Ep 7 Heat of the Everflame: Chapter 65-70

Summary

Fantasy Fangirls Episode 7 — Heat of the Everflame: Chapters 65–70

Podcast: Fantasy Fangirls
Hosts: Lexi and Nicole
Date: September 15, 2025

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Overview

In this episode, sisters Lexi (the fantasy lore nerd) and Nicole (the romance-loving sister) delve into chapters 65–70 of Heat of the Everflame by Penn Cole, the third book in Kindred's Curse Saga. It’s the penultimate deep dive for this series—focusing on battle scenes, immersion into Sophos (a rarely visited realm), power dynamics, lore, and a metric ton of foreshadowing and fan theories. The duo also shares special insight following a weekend with author Penn Cole herself.

Spoiler Warning: Full spoilers for all of Heat of the Everflame and related series!
Content Guide: This episode contains candid adult discussion—Rated R.

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Episode Structure

1. Chapter Summaries ("Consulting with our Royal Advisors")
2. Key Insights & Character Analysis ("Reach for Our Forging Magic")
3. Lore and World Discussion ("Sophos Library")
4. Foreshadowing & Theories
5. Memorable Quotes & Moments
6. Key Timestamps

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1. Chapter Summaries (08:30–13:28)

Chapter 65:

• Diem’s (DM) first experience in Sophos is extremely painful as her spark and thought magic manifests—leaving her convulsing, her hair standing on end, and burned grass on the road.
• Once lucid, DM and Luther enter Sophos City boldly, walk straight into ancient mortal temples, and attract attention from Doriel (the Sophos Crown), who will determine whether DM can be coronated.
• The siblings meet Stewart, a mortal tour guide, and are surprised by a run-in with Teller (DM’s brother).

Chapter 66:

• Tense, emotional reunion between DM and Teller.
• The siblings realize they need more honesty; DM’s glowing neck signals Ophiuchai’s imminent arrival.

Chapter 67:

• City-wide alarm as Ophiuchai’s rebel army attacks.
• DM, Luther, and Doriel scramble to defend the city. Magic and Godstone weapons are gathered from the archives; clever use of DM’s wide array of magic to non-lethally subdue rebels.
• High-stakes confrontation with Ophiuchai’s Gryvern.

Chapter 68:

• DM is captured by Ophiuchai’s Gryvern.
• Ophiuchai thanks her for setting him free and proposes ruling the world together—classic villain pitch.
• Chaos ensues: DM manipulates the rebels to retreat and searches for Luther. Finds him and Vance, who becomes a potential martyr figure.

Chapter 69:

• Sophos, in gratitude for DM’s defense, agrees to send word to the other Crowns to allow her coronation, but DM has just two days to convince her mother to admit the Crowns onto the sacred island.
• Lore dump: DM learns about Omnos (the lost 10th Kindred) and the ominous history behind the Everflame and Godstone wounds.
• She subtly cures Godstone wounds with her blood—hints of her unique power.

Chapter 70:

• DM, Luther, and Teller discuss the surprisingly happy life of mortals in Sophos.
• Emotional near-confession between DM and Luther ("mating vows"), but unresolved tension remains due to recent battle absences.
• Luther revisits the battle from his perspective, culminating in an emotional scene where he shows DM "the badass woman" he loves.
• The infamous shower scene is alluded to—saved for next episode!

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2. Key Discussion Points & Insights

A. Sophos Realm & DM’s Magic (13:28–18:19)

• Sophos is described as futuristic, vibrant, and cosmopolitan (evoking New York City energy).
• DM’s entry triggers the most intense magical awakening yet: Spark magic (lightning) and thought magic (perfect, overwhelming memory recall).
• Her strongest memories are negative, paralleling real-life emotional memory bias.
• The harshness is explained: previously, DM was drugged (flameroot), dulling earlier realm magic awakenings.

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B. Exploration of Ancient Mortal Ruins & Lore (16:37–21:22)

• The sisters discuss the ancient mortal temples, speculating they'll be pivotal in the finale (Burn), especially the runes and faded fresco of a red-haired man by the Everflame Tree.

• Quote:
  “Here it is on the page. Literary proof… that Orly and therefore DM is somehow a direct descendant of whoever this man is and how he is connected to the Everflame… He’s the original literal guardian…” — Lexi (18:19)

• Live Q&A with Penn Cole confirms: the red-haired figure and old mortal religion will play major roles moving forward, and that Luther’s comment about "related to your mother" is crucial.

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C. Ancient History & Thematic Nuance (27:27–33:13)

• The fall of mortal temples was not simply due to Kindred oppression; mortals themselves tore down aspects of their own history.
• Heavy theme: “There are two sides to every story”—challenging DM’s black-and-white views on mortal/descended dynamics.
• Quote:
  "History is written by the victors… It's never as simple as right and wrong." — Lexi (31:56)

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D. Sophos Politics: Doriel & The Bonded Bargain (36:00–41:48)

• Doriel is compelled by logic and caution, wary of DM’s intentions and the ambiguous nature of her magic.
• Doriel’s wariness is explained by DM’s connection to Ophiuchai, her mother’s rebel background, and her own impulsivity—offering a “bonded bargain” she immediately regrets.
• Doriel’s strategic play: If DM kills Ophiuchai or loses her magic, Sophos wins either way.

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E. Mortal Life in Sophos: Revealing the Gray (41:48–48:45)

• Stewart and Teller’s viewpoints reveal that mortals can thrive in Sophos, even if their families back home believe them dead (for protection from thieves).
• Volunteering for research and even experimentation is seen as noble, and families are well-compensated.
• DM’s black-and-white conclusions are gently but decisively challenged by both her brother and new friends.
• Quote:
  “At least there is a good option for mortals here. At least they have a chance for their families. Why can't that be a positive?” — Teller (44:23)

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F. Teller’s Agency & Family Drama (49:04–61:31)

• Major emotional beat: Teller resents DM for declining his dream opportunity in Sophos without telling him (as she forgot, amidst chaos).
• DM owns up—“L. L. 12 point font, bold capitalized L DM. Oh God.” — Nicole (61:22)
• The sisters debate when protectiveness crosses the line into control, especially regarding Teller/Lily’s relationship and DM’s “sister knows best” attitude.

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3. The Attack on Sophos: Battle, Powers, and Themes

A. Battle Setup & Ophiuchai Threat (63:09–74:44)

• Ophiuchai’s army attacks with shields and Godstone weapons—the city is utterly unprepared.
• Doriel is forced to act as a true leader; DM and Luther equally commit to the fight (no more "protect the FMC" syndrome!).
• DM’s use of multiple magics is highlighted: earth, ice, fauna (controlling horses), blending strategy with compassion.

Notable Quote:
“For this battle...it is SO COOL seeing DM utilize the different magics she uniquely has.” — Lexi (70:51)

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B. Ophiuchai’s Mark, Motivation & Morality (73:38–76:43)

• Ophiuchai's mark on DM distinguishes her as “untouchable” to his rebels.
• Philosophical tension: Ophiuchai is undeniably evil, but not cartoonishly so. Penn Cole promised “monsters aren’t born, they're made” will drive Burn's themes.
• Ophiuchai proposes to DM again—join me, rule together—a classic but nuanced villain pitch.

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C. Sorrow’s Edge: Magic Sword Reveal (78:22–108:48)

• Sorrow’s Edge: a Godstone sword from the archives, humming with sentience, “storied fate,” and ancient Kindred language inscriptions.
• It connects to the Heartstone and seems pivotal for balancing magic and fate (Arthurian/Kingly vibes).
• The sisters develop wild theories about the sword’s origins and future, referencing live author Q&A intel.
• Quote:
  “This sword's godhood is buzzing to DM—leaving her with a hunch… its voice grows louder, the language foreign but the message clear: Fight.” — Nicole (79:46)

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D. Choices, Leadership, & Mercy (98:52–115:10)

• DM uses Umbros magic to make rebel mortals flee the city, refusing to kill them or make Vance a martyr—she chooses strategy over bloodlust.
• Sophie’s citizens are skeptical; DM is forced to walk the line between mercy for unity and the need to secure allies.
• Heavy discussion about cycles of violence, justice, and the cost of leadership.

Notable Exchange:
“If she kills Vance… she’d be making Vance into a martyr…” — Nicole (114:14)
“DM does not want to feed into the hateful cycle… She wants to break the cycle.” — Lexi (115:10)

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E. Foreshadowing: The Lost Tenth Realm & Omnos (135:45–148:22)

• Lore-dump: Omnos, the lost Tenth Kindred, had his own realm (now the Forgotten Lands), and his removal/sacrifice is shrouded in secrecy.
• DM’s godhood reacts viscerally to Omnos’ name, suggesting a deep, ancient connection.
• Open debate: Is Ophiuchai Omnos, his relative, or something more enigmatic? The evidence is there, but there are holes.
• Sisters make (and debate) bets about the true nature and fate of Vance, Ophiuchai, and the sword.

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4. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote / Moment | Attribution | |-----------|----------------|-------------| | 05:34 | “Not only do we get the big Omno Sophia Kai download of all downloads, but we also just spent the weekend with Penn Cole… we have insights to share.” | Nicole | | 18:19 | “Here it is on the page. Literary proof… that Orly and therefore DM is somehow a direct descendant of whoever this man is and how he is connected to the Everflame…” | Lexi | | 31:56 | “History is written by the victors… It's never as simple as right and wrong.” | Lexi | | 61:22 | “L L 12 point font, bold capitalized L DM. Oh God.” | Nicole (DM’s big mistake with Teller) | | 70:51 | “For this battle...it is SO COOL seeing DM utilize the different magics she uniquely has.” | Lexi | | 73:38 | “As if something approaching an intelligent thought came into his mind.” | Nicole (re: rebel hesitation) | | 79:46 | “This sword's godhood is buzzing to Diem, Leaving her with a hunch. Diem draws the sword and its voice grows louder… the message clear: Fight.” | Nicole | | 98:52 | “The End views the mortals as her people. She is fighting for one Amarian, not just a section of it on her side that has been deemed worthy enough to live…” | Nicole | | 114:14 | “If she kills Vance… she’d be making Vance into a martyr…” | Nicole | | 115:10 | “DM does not want to feed in into the hateful cycle… She wants to break the cycle.” | Lexi |

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5. Detailed Segment Timestamps

• Spoiler + Content Warning / Show Announcements: 05:05–08:12
• Chapter Summaries: 08:12–13:28
• Sophos, DM’s Magic, and City Vibes: 13:28–18:19
• Ancient Ruins, Red-Haired Man Theories & Author Q&A Tidbits: 16:37–21:22
• History, Prophecy, and Black/White vs. Nuance: 27:27–33:13
• Doriel’s Politics, Bonded Bargain, and Suspicion: 36:00–41:48
• Mortals in Sophos, Stewart & Academic Life: 41:48–48:45
• Teller/DM/Lily Discussion, Sibling Dynamics: 49:04–61:31
• Attack on Sophos, Multi-magic Combat: 63:09–74:44
• Ophiuchai’s Mark & Monster Metaphors: 73:38–76:43
• Sorrow’s Edge (Godstone Sword): Theories & Author Hints: 78:22–108:48
• Leadership, Justice, Mercy – Letting Vance Go: 98:52–119:59
• Lore Drop: Omnos, Tenth Realm, Prophecy: 135:45–148:22

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6. Theories, Bets, and Foreshadowing

• The ancient mortal runes and red-haired Everflame guardian are central lore—possibly the first Kindred descendant or "keeper" of the magic.
• Sorrow’s Edge, the Godstone sword, is theorized to hold part of the Heartstone, crucial to destiny and a new forging spell.
• Heavy foreshadowing on DM’s potential to balance “monster and humanity,” with strong dark parallels to Ophiuchai/Omnos.
• Ophiuchai’s protection mark and DM's abilities may come into conflict—possibly with DM healing/removing it herself or marking allies.
• Vance is kept alive for a reason—possible big reveal and “sympathy bait” in the next book. Bets abound on who will end his arc (Henry? Ophiuchai? Orlie?).
• The Crowns’ plan to lure DM to the island (to offload/neutralize her magic) is a history-repeating gambit, highlighting themes of trust, betrayal, and strategic threat management.

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7. Closing Thoughts

The sisters’ razor-sharp analyses, relentless theory crafting, and dynamic exchanges (plus direct insight from the author) make for an episode dense with both lore exploration and character empathy. This stretch of chapters wrestles with leadership, trauma, the weight of history, and the muddy complexities of war. The stage is set for a momentous final deep dive next week—where nothing is as simple as it seems.

Stay tuned next episode for:

• The conclusion of DM’s coronation arc
• The legendary shower scene
• Fallout of the Crowns’ plan
• Even deeper theories (and more bets)

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Host Sign-off:
“Thank you for being here and now… It is time to Defend Sophos.” (08:12)

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Want more?
Check out Fantasy Fan Club for exclusive content, live Q&As, behind-the-scenes, Discord access, and more.

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Transcript

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[Lexi]

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[Nicole]

So if you're ready to make those in between feeding stages a little less tricky, Little Bellies is here to help. You can find your favorite organic Pick Me Stick products in the baby food aisle at your local supermarket or grocery store. Today, Little Bellies, do what's natural welcome, welcome, welcome to the Fantasy Fangirls podcast where two sisters dive deep into beloved fantasy lore, character scene 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 seven for Heat of the Ever Flame by Pen Cole, where we are covering chapters 65 through 70. It is our second to last episode of Deep Diving the series, at least for now. And who is ready for a battle episode? I know I am. Before we begin this heat, Episode seven, please as always, listen closely to our spoiler warning, please, because all of our episodes have spoilers for all of book three of the Kendrick's Curse saga, Heat of the Everflame. Yes, that includes the ending. We're almost at the ending, everybody.

[Nicole]

Not only do we get the big Omno Sophia Kai download of all downloads, but we also just spent the weekend with Pen Cole. We have insights to share. So if you have not finished the book, then please go read the rest of the series. I mean, it's literally six chapters. You can do it. We will be here when you're done.

[Lexi]

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

[Nicole]

Rated R. We end this stretch of chapters, seconds, seconds before the shower scene. But that does not mean we will not find some way to make this battle episode inappropriate. So please be mindful of those little listening ears.

[Lexi]

Additionally, we are so excited to see you at upcoming live events. We will be at Romanticy Bookcon in Orlando, Florida October 23rd through 25th where we are interviewing Rebecca Yarros again at Disney world.

[Nicole]

Then on March 6th through 8th in Dallas, Texas, we will be podcast partners at Dreamers and Readers Festival.

[Lexi]

We also have a few more exciting events coming up through the end of this year. We're not quite ready to share them yet, but please stay tuned. For more information, check out our website.

[Nicole]

Or the links below in the Show Notes for more information to all of these events, especially a discount code to Dreamers and Readers Festival in Dallas, Texas.

[Lexi]

Last thing before we jump into this Heat of The Everflame Episode 7, if you love Fantasy Fangirls and want more events, more content, more community, and so much more all around, please check Out Fantasy Fan Club.

[Nicole]

We have three membership tiers that you can join. Number one, the Descended, which includes access to our Boppin Discord live Q&As from Lexi and myself, a book club, exclusive author interviews, community events like trivias, promo codes for live events, plus exclusive designs and 20% off all merch. Yes, that includes our two year anniversary special edition merch. All of that is for $6 a month. Or you can join the Royal Family which includes everything from the Descended level plus early access to ad free episodes, our full episode outlines and special voting privileges. That is for $10 a month. And last but not least, we have our Crowns Council which includes everything from the previous two tiers plus more behind the scenes content, a welcome gift giveaways, a private Discord channel, and your name shouted out on the podcast. That is for $25 a month.

[Lexi]

Join the party at fantasyfangirls.com fanclub. The link is also in the show notes and thank you so much for supporting us as this incredible community and career has grown into what it is these past two years. We appreciate you so, so much. Thank you for being here and now.

[Nicole]

It is time to Defend Sophos.

