybe there's something to the Treasury.

[Nicole]

Okay, not to like be a broken record or anything, but I want to stick on this Carrion Kingfisher dynamic for just two more seconds. Because Kingfisher is not only insulting Carrion's intelligence, he's also saying that he's uneducated and untrained with his powers, which kind of he is. But that's not his fault. Kingfisher, especially in moments where later Carrion uses his magic and Kingfisher's like, oh, I'm surprised that he could do this. And it's like he's. He's a thousand. Like he can do things. But I also want to point out that Fisher doesn't expect a man who survived, even thrived ish for a thousand years in the city that is so horrid and determined to kill anyone who lives here. He doesn't expect Carrion to know what to do. Like Kingfisher is thinking he knows what's best right now.

[Lexi]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

So I'm going to give Kingfisher an L. But I don't think it's a capital L. I don't think it's a capital L. I think it is a 9 point lowercase L. But I think he deserves it.

[Lexi]

I think it is good for us to point out and analyze, but I don't know if I'M so far as willing to give him an L. Carrie. Okay, so to be fair, Carrion, we. We love our boy. He also slept through a battle and at the end of it was like, here, look everybody, I found a plant. That is what Kingfisher is working with, who Carrion is.

[Nicole]

Yes. And that is because. And this is not in. In Carrion's defense, but it is because Carrion is playing into that mold of everyone thinking him. So like, yes, I do agree that Kingfisher does not have a whole lot to go off of right now.

[Lexi]

Carrion has not given him many reasons otherwise. And yes. So Fisher, now I. The reason that I will maybe agree with you is because he's not giving carrying the opportunity. And alternatively, Carrion is waiting to get the opportunity to then show him anything versus trying to prove himself himself beforehand.

[Nicole]

Exactly.

[Lexi]

One of my favorite takeaways from the Zalvarin's Boys trip is the gradual shift in Fisher's perspective of Carrion. He starts by underestimating carrying at every turn by treating him like a burden instead of the resource ideas. But every now and then the smuggler does surprise Fisher to the point where he's even like, I'll have to tuck that observation away to process later. Like he's Fisher's observing and he's having to literally be like, I'm a little busy right now, but I'm going to have to change my narrative of him. So he is self aware. He's self aware.

[Nicole]

Oh, I so wholeheartedly disagree. But that's just me. Okay.

[Lexi]

Fisher is reminded of Carrion's father's profile in one moment. Like the King of Yvelia who is on a coin that Fisher had as a kid. Fisher doesn't think of Carrion as the heir to the throne, the son of the beloved and powerful Fae King. Like you were saying, he calls him a smuggler. But it is starting to change. And we're starting to see that in these little moments here as we are getting into Zelvarn.

[Nicole]

Remember that little snag about Carrie and being co owner of the Brigands Bank? Yeah. Well, we're gonna need to find someone to help out with that little mess. But not the co owner himself, because Eric might be a little pissed at Carrion. So instead, Carrion rightly assumes that his business partner Eric employed a vault breaker to change the lock so Carrion would not be able to access the vault. And that vault breaker is named Vorath Shaw. A name we have heard before.

[Lexi]

We talked about him in our Quicksilver episode. One when Seras passed by him as she was looking for Hayden, who disappeared with a Guardian's gauntlet. Vorth Shah has a shop in the third where he peddles snake oil, tiny fragments of metal that he claims contains traces of arcane magic. Oh, like demon magic? Forth. I don't think any of that was actually from Joshen, but what a difference it is to read about him in Quicksilver with what we know now on a reread. He also sold glass vials full of cloudy liquids that granted magical gifts. He claimed to have access to the Fountain of Madra's Eternal Youth. And Sarris noted in those early chapters of Quicksilver that there was a chance with him that he might gut you and pick your body clean. Oh, well, yes, Fisher will certainly get these vibes from him and not trust him one bit. But as I was rereading Vorath in Quicksilver, I really could not find much that would make me guess he's, you know, a demon's servant. Though as soon as it is revealed, I wasn't exactly surprised.

[Nicole]

That's exactly how I feel. It was like we knew something shady shit was going on with this dude, but I thought he was gonna be part of, like, the revolution or something like that, but be, like, a shady motherfucker in it. But it does make sense that he's involved with a demon. Like that just checks out. So something mighty interesting happens when Vorath Shah walks into Kala's. He immediately runs out, but it's not because he sees Carrion. Instead it's because he sees Fisher skirt. Fisher has only been in Sylvarian one other time, and that was to get Carrie on Swift, and he was in and out in an hour. So I see this, as. I'll call it, two different options here. Number one, Vorath sees the otherworldliness of Fisher. Yes, he is glamoured, but it's Fisher.

[Lexi]

I don't think he sticks out like a sore thumb.

[Nicole]

Still, he does.

[Lexi]

A very pale sore thumb.

[Nicole]

So I do think that Vorath would, in this case, have a potion or something that maybe even has him seeing through glamours. Like, he might be able to see through the glamour and immediately see that, because he's used to seeing Carrion as maybe a Fae, but seeing that they have a very scary fey male with them would be, you know, a little intimidating. But even if they didn't, option one is he's running away because Fisher is Fisher.

[Lexi]

And tomorrow, Carrion and Fisher are going to find Hayden, and Hayden will know who Fisher is. Is but there has not been enough time yet for Mod to start spreading the news. Officially, that's all going to happen when all this demon stuff is going on. So, yes, I think that it is Vorath being like, oh, my God, he knows that it is a Fae warrior. Yes, I do think that he is glamoured. But, like, he sees how insane this is with Fisher, and he obviously knows that there's a lot more going on. So he was able to put two and two together and that they, or specifically Fisher, is bad news bears for servants of demons. Because Fisher is his enemy. Right. Yeah.

[Nicole]

Well, okay, so I'm gonna go to option two, then. Because if. Correct me if I'm wrong, you're leaning option one.

[Lexi]

Not that he can see through the glamour, but just that he recognizes Fisher for what he is based on. For us, personal knowledge.

[Nicole]

Okay, so option two is from descriptions in Orlena's chapter. Fisher and Finran do look mighty similar. So I wonder if Vora wrath knows Finryn from, you know, Zolvarin, and maybe they've run into a pickle or something at some point. And he actually mistakes Fisher for Finryn. I love this idea. But considering where their story goes with how Vorath's demeanor around Fisher doesn't really change. In fact, like, he's really calm and stuff like that. Like, if he was suddenly inclined close quarters with Fisher, and then his demeanor changed wildly because he was like, oh, this isn't Finryn, then I would be like 100%. This is absolutely the reason he ran away.

[Lexi]

What if the Fae with all the bones and everything is Finryn and it's like, there's Fenrin?

[Nicole]

I don't think that actually.

[Lexi]

I promise I don't actually make that terrible. That would be just Aegon.

[Nicole]

So anticlimactic.

[Lexi]

Yeah, I. I think that it is very strange that Vora sees Fisher and bolts and then when they catch up with him and all that, that he's darting back to him constantly and it's like, is it because of Fisher that he leads carrying through, like, this whole plan or something? Or is it maybe like he's trying to see if he can get away with this plan with Fisher along for the ride? It's definitely a big question mark for me.

[Nicole]

I think it's a little bit of both. I think he. He sees that there's a Fae, if not too Fae, in the realm and he's like, oh, my God, Joshen's gonna love me today. Like, I think he sees the opportunity to feed his master and he's like, I'm gonna take it.

[Lexi]

Fisher is picking up on something else with this vault breaker too. Voreth is acting terrified. He seems scared and worked up over being threatened by Carrie and just like, oh, no, don't.

[Nicole]

Oh, no.

[Lexi]

Except he's not really. And Fisher can tell with telltale signs, like the calm rhythm of his heart. Heart.

[Nicole]

This is another reason why I don't think it's Finryn. Because if Fin Sticks has fucked with Borath, there is no way he would be actually calm. He would be freaking the fuck out. So that's another reason why I'm like, oh, I think it's just because it's Fisher.

[Lexi]

And Fisher is kind of torn between wanting to see what Vorath is really up to and knowing that this is a trap. And Fisher does not have time to just walk into a trap.

[Nicole]

According to Vorath, Eric, the co owner of the Brigands bank, made Vorath help him, you know, change locks, do all that kind of stuff. But Vorath definitely didn't want to. I mean, Eric is just so persuasive and so paranoid. Carrion should know better than anyone that Eric would never let anyone else know where he was planning on bringing so much priceless metal. And thank the gods that Karion is not buying this shit. He knows that Eric was the laziest, most arrogant person in the Third and never would have transported all of their trunks by himself. But in this moment, Shaw is so torn, he can't pick a side. If he picks Carrion's, he'll be betraying Eric. Major air quotes there. And if he picks Eric's, he'll be betraying Carrion. Again, major air quotes. I mean, who's he supposed to piss off? As Carrion puts it, you should probably piss off the guy who isn't here. I mean, one look at Fisher and that would be the obvious, obvious answer. But again, this is just another moment of Shah playing the fool of leading a horse to water, basically by like, oh, I'm the innocent victim here. Well, I can take you to Eric. And of course, there it is. So Shaw leads them through the streets of the Third to a tower, claiming that this is where Eric has brought all of the treasures and that he has some sort of charmed object that acts as a key to allow him to get in. It's just a magnet. I love that. I love that it was a magnet. And then Vorath being like, what's a magnet?

[Lexi]

Well, and then also there are a few fun little tidbits about magnets and Yuvalia and all of that. But Fisher's like, oh, does Carrion know that this is a magnet? And Carrion does. And he's like, oh, okay. Like he does. Like another little mower. It's like, oh, okay. Like he knows more than I'm giving him credit for. While it's my understanding that there is truth to this statement, Vorath is taking Carrion and Fisher to where there is lots of treasure. He obviously has quite the alternative motive. So this is how I understand what happened. Yes, Eric did get his help in moving the treasure because Carrion had been missing in Evelia for so long. And Eric is like, well, cool. I'm just gonna go ahead and become the only owner of this bank and move all of our. And that is where Vorath then took him to the bell tower. And I'm pretty sure that little dead body in the fetal position that we.

[Nicole]

Oh, it's Aaron. Eric.

[Lexi]

It's got to be Eric.

[Nicole]

It has to be Eric. Yeah.

[Lexi]

And so I think that's Eric. And so Vorth took Eric to deposit this treasure in a great place that he had. And then Eric died by Joshen. That's just my theory though. So, yes. Little do our guys know here. Although Fisher knows nothing good is about to happen, Forth is leading them to his master. So he again, nom, nom, nom, eat them.

