Book One: Moon (Novel)

**Book One: Moon (The Dragon Prince #1)** is a core novel that elaborates on the events in season one of the animated series, with deeper characterizations and expanded plot lines. It is available for purchase as a paperback, as well as Kindle file. An unabridged audiobook edition through Amazon's Audible service has also been released. The audiobook version of the novel is voiced by Adrian Petriw, who voices Gren in the Netflix series. The book's story is continued in Book Two: Sky (Novel).

The book contains several points of view from different characters, as well as a new map of Xadia.

## Publisher's description

**With their world on the brink of war, three young heroes from opposite sides of the conflict embark on a dangerous quest that could change everything. This beautiful book expands on the events of the hit Netflix show *The Dragon Prince*.**

Moonshadow Elf assassin Rayla has bound herself to a mission: kill the human king Harrow and the young prince Ezran. But before she can complete her task, Rayla witnesses Ezran and his brother, Callum, make an astonishing discovery: The dragon egg the world thought was destroyed is in fact intact.

This is their chance -- if Rayla, Callum, and Ezran can return the egg of the Dragon Prince to its mother in the magical land of Xadia, peace could be restored.

Their journey will be dangerous. The trio must fight off menacing beasts and the evil mage Viren, who wants to use the egg for dark magic. But Rayla, Callum, and Ezran soon learn that the most serious threat to their quest can't be fought with magic or physical strength. If there's hope for restoring peace, they'll first have to overcome the long-standing hatred between humans and elves.

## Summary

### Prologue

Long ago, Xadia was a land rich with magic, which came from the six Primal Sources: The Sun, The Moon, The Stars, The Earth, The Sky, and The Ocean. Each creature was born connected to a source, from the great dragons to the smallest insects. The only exceptions were humans, who were born without a magic source and struggled to survive, perishing from starvation and fights for scarce resources.

In this world existed unicorns, selfless creatures who pitied the humans and wished to help them. While the elves warned the unicorns not to be foolish to blindly trust in kindness, the gentle creatures bestowed the ways of magic onto humans, gifting a few wise of them with powerful orbs called Primal Stones. Using these magical stones, alongside ancient words used by dragons, they could release primal energy as spells. Finally able to cast magic, humanity took care of their ill and poor and fed the hungry. As they thrived, humanity learned about the world, stars, and arts, creating songs and poetry.

However, while many humans were good, some were not. One mage discovered a swift and facile to use magic, which was also dangerous, using the essence of magical creatures to unleash incredible power: Dark magic. Dark mages and their followers began to hunt and poach magical creatures throughout Xadia, including many different components of their bodies. The most sought-after became the horn of the unicorn, leading to the extinction of the creature as a whole. Disgusted and outraged by what they saw, the elves and dragons agreed that humans had to be annihilated.

However, at the last moment, the daughter of the elven leader proposed a merciful compromise, asking for humans to be allowed to settle in the western parts of the continent. The Dragon Queen, Luna Tenebris, rendered a judgment both kind and cruel - for humans to be cast out, yet spared. And so the continent was divided into two.

#### Moon

A tale of a tribe is told, who worshiped the Great Moon, a beautiful silver disc in the sky, but had to discover one day that it had been stolen. As a result, a war party traveled to the village of a neighboring tribe who they mistrusted, but the village's leader corrected the disc to be a silver leaf instead of a silver disc. Neither of the leaders trusted each other and declared war, costing the lives of many people. During a night in which the moon had entirely vanished and left everyone frightened, a child spoke up. It stated that everyone lived under the same moon and finally the tribes ceased fighting, making the moon smile.

### Chapter One - Echoes of Thunder

During a rainy night at the castle of Katolis, an eight-year-old Ezran is settled inside his bed while his loyal companion Bait sleeps beside him, emitting a bright glow in between the soft light of the candles lit inside the dark room. When there is a knock on the door, King Harrow asks if he may enter, to which Ezran responds that he does not have to ask for permission, but Harrow insists that dads do. Harrow sits on the edge of his son's bed and asks him if he is feeling comfortable when Ezran responds that he is "comfy cozy", wishing for his father to sing him a lullaby that he had been singing to him every night since the death of his mother.

Baby yawns wide with a sleepy sigh.
The Sky fills up with Stars that blink.
Baby's eyelids start to sink.
The Ocean kisses the Earth good night.
The waves say hushhh... little babe, sleep tight."

Ezran expresses that he still loves the song, despite it being for kids, and asks if Harrow would still sing it for him once he would be grown up. Harrow reassures him that he will watch over him even when he is a king and kisses his forehead, before wishing his son a good night. As he leaves, he wishes the same to his stepson, Callum, who had listened by an easel in the connecting room, still sketching images. Callum responds an awkward "Night!", not sure how to properly appreciate the gesture, as King Harrow is not his real father. Harrow leaves without another word while Callum continues sketching, able to perfectly draw something in detail if he had seen it for an instant. However, he prefers imagination, drawing a creature part giraffe and part alligator, dubbing it "Girrafigator". When a thunderclap startles both brothers, Callum reassures Ezran that he has nothing to be scared of. Ezran pretends not to be scared and suggests that Bait is the frightened one, which is not appreciated by the Glow Toad, as he believes himself to be one of the braver examples of his kind.

Inside the forest, a human soldier is on high alert as he scans his surroundings. Rayla, a Moonshadow Elf assassin awaits a signal from her leader Runaan, yet faces an inner struggle as she hopes the soldier would walk past her and her companions. Unfortunately the human shouts out for the enemy to reveal themselves. When a flash of lightning finally reveals their presence, the human shoots an arrow at the elves before running away. After Runaan signals with a nod to follow him, Rayla wonders if the signal was meant for her, finally acting on her duty upon realizing that she had been chosen. After several minutes of chase, the elf finally catches up with the human and blocks his path, then delivers a swift kick to his chest, which sends him down into a river of mud. With the enemy at her mercy, Rayla holds his blades to his throat, trying her hardest to convince herself to strike. However, when his face illuminates in a flash of lightning, his fear and sadness throw Rayla off and she loosens her grip. This hesitation allows the human to flee, leaving Rayla to wonder how she could be so weak.
### Chapter Two - Old Secrets and New Secrets

Even though the storm has passed, another one is brewing. In the castle, High Mage Viren stands inside a room, trying to solve the mystery of the magic mirror in front of him, believing if he solved it, he would use it to protect him, his family, and the kingdom. But despite having the mirror for months he finds himself not having discovered anything, not even through the books on magic on his desk. At first, he believes it to be an ordinary mirror but Viren begrudgingly accepts that, if it was an ordinary mirror, it would not have been stored in the Dragon King's lair where he slept, and it would not have taken his interest the way it had.
He is eventually interrupted by the soldier returning from his patrol, who, after progressing the shock, informs him that he has spotted a group of Moonshadow Elf assassins inside the forest. But Viren views the young man's report as ludicrous, aware that Moonshadow Elves were nothing but bloodthirsty monsters and wouldn't think twice about sparing their target. Even though the soldier agrees he said he could feel some sort of connection with the elf, Viren silences him, suggesting that he should talk to his supervisor about having a good scare, and continues to deny the existence of elves in the forest, then slams the door shut. Viren believes elves to be a constant threat, unable to get over the death of the Dragon King, causing him to doubt if killing the noble dragon had been a mistake, but feels that he had no choice. He begins to wonder if the soldier had been right and Moonshadow Elves were near, finding it to be likely that they were sent by the Dragon Queen, who would want to avenge her mate by killing King Harrow. After studying various books and charts, Viren realizes that a full moon was near and knew the legends of the Moonshadow Elves, where they would be unstoppable during such a night. He decides to inform King Harrow of the development as he puts a cloth over the mirror.

