When the Moon Hatched Episode 6: Chapters 58-75

Summary

Fantasy Fangirls Podcast

Episode: When the Moon Hatched Deep Dive, Ep 6 (Chapters 58–75)

Hosts: Nicole & Lexi

Date: April 27, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, sisters Nicole and Lexi continue their deep dive into When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker, covering chapters 58–75. This is a pivotal chunk of the novel, featuring lore-rich plot advancements, deep character introspection, escalating romantic and political stakes, and juicy fan theories. The sisters blend sharp analysis, pop culture references, relentless bets, and plenty of sisterly banter. They unpack diary entries, major events (including the epic “Great Flirt” festival), and speculations for the rest of the trilogy.

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Summary of Chapters 58–75 – [06:18]

• Chapters 58–64: The story tracks Veya preparing for her dangerous mission into the Shade to retrieve Elowen’s diary (hoping it will hold truths about Elowen’s death) and retrieving a magic bangle from the Velvet Trog. Meanwhile, Rae explores a mysterious dwelling, unlocking emotional memories with Khan, and Khan deals with devastation in a dragon-attacked village.
• Chapters 65–75: Diary entries and present events start blending. Rae takes time for herself, journaling and gradually rediscovering her identity. Khan returns for the Great Flirt, sends Rae a symbolic invitation, and the two play games with high stakes both at the festival and in their hearts. The past and present collide through longing, memory, and difficult choices.

Notable Quote:

“Buckle up buttercups, here we go…” – Nicole’s chapter recap intro [06:18]

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Veya’s Mission & the Mystery of the Bangle

• Veya’s journey to the Fade involves retrieving an enchanted bangle once won from a mind weft, who claimed it would serve Veya “in two painful but necessary ways.”
• Veya’s past is marked by a month-long gap in her memory, possibly tied to her bangle and a traumatic incident involving her family.
• The bangle has glamor abilities, raising many theories about its future relevance (identity swapping, safety during infiltration).
• The memory and secrets bound to the bangle are so rich that the Velvet Trog (a magical trash-devouring creature) cherishes it. Veya barters her mother’s malmer in exchange, highlighting the pain she’s willing to endure for answers.
• Speculation: Is Veya involved in Elowen’s death or aftermath? Did something compel her to forget? Lexi and Nicole place bets on whose actions or choices shaped this tragedy. [98:28–103:13]
  • “I think that something happened to Veya while wearing this bangle and she went to a Mind weft and had that experience purposely erased from her memory...I just feel in my bones that it had to involve her brothers.” – Nicole [98:28]
  • “Whenever I hear a hundred phases ago, I immediately think of Elowyn...That would be so poetic.” – Lexi [99:34]

Rave/Rae/Elowen’s Growth: Identity, Autonomy, and Healing

• Rae’s time alone in the dwelling is seminal—she explores a sense of “self” outside of her role as weapon, princess, or prisoner.
  • “She’s Wraith and no one else. This montage...is often looked over—but this type of character growth had to happen before her and Khan shared a night together. She needed to learn what it was to live.” – Nicole [37:01]
  • “She’s exploring her present identity for really the first time in a safe environment.” – Lexi [38:36]
• Rae enjoys journaling, living simply, and contemplates the in-between state of being both Elowen and Rave. She questions whether she is worthy of love, especially from Khan, believing herself too “jagged.”
• The sisters highlight the unreliable nature of Rae’s inner monologue about her former self, contrasting her actual character with her own beliefs.
• Healing and grief are discussed—Rae, like diary-Elowen before, needs space to “simply exist” and process trauma to be ready for true intimacy.

Khan, Leadership, and Romantic Devotion

• Khan’s capacity for empathy and honor as ruler is on display in handling the rabid dragon disaster—he grieves for the animals he’s forced to kill and always puts his people first.
  • “He doesn’t feel powerful for taking down a dragon...Instead, he views that death as a painful loss.” – Nicole [46:07]
• The sisters praise Khan as the ultimate “book husband,” especially for respecting Rae’s boundaries and giving her necessary space.
  • “He knows in his heart that it will all work out.” – Lexi [26:47]
• The motif of the legendary Great Silver Saber Scythe dragon is revisited, with heavy foreshadowing for Grime’s future storyline and the symbolic weight of moonplume/saberscythe legends.

The Great Flirt – Emotional & Political Drama

• The “Great Flirt,” an annual aurora-lit festival, becomes a stage for both dragon mating and human politics, as well as a major emotional collision for our main couple.
• Khan and Rae’s game of Scrippy is laced with tension—a wager between “three truths” or a night of pretending in return for a mind wipe.
  • “Rave, you could flay me down the middle, and I’d still fucking love you.” – Khan [75:00]
  • “If Khan wins? He gets three truths. If she wins? She gets to pretend for one night, then wipe him from her mind. That’s the plan.” – Nicole [80:09]
• The consequences of Rae’s determination to erase her pain (and her connection to Khan) are examined—Lexi awards Rae a “lowercase L” for self-sabotaging her chance at happiness, while empathizing with her trauma.
• The scene is lauded as one of the best in the book—a heartbreaking “last dance” with exquisite emotional detail.
  • “This is one of my favorite scenes in this entire book...you can just feel Khan's heart breaking...” – Nicole [86:44]

Lore, Magic, and Foreshadowing

• The podcast dives into details on the Shade and its history, the significance of bloodstone as currency, the magic of mind wefts, and the origins/powers of various dragons.
• The sisters note recurring motifs (e.g., untapped resources = future war; the Shade as perpetual night; aurora as festival omen; dragons as symbols of heritage and loss).
• Heavy speculation on plot points for Ballad of Falling Dragons, including bets on major secrets (Kazari’s real parentage, the identity of Elowen’s killer, which characters survive or emerge as villains).

Bets & Theories Galore

• Multiple sisterly “bets” are made throughout the episode—on character fates, plot twists, and the mechanics of sarah a. parker’s magic systems.
• Example bets:
  • Will Rave learn her true identity and Kazari’s paternity in the first or second half of the next book?
  • Will Grime bond with the Great Silver Saber Scythe?
  • Will Rave and/or Khan travel to Erythia in book two?
  • Is Caddock appearing on the page next book, and are the “painful uses” of Veya’s bangle complete?
  • Is a tragic ending unavoidable, or could HEA still happen?

Memorable & Relatable Moments

• “Naked and not afraid”: Rae’s month of self-discovery draws both admiration (“naked in the jungle—good for you, girl”) and hilarious phobias from Nicole.
• The sisters giggle over packing quirks (two forks, “hyperactive sleep-deprived brain”), mug curses, and the universal struggle to keep meaningful objects unbroken.
• Lexi’s reveal that she wants a Velvet Trog to tidy her room; Nicole’s declaration that “even on our troggiest days, our trash is still well put-together.” [135:34]

Notable Quotes & Banter

• “If you want me, I’m fucking yours.” – Khan (from Rae’s dream) [62:09]
• “Have a little bit of a boundary. But still, I love that so much for him.” – Nicole on Khan’s devotion [140:00]
• “You could not pay me to go naked in the jungle because I would just see snakes.” – Nicole [44:25]
• “I see where she’s coming from, but she still gets an L.” – Lexi on Rave’s self-protective choices [89:04]
• “I feel like the Muskins are just the Weather Channel people...” – Nicole on prophecy magic [128:51]
• The sisters award girl-talk “Ls” (“lowercase Ls”) and repeatedly gush over Khan as “book boyfriend of the year.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Topic | Time | |-------|------| | Chapter recap | 06:18 | | Veya’s bangle & memory theories | 98:28–103:13 | | Rae’s identity & healing | 37:01, 38:36 | | Khan’s leadership analysis | 46:07 | | Scrippy game & Great Flirt | 75:00, 80:09, 86:44 | | Rave’s “last dance” | 86:44 – 90:10 | | Bets & speculation deep dive | Throughout; esp. 25:04, 53:31, 70:34, 117:11 | | Shade worldbuilding (Infiltrating the Tri Council) | 131:35 | | Velvet Trog lore, memorable moments | 135:14, 135:34 | | Notable quotes & emotional climax | 140:00, 62:09, 44:25, 89:04 |

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Tone & Takeaways

The sisters maintain an exuberant, pop-literate, deeply invested tone. Their warmth, obsession, and penchant for wild but insightful theory-mongering make this a must-listen for fans of When the Moon Hatched and the broader Sarah A. Parker universe. The blend of emotional deep-diving, literary analysis, and relentless humor (plus actionable speculation for future volumes) offers a rewarding recap for listeners at any point in the series.

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For Next Time

• Episode 7 will cover Chapter 76 through the end of When the Moon Hatched, plus a prep episode for Ballad of Falling Dragons.
• Expect more answers, more “signal Sarah” author Q&A, more theories—and, inevitably, more bets.

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“Have we read the same book?” – Nicole [139:03]

If you need to catch up on all things moon plumes, velvet trogs, and emotionally constipated fantasy siblings, this episode is your must-listen (and now, must-read) companion.

Transcript

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[Lexi]

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[Nicole]

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[Nicole]

Something I've been doing in therapy for, I wish I could say only the last few months, but really, it's for the last three years is learning how to find work. Life balance isn't the right word, but it's learning how to find myself out of work again. And one of the big things that I'm doing is making sure that I end work at a very specific time so that little brain, that little mouse in my brain doesn't go, oh, but you could do more. You could. It just loves to do that. So one of the things that I'm working on with my therapist, Taylor, is I actually have a alarm that set that goes off every single night where it's like, hey, no more. You're done. And it's been so helpful. And then I get to go cuddle with Ru. And by cuddle, I mean get bitten. But you know what? It's. It's part of my finding myself outside of my work, and I love it.

[Lexi]

You don't have to be on this journey alone. Find support and have someone with you in therapy. Sign up and get 10 [e-mail] FFG that's betterhelp.com FFG.

[Nicole]

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

[Lexi]

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

[Nicole]

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

[Lexi]

And we're back with our episode six, Deep Dive of When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker, covering chapters 58 through 75. As always, please listen closely to our spoiler warning. Every episode has spoilers for all of

[Nicole]

when the Moon Hatched, Bengal Velvet, Trog, Book of Void, and that's only the FA POV chapters from this stretch. So if you have no idea what I'm talking about, then please go finish the book. We will be here when you're done.

[Lexi]

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

[Nicole]

rated R Rave might only be getting it on in her dreams. But don't think for a second that we're just glossing over those morsels of sleep sexy moments with Khan. So please be mindful of those little listening ears.

[Lexi]

Additionally, we are so excited to see you at upcoming live events. Buckle up because we have a lot of stuff going on. We recently announced our September live show tour starting in Chicago on September 9, Charlotte, North Carolina on September 24, and New York City on September 27.

[Nicole]

Tickets are on sale now, and heads up, they are going fast, fast, fast. So check out the link below for more details.

[Lexi]

Then, of course, we'll be at the Dragon Gauntlet in Boyne City, Michigan September

[Nicole]

11th through 12th and we will be going to land Con in get this Edinburgh, Scotland July 16th through 18th, 2027 and tickets just went on sale. Links to all of these events are in the show notes and on our website.

[Lexi]

Last thing before we jump into this when the Moon Hatched episode. And if you love Fantasy Fangirls and want more events, more content, more community and so much more, please check out Fantasy Fan Club.

[Nicole]

We have six tiers that you can join, three of which are Fantasy Fangirl specific and they include things like our Boppin Discord live Q&As from Lexi and I, a book club often featuring the authors themselves. Our full episode outlines early access to ad free episodes and welcome gifts giveaways, private Discord channels the whole caboodle.

[Lexi]

Join the party@Fantasy Fangirls.com Fan Club. The link is also in the show notes and really and truly, thank you so much for supporting us as we turn this podcast into a dream come true. It's all because of you.

[Nicole]

And now it is time to attend the Great Flirt.

[Lexi]

To start off every episode, let's get a Parchment Lark delivery where Nicole does us the honor of summarizing what happens in chapters 58 through 75. That's a lot of chapters here of when the Moon Hatched. Take it away.

[Nicole]

Buckle up buttercups. Here we go. Chapter 58 Veya POV Veya cannot wait any longer before she heads into the shade, so she packs her bags with two forks and sets off early. But while walking past the imperial Hutches, Veya finds Khan packing his own bags. Someone needs to take care of the feral dragon who's roasting villages. But what kind of little sister would she be if she didn't express her deep disappointment in her older brother? Showing Rave Slotra Shrine Cue sibling bickering. Khan, needing a change in Slee Subject notices that Veya is packed and ready to leave. But where? Well, Khan, you remember how Elowen used to write everything down in a diary? Vea is on a mission to find. It looks like both siblings are running from the female that's supposed to be dead. Chapter 59 Ignoring the danger, Danger Keep out signs, Rae ventures into the dense forest that she's 99% sure is hustling free. In said forest, Rae Rae sticks her hand into a hollow of a tree. Bold choice. And pulls out a small carving. Further into the trees, a clearing emerges, but Rave only finds stone, stone and more stone. Until she finds a dwelling. Suddenly, a spice in Memory rushes to the surface. This space once belonged to her and Khan and they did the dirty in it. Chapter 60 diary entry. Khan sings a song from Elowen's childhood and for the first time since bringing Hadean back from Netheren, she cries. That's phases, folks. But like the perfect male he is, Khan scoops her up and holds her tight. Gold star for Khan. Chapter 61 the man himself Khan POV the dragon caused a lot of damage in the village, but thankfully Khan was able to lure it away before it turned everyone into a molten puddle. Khan goes to find his second in command, Grime, who drops another bomb. On this gloomy day, he wants to request leave. For what you ask? To raid a nest of the great silver saber Scythe. Say that 5 times F. So long, Grime. Hopefully this isn't the last time we see you. Chapter 62 Veya POV Eight days later, Veya is making her way through the fade and praying she doesn't fall off a cliff to her death. Veya and her guide Noev share a little gossip sesh. Did you know that the Queen of the Fate tried to stop an execution of the fear d'? Huev? Gossip aside, Veya is in gore for one reason and one reason only. She left a dangerous Bengal here. And by left I mean she dropped it down a rubbish chute straight into the hands of the Velvet Trog. Womp womp. Chapter 63 diary entry. It's been seven slumbers since Elowyn's last seen Khan. On the bright side, she's improving in her combat skills. All of those emotions of missing him are proving good for something. Chapter 64 Veya POV Veya rappels down the rubbish chute right into the Velvet Trog's lair. Ignoring the nasty oily substance that now coats her body Gag, Veya finds the Velvet Trog munch on a chair. Yummy. A teeny tiny crown on top of the Trog's head catches her eye. Fuck. That's the bangle Veya came here for. Slight problem. The Trog is unwilling to give up the bangle without something else in return. Veya planned for this and offers up a deal or no deal for her mother's malmer and the bangle's chain. Thankfully, the Trog says deal. Chapter 65 diary entry. He's baaaaaaack. Not only with a new scar and a new necklace, but his song. Sing the song of the silent sun. So many S's this episode and something sparks between them. Even with a thousand Rules stating that they shouldn't be together. Khan pulls off Elowyn's veil and kisses her. Chapter 66. Away from the rest of the world, Rae takes some much needed time to herself. From bathing in a small waterfall to writing in her brand new diary. Rave is finally exploring what it means to exist without shackles and expectations. Yay rave. Chapter 67. Khan POV Khan is back and while Vey is not present for the welcome committee, Pyrock is. And he has no problem filling in his king on Rave's happenings. She's been out and about in the markets buying shit like towels. What? But the oncoming great flirt is underway. And while Khan is not looking forward to the celebration, he has an idea of how to make the most of it. Chapter 68, diary entry. Elowen, now 19, watches Khan during the tithe and he tells the water wraiths to suck it and there's no fishes in the lake and he needs his diamonds. God damn it. Sorry, wrong book. Con is such grace and acts with fairness that Elowen knows would make him a worthy male that her father would respect. And she decides, fuck it, life's too short to not get that bread. And by bread I mean Khan. Chapter 69's penis. Speaking of which, chapter 69. Nice. Raven's woken up from a very intimate dream. I love that the intimate dream kicks off. Chapter 69. Amazing.