[Nicole]

Promising to show them the goods, Vorath takes them to that magically locked door on the side of the building. A building that just happens to be a bell tower. AKA the tallest point in the third. Rooms on rooms, on rooms on rooms. But they're all empty. Except for skeletons. Fae skeletons. Blaring show don't tell that something is mighty, mighty wrong. But also that these skeletons have been here for a long, long time. Like probably since Madra came to power a thousand years ago, when the fae were practically wiped out. Almost.

[Lexi]

At least.

[Nicole]

In the corner of the tower, there are also trunks of jewels, golden cups, and all sorts of riches, including lots of silver. But the moment they crest that final staircase, Fisher is like, we need to go. But it's too late. Shaw pushes Carrion into the room. And Carrion's hands and knees are immediately stuck to the ground. How is that possible? Runes glowing green, then flaring bright white. There are thousands of runes interlocking on the walls, the ceilings, the stairs, the floor. Exactly where Carrion is trapped. It is a demon trap. Old alchemy and magic designed to do exactly that. Trap demons. But this one has been around for so long that it has deteriorated and manipulated. So instead of trapping Demons. It's Joshin's way of trapping his prey, almost like a spider web, basically catching a fly. Which brings us to the demon himself.

[Lexi]

Joshin, Lord of the desert, King of the Dark dream, AKA the Scorpion King.

[Nicole]

Who is made of millions of scorpions, capable of being all of them skirting around the floor or combining themselves together into one giant figure.

[Lexi]

Gross. He can be many or one, both of which are absolutely terrifying and deadly. Those scorpion stings hurt and will inject venom that makes the victim get consumed by their nightmares. Demons are today's library topic, so I'm gonna save most of the details for that because. Wow. I am so fascinated by demons and how they'll come into play in the series.

[Nicole]

Joshin, it's not so lovely to meet you, my guy. This demon Lord of the Desert, King of the Dark Dream, is not so great though. He used to be one of the demons who plagued the lands of Evilia, but somehow got to Zolvarin. I love that little tidbit, but I'm like, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. How? How?

[Lexi]

I have so many questions.

[Nicole]

Each scorpion has venom capable of making one see their darkest nightmares haunting them. Normally, they're haunted by people they love saying terrible things about them. It also makes one incredibly tired. But if you fall asleep before getting an antidote, it curses you for life. Anytime you sleep, you will fall back into the dark dream. That's so good. Oh, my God. Only one thing can help scatter the scorpions. It doesn't kill Joshen, but it scatters them, and that is light.

[Lexi]

Yes. Joshen cannot stand the light, so that will be the only way to weaken this scorpion deep. Thousands of scorpions crawl out of the stonework, covering everything. Immediately, both Carrion and Kingfisher start getting stung everywhere. Fisher compares each sting to a hot bolt of lightning racing along his nerve endings and stealing his breath. Carrion's hands are still stuck to the floor, leaving him unable to bat the scorpions away as they crawl up him. He's in especially bad shape since Kingfisher hasn't officially stepped into the demon trap yet. Yet he's technically free to turn around and get the out. But for his mate's sake, he will not just leave Carrie and Swift here. So Fisher steps into the demon trap to help his soon to be friend. Thankfully, in the stories King Fisher's mother told him as a child, when they were playing together, she taught him how to combat Joshen and his scorpions. I wonder if she knew be again Oracle. If she was like, I know that she always did that. But anyway, just a little fun fact there.

[Nicole]

Oh I 100 think she only told me Kingfisher about the scorpion demon and like how to like she prepared him very purposefully.

[Lexi]

Yes, yes, exactly. Joshen hates the light, so somehow some way, Kingfisher and Karen need to break through these indestructible magic sealed walls and allow sunlight in. Drawing back his fist, Kingfisher crashes it into the wall, sending all of his power into it again and again. He's making a rain ripple of shadows to fan out over the stone, followed by a ripple of black energy. Combating this magical seal with his own magic.

[Nicole]

Not liking whatever the fuck Kingfisher is doing, the scorpions start retreating from their individual attacks and start coalescing into one single being. Kingfisher watches as these scorpions form into a horrible mass of teeth and wet, glistening pulsing meat. The scorpions are splitting along their backs and fusing that back skeleton with the growing mass, forming arms, legs, a bulbous body that is shaping into a vaguely human like torso. His left arm has normal human hands, whereas his right arm is a huge glossy hard shelled pincer. All the while his eight legs are very scorpion like. This is is terrifying. I like Props to Callie for writing Nightmare Nightmare Theater. I love this. Taking his attention off this scary scorpion man, Kingfisher continues to pound on the stone wall again and again and again and again. He's striking the stone so hard that he can feel the bones in his hands starting to break. As this is happening, a rumbling shakes the entire tower and the demon speaks, its voice sounding like overlapping voices that don't resemble human or fae speech, but one that belongs to something far, far older. Kingfisher notes that it's a creature not born, but constructed from the base elements of hell itself. There's a nice diaxis note. The words the demons are saying are in old fey, a language it should not know. And surprise, surprise, it also knows common fae too. Man, this demon's got quite the duolingo go streak on his app, focusing his attention back to the wall. Another boom boom boom and Kingfisher feels the bones in his hand completely splinter. He continues to pound the magic away, holding the wall together. His shadows continue to sweep across the stone with that weird black energy, following it wave after wave and continuing to merge with his own shadows. The old magic in this demon trap is not even reacting to Kingfisher's shadow magic, at least not in the way that Kingfisher thinks it should be. This is important because Kingfisher starts to think, quote, it was almost as though. And then he stops thinking. His thought gets cut off. Like, is this something to do with the half God? Like, it should have affected him because he's a half God. Like, what? What?

[Lexi]

I was wondering about that cutoff line there, too. What if whoever trapped Joshen in here did something where the Shadow Magic would not work? Because that was my interpretation when I was reading through all this, is that, yeah, Fisher's magic is not working the way it's supposed to be. And so I'm wondering if one of those thousands of runes is to not make his Shadow magic work. And if Finryn is still alive. What if the person who set all this up was not a friend to the Shadow Wielders?

[Nicole]

I could totally see that.

[Lexi]

That.

[Nicole]

Ooh, that's interesting. I like it.

[Lexi]

And of course, this is the moment that the venom starts taking effect. Fisher sees his mother standing in next to him, looking, as she always has, beautiful and sad. We even get the detail that she's wearing her favorite dress. It is blue with Kingfisher birds embroidered onto the skirt, their wings flashing a metallic blue before shadowing with the colors of the birds. She reprimands Kingfisher for trying to make excuses and then turns it up by telling him she never had a moment of peace and thinks Kingfisher is the reason his father went away. Calling him the reason that he died. Pause. Do we really think that he died? Is this confirmation, or Adina being an unreliable narrator?

[Nicole]

Yes.

[Lexi]

If anyone will see. I was going to say, if anyone can be relied on as a narrator, it would be her.

[Nicole]

I think it's Nightmare. Adina being an unreliable narrator. Because this is real. Adina. I think that this is Kingfisher's version of Nightmare. Adina.

[Lexi]

Ah, I see. There. Yes.

[Nicole]

Because he thinks his father is dead.

[Lexi]

Yes. Yes. Meanwhile, Fisher is emptying his stomach onto the ground. He is in so much pain from this venom and his badly broken hand from trying to punch the tower. When Fisher looks at his mother, he sees disgust on her face and her voice is just dripping with disdain. She questions what kind of male he's become, landing the final blow, telling Fisher that she doesn't recognize him and that she's never been more ashamed. But this actually helps Fisher snap back to reality. He knows that his mother was too kind and sweet to ever say such harsh words. This figure might look like his mother, but Idina knew that her son would was not weak, something she made sure of herself. And I love that he knows his mother better than his mind is trying to trick him and Fisher has lived with demons inside his head most of his life. With the quicksilver slowly making him go insane and then being trapped in Malcolm's Maze for 110 years, Fisher knows how to ignore these demons in his head, but still doesn't make it not sting to hear this hallucination say these very hurtful words that his subconscious conscious already is trying to tell him.

[Nicole]

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[Lexi]

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[Nicole]

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[Lexi]

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[Nicole]

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[Lexi]

I am obsessed with my new Warby Parker prescription sunglasses because yes, they have those too. I get so many compliments on them anytime I go outside and I just love them so much. I feel so cool in them. And Warby Parker glasses start at 95 and include prescription lenses with anti reflective with anti reflective scratch resistant coating. Many Warby Parker locations offer comprehensive eye examination exams starting at 85. Add a pair and save 15 when you purchase two or more prescription pairs of glasses or sunglasses. This offer is available both at home and in stores. Nicole and I both, we got ours just online and we were absolutely amazed by how perfect it fits for us. Free shipping and free 30 day returns.

[Nicole]

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[Nicole]

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[Lexi]

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[Nicole]

Tuning out his mother Kingfisher turns his full attention back to the task at hand. Getting him and Carrion the out of here. Using his own blood, Kingfisher draws the rune for break on the wall, which pause. This is not the same rune exactly as the Hasrax will ink on Saera's later this book. That one's much more active abstract. It means undone break. A whole bunch of other things. And much more powerful. Yeah, much more powerful. This is just a straightforward rune for break. As soon as he finishes the final line, the rune lights up in a blazing white light. This is not the suns. This is the rune itself glowing. The rune sinks into the wall, forming deep grooves into the stone and stretching the magic on the wall thin. This also means now that the ward that is to going keeping Joshin in Place is broken too. So he can travel throughout Zolvaran now and quote, invite everyone to the dark dream. This is bad, bad, bad. Not wanting any of Joshin to do that, Kingfisher turns and smashes his fist into the wall, finally causing the wall to crack open. And on the second strike, a large section of the sandstone explodes out, allowing the light from the two twin suns to illuminate the dark space. The second the light touches Joshen, the demon begins to flail and attempts to find the way out of the light, going as far as to start to disassemble back into those thousands of scorpions, you know, to spread itself out. But half of it is already starting to melt as it's caught midway from scorpion to demon. It's raw flesh exposed to the direct sunlight.