[Lexi]

To start off every episode, Nicole does us the honor of summarizing this stretch of chapters. So gather round as we consult with our royal advisors to discuss what happens in chapters 65 through 70 of Heat of the Everflame.

[Nicole]

Chapter 65, DM's first impression of Sophos leaves much to be desired, and by that I mean she spends two days writhing on the ground in agony while her Sophos magic manifests. When she's finally lucid enough to move, they're on the road again into the beautiful, mind bending futuristic city of Sophos. Waltzing into the city like they own the place, Diem and Luther do absolutely nothing to hide their barging her way into an old mortal temple. DM all but screams for the Sophos crown to come and find her. And they do. Doria waltzes in with their powerful aura and epic politicking. Dm, you better hope they agree to complete your coronation. But first, a little sightseeing in the city with our tour guide, Stewart. What's this? Perth. But that can only mean one thing. Hello, Teller. Chapter 66. Well, this is awkward, but hold up. There's DM. Luther Stuart. Where the fuck is Aurelie? Well, youngest Bellator, that's an excellent question. One that Diem cannot answer. After finding a more private location to catch up, the two siblings realize that maybe the Miscommunication Trope isn't only for the love interest in the story. And maybe, just maybe, they need to be a little bit more honest with each other. I'm looking at you, dm. You. And you're jumping to conclusionness. The two decide that it's time to lay the truths out on the table. But wait. Dm, why is your neck glowing? Oh shit. Ophiuchai is coming. Chapter 67 Alarm. Alarm. Alarm. Quick, someone get Doriel. Hide those who can't fight and round up those who can. And someone get the weapons, please. Outside the library, DM meets up with Luther and Doriel. And together they form a plan. Step one, release Luther's magic by using DMs Umbrose magic, of course. Step two, Dorial and Vexus lure Ophi out of the city. And step three, everyone who can fight, go, fight, win. Throwing out all of her magic, DM does her best to push the mortal rebels back without gravely injuring them. Stuart arrives just in time with a few Godstone weapons from the archive. DM only has a few moments before dragon fire. And thank the gods, she has her Godstone sword and ice magic to protect everyone around her. And herself too, without shielding. We'll be talking about that later. But DM has no time to contemplate that new level of strange magic before she gets back. Pinned to the ground by Ophiuchai's Gryvern. Chapter 68 Dangling in the Gryvern's claws. Diem is completely at Ophiuchai's mercy. And he gives it to her for the sole reason that she set him free. Father of the Year award, right there, question mark. Oh, and he doesn't stop there. He wants to rule the world with dm. Together they will be unstoppable. Where have I heard this? Oh yeah, Every evil villain monologue ever crashing in. Out of nowhere, Doriel and Vexus distract Ophi and take off into the sky. And DM uses her Ambrose magic to convince all of the mortal rebels to get the fuck out of the city. But wait, where's Luther? Throwing out her magic, DM is desperate to find her mate. I mean, boyfriend, lover, partner. I still don't know what to call these two. Feeling his aura though, DM turns to not only find Luther, but a hostage Vance as well. And what does she do? She lets him go. Chapter 69 Nice. We've been waiting a long time to say those words. As thanks for saving their city. Doriel has decided that they will send word to the other crowns in favor for DM completing her coronation. Huzzah. There's only one problem, though. DM has two days to convince her mother to convince the guardians to let the crowns onto the island. Easy peasy lemon squeezy it actually is. But let's not dwell on that. Who wants a history lesson? After giving DM the TLDR on the 10th Kindred, aka omnos, the trio makes a quick stop at the hospital. But what's this? Godstone wounds. If only there was a cure. Oh wait, there is. Sneakily dripping some of her own blood into the healer's poultice, Diem and Luther not so sneakily, rush out for some alone time. Chapter 70 Just kidding. Luther and DM get a rundown of Sofos life from Teller and Diem has to admit it's pretty damn nice here. But when they do finally get a moment alone, Luther again practically recites mating vows to Diem, but this time they are very close to the actual thing. But DM pulls back. Why? Because Luther wasn't there when she actually needed him. So, opening himself up to her magic, DM watches what actually went down on Luther's end of the battle. As he watches her, he gets hard watching her. And then he takes his sexual frustrations out on Vance by chasing him down and getting his garish piece of tin, AKA the Sword of Courbois, back outside of his memory. Luther drags Diem to a mirror, needing her to see herself the way that he sees her. The badass woman who confronts kings and queens who bargained with gods and the the woman Luther loves. And I am officially a puddle. It's perfect timing for a shower scene, right? Oh wait, that's next episode.

[Lexi]

All right, so we're gonna splash some cold water on Nicole real fast, and it is time to reach for our foraging magic and unravel Key insights, character analysis, lore, foreshadowing, Theories I have so many theories this episode and so much more. You all it is finally time to go to Sophos. Quick reminder that Sophos is the realm to the east of Monteos, which of course includes the Forgotten Lands. Let's quickly set the scene from where we left off last episode. It was agreed for Orly to leave DM and Luther and meet up with nearby Guardians with the goal to send warnings to all of the Guardian cells about Ophiuchai and what he's doing and planning. So she's now focused on preventing more Guardians from joining Ophiuchai and Vance while Aurelie is Off doing that, DM and Luther set off to Sophos for two main reasons. Number one, DM needs to get properly coronated, so she needs to talk to the Sophos crown, Doriel, who leads the coronation ceremony. DM has to convince Doriel to get the other crowns to agree to finish the ritual. Remember how these descended crowns need the coronation to reinforce the forging spell, which right now the foraging magic across the realms is fraying because it has not been done recently. And DM does have her own motivation to get properly coronated, so Lumnos, and specifically Remus, will honor her status as queen. Reason number two for going to DM needs to unlock the last of her magic. Sophos is the only realm she has not set foot into yet by this point in her life, which means she has all the Kindred's magic except Sophos spark magic and super photographic memory. So let's go get the Sophos magic. But to say DM's first steps into Sophos are brutal, that would be an understatement. Initially, DM is trapped by her spark magic and endless bolts of lightning that leave her body convulsing, her hair standing on end, and the grass around her burnt. It's not until poor DM passes out from sheer exhaustion that she finally gets a break from this electrical magic activating within her. On her second day in Sophos, the thought magic kicks in, which leaves DM at the will of all her memories. Now in perfect clarity, this magic enhances any memory DM can already recall, unlocking details she never realized she even knew. Note that if DM has already forgotten the memory, it's lost forever. The downside to all this intense memory recalling as she gets her magic is that unfortunately, most of these memories are bad ones. Ah, who else can relate that? It feels like the negative memories stand out more than the positive. Yes, I think we're both raising our hands here. By day three, DM has enough control over herself after getting these two new types of magic to continue on to Sophos City. The reason her magic came in so intensely for Sophos and not for any of the others is because when she thought she was immortal and unlocked her other realm magic, like Arboros, Fortos, Thanos and Monteos, she was drugged with flame root. Same with when she went to Igneous. The flame root effects were slowly wearing off over several days. And then she was close to dying when she went into Ambrose, and a little distracted, where she couldn't recognize the mind Reading magic for what it was. So getting her Sophos magic here after 20 years of the magic laying dormant until she touched the realm's soil is a lot for one person to handle. Add that she's extra powerful. No wonder it takes her till day three to get to Sofo City, which oh my gosh, I just love so so much. How Sofa City is futuristic and has such a big city vibes.

[Nicole]

I think I put this in favorite moments, but it gives me such a New York City vibes where everyone's like on a rush to get somewhere and Luther and DM are just like casual and they're like gah, move faster. I'm like, yep, that sounds about right. First stop for Luther and Diem. A row of mammoth structures on a hill. Each with grand and marble entryways and intricate wooden panels. They are ancient compared to the other buildings in this shiny city. These are old. Emphasis on extremely old. Mortal institutions. Buildings that were once used as libraries or even universities long, long ago. I'm assuming this is like before Kindred. Long long ago. And in between these buildings though, there is a fallen temple with quote, bits of words and etchings were visible on the larger stones. I could feel my newly enhanced brain cataloging every word and sy permanently recording them into my memory. I guarantee you we are going to see this again. That when we meet someone who knows how to decipher this type of text. Because. Yep, you guessed it. Well, we talked to Pen about the Kindred magic that's on the sword, but I guarantee you this is also going to come back into play sometime in Burn.

[Lexi]

So see, I wonder if it's already in the common language since the Kindred did adopt the mortals language. And then what DM learns from the Sofa's library books or the Emperor's books. She can figure out the symbols.

[Nicole]

Maybe. I was wondering that too. Like if there's like a decoder or something like that. No matter what, I don't think that we're done with this. But what could it mean? Like it could give her some kind of insight on the Everflame.

[Lexi]

Or I agree that I bet what is written on these runes are directly tied to the Everflame. And when DM takes a few moments to reflect on it. Like you know, when she's got all the time in the world on the island, she's like, at least she has so much reading material from her mind, right? She'll be able to piece together the words or perhaps learn about who this red haired man is. Or maybe the words on this rune and the symbols and whatnot. It's a riddle or a prophecy that somehow connects to all these kindred prophecies that we've heard. Instead of keeping a low profile here in Sophos, DM has nothing to hide. She is here to confront the Sophos Crown, after all, and present herself as someone who is powerful and quite frankly, a threat. Which she strategizes will help her have leverage to get what she needs from the sofa's crown. And yes, the Sophos Crown will most definitely see DM as a threat, even after they become allies, as we will unfortunately see next episode. So why not get the Crown's attention by entering these off limit runes, walking right through the electrical barrier and absorbing its magic while ignoring the guards yelling at her to stay away. But showing off that she can enter this restricted building with ease is not the only reason Diem is so drawn to these mortal runes. This is her people's history, and so much of it has been lost over the centuries. She wants to learn about the ancient mortals, and here is a piece of history she never knew still existed that is so incredible to think about. Like putting myself in her shoes, I would be so drawn to these runes as well. As DM and Luther climb into the ruins of this old mortal temple, she spots something very interesting and familiar now to all of us in the story, a fresco which is like a wall painting of a man leaning against the Everflame Tree. And while the details of this painting have faded with time, it is obvious that this man has vibrant red hair, which leads to this exchange. DM notes that this tree must be the Ever Flame because she saw a similar image in the Umbra's library, and she wonders who this man is who is always represented here with the Everflame Tree? Immediately following her question about who he is, Luther replies, quote, with that hair, he must be related to your mother. We have talked about this endlessly on the podcast, but here it is on the page. Literary proof as far as I'm concerned, that orally and therefore is somehow a direct descendant of whoever this man is and how he is connected to the Everflame. I think we're both in agreement. He is like the Everflame Keeper. He's the original literal guardian of the Everflame that later inspires the rebel group's name. So of course we had to ask Pen2 questions about all of this during our recent Q and A at the Everflame Ball. Number one, will we learn more about this red haired man and his connection to the Everflame, to which Pen gave a resounding yes, there is a lot more to learn about the old mortal religion and the Ever flame in Burn. And he is of course part of that. And the second question we had was whether this line Luther says about being related to orally will come back into play. And Pen just laughed and said light and airily, and I'm going to add, sarcastically dismissive, this was a throwaway comment, no importance at all. So in other words, what I heard is yes, that is very important. And stay tuned for Burn.

[Nicole]

Yep, exactly.

[Lexi]

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[Nicole]

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[Nicole]

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[Nicole]

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[Nicole]

Start a free trial today on Monday.com so we learned that one of the reasons the Everflame depiction wasn't banned before the Blood War was because the mortal leaders gave the island of Kuril with the Ever Flame on it to the Kindred as a gift and the Everflame was supposed to be a symbol of their submission basically to the descended rule. So we can assume that is one of the reasons that they stopped the they meaning the Kindred, stopped the wars of the mortals when they arrived to Amarian. But there's a word that really stood out to me here. Because the mortals gave Khreel to the Kindred as a gift. Gift. So what if their gift. I don't know. I feel like I'm grasping at straws, but I felt like I got like a whole body chills because give him our gift. Daughter of the Forgotten could mean the island of Kuriel. But then there's the second part of this that makes everything come crumbling down. And that is give our gift to my faithful heir. Why would she give Kirill to Luther? Unless Luther isn't the faithful heir and it's someone else differently. Maybe it's this red haired man.

[Lexi]

If I've learned one thing from this past weekend with Pen is that everything regarding these I'll call them prophecies have double meanings. And she was very clear that it does not always or often, or maybe ever mean what it. What it actually means.

[Nicole]

One of my favorite things was it was like 1:30 in the morning. We were folding book covers for the special editions and we were grilling Pen with consent of questions about burn and everything. And she kept saying this over and over again and. And just as the night grew longer, I just started spiraling more.

[Lexi]

Our friend said that we had our theory podcast voices on.

[Nicole]

Yes.

[Lexi]

Okay, so let's run with this for just two seconds. That Koreal is the gift. That would certainly fall under the category of, you know, we've seen it, but it's hard to identify. Like Pen said during our Q and A. But in that case, like you're saying, who would the gift be given to? I feel like career should be gifted to all the people.

[Nicole]

I agree. So faithful heir is singular. And I don't think that that is a multiple meanings meaning it would be multiple people in the way of one Amarian. I don't. I don't know. I don't know. I just. I wanted to point that out, wave my hands in the air and say maybe. Why would the man's vibrant hair be still so vibrant? Because that also felt important. Maybe not to plot or lore, but more so for like. Like a literary symbolism. Almost like the color of this man's hair itself is just as eternal as the undying fire. Anyway, all of this to say before I just lose my mind. Sadly, the temple that was used for the old mortal religions has been tore down for heresy, as Luther learned in school, which sends Diem's righteous brain on a rampage of how injustice and the treatment of mortals by the descendant. However, we do come to learn that that is not the whole story from Doriel. And this is going to be a theme, this episode for DM where she does and very black and white. Long, long, long ago, the continent was filled with magnificent buildings just like these on the hill. But it was not the descended or the kindred who tore them down and ruined those magnificent buildings as punishment for the mortals for practicing their old religion. No, no, the mortals were some of the ones who tore them down. Note this is a very important lesson for DM to learn. She is quick to damn the descended against the mortals because that's the narrative she has seen experienced her whole life growing up. But as she's learning and I have a gut feeling it's going to be very prominent in burn as well. There are two sides to every story. And the mortals are not always the victims in every scenario. Although I am not discounting their oppression. Please hear me on that.

[Lexi]

Yes, I agree with you. And I think that so much of this theme is how you learn history and the lens that you learn history from.

[Nicole]

Especially when history is a race. Because then it's up to the person who like you're saying, is saying it.

[Lexi]

Yes, exactly. And I don't think that there is ever a right and wrong pen is really showing that the mortals, they had their own issues before the Kindred arrived. And yes, the kindred did help, but there was a high cost at that too. And it's exploring all of this. And so Dorial, when. When they will be kind of pushing back with dm, they will be like, I have the records, I can show you all of this, this. And I'll also challenge that just because there are records that say the mortals were willing to do this, that doesn't just automatically make it all okay. There's always context and all of that kind of stuff. So I do agree that we are going to explore those nuances of history and all of that. And it's not looking for who is right and who is wrong. It is showing that this is. That this happened, you know, and bringing it to light so that people can at least have the opportunity to have all of the information to then make their own judgments.

[Nicole]

And I think one of the things that DM is slowly learning here and I do think is going to really learn and burn is that the right versus wrong is not always mortals are right, descended or wrong. Because I think that's exactly the conclusion that she was so quick to jump to here. But she is learning that it is much more nuanced in these history lessons. I think she's learning that in the present pretty, pretty well. I think.

[Lexi]

I think she learned that. She learned that in spark. That was the big thing with Spark where it's like, oh, the guardians are not always good or bad. And then in Glow it was, oh, the descended are not always good and bad. And then in heat. This is really where she's learning history is not always right or wrong. And I think that's all going to come to a culmination in Burn. Going back to the agreement that the mortals, you know, take up the Kindred as their gods and in return they get protection. I think we are in agreement that it's not like the Kindred were all we must be your gods and you must. Except it was definitely more of a subtle agreement that this is simply what the Kindred are, what they are capable of with their magic and all. And then the early descended are the ones who took advantage of their superiority over the mortals.