[Lexi]

You never said Khan is doing that on purpose.

[Nicole]

Oh absolutely. Colin is about to bang, bang, bangity bang. But Rave is cockblocked by screeching dragons before the good part. Rushing outside because the world is probably ending, she finds nothing wrong. And is that music? The great flirt has arrived. Hanging in a nearby tree, Ray finds a basket that definitely wasn't there before. Inside is a beautiful silver mask, a silky gown, slippers to match and sunscreen. Yeah, but that's not the only shocking part. Khan's Malmer is in there too with a note asking her to dance. This is how you ask a girl to prom, gentlemen. Chapter 70, diary entry. When the next aurora fall comes, there's no carving, there's no guitar, there's no meal. Only a parchment lark and a rusted key. Following the lark, Elwyn makes her way through the dense jungle till she finds a hidden dwelling carved into the cliff. I wonder what that could be. Inside, Elwyn finds sitting at a table with a home cooked meal waiting for her. Top tier. Oh my God, I love him so much. So good. He offers her this dwelling with or without him. Elowyn chooses the only option is on top of him. Chapter 71. With her mask on and intentions for this day decided, Rae finds Pyrok waiting to escort her to the celebrations. Upon entering the city, she sees the theme is Poppin. Rave decides to head to the left to the cold Netheren themed dome. For no reason at all. Chapter 72. The dome is stunning. Something behind the pillars draws Rave's attention. So we're off. Behind the pillars. The wonderful pillars of ice. The area behind is blocked by two guards who let them through. After Rave pilfers through Pyrock's pockets for his gold. Who's ready for a game of Scrippy? Chapter 73? Turns out rave is really good at this game and wins several hands in a row. The sexist men may not want to play with her anymore, but someone else does. Hello, Khan. Rave takes this opportunity to get a few answers out of him, only to learn that she was important to him. But for some mysterious reason, she bound to another male. Enough of this emotionally confusing conversation. Deal. Another round, Octopus. But instead of playing for gold, they make a wager. If Khan wins, Rave must answer three questions truthfully. If Rave wins, they play pretend for one night. Then Rave gets to erase Khan from her memory. Let the games begin. Chapter 74. The game does not last long, much to Khan's dismay. Rave wins and homeboy is pissed. Shall he bend her over and fuck her against the table right now? Please. But Rave can't.

[Lexi]

No, he doesn't want to. So that's why.

[Nicole]

Okay, okay, yes,

[Lexi]

fine.

[Nicole]

But Rave takes Khan's hand instead and asks him to dance. She doesn't want him to focus on the negative, because to Rave, this isn't just Scrippy and chill. This is one night to say a final goodbye. Con pov. Together, Khan and Rave dance under the aurora. Their dance is interrupted by two dragons courting overhead, spewing fire over the dome. Freaky, but okay. But thankfully, the runed dome is protecting them. But dragonfire equals visible runes, and Rave can't fucking have that. So she hides from Khan, only to come out when he threatens to break the pillars down. It worked. They make their way out of the maze and Rave lets her own walls down. Just enough to give Khan a few kisses.

[Lexi]

Finally, Khan.

[Nicole]

I will never forgive our planning for stopping here, by the way. Ever.

[Lexi]

Thank you so much for that big beefy recap. We're gonna jump right into to this episode after a quick word from our sponsors.

[Nicole]

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[Nicole]

it is

[Lexi]

time to listen to the elemental songs to explore key insights, character analysis, lore, foreshadowing theories, and oh, so much more. Wasting absolutely no time, Khan's sister Veya sets off for her mission to Erythia to track down Elowen's diary. After what Agni found on R Rave's body, the killing wound on her heart, Veya knows that something fishy happened that night 123 phases ago. The story that they were all told about Elowyn dying during childbirth is a lie. And maybe, just maybe, Elowyn's diary holds the answer to who killed her and why. Rave shouldn't be walking around alive right now. She should be up in the sky with Silacha. But something happened and now she's here. After Rafe Elowin called Veya by her name, Veya knows that her memories are still in there somewhere, and she's going to be the one to get to the bottom of this. And to do that, Veya needs more information from the original source, Elowyn's diary.

[Nicole]

In addition to knowing that Elowen, her best friend, is in there somewhere, deep, deep somewhere, Ve also knows that they are now on a borrowed ticking time bomb. The moment her twin brothers Caddock and Tyroth catch wind that Elwyn Navon is alive, they will stop at nothing until she is brought back to their mainly Tyrot's clutches. And given that Khan just gave Rave a sack of bloodstone, that means she's free to go to the Fade and hunt Rexaros, which Khan sees it as, you know, helping her with her bloodlust. And should Rave be recognized in the Fade? That's bad.

[Lexi]

Well, I will say, to be fair, she's been, I'll call it undercover for a while now.

[Nicole]

Under the fears you have.

[Lexi]

We know. True. Yes, yes, she's purposefully staying undercover because she has to be undercover for a whole different reason.

[Nicole]

Yes, so I think that with the fear, do ask, that's been her saving grace, quite literally, because that's kept her under wraps. But she's not going back, technically, a free spirit, unless Serene's little scratchy vial can.

[Lexi]

Well, she did wonder with the mind weft from the curly quill. He was like, oh, you don't want the fear to ask to know that you are alive? And she's like, not for right now. So it wasn't like a permanent, but it was just a for now. Oh, my gosh, I'm so excited.

[Nicole]

So these twins, Kadok and Tyros, have been preparing for a war unlike anything other. Just like Khan has also been preparing for said war, just much quieter for a long time. They need one reason. The twins need one reason to infiltrate the Burn, which the Burn has masses of untapped bloodstone. Given how money driven. The fate of especially is this would make Caddock stop at nothing until that Bloodstone mind is drained. I love Khan so much, but there's a reason it's Veya who's thinking of these things, not him.

[Lexi]

So I do have a question. When we're talking about all of this untapped bloodstone, which, by the way, I absolutely love how that is this resource. Like, I love it when I'm gonna say the economy, but this is so much bigger than that. Is is involved in all of this, you know, in these fantasy stories. But anyway, anyway, so I do have a question. Did their father, King Austrian, did he not mine the bloodstone? Because if it is untapped, it would have to have been for a while. I mean, we know that Khan has been King of the Burn for. Well, we don't know exactly how long, but some decades. We assume less than 100, but like more than 50. So. So I do wonder if bloodstone is a new currency that the Fade and the Shade. But again, that's not the vibe that we got from the prologue when it was talking about how people were finding uses for fallen dragons. And so I'm just very curious about that.

[Nicole]

I don't think he did. I think, listen, King Osterun sucks and he is a bad guy. I think two things. I think he didn't know about this untapped bloodstone, or he specifically left it untapped and gold was used worldwide. But I'm leaning towards he. He purposefully left this untapped.

[Lexi]

Okay. Yeah.

[Nicole]

Which does not add up with what we know about his character. The rest. So I don't know.

[Lexi]

From Veya's pov, though, she can't believe her older brother was stupid enough to send Rafe off for all the reasons Nicole just said. She also cannot believe I'm with Veya on this one. Fine. I'm with Kine. Well.

[Nicole]

Oh, really? I'm 100% with Veya. I love COD, do not get me wrong. But I. Khan is being very one track mind, which. It makes a lot of sense. Veya is thinking very practically here and I appreciate that.

[Lexi]

I. Yes, I do agree with that. She also cannot believe he showed her Slotra's shrine. That's not easing into telling her about the past. Like they agreed on this deviates from the plan and now he's put them all at risk. So, yes, Veya is a little pissed that her brother made a very risky decision and led with his heart rather than using his head.

[Nicole]

Like I've been saying, he's a little bit blind when it comes to any situation that involves Elowen Rave. Khan is very strategic. Do not get me wrong, he wouldn't have an army to rival Caddox if he wasn't. And when it comes to Elowen, it's Veya who's the one thinking from all sides, whereas he's just thinking from one very specific side.

[Lexi]

Well, so it's because Khan has a soul deep connection with Elowen Rave, and he knows in his heart that it will all work out.

[Nicole]

That is very trusting. It's very trusting.

[Lexi]

Well, I'm also someone who always believes people are dead when they say that they're dead on the page.

[Nicole]

So you know what? Oh man, I can't wait for next year. Oh, my God. While Veya is on her mission to the Shade to retrieve Elowen's diary, Khan is setting off to the village of Rambek, where the village's chief's dragon, Bloom, has just gone rabid due to a tick that was left unattended. Remember, these ticks are large round bugs with spindly legs and claw like pincers. And when left unattended and attached to a dragon, they release a toxin that will turn a dragon completely unhinged. Even the most docile dragons will become dead. Set on torching cities and slaying everyone in their path should they come in contact with one of these ticks. When this happens, there is no cure. Except for a swift, merciful death. I feel like we haven't seen the last of these ticks and I hate them. Oh, God, I do. I'm very afraid for Rygon. Next book. I will say it. I'll say it.

[Lexi]

Don't you dare say that.

[Nicole]

Take that back. I'm sorry, I. No, I'm. No, no, no, I won't.

[Lexi]

I bet you Rygon will not get a tick on him.

[Nicole]

Fine. I'll bet that Rygon gets a Tick on him.

[Lexi]

Okay, hold on. And it goes rabid.

[Nicole]

Oh, my God. Sorry, I forgot that part there. Yeah, you did. I was really excited. Okay, fine. I bet you that Rhygon gets a rabid tick. Lexi says no. Jesus Christ.

[Lexi]

No, there will. Rigon will not have a rabbit tick in book two.

[Nicole]

Yes. These are bets. We have to make sure they are

[Lexi]

bet for book two.

[Nicole]

Yes. Oh, my God. Okay, here's another option. The great silver saber scythe could get one. That would be bad.

[Lexi]

That would be bad. I was gonna say this is a fun theory, but that's actually.

[Nicole]

It's not.

[Lexi]

It's not a fun theory at all.

[Nicole]

That theory. This is a fun theory. I will admit it. What if dead dragons can get ticks and then like the dragons that don't make it up to the sky and

[Lexi]

then I think that's a fun theory.

[Nicole]

Resurrects them. Basically, the ticks are the night King of the world.

[Lexi]

There's that fun theory we were looking for.

[Nicole]

I'm not making that bet. We're not having Tix reanimate dragons as our bet.

[Lexi]

Sarah would feel. All right. So Khan has a big kingdom to manage and he's been south searching.

[Nicole]

Yeah, he does.

[Lexi]

And he's been south searching for moon shards and discovering a not dead Elowyn along the way. In other words, the King's gotta do his rounds around the kingdom. Okay, while. Yes, this is absolutely true, Khan does have another reason to leave the capital for a month.

[Nicole]

Month?

[Lexi]

He needs to give Rave space. After what he just dropped on her with Slotra, how she retreated and made it very clear she's not ready to face her truths. Khan feels like he played his biggest hand, which was showing her the dragon he's been putting back together and she still refused. Nothing else he can do or say or show her will break through to her. So the best thing he can do now is give her space to figure it out herself. Especially after he saw her going to the Western point, point where their home used to be. Proving once again that Elowyn is still in there and Rave is being called to past feelings. However, again, she did make it clear that she does not want Khan around, so he will respect that because he is a good book husband. In order to do that properly, he needs to leave and create physical distance. I will say, though, Khan will be surprised when Rave is still here when he returns a month later. So I do think that while he sees her inspecting and being curious about the Western Point, he still does fully expect her to leave and chase after that bloodlust. But I think he also feels a certainty that she will find her way back to him after she quenches this bloodthirst.

[Nicole]

That's interesting, because I actually took it the opposite. I think that he was, yes, he was expecting her to leave. And when he comes back and she's still here, he's like, whoa. I think that after he played the slaughter card, he not gave up by any means, but he felt a little hopeless. And that really fucked with his head. And that was one reason that he, you know, metaphorically sent elo and rave off. And then he also left himself because he was like, I need to. You know when you have a really bad breakup and you're like, I just need to go somewhere. I need to get banks.

[Lexi]

I have literally moved across the country for that reason. That's right.

[Nicole]

Yes. Yes, you have. So imagine that. Except you come back and they're still there and they're the love of your life. Okay, Cubs don't smack,

[Lexi]

But I know where you're coming from.

[Nicole]

Thank you. While Khan and Veya are off on their own adventure, Rave is on her own too. Now, the plan was to go get a molten maw and hunt down Rexaros. But something doesn't feel complete here on the burn. There is something in the western point that is drawing her to it. It's an itch she can't quite reach to scratch until she checks it out. This is so telling how deep this emotional pull is to the west. She has been so laser focused on getting to Wreck and getting Rex head on a pike that she has done literally everything in her power to rid herself of anything that got in her way of that goal. Now, the only thing getting in her way is herself. Dun, dun, dun. And this pole that she doesn't quite understand. So she tells herself she'll go look at it and then she'll be on her merry way. And this whole quote, danger, danger. Hushling lives here. She knows it's bullshit. Remember, a hushling is something that goes in through your nose and slurps your brain out while you're sleeping.

[Lexi]

Yummy.

[Nicole]

The worst straw you could ever imagine. And she's right. There doesn't have one.

[Lexi]

Whole are two holes.

[Nicole]

Oh, my God.

[Lexi]

From Fantasy Fan reads Chaotic questions.

[Nicole]

One hole, straws out.

[Lexi]

No, there's two holes. Oh, my God. I can't remember which one. I said, never mind. We're not getting into that now, please.

[Nicole]

Technically. Technically, a nose has two holes, though, so this is a different type of straw. Anyway, you are so correct. Thank you. Wow, that was so nice to hear. Oh my God. Okay, now this whole. Danger, danger. A hushling lives here. She is correct in the fact that it's bullshit. After Elowen died, Khan absolutely lost it. Zyva, being the best little sister she could possibly be, put up these signs so no one would come in and disturb or ruin her brother's sanctuary to his love. Oh, and it worked for everyone except for Rave. After wrestling through the vines that hide the entrance, Rave discovers a cozy little dwelling. The entrance is just wide enough for a fully grown female to go up the stairs and into a cavern covered by blooming copper vines. On the walls and ceiling, the counters of the kitchen are formed from the same surrounding stone and remind Rave of the ones in Ma's retreat. Everywhere Rave looks, there are two of two beat up chairs, two twists, terracotta mugs, two leather cedars. Even though it's dusty, the shelves hold items that show that this was a very lived in room with parchment like writing supplies and empty journals and even more stone carvings of different creatures similar to the one that Ray found in the tree. Further up the stairs, Rey finds a bedroom. The walls covered in same moon plumes and saber size as the shrine with a massive circular palette in the center. Even Boulder's song is in this place with the constant hum of contentment. The same one he showed in Slotra's tomb. I love that tiny show. Not tell of how Rave is opening herself up to Boulder and thus opening herself up to the steadiness that he offers.