[Lexi]

Backing up a little. Through all of this, this Vorath has been taunting the boys. Joshen hadn't been able to break the wall, and he had been trying for a thousand years. That's how Vorath found him. From the tunnels, he heard Joshen trying to break out, and he followed the pounding to the tower. My guess is Vorth was up to his shady and once when he found Joshen, the scorpion demon seized the opportunity to make this human his servant. I'm assuming willingly, probably. Vorith is definitely mad in how he delights in his master getting to feed on these two, and how magnificent he is to Beh. Initially, I was wondering if there is more to Vorath and Joshen within our story. Like trying to come up with theories about Joshen becoming his master. But the more I think about it, the more straightforward it does feel. Especially knowing how slimy Vorath Shah was back in Quicksilver too. Though with Joshin's introduction to the story, I'm sure there are Easter eggs as it relates to him being a demon and what we know about demons in other realms later on, as well as his secret that we'll be getting to here soon. I really do think that Joshin is is to help move the plot forward with the other storylines. He also might be a great Easter egg for what it used to be like in Salvarin and who trapped him here. Especially when Fisher is like, you shouldn't know these languages, like Old Fae or Common Fae. Joshen says that he has heard many languages through the walls, that is including Old Fae. It shows how long Joshen has truly been here. I like my crack theory that if Finryn was alive after the Quicksilver, still he is the one who created this demon trap for Joshen. And maybe that is when Fisher's like. It's almost as if. Though I don't know what that would mean with the Shadow magic not working in there. Because you would think that the Shadow wielder would want his magic to work.

[Nicole]

But anyway, wait, wait, wait. Going off that theory for a second, if the rune magic deteriorated and switched into something else over time, maybe something was supposed to be more powerful with the Shadow magic because it was Finryn or Finsticks who tried trap Joshin here. Maybe that deteriorated and or manipulated over time and that's why the Shadow magic was working weird. Maybe, maybe I could see that.

[Lexi]

I also, I realized that there are many other people that could have made the demon trap.

[Nicole]

And everything is fin.

[Lexi]

Like it feels like this being in our story. I know that when we were talking about, you know, how we felt about this book, when we were giving like our initial reactions to this book, at the top of episode one one, Nicole and I were saying we feel like it can be a little side questy. And this is one of those moments. And at the same time, reading between the lines, there are so many Easter eggs in this scene here. And I really do think that a lot of this is going to come down to the history of Zelvarin. And I'm just not convinced yet that Venryn is dead. Yes, Solace is now bound to serious, but I think that could be explained by other kind of magic too, to be honest.

[Nicole]

Before Kingfisher again can get furious because he has to save Carrion fucking Swift, the Dianthus heir slams his elbow into Shaw's stomach. He kicks Vorath's feet out from under him, wrestling him to the ground. All the while, scorpions are attacking them both. I love that Kingfisher is a little bit like. Okay, he's a little impressed. Shaw is fast. He tries to pull himself away and wriggle free, but carry it despite being completely stung all over. Get Shaw back into his grasp and snaps his neck. Okay, Carrion. See Fisher. He can hold his own.

[Lexi]

Exactly. And here is the end of Vorath Shah.

[Nicole]

Honestly deserved.

[Lexi]

Yes. No eulogy for you, sir. Still makes me wonder if Heron is alive after he got his next back to Joshin. Because we might be happy. This scorpion demon is severely weakened. But there is one problem. Fisher and Carrion need Joshin venom to be willingly given in order to make the anti venom. So Fisher strikes a bargain with Joshen. Their two lives in exchange for the demons. And you know What? You're right, Mr. Demon. You are so great and so Special that your life is worth way more than these two messy Fae. Give me a secret too. Too. After all, Joshen is older than the city and he has very valuable secrets. I also want to note that when Joshen is identifying Fisher as a creature of Shadows, he says, quote, A mind full of shadows is a dangerous thing when you already live in the darkness. Hell is right there at your fingertips. So thin the veil. So before I read the end of this book, I was thinking, oh, that's got to be a reference to the quicksilver and the demons inside of his head. And while I do think that could be a part of it, I think that Joshen is absolutely abstractly referring to dioxis and Fisher's connection to the demon realm.

[Nicole]

Exactly how I took it. Which I have another small L for King Fisher in this moment because of how he shuts down carrion with a Shut up and then, quote, the grown ups are about to strike a bargain. I understand needing to bargain for the venom. He's maybe not his best right now, but do you have to talk down to him like that?

[Lexi]

Is Karen okay? I'm sorry, but I'm gonna have to bring my toddler thing back into this. Sometimes when my toddlers are talking and talking and talking and it's like I am trying to have an important adult conversation here. Yes, I know that he is not a toddler, but Karion is not shutting up right now.

[Nicole]

He is 1093 years old. You're saying he's 1096.

[Lexi]

Actually, I forget.

[Nicole]

That makes a big difference. Thank you.

[Lexi]

Don't mess with me in my timeline, sickle.

[Nicole]

Anyway, having been around the Fae Block for 1733 years, Kingfisher is very careful with his wording for this anti venom. The offer is as such, quote, we will spare you and allow you to live if you provide two droplets of your venom to heal us. Which he doesn't stop there with a little flattery like Lexi was mentioning. He bargains for another gift that the demon has to give them. A secret. And Kingfisher is so smart. He said, we will spare you. Not, we will spare all of you. He only spares one scorpion. He locks him in a box. So Joshin cannot duplicate himself like he's been doing for who knows how long, AKA how he got all the millions of scorpions. And when he says that he'll set the one one scorpion free, he doesn't say when, just that he will eventually. So clever.

[Lexi]

And where he is being kept is not necessarily a demon trap. It's just a Box.

[Nicole]

I. I only picture this as the secret box from the spongebob squarepants episode where it's like a picture of spongebob at the Christmas party.

[Lexi]

Locked into the bargain, Joshen shares his secret. Let's go through it line by line. Where there is light, there is always darkness. Shadow Weaver. So Fisher is the shadow weaver. And it goes back to how there is always opposing ends. Light and darkness, good and evil.

[Nicole]

What a good callback to Zarith last book. And I do also wonder, because we know that the Zarith chapter was like this beautiful light hillside where the skies were blue, the sun was shining, and then we go to Daxis, which is definitely neither of those things. So I wonder if also they are light and dark, they're opposites of each other, those two realms.

[Lexi]

But I'm so confused because that's not even like the God Realm.

[Nicole]

I think it's Zarith's realm. Yes, yes. And then that's Styx's realm.

[Lexi]

Joshen goes on to say, to kill a queen, you will need to visit the darkest of all places. All right, let's do this. This is so interesting. Kill a queen immediately makes me think of Madra. And to visit the darkest of all places, I imagine it must be Dioxis. And Fisher will need to visit there to get the ball rolling. To kill her.

[Nicole]

Yeah. So I bet more than anything this is the how to kill madra 101 that is going to going to be in Adina's book. Because Adina's instructions are sending them to Dioxis first and then hopefully eventually to Madra. The only other queen that they could be referring to is Saris. And I truly don't think it's that. I think it's. I think that this is 100% madra.

[Lexi]

And especially because Joshin goes on to say, you will need to strike a deal far more costly than this one if you hope to succeed. The deal, the trade that Fisher proposes in the last sentence of the book when he goes to Daxis, the trade, I love it.

[Nicole]

I want to know what it is.

[Lexi]

Quote. And the beast who lies in wait for you there will not be so easy to trick as me. So, beast like, is he talking about a dragon?

[Nicole]

Yes.

[Lexi]

Whether it is Fish's soon to be dragon or arisen, who is the dragon having to grant him access into Daxis? However, Fisher did kind of trick her. So I wonder if it is a future beast who will come into the story.

[Nicole]

After Fisher's trade, I assumed that this was arisen. At first I was like oh my God. Is this Styx? But because Joshin goes on to say, she will eat you whole in the next line, we know that 6 God of shadows is God of shadows versus the female pronoun used for Nichinai, Goddess of masks. I think it's safe to say that it is Aris and. But I didn't even think about it being his own dragon. I just kind of assumed he would take arson or not take. But he would strike a deal for Arison. I didn't think about him taking.

[Lexi]

Well, she doesn't like him very much. And that was when Joshin says, quote, she will eat you whole, Shadow Weaver. She will tear away your soul and feed it for decades. Oh, dear.

[Nicole]

Yeah. This makes me really concerned as to what this trade is about to be because it sure does sound like he's going to stay in dioxis. And I swear to the gods, if Fisher does the whole martyr thing again. I don't think I. I say that.

[Lexi]

I don't think he's going to stay in Diaxis at all. Like, I definitely think he and Seras are going to stay together, but he.

[Nicole]

Has to trade something. And so I'm wondering.

[Lexi]

Has to seal her Brimstone rune there too.

[Nicole]

True. I don't know what this trade is going. I think you're right. I think Kingfisher and Serious are going to stay together because they said in this book, no more. We are not separating ever again. And Kingfisher's largest rune is sacrifice. So I don't know which one's gonna win out. But I really hope it's the promise to his mate.

[Lexi]

I think it will be. Especially because they have a lot of bigger issues. Like they are in Daxis To. They have a to do list there so that they can then leave and then, you know, go kill Madra and all these other things and stopping the rot and all. He's got too many things to do to stay stuck there.

[Nicole]

Okay, fair.

[Lexi]

Back at 4th Shop, Fisher is pushing through the effects of the venom to make an anti venom. Joshen, the tiny little one scorpion trapped in the box, is pissed that Fisher bested him in their bargain. But a deal's a deal. He offers up his venom to stay alive.

[Nicole]

Luckily, all warriors know how to make anti venom. It's very useful for them to learn bait basic healing skills. But in the shop, Mama Fish comes back saying things like, he's too late. He's just like his father. Always too late. Raise your hand if you want to know what this means. What was Finryn Late on saving the dianthuses. That's what I can guess.

[Lexi]

I'm under the impression that this goes back to the narrator. The unreliable narrator, maybe.

[Nicole]

I could totally see that. I could definitely see that. She is also saying that Kingfisher is the reason that his father left, and therefore the reason he died. Mean nightmare, Adina. Rude. But again, because this is from Kingfisher's subconscious, there's a little part of him that does believe this. And so the nightmare is trying to decide who would be the worst person to tell him this to his face. Oh, let's bring up his mother.

[Lexi]

What if he was too late? Fenrin was too late when? And it had something to do with the Blood Curse and Malcolm and all of that because he was researching the Blood Curse. Curse?