While climbing the staircase to King Harrow's chambers, he ponders possible strategies to stop the attack, before approaching the door to the room. Despite being informed that the king has not yet risen, Viren forces his way inside, where a disgruntled Harrow wakes up to him entering. Although he jokes to have him executed, Viren's expression tells Harrow that something serious had happened.

While Rayla returns to camp, she thinks about how she does not want to disappoint Runaan, who had put much effort and struggle into training her. She knows the other elves would mock him for the disappointment she has brought over him and wonders if she was possibly exaggerating. Upon coming across a berry bush, she uses the berries' juice to cover her swords and prevent suspicions by faking stains of blood. Rayla finally passes her mentor, who happens to see her sword and praises her. As she sits down, Rayla feels nothing but the guilt of deception in her stomach as she begins to clean her blades.
### Chapter Three - The Last Normal Morning

Callum is drawing in his sketchbook at the castle’s courtyard when Soren arrives to teach him swordfighting. Soren easily parries every one of Callum’s movements until Soren’s sister Claudia walks into the courtyard while reading a book. Soren knows that Callum has a crush on Claudia and pretends to be stabbed in order gain her attention. Claudia then reveals her father’s Sky Primal Stone to Callum before explaining its magical properties by blowing a gust of wind at him. A guard then interrupts the conversation to tell Callum that King Harrow wishes to see him.
Within the castle’s bakery, Ezran and Bait sneak into Barius’s kitchen and are able to steal some jelly tarts from the cantankerous baker.

Callum, Ezran, and Bait enter the throne room where Harrow is waiting for them. Harrow announces to his sons that they are going on a trip to the Banther Lodge, which confuses the brothers since the lodge was built for winter recreations. Harrow then tells them both to pack their things so they can leave before sundown. Upon reaching the courtyard, Callum eavesdrops on Harrow’s conversation with the High Council and learns that Moonshadow Elves are coming to assassinate his stepfather.
### Chapter Four - No Turning Back

At the Moonshadow Elf camp, Runaan, Rayla, and the other assassins recite their oath to avenge the King of the Dragons and his unhatched son when the moon is at its highest before they utilize their bindings. Runaan then plans to send a blood-ribbon message to the Queen of the Dragons to signal the completion of their mission. Rayla is anxious about lying to Runaan before she spots a Moon Moth fluttering towards her group. The alarmed Runaan realizes that the humans are using the moth to track them down, so he uses his Moon Opal to disguise his group into trees. When the Crownguard leaves the area, Runaan scolds Rayla for lying to him about her first kill. The other elves encourage Runaan to kill Rayla for her hesitance, but he instead scares her away with a roar.
Rayla manages to escape the other assassins and blames herself for her failure. When she gazes upon the castle, Rayla decides to fix the problem by killing King Harrow and Prince Ezran herself.
### Chapter Five - The Letter and the Serpent

Callum is mortified about the impending assassination on Harrow, but he tells himself to be brave for his family. He wishes to check on Ezran, only to find his room empty and his traveling bag lying on the floor. A guard then arrives to tell Callum that King Harrow wishes to see him again.
Callum meets Harrow in the throne room as the latter hands him a sealed letter. Callum reveals to Harrow that he heard everything as Harrow speaks to Callum about the uncertainty and horrors of war. He admits that he has made terrible decisions as the King of Katolis, along with many regrets. Although Harrow admires Callum’s optimism and stance for peace, he is adamant that there is no turning back from what was already done. As Harrow tells Callum to take care of Ezran, the two shares a loving embrace. Viren then enters the throne room and proposes a creative solution after Callum leaves. Viren suggests that Harrow swaps his soul with another person with the aid of a two-headed Soulfang Serpent and dark magic. Harrow refuses to live as a coward and decides to die as a a king and for the crimes he committed to Xadia. He understands that dark magic is a shortcut and has been the root to all of their problems. He then chastises Viren for angering the dragons and the elves since he is categorically responsible for the deaths of their king and prince. When Harrow asks Viren if he is willing to trade his life, the mage stutters at the question before he is ordered to leave.
### Chapter Six - The Assassin’s Edge

Callum intends to find Ezran and coax him to go to the Banther Lodge before the assassins could enter the castle when Rayla confronts him. Callum calls out the nearby guards in order to distract Rayla so he can ask Viren for help, but she quickly dispatches the guards and corners him in Viren’s office. When Rayla reveals her mission to kill King Harrow and Prince Ezran, Callum makes her believe that he is Prince Ezran to protect his brother. However, Ezran and Bait appears from behind a painting, which angers Rayla for being lied to. Ezran then has Bait shines a brilliant light that temporarily blinds Rayla, allowing Callum to escape through the secret passage.
### Chapter Seven - Change of Soul

When Viren returns to his office with Claudia, he explains to her that Harrow refused to switch souls with another person and reminisces how the king used to approve dark magic. Viren decides to convince Harrow one last time as he bids Claudia farewell. Claudia then grabs a sealed letter that originated from the nearby painting and decides to walk down the secret passage.
Callum and Ezran runs through the secret passage with Rayla tailing them. Ezran manages to lead Callum through a secret door, but Rayla catches up to them after figuring out the door’s stone puzzle. As Rayla prepares to kill the brothers, Ezran senses something alive beneath a covered sheet. When the prince reveals it, everyone is astounded by what they find: the egg of the Dragon Prince.

As the sun sets on Katolis, King Harrow returns to his bedroom with the Crownguard’s escort.
### Chapter Eight - A Loud Mage

The discovery of the dragon egg gives hope to Rayla and the princes as Claudia confronts them. Claudia tries to persuade the princes to be by her side, but Callum and Ezran choose to be with Rayla by chaining Claudia’s hands and steal her Primal Stone. Claudia decides to use a nearby Shadowlife Candle to summon smoke wolves that chases the trio down.
The wolves corner Rayla and the princes as Callum remembers the spell Claudia used and dissipates the wolves with a powerful breath of wind by casting "Aspiro" with the Primal Stone.

Rayla asks Ezran to give her the egg so she can take it to the castle’s roof, but the princes are reluctant in trusting someone that tried to kill them fifteen minutes ago. Rayla then warns them about other elven assassins are about to infiltrate the castle and will not hesitate to kill them and take the egg for themselves. Ezran decides to take the egg to the roof with Rayla.
### Chapter Nine - Viren's Sacrifice

Viren enters the king's bedroom and finds Harrow with his pet Xadian Songbird Pip. Harrow wishes to go back to the old times when things were happier and simpler, but he knows that the time has come for him to pay the price, which will also results in leaving Callum and Ezran orphaned. When Viren tries to convince Harrow to switch his soul again, but Harrow is able to see through Viren’s words and arrogance, and decides to put the mage in his place by having him on his knees.
### Chapter Ten - Runaan's Mistake