[Nicole]

Well, so remember back in the Umbros Library, we discussed at length these old mortal wars on the continent when and before the Kindred arrive. These were the wars that Montios had mentioned in her diary that that reminded her of the wars that the Kindred left on their homeland. It turns out. Countless treasures, art, map books, buildings, they were all destroyed. The mortal ruler of the lands during that time instead offered these buildings up to the Kindred Sophos. Like the Kindred Sophos in the hopes that he would protect them. Meaning the buildings on the hill.

[Lexi]

Yes, and I believe this was part of the agreement that the mortals take up the Kindred as their gods and in return they get protection. Not like the Kindred were all we must be your gods and you must accept definitely more of a subtle agreement that this is simply what they are, what they can do with their magic and all of that. I keep thinking back to Matthias's diary when it's like the mortals think of us as gods because we were able to do all these things and my siblings kind of like it, but it's also really weird. And then the early descended, they are the ones who truly took advantage of their superiority over the mortals.

[Nicole]

Well, on that same note, the temple that DM and Luther are in right now, it did end up being destroyed by the fourth Sophos crown. So several generations Before Doriel. Why? We don't know. Which is interesting to me because it is. It does say earlier that the mortals were in charge of tearing down some of their buildings. But not these ones right here. This one right here was done by the fourth Sophos Crown. Now, could it be because of the heresy that Luther spoke of? Because they practiced the mortal religions and the Sophos Crown was like, no, no, you will not do that anymore. Again, going back to that. Taking advantage of the superiority. Yeah.

[Lexi]

By the fourth generation for a sofa's crown, that could be hundreds, if not thousands of years after the Kindred. And I bet during this time there was becoming mortal unrest which made the Sophos Crown crack down. Like destroying this temple here. The Sofos crown acted out of fear and control over the mortals instead of preserving history.

[Nicole]

But we will find out from Doriel that they're not a fan of the this act that the fourth Sophos Crown did. They don't want knowledge or history to be erased. Over these next two episodes, we're going to be dissecting a lot of Doriel's character about the choices they make and why they make them. Because I'm firmly in the camp that everything they do from their POV makes total sense. So it is important for us to hear this as a driving factor for them as a leader during wartime. They don't want history erased. They want to learn from it. It. Which is ironic considering what they do. Next episode, the second the Sophos Crown. Doriel enters the temple with both Diem and Luther. They finally meet this crown face to face. Doriel's aura is powerful enough to make both Diem and Luther pause, which I love.

[Lexi]

This aura power meters that we have with the different crowns. I would compare Sophos most to the Emperor's crown level of power. Maybe a little less than Ambrose. Whereas the Fortos and Igneous kings are. Are far less powerful.

[Nicole]

Definitely. But it's not just their power that leaves people staring. Dorial has this other worldly beauty to them. They have these high cheekbones. They're wearing a veil held in place with a gold circlet over their shaved head. Notably, they do not wear their sofas crown. Dean notes they're rigid. They clearly love order, but they also are delicate and effortless. One thing is for certain though. They are not thrilled to see Diem and Luther waltzing into their realm uninvited.

[Lexi]

But like from her uninvited presence in Fortos, DM has an answer to why she's allowed to be here. Sophos issued an edict calling for DM's capture. She's here now, ready to offer a trade and discuss an alternative to capture. With Doriel, her crown for her sword. DM gets to properly get coronated so she can get her crown. And in return, she will save the rest of Amarian from Ophiuchai, since she is the only one who has a chance going up against him. As DM explains to Doriel, from telling most of her story, yes, leaving out some important details like getting other crowns and having other realm magic, and to showing Doriel how she can absorb magic, DM has one more way of securing Doriel's trust. To make this trade happen, DM offers a bonded bargain. Oh boy. Doriel votes in her and her mother's favor, does everything they can to secure Merus's vote too. Which secretly gives DM All 6 votes she needs to be pardoned and coronated, and her mother not executed for being the rebel leader. And in exchange, DM will kill her sire. Who is leading these attacks? Friends, you know how DM can be a little impulsive sometimes. This is one of those times. The second she offers a bonded bargain, the words have barely come out of her mouth. She regrets it, realizing that she just put out a big risk where she can lose her magic. And only pages ago, she admitted to herself that she did not think she would be able to stop Luther her from killing her sire, let alone her having to do it herself. Doriel says they'll consider her bonded bargain offer. And that quote, there are matters I need to look into. First, some research I require. I think this is Doriel wanting to look more into any records of DMs kind of magic. And I think this is the beginning of Doriel working behind the scenes to betray dm. They see this as an opportunity to get rid of one powerful threat to the crowns. So Doriel right here just got her to offer up a bonded bargain where she can lose her magic. And Doriel is like, okay, I'm going to go see what I can do with that.

[Nicole]

Well, they're like, well, if we can ensure she either takes the most powerful threat off the map, AKA Ophiuchai, or loses her magic, that is a win win situation from them. We'll be getting into all of their POV and what they're thinking behind the scenes in a moment. As you can imagine, Doriel is hesitant to agree to this bargain. They need to do More research. For one, they are unsure if DM is even the Crown of Lumnos to begin with. We're not even touching the other crowns because they don't technically know that yet. Doriel is a person of fact. The fact that DM's blood on the ritual dagger should have turned the gems blue, but they went gray. Then you know her blood broke the heartstone. That's not supposed to happen. They want clear facts that equal a clear outcome. And none of that is happening right now. Secondly, as DM tells them about her sire and the Ten Pointed star. I love this. Doriel begins like flitting through their own archives of their mind of information about what that could mean. God, that would be so helpful. Oh my goodness. I think I'm changing my answer from Miro's. I definitely would want the power of Sophos. Hands down. We can imagine that whatever they learned about the omnos and the 10th kindred, it is not painting Omnos, Ophiuch Diem's sire in the best of light. And especially given that they lie to DM and say that they have no idea what she's talking about. Which DM nose because of using her Umbros magic. So thinking that she's connected to Ophiuchai, who was locked up during the Blood War. This would ring so many red flags for Doriel. Thirdly, there's the Aurelie of it all. DM broke her mother out of prison. The leader of the Guardians who bombed the sacred temple on the island of Kuril. That is not good. She is also in charge with the Guardians. Then DM also broke out the Guardians in Fortos. It's not a good look. If DM was trying to get all the crowns back to the temple on the island. An island that currently has Guardians on it. How does Doriel know that she's not just helping her mother to achieve round two? When they bring this up, DM snaps at them for their responsibility about mortals dying every day on Amarian soil. It sounds a lot like something a Guardian would say from Doriel's pov. They would be wild if they took DM up on this. Pardon, given who she's connected to alone.

[Lexi]

With Doriel saying they need two days to research AKA put a plan together against dm. Diem and Luther are able to get a tour of wherever they'd like to go here in Sofo City. DM can even have crown level access, even though she's not officially a Crown yet. Because you know, she's not coronated. Thank you for rubbing that in Sophos. Which brings us to a new character's introduction. Stewart. A teenage mortal originally from Miro's, whose mother is a researcher in the greenhouses here. And ah, here is where we get a little insight into mortal life in Sophos from someone whose family is living it. And guess what? They're happy here. His mother's invitation to research was for 10 years and it's been almost nine years. So they hope for a permanent offer to stay. Which makes DM terrified that this poor kid's mom is going to get murdered. But more on that in a moment. We learned that everyone who used to know this mortal family back in Miros, they think they're dead.

[Nicole]

Wait, what?

[Lexi]

Teller will soon enough fill in the details because this is very important information that DM and specifically Henry did not know. Mortals who come to Sophos fake their deaths so only their loved ones know they are safe. This is because they get paid so well in Sophos and they send money back to their families in their home realms, which made their families a target for thieves. So now it is standard practice to pretend to die. So loved ones of people who go to SOFOS are not targeted targets. Well, that sure does make sense. So what about the mortals who become experiments when they can't do the research anymore? Well, Teller will inform us that they volunteer because they want to do something useful with their lives. It's considered noble here in Sophos. And the research findings from these volunteers can help save thousands of lives. The volunteers get paid a fortune that they can leave behind for their families, so their families are set up for a good life for generations to follow. Diem's not wrong that this all might work within the system, but it's still feeding into this oppression against the mortals as a whole. They shouldn't have to volunteer for something like this so that they can get paid for their families. The mortals should already have the opportunity to have wealth. And this is where Teller essentially pushes back that maybe this is true. But two things can coexist. The overarching oppression against the mortals in this world is bad. And the entire system is extremely flawed and not okay. And the mortals do well for themselves and their families here in Sofia. And that is a good thing. Teller will say. At least there is a good option for mortals here. At least they have a chance for their families. Why can't that be a positive for mortals as they simultaneously push against the oppression throughout Omarion? Sophos is very different from Lumnos for. Well, a lot of reasons. For instance, earlier Doriel said that any mortal can request a visit to the old mortal ruins. They just need a documented history of study and interest, trustworthy references, and no criminal activity. Ah, but that's when DM brought up a good point. Having any history of study and interest is a criminal activity in Lumnos. And we can gather other realms too. So while Sophos rules in its own realm make sense for it, These rules are not applicable in the slightest elsewhere. Mortals are only allowed in Sophos by invitation because they are recognized as very bright and intelligent. But it's incredibly hard for a mortal to have the opportunity to even have such qualities because their education system is so oppressed. So again, it goes back to this. Once, when a mortal is able to make that jump and go into Sophos, that is a huge accomplishment for them. Yes, it is messed up that it even has to be a huge accomplishment. And it is still an accomplishment that they can celebrate.

[Nicole]

And I also love that moment. It's Doriel bringing up, well, that sounds like a problem for the Crown of Lumnos to fix. And DMs like, I'm trying coronate me and I will. It's like everything is this never ending cycle of chicken or the egg. And it's just. It's real. That's what I really like about this. It's like what you were saying earlier. There is no good and bad. But now is a great time to remind everyone that DM is a flawed fmc. She believed everything she has heard about Sophos from Henry. I am not flying her for that. That was her best friend. She trusted him. She also grew up her entire life living the narrative of mortals are oppressed, descended are bad. I do not blame her for that. And also, to be fair, the lie to protect Sophos mortal residence, it is extremely convincing. People believe they're dead back home because that's what they want them to believe. So I also don't blame Henry and the Guardians for believing that Sophos murders all of its mortal residents either. Stewart and his family purposefully faked their own deaths back in Miro so they wouldn't be a target. But. Pause, Wait. I don't think that's gonna happen with Teller though. Right? Like Lily won't be believing he's dead.

[Lexi]

No, I think that this is very, very different situation. Teller is unique, which is why he's allowed to be here in the first place, because otherwise he wouldn't be so no, I don't think any of that applies.

[Nicole]

Okay. That's why I figure too. Anyway, back to the matter at hand. DM has been led to believe this lie and she does not hold back when she talks to Dorial about it, to the point that they're literally like, what are you talking about? I have no idea. And when they attempt to explain it and talk about it, DM cuts them off with a quote defend your murders to someone else. I keep going back to that line that Andre said where it's like, does your anger make actually a difference or does it just make you feel self righteous? DM is righteous but steadfast. She is most of the time compassionate as well. We'll be talking about that later with fans. Unless she has made her mind up about something and he or she has decided it is black and white. Sophos equals bad. And we also see this in her interaction with Stuart, trying to convince him to go home to leave Sophos, that he shouldn't become an experiment, even though Stuart is telling her very plainly, Finally, I am happy here. I'm going to give DM a lowercase L, a tiny 9 point font Ariel lowercase L for how she does come into Sophos with this righteous indignation fury, refusing to see the gray. And it isn't until her little brother calls her out on it that she's like, oh, you're right, because she does pride herself on being able to see the gray to the point that she has a little bit of an ego about it. And here she is completely disregarding it and thinking she's the savior of everyone.

[Lexi]

I absolutely agree with you on that, but I might not even give her a nine point L here. Okay, and I'll say this, I don't think that she deserves an L for her judgment when coming here and for her initial disbelief when speaking to Sophos. Remember back in Igneous and her closest descended friends were trying to deny what ended up being the truth about how Igneos killed the fleeing mortals from the realm? DM is kind of treating the situation the same with Doriel. Yes, she is refusing to leave this black and white thinking until Teller lays it all out for her. But she doesn't trust the descendants POV of the mortals because it has proven to be very warped and inaccurate.

[Nicole]

That is very fair. Again, I don't blame her for believing that this is the case, but I do give her the super tiny lowercase L.4 is more the belief that she's the savior of Everyone.

[Lexi]

And sometimes she knows better than Stewart, knows better than Stuart.

[Nicole]

Exactly. That's. That's where I'm getting my lowercase.

[Lexi]

Okay, I will accept that. Sorry, dm, I tried. As DM gets a tour of the greenhouses, she runs into someone very unexpected. Perth, my boy. But what the hell is Perth, my boy doing here? He is Teller's bodyguard who never leaves his side. Huh?

[Nicole]

I'm not ready to say goodbye to Perth. Don't you dare say we're forgetting about that. That's not real. But it's not just Perth. Hello, Teller. Teller, our young academic has decided to accept the offer to study in Sophos. Remember, this is the offer from the Sophos representatives that they gave DM at her Ascension Ball back in Glow. And DM turned it down aggressively because she believed it was a ploy to get Teller to Sophos and kill him as an experiment. Again, something we do not blame her for. This is why she did did not tell her little brother about the invitation as well. So, how are you here, Teller? It turns out that Remus told Teller about this offer. And while yes, Remus has his own motives that I can't wait to get into in a second. Teller did make this decision to come here on his own, even if it meant leaving Lily. So let's go through his main reasons of accepting this position. Number one, life for Teller in Loom is extraordinarily difficult now since dm, Luther and Arlie's attempt to return back to Lumnos. Teller is a prisoner in the palace. He can't go to school because the descendants see him as the traitor Queen's brother and rebel leader son. He can't see his mortal friends anymore. And then there's also the Forto soldiers who had no problem attempting to kill his sister. So there's this ever present fear of would they try to kill him too. He's terrified to exist in that realm, and going somewhere else was mighty tempting. Somewhere he did not have to hide because no one knew who he was. Number two, this place is a dream for Teller. He has always wanted to study in Sophos. And as an academic, this is the pinnacle of one's education. That cannot be discounted. Number three, there's Lily, a descendant who he is in love with, but she has is still a descended. She will live for hundreds, if not thousands of years. And he will die as a mortal in a fraction of that time. If he leaves her, she can still find a partner to spend the rest of her very long life with. Rather than be destined for heartbreak with him when he will inevitably die. As Remus told him, quote, sometimes the best way to show your love for someone is by making the hard decision. They won't.

[Lexi]

I both commend DM and Luther for standing up for Love Conquers all and encouraging Teller and Lily's relationship. And I think they are being extremely inconsiderate and a little tacky with how they handle the whole oh, you must not love her enough attitude. Yeah. Teller and Lily's situation is very different from DM and Luther's, and I think that they need to be a little bit more respectful to tell her his feelings and trust him to think for himself. If I'm going to give DM and also include Luther in there, an L, I would do it for this here.

[Nicole]

Because I'm gonna actually just point. I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm just gonna give an L to Luther. Because dm, even when Teller leaves, she p away, and she's like, you're being an ass. And Luther's like, well, he needed to see what it's like to really and truly love a woman. And I agree with you. I think that putting it in the frame of, oh, well, you must not love her enough is not. Not right. I do think that Luther is being a protective older brother here, so I think that he's coloring it in that lens, but it's. I think it's still deserving of an elle.

[Lexi]

I know that, you know, DM did good job for her for calling that out as being an ass. And she also, every single time Teller brings up Lily, she's like, no, you have to go back to. You have to. And he's like, stop. Just please stop.