[Nicole]

Possibly. Totally possibly. But back in the tower, Kingfisher was able to detach himself from whatever the nightmare version of Adina was saying, since he knows that she truly would never say these things. She's far too kind. So that's when the nightmare shifts, turning instead into Mirelle Ren's twin sister, member of the Lupa Proalia, who died at the Battle of Azen Gate, and someone who was almost with Kingfisher. She has now attached her soul to the sword Nimmerel. Meaning? Meaning for Norell nee Marelle. But here she's saying that Kingfisher is yet again putting people in danger. That he's careless. He's making promises to look out for people and then letting them down by being more concerned for having his own glory. After repeatedly ignoring her, she finally forces him to look at her. She says, quote, look at what you did to me, Fisher. He sees her, her half burnt, melted after she was burned from Om nom nom nom nom Shakrai. And the guilt almost sets in when Kingfisher finally remembers that no, she would never be like this. She does not blame him for her death. Not when she attached herself to the sword in order to stay close to the loop of Paralia. So I really want to commend Fisher here. I've been giving him a little bit of a hard time. We're going to be nice to the guy for a second.

[Lexi]

Thank you. You're welcome.

[Nicole]

Welcome.

[Lexi]

Also, by the way, I meant to say this earlier. That second ludicrome. No, that is still part of the initial L that you gave him. So you were allowed to give him one slower case L for how he is looking at carrying through all of this when he is in Carrion's Salvarin Realm.

[Nicole]

Okay, Queen of Dishing Elves, your. Your order is.

[Lexi]

I am the. This.

[Nicole]

This is a democracy, okay?

[Lexi]

I did not vote for these L's. We must compromise.

[Nicole]

Okay, I will compromise with one lowercase L, not nine point font though.

[Lexi]

Ten point font.

[Nicole]

Twelve point font.

[Lexi]

No.

[Nicole]

Eleven point font. No, that is the size of the font in our. In our outline right now. One lowercase.

[Lexi]

Nope. Because. Because. Because Karen has not given him enough reasons to.

[Nicole]

Fine. Ten point fonts. Divine. Fine. Now, I don't want to commend Fisher, but I will anyway. While the reasons his mind are so strong are completely tragic, it's the quicksilver that made him constantly have to figure out what's real, what's not real. Or else he felt like he was always going mad. It's because of that ability to distance himself from those nightmares. It is that sheer discipline that he practiced for hundreds and hundreds of years from the quicksilver. So good job, Fisher. I'm sad you have this skill.

[Lexi]

In the main story of Brimstone, we don't see or know which ghosts are haunting Carrion as he cries and pleads with his nightmare that she's sick. Please don't take it. I can't help her without it. But the target Special Editions bonus chapter is in Carrion's POV and it takes place place 317 years ago. And we learn in this bonus chapter who he is referring to here in this chapter of Brimstone. Tem, the human woman that he fell in love with centuries ago in Sylvarin. Tem was a beautiful human in the Hub, the Chamberlain's daughter. But even in her early 20s, she was a walking miracle. She had the sun sickness, where she couldn't spend more than 10 seconds outside before her skin started to blister. Her body was failing her and she needed very rare and constant medicine that had to be brought in every week from the East. But it was getting harder and harder to source these herbs. The bonus chapter is when they meet and she makes him promise that he will not fall in love with a dying girl and spend the next 10 years of his life mourning. And Carrion promises he's not that kind of man. But they spend the next weeks inseparable. And when the day does arrive that she passes, he realizes she had shown him his own heart and she shattered it when she left. So we can deduce that Carrion is begging someone, not her, but someone else, for the medicine for Tim. But it become too impossible for her to get and she couldn't survive without it. It's so sad.

[Nicole]

That was a tragic bonus chapter to read.

[Lexi]

Oh, I know.

[Nicole]

Antivenom's ready. So bottoms up, boys. Let's get this nightmare over with. The moment they take the antivenom, the two start convulsing. Luckily, about after an hour in which they were awake the whole time, foaming at the mouth. They are at least not seeing dead people anymore, but boy, do they feel very shitty. I love these two and their bonding moment here. Is it the best circumstance?

[Lexi]

No.

[Nicole]

But when Carrion says, quote, do you ever wake up sometimes and think, gods, wouldn't it be nice if I hadn't just gone toe to toe with a scorpion demon from hell? And Kingfisher LAUGHS that's awesome, because, yes.

[Lexi]

Back in the maze, Morthill, a spider demon, would kill Fisher and he would come back to life over and over and over again because he couldn't die in the maze. And in this moment, Fisher's like, yes, yes, actually, I have woken up quite often, more often than anyone should wondering that.

[Nicole]

And then Carrion helps Kingfisher to his feet and Kingfisher accepts the help, which is very sweet. And it's time to get the out of Borath Shop.

[Lexi]

As we wrap up the first of our two episodes in Salvarin, we learn a little bit more about Carrion's feelings for Saris, which, as many of us remember, part of this was an audio teaser ahead of Brimstone's release. Release. And it had the fandom panicking that there was going to be a love triangle. Good news, there will not be. Not even carrying wants one. Karion does love Ceres, though, but his heart is not able to be in love with her. Like I was saying in episode one, when we got some foreshadowing for this, carrying admires the fire that is within Serris and respects who she is. Knowing how many years they knew each other in the third, before all of this went down, I can see how Carrion saw her survival instinct and felt fight that was so different from others in the oppressive space that they were both living in and both writhing in their own ways. And he loved that about her. He loves Seras for who she is as a person. We don't really see this too often in Romanasy, especially when there is a very protective mate in the picture. But I appreciate how Callie represents these feelings Carrion has and the context it offers with his role here in the story. It's not a surprise that he loves Sarah. And I also love how Callie does make it very clear that Karion is not a threat to anyone's relationship and does not want to be, and he is still able to have these feelings simultaneously. And Fisher's response is so sweet, where he wants to be jealous, but he also recognizes that he doesn't have to be. He loves Seras for the same reasons, and he can't fault someone for noticing and appreciating her strengths that he himself admires so much too.

[Nicole]

We addressed briefly about how the feelings around time for Fae and humans are very different back in our coverage of Quicksilver, but here we get yet another reminder. Fae lived for so, so long. And when Carrion fell in love with someone, a human told him that the pain from Tem's death would be temporary. Because for humans who are gone so quickly, those feelings of grief and loss have to fade in order for them to live their short lives.

[Lexi]

Lives.

[Nicole]

But for Faye, who lives so long, grief is not a short visitor for Carrion. He feels like the magnitude of his loss grows and grows every single year. And because of that, he will not let another person into his heart the same way as Tem.

[Lexi]

Oh. Which leads into the sad exchange as Carrion asks Fisher to help him learn how to shut out the pain, block it off so he doesn't have to feel it anymore. Carrion has been feeling such pain and grief for a thousand years now, and he sees Fisher dealing with these same ghosts and and pains and horrors. And Fisher is able to block it out in a way that carrying is not able to. And he wants to be like Fisher where he can do that too. It makes that me that much sadder for next episode and Gracia's death, the Last of the Swifts.

[Nicole]

It really puts into perspective how much Carrion is hurting that we do not see as readers like. He is very funny, he is very light hearted, but underneath all that there is so much pain and just carrying.

[Lexi]

I know Fisher, though, will not help carrying with this, because the only way to learn how to close off this pain is to experience it as often and as intensely as Fisher has felt. And he would never wish that on anyone, especially Carrion. In other words, it's not a bad thing that Carrion feels this pain so intensely. It means that he hasn't had to block it out, which Fisher considers to be a curse. And that's one way that Karion's inexperience in pain is a good thing. But oof. Poor Carrion, being haunted by the pain he has been through. This grief he carries forever for the humans that he is outlived lived century after century.

[Nicole]

Switching gears, let's go back to Stannis Wrath with Serous the Rot. And some not good news at the top. As we're going into Amitreus, we want to address a continuity error in chapter 14. There is a moment where Lorath is training Carrion at the Amantreif training grounds. And Callie has said that this was an error that they caught, but unfortunately made its way into the book. And she's, quite frankly, very, very devastated about it, unfortunately. The thing is, with books, errors are going to happen. There's going to be spelling, there's going to be continuity things. And that's just when we say, all right, you know what, everyone's a human and we move on.

[Lexi]

And at least now we know and it's not a weird timeline thing or anything like that. And it's like, nope, all right, error. And then just pretend it wasn't in there.

[Nicole]

Exactly, exactly. We also know that the Rot is sweeping across the continent and quite quickly infecting more people, people, more land. And as we'll see in just a few chapters, the number of infected is growing quite quickly. Every morning, Dania and the team of warriors are riding out to track down and dismember as many of the infected Feeders as they can. And even then, it's not enough to slow the pacing of the spread.

[Lexi]

Okay, so the term infected feeders are used. So that makes it seem like once someone is infected with a Rot, then they become a feeder. Feeder.

[Nicole]

That is also how I would take it. So my guess is that if they get infected, they will turn into a feeder eventually. But that is why people are killed. Like their loved ones are killing them and leaving them in the snow and whatnot. So the current tallies are as follows. But remember, these are just the confirmed numbers. Total known dead 1373Total known infected 1665. Estimated infected landmark mass 2039 hectares. What's that I hear in the distance? Lexi is a math, math, math. So if you're like me and you did not know what a hectare is, allow me to share, math style. One hectare is 107,639 square feet. That's a lot. So it's also so 0.004 square miles. So not that big. Or 0.01 square kilometers for our metric friends, but that's just one hectare. The estimated infected landmass is 2039 hectares, or 7.87 square miles, or 20.39 square kilometers. Now that's quite a lot. But for reference, Manhattan is is 22.82 square miles. Remember, this is 7.87 square miles. That is the infected land mass. So this is about a third the size of Manhattan. That is infected. Still a lot.

[Lexi]

Yeah, definitely. Well, and it's only going to get much, much worse.

[Nicole]

Much, much worse.

[Lexi]

Who is ready to go to a library? Me. Me. Tal Taylor takes Seras to the Amon TRA Library so she can begin learning about alchemy. Girls gotta seal those runes after all. This library is located high up in the palace. It is Fae tradition for the courts gathered knowledge to stay housed as high up to the heavens as possible. And while Malcolm opposed most Fae traditions, he kept to this particular one.

[Nicole]

I love this little bit of extra Lore world building we're getting to see here. That. This. That people in Evilia and the Fae, like you were saying, they want to have to work really hard in order to get access to knowledge. And that's why they're putting this in a really tall tower. The harder you work, the more meaningful the knowledge is. I just think that's so cool.