Rayla stands alone on top of the battlements while listening for her mentor, as she is sure he has taken on his Moonshadow form by now, which would be available during a full moon and rendered an elf completely invisible. Knowing him to be present, she addresses Runaan and he responds by calling her name, then claims that she has defied him. Rayla begs him to call off the mission, claiming to have found the egg of the Dragon Prince, but Runaan judges the egg to be a trick and a lie constructed by the humans. This is when Callum suddenly steps out and confirms Rayla's claims, only to be met with hostility as Runaan prepares an arrow for him. Before he can shoot it, Ezran steps in and reveals the egg, stopping Runaan in his tracks. Despite Rayla's pleads to reconsider, Runaan reminds her that only fulfilling their mission would release them from the commitment they had sworn themselves to.
Despite the egg being alright, he states that Xadia still deserves revenge as humans had slain their king, then demands to hand the egg over to him. Rayla steps in front of him, however, and orders the two princes to take the egg. Callum hesitates long enough for Runaan to shoot an arrow at him, which is fortunately cut in midair by Rayla's blades before it can reach him. She urges them to flee again, then faces the furious Runaan while the moon appears behind a layer of clouds, turning both their bodies invisible. Both elves clash in combat and Runaan reminds Rayla that he will kill her, while Rayla tries her hardest to get through to him. When Runaan accuses Rayla of wanting to stall for time, she asks him to discuss that theory, but Runaan judges her as a traitor, comparing her to her parents. Rayla defends herself but fails to stop Runaan from jumping off into the courtyard. Despite not being killed, she feels as if he has attacked her where it hurts the most.
### Chapter Eleven - The Fellowship of the Egg

As Rayla battles Runaan, Callum tells Ezran and Bait to hide themselves and the egg in a wagon while he speaks to Harrow. Ezran insists Callum to refer Harrow as "Dad". Callum says he will think about it as he returns to the castle and tells Ezran to be as silent as a mouse, which prompts Ezran to tell Bait that he knows at least one mouse who can make a racket if he feels like it.
Callum approaches Harrow's chamber when he is intercepted by Soren and Viren. Callum calls Viren out for stealing the Dragon Prince's egg, but Viren orders the guards to restrain the prince. As Callum plans to alert Harrow with a scream, Viren steals the former's voice with the mummified paw of a Singing-Weasel that has been imbued with dark magic. Callum struggles to breathe as the Moonshadow Elf Assassins break into the castle. During the skirmish, Callum manages to regain his voice and cries out to Harrow as he accepts the king as his father, but the noise of the battle drowns his voice and Callum is forced to leave the castle and rejoin Ezran.

Ezran asks Callum if he spoke to their father, but Callum merely hugs his brother and shook his head. Soon after, Rayla returns to them and offers Callum her escort if he wishes to return to the castle. However, Callum chooses to return the Dragon Prince's egg to its mother in Xadia, and the others agree that they can attain peace in doing so. While fleeing from the castle, Ezran asks if their father will be okay, and Callum answers that their father has the finest guards in Katolis defending him. Rayla simply looks on with uncertainty.

On the balcony of the castle, the wounded Runaan notices one of his bindings has loosened and falls to the ground as it turns red. With his remaining strength, Runaan secures the blood-ribbon onto an arrow before he casts an incantation and fires the arrow to he night sky. The arrow transforms into a Shadowhawk and soars towards Xadia. Moments after Soren and several guards enters the balcony, Runaan drops his weapons and asks the humans to kill him. Just as Soren is about to comply to Runaan's wishes, Claudia interrupts and says that they can find more practical uses for the elf before telling the guards to tie him up.
### Chapter Twelve - A Sleepless Night

Rayla, Callum, Ezran, and Bait are traveling through the forest of Katolis until Rayla notices that one of her bindings has slipped off her right wrist and turns red. When Rayla sees the Shadowhawk flying above, she realizes that Harrow is dead. When Callum asks Rayla about what happened, she brushes the question aside and decides to rest for the night. In the late evening, Rayla recognizes the lullaby Ezran is humming, for it is the same lullaby that her mother used to sing to her when she was a young elf. Just then, Rayla notices that her other binding has slightly tightened its grip and she is unable to release it and hears a bell tolling in the distance that can only mean one thing: the citizens of Katolis had been informed about King Harrow's demise.
### Chapter Thirteen - Valley of Graves

The people of Katolis grieve the death of King Harrow as Viren leads the funeral procession to the Valley of Graves. Opeli, the High Cleric of Katolis derides Viren for not allowing the people to mourn King Harrow's death for seven sunsets. Viren replies that the people cannot wallow in despair during a time of crisis, but Opeli retorts by saying that tradition gives people time to gain comfort and closure. Claudia scolds Soren for yawning and gives him her "hot brown morning potion" to keep him awake. As King Harrow's casket is laid on the funeral platform, Viren relays to the mourners about Xadia's involvement in their king's death and orders the torchbearers to light the pyre. When Opeli interjects and asks about the Callum and Ezran's absence, Viren lies about the princes being assassinated as well. Opeli and the torchbearers refuse to light the pyre and extinguish their torches. Infuriated, Viren commands Claudia to light the pyre instead, and she does so by using the essence of an Emberback Spider. Viren says that they must mourn sevenfold during war, and that a coronation will be held on the next day.
### Chapter Fourteen - Sad Prince

As the sun rises, Callum wakes up with a grumbling stomach as Rayla searches for something to eat and eventually returns with a handful of moonberries. Callum then inspects the Primal Stone he took from Claudia as Rayla teaches him about the six Primal Sources of magic and that Primal Stones are incredibly rare. As Callum looks at the symbols of the Primal Sources Rayla drew for him, he realizes that he has seen them before in a cube at the Banther Lodge. This gives Callum the idea to retrieve the cube despite Rayla's hesitance. Ezran then wakes up and tells Callum about his weird dream that involves him eating the ears of a giant pink hippopotamus made of taffy as the group prepares to head for the Banther Lodge.
### Chapter Fifteen - Aunt Amaya

A couple of hours later, Ezran and Callum follow Rayla through the forest while being significantly more exhausted than her. After Ezran consistently whines about being hungry and thirsty, the elf offers him a vial containing red liquid, which is wrongfully perceived as blood and declined. Rayla questions if humans perceive elves as bloodthirsty monsters and Callum finally realizes that the liquid is moonberry juice. After getting compliments for the juice's taste, Rayla laughs about the wild fantasies their races had told about each other, just like she had been told that humans eat the flesh of animals, which neither of the princes corrects her on.
When they finally arrive at the Banther Lodge, Rayla hesitantly holds Callum back at first, not trusting the whole ordeal and suggest to retrieve the cube on her own. After receiving a drawn map from Callum, Rayla climbs up the lodge to enter while the princes wonder why no one had arrived at their supposed hideout if they had been expected to travel here. Just as they had said so, the sound of galloping horses echoes through the forest and the two princes storm inside the lodge to warn Rayla. The door would not budge, however, and the two turned around to face the group of soldiers that just arrived, discovering their leader to be their aunt Amaya. After being tightly embraced by their aunt, Amaya's sign language interpreter, Gren, rushes towards the three, as Amaya had been born deaf and he needs to see her hands. Amaya signs if the two are alright and Callum confirms them to be when suddenly she sees something and begins to grow suspicious. Despite Callum stating that he will try to find the key to the front door, Amaya proceeds to simply kick the doors down. She again states to believe that someone is inside the house and Callum loudly shouts that it must just be her human troops, leaving Amaya confused as shouting does not help against her deafness. As a distraction, Ezran jumps in and claims to have skipped breakfast, which Amaya could not ignore. After sending her nephews to the dining room, she pulls out several loaves of bread, which are unfortunately so stale that they could rival a weapon, yet just perfect to cook "Aunt Amaya’s Lost Bread". When remembering that Amaya had said to have received a letter from King Harrow, Callum searches for his own but finds it to be lost. Amaya prompts him to read the letter she had received instead and Callum reads about the attack of the Moonshadow Elves, which Amaya finds to be the worst. Callum notices that Harrow had called him his son and Amaya suggests the two go play while she prepares breakfast.