[Lexi]

I also remember in Elowyn's diary entries when she's describing this dwelling and she thinks something along the lines of how Boulder loves this place or it's like Khan like ask permission or something like that. And how the ether stone does like it here too. And so it's almost like this. It's like their creators, creators like their relationship. Creators blessed. Yes. Yes.

[Nicole]

So it is clear that this was

[Lexi]

a loving couple's home, the safe haven for Khan and Elowyn's love story. And Rave feels this emotional pull to this home, this instinct to take care of this space and bring it back to life. With deep set emotions attached to this home. Rafe gets more visions of her and Khan sharing this home, making love, laughing together, promising themselves to the other, forever living this beautiful life, intertwined, tucked away in the safe haven. And as the cycles are passing, Rave is making this space home. I want to go back to the concept of home that we talked a lot about in our first channel episode. Right. That was our first episode with Essie and how she was so nervous to create this emotional attachment to somewhere that would be called home. Even if she did feel it, she would not be willing to voice it, because voicing something with attachment means bad for her. And in this space, it's like she is free to be able to feel all of this and to make this space truly a home. Think about back at her home with Essie. It was very, very sparse, and then Essie made it home. And in this case, she is finally bringing something back to life which she has never experienced before.

[Nicole]

And I'm going to try to get through this little section without crying. I just. I want to say I'm so proud of Rave because she stays here for a month and she's here on her own by herself. Yes, she could leave and scratch that itch for blood that she's thrived off of her entire life, but she. She doesn't. Because for the first time, she's exploring who she is with no eyes, no ears, no commands, no shackles. In all of her lives, between Elowen up in the sky and here as Rave, this is the first time. She's not an Elding Blade. She's not Elowyn, the Princess of the Shade. She's not a calcified, dead moon plume in the sky. She's Wraith and no one else else. This montage, I do feel like is often looked over. I mean, I really looked over it until this deep dive, because it's in between the scene with Slatcher's Tomb and the Great Flirt. But this type of character growth had to happen before her and Khan shared a night together. She needed to learn what it was to live. And, oh, this kills me. As she says, quote, fallon would be proud. Oh, man. This is what her friend in the scavenger king cells told Rave was out there. Life, moons in the sky, peace, frolicking naked through the forest. And Rave has never experienced that until now. I'm just so proud of her for sitting in the uncomfortable and the unexplored for a month to learn what it is to have a life rather than go back to the ease of what she's always known. Which is bloodlust.

[Lexi]

Yes, absolutely. She is letting this place lead her. Or as Rave calls it, she's going with it. She's going with the flow. She's exploring these old urges in this quiet place where, like you said, there's no eyes or ears or commands, which includes journaling. Remember that journal, the mind weft from the curly quill gave her with a moon plume emblem on it. I wonder why. Rave has never once felt inclined to journal, but she does now and the words come easily. I love how she's leaning into old parts of Elowyn but giving them a Rave spin. She's not chasing the past and trying to uncover this identity. She's exploring her present identity for really the first time in a safe environment.

[Nicole]

Yes. As she's journaling we see that Rafe is starting to have this understanding that yes, her path is Elowen, but she's living in this odd in between. She's constantly living in the memory of Elowyn and Khan.

[Lexi]

I love how she expresses that she's enjoying living in this in between. I can really empathize with that.

[Nicole]

Well, she's having visions. She's waking up all hot and bothered by things that were both hers and also not hers. But she believes that as uncomfortable as it is that Khan fell in love with someone so different from herself. She mentions in that diary entry that she believes Ellen was softer, kinder, someone worth loving. And that's not her. But what I love about this is this is actually an unreliable character moment because Ellon was not soft. She was jagged and determined and spicy. She had a sharpened tongue. She was kind to those who deserve it, but not kind to those who didn't. She and Rave are very similar. And yet it's easier in moments like this for Rafe to believe that they are night and day different because she has an easy out slash reason to believe that she can never have Khan if he loves someone soft and sweet and that's not her. It's as simple as that. She doesn't deserve him. He would never love her and thus she won't have to deal with the terrors that might come up with people loving her.

[Lexi]

We're seeing Rave grow in her character arc right here on the page. It's a big deal that she is even entertaining that this was previously her life, a different version of her. Whereas she threw the possibility in Khan's face when he showed her Slotra saying she is not the person he thinks and closing herself off to acknowledging this past even if she doesn't understand it. But now that she has had this space, this time to simply live, to bring back to life a home that was most definitely Khan and Elowyn, it's not as scary when she can process it on her own. It's still scary, but not as scary

[Nicole]

and in her face.

[Lexi]

Rave knows that there was pain in Elowyn's. Life, knowing that there was a bad reason. The old Elowen, so in love and safe and happy here, must have been pulled away. And yes, we the readers know that it was because King Ostrun threatened to kill Ve and Khan if she did not bind to Tyroth, pretend the child is his. Like we were saying, she does not want to face the pain and sorrow from Elwyn's life life. She wants to soak up this in between. Detached, yet still deeply connected to this love story.

[Nicole]

Rave is taking a lot of steps forward this month with exploring herself. And there's. It's Rave. She has one way in which she's taking, I'll say, not a step back necessarily, but not allowing herself to take a step forward. She does not want to understand Elowyn, her past, her sadness, her secrets. Especially because Rave believes she cannot handle it. She doesn't want to learn about how she lost Khan, herself a dragon. She doesn't even know she has a child. She has no idea. And she doesn't know that she's the

[Lexi]

former Queen of the Shade.

[Nicole]

Okay, I have a question for you.

[Lexi]

And all the bad things people have done to her family.

[Nicole]

When in ballad, do you think that Rave is going to learn about Kazari? And when do you think she's going to learn about the fact that she's literally the Queen of the Shade? I think she's going to learn the Queen of the Shade in the first place. First, third of the book. I think she's gonna learn Kazari in the second half. In the second, third.

[Lexi]

Oh, see, I. Okay. I think that they're going to both happen around the same time, and maybe not the exact same time, but like within, let's say, a few chapters of each other.

[Nicole]

Okay.

[Lexi]

And I think it's definitely going to be in the second half of the book.

[Nicole]

Okay, I split mine into thirds. Do you want to split? Okay, so how about this? I'll say she finds out both in the first half of the book. You say she finds out both in the second. The second half of the book. How does that sound? Yes, that sounds great. Yes. Bets being made, baby. All right, now, Rave on the surface, is telling herself that she's saving everyone by not planning on staying. And even better, it will cancel out their looming death sentence that she believes Khan in particular has for simply loving her. It will cancel that out if she has them fully erased from her memory. And boom, there's the plan. If she has the mind weft from the curly quill and the burn Wipe her memory of Khan. Veya, Pyrok, the Burn, Elowyn, Slotra, the works. They will all remain safe, except for Elowent. She's super dead. And Rave won't have to open up Pandora's Box because that's the kicker. Yes, this is all under the guise of saving them and all of this kind of stuff. And I do believe that she really means that. But there's that underlying layer where it's I don't have to open up Pandora's Box and have more her that she believes she cannot bear. Now I do want to pause with Rave real quick because she's off traipsing naked through the jungle for a month. Let's not.

[Lexi]

I am so happy for her. She is naked and alone.

[Nicole]

She is naked. Naked and not afraid, baby. Naked and not afraid.

[Lexi]

That's right.

[Nicole]

She's skinny dipping now. I will say this. I applaud her so much. You could not pay me to go naked in the jungle because I would just see snakes and I'm gonna leave it at that.

[Lexi]

Would happily go and live there like you would never see me and Khan ever again. Just like, oh yeah, those nudists out in the woods.

[Nicole]

Yeah, they're crazy. They're crazy kids. In the village of Rambek, Khan has successfully put down Chief Thorn's rabid dragon Bloom. And even though only that one dragon is to blame, the amount of wreckage left in the village, it looks like a battlefield. Most of the houses were left in complete ruins, some due to being shattered and knocked down, while others were hit with dragon flame, causing the stone to blacken and the windows to melt into puddles on the ground. Oh, dear. The surrounding trees are completely uprooted and singed. Picture when a tree falls over and the ground is still attached to the roots. But instead of just one to two trees, it's pretty much all of them. The surrounding fields with their crops also took a really big hit. While this is really hard for Chief Thrawn, I mean, he literally just had to watch his own dragon go rabid and almost kill a village, if not more. Thrawn is also very grateful for Khan and the fact that he came to help. Like Chief Thrawn mentions, he doesn't know if he would have been able to put his dragon down, even though it was causing a lot of death and destruction. So it was Khan who lured the dragon away and had to kill him.

[Lexi]

So Khan, he's not one to puff out his chest for saving the day and killing a dragon. He feels anguish for having to slay a dragon, even if it was to save the village.

[Nicole]

The scene mostly happens, or actually entirely happens off page. But it is such a direct representation of Khan as a leader, he doesn't feel powerful for taking down a dragon. Like you're saying, it's not showing how big and strong he is as a man. Instead, he views that that death as a painful loss. More than most, Khan understands the loss that death creates. And while he knows nothing can replace the love of a dragon, he ensures that the village is helped to the best of his abilities. Note, not once does he think about how much is this going to cost to replenish these village and what the people have lost. Cough, cough. Looking at you Caddock. Instead he ships barrels of grain and produce to ensure that his people get what they need for them to regrow their crops. We love a leader who actually gives a fuck about his territory and the livelihood of his people.

[Lexi]

Another notable part from the scene is how Grime, Khan's second in command, he requests leave. He wants to journey to Gondra, the northernmost part of the burn where the saber scythe hatching grounds are. Because it is rumored that the great silver saber scythe has laid a trio of eggs. And he wants to try and steal one of these eggs, even if it is extra extremely risky. Even if it means it'll likely lead to his death. Crime's been sad since his dragon died and he's ready to be bonded to another dragon, specifically one of the great silver sized hatchlings. So not only is he going to go to one of the most dangerous environments in the world and try to steal an egg, which again is already a risky endeavor. He wants to go after the biggest, the most aggressive dragon's eggs with a reputation. And while Grime doesn't say it, I get the sense that he feels this calling to either survive with this new dragon or it is his time to leave this world. And I know that Khan had a vision from this great silver saber scythe. And I do wonder if maybe Grime has had something similar for himself that he really does feel the is calling to go take one of these eggs. We don't get a time stamp for when Grimes dragon died, but I have been so hung up on what Sarah said about white hair like Grimes is very common in the south. And we were theorizing that he is from the Shade and was an advisor or a relative of the Navon family. Could his previous dragon named Inca have been a moon plume and even died when they were escaping Tyros new reign? I Will say it would have been a long time ago for him to lose his dragon. And I had gotten the impression that it was more recently. But there was nothing in the text that straight up said that by any means, these fae are long living. So 100 phases is not a really, really long time. And in fact, Khan does not know what happened to Grimes dragon. So that right there makes me think that he then came to the burn before. So that. And all Khan knows is that Grime's past is riddled with lifelong pain. So, yep, that literally just cements right there. I'm talking myself into it. Inca was a moon plume. Grime was an advisor for the Navon family or even a relative. I know that's your big theory. And he had to escape. And very sadly, his dragon did not make it.

[Nicole]

So after doing a little bit of research, I found a possible definition for Inca. A name sign. I said that Inca, same spelling, has its roots in Hebrew for favor or grace. I did try to come up with another site to confirm that definition and did come up dry there. But I am going to take that with a very big grain of salt because favor and grace, it's like, oh, she. She performed a favor for him in order to like make it so he could get out of the shade. I know. I'm sorry. I bet. Sweet girl.

[Lexi]

Oh, baby. That's like candid in my head now.

[Nicole]

I'm sorry. It's okay.

[Lexi]

It's beautiful and sad. Yay.

[Nicole]

So I do think we're both in agreement that this whole Grime storyline, we are going to get it next book. Yeah, absolutely.

[Lexi]

Again, Sarah has already told us that he will be a POV character.

[Nicole]

Oh, that's right. Yes, yes, yes, yes. I couldn't remember if that was canon with Sarah or canon with us, so I couldn't remember for a second.

[Lexi]

It's been a minute since I listened to that interview, so I totally making things up, But I'm like 99% that feels right. Yeah, it does feel right. Yes.

[Nicole]

I personally refuse to believe that he is going to go off to Gondra and he's gonna die in the retrieving of the great silver saber's eyes eggs. I think he's gonna see that would

[Lexi]

be very Game of Thrones, like a whole character that we're leading up to get their pov and then they die.

[Nicole]

That would. No, that's not happening. I refuse to leave him and be. I have to be together. We'll find out why his hair is white. I think we can highly infer that the silver saber scythe in this dragon is the same dragon from the Ballad of the Fallen Moon. What's the name of the next book? Ballad of Falling Dragons. If this is the same dragon from that song, and that is a huge part of the title, I think this great silver saber scythe is about to be a big part. In case you need a quick refresher on the Ballad of the Fallen Moon, the song tells the tale about two dragons. When one, the black female saber scythe became a moon in the dark. So we can assume it was the shade. Especially because there's snow mentioned. A moon plume curled around her friend and fed her own light into the saber scythe, thus turning the saber scythe's scales white. Then the moon plume falls from the sky. And now the white saber scythe is searching for her friend, looking through shards of rock across the snow, trying to piece her together and sadly failing to do so. I have a theory. I think the silver saber scythe and any eggs it lays, I think it can fly in the snow. So I think that the silver saber scythe is able to go south to the shade and he and his new dragon might be able to go and save Kazari.

[Lexi]

I love that idea. I. Okay, so I was gonna say this in a little bit, but I'm gonna say it right now. From a storytelling standpoint, I think Grime is going to bond with the great silver saber scythe instead of one of these dragon eggs. It's almost war time. We don't have time for the king's second in command to take care of a hatchling. There is no time for babysitting dragons right now. There's not dying as a parent, I say that. And all of these mentions of the great silver saber scythe and what you're saying here with how she's been searching for her moonplume. Well, guess who had who? We think we totally just assumed that's canon had a moon plume and he's missing her and now he has goes through the great silver saber scythe.

[Nicole]

Who's.

[Lexi]

There's too many connections there. So anyway, and I'm so hung up on this Ballad of the Fallen moon potentially referencing this legendary dragon. Plus knowing that we get Grimes POV next book from Sarah. In this chapter, Stretch Elowin writes in her diary quote, nobody has been able to get close enough to climb on her. The great silver cebra size back and attempt to tame her. And honestly, I hope they never do. That's foreshadowing. I'm calling it. Yeah, I Think somehow, some way, he is going to bond with the great silver saber scythe. And he will have a badass dragon for the big warhead.

[Nicole]

All right, you've convinced me. Yep, I'm there with you.

[Lexi]

No, we're supposed to bet on this, Nicole.

[Nicole]

Fine. Okay, fine, fine. I think you're right. But I will bet with you. Okay, so Grime bonds the silver saber scythe. Lexi says yes. Nicole says no. Finally.