[Lexi]

Another thing to highlight about Malcolm and his view about this library and alchemist knowledge in general. This library used to be one of Malcolm's favorite places in the palace. But he began to hate it after a while. I wonder if it's because it didn't not house the knowledge that he was truly searching for. Could the alchemist he mentioned in Quicksilver who disappointed him have something to do with it? Adina's stargazers maybe attacked him every single time he entered. And he hated those paper birds that he couldn't destroy. So much that it just stopped going altogether. That's my headcanon. At this point, we also learn that Malcolm never let Belcon set foot in this library. Belcon tried to rid the realm of all alchemy records. But it sounds like Malcolm made his library off limits to his business partner. They had different views about alchemy, I think, and how to leverage that threatening and intriguing power. Belcon was like, nope. Like, let's just erase it from history so it's nobody else's problem. And Malcolm is like, well, hold on now. Here. This is powerful. Like, let's wield this to our advantage. Malcolm nurtured the alchemical arts and supported their crafts. Because while others only saw danger in alchemists, Malcolm saw power. I will say. Say, though, the way that Bellakon wants Seras as his alchemist makes me really wonder about Owlett's line. Has no one ever told you what you are? No one's told you why Belicon and your precious Queen Madra both hunted down and murdered all of your kind. And then Tal warns Owlgatt to stop talking. Um, what do we confidently think the answer to this is? Simply how dangerous alchemists are. We have barely still scraped the surface of what Seras is capable of Of. And I think that there are some big alchemist secrets to find out that will be game changing. Ah. I love it. I'm so excited.

[Nicole]

The library. Donaine belongs to the Keeper of Records, Owlgatt and her shadow cat. She knows this library better than anyone. Even though Seris is the queen of the vampires, Owgot gets to set the rules in this library. And those rules include when the library is open, open one hour before sunrise and one hour after sunset, who gets to read the books in the library, as well as how much of said book someone gets to read. Her typical bargain is five drops of blood for a few pages. But she ever so generously gave Serous a whole book in exchange for her five drops of blood.

[Lexi]

Owt is also feeling extra generous today because she is going to give Seras a book and a little language that Sarah's understands, because. Aha. We learned that alchemists had their own language, alchemy, and Sarah's understandably does not know this language of her people. Yet.

[Nicole]

I do wonder what the importance of blood is here, other than the fact that, you know, this is obviously the Vampire Court. We know that before joining the court, Algot was dabbling into dark magics, and she was shunned from her witchclan as a result. So I wonder if this payment does something for that dark magic, Especially given the emphasis on blood magic that we have in this book series and how Guru Extra likes the taste of Seras's blood. I just. I love Guru. Guru is so cute. Speaking of Guru, because the blood that Seiris gives does not go to Owl get herself. It is for the little shadow cat who is responsible for keeping rats and other pests at bay in the library. I love when Serious gives him an extra little drop. But it's undiluted blood, which basically she just doesn't put it in the milk that the cat is supposed to drink. And Al gets like, he's going to have the zoomies for hours now. God damn it.

[Lexi]

We're in the Amon Traeth library, so, you know, we have to talk about the stargazers. They are paper birds folded to represent one of Evilia's rare breeds, which I assume are the stargazer kingfisher birds, and they are considered rare here. These hundreds and hundreds of paper birds look so real because they are real. According to Tal, these stargazers lay their eggs, raise their young, and even die here someday. These stargazers have been up in the rafters of this library for as long as anyone can remember. Which immediately means more than 1,000 years ago. He says that a magician folded mating paint hairs a long time ago and gave them a spark of magic. They kept hold of that magic and passed it on. And passed it on. Does it matter that these stargazers are made of paper? After all, isn't everything, including people, folded from the scraps of the gods and entrusted with a spark of magic that makes them real? Ah, I love this take on magic. It's always magic that lights the way and where any kind of life exists, so does magic. For this to come from Tal, who is a vampire with with powerful magic, but feels like he has lost the light and there is no hope for him. He has to keep believing for his sanity over all of this time. Except, let's go back to these stargazers. Because of course we know that these paper birds make up the book that Idina has hidden away. Like she said in her cryptic message to Saris, the book is in the library among the stars. The book is made up of these stargazers here. This does make me wonder about Tao's belief that the paper birds have been been reproducing. Is it simply an unreliable narrator moment where the birds have all been up there this whole time and he is mistaken? The mystique of them have taken on their own life and tales. Especially since the library used to be one of Malcolm's favorite places. So Tao didn't go up there until much more recently when Malcolm started hating the library. I do think that this is correct, that Tal is being an unreliable narrator in this moment. He doesn't know that he's not being one. But the magic of the stargazers and the myth behind them have just taken on their own? But here's my crack theory. Let's say that these paper birds have been reproducing. What if from wherever her soul is, Idina has been creating more of these as she fills out the book out in the ether, and then somehow they just produce and it's like, boop, there's another paper bird.

[Nicole]

I think that's a fun theory. I do too.

[Lexi]

It's a fun thought.

[Nicole]

It's a fun thought. I like your brain a lot.

[Lexi]

I am obsessed with how these stargazers magic work. As they wait for Serris, they'll prick her blood to confirm it is her. And that is when they will reveal themselves as Adina's book. That is such cool magic. And like we've been speculating, we are so curious about how Idina could got the paper birds here in Amitreith in the first place. Are they supposed to be in Kalish? Did she sneakily get them here to this library, knowing that this is where Ceres would wind up? How long have they truly been up here? Over 1700 years. Was that before this library was built by Malcolm?

[Nicole]

Oh, that's a good point. I didn't think about it with when Malcolm built the blood court.

[Lexi]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I assumed it was placed here by Edina because she knew Sarys would end up here.

[Lexi]

I like that thinking there too. How she.

[Nicole]

But how she got here.

[Lexi]

Yes. I don't know, but I think that might just be one of those plot conveniences.

[Nicole]

I think maybe she had a good buddy who loved to travel the world. Who she. Or maybe Finryn at one point. Like, he's really good at glamouring. So maybe he glamoured himself to look like a vampire and he came and snuck this in.

[Lexi]

Maybe Malcolm's alchemist was working behind the scenes with Adina and put them here for him. Her.

[Nicole]

Oh, and that's why Malcolm didn't like her.

[Lexi]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Her meaning the alchemist. Yes. Okay.

[Lexi]

Yeah, I think there was other related ones too. Yes.

[Nicole]

But yes, I, I, I can get on that theory. Yes. One thing I want to highlight from this section is the passage about books containing magic. In our interview with Kelly, before Brimstone dropped, she mentioned how reading books are what drew to her to wanting to write. And it was the magic that books had within them to transport you to new lives and new worlds. I love how meta. A line like this is from Seiris's POV that books contain magic. It's so apt for so many of us readers who feel exactly the same way. Reading is learning. It's stretching our knowledge and our imaginations and introducing us to new ways of thinking. That is magic. Magic. And there's no better place for a line like this to be uttered than in a library where literally magical flying paper birds that will eventually turn into book are flying overhead. Brilliant.

[Lexi]

I love it so much too. When we were reading it, we just had the biggest smiles on our faces and just like really encapsulate encapsulates why we are reading these books. And like you said, so meta. I love it. But this Algot, the elderly witch but youngest vampire, the Keeper of the Rider records, she does not have warm and fuzzy feelings towards Serris. Instead, Owgott is sarcastically making fun of her queen and loves to taunt Serris with how inexperienced and hungry for information she is. Unfortunately, though, Owgott is a useful resource. At least until Foley, our more helpful librarian, because as Keeper of Records, she knows these books inside and out. And if anyone wants to read these books, Allgot is the one to facilitate.

[Nicole]

Owgot also calls Saera some very interesting names and we're going to go through each new nickname one at a time. First is Kingkiller. This is by far the most straightforward. She killed Malcolm and she has been called King Killer in this court as a result. The next one is Day's End. This feels very Zilvardan coded. The place that is always daytime. Day's End. Going a little bit more godly, I'll say. We know that BAAL is the Goddess of the Sun. I don't see a world though, in which this would mean the Sun Goddess's End.

[Lexi]

I interpret Day's End in a few different ways. I could even see it being a nod to her vampire ness because she is not able to be out in the sun the same way that she used to be. It could also be a little doomsday, like the end of the universe or the rot and this darkness that is taking over life. Right, that's kind of the way that I was interpreting it.

[Nicole]

Oh, I like that. I like that a lot, actually. The next is the last Tide. Taking this literally, does this have anything to do with the Lycian Fae, which is the island where the Fae are to the south. We know that Queen Sorcia is up to some shady shit down there on Lycia. So is this her crew conquering Lycia, the last tide? Or could this be up north with the breach? And this is actually something to do with the Balcadir clan lands? Or does this mean something else entirely? I was thinking earlier, like the moon. Like, you know how the moon and the tide go hand in hand.

[Lexi]

That that's kind of where I'm going here. So I looked up what does the tide symbolize? And it symbolizes renewal or death, loss and destruction. So this concept of the last tide feels on par with that doomsday, like. Yeah. And that that day's end, it's interpreted as the last chance for things to renew or fall.

[Nicole]

Okay, I think yours is correct, but I think I'm right On my.

[Lexi]

I love how you're thinking very literally. I love it.

[Nicole]

Very on par with my brain. Next, and lastly we have Name Breaker. I love this one. This is in my mind one 100,000% referring to Kingfisher's real name. But it's Saeris breaking the power that his true name would have over others. Kaiden Graystar Finvara will never be able to be used against and or to control Kai because she used the break rune from the Hasrax to break the power that any other would have over his true name. That is such a good for shadowing. I do remember though when we were reading this part and we got to Name Breaker and I was like we're getting Kingfisher's real name. That was like. That sealed the deal for me that we were gonna get it in this book. In addition to calling Sarah some very interesting things also can do some very interesting things with her powers. She can read minds. Call back to Sarah's talking about Vorath Shaw's store last book where she mentioned mentioned that people no longer have the power to read minds. But Owlgot does note that in that same passage from Quicksilver it mentions how humans no longer have the power to boil blood in someone's body either. That's another Easter egg for the Vampire Court. Because Telades has that power going back to this moment though, because Cerus who does not trust Ow get as far as she can throw her does not want this woman rifling through her mind mind. So she commands in her queenly binding command power that she I'll get is not allowed to invade the privacy of Sarah's thoughts. But not only her, also Sarah's friends and obviously her mate too. So I'll get says that this is maybe a mistake King Killer and how how there might just be a day when she Sarris is going to want someone with that mind to mind connection with Algot and Sarus is like yeah, fucking right. You think this is foreshadowing? This is foreshadowing. Yes.

[Lexi]

I million percent think that this is foreshadowing. Especially with so much building up with the witch's plot line.