Half an hour later, the boys are in their bedroom and Ezran wishes to tell their aunt about Rayla and the egg. However, Callum reminds him that the toy he is playing with is a monstrous representation of an elf. Both agree that it may not be a good idea after all, then bolt down to eat when Gren calls out for them, passing Amaya in the hallway.

Meanwhile, Rayla has successfully avoided the human troops and enters the game room, where she finds a treasure chest that contains the cube. Before she can take it, she feels an attack from behind her and manages to dodge Amaya's shield just in time, but is eventually disarmed. Rayla runs with Amaya following her until the General stops and taunts her to attack. Rayla takes the bait and is pinned against the wall where Amaya prepares to take her out. But before she can do so, Gren enters and informs her that the princes have disappeared. Amaya deems this development to be more important and knocks Rayla out to keep her as a prisoner.
### Chapter Sixteen - A Monstrous Lie

Amaya and Gren interrogates Rayla in the lodge’s basement as they question how many elves are with her. When Rayla tells them that she is on her own, Amaya does not believe her and orders some of her soldiers to keep an eye on the elf. As the guards examine Rayla’s confiscated blades, Bait enters the room through a dumbwaiter and flashes a light that disorients the guards. This gives Rayla the opportunity to escape with Bait and the princes. An arrow barely misses Rayla as it cuts her braid and pins it to a tree. Just as the group reaches the river, Amaya and her soldiers have them surrounded. Rayla then pretends to hold the princes hostage and Amaya cannot risk in having her nephews hurt and decides to let them go. While journeying downriver, Rayla feels offended that Callum called her a monster during their hostage charade, since it would motivate the humans to hunt her down. She then gives Callum the cube as it glows whenever it is near a magical creature or an artifact that radiates primal energy.
Gren suggests in rescuing the princes from Rayla, but Amaya refuses since she believes that their presence could endanger her nephews’ lives. Amaya chooses to send her best tracker Corvus to follow Rayla and stay out of her sight while she and the others ride to Katolis Castle.
### Chapter Seventeen - Ritual and Coronation

At the second dawn since King Harrow's death, Viren stands in front of the magic mirror and examines the marks that time and dark magic had left on his face. Although he considers these changes to be only a cosmetic side effect, he has learned that others perceive them as terrifying. He opens a cabinet that contains a terrarium filled with Sunray Monarchs that he had captured near the Border to Xadia and has been breeding them ever since. He remembers the first time he had used the creatures to change his appearance when he hoped to be forgiven by his ex-wife Lissa. Though she told him that she did not fear him because of his looks, she feared him because he had saved their son's life by using dark magic. Viren shakes the memories off, then drains the life of a Sunray Monarch to restore a healthy look to his face.
Viren then makes his way to King Harrow's chambers, which are still destroyed from the assassin attack. Coronation clothes are lying nearby, while Claudia awaits her father at the balcony, asking him if he is sure about becoming the new king. Viren states that he has to accept this crown as a humble service when Claudia brings up the princes. Her father leaves no room to believe they had survived, yet she still suggests that Rayla had been different and they may still be alive. Viren continues to shut down any hope she expresses, then asks her to help him put on his new robes. When bystanders began to whisper, Viren demands to know what they are saying, when they point towards Harrow's bird Pip, who glares at the mage from his cage. He mocks the bird, asking if he deserves no song.

Finally, Viren steps onto the balcony where a large crowd has gathered. Opeli stands next to him with the crown in her hands and a cold expression on her face. Viren addresses the crowd and claims that Harrow would not have wanted his beloved kingdom to fall, thus proclaiming himself Lord Protector of Katolis. Although he kneels to receive his crown, Opeli does not lower it onto his head, and the two are finally disturbed by a call of Gren. As he returns with Amaya, he confirms that the princes have been spotted alive. Viren urges Opeli to finish the coronation, but she refuses, leaving him humiliated.
### Chapter Eighteen - A Shocking Turn

Rayla wakes up to find Callum examining the rune cube before closing her eyes again, only to be awakened again when Callum holds the glowing cube near her. Rayla then goes off on her own, telling the princes that she intends to find them some food. When she is far enough from them, Rayla intends to cut her binding off with her blade, which has somehow tightened its grip on her wrist. After a failed attempt in slicing it, Rayla hears Callum yelling for help and runs back to find him holding the Sky Primal Stone in one hand as the other crackles with electrical currents. Ezran explains that Callum attempts to copy the spell that Claudia used, but he does not know how to finish it. Rayla tells Callum that before mages release a spell, they must complete it with a phrase in Ancient Draconic. Callum admits that he interrupted Claudia before she could finish the spell and that he decides that the best thing to do is to throw the Primal Stone to Rayla, or at least gently toss it to her. Rayla advises Callum that it is a bad idea, but he does not listen and lobs the stone to Rayla, which releases him from the spell and gives Rayla an electrical jolt that makes her hair stand up. Rayla then suggests that they continue their journey to Xadia on foot, but Callum prefers to use the boat and follow the river. Rayla insists that they walk all the way to Xadia, but when Callum mocks her for being afraid of water, she relents and chooses the boat instead.
In the throne room of the Katolis Castle, Viren is having a meeting with Opeli, Amaya, and Gren. Amaya chastises Viren for letting Harrow die in his watch and believes that her brother-in-law’s death creates an opportunity for the mage to gain power. Viren denies this and claims that he is a selfless servant of Katolis who was willing to protect Harrow at all costs. Viren also comments on Harrow‘s pride cost him his own life and that his death is the catalyst to the tumultuous situation they are currently in. To show his humility, Viren offers the throne to Amaya and will support her to rule Katolis as Queen Regent. Amaya refuses and she assures him that until the princes return home, the throne stays empty. Viren throws his hands up in defeat and storms off the throne room.
### Chapter Nineteen - A Sweet Tooth and an Iron Fist

Amaya visits the Valley of Graves during her stay in Katolis, stopping in front of a monument that is located close to where Harrow's casket had been burned. The monument is a statue of the former queen and Amaya's sister, Sarai. She lights a ritual candle and knees before the monument, then begins signing heartfelt compliments and pride to have known her. As she wipes a tear from her cheek, she apologizes for failing Sarai, as she let her children slip away, but promises to make things right. Suddenly, Viren approaches and asks if he may light a candle, throwing Amaya off with his kindness, but she allows him to do so. The two reminisce of better times and how Sarai made a better person out of Harrow, describing her to be a woman with a sweet tooth and an iron fist. Viren continues by apologizing for their earlier argument, claiming to have been blinded by his love for Katolis, which Amaya accuses of being bull crap. They agree that the safety of the princes comes first, however, and Amaya wishes to send out a search party. As Viren worries about their post at the Breach, he suggests that the General must return to her soldiers while he gathers a suiting search party, with his children as its leaders. Amaya nominates Gren as the leader instead, much to the surprise and pleasure of the man. Viren has no choice but to agree.
### Chapter Twenty - The Rapids