[Lexi]

So, real quickly, we do want to touch on how Khan has his own history with this great silver saber scythe named ara. More than 123 phases ago, he went to Gondra to steal one of her scales. Why would he risk his life for a scale? Because he is a romantic and needed it to represent Elowin's moon plume for the Malmore. That's why. As he and Elwyn grew closer, Khan explained that Ara came to him in a dream and gave him the distinct message that if he could not secure a scale from her shed, he was undeserving of the love that he and Elwyn shared. And quote, that he would not have the strength to face our biggest challenges that have not yet come to pass. Like Elowyn dying and coming back to life and having to save the world from your brothers together. That sounds like a really good biggest challenge yet.

[Nicole]

That would do it. Yeah.

[Lexi]

So Khan took a scale from this legendary dragon, and, yeah, this dragon was not happy with him. She almost ripped his arm off, and he got quite the scar just for a scale. In other words, Grime. What do you think she'll do to you if you try to steal one of her eggs?

[Nicole]

He'll die.

[Lexi]

That's what will happen. Point is, Khan succeeded. He's deserving of this love. They have the strength to face their biggest challenges. And I love how this dragon came to him in a dream. And again, it goes back to how I really think that Ara, this great silver saver scythe in this book one, is just getting introduced to the story for a much bigger role later. Alright, so it's 30 Aurora cycles later. A month later, Khan is back in Dom, just in time for the great flirt celebration. And he just dropped Grime off in Gandra. Vea is still not back as much as he wishes. She was back from retrieving the diary in the Shade's capital. Neither is Rome, who has been off to translate a book. Cannot forget that. And Sarah has assured us we will get answers in ballad. Khan's getting a little bit worried about his advisor. I'm getting very worried about him too. So, bottom line, Khan's only inner circle member here at the Burn Capital right now is Pyrock. And oh boy, does Pyrock have an update for Khan.

[Nicole]

Rave is still here.

[Lexi]

She didn't chase after the bloodlust and use the money Khan gave her Her. He knew that Elowyn was still in there and she'd gone to explore the western point a month ago. But oh my goodness, this is unexpected. And he's like, well, shit, that probably means that she's remembering things. And I love this line quote. Perhaps forming a new attachment to the place. Yes, that is exactly what she's doing. Yes, yes, yes. And Rave has been spotted at the market buying things like leather and soap and poultice and even towels. She's settling in, not leaving.

[Nicole]

Honestly, I remember the first time. I remember the first time I bought towels. I felt like such a fucking adult and I. Oh, it was so great. It was so great. The great flirt is a phenomenon when the aurora duplicates and the ribbons of light spill all over the sky. Normally there's no more than 10 Aurora threads in the sky from pole to pole. But when the great flirt happens, it's like the sky is silver. There's so many. This does not happen often. We don't know how often, but does not happen often. And when it does, the dragons will dance together and mate and bang, bang, banginy bang. They'll have an influx of fertilized eggs. Get it? Dragons. During the great celebration in Dom, the children wear masks as they run around the streets with long silver ribbons attached to attached to sticks. While they pretend to be dragons. The city folk get dressed up and don masks made of all kinds of materials, including feathers and scales from dragons, even copper sheets or strings of pearls. There are carts with free molten mead. And near the shore there are three large domes. Each is decorated and ruined to emulate the three dragon nesting grounds. Netheren, Boggarth and Gondra. Knowing that Netheren is also really fucking cold, you would just walk into Gondra and burst into flames. From what it sounds like inside these domes, people will dance and eat. And in the last dome, the Nethern dome, there is a back room where the richest people in the burn play Scrippy.

[Lexi]

Interestingly, the last time Khan and Elowen were together was during the great flirt 123 phases ago. We know from a later diary entry that Khan would have to leave with his siblings to go rebuild a village from a rabbit dragon the next day. Again, this is 123 phases ago. And so the Great Flirt was the day before he left. So he and Elowen spent the Great Flirt tangled in the sheets together, flirting on their own, basking in their little love bubble and trying to pretend like her future of having to bind with his brother was not looming. In a month, Khan wanted to tell Elowyn what's been on his heart for a long time. That Great Flirt. He wanted to beg her to take his hand forever. Despite his shortcomings for Khan and break from the Tri Council's decision for what the two of them wanted and that the creators had blessed him as the one that she chose to love. However, after the Great Flirt and after he returned from rebuilding the village, he came back to a note from Elowyn saying that she chose Tyroth instead. And needless to say, it broke Khan and made him question if what she felt for him was even real and as strong as he believed. Because even now he refuses to accept she thought their love was so light and flimsy. And he's right. As we know, the only reason Elwyn left Khan was to protect him after his father threatened Elwyn that he would kill Veya and Khan if she did not go through with the marriage to Tyroth. Little does Khan know that on the last Great Flirt, Elowen was already pregnant with his baby, although she didn't even know that she was pregnant at the time. So anyway, the Great Flirt and spending it with Rave is still a raw wound for Khan from the last time they spent this day together, thinking it was amazing and they were in love and he had so many big things he wanted to tell her on his heart, only for it to be called into question with her hurried departure.

[Nicole]

Khan is all too happy to let this Great Flirt go by without his attendance yet again. But Pyrock. Pyrok is the one who changes his mind. See, Pyrock, you're not. Not useless, my guy. Yes, the last Great Flirt they spent together was horrible. But this is not the same woman that Elowen was. This is rave. And she's had every opportunity to leave dome the last 30 aurora cycles. But she didn't. She's been traipsing around naked in the Western Point and she's been asking about Khan's whereabouts. So what if. What if this time is different? Because she is different. Khan is scared. Scared of losing her again, scared of getting rejected. But what outweighs that fear is the fear of doing nothing. So either way, whether it's better than last time or worse, he's willing to try. So he sends Rave a basket. And by send I mean he hangs a basket outside of their forest dwelling for Rave to find. And it contains a dress, some shoes, a mask, his Malmo, and a note that says, dance with me. Oh,

[Lexi]

yes, I'll dance with you. Now, I think rave, 30 cycles ago would have made herself turn this invitation down. But Rave's been living in the in between and she has gotten to know Con and Elwyn's love story. Maybe not the details. Well, she has gotten some great details, but not the main details like, you know, who she left him for and all of that. But she has has been feeling all the emotions, the love, the happiness, the fulfillment and completeness between these two. Like we've been saying. Rave detaches herself from this to keep herself safe and separate from getting into the messiness and the pain that comes along with loving someone. But she's also been really enjoying it. So with this in mind, Rave is under the impression that this invitation and the Malmer and the dress and the mask from Khan is him asking her to pretend. That is the most naive thing you've ever thought, Rave. But sure, let's go with it. Can she please open her heart to him tonight, like Elowen would have from Rafe's pov? This will be the perfect goodbye to Elowyn that Khan and his sweetheart deserve. Especially because she plans to erase his memory from her afterward. So this will be her own goodbye too. After this night, she'll have to stop living in the in between. So this last hurrah is a moment for Khan and his love, Elowen. Because again, if Rae dares to believe in, it's him wanting to get to know her that's too scary and vulnerable.

[Nicole]

I don't think it's an accident that she says yes to this invitation right after. Yes, she has her 30 days, but right after waking up from a spicy dream about yes, yes, which, because I can and I will not waste a moment of cons Spice on the page. Let's go through it, shall we? He's beneath her. He pushes her legs open. She pleads for him, but. But he tells her she does not need to beg. Quote, if you want me, I'm fucking yours. She pushes his fingers into herself with a forever. Of course, Cotton likes to hear that. So he grips her jaw and kisses her, flips her over. He's about to enter her any second, any second now, and she wakes up. I would have jumped into a cold lake after that.

[Lexi]

I would have gone and danced with Him.

[Nicole]

Why not both before the waterfall?

[Lexi]

After all, has anybody seen that fan heart?

[Nicole]

Have I mentioned that yet? Before we get into the great flirt, let's take a quick word from our sponsors you all.

[Lexi]

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[Nicole]

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[Lexi]

When we were just recently in Seattle, I wore my red maroon athletic set for the very first time. You all the compliments that I got on it and we tie with it and I felt like such a queen and I just appreciated all of your compliments and everything I like. I feel amazing in this outfit and I could just wear it anywhere, even like whether I go to the gym or whether I go to lunch with my husband, right? So I just love it so much and like I finally feel really cool and trendy when I'm wearing clothes now.

[Nicole]

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[Lexi]

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[Nicole]

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[Lexi]

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[Nicole]

welcome to Get Real, the show for the reality TV obsessed and stans of the Hulu Verse. Find it wherever you get your podcast and stream new episodes Thursdays on Hulu and Hulu on Disney. The day of the great flirt has arrived and Rave is throwing a fit outfit that is. It is time for Fit Watch. It's been a minute. Rave has woven her hair into a braid that goes halfway down her back. She has a strip of fabric across her chest, all the other strips are pulled together at her hips and two large triangle sheer fabrics. Bricks are flowing from her shoulders behind her. Stunning. I love the fan art of this and they also love that she took an already existing dress and made this crafty. Rave rocks.

[Lexi]

I also love that she's like, no, that was way too much material. Like I've been naked too much. Like I need to feel the breeze beneath me.

[Nicole]

I need to feel the wind beneath my wings. Rave finds Pyrock waiting for her and he escorts her into the city where they come across a fork in the road, each leading to one of the domes that represent the three breeding grounds that we've been talking about. To which Rave asks which one is Khan in? And then she proceeds to go into the opposite direction. If Khan wants to dance with her, he will have to find her first. This is so Rave. Oh my God. When they get to the Netherendom, that's so Rave. That's so Ra. When they get to the Netherendome, though, Rave watches, watches the fog seep out and hesitates. Quote a flock of something takes flight within my belly. Something that makes no sense. Ah, it's like her home is literally calling to her. Quick side note, I love that Pirak is like, do you want a jacket? You don't want to catch a cold? And she says, nah, I'm good. Like, it's not too cold. It's because she grew up in the cold and, you know, hung out in the sky surrounded by an ice dragon for a hundred phases. She's cold, immune. She could go to Netheren naked is what she could do.

[Lexi]

I love also how Pyrock's like, so you been around the world much?

[Nicole]

I know. And she's like, I don't know. And he's like, I do. Do you want to hear about it?

[Lexi]

No. So there's three domes each to represent a dragon hatching ground. Inside the Netheren dome is a small replica of the moon plea bloom hatching grounds. There is a dense fog that lingers along the floor. Stone ruined to look like snow. Blacked out ceilings with pearly moons and aurora ribbons that emit a silver light along with hexagonal ice pillars. Rave notes that it's like standing within a painting of Netheren minus the deadly chill and minus a nesting moon plume protecting her eggs. She also notes that the air is so hollow that it feels like someone called for Claude to chillingly still within the room. I love that. Okay, Nicole, I have a question for you. Do you think we're going to Nether in next book?

[Nicole]

I don't think we're going to Nether in next book. I do think, well, that's no fun.

[Lexi]

Going to go to the Shade at some point.

[Nicole]

Oh, definitely. I think we're going to the Shade, but I don't think we're going to Netheren. I think we're going to Orithia.

[Lexi]

I agree too. Darn it. We're damn way too much in this book. This is why we don't have that many bets yet.

[Nicole]

What if because I caved earlier and I said, you know what? I'll go again against what I actually believe just to make a bet. What if you did that, this bet and said, you know what? Yeah, we're going to.

[Lexi]

No, how about this? How about this? I will do where they do not go to Arithia.

[Nicole]

Really?

[Lexi]

I. I do think that they will, but I don't believe they will as strongly.

[Nicole]

No, no, you don't have to talk to yourself out of it. No, that sounds great. Okay.

[Lexi]

Okay, so fine. I think that they are not going to Erythia.

[Nicole]

Our crew does not go To Erithia. Yeah, I'm literally writing in the book to die.

[Lexi]

Okay, I'm talking about like, Rave specifically. Because Vea is already there.

[Nicole]

So that doesn't. Damn it, I did not. You can't.

[Lexi]

See, this is why we need to

[Nicole]

make these Fae bargains with all the details.

[Lexi]

Okay, so specifically, Rave does not go to a race.

[Nicole]

What about Raven Con Together? No.

[Lexi]

Fine.

[Nicole]

Nicole says they do go to Arithia. Lexi says no, says no, they don't. Among this stunning theme, something else catches Rave's eye. Tucked behind some icy pillars is a game table of the one and only High Flyers. Misogynistic asshats who have a lot of money to just throw around. The game they're playing is Scrippy. We're very familiar with this. What we're not familiar with is the game's dealer dealing out the shards is an Octomar. Basically an octopus like creature with no eyes, a giant head and many, many, many rows of teeth. Teeth. When you commit to the game, naturally, when you commit to the game, the Octamar ensures you pay your debts. You are not allowed to leave the table. You are literally bound by blood, body and soul. What if you have to pee? This is very disturbing. I'm.

[Lexi]

I would be doomed because my bladder is so small. Also, this is just really cool magic. Like, again, I love how Sarah makes this world completely her own.

[Nicole]

Rafe may have had a bit of an awakening last month, and at the same time, she still enjoys the opportunity to put some males in their place. Especially in a game of Scrippy. Pause, though. Because what's odd to me is how these High Flyers actually treat Pyrock, who noticeably is very uncomfortable. They call him, quote, Little Flame. I love that his name is Pyrock. And he's. I do too.

[Lexi]

Yes.

[Nicole]

Demeaned as Little Flame. Pyrok sounds a hell of a lot like pyre, which is not a little flame. That's a damn big flame. And I feel like this is just going to mirror the journey we see from Pyrock in these next two books. He's treated like a little flame. Now he's told that he's useless. He's the useless sibling between the two of them. So much so that he now believes it and he like beats everyone to the joke. But he's actually a pyre. I believe in you, Pyroc. Now, note, I actually was. I actually signaled to Sarah about this, about why the High Flyers called Pyrak Little Flame to see if there was anything she could share. And she actually Said there was not anything she could share that could answer this question. So I was like, oh, oh, I think we're onto something. Oh, my God.

[Lexi]

She had very few answers for us this week, being like, I can't answer these questions. And I always take that as a compliment because, like, oh, that means we're asking the right ones. Exactly.

[Nicole]

Exactly. Hopefully. Back to the game, though, because something else has given me a little bit of pause here. Rave does not have any gold to bet with, only enough to buy her way onto the table. So she uses, quote, a favor owed as her wager, which the Octomar immediately accepts, which she notes as that's quite surprising given the sum it takes to bet with her. Favors must be worth a lot. I feel like this is a subtle, not so subtle Easter egg of just how powerful Rave is. Is. Yes, she's an Avon. That alone is very powerful. But the fact that she can talk to all creators, I feel like this is a neon sign to that. Luckily, though, she doesn't need to give any of these assholes favors. She wins every round and has enough money to purchase a small village and then some. Go Rave. Go put overconfident men in their place.

[Lexi]

I love how she's like, aw. Keep practicing. As they leave, all grumbling and whatnot. But what's this? This high flyer table has a new arrival.

[Nicole]

Hello, Khan.

[Lexi]

He may have sent Rave an invitation, but this is the first time the two of them have seen each other in 30 cycles. Since the day he showed her Slotra shrine, they've had their space. She's gotten to simply be. He can't help offering his heart on a silver platter again. And he's not hiding his feelings tonight with statements like, rave, you could flay me down the middle, and I. And I'd still fucking love you. Hello. It's nice to see you too, sir.