[Nicole]

Yes, well, and we also know after the even light ball when all goes to hell with the Vampire Court I'll get is considered still alive. We do not see her on the page, but they assume that she is and that she ran away. I 100 think that she is going to join our crew side. Is she going to be the most like found family with them? No, absolutely not.

[Lexi]

Yet can hang out.

[Nicole]

Oh my God. I think they'd eat each other for breakfast. No fucking. What would happen is the Shadow Cat is what's gonna finally make Danya have a heart again. And I swear to God, if that's what does it. Ah, but I do think that if I'll get if slash when Algot comes back into the picture, there's going to be a moment where Sarah's is like, God damn it, I need that mind to mind connection. But because she's not Queen of Santa's wrath anymore, she does not have the power to break that mind to mind order that she gave to all.

[Lexi]

I love what you're thinking here. I am going to shift to where maybe that they're not on the same side, but I could see I'll get having the opportunity to help Sarris from a common enemy like Bellicon. But then there's also the big question of will she be able to hear Sarris's thoughts once when she is no longer a vampire empire? Does Sarah's edict still apply? I don't remember reading whether it does or not, so it might still be there, but I don't think so.

[Nicole]

I didn't even think about that. But yeah, I, I, that's a good point.

[Lexi]

Bottom line, she might just be able to read Saris's mind again because that power is not on her. But if she is still not able to, I could see that coming into play when they are up against a common enemy. Maybe not necessarily on the same side though.

[Nicole]

No matter what, I think we're both in agreement that we want I'll get and especially Guru to not leave the story yet. Oh, absolutely.

[Lexi]

Yes.

[Nicole]

I want. She's a wild card and I love. You know what I want? I want Guru to be in a battle and then look at all that undiluted blood he could lap up. And then that cat would just go absolutely feral on everyone's ass. That is what I want. To kill Bellicon. I see that so clearly.

[Lexi]

You know what would make this library trip just that much better? Being attacked from out of nowhere by your mate's long lost brother. Welcome, welcome, welcome to the party, Foley. And what an entrance. Foley, after being lost to the Lupo Proalia for over 800 years, tries to kill the new Queen of the vampires. Foley launches himself at Ceres and knocks her sideways the second she hits the floor. She has her daggers in hand, ready for a fight. Even with her thrashing, he does not move. He keeps her pinned to the ground and snaps his fangs at her neck, trying to rip out her throat. Oh, my dear. With her hands pinned, Cirrus does the next best thing and knees fully in his giant hanging balls and stabs him with her silver tipped blade.

[Nicole]

Bad day to be Foley. Out of nowhere, the interlocking runes on Sarus's hand light up like a signal flare. And pain beyond anything she's ever known shoots up her arm. Light fills the library and she has no control over it. So a wave of power rises up and up and up. And then shoots out her hand in a white blue shockwave and straight into the side of the library bookcases filled with who knows what are gone. And a giant 20 foot hole is in its way.

[Lexi]

Wake.

[Nicole]

Okay, correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the only time we see Sarus use her light powers, right? Yes. Yes. Yeah, okay, that's what I thought. But this is also the white blue light. And we have seen this power or something like this power before because Ren has light magic in the form of this white blue light. Also, Angel's breath is that white blue light too. But I don't think one is equals one equals one here. Especially because Renz is a fey power. Evisia is a sword power. And then this is the alchemist rune for light. I do wonder though, why the light magic doesn't heal as fast as the brimstone or the quicksilver runes do when they burn. Because here, Sarus fingers are split open, which gross. The skin is charred and black from where it came out of her. Her. And it's healing, but very, very slowly. Very slowly.

[Lexi]

I think of the light magic as like raw energy, whereas fire burns and doesn't have the same immediate dire effects. So one is more powerful and damaging than the other.

[Nicole]

Back to Foley, though. Because Foley has dark hair shorn close to the scalp, but it's cut messily. I love that show. Don't tell for how he's cutting his own hair. His eyes are a pale, pale. Guess what color, Lexi? Blue Blue with a golden vertical pupil in the center. Oh, so cool.

[Lexi]

It's notable that his eyes are vertical. That is not a common trait for vampires at all. And his pupils used to be round. This is not a Foley trait that he's always had. I wonder if it is a sign of the kind of blood he drinks. He doesn't feed from living people, but instead rats and such. That would be very twilight like golden eyes because they're a vampire's version of a vegetarian. Am I remembering right?

[Nicole]

I have no fucking idea. But someone will know. But wait, because Saera's ordered all of her subjects, you know, to not attack her. So how, oh how is this one able to disobey that rule? It's not because he has super cool eyes.

[Lexi]

Lies.

[Nicole]

It's because we learned that Foley isn't part of this court. He is not bound by that rule. But we don't learn why here. That comes later when we learn that he was disavowed by his maker. Taladeus, with the permission of Malcolm, the vampire king, believed that watching Taladeus friend be disavowed would be kind of a shit punishment. Plus, when a vampire refuses to swear allegiance. Allegiance to the crown, they have to have their fangs ripped out and in place, golden ones put in. But with the gold, they cannot drink blood and thus sate their thirst. And it's considered a slow, miserable death. But Foley has figured out a way around this. Like ripping off the rats heads and drinking them like they're a soda pop. Delicious Foley was. But because you my soda puppy.

[Lexi]

Gross.

[Nicole]

So gross. But because Foley was disavowed, he's been hiding out in this very library for centuries. He hates, hates the vampire court, but he fears leaving it and being out in the open where he'd be able to kill someone should he lose control. So he's been waiting here reading and reading and reading some more. Which sucks to be fully but is mighty convenient for our friends here.

[Lexi]

Can I just say how disturbing it is that Alet has cut out Foley's tongue before it grows back? So it's basically an empty threat. But wow, I just imagine these two bickering so much up here. Like what have they been up to?

[Nicole]

I feel like enough times where he.

[Lexi]

Knows that it's an empty threat because.

[Nicole]

It just grows back. I think this is my headcanon. Guru likes Foley a lot and I'll get. She doesn't like that Guru likes Foley. But Guru and Foley have created that like manned cat bonds that you know they have.

[Lexi]

Oh yeah, Fisher would understand.

[Nicole]

Yeah, exactly. Fisher and Onyx have a similar one, but Owl is mad because she feels like he's taking her shadow cat away from her. And so she hates folly as a result. It's all about Guru. Guru is the king of this domain.

[Lexi]

Foley recognizes the dagger that Seras has at as Fishers. It's silver tipped now, and while the stab will not kill Foley, that silver tip will cause a painful next few hours. Foley concludes that if Seras, the new vampire queen, has this dagger, she must have killed Fisher because The male Foley, considered a brother, would never, ever, ever, ever give a vampire his dagger. Plus, Foley can smell Fish's blood on her. Ergo, Ceres must have killed Fisher and Foley has to get his vengeance. I'm just going to say it. Foley's fierce loyalty to the Lupo Proalia, his brothers and their values. It is really sweet and it is going to be so interesting as we read through this book, the complexities that come up for him, even if his loyalty is a little misplaced right now. But honestly, I'm not going to blame the guy. He's been hiding in this library for centuries. Little does he know what everyone else knows, that Serris is mated to the enemy. That she used to be human. All he knows her as is the new vampire Queen. And that automatically labels her as his enemy. From Foley's logic, that also means that Ceris is Fisher's enemy. So yeah, the only conclusion in his mind is that she killed Fisher and took his dagger. Fisher was Foley's family. He trained Foley to fight. He saved his life many times, and he's just gotta take that revenge here.

[Nicole]

But this brings us to a beautiful reunion. It has been 800 years since Foley was killed and turned into a vampire at the Battle of Azen Gate. Yes, we talked about the timeline discrepancies last episode with the Battle of agin gate being 400 years ago, but here it's saying 800. Regardless, it's been centuries. And despite his Lupiparelia family wanting to be with him as he transitioned and then writing letters to their brother for years, years, they have had no contact with him since that battle. Again because Folly was too scared to live amongst living. And also because he wasn't receiving any of the damn letters. God damn it, Zavinia. So Foley seeing his brother Lorath here, his old drinking buddy, it brings up quite the emotions on both sides from Foley's point of view. He is shocked to see his friend here. Willingly non the. It makes for quite the head scratcher when Lorath uses magic in the form of banners of black and holds Foley outside this new 20 foot window because he's threatening Saeris. He's like, that's our enemy. What are you doing?

[Lexi]

Why are you.

[Nicole]

Why are you dangling me out of here? Quick pause though, because later we learn from Fisher that Lorath hails from a place in the north where they believe that magic is sacred and accidentally stolen from nature. As a result, that region of the Fae never use their natural born gifts or their small magics. And while Lorath isn't much like his family. He did follow this one rule, and Fisher has only ever seen his friend wield his own powers twice before, and they were both to save someone else. Well, it looks like this is yet another instance, because Lorath here does definitely seem to be wielding some kind of natural power, but just as Fisher said in a very on brand way, he is doing so to save Sarris from Foley.

[Lexi]

In these chapters where we're introduced to Foley's character, we see just how little Foley truly has changed as he clings to his morals, trying to hide in an environment that he doesn't want to be part of, but feels like he has to be to protect those he loves. It makes me just want to give the guy a poor hug.

[Nicole]

Let's jump to now Lorath's point of view with seeing his his brother back in the war tent in Erin. In Chapter three when the topic of Foley came up, Lorath was hopeful that they'd find their friend, but not so hopeful that Foley would be willing to help Sarys. Which considering how this goes, he's technically not wrong. At least for the time being. And as we understand from Lorath, he spent a lot of time off page looking for Foley, but to finally see him, to finally say the Lupo proelia will words to him to have fully finished the phrase quote because no matter what, a wolf never becomes a leech. I think it's safe to say that Lorath is beside himself with happiness. That a member of their family is not only back, but in their right mind again. Does not mean that he won't dangle him out of a newly created window to make a point.

[Lexi]

Time for Foley's world to get turned upside down as he's caught up on what's happened in the past month or so. Side note, I love how it's caught up on the past month, not the last 800 years, because that much is what has happened. Fisher and Seras are God bound mates. Yes. I'll get those gates. Those runes are real. Fisher gave Saris the dagger and his blood freely and that sent on her. They banged two days ago and it's still on Ceres, which means that they must have extra banged.

[Nicole]

Bang bangity banged.