[Nicole]

Yeah, well, speaking of that, it's number four and probably the biggest reason of them all. Teller has been, and frankly, an unwilling passenger in his own life, as everyone else has been making decisions for him, especially people like Orly and dm. Their choices have led him now to lose everything, though. He wants for just once in his life, to make a decision for himself. He's almost, if not already 18, after all. He's an adult through and through, and he's ready to be treated like one. And here is DM being like, no, no, no, no, no. I've got it. And he's like, let me handle this. This is my life. So that's why Teller is here. But then there's the Remus of it all. We know from Pen that Remus is a family man, but not in the way we normally think of that word. I loved when she said that during the Q and A, everyone went, oh, Remus is always doing what is best for House Courbois. And of course, course Remus. So if the queen's brother is here in the realm, who's to say Teller can't come in and make Remus's life hell? After all, Remus was the king's brother as well. It's one of the reasons he has so much power. So any connections to DM could diminish Remus's position. I think he's also just so fragile because he's lost his magic. He is like, get rid of any and all threats.

[Lexi]

I never want once thought he would consider Teller a threat. He's immortal. And I say that, like, from Remus perspective.

[Nicole]

I think that Remus is not thinking clearly. First and foremost, he's grasping for anything right now. But also, he and his brothers only have their positions because they are the late king's brothers. So I figured. And he knows how closely DMC's family.

[Lexi]

I am going to respectfully agree to disagree on that one because. Because I think that Remus, in his own way, is trying to get Teller to safety and to help him have a better life. So the Queen's brother's possible death, because that was very possible in Lumnos, that was why he was having to stay in the palace heavily guarded, so that nobody would kill him. That's not Remus's responsibility anymore.

[Nicole]

Okay, maybe. Yes, You've opened. No. No, we have not found a pen. We do not have that contest confirmed. We will ask her at a later date. I think we can agree on this one. There's his daughter, Lily, who is unmarried, and her hand in marriage is a big bargaining chip for Remus politically. Is it ultimately Lily's choice? Yes. Lily made that very clear back in glow. And Lily is a big people pleaser to her parents. And she knows that saying yes would be ultimately for the good of the family. This is why changing her mind to say no to Rob Roderick Burnham last book was such a big deal. Remus has already attempted to marry off Lily once for political maneuverings. And the reasons she said no to that marriage was Teller. So by getting Teller away, any future political marriage arraignments would be far more likely to go through for Remus and House Corbois in general. Okay, friends, the cozy season it is upon us. And I don't know about you, but when the seasons change and the air gets a little bit crispier, I always have the urge to do a little bit of shopping for my space to lean into that cozy vibe. That's where Wayfair comes in.

[Lexi]

As your trusted destination for all things home, Wayfair's got everything you need to cozify your space this fall, from comfy recliners to warm bedding and autumn decor. Wayfair even has espresso makers so you can make that favorite latte at home and snuggle up in your favorite reading space.

[Nicole]

Every single piece of furniture in my office is basically from Wayfair. Brett and I just got some new counter chairs for our kitchen counter and it is so comfortable. They're so stylish. They're so cute. I love sitting there and working on stuff while he's cooking dinner. It's one of my favorite things.

[Lexi]

And best of all, Wafer offers free and easy delivery, even on the big stuff. Cozify your space with Wayfair's curated collection of easy, affordable fall updates. From comfy recliners to cozy bedding and autumn decor. Find it all for way [e-mail] that's W-A-Y-F-A-I-R.com Wayfair Every style, every Home this.

[Nicole]

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[Lexi]

My favorite time of day to drink Liquid IV is early afternoon when I can feel myself, you know, just fading a little bit. But I need a gentle push for that second half of my day. Liquid IV makes me feel rejuvenated and hydrated and I just love it so much. Today I'm trying their guava flavor for the first time and oh my goodness, it is so good.

[Nicole]

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[Lexi]

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[Lexi]

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[Nicole]

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[Lexi]

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[James]

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[Lexi]

Monday Sidekick AI you'll love to use. Start a free trial today. On Monday.com. but let's talk about how Teller received the Sophos invitation months ago at DM's Ascension Ball, and he had no idea about it until Remus recently told him. At the time, DM aggressively rejected their offer and said her brother was never going to. So Sophos. Now we all know why she did this. Henry had recently told her about the horrors of what happens to mortals in Sophos, and DM was genuinely trying to protect her brother, though Teller very understandably is hurt by finding out about this invitation from someone else. For one, DM declined for him to follow his dream that he had been hoping and working toward for years. He had no say in the matter. He didn't even know about it. Once again, a choice being taken away from him. That was like his one goal in life. Life. And then of course, the real kicker, this big dream that Teller had always had, DM forgot about it.

[Nicole]

L L 12 point font, bold capitalized L DM. Oh God.

[Lexi]

Back when brother and sister were together in Limnos, he made DM swear that there was no more secrets and DM thought that she was telling the truth because she forgot about the sofa's invitation from her Ascension Ball. Now I will give DM this. She does get an L, but I will give her this. Our girl's got a lot going on and I'll be honest, this mistake is absolutely something that I would do and have to own up to. But this also ties back to DM's anger at their mother. Family is not first priority, no matter how much Orly says that it is. Her actions speak louder than words. Same thing could be said for DM here. She's telling Teller that he is the most important person to her, but she forgot about him having the chance to achieve his life's dream. Dream. No wonder Teller is furious with dm. Add on that she's upset with him for being upset with her. Our girl needs to give her little brother a break and actually look at all of this from his perspective instead of her sister knows best attitude that she's got. Which is exactly what we were saying with Orly last episode. How Mother Knows Best dm. We all know it was a mistake that you forgot and it was not with malicious intent, but you definitely do get that capital L here for forgetting. For being a bully older sister right now. Now for not treating Teller like he's his own person and he's just her little brother. But I will give DM this, she owns up to her mistake and profusely apologizes she can't take back that she forgot, but she can do her best to make things right with her brother moving forward. That's the way to take accountability. DM and Gold Star to tell her for calling DM out on her own black and white thinking. He makes DM reflect on something that was a big theme and glow. And I believe that in DM's inner monologue, it captures very well here, which is, quote, what did it mean to be a good person in a system built on such a fundamental bad?

[Nicole]

As if the kindred themselves are also tired of DM hiding things from Teller. The ten pointed star on her neck begins to glow quickly, engulfing the room in light, which can only mean one thing. Ophia Kai. He's coming. Dun, dun, dun. Sorry, Teller, but the family drama, it is going to have to wait. It's not just Ophiuchai, though. That's bad, bad, bad. Charging into the city on hors back and armed with Godstone are none other than Ophi's group of mortal rebels. We don't know how many of them there are, but I'm guessing considering they've taken out like the city of Umbros and the villages of Miros, maybe like a couple hundred. But Nicole, how can a couple hundred mortals take out such a huge descended location? Well, Ophiuchai has a shield wrapped tightly around each of his soldiers, so I think that right there kind of slashes the number down quite a bit. But that's really convenient. I almost picture it like the glamour that Zellerik had on Diem, Alix and Terran back in Umbros. But this is again, just showing how skilled this man is. A man who is flying on a very pissed off gryvern who, just like his master, has been festering his anger for centuries.

[Lexi]

So I asked Pen about, like, where his Gryvern has been all this time. She would not answer that question.

[Nicole]

That's fair. I want to say he went back to the homeworld.

[Lexi]

The homeworld is destroyed. Because I asked Pen that and she's like, no. Like, the home world is gone. Like, you can't go back there.

[Nicole]

Then he went to a different world.

[Lexi]

I think he's been on Omarion all this time because there's another point where it's like, ooh, like, could there be more of people like DM and Ophiuchai hiding in the shadows? And like, it's almost like I don't think that there are more of them because that gets a little bit more. Everybody has a lot of Power. But I do think that his Gryvern has been hiding somewhere. And I wonder if that is where these poor descended children are.

[Nicole]

Speaking of things, we asked Pen as I was working on this part of the map of the outline so that the pre Outline to the outline. I was sitting at a breakfast table with Pen Cole herself, and I was able to ask her every single annoying question that came into my mind as I was working on this outline line, which I am so excited to go through as we sprinkle in these little tidbits of information throughout this classic FFG battle walkthrough. She also said, there's a lot of.

[Lexi]

Easter eggs in this battle, so let's see what we can find.

[Nicole]

I feel like we barely found all of them.

[Lexi]

Oh, no, no. Yeah. Absolutely not. But first we have to mention just how utterly fucked Sophos is for this attack. This realm is full of scholars. They're academics, researchers, inventors, engineers. They are not warring. The Sofos Gryvern is plump and pampered. He's not ready for battle. Yes, there are guards, but they're used to guarding libraries and ruins and handling crimes like stolen books, not charging into battle. And there are limited weapons here too, because the shipments from House Banette and Lumnos keep getting disrupted by the rebels and all of the army soldiers nearby, they left to secure Umbros after its attack. So all in all, things are looking bad, bad, bad for the city now under attack.

[Nicole]

Attack. As Diem goes up to Doriel and Luther to create some sort of plan, the crown of Sophos is like, uh, why do you have his sigil on your neck? Remember, a big reason Doriel did not want to take DM up on her bargain was because of how sus DM was that she was connected to this man. This is Doriel's worst fear in their eyes being confirmed. If she has his mark, then DM must have brought Ophiuchai here to Sophos to either destroy the city and or threaten Doriel into taking DMs deal. I mean, from Doriel's POV, this does look sus again. That's why I'm like, never wanting to damn this person. Because from their POV everything makes sense. Especially because when Doriel refuses to release Luther's magic, DM then uses Umbro's magic to get them to do it. To be fair, they need Luther's magic in order to fight against Ophiuchai. But still, from Doriel's point of View this looks controlling and bad, bad, bad.

[Lexi]

But DM won't give up on trying to urge Doriel to not look at her as the enemy. Right now, Doriel needs to do something, anything, to protect their people. And Doriel as an academic, is a little frozen here in this moment with the oncoming attack, but they need to step up as a leader and actively do something. They're a crown of Amarian, and the Kindred have chosen them to protect their people. Which is the tough words that Dorial needed to hear to agree to work with DM to make moves. We also find out that Ophiuchai has own his own crown, and it is a ten pointed star. And I have a quick story about this ten pointed star. The night before the Everflame Ball, we were all up late preparing the special edition books for attendees. And I noticed the ten pointed star on the spine of the dust jacket. And I was so excited. I was like, oh my God.

[Nicole]

Everybody look, look, look.

[Lexi]

And that's when pin pointed out and are you all ready for this? The ten pointed star symbol has been in the books since Spark. The symbol is literally the design for the space breaks in the series that Nicole just showed here for our YouTube listeners. And it's at the. The top of the map. That's at the beginning of every single book. You know what's at the bottom of the map? I'll tell you soon.

[Nicole]

I'm so excited. With the incoming rebels shielded by Ophiuchai, the only way for them to even have a hope of dwindling their numbers is to get Ophiuchai far enough away from the city so that his magic putters out and fails around the mortal rebels. Because Doriel is the only one with a Gryvern. I love when DM is like, because my Gryvern is with the Regent. Because you won't coordinate me me. It's just I do really enjoy her handing Doriel a silver platter of. Do you see how hard you're making my life right now? And this war for me to fight anyway, because Doriel is the only one with a Gryvern, they will take Vexus and attempt to lure Ophiuchai out and away from the city. But that leaves everyone in the city. Luckily, there's some hope. If they use Godstone blades, then maybe, hopefully they'll be able to penetrate Ophiuchai's shield around the soldiers. Only one problem. Who's got Godstone? The Sophos archives do. But those are antiques. They're a piece of history, and you will be too if you don't use any pause. From my morning chat with Pen and also from the Q and A at the Everflame Ball, we know that this archive stash is going to come back into play. So we are watching them very carefully during this battle. Lexi especially. She texted me in all caps yesterday and I'm so excited for her to go through her findings. DM sends Stuart and some of the guards to grab the painfully few Godstone weapons that Sophos has locked away in the archives. Those without weapons will round up the civilians and get them inside and out of the war zone to barricade the doors. And then those remaining who do have their own weapons, which is a wildly small number, those soldiers will follow DM into the streets to protect the city from the rebels. What about Luther's plan though? Luther spots a familiar face among the guardians aliens. It's Vance, who is holding with his singular arm a familiar jewel hilted weapon. It is time for Luther to go get his family sword back. Note, neither Luther or DM are saying that the other needs to go get into cover and save themselves. A thing that we've literally been keeping account of during this book. But like we discussed the last few episodes, we are in a new era of Luther and Dark, where Luther specifically has promised he will not throw her behind him anymore and try to protect her. And right now they are both upholding this promise.

[Lexi]

Growth.

[Nicole]

More on this later.

[Lexi]

For this battle, it is so cool seeing DM utilize the different magics that she uniquely has. She uses her faunus magic to tell the horses that the attacking rebels are riding to throw them, trample them, drag them away, which causes absolute chaos. She used a wall of stone to block the rebels earlier as they were coming in, so she was at least able to hold them off for a very short while. But at least it was something.

[Nicole]

Well, okay, so question. Because as she makes this stone wall quote, a sudden crack rippled through the air as a bolt of lightning shot into the sky from near the library. And then it's just never mentioned again. So what is this lightning bolt? Because. Because the only other time we've seen lightning on the page was at the Kindred Temple where a bolt of lightning shot into the stone and everything went to hell.

[Lexi]

That's a good catch. I guess I always just thought that it was Ophiuchai using his spark magic to crack it, and maybe he was over near the library, but that was purely an assumption and I would not be Surprised? Because we clearly know from pen that there's a lot more to the moon and the sun and. And maybe lightning's in there too.

[Nicole]

Well, what if that was when Stuart and co went to the archives in the library and got a certain weapon and took it out of the and they were like, bringing it to battle.

[Lexi]

That's very interesting.

[Nicole]

That is touching on that. In a moment. I don't want to trip. I do not want to trample on your toes. We'll get more to that in a moment.

[Lexi]

DM is using Arboro's magic to get roots to sprout and trip these rebels. She's using her water to push the attackers to back carpet of ice to make them slip, a gauntlet of stone to make them climb. At first, DM is trying to hide all this other magic she has, but the people of Sophos are smart cookies. They're kind of known for that, and they're starting to get mighty curious about all these magics in the vicinity. Soon enough, DM will have to throw any caution to the wind, because ultimately, survival and protecting this city is way more important than keeping her abilities a secret. These rebels get closer to DM and almost attack her, but they then they recognize the ten pointed star marked on DM that Ophiuchai gave her through the foraging magic back in Montios. Ah, so now we see why Ophiuchi marked her. It's his way of protecting Diem and sparing her from his minions. One of the rebels wants to ignore the mark on her and kill her anyway, because she's working for the other side, after all. But then we hear his comrade say, we can't afford to lose his help. So from this one line, we can deduce just how much weight and importance Ophiuchai has for this rebel group. I mean, it's obvious, but I still have to point that out. They need him, and he's clearly in charge here, where they have to blindly trust him. Later on, there will be an exchange with Vance, and Luther will point out to him, you are about to kill a mortal for a descended. As if he's like, that's different.

[Nicole]

Exactly. I love the line where it's like as if something approaching an intelligent thought came into his mind. So good. So naturally, Diem realizing this mark from Ophiuchai is protection. And it's quite surprising. I have a feeling this is going to be a really, really big thing for DM in Burn. DM is going to have to deal with the narrative that Ophiuchai isn't 100% evil and not going to lie. I kind of love that he's not just evil through and through. Although he is definitely evil. Don't get me wrong. We know from Pen from that Q and A at the Everflame Ball that a huge theme in Burn is going to be monsters of aren't born, they're made. And absolutely Ophiuchai is going to be in that thematic category.

[Lexi]

Absolutely. In fact, the only two characters Pen mentioned and kind of like a follow up with all of that who can go kick rocks are Ileana and Gareth.