[Nicole]

Even in her inner monologue, we sense a shift in how she describes Khan. She's using much more descriptive language about his body, his mouth, his muscles. A girl can only have a sex dream about a guy so many times before she starts salivating over him. This month apart now has snapped into this heated moment. She's not supposed to be here. He gave her money. She. She could leave. But she didn't. And while she doesn't think it by the way Khan looks at her alone, we can tell so much of that decision was the hope for this moment with him that kept her in the burn.

[Lexi]

So guess what, friends? Rave asks Khan a question about her past life. Oh, My goodness. It's part of the question that's been chasing her that she's scared to know the answer to as she prefers to live in the blissful in between. But at the same time, something took her away from this happiness with Khan 100 plus faces ago and she does not think she left willingly. She can't imagine having given up this love and life when in the present day she can't even get herself to leave. And she kind of sort of wants to. So she gets confirmation that she was someone important to Khan until. Until it's quite the loaded question. And that is when he tells her that she bound with another male, offering to tell her who, which as we all know is quite the can of worms. So of course he's asking her versus just like, oh yeah, it was, you know, Tyroth, who happens to be the brother Shade. And by the way, you have a daughter. Like everything just comes out, no, no, no, just bound to another male to start off with.

[Nicole]

Yes.

[Lexi]

And he's like, do you want to know? And she's like, no, of course. Rave says no, we're not there yet, Khan. We're taking baby steps and we're not there yet.

[Nicole]

Well, we're taking baby steps on that very thin line. On one side she's wanting to keep this old habit and not know anything so she can live in her carefully curated deluland. But on the other side, there's this curiosity that's becoming harder and harder to ignore. If she leans into it and she learns about their past together, what would that do to her? But also this illusion that she's tucked herself into this last month she's been living in happy Elowyn con times. If she learns more about what happened to make their story so tragic, it would ruin the night. Which this night is a send off, it's a goodbye, one that is just for Elowyn and Khan when they were at their happiest. And in order for her to quote, unquote, play that part, which is what she thinks Khan needs, which is a happy Elowyn in order for her to do that, she can't have anything deterring her. But that doesn't stop Khan from wanting to dig deeper because Rave, he doesn't want you to be Elwyn. I wanted to shake her. He wants to know Rave, the real Rave, not the one playing a part of an ex lover.

[Lexi]

And I just love this part so much. We've been literally repeating it, especially Nicole, since episode one. But when we are in his POV with him, Being like, I don't want to say goodbye to Elowyn. I want to say hello to Raven. That right there sums up his entire character arc for this book. And I just love my heart. I love him so much.

[Nicole]

So they decide that this game, instead of using gold pieces to bet, they're going to play for a wager, which also means they cannot leave the table until the game is over. And they are bound to the table by the Octomar. So if Khan wins, Rave must answer three questions from him. Truthfully. There's that Fae bargain. Pause. Because I was so curious about what questions Khan was going to ask Rave. So you know what? I have the power. So I shot my shot with Sarah, signaling. Sarah. And here. Well, she. She said this quote, maybe one day I'll do an alternative point of view on this chapter. Until then, I'll leave it up to everyone's imagination. All right, Lexi, what's your imagination? Right.

[Lexi]

Challenge accepted.

[Nicole]

Sarah, what do you think?

[Lexi]

Okay, so I definitely think one of the questions is, who hurt you?

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

Oh, yeah. He knows that there is something about her with her past, with that.

[Nicole]

Or, like, who died? Because she's. She. He says, I think there's two.

[Lexi]

I think there's two of those there. Yeah. So I think that one of them is, who did you lose from your past? Well, she hasn't specifically said it yet. He's been picking it up. He knows that she is afraid of fire because somebody hurt her. That scene did happen back in Slotra. So while they are similar questions, they are still very different. So one would be a who hurt you? Or along those lines. And then the other one would be, who did you lose? Or the backstory behind that.

[Nicole]

Another one would be like, what have you been doing? Like, I actually, you know what I could see? I could see it being twofold. I could see it being something as deep as, like, tell me where you've been for the past 23 phases. Like, what have you been doing? Yes, he knows she's been a fear do ask. But he doesn't know about the Scavenger King. He doesn't know about the Firelark. And he's about to ask next. Next chapter. What the is a Firelark?

[Lexi]

Exactly.

[Nicole]

But I.

[Lexi]

Which I think is gonna come.

[Nicole]

Oh, it's 100.

[Lexi]

Yes. Yeah.

[Nicole]

I also could see him asking her just a very simple question. Where it's like, what is Rave's favorite meal? Where it's like, instead of him asking her to know Rave, like, getting to know Rave where it's like it is a very specific Rave question. What's your favorite color?

[Lexi]

I could see that.

[Nicole]

Why do you like clothes so much?

[Lexi]

I could also see him. This would be more Elowin focused too, but like he wants to know Rave's feelings towards him. He wants her to be open. So I could see one of those questions being, do you love me?

[Nicole]

Oh, yes. Yes. Con. I don't.

[Lexi]

She has to answer truthfully

[Nicole]

now, that's all. If Khan wins. But if Rave wins, she wants them to pretend that they are the ones who existed in the stone dwelling Khan built for them. But only until the next aurora rise. At which Khan will then owe her a wish. That wish being a mind weft, removing Khan from her mind. Really quick side note, because we actually asked Sarah, because it's been a question for the past few episodes. Do all mind wefts have that milky eyes like Ron? And was Sol a mind weft too? And here is what she said. Quote, they don't know. There is more to that. But I don't want to spoil anything. So we got it. We got an answer.

[Lexi]

We got an answer. All right. But God fucking dammit, Rafe, I do sympathize with her.

[Nicole]

I really do.

[Lexi]

But try carrying that love and that grief and pain for a hundred and twenty. Twenty three phases.

[Nicole]

Which is exactly how Khan takes it.

[Lexi]

We'll get more into how he leverages ensuring she will not follow through with it next episode. But from his perspective. No, that's not how this works, Rave. You don't get to be a coward and hide from your feelings like that. The reason she wants to erase him is because she's catching feelings in the present. And he's like, that's not fair.

[Nicole]

But it's con. And he's not one to just be fucking furious because it's not what he would have done or it's. It's a cowardly way out. Instead, he puts himself in her shoes. If she believes this strongly, that if she attaches herself to someone, that it is quite literally at their the end of their world. She must have lost someone or multiple someones. This is her protecting herself. Yes. But this is is also an engraved belief. This is the best way for her to protect those people she deigns to care about. She has to leave them alone, be apart from them. But she cannot just be apart from Khan. She would have to erase him fully. A million and one gold stars for Khan here. He realizes this all with just a few questions, most of them unanswered. That is how well he knows her. Yeah, but it's also how, well, how observant he is. I swear to God, if anything happens to Khan next book, I will riot. I will write, recover.

[Lexi]

Don't you ever say that even.

[Nicole]

Nicole, I already talked about his dragon.

[Lexi]

That's to you, that is to you,

[Nicole]

that is to me, that is. That is rude.

[Lexi]

I don't care. It was rude of you to even say that. They aren't playing for long. When Khan calls scripture, they go back and forth, trumping over each other until Khan lays down a saber scythe. Rave, not having any strong cards left to use, plays a smocks card. This card is basically a wild card that can take on the strengths and weaknesses of the card that it's representing. It's also a very risky card as it can't represent a creature that has been played in the final turn or else it's immediately void by the end. All the best cards are generally played, so it's viewed as a waste of space when you. You could be holding something more valuable. But in this instance, Rafe plays it on top of Khan's saber scythe as a tick, making Khan's card feral and thus dead and slain, winning yet another

[Nicole]

tick on the page on a saber scythe this time on.

[Lexi]

I don't like all this foreshadowing here. Just saying does win for the game. So sorry, Con. And also, this better not fucking be foreshadowing. And instead it is just literary symbolism.

[Nicole]

Oh, I don't know. Literary symbolism. Nicole, this moment breaks my heart. Not for the symbolism or the foreshadowing because. But because the moment he realizes that she's won, he turns silent and quite cold, while Rave becomes excited and hopeful, feeling like the night could bring any possibility. We'll talk about Khan's aloofness of in a second. But first I want to touch on Rave. Because her happiness is because she's one. Sure, she's Rave. After all, she likes winning. But far outweighing that victory is the fact that she now gets to pretend for one night, she can actually pretend that she's in love. She can pretend that she feels those emotions deeply and fully. She can let others in. She can pretend to live.

[Lexi]

Meanwhile, Khan does not get to ask his three questions. And while, yes, he does get to spend this evening with Rave, what she's asking is not what he's offering, which shifts his whole demeanor to cold and detached. Protecting his own heart. Says some not so sexy things because he's so dejected.

[Nicole]

The twisting of the knife when she is, you know, like saying like dance with me. And he says, lead the way, Prisoner 73. Him using that name, not Moonbeam, not Rave, is very noticeable. He's having to literally distance himself from her because he already feels like he's lost her and the night's not over. If he calls her the name that he used when he didn't know her name, aka Prisoner73, it's a little bit easier for him to say goodbye. And by a little bit, I mean the tiniest bit easier.

[Lexi]

She is purposefully living in Deluland. And yes, we've talked plenty about her reason that, but facts are facts. He does not want to play this, pretend that she's so set on. And yet at the same time, it's rave. So of course he'll take every morsel he can get. Khan's inner monologue with how he beats himself up for being weak, breaks my heart. His paw instilled his unworthiness and loved to remind him how weak he was. No matter how much Khan grows up, his inner demons are a direct result of his upbringing. And it makes me so sad for him.

[Nicole]

This role reversal between the two of them is all summed up in Rave asking the question, dance with me. It's the same words that Khan wrote on the invitation with her dress and mask, but this time she's asking them, not him. And dance they do. This is one of my favorite scenes in this entire book. It is so beautifully written and you can just feel Khan's heartbreaking how this final goodbye hurts him so much and yet he can't distance himself from her.

[Lexi]

So I'll be honest, when I first read this book, this, like, whole stretch of the book, I did not remember it very much. It didn't land for me quite as hard as the first half of the book did and the ending. And on this reread, I'm soaking up, up these moments because these are those quiet moments that I know that Callie Hart has told us about that are so meaningful and impactful to the characters and to the story, even if it's not the big crazy action sequences. And I have such a strong appreciation now for the, I'll say middle third of this book. And, yeah, anyway, I just wanted to share my change of mind.

[Nicole]

Well, and I love the line where Rave said, says, quote, your hands know me. And he says against her hair. Yes. Know you, crave you, worship you. Rave, never leave. God damn it. Stay.

[Lexi]

Okay, so the way that she. I don't want to say toying with his heart, but in a way makes me want to give her an L. Looking at this from her pov, recognizing her fear. I don't know, maybe a lowercase L. If anything, she deserves a. A girl talk of, hey, that's not cool to play with his heart like that.

[Nicole]

100% she deserves girl talk, but she doesn't have the girl chat with the stupid name for a bunch of her friends to be like, you're being an idiot.

[Lexi]

Which I do think that she does get an L for wanting to erase him from her mind so she does not have to face all of those emotions and open up Pandora's box. You know what? Yeah. Like, she's also like, yay, let's have a great last night together before I forget you. And cuts like, no, I know. Okay, I'm giving her an L. I. You know, we're doing our usual stuff, but she needs an L. Yeah, she.

[Nicole]

She needs an L. And it's like, it's One of those Ls that we've given out before where it's like, I see where she's coming from based on her beliefs, her experiences, and still she gets an L. Yes. Even though I understand where she's coming from. This is like silver flame flames situation.

[Lexi]

Exactly.

[Nicole]

I can't believe I just compared her to the FMC and silver flames.

[Lexi]

But, like, going off of that, the way that he sees her, like you were saying, she does not think that she deserves this love. She does not think that she deserves them together. And Khan is like, but you strengthen me. You make me unstoppable. And she, I'll be honest, can't comprehend that. I won't say comprehend that. She is terrified of that and therefore does not let herself comprehend that. Because she has been somebody's everything before. And I do believe that Fallon sacrificed herself for Rave and she'll never be able to forgive herself for that. Khan even thinks how she wants to love him too, but she's in the way of herself. And the way he sees her like that. He just wants her to be whole again. And, oh, I just love him so much. Have I mentioned that yet?

[Nicole]

But something interrupts the sway of their steps. Dragons be fucking in the sky and they swooped down too low. Dragon flame starts going everywhere, but no one is hurt because the dome is ruined. However, Rave is missing. Yes. Dragon flame lit up everywhere. Also the runes on her skin. And she doesn't want Khan to see them, so she has him close his eyes. This is after he sort of finds her. She has him close his eyes. He does not want to, obviously. Elowin didn't. First of all, the last time this happened, she left him and then ended up dead in the sky. And also, Elwyn didn't have these rooms. This is just one more way he doesn't know rave. And he wants to. He's like, I don't want to close my eyes. But he does because he's gone at the logging. This poor boy. Someone give him a hug.

[Lexi]

And how he thinks, thinks quote. I'm now certain she's hiding something. Building her walls sky high. It's getting lonely on the other side.

[Nicole]

Oh.

[Lexi]

So I'm under the impression he did not see the mending runes covering her because she's very suspiciously hiding from him. And he can tell that she's clearly got something to hide and he can kind of put two and two together, but he doesn't actually see them covering her body because she hid too fast. And then his eyes are closed.

[Nicole]

I think the only one he knows about are the one is the one on her head from when he had the Dragon Flame in the cell back in the fade. But yeah, I don't think he knows just how many because acne.

[Lexi]

Well, I don't even think he saw that yet. He was going to inspect it and she told him no, but he saw that it was mended. And he's like, oh, like it's mended. There's no keeping wound right there now. And. But he hasn't seen her with the runes yet.

[Nicole]

No.

[Lexi]

Okay. When do you think that's gonna happen in ballad?

[Nicole]

First? Third? First.

[Lexi]

First half, but. Okay, I'm gonna go with second half then.

[Nicole]

All right.

[Lexi]

Oh, he's gonna flip a lid.

[Nicole]

I can't wait. I can't wait.

[Lexi]

We're gonna get the ultimate. Who hurt you?

[Nicole]

I love it. Oh, my God.

[Lexi]

It's another one of his brothers that he doesn't even know about. He's got such shitty brothers.

[Nicole]

He's. He's got. He's got his shit. This poor guy.

[Lexi]

He and Ve just need to meet up again and just never.

[Nicole]

They need to go live on a compound in another world. Never come here again. Actually, they shouldn't because, you know, people are living under tyranny.

[Lexi]

But still, with his eyes closed, Rafe begins kissing Khan's neck hello. Making him go. You're here. When it's like, oh, my God, this is real. It's not a dream. And on his eyelids, because that's what he missed most of all. And fast forward to meeting under the moon. Getting their first kiss from Khan's POV makes My heart so happy how his love for her, his dedication and devotion to her shines through the page. And when he looks at her, he sees this beautiful, devastating blend of both Rave and Elowyn sending him straight into kissing her.