Rayla clings to the deck of the boat, wondering how the princes could enjoy floating around, as she is already growing seasick. Bait, on the other hand, seems to enjoy the water but is picked up by a panicked Ezran who tells him not to play in the water. Callum uses this moment to tell Rayla that Bait got his name as a joke, seeing as Glow Toads are known to be used as delicious fishing baits. Callum then notices Rayla's struggle and begins to ask her five questions, beginning with the question of if magic is as amazing as everyone had told him. Rayla confirms it happily but quickly grows tired of the game when asked about her parents. After saying that they are dead, she refuses to answer any other question. When the current suddenly picks up, Rayla begs to pull the boat over, as she is scared of water, but before they can do so the boat tumbles down several small waterfalls. Finally having arrived at the bottom, Callum asks if the unintentional confrontation with her fear made it any better, but Rayla claims that she has never hated water more. They finally notice Bait missing, spotting him tumbling down the waterfall. The group stops the boat for Bait, who then froggy-paddles his way over just in time. Suddenly, the symbol of the Ocean begins to glow on the magic cube. At the same moment, something rams the boat, turning out to be a large river monster, which flips the boat over and throws the three towards the shore. However, the monster then heads straight for Bait, trying to eat him. Rayla, who was finally back on land, had to abandon her safety once more to rush to Bait's rescue. She leaps onto a log, then launches herself at the monster's mouth, able to collect Bait before it can eat him. Afterward, both of them are tossed into the water, where Rayla finds herself to be helpless at first, but finally finds the courage to re-emerge from the water and manages to get a hold on the creature by stabbing its leather thick skin with her blade.

When the monster is about to devour Rayla and Bait, Callum tells both to jump out of the surface before he uses the Primal Stone to electrocute the water, causing the creature to flee. After Rayla and Bait return to shore, Ezran thanks her for saving his companion, while Callum asks her about her inability to express her fear. Rayla reveals that Moonshadow Elves are not supposed to show fear and that her parents were members of the Dragonguard, an elite elven force sworn to protect the Dragon Prince. When humans killed the Dragon King, the entire Dragonguard fled, and Rayla felt ashamed of them. Initially, she ventured to Katolis on a quest for revenge, but upon seeing the egg, she changed it into a journey of redemption. Callum and Ezran agree to accompany her through and through as their boat drifts away. When Callum asks about the ribbon around Rayla's hand, she dismisses it as a simple decorative. Callum is not entirely convinced.

### Chapter Twenty-One - Wishes and Commands

Amaya's troops gather at the castle gates during the evening, preparing to return to the Breach. Amaya informs Gren and another officer that word about King Harrow's death has been sent to Corvus and that he would join them in a couple of days. Gren asks if Viren knows about Corvus' involvement in tracking the princes and Amaya assures him that he is not, asking him to remain quiet about it, as she expects Viren to betray them sooner or later. The two hug, just when Viren and Soren appear. Amaya demands to be informed as soon as the princes are found, then departs. Not a minute later, Soren tells Gren that there had been a change of plans and that he has been replaced as leader of the mission. Gren rejects the notion and demands clarification, so Viren invites him to speak somewhere quiet, around nine o'clock.
A couple of hours later, Viren descends into the dungeon, where Gren has been chained to one of the walls. Viren apologizes for being five minutes late and asks Gren to deliver his concerns. Gren lists his problems, as he was take off the mission and thrown into the dungeon, and Viren thanks him for the feedback. At this moment, Claudia rushes to her father and raises concern for their other prisoner. The two head to another prison cell, where Runaan has been chained down after being captured. Claudia mentions that he has been refusing to eat and Viren suggests to let him go hungry.
### Chapter Twenty-Two - The Tracker

While Callum and Ezran are asleep, Rayla tries to break the binding from her hand with no success. Her concentration is broken when she hears the sound of a snapping twig. Rayla finds the source of the sound from a rustling bush, which then reveals itself as a fawn. The young deer nuzzles and licks Rayla's hand, and the latter feels comforted about someone sensing her struggle. Seconds later, something spooks the deer away and Rayla turns around just as Corvus throws a net at her. Corvus claims that he has never trapped an elf before and remarks how Rayla makes it easier than it seems. Rayla manages to break free from the net and starts to battle Corvus. Corvus demands Callum and Ezran to be freed but Rayla refuses since the princes have become her friends. When Corvus reminds Rayla about how the princes might resent her for her involvement in their father's death, she grows furious and manages to send Corvus falling off a cliff. Corvus survives the fall and warns Rayla that she will not be so lucky next time. As Rayla returns to Callum and Ezran, she grows anxious about how her relationship can change when they find out about Harrow.
Ezran and Callum awaken from their sleep and find Rayla missing. Even though she did not take the Dragon Prince's egg in her absence, Callum is unsure if he and Ezran should trust her. Ezran responds by saying that he has grown fond of Rayla due to their mutual goal of achieving peace. However, Callum suspects that Rayla has not told them everything. The brothers then witnesses Rayla rushing back to the camp and urges them to start moving. Ezran believes that they should eat breakfast first, as evidenced by Bait's grumpier expression. However, Rayla does not have time to explain the situation and they must pack everything and continue their journey.
### Chapter Twenty-Three - Secret Missions

At Katolis Castle, Viren summons Soren to a private meeting at the battlements. Viren explains that he is sending Soren and Claudia on a secret mission to find Callum and Ezran, and Soren is confident that he will find and bring the princes home. But when Viren wants Soren to return with the idea that Callum and Ezran have died, Soren becomes confused. Viren then elaborates his vision of humanity reclaiming the magical lands of Xadia and he believes that if they are led by a child king, he will make weak decisions that will result in Xadia destroying all of humanity. Soren is still baffled about him bringing the news that Callum and Ezran perished, but Viren's tone makes it clear for him. Viren encourages Soren to stage an accident so that the princes have truly died and to not tell Claudia about it. Viren claims that there is no joy in his plan and that it will be a burden to take the throne of Katolis, but he assures Soren that the same throne will be passed down to him.
As Claudia waits in Viren's office, she decides to unearth the secrets of the magic mirror herself. After sprinkling blue dust on a dried lizard's tongue in a bowl, Claudia performs a revealing dark magic spell on the mirror, but the mirror shows no signs of change. Viren then enters the room and reveals to Claudia that he has cast eight different revealing spells on the mirror with the same results. When Claudia starts to think that it might be just an ordinary mirror, but Viren clarifies that the Dragon King and Queen kept the mirror close to where they would sleep, so it had to mean something to them. Claudia believes that they will uncover the mirror's mystery no matter what it takes. After Viren covers the mirror with a drape, he briefs Claudia on her secret mission to recover the Dragon Prince's egg at all costs. When Claudia asks about the possibility of an unlikely event during a mission, such as being attacked by Bumble-Scorps and that if she has to make a choice of saving Soren or the egg, Viren answers that she must choose the egg.
### Chapter Twenty-Four - The Megaburp of Doom

Rayla, Callum, Ezran, and Bait eventually reaches a valley that gives them the choice of taking a smooth trodden trail or the rugged snowy mountains. Callum wants to take the trail, but Rayla believes that they should trek through the mountains since it will decrease their chance of running into unwanted attention. Ezran supports Callum's choice since carrying the egg is already a burden, which leads to Rayla commenting on how they are not trusting her to carry it. Callum is uncertain to trust Rayla since she has not been honest about the binding on her wrist. After a staredown, Rayla decides to let the princes carry the egg and lead them through the mountains.
Claudia makes her way to the castle's courtyard as she remembers Viren's words about prioritizing the egg, even more so than the safety of her brother Soren. Claudia tries not to think about it and finds Soren eating a platter of jelly tarts on a bench. When Soren asks Claudia if their father said anything strange to her, Claudia concurs and asks if their father said anything strange to him as well. Soren denies the question and asks about the strange thing that their father said to her. Claudia nervously makes up a lie about walnuts being their father's favorite fruits, even though that walnuts are not even fruits before babbling about ice cream being his favorite vegetables, which causes her to laugh and snort at her own joke. Soren eventually gives in to Claudia's joke before preparing for their mission. When Claudia jokes about how Soren may or may not die, Soren interprets it as a praise and that his sister thought he might be immortal.