[Nicole]

And with Ophiuchai again I'm leaning into he is evil, don't get me wrong. He's destroying cities. He's killing a lot of people. He wants vengeance and I can't wait to learn why.

[Lexi]

I just want to know what happened on the Kindreds homeworld. I have a feeling Omnos want to rule over the mortal as immortal gods, whereas his Kindred siblings wanted to integrate more with the humans. But we also know from Matios diary that Ominos was not as scared about what happened on their homeworld as the rest of the siblings. So did something happen to him to make him a monster back in their homeworld? Or if Omnos is not Ophiuchai, which we're just always kind of like making an assumption that he is, but we have to point out that we do not know that that is simply our theory. I also have some pretty strong evidence that they are not the same person later this episode. Episode Ophiuchai may have sided with the rebels during the Blood War. And being as powerful as he was, the Crowns locked him up. So he's always been against the Descended and the Kindred because his father Omnos and any offspring are have been shunned.

[Nicole]

I can't wait to hear your logic. I'm very. I will keep an open mind.

[Lexi]

I figured it out with Pen was right there too. And her chuckles. Her evil little chuckles right there.

[Nicole]

Well, going back to DM's feelings on all of this. Because everyone around her, specifically Luther and or like we mentioned last episode, they see Ophiakaya as this big bad. He is the villain of our story. But dm, she's going to see some good in him because of this move he just did. He marked her. He wants to protect her. And I know that I love DM so much, but she is going to to cling on to this deep down buried goodness that he will have with all abandoned. This is a total assumption, but I based on her previous actions. I feel this being a huge internal conflict for her next book.

[Lexi]

I could definitely see that too. I also wonder if that's another reason that Ophi did that, where he knows that she already has tried to kill him once, but he had already marked her. But I think that he. He is doing that. So it's like, well, see, like, look, I'm protecting you, so maybe you shouldn't try to kill me.

[Nicole]

I could totally see him doing that kind of emotional manipulation. Absolutely. But she does not have time to focus on this odd protection from her birth father, because Doriel is falling out of the sky. But they're caught by Ophiuchai and his gryvern, which is good and bad because the gryvern pierces Dorial through the gut with its claw. And they keeps flying around as poor Doriel is bleeding out with a claw through them. Thank you for the reenactment, Lexi. They're hopeless. They're forced to watch from the sky as their own city gets attacked. As Zephyrus and co make another pass, the gryvern's mouth opens wide, unleashing a wave of dragonfire. Instinctively, DM casts out her own magic to protect everyone around her, including the mortal rebels, obviously, because it's DM Shell. She raises her shield and locks eyes with Afia Kai, and her godhood raises up, telling her to fight, fight, fight. Now, remember Stuart and co who went off to the archives to get some weapons? They gave a sword to DM. And this sword now is tingling at DM's side, a strange, buzzing energy that feels like its own godhood, quote, its voice whispering of a storied fate trapped within in its gilded embrace. We know that this sword was a priceless heirloom that belonged to a Kindred, and it's one we're going to talk a lot about. But what magic is this that the sword has its own godhood? Does it have its own godhood? Or is it the magic that is the godhood from the kindred forged into the sword? I don't know.

[Lexi]

It feels like most of what was from the original world had has this sentient mass within it, including the Heartstone, which I am going to be getting a whole lot into later. So I do think that it's not like the exact same kind of godhood that is within the people, but it is still a. I'll call it a godhood. But it is that sentience that does exist, this magic that has its own mind. And I do think that, yes, it is right There, but here with the storied fate, like, oh my gosh, this is just her destined sword. So I do have a question as we're talking about the storied fate and it being her destiny, which kindred kind of has to do with this? For instance, was it Omnos's? And the fact that it was his just got lost to history. Maybe the sword did not belong to any particular kindred and this is all the kindred just guiding her toward her destiny as what's happening with all the crowns and things like that? Or could this be the gift that Mother Lumnos has been been referring to?

[Nicole]

Well enough. I'll throw out another option. We know that from Montl's diary there was the even our Ma. What if this is Ma? Z. What if this sword is Ma?

[Lexi]

I really do think it's Mother. I think again, that's another thing that Pen Cole said during our Q and A with her. That while we will not rediscover those ripped pages because they have been destroyed, we will clearly be able to deduce what was going to to be said next.

[Nicole]

Ah. Oh my God. All of this to say this sword's godhood is buzzing to Diem, Leaving her with a hunch. Diem draws the sword and its voice grows louder. The language foreign, but the message clear. Fight the language. Like the Kindred's language. Okay, more things from the Pencoll Q and A. Because it's never ending. We know that we will be discovering what language is written on this blade. We can assume, strongly assume, that the language that's written on the blade and this language that it's speaking to Diem that says fight is the same language. But we learned from Pen that we are going to learn what's on the sword. Slash. What? This language is from someone who's alive, but it's not who we think. I took that. It's not who we think to mean. It's not Ophiuch High. So is it DM who is going to know how to decipher it? Almost like the. Because right now she's able to hear what the language is. She thinks it's saying fight. So is DM gonna be the one who decodes it?

[Lexi]

I don't know if that's the exact same thing. I feel like she's hearing fight and then she's also hearing this, like, ancient language, which Pen did confirm is the Kindred language. This also reminds me back when she was destroying the Godstone back in Fortos, in the Fortos section, and she felt like there was an ancient words being said to her, but she couldn't quite understand them. I don't have me. But I do think that's all very, very tied in here together. So I'll say this. I think that this person who Pen says is going to be able to help us translate it and how. It's not somebody who we think. I think that it is someone outside of the inner circle. I remember back in Ambrose, there was someone who knew the ancient ways of forging new. Of forging raw godstone. So it makes me think of someone in Umbros. Not. Not that person in particular. But. But there is this knowledge that has been passed down generation to generation. Or I keep going back to the other important artifacts that are hidden in Sophos. There's got to be a translation dictionary there, right? Although, when I did ask Pen that, she's like, no, it is someone. So. Yeah.

[Nicole]

Watch it. Be orally. What?

[Lexi]

And maybe Ophiuchai taught her the ancient language. For they have a lot that they had as many. She now knows it.

[Nicole]

I. I don't think so. You think that's a fun theory? I think that's a fun theory. Lexi. It's fair.

[Lexi]

I'm just throwing people around now. Maybe it's Stuart.

[Nicole]

Our boy Stuart. Oh my God. Please let it be Stuart. I hope it's Stuart. I love him.

[Lexi]

I don't think it's. Although he does work in libraries. Who knows? Who knows?

[Nicole]

Back to the battle.

[Lexi]

This is going to be a reoccurring theme. There's so much going on in this episode. Ophiucha's Gryvern breathes dragonfire on dm.

[Nicole]

Oh no.

[Lexi]

Except. What's this? She does not get burned by the dragonfire. Now this does not have the same comforting warmth that Sarai's fire has when it breathes on dm. This fire from Ophiuchai's Gryvern has this bone deep intensity. But Diem remains untouched. I am under the impression that dragonfire can burn a crown of a different realm. Like how Montesquieu Gryvern's dragonfire engulfed your cell. And it makes sense that with DM being the eventual crown of all the realms, that the dragonfire does not affect her. So because she hails from this Gryvern's realm, from Omnos's realm, could that be enough reason for her not to burn? Or because DM is so other, there is no way for any dragonfire to get to her? That's what I'm leaning toward. These weapons, including Godstone and Gryverns from the King Kindred's homeworld does not affect her like it does for everyone else. And especially with Dragonfire and Burning and Ever Flame.

[Nicole]

Yeah, I'm definitely leaning towards the latter. I think that it's like I almost think of it as whenever she's, quote unquote, burned by Dragonfire. It's the similar. Maybe not to the same level, but it's a similar effect of when people use magic against her because she feels this tingling. It's not height, hot and cold, though. So that's why I'm saying it's similar but different. But I want to bring up something from one of my morning chats with Pen, because again, I told you, I asked all the annoying questions. I asked her if Ophiuchai is immune to dragon fire like DM is, and I did not expect her to answer, but she did. She said no. So Ophi can be hurt or some equivalent by Dragonfire. What does this mean? I don't know. Because then that's everything spiraling. Because if Ophiuchai is from this kindred world, then there goes our entire theory. So I wonder if this is an Everflame thing instead. Yeah, because DM is connected to the Undying Fire, she cannot be harmed by any type of fire. Remember back in Spark in the Burning Building? She wasn't hurt.

[Lexi]

Yes, I am definitely going with this as an Everflame thing. This is Everflame protection. And final answer. Yep, final answer. On a similar note, during our Q and A, we did ask Pin if Ophiuch and DM have all of the same magic. And she said, no comment. It was one of her very few answers that she would not answer. And she said because it would just give too much away. So.

[Nicole]

But while we're talking about Dragonfire, we need to talk about Zephyrus. Ophiuchai's Gryvern Zephyrus has a horned reptilian head, red tipped wings, and black fur, and a red, black and silver color palette. Now, red, black and silver color palette typically represents power and mystery. Sounds about right. Now, I looked up the meaning of Zephyrus, and I found literally nothing. Except for a Steam account and an indie stone account that enjoyed breaking street lamps with a sledgehammer. Now, if we're adjusting some spellings, like a lot, there's a giant fish called Ziphycatamius, which is extracted from Greek and Latin to mean sword ray. Now this, this is an extinct fish. That was terrifying. It was a big fish that could literally grow up to 16 to 20ft. I don't think that's where Zephyrus came from. So I went back to the constellations where we can strongly assume Ophiuchi came from. AKA Ophiuchus. There is another constellation called Dorado, but this also has an alternative name called Zephias. What does Zephios mean? Swordfish. As at this point it all keeps coming back to the scary ass swordfish. And that's all I've got. Pencole, you've stumped me. I'm not starting fish watch.

[Lexi]

Okay, can I have something to add to this? When I plugged this exact same name into Google, it changed it to Cerberus, which is the three headed hound of Hades. And it is known for guarding the gates of the underworld to prevent the dead from leaving breathing. And I mentioned this to Pen and she kind of was like, oh, look at you kind of thing. She didn't confirm or deny. But I think that it is in reference to the three headed dog from Hades who, you know, guards the underrealm, who is his companion and all that kind of stuff. Watching Dorial crash helplessly to the ground, which real quickly, good thing that Dorial is no longer skewered by the claw. DM rushes to heal them. Obviously the current plan is not working in this battle here. And it is time for a new one. Doriel is going to find Stuart and the two descended with him. And these two descended will mount Vexus with Doriel to take off back into the sky. Who are these two descended, you ask, that are to go up into the skies with Doriel. One is from Phonos who will try to find ways to intervene with Ophiuchai's Gryvern. And the second is Amiros descended, who will use their wind to slow Ophiuchai and boost Vexus. And it's not just these two descended who are working together in this battle. Out in the streets, descended from different realms are all using their magical abilities in tandem, uniting against their common enemy.

[Nicole]

There's that theme for us again. Unity. People working together, no matter their race or realm of origin. I can absolutely see people from this Sophos battle joining DM's side in her army because of how the battle worked out and how they work together in that unity. Maybe there's some people who won't based off of DM's actions later, but that's for a future conversation. But speaking of things that work well together, DM and Zephyrus Claw in a blur of black and red And Silver DM finds herself pinned with the gryvern's talons, luckily around her throat and not skewered through her. Not very nice, Zephyrus. Even while trapped, DM still can't look away from her sire. On top of his Gryvern, she notes that she sees herself in him, from his physical features to to how he holds himself. But even though there's no denying their relation, Ophi speaks to DM without emotion, just simply stating the fact that he's, quote, the man who gave you life. Talk about Father of the Year. And he admits that the only reason DM will be spared from what's to come is because she released him again with her blood on the Heartstone and yada yada. Right now, Ophia Kai seems to not only be in a rage, but he is also pleased when DM shows her own anger too. Is this please look? Because he knows that if she's angry enough, she's not all that different from the Guardians who are fighting with him and therefore easier to get on his side or because he sees some of himself and his anger and rage in her? Both, Yeah, I think.

[Lexi]

Both. Yeah. I think it's important to note how Ophiuchi is speaking to dm. His voice is not just heard, it is felt. It is piercing her thoughts and feeling nowhere and everywhere at the same time. This feels so otherworldly, almost like a Kindred's voice. And maybe he's even using Umbro's magic in this moment, with how he's saying like, with how it's described as piercing her thoughts. I'm not quite sure though.

[Nicole]

So I also noted this because in the dialogue, if we're looking just grammatically, it's written as if in normal dialogue. There's quotes and there's no italicized or anything like. Like that. But then because of this isn't the first time it would be. The grammar is in her point of view, meaning there's moments from Umbros where the same dialogue was written that way, but it was in her mind. So I actually took this to mean Umbros magic. But maybe it is that otherworldly kindred, but it's also. It's using that voice with Umbros magic. So it's. It's both. Again, it's both.

[Lexi]

DM asks what he means by what's coming, and when Ophiuchai doesn't answer, she follows up with the people in the city are under her protection and she will not let him hurt them. To which Ophiuchai Says he can see the three crowns within her. And then with a hook of his finger, he makes the crowns shoot up out of her head. They strain over DM's head as if he could rip her head from her neck to steal them away. How does he do this? While Ophiuchai says he's impressed with the crowns she's collected, Diem can smell the hunger and see it in his eyes how badly he wants these crowns. Remember what Orly said? He used to tell her how he wanted to be king and rule all of Omarion no matter what.

[Nicole]

I don't think that even if DM went to work with Afia Kai, he's so power hungry, I just don't think he'll be able to hold himself back from taking her off the board. Because he'll believe. Believe that if she's dead after he's killed all the other descended, he's the only one left to rule Amarian.

[Lexi]

I agree. Yeah.

[Nicole]

Oh, that's bad. Dm, please realize this asap.

[Lexi]

So she has.

[Nicole]

Yeah, she.

[Lexi]

She knows she has.

[Nicole]

And yet she's still very much like, I don't think I can kill him. Like, he's still got good in him. He wants to protect me.

[Lexi]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But in this moment, moment, Ophiuchai pitches Diem to come to his side. If she wants to rule these people, protect them, give them a better world, together he and her can make it happen.

[Nicole]

During another morning chat with Pen, I asked her how important this together we can make a better world statement is from Ophiuchai in regards to Burn, and she laughed and said very. Now, is this very because he's going to keep trying to get her on his side because he knows with both of them that they'd be unstoppable? Or is it because he knows she refuses to work with him and this will be the reason his protection for her goes away?

[Lexi]

Maybe both. I think he is very much a Thanos villain, which you wouldn't know anything about, Nicole, because you don't watch Marvel, but it's this violent villain who genuinely believes they are doing what's best for mankind.

[Nicole]

Oh, absolutely, yes. Ophia Kai believes that.

[Lexi]

So I think in Burn there will be a big theme of what does a better world look like? And more specifically, for who? For all the people as they unite against evil like DM and Luther envision for Ophiuchai ruling over only mortals and a better world? Is all the descended dead for the crowns who just want things to go back to the way that they were where the mortals are oppressed and the descended, you know, have their good lives. But what's more, Ophiuchai says that he will keep killing the destination because there are debts that must be paid. Debts that must be paid.

[Nicole]

What debts? Because I don't think he's talking about his imprisonment. Especially considering when DM brings that up just a few lines later, he's furious at the thought of it. I think this debts he's referring to is something entirely else. But what debts?

[Lexi]

I will say, I do think that part of the debts is his imprisonment and all of that.

[Nicole]

Oh, okay.

[Lexi]

But I don't think that it's a.

[Nicole]

All to the story.