[Nicole]

Yes, finally the moment where she kisses his eyelids and he's like, elowin used to do this. And it's just, oh my God. And he's like, I miss this the most. All right, shake it off. Let's take a hard left pivot to Veya and her great adventure, which is happening simultaneously with this Khan and rave storyline. 8 cycles aka days after she leaves Leaf's dumb, Veya makes a quick pit stop in the Fade to grab a very important piece of her plan. The only problem is she has no idea if she's going to be able to find this again. What is it? A silver bangle that she dropped down a trash chute over a hundred phases ago. More on that in a moment. But she can't be seen flying straight into the Fades Imperial hutch with her dragon. So she drops Zeki, her saber side off at a hutch outside the city and charters a trip down the Path of Daze with a lovely older Fae named Noeb and her Hulk drawn cart. This trip is risky as hell. Not only is the Path of Days on the far eastern side of the world and runs east to west and is just wide enough for a single cart at a time to be on the edge of a cliff. So basically, if anyone has driven in the sketchy mountains side of things, maybe this is such a Colorado thing. But I imagine where it's like you're driving on a mountain, you're right on a cliff's edge. You only can have one car at a time. I would walk happily.

[Lexi]

Well, plus there are renegades around here who are willing to do bad things. Bad things.

[Nicole]

But she's not just going to to the whole of the Fade. She will have to make a quick in and out trip of Gore specifically to visit a certain velvet Trog. Hence this sketchy wagon ride. Quick plug for Lexi and I both wearing the same velvet Trog shirt. This is from Feminine and Fabled. I love this design so much.

[Lexi]

Mine came in just in time for this episode. I was so happy.

[Nicole]

Me too.

[Lexi]

So what are some highlights from this conversation with Noel? We learn that it's been a while since Veya came around here. She stays clear of the Fade in its wall these days, presumably because of her brother Caddock. We also learned, potentially very importantly, that Noeb has been sneaking folk out of the city for the Fade Queen. The one who helped Rave escape the dragons who cried when she recognized Elowen, her old friend. However, the Fade Queen has not been heard of. Oh. Since it got back to Caddock that she. She stalled an execution for a Fear du ATH member AKA Raves execution. I love how VA is like huh? And she's like starting to piece together that Rave was associated with the Fear du ATH and the Faith Queen could know something but is an ally. Because Cadoc does not seem to know whose execution it was, at least from this conversation. But I am very worried for the Fade Queen who seems to be in trouble after she worked against her Bounds Guild's ruling. I'm so worried about her well being. And I hope Veya or even Rave can help her.

[Nicole]

Well, and let's not forget her, her and the King's son is awol. Oh my gosh.

[Lexi]

Yes. How do I always keep forgetting about him?

[Nicole]

That kid's whereabouts is very, very concerning to me.

[Lexi]

Okay.

[Nicole]

Her whole. Her. Oh. Oh.

[Lexi]

Bet. Do you think that the sun is in the Fade? Damn it.

[Nicole]

Do you think the sun's in the fade?

[Lexi]

No, I don't think. I think.

[Nicole]

I think he's with the Scavenger King.

[Lexi]

I think he's with the Fear Duath.

[Nicole]

Okay.

[Lexi]

I bet the Fade Queen helped get their son away.

[Nicole]

I bet the Fade Queen is really pissed that the Scavenger King took their son. Okay.

[Lexi]

Also think that she might be working with the Fear du f. I don't

[Nicole]

think she's fully working with the Fear. Do f. I think the web is working with the Fear Duflox.

[Lexi]

Oh, I do too.

[Nicole]

Yes. Yes, definitely. Yeah. I think she's working to get people out of the Fate. Well, she is working to get people out of the fate, but I think she's working specifically with the Fear to ask to help that to get them

[Lexi]

to probably to the burn. Because that's probably how they knows.

[Nicole]

Probably. Yeah.

[Lexi]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

All right, let's get into this all important bangle. The bangle is silver and gem encrusted with the ability. This is the important part. The ability to glamour its wearer as somebody else. Very handy when you're trying to sneak in and out of Arithia for a diary your crazy brother probably has and you don't want him to recognize you. It has a spike hidden on it that when poked, both the wearer and the person of choice to appear as the wearer will then take on their appearance. From my understanding, this spike though does not knock out the Person whose appearance is being stolen. That's why Veya has to knock out the maid before stealing her identity in the Shade Palace. We'll get into that next episode. Veyo won this bangle from a quote, deeply troubled mind weft. We don't know when exactly, just we know it was over 100 phases ago. So I assume that this was in the first 20 or so phases after Elowyn died. The mind weft told Veya that the Bengal would serve her in two ways, both being painful and necessary. Vea assumes that she's about to embark on the second way the Bengal will serve her. Which means that she has already had one way the Bengal served her. But she doesn't remember it. Why? Oh, just because 30 Aurora Cycles, aka 30 days are missing from her memory. Okay. I have a theory. I think that something happened to Veya while wearing this bangle and she went to a Mind west left, probably a different one than she won the bangle from and had that experience purposefully erased from her memory. I wonder if it had something to do with Caddock. Like she was wearing it and Caddock found her and did something so horrific to her so that she got it erased. She most likely would have had to been wearing someone else's appearance. So I don't think Caddock would have known it was her whose appearance she could have worn and would have felt so bad that she had to erase it from her mind. I. I have no idea. But I just. I feel in my bones that it had to involve her brothers.

[Lexi]

Okay, I love this theory.

[Nicole]

I don't love this theory, but that's a great theory.

[Lexi]

I. Whenever I hear a hundred phases ago, I immediately think of Elowyn. And knowing that over a hundred phases ago Elowin died supposedly giving childbirth, I don't think that she would have worn someone else's identity like knowingly, willingly, to stab Elowin. No, but what if somehow, some way, she was forced to and having to pretend to be a midwife or something along those lines. That would be so up that she was involved in Elowyn's murder. But. And then there's a whole concept of how would that work with a mind weft seeming to wipe her memory? Because I can't imagine a situation where she would again harm Elowyn willingly or knowingly. Or that Khan knows about it and he seems like he hopes that she just discarded the Bengal. Like he doesn't seem like he knows what it's associated with. But no matter what, whenever I see over a hundred faces ago. I immediately connected to Elowyn somehow some way. And it would be poetic that this bangle helps ve uncover the truth about Elwyn. Like making up for what has been done in the past. Also just knowing about how painful it was. But necessary. Like, yeah, there's also the mystery about her parents and her brother's death. That was definitely like. Like longer ago. But I just have this feeling in my bones that it has to do with Elwyn. Like, that would be so poetic. Literally has. She and Khan are talking about the bangle and how it was missing and how it's bad. Then they immediately start talking about Elowyn and her family and the secrets and their father and all that.

[Nicole]

Now, hold on. Because Khan did help her or say to her, like, you should get rid of this bangle. So I feel like Khan would have had to know what happened. Happened to her the first time. And if it involved Elowin, I don't.

[Lexi]

That would. Yeah, I don't. I don't.

[Nicole]

I don't feel like he would have been. Okay, cool. I feel like that's why I'm like. I feel like it involved their brother.

[Lexi]

Well, okay. So now let's move on to the next bit of information that we know is that Vea left this bangle in Gore. Elwyn was further south in the shade. If this was about 123 phases ago. So what was she doing in Gore, the capital of the Fade? I understand that's why you brought up. That's really bad.

[Nicole]

Maybe it has something to do with

[Lexi]

the fake queen, I don't know. But she disposed of this bangle after these 30 cycles were wiped from her mind because she remembers where she put the bangle. What it was 30 Aurora cycles. Khan has been gone for 30 Aurora cycles. He thinks his sister might be back already from the shade. What if she traveled to the shade and then on her way back in the Fade was like, no, no, no, this is bad. Again, I don't know how this would all work. But I. All I know is that these 30 cycles of memory loss is a very important Easter egg for something big that is not a throwaway backstory subplot for a POV character that comes back into the forefront in the present. Like something big is part of this. And when I think about all these mysteries that we already know of, I keep coming back to Elowyn.

[Nicole]

Well, okay, so I asked. I signaled a Sarah. Well, fine.

[Lexi]

If you just went and asked the author.

[Nicole]

You think she fucking answered me? Here's what she said. Because I Asked her, is there anything you can tell us about VE's missing 30 aurora cycle? She said, quote, you will know that very, very soon. Just after May 19th to be exact. So you know what? I accept. That's fine.

[Lexi]

Okay, so let's go back to this with Tyroth because I just don't want

[Nicole]

ve to have been the one to

[Lexi]

kill her, but I am still definitely sticking with Tyroth because of the blood lace person that came. That is not a throwaway line there. So I do think that Ty Roth knows that Kazari is not his and he killed.

[Nicole]

What if she pretended to be the bloodlace person and actually told Tyroth something else like she.

[Lexi]

Would that be painful though? How would it be painful but necessary to where she.

[Nicole]

Because Elowin died after it. Because she killed herself after it. Elowyn literally killed herself. And she thinks that's one of the reasons why. And she was involved in the reason that Elowin died and she doesn't to want to remember that because, God, what would that do to Khan? She got it wiped from her memory.

[Lexi]

Bet.

[Nicole]

Bet.

[Lexi]

Okay, I. I really do think that she like, again, I think that has something to do with Elwyn, but I'm going to still stick with my Tyroth theory that he is the one who killed her.

[Nicole]

Okay, so you are going to say

[Lexi]

that Tyroth killed Elwyn because he knows that Kazari is not his. Okay, so let's go back to where Veya got this bangle. She won it, perhaps plain scrippy, since we know she's so good at it from that deeply troubled mind Weft, who claimed she knew how to speak the language of ether, that she studied the Book of Void in length and knew the secret to our insignificant existence. Well, okay, then let's talk about this. I bet you we will meet. This mind left at some point in the series. Maybe not book two, but maybe book three. And I think.

[Nicole]

Are we making another bet?

[Lexi]

Let's make another bet. I just cannot get over the fact that this mind we says that the Bengal will serve her in two ways, both painful but necessary. What was the first one? I'm worried ve has done something bad and she doesn't remember it.

[Nicole]

I'm deeply worried about that as well. Now, thinking about this Book of Ether, I think we're both in the same mindset. This book is. Is the Kahless book he wrote like this? 100% yes.

[Lexi]

Yes.

[Nicole]

This is the book that Pyrock's brother Ron is looking at in the neutral Territory of Bathame right now. Which means the Tri Council has Kahless's book. That. I don't know why that. That feels very, very bad. That feels very bad.

[Lexi]

This is also. We're assuming this is the case. This is not outright stated in the book.

[Nicole]

No, but it's.

[Lexi]

I can't remember what's canon and what we are just so convinced of.

[Nicole]

I can't either.

[Lexi]

Okay, so here's a question. Let's say that it is there. Do you think certain people are permitted to study it and this mind weft had access to it? Oh, maybe. Like, what if this mind weft worked for one of the kings and she learned the Book of Void's secrets because the king's mind wefts and their advisor people have access to the special book. But the whole thing about what's the secret to our insignificant existence? That's quite the meta question.

[Nicole]

Actually, that was a very meta question. Oh my God.

[Lexi]

We're gonna put a picture in that.

[Nicole]

I don't know, I'm just a podcaster. I'm just a baby.

[Lexi]

But it does sound like a theme will be talking about the meaning of life. Like ether being spirit, everything but nothing the abstract. I am telling you, my ether research is going to pay off here.

[Nicole]

I will laugh so hard if we get to next book and there's like no information on ether and you're not. That's just. It's just Kaylis is the boy and that's it. I will laugh so hard. Sarah would never.

[Lexi]

Actually, I don't know. I do not know if you are or not, but I. I believe in the complexities of this story.

[Nicole]

Oh my God.

[Lexi]

I'm just so freaking excited for what else we'll learn about this book of Void and the language of ether and Kaylis. Like I really do think that it's going to be this bridge that connects so many of these puzzle pieces that we can't even fathom yet. Alright, back to the scene right here. We have to get this bangle from the velvet trog that lives at the bottom of the trash chute. What is a velvet trog, you ask? Here's the TL doctor. A velvet trog is a large lanky creature that likes to hoard and feast on trash. This particular one has a den beneath the Undercity and Gore. If you listen to our episode three coverage, this next part's gonna be familiar to you, but we have to talk about the song of the backstory about the velvet trog. A jollywee drifter who had some Stinky, thriving fingers went to the bog dragon hatching grounds in the fade to get themselves a dragon. But when she stole the egg, it was already bumping, thumping, and then breathed fire on the Jollywee drifter. So the drifter jumped into a molten bog to escape the molten maw's fire, but it emerged as a Velvet Trog. This trog here, under Gore, is three times the size of Vea, with velvety blue skin, four arms, numerous black eyes, and a lipless mouth. She eats the trash that is thrown down the chutes, but more specifically, the memories and emotions attached to the objects that are discarded. From these memories, the trog is able to secrete a slimy, glowing thread like substance that it uses to decorate its den. The stronger the memory, the emotional tie, the more substance it can create.

[Nicole]

In the Velvet Trog's lair, Veya has some good news and bad news. News, good news, she found her bangle pretty fast, which is a big congratulations, Veya. The bad news is that it's on top of the Velvet Trog's head. It's wearing it as a crown. And the Velvet Trog has been saving it for a special occasion.

[Lexi]

Like that special bottle of wine that you save and save and save and save for a special occasion.

[Nicole]

Yes.

[Lexi]

I'm so guilty of that.

[Nicole]

Oh my God.

[Lexi]

Big save.

[Nicole]

Veya's Bengal is not only a rich memory and it has that rich memory associated with it, but apparently it also has secrets that the Velvet Trog offers to tell Veya. And you know what she does denies.

[Lexi]

I am convinced that the bracelet's memory, its emotions, its secrets, it has to be whatever happened during those missing 30 cycles. And that's why 100% vey is like,

[Nicole]

no, no, no, I'm good.

[Lexi]

I don't want to know.

[Nicole]

Exactly. So Veya knew that the Velvet Trog would be a little hesitant to get rid of such a precious item of trash. So in exchange for her bracelet, Veya trades the Velvet Trog her ma's malmer, which she stole from her father Osturn's bedroom when she was 17 and he did not notice she stole it. There's all the info you need to know about how this man felt towards his wife.

[Lexi]

It breaks my heart how Vea is like, at least if he noticed that she stole it, then he would have had a reason to hate her. Her she acted out to give her father a reason to feel the way he did toward her to justify it for herself. Veya, you are so loved and supported and please get out of the shade safely. So you can stay one of my favorite characters alive.

[Nicole]

I'm so concerned for her. The Trog accepts this trade with the addition of the chain of the bangle, because it's between that and the Malmer, it is threaded with items, memory memories that barely, just barely outweigh the bangle itself on its own memories, mind you, that the Velvet Trog offered to share with Veya, like we just said, and she said no. They always ask for the memories. Ah. I mean, I know she like, willingly got this erased from her mind and she's like, I don't want to know anything, but, like, girl, you're thinking like rave right now. They're so similar.

[Lexi]

I was just gonna say, considering she's going on a very dangerous mission to help Elowen Rave retrieve her memories. There's a lesson here, in fact, when she's like, you know, Vea, you're marvelous, but this was not one of your better ideas. Again, I totally understand that she does not want to know this, because there is something very painful associated with it, and you're literally on a mission searching for more answers. She just really doesn't want to know whatever memory associated with that bangle. And the way that the Velvet Trog is gleeful about these secrets, I am so scared for what they're about and also how winning a magic bangle played into it and why it was painful but necessary. And this Velvet Trog says that they is a naughty little morsel. Again, I think they did something bad. Okay, so here's a question. Can a mind weft make her do something? I don't know if they have that power, because if so, the mind weft could make her do something and then make her forget it.