In the mountains, Callum, Ezran, and Bait struggles to keep with Rayla's pace before Rayla decides that it is time for them to rest and eat. Callum is startled to find that they have left their food behind and blames Rayla for rushing them and Rayla argues about not liking the idea in being blamed for Callum's mistake. Ezran despairs about running out of food, which gives Rayla the idea about sharing her moonberry juice. However, Rayla finds her bottle empty and questions the princes for stealing it. Callum and Ezran deny their involvement since they have never touched Rayla's things. Just then, Bait lets out a hiccup that makes him glow the same color as the moonberry juice, and Rayla accuses the Glow Toad as the moonberry juice thief. The group decides to move on in silence.

Hours later, the group walks onto a more treacherous path and Ezran starts to struggle in carrying the egg. Ezran asks Rayla to slow down, but the latter ignores his plea. Callum tells Rayla that she should at least give them time to rest after an arduous trek. When Rayla offers a simpler solution that involves her carrying the egg, Callum refuses. Rayla retorts by saying she could take the egg from the princes any time but she chooses not to. Callum sarcastically replies to Rayla that she has not threatened them and forced them to give her the egg like a real hero. Rayla yells back at him about the best way to stop the war is for Callum and Ezran, the humans, to be the ones to return the egg to the Dragon Queen. As Rayla and Callum becomes absorbed in their argument, Ezran notices that small fissures are forming in a wall of ice nearby. Ezran tries to warn Rayla and Callum but neither of them are paying him any attention. Eventually, Callum and Rayla listens to Ezran's pleas and decides to cease their argument. Just as the tense defused, Bait is unable to hold the moonberry juice back and lets out a thunderous burp that creates an avalanche.
### Chapter Twenty-Five - Sinking Hope

Ezran scoops Bait up as he, Callum, and Rayla start running. When Ezran slips, he grabs onto Rayla's left hand for balance and notices that her hand is turning purple. Rayla tells Ezran not to worry about her condition as the avalanche closes in on them. Callum then has an idea and tells Rayla, Ezran, and Bait to get behind him as he holds the Primal Stone and creates a barrier between them and the avalanche with his breath. Eventually, the avalanche simmers down just Callum start to run out of air. Although the four of them survives the ordeal, they realize that the egg has been swept away into a frozen clearing. Ezran manages to reach the egg as the ice beneath him starts to crack. Upon seeing this, Callum tells Ezran not to move as the group tries to distribute their weight evenly. Ezran eventually passes the egg to Callum, and Callum uses this moment to apologize to Rayla for being a jerk to her and to show his trust for her, he will hand the egg to her. Moved by his generosity, Rayla decides to tell the princes about her encounter with Corvus that forced her to rush their journey and reveals that the binding on her hand will only come off if Ezran dies. However, Rayla is prepared to pay the price and lose a hand for Ezran. Callum is grateful that Rayla chooses to tell the truth and insists that she focuses on taking the egg. But when Rayla is about to reveal Harrow's death, Callum shoves the egg to Rayla's arms. Rayla's injured hand forces her to let go and causes the egg to sink into the icy water. Shocked by the sight, Ezran immediately dives after the egg as Callum and Rayla are left to wait for him to resurface.
Ezran swims through the freezing water and after hallucinating about his mother, he manages to retrieve the egg. When he attempts to resurface, he is unable to find the hole he fell through and starts pounding the ice with his fist

For a few minutes, Callum and Rayla wait for Ezran to return with the egg. Just as they are beginning to lose hope, Rayla notices Ezran pounding the ice and uses her blades to bash a hole for him. Once Ezran is back on dry land, Callum and Rayla embrace him for his courage. However, Ezran notices that the egg's bright glow has dimmed to a flicker.
### Chapter Twenty-Six - The Dagger and the Doctor

By nightfall, the group takes shelter in a cave with Rayla placing the egg near the campfire to keep it warm. Ezran is unable to sleep due to the cold and his concern for the egg. Callum, however, is occupied in drawing his mother in his sketchbook, and he tells Ezran about the fear of losing him like how he lost their mother. Callum goes on about how Ezran manages to return with the egg is a sign that their mother is still watching over them. Rayla manages to find some moonberries for the group to fill their bellies and she supports Ezran's decision in finding help for the egg after they wake up the next morning.
By daylight, the group discovers a mountain village where they can find help, as well as a bunch of elf-hating humans. Rayla decides to disguise herself as a human with her cloak and does her best impression of human speech, much to Callum's annoyance. She also grabs a pair of gloves from a snowman to impersonate a fifth finger. The group then comes across a large crowd gathering near an old stone fountain as a mercenary named Tristan gloats about how he can defeat any challenger with only his dagger. Right on a cue, a massive warrior named Allen unsheathes a massive sword and boasts about it being not even his biggest weapon. Rayla becomes interested in the challenge when she realizes that Tristan is wielding a Sunforge dagger that makes a quick work on Allen's sword. Rayla tells Callum and Ezran that Sunforge blades are able to cut through anything, which leads to her believing that it can slice off her wrist binding. Callum agrees to the idea and decides to split the group in two: he and Ezran will find help for the egg while Rayla work on getting the binding off her wrist. When Ezran asks on how Rayla can get the dagger, Rayla responds by "asking nicely".

Callum and Ezran eventually find an animal doctor in the village. The princes are initially hesitant to tell the truth, but they decide to show the doctor the Dragon Prince's egg. Upon examining the egg, the doctor tells them that the dragonling inside is dying and there is nothing he can do. However, the doctor understands how much the egg means to Callum and Ezran, so he decides to tell them about a miracle that occurred a few years ago, along with the individuals who witnessed it.
### Chapter Twenty-Seven - Something Personal and Gross

Soren and Claudia arrive at the Banther Lodge with a pack of tracking hounds. Soren uses one of Callum's muddy training shirts for the hounds to track the princes, but Claudia prefers something smaller and not as disgusting. Soren eventually finds Rayla's braid that has been pinned onto a tree by an arrow, which gives Claudia the first ingredient for a tracking spell.
In the mountain village, Rayla finds and corners Tristan in an alleyway. Rayla manages to persuade Tristan to cut her binding off with his Sunforge dagger, but the heat of the blade forces her to tear off her glove and reveal her disguise. The terrified Tristan begs for mercy, but Rayla only takes the dagger and is unable to slice off the binding. Frustrated, Rayla gives the dagger back to Tristan.
### Chapter Twenty-Eight - Ellis and Ava

Callum and Ezran enters a cabin where they meet Ellis and her pet wolf Ava. When the princes ask Ellis about a "miracle healer", she tells them it began with her finding Ava as a pup two years ago. Ava's right front paw was caught in a hunter's trap and although Ellis managed to free her, the doctor had to amputate her leg. Although Ava recovered from her injury, Ellis's father wanted to put her down due to the lack of food. The saddened Ellis then took Ava to the Cursed Caldera, a place notorious for its monsters. Despite the blizzard and terrifying sights, Ellis and Ava found refuge in a hollow tree, and not long after, the miracle healer appears and gives Ava her fourth leg back as well as a moonstone collar. The story inspires Callum and Ezran to find the miracle healer as they inadvertently reveals the Dragon Prince's egg. Before Ellis can ask more questions, Callum and Ezran bid Ellis and Ava farewell before leaving the cabin.
Callum and Ezran eventually reunites with Rayla and tells her about the miracle healer in the Cursed Caldera. Suddenly, Tristan arrives leading an angry mob to chase Rayla and the princes out from the village. The group eventually escapes the mob by running to the Cursed Caldera where Ellis and Ava are waiting for them and are willing to help in finding the miracle healer.
### Chapter Twenty-Nine - The Cursed Caldera