[Lexi]

Remember the prophecy that yourself said in chapter one of Spark Quote, Life for life, old debt requires or eternal be his yoke. What if Ophiuchai thinks that he is fulfilling his own prophecy? The first half has already been fulfilled, which he 20 years ago was actively trying to fulfill. And then DM did it on her own. But maybe this is his own interpretation of old debts paid and what eternal be his yoke means, which we have been pretty stumped on. Like I'm still like, it sounds like it would be like everything, you know, old debts must be paid, life for life, all that kind of stuff. Or Ophiuchai rules over everything. But maybe he has a different interpretation where all this stuff happens and he gets to rule over everything. Dan puts on her you are very misunderstood empathy hat and acknowledges Ophiuchai. He really must be angry. She gets it. And yeah, I'm not sure that was the right thing to say. Ophiuchai makes it very clear he is more than angry that he was locked away for centuries, left to rot. And he has lots of plans for all the ways he'll make sure he'll never be forgotten again. And there's that word forgot as it pertains to Diem. Being the daughter of the forgotten. DM digs herself a bigger hole as she continues trying to appeal to Afiakai in the same way that she has tried to appeal to the Guardians. She understands she would be angry too. But you can't punch punish the innocents. Just you gotta draw the line there. And that really does not go over well. As Zofiakai cuts her off exploding. You dare tell me what I cannot do. Even Diem's godhood cowers. This is one scary motherfucker. And as he approaches Diem, the sword that DM is holding thrums with a restless energy. I swear it's saying, let me at him Let me at him. This is what I was destined to do. Then we have Ophiuch High noting that fire burns within diem and that it can be useful. But he also warns that the brightest flame can be extinguished. On the surface, this fire can be correlated to her anger and passion and determination, but I really think it has a double meaning. And the way Nicole is freaking out right now too, I think she agrees that is the ever flame as well, and that it burns within her. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, this evil villain monologue is cut short because Dorial lets out a victory shout from atop Vexus and comes out of nowhere and collides straight into Ophiuchai and dm. This sends DM to the ground, and it knocks Ophiucai and his Gryvern through the air. Go Dorial. Saving DM like that. And taunting Ophiuchai and his Gryvern, Dorial sends a spark of energy into Sephorus, causing him to tumble to the ground. To which Dorial promptly gets the hell out of here, knowing Ophiuchai is about to turn target them. With the help of the two descendant also riding on Vexus still, of course. But this attack does not keep Ophiucai down for long. Jumping up, Ophiucai mounts his Gryvern, heals his Gryvern, and launches into the air after Dorial. Good news. The plan to get Ophiuchai further away from the battle and therefore his shield over his rebel attackers will no longer work. It seems to be working this time. He's leaving. He's going further and further away.

[Nicole]

With Dorial and Ophiuchai in their standoff, Ophiuchai's aura begins to ease. Yay. Now there's a chance there are hundreds of angry Guardian attackers. Time to protect the city against them.

[Lexi]

Oh yeah. Because now that Ofiaka is further away, his magical shield protecting these rebels vanishes and they are all finally vulnerable.

[Nicole]

Now, it is easy for us to instantly think of a lot of FMCs who would very quickly take these Guardians off the board in a very permanent way. And we know that many are frustrated with DM's decision here to not do that, but we want to challenge everyone and look through DMs POV and really lean into why in her eyes, this was the smart decision for the war overall, because instead of taking out all the mortal rebels, she uses her Umbros magic to get in their minds and convince them to leave. Not unlike the centenary did at the Ascension Ball in glow. So reason number one behind her decision doing this. The End views the mortals as her people. She is fighting for one Amaran, not just a section of it on her side that has been deemed worthy enough to live. But as Pen mentioned to us during the Q and A, a huge theme for the series is villains aren't bored, they're made. These people aren't evil to their core, to dm. Instead, people like Vance and Ophiuchai, who are so full of hate, poisoned these rebels minds and weaponized them for Ophiuchai's own vengeance. So because of that, are these soldiers who are just doing the bidding of those they follow, truly the enemy? To Diem, the answer is no. Which again, I think will be a huge theme. And burn. When is someone's mind too far poisoned to the point that it is irreversible? And where can they be given an antidote, so to speak, to come to the good side again thinking, you know, talking a little bit more black and white. But there's a second reason. There is a moment during the battle that really does get in DM's head. As DM is fighting the mortals, she's pulling back her blows to ensure no, no one is hurt or killed. She comes across an old patient of hers, one who knows Aurelie well. Well, ish, probably because they were a Guardian. Remember back in the last set of chapters when Aurelie said that she recognized some of Ophiuchai's guardians, but the common factor between them was they all believed that Aurelie was too soft as a Guardian leader. Well, here's one of them. But as DM tries to tell the man that she's not only fighting for the Descended, but the the mortals too, he says, quote, are you? Because all I see is mortal blood on your blade and the Descended fighting at your back. This man, and likely the Guardians alongside him, only see Diem as the enemy. And these words spook dm. They get in her head.

[Lexi]

Just like it did earlier in Arboros when Vance taunted her that she killed a mortal to save a descendant.

[Nicole]

Yeah, she views them as her own people. And to hear that these mortals see her as evil, it makes DMs own sheer will try to prove them wrong. We saw her do this in a very different scale. Back in Lumnos, when she was in the Square and people were saying how the Queen has abandoned the mortals. It made her feel like she needed to prove them wrong. And she did. In a very public way. She is not evil. And here she wants to prove that she is fighting for all of them at the end of the day. And by doing that, she needs to not kill everyone.

[Lexi]

It goes back to there being definitions of sides in this war. There is how Ophiuchi and Vance's rebels see the sides mortal verse descended. Then there's how the Crowns view these sides. Amarian versus the guardians. And lastly, we have DMs side, which is basically good versus evil. And it's the hardest to define because like Nicole was saying, what truly is evil, you can't measure it in the same kind of way as you can with the other others, where it's demographics and geography and things like that.

[Nicole]

While this is a very noble stance on DM's part, and God, I love that DM believes in this type of redemption, there are some repercussions that she, at least in my opinion, isn't thinking all the way through when she makes this call. And especially when she'll let Vance loose in a few chapters. But we'll get into all of those pros versus cons in a moment. Moment. Because with the Guardians retreating thanks to her Umbros magic, let's zero in on that sword that DM is holding. We have held back long enough.

[Lexi]

Oh, my God.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

You did not think that we were done talking about the sword, right? Okay, let's go through everything we know about this sword now that we are seeing it in real life and not just in DM and Luther's visions. It's a broadsword that bears a gilded, finely carved handle. And it has a glittering onyx blade as wide as DM's thigh, inlaid with golden scroll work. Now, real quickly, because while we do not hear from DM in this moment where we're getting all this description, we can gather that this glittering onyx blade is Godstone. Earlier a guard said these are all the Godstone weapons that we have from the archives. So considering this was one of those weapons, we can make that assumption here. On this blade, there's a delegate filigree, which if you're like me and did not know what that was, it is a form of intricate metal work and almost seems like these patterns are words, but not in any language DM recognizes. Yes, this is the kindred language we were talking about earlier. I think what's written on it is going to be so key to defeating a Kindred. Like what yourself said about how a Kindred can be killed. It's just that no one knows. Or it ties directly into the prophecy, because again, that storied fate and the destiny and all that kind of stuff.

[Nicole]

I could see it being there too.

[Lexi]

What if it's one of the ancient truths that it's like she knows what but is not fully ready to know? Again, calling back to that experience that she had when she was destroying the Godstone in Fortos. So DM has to embrace who she is as a Kindred, and then she will know this language.

[Nicole]

It's almost like when she was embracing her godhood, her magic, it all flooded into her at once. And she was able to use it without the heavy training montage that we are used to in fantasy stories. So. So what if this language is like, you're saying, kind of similar? Exactly.

[Lexi]

Yeah. It's like it's one of the truths that she has not come to know yet. And she's not ready yet. But once when she is ready, then she will know it. That would fall in line with what Pen said about how it's not the person you think it is, because we certainly would not think that it is dm. So, yeah, clearly does not know it. Right. Now back to the description of the sword. Here. The swirls and lines weave around a glassy disc embedded in the center of the blade. And this glassy disc is so dark it is nearly black, but it still radiates a smoky internal glow. So when I read this description for the first time, I could have sworn that it reminded me of something. So I flipped back through and I found something very interesting that it reminded me of the heart stone. Going back to the coronation ceremony from Glow, we got this description of the Heartstone quote. Glassy on its smoother faces. The smoky color so dark it appeared black, though a faint glow seemed to emanate from within you. All that is almost a one to one description as this glassy disc embedded in this blade that used to be of the Kindreds. And that DM feels called to. Oh my God. I was absolutely freaking out when this all came together for me yesterday. I could not believe it. I'm still getting shivers and chills right now. Okay, so this glassy disc embedded in the center of the split blade, it.

[Nicole]

Has to be a piece of the.

[Lexi]

Heartstone or of the Heartstone's original source. What do we know? What do we know about the Heartstone? It is a conduit of the second kind of magic that exists. The Earth, the air, every planet and creature. Quote. It allowed the Kindred to weave their magic into this world and control how it can be used. So maybe this is a crack theory, but I wonder if this weapon. Weapon will serve as a conduit for the balance that DM represents. I'm still processing this revelation, but, yeah, there is part of the Hearthstone in this sword that is called to diem.

[Nicole]

Well, what if this one will rise? Is that one true Amarian will rise. But in order to do that, a new, for lack of a better term, like a foraging spell needs to be cast. And the Heartstone, we both assume is going to be destroyed in this book series, right?

[Lexi]

I think so. I know. I think that at least the Kindreds Temple will be. I could see the Heartstone having a new forging spell cast on it. I think that this sword is going to be key in that.

[Nicole]

Yes. What if it, like King Arthur's style, is squished into the Heartstone? Because apparently the Heartstone's massive. I thought it was just like a little teeny tiny egg. And Pen was like, no, Ben.

[Lexi]

Better than when I was like, oh, I kind of always thought of it like a fountain, like a bird bath. And she's like, you thought the Heartstone was a bird bath? And thank goodness her PA was on my side and agreed with me. So we had to explain. I was like, yeah, it was like a bird bath like thing. You know, like with like a little dome thing in the center. And she's like, no.

[Nicole]

Nothing like explaining your own visions of what the author creates created to the author herself. And she's like, what the are you talking about?

[Lexi]

It's a horror face.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

Anyway, overall, DM admires how this sword is a true piece of art. And she recognizes it as the sword she holds in every vision of the battlefield. You know where else this sword appears on the map of all the books.

[Nicole]

That's right.

[Lexi]

Go to the map in the physical book and see the bottom. This sword is there since center right with Luther's sword of Courbois on the left.

[Nicole]

And it has a little disc in it.

[Lexi]

It does have the disc in it, exactly. Yes. And an interesting looking crown is there in the middle between these two swords. And you know what it looks like it's made out of maybe wood and sparks. I'm calling it. That is the crown of the Everflame. And I don't think it's like these kindred crowns that we're used to. I think that it is a representation of the Everflame here. Because when you first look at this crown, it's like, oh, it's a crown of a Marian. It does not look like any of the crowns that it's supposed to look Like. And it looks very mortal ish. With sparks on it. Exactly. The wood ever flame. I'm. Oh, my God. And while we're on the map, we also get a sun and a moon in the little corners there. Which Pen confirmed during our Q and A that the sun and moon have a much bigger meaning in our story. I am freaking out. In the best way possible. I can't even talk right right now. Okay. Sorry. I got distracted by.

[Nicole]

By the map.

[Lexi]

As we know, the sword came from Sofos archives and once belonged to the Kindred. But it seems clear that the sword is meant to be DMs. The blade is literally pulsing with a soft, silvery glow in her hand. That sounded dirty, but then there's that silvery glow that we all associate with the Kindred. Again. And I'm even going to say with the moon. With the sun too. Because now, apparently, we got to reference.

[Nicole]

That for everything as well.

[Lexi]

Well, and DM feels inherently protective and possessive over this sword. Like it is now hers.

[Nicole]

You know what my favorite part of this episode is? What? The fact that we hung out with Pen Cole before we wrote this outline. Because we have more information about this sword. Firstly, we know that this sword's name is Sorrow's Edge. And it's apparently very aptly named. Which gives me 100 question. Questions. We know that the sword belonged to a Kindred. So we can assume it was also from the Kindred home world and brought over. And we know that there was a lot of war and hate back in their home world before coming to a. Marion. So was this sword created in order to. I'll say, bring sorrow like it was like a Sorrow Bringer in their world or. I'm gonna. I know. You said it might have been Omnos's sword. I know. Then I brought up the mother. What if it was Lunos sword? Because she. She was filled with so much sorrow when she used it against people.

[Lexi]

I see that as well. Absolutely. Like, what if it is the sword that has already defeated Omnos? It has part of the Heartstone rock embedded in it. How many more times can I say that? Because I'm so stinking proud of myself for figuring that out. So what if the sword sealed the sacrifice that the Kindred made to get rid of their brother? I think this blade is what needs to be used to right the ancient wrong as well. And that it is whatever was used for the original. Original sacrifice. Again, like, it has to be this sword. We also have to remember the Heartstone repelled Diem on the island where it was hard for her to even be in its presence. But Sorrow's edge has the opposite effect. So what if the Heartstone was trying to prevent DM from breaking Ophiuchai out? And now Sorrow's edge calls to her? Because now it is up to her to defeat Ophiuchai.

[Nicole]

All we know is that this sword is not done in our story. Thank God we haven't had an episode.

[Lexi]

Like this where I am just, like, giddy. Like we. Yes, umbros.

[Nicole]

But, like, that was all stuff that kind of.

[Lexi]

We'd already been talking about and all that kind of stuff. But this is, like.

[Nicole]

This is why we deep dive.

[Lexi]

Okay, rewinding a little. As the battle winds down, there is one person DM cannot find.

[Nicole]

Luther, where are you?

[Lexi]

And she becomes very panicked that she cannot find her prince. But have no fear. Her prince will never die off page. He returns to his queen after the battle, and not only is he reunited with Diem, but he's also reunited with the sword of Crobois. Huzzah.

[Nicole]

With luther back in DM's arms, you'd think she'd be thrilled and overjoyed. Yes. And she's pissed at Luther now. I do love this, because this feels so relatable to me. You know, when you and, like someone you love, you're gonna be meetup. And the time rolls around, and you're there, you're at the coffee shop, but they're not. And you wait and wait and wait and wait. And suddenly it's 15 to 30 minutes later, and you're freaking out that they were in a crash or they slipped on their way out of the shower, or they were bitten by a rare poisonous spider in the car and then drove off a cliff. My mind is fine. The truth is, when they finally arrived, they just weren't able to text or call you. Their phone died. They lost. Left it at home. Or they're such a careful driver that they didn't want to risk getting it out. And you were so relieved that they're okay. They're with you, but you're also, like, irrationally angry at them. And I'll speak for myself here, but in those moments, I'm really more mad at myself for getting so worked up and letting my mind run away with anxiety. It's like the residual fear and terror needs an outlet, and sometimes you just obtain. Attach it to the easiest person who you can attach it to. Is it a good pattern to be in? Fuck no. Absolutely not. This is why Brett and I actually have a common saying in our house. Which is like I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at me or I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at the situation. Which is always so helpful for my sweet people pleasing husband to not feel like I'm suddenly angry at him for no reason. But right now DM doesn't have the vocab of I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at the situation because she was terrified of losing Luther again. This is now the second and actually not second, third time in almost a week where Luther almost died on her and something has really changed with them recently. She has so wholly given herself to him that she is terrified what she would turn into. No, not who she would turn into, what she would turn into should he be gone. I am going to give. Even though, yes, this is so relatable, I am still going to give DM a lowercase l for this moment. It's going to be in that nine point font again, but it is a lowercase l nonetheless. Luther promised DM that he was going to let her fight her own battles because he knows she is strong enough to protect herself just like he is strong enough to protect himself in battle. He is releasing control and stress and instead trusting his partner to take care of herself. Am I faulting DM for freaking out and being terrified because her love is missing? No, of course not. But what she is giving that nine point lowercase l for is how she talks to him after saying how she needed him and he should have been there with her and how he abandoned her and he's like I'm doing exactly what you wanted from me and that is give you space, space. And I am really proud of him for standing his ground as she realizes her anger is actually fear.