[Nicole]

Maybe. I don't know if they have that power. I don't think so. I don't think so.

[Lexi]

Okay.

[Nicole]

I think this is something she did willingly and regrets it.

[Lexi]

Okay, so also notable is that this Malmo's memories are richer than whatever happened in the 30 cycles to Veya. I can imagine how sad and difficult Veya and Khan's ma's life was being bound to their paw. Who was the definition of cruel? And if she had a Malmer, does that mean at least one of his parents were from the Botanic Plains, like, and a clan like the Jakul? If that is the case, would that mean that the Burn King and the Shade King, both of whom are from those regions, could they have known each other, like, before they were the Kings?

[Nicole]

And that's one of the reasons they, like, they hated each Other maybe because. Remember when he came down to the Shade and the King of the Shade was like, no, you can't marry. You can't marry. He didn't like him.

[Lexi]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Nicole]

Oh my God, that's so good. I'm gonna go with yes. I'm gonna go with yes.

[Lexi]

I think so too. Again, we don't know exactly if the Malmer is something like of the burn or specifically of the Voltanic Plains. But I kind of got the feeling that it is like a hands thing. And if Veya's mother had one, then that means her father would have had

[Nicole]

to give it to her.

[Lexi]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Nicole]

Oh, gosh. Now, this bangle was a priceless treasure. And the Velvet Trog decided it was worth it based on the memories. So what could that mean? Okay, so I used my power and I signaled to Sarah and I wanted to ask her what she knew. She wouldn't answer. But I wanted to ask, what secrets does the Velvet Trog taste from this bracelet chain that Veya passes on knowing? And this is what Sarah says. Said quote, this is something you will have answers to within the first 15 chapters of Ballad. I can tell you ve had good instincts to pass on that here. Those secrets are a painful revelation.

[Lexi]

Okay, what do you. What if you had to make a bet? What would it be that she did?

[Nicole]

I still think it's something around like you're saying with like Elowin's death. But I don't think it was with Tyroff necessarily. Or Caddock. I could also see it. Something with Caddock and something horrific happening with her brother.

[Lexi]

I just don't know. But we'll find out soon.

[Nicole]

We'll find out soon. Yeah, baby. All right. Now Vey has made the trade. She is good to leave with Bengal in tow. This is a big deal because it is common knowledge that if you enter the Trogg's lair you're probably not leaving it. While uncommon, a Fae can make a trade with the Trog to get an item back before it's been devoured. Like Feye did with this Trog.

[Lexi]

At least.

[Nicole]

Least you can strike a bargain with her and she will not eat you when you leave. How very kind of her. Counting Veya, this Velvet Trog has struck six Fae bargains. Which makes us wonder, have we met the other five?

[Lexi]

I can't help but think one is Rave. In chapter four, she mentions this exact Velvet Trog who lives below the Undercity. And again in chapter 10, and again in chapter 19, where rave reflects that it'd be trading A death in the cell for another. And she mentions this Velvet trog again in Dr. Chapter 32. So I definitely think one of these people that the Velvet Trog struck a bargain with was Rave. That's way too many mentions about the same Velvet Trog for it not to mean something here.

[Nicole]

I was just thinking the Velvet Trog is known as the trash Gremlin of Gore.

[Lexi]

I mean that too. Yes.

[Nicole]

Okay. We have access to all. I'm saying we have access to the other. So we asked Sarah, do we though if we've met the other five people? And here's what she said. Quote, my lips are sealed with the crying lips.

[Lexi]

I'm taking that as a yes. I. I think that Rave was one of those others.

[Nicole]

I could definitely see that. I could definitely see that. I did also ask Sarah, and this is a question she did answered. Is there more than one Velvet Trog out there in the world? And she said yes. They're peppered around. That's wonderful. A little concerning.

[Lexi]

Okay, so as we wrap this part up here, there's the question. Do we think the Bengal will come back into the story again after Veya? Hopefully she's not out of there yet. Gets out of the south and back to the burn. Because I definitely think so. Having a magic bangle that can take on the appearance of other people is

[Nicole]

a very, very nifty.

[Lexi]

And I hope maybe she'll do it to help the Fade Queen sneak into the Burn or something.

[Nicole]

I also hope she does that. And yet I can't help but think about that. It'll help you twice. Right? So it's like, is it gonna, like. Does it expire? Does it blow into mist?

[Lexi]

I don't think so. I think that's gonna be a Book three thing.

[Nicole]

I don't think she's gonna use it again after this.

[Lexi]

But what about the other? Painful but necessary. Or what if this is.

[Nicole]

This is the pain? This is the painful but necessary.

[Lexi]

But it hasn't been painful yet.

[Nicole]

Oh, are you sure? Are you sure? She just learned how her best friend died and her brother has a child he doesn't know about.

[Lexi]

And that's exactly the kind of information that she was looking for, though. That's what she needed.

[Nicole]

But it's not great. It's not great.

[Lexi]

I don't think that act was the painful but necessary thing. I don't know what it would be. This.

[Nicole]

But we are.

[Lexi]

This is.

[Nicole]

There's no way. Okay. The Vea's mission.

[Lexi]

This might have to be a clarification

[Nicole]

with Sarah at The end of book one is the second painful use of the bangle. Nicole says yes, Lexi says no. Okay. Wow. This is shocking. Shocking.

[Lexi]

But I do think that it could potentially be, like, something that happens, like, in book two. That could be something that was painful but necessary. In that case, that is a direct result of this. But what she's already done, what happened at the end of book one, is not the painful but necessary.

[Nicole]

If we're getting into that kind of nuances, we're passing that all off to Sarah, and she is gonna figure out who necessary.

[Lexi]

We've learned our lesson. Okay.

[Nicole]

No, you have learned your lesson. I've.

[Lexi]

No. I am sitting on so many bets that I have technically won, but not technically won at the same time because I say no, and they haven't happened. And you're like, but it could have happened off page. And I'm like, no, that's not how it works.

[Nicole]

And now we've learned how to word our bets, it is time for us to shift to the diary entries. So let's go back in time about a few more than 123 phases ago.

[Lexi]

It's like 124 phases ago, basically.

[Nicole]

Yeah. 24. Maybe 125. Depends on when the year changes.

[Lexi]

And here we get Khan and Elwyn's love story. Have I mentioned how much I love them? How much of a comforting presence he is for her? I really appreciate that.

[Nicole]

Me too. This is a pivotal moment for the two of them because after several months of the two of them basically not really talking, only him playing while she eats. He plays guitar. She gets her key. She goes, see Slatra Khan starts Slow Burn. Khan starts playing a song that her ma and PA used to sing when she was sick. Okay. My headcanon is that he's been, like, quietly learning songs off to the side from the shade to play her for months.

[Lexi]

Of course he would like. I know she's also teaching him some, but I do think that he's been learning on his own as well.

[Nicole]

Yeah. And this song strikes something for Elowyn. Since Hadeon came back from Netheren nine phases before her parents died, Elowin has not cried. She has not let herself feel the weight of her emotions. That day changed something in her. She became wholly focused on Hadeon and illum and helping them. And she shoved every single emotion and feeling aside. Sounds like rave. Even when her family died, she did not weep for them. Not because she didn't want to, but because she was so empty. What Khan has been doing these past few Months has been slowly and quietly filling her back up and now she finally has emotions again to let out. And this is not a soft cry. This is not a cute like cry. This is a storm lashing the window panes cry. Oh, that's such beautiful writing. As she's crying, she didn't realize that Khan stops playing the song until he comes over and holds her close to his chest. Chest so tightly she can't breathe. Quote his strong body absorbing every one of my sobs. He's not saying shush, it'll be all right. No, he's saying I am here. I will hold you. I will shoulder this with you. You are not alone.

[Lexi]

Not unlike how Rave feels everything from rain and the present day with Khan wrapping his arms around her and singing her her calming song while she cries and cries and cries, letting Rave know she's not alone.

[Nicole]

Oh, this fundamentally changes something for Elowyn where she realizes that this is the same love and care that her PA showed her ma. And it just makes her cry harder. Not entirely because of the thought of them, but although yes, that is definitely part of it, but also because she feels herself falling in love with this man and he's not her fiance.

[Lexi]

Kyne disappears for more than seven cycles after this scene. They share of and Elowyn, understandably because I would feel the same way, is like well damn, I got vulnerable and scared him off, didn't I? I do love how she throws all of her energy into training and notes that Veya says that she's improving. There's that strong independent woman.

[Nicole]

I also love how short that does diary entry is where he's not around. It's almost like that frustration that Elowen has with herself and how she's she fell for a guy and then he left and she got vulnerable and blah blah blah blah. It's showing how little patience she has about writing about him. He doesn't deserve page time.

[Lexi]

God, however, Khan would never ditch her like that.

[Nicole]

No, he comes back.

[Lexi]

He left to go to the northernmost part of the burn where the saber scythe dragons nest in the hottest part of the world and takes one of the great silver saber size scales like we were talking about earlier this episode. She almost kills him in the process where he gets the scar on his arm. But he needed this specific silver scale to make the malmer. It is a braided piece of leather attached to a flat circular pendant and in that pendant is the silver moon plume carved. The silver scale and the reddish black

[Nicole]

saber scythe bound together any frustration she had towards him leaving or herself for falling for him immediately vanishes the moment she sees that Malmer and though as he plays for her, the two of them staring at each other, it is Elowen who goes to him, pulls back her veil and plants a feather like kiss on his lips. I want to talk about this real quick before we go into part two of this because it feels so important and necessary that it was was Elowyn's decision to make the first move. Khan has been so respectful and will continue to be so he wanted her just to know that someone is here for her. But the moment she kisses him and decides that she's going to do something for herself for the first time in nine years, it breaks something in him too. Because as she goes to Slatra's hutch, Khan swings her around, rips off her veil and kisses her. This is so hot. It was a kiss of someone who wanted to give me everything, take nothing, yet I gave him my whole heart anyway, realized it was rightfully his. Oh my God. Yay. Elowood and Con, two people who have had so much taken from them fall in love and realize that they feel like they are literally soaring as a result of of doing something for themselves.

[Lexi]

I will say I think that their

[Nicole]

love story is so tragic, but it

[Lexi]

might be one of my favorite like forbidden love stories. And I also just love how we get it in such a different way. It's not from it's like as diary entries mostly and then of course from Khan's POV too and these flashbacks and all of that. And I just love getting glimpses of their love story and reading about it and I just. It just has such a special place in my heart.

[Nicole]

I think between this and one other on the podcast are my favorite neck and neck love stories for two very different reasons. Yes, there's. It's just kind of one small problem with this one. Just a little teensy problem. Elements patrols to his brother. That's that Tyroth guy who's currently ruling the shade, AKA her kingdom.

[Lexi]

And have we mentioned he's a bad guy?

[Nicole]

Lexi? He lost his wife tragically and everyone in Arithia feels yeah, because he killed her.

[Lexi]

He killed her.

[Nicole]

I'm confused. If I lose that bet, I will be so fine with that. That is a okay.

[Lexi]

By the way, I wonder if the person who did come running down the hall had their eye on them after all. Because someone does tell King Oster in a few phases later. Again, that's phases so like years later. So it's a while later. But this person almost sketching them is sus.

[Nicole]

Oh yeah. I guarantee you that person is somehow informing King Austeren what's going on.

[Lexi]

Yes.

[Nicole]

Oh dear. That tiny little detail does not really matter to these two people because it can all be summed up in this quote. I don't feel like Hadean anymore. I feel like a loom wobbling along, being forged into something strong despite my broken bits. Perhaps I'll fly too. Oh my God, that is so beautiful. It will take her another year before her and Khan actually act on this love that's building between the two of them after 10 phases. So since Hadean and Ellum came back from Netheren, Elowen is finally ready to do something that makes her happy. She's done living in the shadows in a place that took literally everything from her. She is ready to jump into the the sky despite her internal wounds. And she knows that Khan will jump with her.

[Lexi]

I love them. And they're healing so much. And now Khan and Rave are healing together in their own different but parallel way. Speaking of which, 123 phases ago, Khan or 24 phases ago, however many phases ago, Khan gifts Elwyn this home that was a focus, this episode that we were talking so much about. Elwyn follows a parchment lark through the jungle and comes upon the home concept created for her built into the cliff. This home is Elowyn's gift, but he does not have to come with it.

[Nicole]

Khan, I love you so much.

[Lexi]

His first priority is her comfort, her safety, her sense of security and support. Anything else with him is entirely up to her. It's her choice.

[Nicole]

And boy, oh boy, does she choose him. I am melting.

[Lexi]

Obviously. Elowent kisses him before he can finish

[Nicole]

his sentence because yeah, girl, get it.

[Lexi]

And then we get the iconic when the moon Hatched quote. He's fire and brimstone, I'm shattered ice. Our collision is steam and destruction destined to dissipate. But I'll gladly burn beneath him until the world comes crumbling down. I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. I love how the parallels are between rave's present day story and Elwyn's diary entries and experiencing her story unfold, sharing the first kiss with Khan, embracing this whole home that Khan gifted her, knowing it as a safe haven, starting to forge into something strong despite the broken bits, albeit in very different ways. Experiencing a certain kind of freedom that neither Elwyn or Rave have had before. Seeing how good of a leader Khan is, Elowyn thinks how her PA would have respected Khan and that he rules with grace and fairness. We see him in a leadership role with the unfortunate ravaged dragon issue or the grand Great Flirt celebrations. And all of this to say it's both Elowyn and Rave figuring out what kind of life do they want to live? Or even how do you live and take charge of your own life? Let's tap into our dragon sight and turn our full attention to important foreshadowing moments for the rest of this book and speculations for book two. Ballad of Falling Dragons this might be

[Nicole]

nothing, but it's worth noting that Lain, who we have not met yet, has the fact that fastest saber size in the burn named Navut honestly point this out in case our crew needs a quick escape. Navut to the rescue.

[Lexi]

I hadn't realized that muskins are used for upcoming events or predictions like the Great flirt coming in 30 Aurora cycles. And yes, it's accurate. It does happen in 30 aurora cycles. So this makes me wonder, what else does the muskin predict? Could one of the twins see that Elowin is returned via muskin? Can a muskin predict if there's an upcoming moonfall or if there's a war coming? Like telling Khan that one or both twins will be at the burns doorstep or attack or find rave or something like that.

[Nicole]

Here I was just thinking the Muskins were the Weather Channel people.

[Lexi]

I. Because we kind of got it a little bit earlier on in the jail cell and this time around again it was just one line. But it's like this feels like it could be very important to the story in the future, helping trigger something big. And I'm just very curious. I wanted to point that out.

[Nicole]

We get more grime and Vea foreshadowing. I barely know grime. I feel like we're just scratching the surface with forget me not versus I ship these two so hard. I can't wait to see what happens to them should Grime not become Silver Saberside. Ciao.

[Lexi]

He won't be.

[Nicole]

He won't. I really hope not. I don't think so. There's no way watch him get eaten

[Lexi]

by the silver saber side.

[Nicole]

No.

[Lexi]

Both.

[Nicole]

Liz. No. He has. He has too many secrets. His hair is secret.

[Lexi]

No, I know. I also feel like there's more foreshadowing that Khan will have to tell Rave about what what his father did to her family. However, step one, tell her that she is of the Devon bloodline. Which by the way, Caro in our Discord pointed out that Navarre means snow in Spanish. Remember what we were saying in episode five about Rave and Snow?