Claudia leads Soren into a hidden cave in the middle of the forest where her parents used to take her from time to time. Claudia slips through the crevices with little to no effort whilst Soren is somewhat hindered by his physique and his armor. Soren comments how he disdains dark magic since it always involves something creepy and gross. They eventually enters a grotto that is filled with wisps as Claudia remarks if Soren still thinks dark magic is creepy and gross. Claudia captures some of the wisps and tells Soren that they have all the ingredients they need for the tracking spell and they must perform it on Mount Kalik, the tallest mountain in Katolis.
In the Cursed Caldera, Ellis and Ava introduce themselves to Rayla as Callum and Ezran tell Ellis how Rayla initially intended to kill them but they put their differences aside in order to return the egg of the Dragon Prince to Xadia. When Rayla asks Ellis how she and Ava found the miracle healer, Ellis corrected the elf that the miracle healer found them while they were hiding in a hollow tree near the rim. Ellis is positive that the miracle healer will save the egg and Rayla’s hand, but Rayla is not concerned about her hand since the egg matters more than ever. The group eventually reach a clearing halfway up the mountain as the sun sets on Katolis. Ellis then warns her newfound friends that the night is the time when the monsters of the Cursed Caldera comes out. Callum then comes up with a plan that might save them if they run into any monster in the caldera: Ezran will hold Bait up and have the Glow Toad flash a blinding light to disorient the monster, Ellis and Ava will run around in circles while making barking sounds to confuse the monster, Callum will use magic to blow away the monster, and Rayla will the monster down with her blades. Rayla suddenly realizes that during their encounter with Claudia, the latter was about to say the trigger word of the lightning spell, which is "Fulminis", instead of calling Callum a "fool". Upon hearing this, Callum revises his part of the plan into electrocuting the monster. As the group continues their journey into the Cursed Caldera, the excited Callum recites the steps of the plan.
### Chapter Thirty - Worse than Death

Back in Katolis, Viren carries a variety of Xadian delicacies down to the dungeons, despite having failed to convince his prisoner to eat. He returns to the chained Runaan and orders him to break his fast, as he would die if he would not eat. Runaan responds that he is already dead, but Viren jokes that he does not look dead, though his hand has seen better days, as it had almost turned black. Viren takes a bite of a Xadian orange while complementing the exotic variety of fruit, then offers it to Runaan. He is once again denied when offering the elf berry juice, causing him to give up trying. Viren cuts to the chase by explaining that he wants Runaan to identify his magic mirror in return for his freedom. When Runaan again states that he is already dead, Viren remembers the Moonshadow philosophy, which serves the purpose of killing off any fear death may bring. Viren excitedly claims to find something that would be worse than death and leaves, leaving Runaan to wonder what he could have meant.
The sun had by then set at the Cursed Caldera, the way for the group only illuminated by Bait's glow. Since no monsters had jumped at them yet, the group begins to wonder if they had taken a wrong turn or if the rumors had even been true, when Ellis suddenly scares Callum by stating that a monster had shown up behind him. Ava approaches the creature, which is already dead, and Ezran states that he has never seen anything like it, as it was a cross of lion and rodent the size of an elephant. Upon discovering a bite mark on it, they wonder what could have bitten the creature, when suddenly a giant leech emerges behind them. Remembering the plan, Bait lets out a flash to blind the enemy, yet blinds the group as well. Everyone scatters in an attempt to escape and Callum concludes that using lightning while blinded would not be smart. The agile leeches chase after them, but they manage to climb on rocks and branches to their safety. Disheartened, the group decides to wait out the monster settled at the bottom of their hideout, yet decides that their plan was still decent, despite having failed.

After a while, Viren returns to the dungeon with the mirror and orders Runaan to give him the information he seeks. To motivate him, the mage pulls out a sack of coins and dangles it before him, which makes Runaan think he wants to buy him out, which he mocks him for. After dumping out two coins, Viren urges him to take a closer look. Runaan's heart twists in pain when he sees the anguished faces captured on the surfaces of the coins, the faces of people he knew and loved, brave elves whose disappearances had made no sense to him. Runaan calls Viren a monster, but the mage only empathizes that he would better cooperate if he didn't wish to experience the same fate. Knowing what the mirror holds, Runaan congratulates Viren for finding something worse than death, yet refuses to elaborate, despite knowing his husband Ethari would miss him deeply. In return for his refusal, Runaan is faced with the cast of a dark magic spell, which slowly sucks his soul to be captured inside the coin.

In the nearby cell, Gren watched the purple glow emitting from the door with suspicion. When Viren finally steps out again, his eyes appear black and hollow, almost demonic to him. The high mage victoriously examines a new coin in his hand, staring at the elf leader's tortured face, now engraved on the golden coin.
### Chapter Thirty-One - Really Bad News

As Rayla, Ezran, and Bait are perched up on their tree, Ezran apologizes to Rayla for messing up their plan and Rayla empathizes with him because everybody messes up sometimes, or in her case, all the times. She says that she would be the one to mess up the plan if Bait successfully flashed his light. Ezran, however, praises Rayla for being awesome at everything. She agrees, but only right up to the moment when it really matters. Rayla opens up about hesitating, thinking too much, get confused about the right thing to do, and the next thing she knows, she failed. Rayla then tells Ezran the story of how she was ordered to kill Marcos after he spotted her and her group, and when she caught up to the guard, he looked up to her and was so afraid. The fear in his eyes prompted her to spare his life, but she did not know why she did it. Ezran replied that she felt for Marcos and it did not sound like a failure to the prince. Even though Marcos was her enemy, he never did anything wrong to her, and when she saw him being afraid, she knew that he was a person like herself. Rayla responded that it should not have mattered since she had a job to do and that letting Marcos escaped endangered the elves who trusted her and caused her mission to fail. Rayla says that she is an assassin who never killed anyone, and Ezran says that it is a good thing before he thanks her for not killing him. Rayla is also glad that Ezran is still alive and it is something worth losing a hand for, which he considers as the weirdest and nicest thing anyone has ever said to him. Rayla then jokes about how her left hand is her unlucky hand and that her luck might change if it falls off. Ezran responded by saying that she just made a funny and horrible joke.
Ellis tells Callum that she has never met a mage before and that he is not what she expected, for she tends to see mages as super smart tall people with long robes, wrinkles, and maybe even carrying weird amulets. When Ellis speaks about Callum being confident, it feels funny for him to hear somebody says that since he does not think of himself as confident. Ellis then tells Callum that he should be since has an incredible power, though Callum reveals to her that it is mostly because of the Primal Stone he possesses. Ellis corrects Callum that the Primal Stone needs him to perform its magic, for without him, it is just a glowing orb. Callum replies that without the stone, he is nothing, and that he is just a guy who can draw and make wry comments from time to time. Ellis is not convinced, for she believes that Callum is pretty amazing even without the Primal Stone. Callum compliments Ellis and Ava for being great too as Rayla calls out to them about the giant leech being possibly gone from the area. As the team regroups, Ezran, Rayla, and Callum talks about how taunting the leech and how irony might get the best of them. Within moments, the leech returns and resumes its attack. Callum motivates the others about executing their plan. Soon enough, everybody does their part well: Ezran and Bait temporarily disorients the leech with a flash of light, Ellis and Ava confuses it by circling around with barking noises, Callum electrocutes it with a bolt of lightning, and Rayla beheads it with a slash of her blade, killing it. Thousands of baby leeches then crawls out from the disembodied corpse and Callum blows them all away just as they start to climb up her body.
### Chapter Thirty-Two - Ezran’s Gift