[Lexi]

Yes, yes, I agree with all of that wholeheartedly. We learned from Luther's POV section that after he left Diem, he went on the hunt to find fans and get the Sword of Crobois back. Exactly what he said he was going to do. Chasing out. Which again, like I understand she thought that he might be dead. They were just in a battle, so I understand that. And he was doing what she told him to. Chasing after Vance, Luther found him running into a descended elementary school and when Luther followed Vance inside, Vance was holding the Sword of Corbois to the teacher's throat in front of the children. And the teacher was a mortal herself. Who is a badass by the way.

[Nicole]

I also started thinking about this because Vance going to a place with descended children we know from Pencole at the Q and A that we are going to learn more more about Vance's backstory. We might be learning about a family he had or about a daughter or a younger sibling, that maybe he was a young warthog and his younger siblings died when a descendant did something or other, I don't know. But I think that him going to children is going to be a little nod to his backstory.

[Lexi]

When Ophiuchai's shield around Vance falls, the teacher takes advantage of the moment and rams her fist into his crotch. She grabs a sword and Vance's fall ear and the teacher drags Vance out of the classroom again by the ear. I just love her so much. As Luther happily watches from the sidelines until the teacher has her feel beating the shit out of him. I love this so much for the teacher. I know she doesn't have a name, but I sure do hope that she comes back and DM gets to meet her because Luther's all like, oh my DM would love you a lot. When the teacher is done just beating Vance up, Luther takes his blade back right at as DMs Column of Light erupts into the sky, which he knows is meant for him. Wrapping Vance in his shadows, Luther drags Vance back to dm, ready for his queen to dish out revenge.

[Nicole]

Like I mentioned earlier, with her letting the rest of the Guardians go, Diem is trying to be strategic with these post battle maneuvers and with Vance it's not much different. That man's voice who told her she's got mortal blood on her blade, descended or fighting at her back, it's still ringing in her ear. So if she kills Vance, would it feel good? Probably. Definitely. But she'd be killing a wounded hostage mortal, she'd be making Vance into a martyr that the other mortals could then rally behind and run over to Ophiuchai's side. It would make that man's earlier statement solidified in stone rather than changeable like she's hoping for it to be. And that doesn't just go for him, that extends to the sudden steeper uphill battle she would be needing to climb to get the rest of the Guardians onto her side, which is something she wants to do. And then also there's a small thing of if she kills Vance, is she better than Ophiuchai?

[Lexi]

DM would be serving justice to someone who absolutely deserves it in this situation. But that's not really the point in this moment. Like Nicole is saying, DM does not want to feed in into the hateful cycle that we have talked about already. She wants to break the cycle. She wants to lead by example. And by doing so, if she's going to preach peace and unity with people, she has to do that herself, too.

[Nicole]

Which makes sense. So instead of killing Vance and finishing the job that Luther and the teacher started very well, DM laces her words with Umbro's magic, and she tells him to stop helping Ophia Kai to leave the realm and to never come back. I will say, if this was a permanent fix in his mind, like a permanent change, this would be a wonderful solution. But it's not. It's only a few days, or however.

[Lexi]

Long until she's out of sight. You know, this reminds me in the dining room in Umbros how your cell warned DM that they can make people forget things. And when they make people forget things, that memory never, ever comes comes back. And how it's almost like that's better than dead. What if. I don't see DM doing this? Because she knows that it would be worse than death, but what if she was to make those permanent changes happen?

[Nicole]

It would be a peaceful solution. But then, is she playing God by messing with someone's inner thoughts? And she. Again, I'm. Look, I'm trying so hard to be totally in her shoes. Like, I have my very own strong opinions about this, but I'm not dm. Like, if she changes someone's mind, is that better than killing them? Like, that's such a violation, right? And I.

[Lexi]

It's putting.

[Nicole]

Do I think it's a smart move? Yes, because it would be not. It would be a peaceful, ish solution for her to not take him off the map, but for her to make someone who was a big problem, not a big problem, because he also, Sophosa, wouldn't get all the people over to his side because he'd forget about it. I'm with you on this. I tried.

[Lexi]

I tried.

[Nicole]

That's all from DMs POV. But then we have this whole other POV that is DM letting the Guardians away, even using Umbra's magic. It's not helping her side with the Sophos revenants, because they're like, those people just try to infiltrate our city and kill everyone. Like, what are you doing? Because I. As they say, if these Guardians are left alive, they can come back and attack better, stronger, more strategic. They know the lay of the land now. They know their weaknesses. This is a lose, lose situation for dm. That's the bottom Line, you know, if.

[Lexi]

She just made them forget about the battle.

[Nicole]

I know, I agree. Because to the selfless residents again, I'm just going to put another thing in DMs. This is maybe not the smartest thing to do. She's already having to convince them that she's on their side. From the Sophos residence pov, she's marked by Ophiuchai this and that mark looks pretty sus like she could be leaving them alive for a longer term plan. One that she might be working on the other side to see through.

[Lexi]

Ah. I remember in one of our interviews with Pen, I think it was for our intro episode that she sees this moment where DM lets fans go as a sign of growth for DM Diem of book one absolutely would have killed him here. But now she is growing and becoming more strategic, thinking beyond this particular moment, and she's weighing the repercussions. And I honestly as a reader had not considered that. Us readers, we are out for blood. Like Nicole was saying earlier about the FMCs, like, this is not what we are used to. And this is a calculated move on DM's part where she is leading with strategy versus her emotions. Does Vance deserve to die? Absolutely, but not in a way that benefits these rebels. He would become the martyr he is already fully prepared to be when it comes to Vance.

[Nicole]

I do feel like he is being left alive, though, for a very specific reason at least. I need that for me to sleep at night. We know from our Pen Q and A at the Everflame Ball that we're going to learn Vance's backstory in Burn. I don't think I'm going out on a limb here when I say I think we're going to learn the reason he joined the Guardians. So one reason he could be left alive is for us to get that backstory. I honestly wonder if Pen had the backstory written in the scene and she actually decided to nix it and put it in Burn instead for max emotional impact. Now, if we're going back to his family situation and we're going to be learning if him joining the Guardians did have something to do with his family. I also feel like that would be a tick in the Vance killed Andre theory camp because if he lost his family to the descended, I could see him wanting to give DM that same kind of pain. And I'm not gonna lie, my mind running with this, what are we going to learn in Vance's backstory makes me very nervous that we're going to. I've never felt more nervous that we're gonna have sympathy for a character. I feel like we're going to, because that's just Pen Cole's way. Well.

[Lexi]

And when we were asking her questions about this backstory, you, Nicole, you were like, are we gonna feel sympathy for Vance? And Pen replied with emphasizing whether monsters are made or created, which then led into a really good conversation with our group about how these characters respond to bad things that have happened to them and that it's not an excuse for their monstrous behavior, but it also humanizes these characters and opens up a bigger philosophical question. I just. I love Pen so much with how she brings out these very insightful themes that apply to everybody, you know, other.

[Nicole]

Than his backstory and the dreaded sympathy I'm worried to feel for him. I do feel like Vance is being kept alive so that he can go out in a meaningful way in Burn. Whether it's because he's discovered as Andre's killer and DM finally gets to exact her revenge on him.

[Lexi]

Ooh, that's interesting, because I think that DM will not be the one to kill Vance. It kind of feels like this was her chance and she took the high road and someone else will ultimately finish the the job. But if Vance did kill Andre, I think maybe or Elite could kill him. That would be another big full circle thing, though. After some of the tidbits that Penn said, I'm wondering again if it was Gareth and the Hannah Bears.

[Nicole]

I'm down to make a bet if you want to.

[Lexi]

I'm not ready to do that.

[Nicole]

I'm down for it.

[Lexi]

Being dance.

[Nicole]

I am.

[Lexi]

I have a different bet that we might potentially want to come to today.

[Nicole]

Oh, interesting. Now, okay, so speaking of other people, other than DM killing Vance, I wonder if it's for Henry to kill Vance and swoop in if he chooses DM's side in the army, which I definitely think he's going to do now that we know from Pen's Q and A that Henry is going to have a POV chapter in Burn, I see Henry killing the man who poisoned his mind. Such a fitting character arc. It's like Henry's finally taking over ownership over his thoughts and beliefs, that he's been a little naive, easily molded, and Pen's words, not mine.

[Lexi]

I could see that too. But I wonder if Ophiuchai will somehow kill Vance, and it'll be like Vance was defeated by a mirror of his own hate and violence.

[Nicole]

Honestly, I'm fine with any of these outcomes because they all have One common denominator. Yeah, I think I'm gonna go with a. I'm going to go with Henry.

[Lexi]

So just go ahead and make a bet. We have to start making bets at some point. I'm like got such. I'm so nervous. But it's like, okay, we're the second to last episode. Like it's time to start making some final decisions here.

[Nicole]

I think I'm. I am down for bet. So you think that Ophiuchai is going to kill Vance as a literary symbolism of his own hate being reflected back onto him?

[Lexi]

Yes, But I want to add a caveat to that. Where maybe Ophiuca is not Elk's say directly. Like where it's not like he slashes him with a sword, but like maybe in like the big power boom sort of thing. Like that would still count.

[Nicole]

Okay, I will accept that. Okay. I think it's going to be Henry because it's part of his redemption arc and him finally taking ownership. I'm not putting this as part of the bet, but I do think the motivation for his character will be because he learns that Vance killed Andre and Henry was like, I do not want to be part of this hated anymore. Alright, bets it is.

[Lexi]

But what's this? There's a gryvern incoming. Oh wait, It's Doriel's gryvern crashing into the street. Don't worry, he's alive. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same about the faunus descended who had been with them. From the distance, Ophiuchai on his gryvern approaches. And while his aura is weaker than before, he still has an immense amount of magic left. Like father, like daughter. But I do think that Ophiuchai is in general more powerful than than dm. Yes, we believe that she has the Everflame magic within her, which makes her extra unique. But I do think that he overall is more powerful than her. When he lands, DM raises a shield behind her. Protecting the city, but leaving herself unguarded, keeping herself between Doriel and Ophiuchai, DM is having to fight her instincts and the eager thrumming of Sorrow's edge to not raise her sword. This is happening again. She is here to protect these people. And if he wants to hurt them, Ophia can has to go through her first. Okay, so I got another crack theory for you. What if Ophiuchai killed his father Omnos, and the sword belonged to Omnos, which is why it feels like it belongs to dm. But it hates Ophiuchai because it wants revenge. I might be. I might fun theory myself with this. But I do agree that if the sword belonged to any of the nine Kindred, it would have been Lumnos's, based on what we know about her expression. Statue having a bit of sex, sadness again, sorrow's edge there. And maybe the sword is the gift, which is why her words have to be remembered. I don't know. Anyway. Okay, I'm spiraling again. When Ophiuchai asks about his mortal rebels, he is pissed. When Diem refers to his realm as Montios, which makes sense since it's not technically the Forgotten lands of monteos, but the 10th realm, omnos, his realm, his magic has a violent, malicious energy to it. While he debates what to do with dm, whether he lets her live or take die suddenly, and this part is very interesting, DM understands the cold, empty numbness she's been fighting since Fortos, and she gives into it and lets the humanity wash away from her. And she notes that in Ophiuchai's presence, this feeling, this cold inhumanity that she has is as natural as breathing and as inevitable as death. And this is when DM realizes that this feeling, this cold numbness, it comes from him. And I believe, believe what this means is that back in Fortos, when she killed the king and especially his high general, Dean didn't feel remorse, which is what scared her more than anything. This innate lack of compassion, this feeling of power where you can kill simply because you know that you can. And this brings us back to the theme of are monsters born or are they made? I think there is a part of her that is this monster, and her compassion will have to balance with it. Where she finds this medium of being capable of doing what needs to be done, but not losing her humanity in it, she again, is this balance. After giving into this feeling, DM no longer cares what happens if Ophiuchai kills her. Oh, well, she doesn't fear him or death. She's just a hollow abyss. It's not until DM sees and feels Luther place a shield around her that she snaps out of this emotionless black pit, reminding her of who she is and who she lives for.

[Nicole]

Luther.

[Lexi]

Oh, he's like, internally like, no, you cannot kill my queen. Which did Ophiuchai do something to put DM in, for lack of a better word, a trance? Or was it her giving into this familiar power and energy she feels stemming from him? I think it's the former.

[Nicole]

Interesting. I think it's the latter.

[Lexi]

Oh, it's not Ambrose magic. Because she would have felt that, and she could have absorbed it like we've seen her do that in the past. So. Yeah. But Ophiuchai picks up on this connection here with Luther that he's helping her with, turning his attention away from Diem and onto Luther. Oh. Believing that her magic has no effect on Ophiuchai, Diem pleads with him to let Luther live and not harm him. To which Ophiuchai tells dm, quote, I can be generous, daughter. I can be forgiving, but I will not be disobeyed. You have struck at me twice. Do it a third time and my protection will end. He curls his fingers, causing the mark on DM's neck to flare with pain. An intense heat, and warning of what he could so easily do to her. And with that, he climbs onto his gryvern and leaves the city.

[Nicole]

So raise your hand if you're concerned how, when ophiuchai is threatening DM's life, he realizes that Luther is really important to DM. Because I'm raising my hand with this one cutting of his eyes from DM to Luther, Ophiuchai realizes that Luther is, in his eyes, a weakness for DM Diem that he can exploit. If he turns his power onto Luther, he will be able to bend Diem to his will, full stop. I am terrified that he is going to do this in burn and ah. And it's again that it goes back to what your cell said to dm. Are you willing to watch everyone you love die? And Diem said everything. And I don't think Ophia Kai is going to kill Luther, because I would riot. But I do think that's going to be a major dramatic point in the book. Maybe not a long dramatic point, but a very impactful one.

[Lexi]

So Afia Kai threatened to remove his protection. So, like the mark that DM has here that is keeping her protected during these battles with his rebels, I wonder if he will end up removing this protection symbol. I wonder also if it magically disappears on Koreel, or she's able to use her own magic to remove it on her herself, because she does do that with somebody else and she's healing them. The mark disappears.

[Nicole]

So I have this in foreshadowing that was one thing that I think is going to happen is she's going to heal the mark away on her own self, and she's going to start healing it away on guardians who move to her side towards the end of the battle.

[Lexi]

I like that.

[Nicole]

I like that a lot.

[Lexi]

Or what if Ophiuchai like plants some of his guardians to go in there and then she heals it and then he won't be able to track them in the same way.

[Nicole]

Oh, possibly, possibly.

[Lexi]

Or maybe this 10 pointed mark on her, It'll play a bigger role than we think. And there is a bigger reason that Ophiuchai is marking so many people, including the dead. I could see by the end of all of this, DM lives and it's faded to just a scar. And that would be its own nice little full circle moment where it's a scar from this fight for humanity that they will always remember what they sacrificed.

[Nicole]

And just given how important scars are in this world. Yeah, exactly. See that her DM in Luther. With the battle over, we know that DM has to give the sword back to Doriel to put back into the archives, but she doesn't wanna. We know, or at least can strongly assume based on what we know from Pen, that we are going to see this sword again.

[Lexi]

I mean, it's in the visions.

[Nicole]

It's in the visions. It's got a name. If we've learned anything about things that have a name, it's gonna come back. It's definitely coming back. I will say that with full circle. But how? How is DM going to get it back? My favorite option for getting it back is obviously an archives heist. I love an archives heist. If you've been with FFG for a while, you know we love an archives heist here on the pod. The only reason I'm hesitant to fully jump onto this train is simply because of page time and how much page time it might take. And we already have so many other loose ends to tie up. So another option is, is making, I'll say, just another deal with Dorial to get it back. Although considering how the last deal went or is going to go next episode.

[Lexi]

Ooh. I do think that they will have to make some kind of deal and it'll have to be both of them trusting each other with it. Or maybe DM could prove herself worthy of wielding a Kendra's weapon and Dorial has to recognize that it is her destiny. Dorial is very logical. And so I could see DM proving herself in some kind of way that it is logical for her to have this here. But you're right, they do have quite the uphill battle to climb together.