[Nicole]

I just thought that was very interesting. That's brilliant.

[Lexi]

Ra shares how she loves the wonky moon Hayes perch and Khan offers to tell her why she loves it. But just like she refused Essie offering to tell her the sad tale of this moon, Rave does not want to hear the story. This is going to be such a heartbreaking scene when this happens in ballad. Assuming it will be in book two. I assume so. There's so much that has to happen in book two so I'm sure some of it will save until book three. But I also do love how Rave does share that she lost someone that was big for her to admit and be vulnerable like that. Fallon's loss and now Essie's too haunt her and shape her her. And she's also weighed down by repressed sorrow and pain too. From Elowyn Rave has so much healing to do and I'm proud of her for opening up to Khan even that little bit. Baby steps.

[Nicole]

I cannot wait to see the FMC journey that Rafe goes on next book with learning this dealing with it and I don't expect her to immediately turn around and be like I'm fine. Like I think this is going to be a little bit of like one step forward, several steps back. But oh my God I'm so excited. It is time to infiltrate the Tri Council. They've got that Book of Void. We want to know what's going on in it where each episode.

[Lexi]

Lexi we don't know that though they have it.

[Nicole]

It's canon. Lexi. Canon. Lexi guides us through a world building topic like a Book of Void to help us deepen our understanding of the world and its magic. Lexi, what is this week's topic?

[Lexi]

Today's Infiltrating the Tri Council topic is the Shade. This is the kingdom we know the least about. But if we're covering the fade and

[Nicole]

the burn, we can't leave the Shade out.

[Lexi]

The Shade is a southernmost third of the world and it is forever cast in darkness with the only light being from the aurora ribbons and the moon plume moons because there is no sun that's way north. It is blistering cold here all the time and it is always covered in snow. This is also the part of the world that Slotra's moon fell in. Slatra's moon fell in the northern part of the Shade. The rulers of the Shade used to be King Odric and Queen Adora Navon, parents of Hadeon and Elowin Navon. They ruled until Elowin was 18 phases old. However, after Elowin's paw turned down King Austrian Vagor's proposal to arrange a marriage between Tyroth and Elowin, Odric, Adora and Hadeon were poisoned in their sleep. AKA Austrian orchestrated this murder murder. Elowen was then promised to Tyroth and eventually bound to him, even though she was already with Childe by Conveygor. But back to Elowyn's parents. We don't know much about her father's line besides the fact that he grew up in the Burn, in one of the warrior clans of the Botanic Plains. Her mother, on the other hand, is part of the family line that is tied to the Aetherstone. The Aetherstone is the magic object that holds the God of Aether and is passed down and guarded by this bloodline. More recently, at least on the maternal side, the Ether Stone makes it difficult for those who wear it to conceive, so when a child is born into this lineage, it is celebrated by all the land. The Shade is now under King Tyroth Vhagor's reign, who rules alone since his wife Elowan tragically died during childbirth. Eye twitching going on here. Or at least that's the story the world has told. But Elwyn's real cause of death is unknown, except a silver scar over her heart. Tyroth has a daughter named Kazari Vhagor, but we secretly know that she's Khan's daughter, not Tyros. Not even Khan knows this. Tiroth is twin to Cadoc Vhagor, who rules the Fade, and brother to Khan Vhagor, the Burn's King. And his younger sister is Va Vhagor. Let's go through the different areas of the Burn. So first we have the capital city of the Shade, Erythia. And then we have Netheren, the nesting grounds of the Mountain Moonplume dragons. The Dragons of the Shade. This is the most southern point of the world and is so cold that is basically inhospitable. The Moon Plumes nest on giant Hexagon pillars of ice. Another important thing to note about the Shade is that they do use Bloodstone as their currency. In the Shade, elemental beads are worn in hair, beard, or on clothing. Actually how it is in the Burn, but like the Gnolls in the Fade, Gnolls here are clipped. We don't get any other information about how Gnolls are treated in the Shade, but given the clips, I do think that it's safe to assume that it's more similar to their treatment in the Fade than in the burn. And this is a more recent development from Tyroff, because I never got that impression from Elwyn's parents. And there we have it. That's all we know about the Shade for now.

[Nicole]

All right, friends, let's close out this episode with shopping at the Curly Quill and discussing some of our favorite moments from this stretch of chapters.

[Lexi]

Veya packs two forks and doesn't know why, but her quote. Hyperactive. A sleep deprived brain had its reasons.

[Nicole]

You.

[Lexi]

I cannot express how much I deeply

[Nicole]

relate to this as an anxious over packer.

[Lexi]

Oh, my God. This is exactly what I will be doing tonight as I prepare for our Seattle flight.

[Nicole]

I have a packing list. Do you want it? Yes.

[Lexi]

And I'm pretty sure I ask for it every single time you do.

[Nicole]

And I'm happy to give it to you because I'm gonna make it regardless.

[Lexi]

Please do. And please send it to me. And can you add, like, whatever I need because you've told me it's.

[Nicole]

No, you can do that yourself. You're a grown woman. No, I'm not.

[Lexi]

Just like Veya, I could really use the Velvet Trog to do wonders in my sleep suite, AKA my closet. That is. Oh, gosh. The. I'm a messy person. I'm not dirty, but I'm messy. And I just need a velvet truck to sort my stuff. Eat some things that I'm hesitant to let go of, but definitely should and. And get everything organized.

[Nicole]

I do love that the Velvet Trog is so well organized because it's something you would not expect, but it's a good reminder for even on our troggiest of days, our trash is well put together. I feel like that's just a nice symbolism. Speaking of relatable motivational quote there, Nicole. Even on our troggiest days.

[Lexi]

Speaking of relatable rave.

[Nicole]

Mentioning how whenever you find a mug you love, it breaks. I feel this. I am hoarding my girl dinner. Praying mantis. Eating the other praying mantis's head. Like the p. Like, this is my sharpest treasure right now.

[Lexi]

Well, it's so funny you say that because one of my favorite mugs, it was one that mom gave me on my wedding day. It's custom with us. And a note from Mom. Yes. You know exactly what I'm talking about. It broke and I was so sad and mom glued it back together and fix Mom.

[Nicole]

She's. She's great.

[Lexi]

Oh, my gosh.

[Nicole]

It's mentioned that Mama Veigor, speaking of moms, Loved her dragon so much. And Jogo, the dragon has calcified in the sky as soon as their mom died. I bet you anything this is one of the moons on Khan's back. Is Jo. Absolutely.

[Lexi]

Definitely the way. We learned a little about his maw and her dragon and how she nursed Jogo back to health after finding him as a hatchling kicked from a nest. We can gather from that story alone how kind and caring she was. How much Kant. And they take after their mother while the twins are hateful like their PA was. I wonder if we'll learn more about her next book. I bet we will if we get more of the twins and especially more con chapters. Well, quickly. Do you think that will. No, she did die. But I mean, like, more.

[Nicole]

When did she die? Die?

[Lexi]

Oh, she died. I believe it was when Veo. No, she died.

[Nicole]

It was childbirth.

[Lexi]

In childbirth. And then her dragon died five phases later. Do you think that we're gonna see the twins next book? Because, like, I feel like we will at least Tyros.

[Nicole]

I think we're gonna see Tyros, but I don't think we're gonna. I don't know about Caddock. I think we're gonna see.

[Lexi]

So mysterious.

[Nicole]

I know. So excited.

[Lexi]

I think we'll get him at the end.

[Nicole]

Caddock at the end or Tyruth at the end.

[Lexi]

I think Caddock at the end.

[Nicole]

I don't think we're getting Caddock at all. Okay, hold on. Hold. Hold your horses there.

[Lexi]

All right, so I think that we will be introduced to Caddock on the page in book two.

[Nicole]

Caddock will be on the page in book two. Nicole thinks no next favorite moment. The fact that the flowers that Khan's ma loved so much is what decorates him and Rave's old home is just really sweet. I love that Rave planning on leaving the Burn and then coming back with new towels. She would either love or hate Target. It's like the epitome, especially with her. Like, I'm crafty now. Like, my inner release. My inner crafty bitch. Like, she would spend all of her bloodstone at Target.

[Lexi]

I know we already mentioned this, but I just love how she's living life naked in the jungle, foraging and bathing in the waterfall. Like, good for you, girl. What a lovely life. And I really hope that she and Khan in the story, living their best lives in this home of theirs.

[Nicole]

I hope that's how this story ends is not tragically. I don't feel a lot of confidence that we're gonna get a happily ever after in this story, but I. You disagree? Okay. Have we read the same book?

[Lexi]

Have we read a book or a series that doesn't. I'm realizing I say this, I don't know how many complete series I've read.

[Nicole]

I don't think I've read a whole lot either. And maybe all I can think of

[Lexi]

is throwing a glass right now. Like, it's just hard for me to

[Nicole]

read complete because a happily ever after queen. I don't think Sarah A. Parker gives me happily ever. She gives me Shakespearean tragedy ending vibes.

[Lexi]

I think it'll be happily. I mean, not. Maybe not it'll be happily ever after in the way that Khan and Rave end up together, but they will have a lot of trauma to work through.

[Nicole]

I don't know if I agree and I don't know if I'm ready to make a bet on that yet, because we're only in book 2. I will make a bet for you with book 3.

[Lexi]

Fair enough.

[Nicole]

Rave saying to Pyrock loudly that she met a Woto while in prison for serial murder just kills me. And then everyone at the celebration is like, Rave telling Khan that she doesn't understand how he looks at her and he still wants her. And he says, quote, rave, you could flay me down the middle and I'd still fucking love you, dude. Maybe have a little bit of a boundary. But still, I love that so much for him. That's so sweet. I do also love his smack talk because during Scrippy, he says, quote, unless you were playing Scrippy with Slotra while you were balled up in the sky, I have at least an eon on you.

[Lexi]

I do love that. And then she goes and wins too, because she. I can only imagine how much she's been playing in, like, the Undercity and, like, what she's gotten up to, where it's like a no, I have to win this or I die.

[Nicole]

There's another reason she doesn't get caught by Caddock is because she's chilling in the underground city so much the way

[Lexi]

that Khan describes Rave and how she sings a blend of both Rain and Claude with him completely wrapped in her song. I just love how lyrical and beautiful all that descriptions were.

[Nicole]

Rave wonders if she raided a nest for an egg or if she inherited someone else's. Do we know if Slaughter had a previous writer?

[Lexi]

We don't know. No. But my guess is no. That's purely speculation, partly because the way that she was bonded with her. Yeah. And when Rave died, she went up and calcified as A moon, which would mean that her previous writer would have had to die and she stayed alive. And I just get this totally free spirit that she was in the south and was not expecting a child to come into her life the way she did. But she did. And now they were meant to be. All right, let's go through a few more rapid signal Acera. So we asked her if she can confirm if the late King Ostron's dragon is dead, whether he is or not. What happens to him? And Sarah said, I can't confirm this, but I can tell you that you will have the answer upon reading ballad. I love that. She's like, I'm not going to tell you, but you will get the answer soon.

[Nicole]

I do. I do love that as well. This also tells me, I think that his dragon's still alive. Maybe he's who get the ticks. He gets ticked. That'd be bad.

[Lexi]

I'm gonna say no. Okay, bet. I think King Osterin's dragon is dead. I don't think such a confident bet. That just was. But you all know what happened.

[Nicole]

That was very confident what happened.

[Lexi]

I never want a dragon to die, but if it was the bad dragon who was killing a lot of people, then it was. Yeah.

[Nicole]

Next signal is Sarah. We asked her, what type of dragons do Tyroth and Caddock have and what can you share about when slash, how they bonded? She said, says quote another non answer from me. You'll learn about Tyrot's dragon in book two, but you won't learn about Caddocks until book three. Huh. It's almost like Caddock's not going to be on the page until book three.

[Lexi]

I. That does make me very worried about Tyroth and the Shade and Veya.

[Nicole]

Yeah, that is worrisome.

[Lexi]

Oh, God, it's very worrisome. Okay, one more here to wrap up the episode. What type of rune boots did Grime have? And she said that it is to protect his boots against the really hot ground. And Gadra absolutely makes total sense there.

[Nicole]

I feel like if you just wore normal boots, they just stick to the ground because they'd get all sticky. So that. That makes a lot of sense. Absolutely.

[Lexi]

All right, everyone, thank you so much for tuning in to this episode six of our when the Moon Hatch Deep Dive. Nicole and I got feisty today.

[Nicole]

We did. That's fun. Next Monday, we are going through everything we need to know in prep for Ballad of Falling Dragons. We wanted to do this before the last episode so we all had plenty of time to study up and get ready for this beautiful next installment.

[Lexi]

And then the following Monday will be our final episode. Episode seven where we are covering chapter 76 through the end. We love to give the biggest one welcome, welcome, welcome to our newest Deep Diver. Thank you so much for being here.

[Nicole]

You get your own episode. Welcome, welcome, welcome. Grace W. Yay.

[Lexi]

And if you're like, hey, I want my name shouted on the podcast and be shouted with all this love too, join our Fan Club at fantasyfangirls.com Fan Club link is also in the show notes.

[Nicole]

Thank you as always to our Mind Weft AKA our content researcher Brooke and of course our executive producer, slash co host of the Fantasy fanfellas podcast, slash sanity manager Hated.

[Lexi]

We are also very active on social media with so much content with guides and games and freakouts of book news announcements. That's over. So much going on right now. So please be sure to follow us on Instagram and slash our TikTok at fantasy fangirlspod. And if you're watching this on YouTube or want to watch on YouTube loop, pretty please hit that subscribe button to keep following along.

[Nicole]

While you're hitting buttons, don't forget to hit that five star button on whatever podcasting platform you are listening on. And if you want to give us a little extra love, write a little love note in the review section. It is so helpful for not only this podcast, but for any podcast that you listen to. And last but certainly not least, share this episode with your fellow Moonfall friends. If you and your friend have a bottle where you know you would not let the other person be an asshole to a guy like Khan, this is a perfect episode to send to that bonded friend because they will know. They will understand.

[Lexi]

Yes. All right everyone, thank you so much. We'll see you next week. Bye bye bye.

[Nicole]

The great flirt.

[Lexi]

I think the R is on the flirt. Not the greatest. Our and this. I know this is recorded right now. Our producer, our executive producer and sanity manager just confessed that he has not watched how to Train youn Dragon. Get off right now and go watch it. It's absolutely gonna be on a Saturday.

[Nicole]

Yeah. This podcast is brought to you by Squarespace. I remember long, long ago when we first started, one of the best decisions we made was putting some real time and attention into our website. Websites are an essential part of any small business success. That's why we at Fantasy Fangirls are obsessed with Squarespace. I know I just made my author website with Squarespace and you know me

[Lexi]

with my marketing brain, I have very high standards for website tools and Squarespace delivers in every way. One thing I I especially love is their integrated Squarespace SEO tools. Every website is optimized to be indexed with meta descriptions, an auto generated sitemap and more. So you show up more often on search engines and bring in more of your ideal customers.

[Nicole]

We love to see it. Plus Squarespace's email campaigns give you all the tools you need to engage clients, promote your services and of course grow your business. There's all kinds of automations and email scheduling that take the mail mental load off, staying in touch with customers and most importantly, your community.

[Lexi]

Check out www.squarespace.com FFG to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FFG, You stopped

[Nicole]

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