The group finally arrives at the tree and gain a boost of energy through the hope they feel from seeing it. Just as they are ready to storm towards it, Ava whines, and Ezran translates that no miracle healer is awaiting them at the tree. When asked to explain himself, Ezran is hesitant at first, but then explains that he can communicate with animals. Callum mocks this statement, but Rayla is willing to listen. Ezran remembers always having been able to find a connection to animals, yet is continuously ridiculed by his brother, as he had believed him previously and the two had been tricked by a group of raccoons. While Ellis states to believe Ezran, she also believes in the healer, due to Ava being by her side, and the group decides to head to the rim to see for themselves.
### Chapter Thirty-Three - Jerkface

As the group continues their trek through the Cursed Caldera, Callum notices that the Moon symbol on the rune cube is starting to glow brighter. Rayla believes it to be glowing due to closing the distance to the the moon with every step they take towards the mountain's top. Just then, they hear an eerie noise that is starting to intimidate them. Rayla walks ahead to investigate and she eventually finds something wrapped inside a cocoon of webbed silk. When Rayla slices it open with her blade, the entire cocoon collapses and crumbles into dust, which is enough to make her retreat and reunite with the others. The group then comes across a forest littered with webbed silk before they are ambushed by a giant spider. Ezran notices that the spider does not sound like an actual spider and begins to scream at it to prove the others that he can understand animals. Callum apologizes for not believing Ezran and decides to perform the "jerkface dance" so that the latter can accept his apology. The group then moves on and leaves the fake spider behind.
Ellis and Ava manages to lead the group to the tree where they had met the miracle healer. After a brief wait, they witness something descending from the moon. Rayla manages to identify it as a Moon Phoenix. When she sees a figure dismounting the phoenix, she realizes that the miracle healer is, in fact, a moon mage.
### Chapter Thirty-Four - Wonderstorm

The moon mage introduces herself as Lujanne, the guardian of the Moon Nexus, and reveals that all of the monsters that the group encountered were merely illusions cast to frighten trespassers. Lujanne then elaborates how she "restored" Ava's missing leg by giving her an enchanted moonstone collar that creates an illusion of a fourth leg that everybody can see and feel, and that Ava never needed a fourth leg to be happy. Ezran then shows Lujanne the dying egg of the Dragon Prince, and the elf tells the group that they must hatch the egg in order to save it. But Lujanne solemnly informs them that is not possible to simply hatch the egg, as Sky Dragon eggs can only be hatched in the eye of a storm and the weather at the mountain is clear for miles. When all hope seems lost, Callum remembers that his Sky Primal Stone contains a storm and chooses to destroy it. A massive storm rages the mountain and the strong gusts of wind threaten to cause the egg to fall off a cliff, but Rayla manages to save it just in time. Moments later, the Dragon Prince hatches out from his egg. Ezran tells Bait to lick the dragonling's eyes open and learns that the Dragon Prince's name is Azymondias, before nicknaming him "Zym". Zym then curiously approaches Rayla and licks her constricted hand. Rayla assures the dragonling that the important thing is that he is safe and that one miracle is enough for her. However, Zym holds Rayla's binding with his teeth and rips it off her wrist, freeing her. The overjoyed Rayla then returns Zym's affectionate nuzzle with tears.
### Chapter Thirty-Five - Hope and Danger

At the peak of Mount Kalik, Claudia takes in the scenery before setting up her tracking spell. She unfurls a piece of parchment and places it down alongside a jar of faintly glimmering wisps, as well as a mortar and pestle, and Rayla's severed braid of hair. When Soren complaints about the temperature, Claudia jokingly offers him a magical blanket instead of a spell to find the princes, then ignites the hair using flint. While she chants a spell, purple energy drips from her hands and causes her eyes to glow, before the energy travels into the jar of wisps. Claudia then releases the charged wisps, which dash off into the night sky like meteors. The parchment meanwhile draws a map from Mount Kalik to the Cursed Caldera, marking the spot where they would find the princes.
Meanwhile, Team Zym sits in a circle while watching Azymondias learn to walk and play when they notice the purple lights in the sky. When the lights arrive at the mountaintop, they explode into fireworks, then smaller pieces that the group catches in playful delight. However, Lujanne does not join in on the fun, as she has a bad feeling about where the spell had originated from.

## Notable Differences

* The book opens with an additional prologue explaining the involvement of unicorns with humanity.
* Ezran is only eight years old at the beginning of the story instead of his canon ten years, which is due to certain character ages changing during development. Soren is only 17 in the novel.
* Amaya's hair is jet black in the book version.
* Instead of telling her to sit on a rock, Runaan scares Rayla away, as he would have to kill her for failing to kill Marcos.
* The shows' mentioned Gryphons are spelled as "Griffins" in the novel.
* Instead of meeting with just Amaya and Gren in the throne room, Viren meets with Opeli as well.
* The statue of a unicorn head was used by Ezran to close the opening to Viren's chambers after he, Callum, and Bait entered it, instead of a two-horned lever.
* Some scenes from Book One: Moon were left out of the novel.
* Viren wore coronation robes for his coronation instead of his typical clothes.

## Trivia

* All new events added are considered canon to the show's events, though certain notable differences are only variations. In order to add new scenes, the writers rewatched the show to see which scenes could be elaborated on.
* The book revealed the name of Soren and Claudia's mother as Lissa. She was the one who originally showed Claudia the wisp grotto near the Banther Lodge.
* The book revealed the name of the man who wields the Sunforge dagger as Tristan.
* The book revealed the name of the doctor's pet cat as Button Nose.
* The book reveals that Soren used to be a sickly kid and was once saved through the use of dark magic.
* The book reveals Amaya to be one of the greatest breakfast chefs her nephews know and had traveled the world, mastering breakfast tricks everywhere she had been, able to make muffins better than any baker in Duren and poach eggs with syrupy golden yolks like the farmers in Del Bar.
* The prologue is signed by "Aaravos of the First Elves", revealing him to have lived during the Era of the First Elves 5000 years ago.
* Runaan recognizes the faces inside the coins as "the faces of people he knew and loved, brave elves whose disappearances had made no sense to him", further strengthening the popular fan-theory of the captured elves being Tiadrin and Lain. This theory is eventually confirmed in "Escape from Umber Tor".
* Unicorns were one of the first additions planned for the novel. Originally, they were supposed to rival dragons, as they supported humans while dragons allied with the elves. The creators may go into depth about their story in Book Six.
* The elven daughter was confirmed to be important to the lore, though the writers are not sure to what extent her role will be elaborated on.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Scholastic Homebase chat
2. ↑ The Dragon Prince - Official Website
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Amazon.com
4. ↑ Amazon - *Book One: Moon* audiobook
5. ↑ WizardWorldVirtual Q&A
6. ↑ Novel Content
7. ↑ Aaron Ehasz on Twitter
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 CartoonUniverse Interview