[Lexi]

The way that Sarris is embarrassed by Lorath pointing this out has me cackling every single time. Time. I don't know why I find it so funny with this world's sex sense, but Callie just has so much fun playing it up. Yes, Seris is a vampire. Well, half vampire and Fae, but guess What? Foley, you're a vampire too, so he should know better than anyone. That's not so black and white. I love that moment where Lorath is like, you don't see me trying to kill you.

[Nicole]

And Foley's like, you are dangling me.

[Lexi]

A hundred feet above the ground right now.

[Nicole]

And Lorath is like, details, details. Oh, yeah, about that. One of the reasons Foley is one of my new favorite characters in the series is because of his very own backstory knowledge. Foley is part of a line of Fae who were, for lack of a better term, Hand of the King. And conveniently, his grandfather was one of the last alchemists. And because of that, Foley knows about alchemical magic and practices better than most anyone. But also, Foley has spent the past 1,000 years with these books. It's really 800, but I think in this moment, he's rounding up. And there are books in this library about alchemy, and he knows this library like the back of his hand. I can feel the mentor mentee relationship of Bruin. So Tldr, help us. Folly. You're our only hope.

[Lexi]

I love how Winnie's asked to help with the this. A spark lights up in Foley. This is the first time he has had a purpose in more than 800 years. And what an incredible feeling that must be. It's so wonderful how helping Seras will give fully new life, new perspective, new hope.

[Nicole]

All right, we've got Foley, so let's go. It's time to get to work before anything like more 20 foot holes in the walls happen. But SKR. Not so fast, Saris, because you look terrible. Gee, thanks, asshole. Since turning vampire over a week ago, Saras has not slept. Not once. Imagine going one week without sleep. For the record, the longest anyone has ever gone without sleep is 11 days before they died. Alchemists require a lot of sleep to regulate their powers, and sleeping helps them tap into their magic efficiently. This sounds like me. Unlike the other types of magic, which can be used more automatically or reflexively, an alchemist needs to harness their magic, which is a difficult task for a regular alchemist, and even more so for Serous, considering she's also newly transformed. It's pretty common for vampires to be restless and not be able to sleep or rest, especially when they're new. But even for new vampires, rest is oh, so very important. Without it, there are severe consequences if they don't rest their body and their. Their minds. From what Foley says, those rest doesn't necessarily mean, like, sleep. Sleep, as he guides Sayers into like more of A meditative trance that can be easier to achieve than just, you know, laying down and going Betty by for Foley, this trance state is achieved by finding a focal point and fixing your gaze onto it, then trying to hear nothing but what is happening in the room. Finally letting your eyes eyes lose focus and drift. Sounds like meditation to me.

[Lexi]

Putting Folly's advice to the test. Ceres eventually falls asleep after a few hours of having a staring contest with the wall. One moment she is on the floor in her room in Amon Treyth, and the next she is standing at the base of a snowy hill and on top of it is a small cottage with smoke coming out of the chimney. So she's dreaming about Mountain cabin. Yes and no. This cottage is a real place. It is located in the valley at the edge of Kalish's borders. And it is where Fenryn brought Fisher a few times when he was young. It's a place that he hasn't thought of in years. It's small inside and smells like savory spiced meat. It's cozy and comfortably lived in. And stretched out in front of the fireplace is Onyx.

[Nicole]

Look away, little fox, because it's time for these lovebirds to have some alone time. But first, new ink. After Seiris and Fisher go inside, Seiris touches Fisher's ankle. Ooh la la. And an ornate dagger appears on his calf. I want to know so badly how this magic works. Fisher says that it will only happen when they're thinking very bad thoughts. But some of them move and some of them don't. So I feel like there's more to these tattoos that we have yet, yet to uncover. At this rate, that at the rate that these two are going, they're going to be covered from head to toe in ink before this series ends. But hey, if it means more sexy one liners from Kingfisher, I'm so here for it. Lines like, quote, sit on my face and ride my tongue until I fucking die. Oh my God. This sound going around on social media is just Chef's kiss. Like we do with any book where the spice picks up a notch. We always want to address what's different. This sex scene, how this scene is working for the plot rather than just sex on the page for sex on the page's sake. Which, to be clear, I don't think that this scene is in this, in this moment in the Huntsman cottage number one, because this is a dream state. Have we mentioned that they're not supposed to be together right now? I'm really Leaning towards this being a God bound mates thing. Things are so different for the two of them because they have this extra super special power with them because even when they are apart, they do find this way back to each other. So if there is a world in which the trade at the end of this book does involve King Fisher negotiating for him to stay in Daxis and say risk going back to Evilia, I think that they would still be connected in this way where they'd be able to come together in these, I'm going to call them dreamscapes. Yes, that's what I think too.

[Lexi]

Yes.

[Nicole]

But also to be fair, I do not think that that's going to happen. I think you also do not think that's going to be happen because when they're reunited in this book, they say never ever, ever again.

[Lexi]

So if they are separated again, yes, I think that they can come back here together.

[Nicole]

This scene is also to address how different things are with these two in their relationship. Back in Quicksilver there was this constant, I hate you so much that I want to fuck you, but you. But now it's I love you more than anyone else has ever loved another person. And there's this element of deep cherishing each other with, you know, Kingfisher's dirty mouth. Also, this scene is important because Kingfisher is hailed, which only happens when he drinks from Seiris. I'm assuming that this is not a universal drinking thing and more so because serious has restorative magic. And I love how when Kingfisher wakes up, King Carrion is like the fuck? Poor Carrion, Poor Carrion. Also in the scene we get a new name. Kingfisher calls Seiris Nisharan, which we see nowhere else in this book. After doing some research on the name and anything close to it, to be honest, nothing is really matching up. So my guess is that this is something in Olfe that we will hopefully learn the meaning about next book. Book, like I mentioned, there is this moment where Fisher drinks from Sarah's, but it's not the other way around. And his reasoning is so Kingfisher. He says that they don't know what this dreamscape is, so should shit hit the fan, he wants, you know, his head on straight. Now don't get me wrong, I love, I love reading about a partner losing control in a sex scene. But also Kingfisher's protectiveness in this moment is so hot.

[Lexi]

I love it. It.

[Nicole]

Speaking of hot Kingfisher lines, I have to pull out these two quote, I want you on all fours for me, crawling and then him saying total pivot up the opposite. Him saying that she's coming down from an orgasm. Quote Breathe love, I've got you. I love that so much. God damn it, that's good.

[Lexi]

There is such mystery around this dreamscape and I really do think we can chalk this up to magic of this world. We've talked a lot about how Kelly leans into the magic of this world that she has created and that's exactly what I believe this is. Fisher is even confused by the two of them being here and how it's possible. What's more, when they wake up, they will smell like they had sex. Fisher's hand will be healed. There is physical evidence that they were here in their minds. So yes, Nicole, I think that you're right about them finding each other here because they are God bound mates. I know that we're going to to talk a lot more about this dreamlike state and what that means later on after Danya punches her and knocks her out and then all everything that happens after that. But we are not there yet.

[Nicole]

No, this is happy. Happy. That's not happy.

[Lexi]

Let's tap into our inner oracle and turn our full attention to important foreshadowing moments for the rest of this book, as well as speculations for book three and beyond. I'll go ahead and kick us off here when Sarah's and Tall are alluding to her wish to dismantle the Blood Court, but he knows she still hopes to save the vampires. Tal is rather nonchalant, but on a reread we know that he is actively planning to bring the Blood Court crashing down and give vampires who want it a second chance.

[Nicole]

This is small, but Saeris swears that she'll buy Owl a new pair of velvet gloves and it's sworn with a Fae bargain, but she does not buy them in the this book. So maybe we're going to see that later. Or maybe. Lexi, this is the You've ruined the velvet the High Blood from the prologue was referring to.

[Lexi]

He was stabbed. The velvet that he was wearing was ruined. I am lovingly telling you I think your hang up with velvet is a fun theory.

[Nicole]

You know what? I guess I'm now complimenting you after you said that you're welcome. You might be onto something with the witchcraft and Seiris references because we get another mention of Serous having witchcraft. It's in a joking manner from Fisher in the Huntsman Cottage, but you know that sound where it's like if I had a nickel for Every time this happened I'd have two nickels, which isn't many, but it's weird that it happened twice. That's where I feel like right now.

[Lexi]

Foley might say that Serris is not his queen right now, but he will pledge himself to her at the even light ball.

[Nicole]

Oh, I love Foley. Now it is time to enter owlgot's library with Guru the Shadow Cat, where each episode Lexi guides us through a world building topic to help us deepen our understanding of this world and its magic.

[Lexi]