[Nicole]

Well, so I'll throw out another option. What if DM becomes the queen of Sophos? Like Doriel gets taken out by Ophiuchai, and because of that, DM then gets to go into the archives, because they're technically her archives, and she gets to get the sword. This is the one I'm leaning towards the most.

[Lexi]

Okay. So I have a hill that I am willing to die on with this.

[Nicole]

Oh, okay.

[Lexi]

I am convinced that Stuart is going to go get up for his queen and he. Because he's so smitten with her.

[Nicole]

Right.

[Lexi]

And he will take the risk. He has access to these archives with the sword and he will do an off page heist and ensure it gets back in DM's hands.

[Nicole]

So you think Stuart is gonna go behind Dorial's back to get it? Because here's the deal. If DM is the queen of Sopos and Stuart goes. Goes to get the sword, then I'm still technically right. I would count myself as still technically right.

[Lexi]

Midasol Stewart gets the sword for her. He knows how important it is for DM here and he is going to make it his responsibility to get the sword back for this queen, regardless of.

[Nicole]

If she's queen or not. Yeah, then I will not make that bet with you. Because if she is queen and Stuart goes to get the sword, and then I still consider myself. Right. You know what? Never mind. I will make that bet with you. I did. I changed my mind. I will make that bet. Because we do need to start making bets for this new book and I'm medium certain that that's what. Okay, I will.

[Lexi]

I will compromise with you here.

[Nicole]

Okay. Okay.

[Lexi]

DM tells someone specifically Stuart to go get the sword, then that counts.

[Nicole]

Okay.

[Lexi]

If Stuart gets it off his on his own, if Stuart. Stuart does. If he's not taking orders from his queen of Sophos, then I. I win.

[Nicole]

Okay. I can get behind that. Okay. All right, we've got two more bets. I don't think I'm done yet either. Oh, my God.

[Lexi]

Now that the battle is over, good news. The casualties were few though. Rip. To all of those who fell, Their courage to defend their beloved city will inspire others and they will never be forgotten. Mortals and Descent fought side by side, helping one another as they together defended their city. I really think this will set an example for the future of this world. Throughout Heat, we've gotten to experience other realms. And I love how there are parts of each, or at least most that have good qualities that can hopefully help shape the future. And we've seen really good things between Mortals and Descended, like for instance, the escaped prisoners from Fortos and such. Doriel decides it's time to complete DMs Coronation Nation and plans to summon the other crowns to Kuriel. With Ophiuchai coming after all the descended, the Crowns need to act now to prevent the foraging magic from breaking down any further. Doriel will send messenger hawks this evening to all the Crowns with the goal of meeting on the island in two days. Doriel wants to be clear that they cannot promise the Crowns will agree to the pardons DM seeks and cannot promise a vote of 6, which is the majority in favor of her and her mother's freedom. But Doriel will vote in DM's favorite favor and try to persuade Merus as well, and at least just give DM the opportunity to present her case. Though this does mean that DM has to uphold her end of the deal. So she needs to convince or to convince the Guardians to allow the Crowns onto the island, which I don't think her mother actually agreed to that DM here. When Doriel's like, yeah, you can make that happen, right? She lies and it's like, yes, I can definitely do that. And in her mind, she's like, I have no idea if I can do this here. So DM is not entirely sure she can make this happen. But she also cannot let Doriel know her hesitation. So of course she agrees to ensuring that the Guardians will allow the crowns on the island that they are still holding hostage so that she can complete her coronation.

[Nicole]

So this is what they're saying to Diem, and I don't think they have this concrete plan right now, but over the next two days, here's what they're gonna be cooking up. Because right now she has three crowns with Sofos and Miros voting on her side for both a pardon for her and her mother. That's five crowns voting in her favor. They're still missing one. The odds of another crown agreeing to not only Diem's pardoning, but Arlie's pardoning is highly unlikely in Doriel's mind. So if Dorial gets DM into a bonded bargain where she will lose her magic, it's kind of a win win for everyone again. And they their eyes. Because despite her just helping Sophos, Doriel does not fully trust dm. She won a lot of points back with this, but not fully. They saw firsthand just how powerful she is. She has magic of all the realms. That has never happened before. But they didn't just see how powerful she is. They saw how powerful her sire is. A sire who wants to work with dm. And Doriel's not to exactly certain she's not working with Ophiuchai. She does bear his mark after all. If Diem and Ophiuchai are banded together or eventually band together, there is no hope for Omarion. So if Doriel gets her off the board with no magic, they see it as a strategic move for the better of Amarian.

[Lexi]

Sure. Seems like history is repeating itself with the Crowns luring DM to the island to imprison her her during times of war.

[Nicole]

Uh huh. And how ironic coming from someone who is priding themselves on always wanting to learn from history. We will be talking about this and Dorial's POV a lot more in the next episode. Hard Last episode of Everflame until we get to burn. Wow. But this is important to note here that they do need a few days of research, quote unquote, to concoct this plan in order to make sure they have the upper hand. But DM doesn't know know that with Diem willing to put her life on the line to kill Afiakai, it only seems fair that Diem hears all the information from Doriel on the Lost Realm. While it is highly confidential by orders of Father Sophos himself, Doriel and we are going to tell you anyway. To start, this is information that not even the Crowns know. That's how big of a deal this is. All of the records were destroyed, with the only remaining knowledge being what's been passed down from the Sophos Crown to Sophos Crown and a few additional details that are left in Doriel's research. There's the Lost Realm which belonged to the Tenth Kindred, Omnos.

[Lexi]

When Doriel says they found some details in their own research, I'm guessing that when Montios requested Sophos to research the Ten Pointed Star that we learned about last episode, Doriel quickly knew what that symbolized and explored a little more like looking at the original map of Amara that they reference or something along those lines. But the way that just hearing that there is a 10th kindred, DM instantly knows there is a grave danger in merely knowing this truth. And again, here I am thinking about in the Forto cell with the Godstone and how she was like there's this ancient truth that I don't know yet. Could this be it?

[Nicole]

I don't think it's it. I think it's part of it though.

[Lexi]

Okay, for sure.

[Nicole]

Omnos was the youngest sibling of the Kindred and during the Original four Forging had a crown and a realm all of his own. It was between Sophos and Mantios, which is now known as the Forgotten Lands. We talked about this last episode, but the first story that Doriel tells Diem is that Omnos died a few years after the foraging. And since it was believed he had no one to inherit the crown, the remaining nigh Kindred redid the spell and his lands were given to Monteos. During the reforging, the 10th portal in the Kindred temple was torn down and all the maps of the continent were redrawn, along with anything that referenced him being burned or rewritten.

[Lexi]

Ah, like the pages from Monteos's journal that got ripped out. Which Pen confirmed these pages have been destroyed. But we will be able to deduce what they say with more information we get. In Burn.

[Nicole]

There was even attempts to kill his Gryvern, Sephorus, but it escaped and went into hiding. Where? Great question. Question? We're wondering that too.

[Lexi]

I did ask Pen, but she wouldn't tell me. Apparently she answers your questions and not mine.

[Nicole]

That's because I get her before she has coffee in the morning.

[Lexi]

Then I followed up asking if the Gryvern went back to the homeworld. But she said that Kindred's homeworld has been destroyed, so that's not possible.

[Nicole]

The Tenth Realm's sigil is also the same Ten Pointed star that Ophiuchai uses currently. How interesting. Doriel believes that this means Ophikai is a relative of this mysterious Tenth Kindred. Or insert my own willing to die on the hill. He is the tenth Kindred.

[Lexi]

Okay, so that's the first version Doriel tells. But with DMs Umbro's magic tingling, she can sense that that's not all there.

[Nicole]

Is to the story.

[Lexi]

Doriel is trying to tell DM as little as possible, but cannot escape the lie detector test.

[Nicole]

There's no direct statements about how Omnos is died, but there are references from the Kindred talking about a great personal sacrifice to protect the mortals after the forging. The rest of the details have been lost to history. We'll see about that in Burn, but there is speculation by some of the Sophos crowns that the sacrifice made was Omnos himself. It's speculated that this happened because he was the only Kindred who did not take a mate, and thus never gave up his immortality like the rest of them. But we also know from Montes diary that she and the rest of their Kindred siblings kind of feared him he was not shaken by the war that happened in their homeland when he damn well should have. So whatever great sacrifice they had to do to air quotes, get rid of him, I don't think it took a whole lot of convincing on their part.

[Lexi]

I wonder if Lumnos was the most against it, but still knew it had to be done.

[Nicole]

Possibly.

[Lexi]

So here's the timeline that I am working. Working with the nine Kindred, not Omnos, found mortal mates and wanted to make their lovers immortal like them. Instead, the Kindreds lives became bound to their mortals, making their lifespan very short comparatively. Then they decided to do the foraging spell. And this was the plan that the nine Kindred had to convince their youngest brother, Omnos of. Or here's another version that I'm running with. The original foraging spell included all 10 kindred, and it was supposed to make their immortal lovers immortal. But it didn't work. Maybe because Omnos did not have a mortal lover. So the whole spell backfired on the nine Kindred and. Yes, yes.

[Nicole]

So then the great personal sacrifice was their immortal lives with their mates. So their great personal sacrifice was them not spending their whole lives together. It was them slashing their time with their love short.

[Lexi]

Instead of the great personal sacrifice being Omnos.

[Nicole]

Yes.

[Lexi]

Oh, okay, so hold up. Let me keep going here.

[Nicole]

Okay, keep going, keep going.

[Lexi]

So then this plan that is referenced in Monteos's diary, the plan is not the foraging spell, but it is something else, something different. Because they've already done the foraging spell and it didn't properly work or something like that. And Omnos never ended up agreeing to it. And that's why they moved forward with the sacrifice for him. The Kindred believed that Omnos was a threat to the the mortals. But I think they were worried about his unchecked power after they left and his intentions to rule over all.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

If the Kindred were dead, what was to stop their immortal and very powerful brother from damaging everything they had worked toward and built in this new world of mortals and descended. Anyway, when they sacrificed Omnos, they recast the foraging magic to make it only nine realms. But because either they didn't actually kill Omnos, or he had a son, Ophiuch Kai. The tenth realm always stayed on the outskirts. And now that there is a 10th realm and crown in the mix that the foraging magic isn't supposed to account for, the spell across the world is unraveling. And to rectify it they need the usual nine Kindred. But as we've learned, that still doesn't fully erase this tenth kindred from the land and its magic with the forgotten lands, or the fact that there is a tenth crown and Gryvern. Let's go with the narration that we have have in the book right now and assume that Ophiuchai is Omnos's child. That makes me wonder who would Omnos have had a child with? Because if he was part of the original foraging, he had a realm and a crown and I'm assuming keeping the smoky gray as his color. So if they did sacrifice him after this, he would have had to have offspring which would have had to have been with a mortal, because again, the timeline there would not have been early descended. So here I am wondering, wondering if Ophiuchai does have a mortal and a kindred parent, or if Diem is the first of the tenth kindred to be that essentially the first descended from a kindred and a mortal. I want to talk about this concept of stealing magic real quick, because we haven't seen much of it from DM in a proactive way. Usually just when she absorbs, except at the second chance in when she absorbed Zellary's shield and then then trace the magic back to him. And then Ophiuchai in the stretch, he seems to have her magic like leaving her at one point, like she can feel him trying to take it. So while yes, it's true that DM did not steal the crowns she received or the types of magic, I think it's safe to say the Kindred really did agree to make her their salvation, to right the wrong and such. She can steal magic, and I'll be very curious to see how that plays out in Burn.

[Nicole]

Looking at that from all sides, I. I am so married to the fact that Omnos is Afia Kai, because Omnos, he never tied himself to a mate that we know of, so he would have been able to live forever. What's stopping him from being like, my name's Ophiuchai now, bitches. Like I'm going by that. But going back to Doriel's download, all he has is a single map of the island and a hidden door with a note that says, don't ever open this. It's a bad idea and it's dangerous. Dated back since the Blood War.

[Lexi]

Dorial speculates that the crowns must have discovered Ophiuchai somehow and they worried he was too powerful. So they lured him to the island where he had no magic and they trapped him there in hopes Omnos's line would die out. First of all, the crowns from One generation ago, knew about the offspring of Omnos. Lake Doriel is so surprised that your cell says the name Omnos when they're at the ceremony here shortly. And it's like, yeah, like Ophi. No, that means that it would have been. Or at least to yourself, which, of course, she's kind of in her own category here. That it was known, at least to some degree. I don't know, anyway.

[Nicole]

Well, we don't know, because Ophiuchai might have come back in the Blood War very briefly, and the Crowns caught him early and locked him up. We don't know how much of a knowledgeable impact he had on the. The Blood War, if any.

[Lexi]

True. I also wonder if Matios knew about Omnos, because I'm kind of guessing.

[Nicole]

No. I think they did. Oh, I totally think the crown. Really?

[Lexi]

Because in the letter, the late king was like, I don't know what this means, but apparently this is essential for you to have. And so I don't think that he knew Feokai was tied to Omnos in the same way that your cell obviously. Obviously does.

[Nicole]

I agree with you on that front. I don't think he knew to the same degree, but I think that if he locked up Ophiuchai, he would have had to know something about. Because he had magic that they'd never been able to see. Well, we don't know how, if he used that magic. I don't know. I don't know. I feel so in the dark. But why not just ask those two Crowns, Doriel? Well, the two that were alive, Monteos and Umbros, they refused to talk about it. I mean, to be fair, the Crown of Monteos just refuses to talk to anyone outside of Monteos, so I'll give him that. But your cell's like, no. Am I talking to you about it?

[Lexi]

I have so many questions.

[Nicole]

I know.

[Lexi]

And luckily, Pin confirmed during our Q and A that we will learn ofikai's backstory and the details of why he was locked up. Okay, Nicole, here's a big part that I've been waiting for. When DM first hears the name Omnos, quote, the name struck a bolt of lightning straight into my godhood. So, first. First of all, there's another reference of lightning again, like how you were mentioning earlier about how it might have a deeper meaning. But, yeah, DMs godhood has quite the reaction to hearing Omnos's name. It's familiar with the name, and it's both trembling with fear and kneeling in reverence. It's filling her body with eager power and shrinking with dread. This might be balance per se, but I think this is another example of Diem embodying opposite opposites. Fight and healing, anger and compassion. It's the two sides of her. What she gets from Ophiuchai with her godhood, and maybe something else like from the Everflame. I want to point out something about DMs Godhood's reaction to hearing the name Omnos, because I think it might be a hole in our theory that Ophiucai is Omnos, even though everything else points in that direction. Let's continue our assumption that Ophiuchai is Omnos's real name from his home world, which would make it seem like Diem's godhood would recognize the name Ophiuchi too. After all, that could be the name her godhood is technically most familiar with, being part of the original kindred world. But when her mother last episode shared Ophiuchai's name for the first time, DM's reaction was entirely emotional. As a daughter learning her father's name with this instance hearing Omnos, her godhood goes crazy with the reaction. And Diem can't help but wonder what would happen if she gets gives into her instinct to succumb to embracing this hold the name of Ominous has on her and her godhood. I'll go to say too, if we're talking about like, you know, like just names, when Ophiucha is in her presence, she does feel that sense of wanting to succumb to. I'll call it the darkness, the inhumanity. And in this case, there is a balance. And I'm just really confused that she gets such a huge reaction with just the name Ama Omnos when we've been theorizing and speculating that Omnis was literally just right here and her godhead didn't have that same kind of reaction.

[Nicole]

You want to make a bet? I'll make a bet. You make some really great points here. I cannot see a world where Ophiuchai and Omnos are not the same person.

[Lexi]

Because, like, I really do think that. But then what? Like, I've been thinking this a whole deep dive. And then I read this and I was like, wait a second. That is such a different reaction. And if we've learned anything, it is that their godhoods have their a mind of their own. So if, like, if they are the same person.