Today's Owl gets library topic is Everything we Know about demons. So real quickly as we dive into this library topic, I want to clarify that this book refers to demons and then they also have Demon Gods. We first hear the Demon Gods which Aerith is introduced as a worshiper of one of the demon gods. Demon Gods are also called the Under Gods and are from the realm of Dioxis. There is a pantheon of under gods and they coexist with the dragons, but we don't know much else about them other than they are ruled by sticks. So moving on now to demons. There are many old stories about demons who had once plagued the lands of Evelia and other realms. They are ancient and live for a very, very long time. The demon Joshin claims that he has been alive since before Zelvarin was a city, and we know how long ago that was because it way predates Madra. Most demons don't have eyes because they reside in darkness and don't need to see to torment their victims. As far as where demons come from, Talena claims that dark magic can open a gateway that cannot be closed, and it's where all dark magic happens. Hails the demon realm. I'm honestly not sure if she is definitely referring to Daxis, because later when we're back with Remphas and Ajin, he claims beasts were coming out of the gate that portals into Daxes, but those beasts are not the lost demons of Ancient that he is referring to. So when we're talking about this demon realm and hell and all of that, I am not going to confidently say it is indeed Daxis. Shifting to what we do know how to trap a demon. Demon traps are an old form of alchemy and magic and are invisible to the naked eye until they are activated. They are designed to catch demons like the name implies, but when old powerful magic is left to deteriorate over time it can be manipulated. So for instance, when someone other than a demon steps into the trap, they also get locked in and then the demon can use it like a spiderweb to catch its prey. The one demon trap we see consists of consists of hundreds, maybe even a thousand interlocking runes covering the floors, walls and ceiling. Moving on to demons that we know of. We know from Fisher's bonus chapter the Maze that Malcolm had many demons in the maze, but we only meet one. Morthil the Spider Demon. It is three times the height of a full grown man with more legs than one can count. Its hind abdomen is a fleshy bulb with a large curved stinger. Its front half is part Fae with a male torso, distended, bloated stomach and thin emaciated arms. It has wisps of greasy black hair on its mostly bald head that has no ears, eyes or nose. Its face is just a single massive circular mouth surrounded with rows and rows and rows of jagged teeth. Morthale also cannot see or hear, but it can track movement and it's smarter than it looks. It makes a clicking noise with its mouth, which I'm assuming is how it tracks the its prey, using it to gauge the size of objects in motion. The Mortho cannot differentiate between large objects that are close together. It stuns its prey with its stinger and eats them alive. If it catches them slowly over many days, as Fisher sadly knows, when killed, Morthal comes back smaller and faster. Though it is not stated if this is due to the magic of the maze or part of the demon's abilities, then we have Joshin, the the Scorpion Demon, Lord of the Desert, King of the Dark Dream. Joshing can split into two different forms. He can split into thousands and thousands of individual small scorpions, or they all combine into one. When they are one, Joseon is described as a horrible mass of teeth and pulsing meat. The smaller scorpions split open along their backs, fusing with the growing mass to form arms, legs and a bulbous body body with a human like torso. His left arm has a normal human hand, whereas the right is a huge glossy hard shelled pincer. And his lower half is all scorpion and a curved stinger dripping in venom. Joycen's voice sounds like overlapping of many voices that don't resemble Fae or human speech, but one far older and he is able to speak Old Fae, common Fae. And he alludes to speaking many many more because he is heard heard languages through the walls. Joseph has no eyes as well as no heightened spatial awareness that many of its demon siblings possess, like Morthal. Much like the Morthal, when Joshin's body is destroyed, he is able to generate a new one, but it takes him many Many lifetimes to do so. Josen's stingers release a venom into his prey. This venom causes them to hallucinate, starting with a shimmering green light at the edge of their vision. And when enough venom is pumped into the body, his prey will fall victim to nightmares. The venom will stay in their bodies for the rest of their lives unless they get rid of it with the antivenom. This means that whenever the victim falls asleep, from the moment of injection onward, Joshin's prey will be in that hellscape every single night. The longer the venom is in their system, the longer and worse the nightmares will get until finally the victim either does not wake up or goes mad and kills. Kills themselves. But Joshen does have a major weakness, and it is light. Other demons we've heard of but don't know any more about are Angorath, Nulltik, and Breth. Although we don't know what kind of demons they are, where they might be, or anything else, only that those are other demons that Fisher knows the names of. All right, friends. Well, that was a nice and easy library section for us here today.

[Nicole]

Let us close out this episode with Prancing through the Snow with Aunt, where we discuss our favorite things.

[Lexi]

From this stretch of chapters, the bowels count continues. In this stretch of chapters, we get the bowels of this miserable place and the bowels of the palace, which brings us to four total for our bowels count in this book.

[Nicole]

You know what was awesome? Before we started deep diving this book, I had no idea that there were so many bowels in this book. And then now when I'm doing my rereads, I. I only hear bowels. So thank you for shattering that seal or that illusion. Okay, if you're doing a bowels count, then I'm doing goat watch. Because we get our first mention of goats with Fisher saying that Joshen will turn into the remains of a goat.

[Lexi]

After Fisher's shadows make the hall of mirrors all dark. And when they're on the other side of the door, Carrion is standing frozen in the middle of the hall with his hands outstretched, knees bent, ass sticking out like, quote, he'd shit himself. I picture this so, so vividly. And, Nicole, I actually have a social media idea.

[Nicole]

Oh, I'm so excited. Oh, my God, I love that. As they're running out of the hall of mirrors, Carrion, who's still asking questions, is like, fisher, Fisher, are we nearly at the door? Oh, what the hell was that? Something hit my arm really hard, and Fisher is like, it's my Fist. Shut up. I love the whole running sequence to the window and Carrie and just be like, oh, why are we running, Fisher? That window's getting really, really close.

[Lexi]

You mean they go to the windows, to the walls, tell us what dropped.

[Nicole]

Down their balls, and then King Fisher picks him up and, like, football throws him out of the window. Oh, my God, Karin.

[Lexi]

Is that kid on a road trip where it's like, are we there yet? Are we there yet?

[Nicole]

Are we there yet? I love that at Kala's, every time someone comes up to Carrion and is like, where the hell you been, My guy Carrion makes up a more and more even unbelievable story every single time that is so on par with his character.

[Lexi]

I also love that the actual story is more crazy than anything that he's probably saying right there.

[Nicole]

And then how.

[Lexi]

Karion genuinely, truly does things. Think that beer is supposed to be hot. And Fisher's like, no, no, it is.

[Nicole]

Not supposed to be hot.

[Lexi]

It's supposed to be cold. And he's like, huh, I didn't know that. And I'm just like, oh, my gosh, this would be my nightmare. I need my beer to be really cold. You all know I love my white wine with ice, because if it is even a smidge too warm, that is not frigidly cold.

[Nicole]

I get sad, princess. No, you know like when. When you're at the pool and you have like a can or something and it just gets hot over the course of the. Like that.

[Lexi]

It is.

[Nicole]

It is sad. It is sad.

[Lexi]

So I'm sad. So far it has only hot beer, and that is just even more miserable.

[Nicole]

Disgusting. I love how Kingfisher's inner monologue says that he borrowed an oversized gray scarf from Shaw. That is a very Fisher way of saying stealing. He stole that. Carrion's quote, hate to be a bother, but if you're not in a position to save me right now, then could you possibly kill me instead? This really sucks. And then Kingfisher's like, how is he still talking in Vorath's shop? We start to see these two warming up to each other when Kingfisher threatens to take away Carrion's tongue for calling him Lord Kalish. Karion says that he's gonna need his tongue because people seem to like it. And King Fisher, oh, my God.

[Lexi]

Most laughs, especially because Karen's always making these kind of jokes, and half the time they're with his at his mate.

[Nicole]

And Fisher, this instance is like, that's funny.

[Lexi]

I think he might also be a little doped up.

[Nicole]

Oh, absolutely. Homeboy is drugged. Is Cali Heart a spongebob fan?

[Lexi]

I want to know this too.

[Nicole]

I have to ask her this question. Okay, yes, we'll add it to the question. Add it to the questions. Because apparently the bartender that Carrion Swift slept with works at a place called the Dusty Crab. That is the Krusty Krab.

[Lexi]

The Dusty Krab Pizza.

[Nicole]

Pizza is the pizza. For you and me. The Krusty Krab Pizza is the pizza. The Krusty Krab. I could get going.

[Lexi]

Oh, my goodness, friends, when that line came up in the book, I don't remember what time it was. I think that was a pretty ear. Like it was like a 3 o' clock in the morning.

[Nicole]

Yeah, it was late. It was just so excited.

[Lexi]

We were both super excited. But it was so funny.

[Nicole]

So funny.

[Lexi]

And I know we already talked so much about Guru, but it would feel wrong not to include just Guru in general here in this favorite moments. Of course, the old witch turned vampire has a shadow cloud cat who lives in the library and drinks blood laced milk. Like, I love again how much Callie leans into the magic. It's not just a cat, it's a shadow cat. It is a vampire shadow cat.

[Nicole]

I just love how this is so the opposite of a cozy fantasy. And yet there's these little elements of cozy fantasy in this world and I just. Oh God, I love it. When Fisher sees Sarah's for the first time in the dream, dream scene, he's like, I fucking hate your city. I love everything he says around that. And then also when he says to Carrion, this is the nice part of the city. Oh my God. Also in the dream scene when Kingfisher puts his own finger in his mouth, then takes it out and runs it over serious lips, good sir. But then he goes on and he says, quote, the most unique, most beautiful creature in the entire realm on her knees in front of me, Me looking up at me like she's feeling feral and might just want to fuck me. Yes. I'd say I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself. Another quote from the dream scene, right after Sarus gives him a tattoo for touching his ankle, he's like, it's okay, you know, some people are in defeat. And she's like, no, no, no, no, no, I'm not in defeat. And he says, quote, it's okay, Saeris. Really. I can understand how touching any part of me would drive you to distraction. And then last but not least, least everything around Onyx being in the Huntsman cottage, how the fox is there to begin with because even with Fisher a realm away, he still conjured the fox in his dream. How Fixer How Fisher feeds little onyx scraps of his stew as the fox lays in his lap, and then how he absentmindedly scratches his ears. Oh so cute.

[Lexi]

And there we have it. Friends. Thank you so much for listening to this Brimstone episode three.

[Nicole]

Next Monday will be episode four where we cover chapters 21 through 28. It is time to talk about Elroy being in the story and what the fuck his heritage is. I'm so excited.

[Lexi]

We would love to give the biggest warm welcome, welcome, welcome to our newest Pharaoh fan in the fan club. Thank you so much for being here. Brittany M. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Nicole]

You get this episode all to yourself. Yourself.

[Lexi]

Welcome, welcome welcome.

[Nicole]

Thank you so much for being here. We appreciate you.

[Lexi]

And if you're like, hey, I want my name shouted out on the podcast and be shouted with all this love too, join our fan club@Fantasy Fangirls.com Fan Club Link is also in the show Notes.

[Nicole]

Thank you as always to our master librarian AKA our content researcher who has two cats. They're not Shadow, but two cats of her own. That is Brooke. And of course our Executive producer AKA our sanity manager Hayden, who just got back from Dragonsteel Nexus and had the time of his life. I'm so proud he has stories to tell. I need those stories.

[Lexi]

We are very active on social media with weekly trivia, book guides and lots more. So please be sure to follow us on Instagram and slash or TikTok at fantasy fangirlspod. And if you're watching this on YouTube or want to watch on YouTube, pretty please hit that subscribe button to keep following along. And same goes for Fantasy fan fellas to give them a follow @ fantasy Fanfellas. Get all the latest on the new show where Hayden and Steven deep dive into.

[Nicole]

Mistborn. Also, while you are hitting buttons, please do not forget to hit that five star button on whatever podcast platform you are listening on. And if you're feeling extra generous, write a little love note in that review section. It is so helpful for not only this podcast but for any any podcasts you listen to. And last but not least, share this episode with your fellow Brimstone friends. If you have a person in your life who you're like, you know what, I could be knocked out and foaming at the mouth for an hour on the floor with them and it would. It would suck but we'd at least feel shitty together. This is a great episode to send to them. You'd be my person.

[Lexi]

Lexi. Oh thank you. You'd be mine.

[Nicole]

Too.

[Lexi]

Really. Yay. All right everybody. Thank you so much. Bye.

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You. Oh actually they will have to get up and open the door. Oh.

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[Nicole]

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