Bait & Switch

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**Bait & Switch** is the forty-second episode of *The Dragon Prince*. It is the sixth chapter of the fifth book, "**Ocean**".

In search of seaworthy transportation, Rayla leads the way to an unsavory port town run by a cunning elf. Claudia takes a stand.

## Plot

Rayla leads Team Zym to a foggy dock on one of Xadia's eastern coasts. With Zubeia's absence, Rayla knows that the group will need a ship to help them sail to the Sea of the Castout if they wish to reach Aaravos's prison first. Rayla whistles to the fog, which signals a hooded ferryman to approach the dock. Stella uses her portal to give Rayla the coin required to pay the ferryman, who then allows Team Zym to hitch a ride on the boat. Rayla explains to the group that the place they are going to is an unsavory island town filled with shady crooks and outcasts, and that she visited the place during her search for Viren. As the town emerges from the fog, Rayla welcomes Team Zym to "Bright Hope Cove", though most prefer to call it "Scumport".

Team Zym disembarks from the ferryman's boat as Rayla encourages them to blend in so that they will not draw unwanted attention. Ezran reluctantly takes his crown off since royalties are a rare sight in Scumport. The group walks through the bustling streets that is filled with humans and elves, and Rayla prevents Soren from buying an Earthblood Elf vendor's oil since their priority is finding the proper ship captain for their voyage. Ezran catches the sight of a promising ship called *Sea Legs* before Rayla clarifies that it belongs to Finnegrin, the Tidebound Elf who rules over Scumport from his tower. Ezran decides to ask for Finnegrin's help alongside Callum and Bait while Rayla, Soren, Stella, and Zym keep on searching for a ship captain who intends to head south.

Claudia, Viren, Terry, and the Being are continuing their journey down the river before they spot a dragon flying overhead. Terry hides the raft beneath a tree by the shore when Claudia realizes that the dragon is the same one that has been stalking them for some time. Frustrated, Claudia begins to take the dragon's persistence personally.

Finnegrin's bodyguard Elmer tells Callum's group that no one sees his boss unannounced, but chooses to let Ezran in upon being introduced to Bait. Ezran introduces himself as the King of Katolis before he presents his crown to Finnegrin. Finnegrin laughs since the crown is made of steel before he explains that a person's social status does not matter so long as they offer him something valuable. He is willing to give one of his ships to Ezran if the young king agrees to relinquish Bait in return. When Ezran asks what Finnegrin wants with Bait, the Tidebound Elf elaborates his desire of using the Glow Toad in catching the largest leviathans in Xadia's seas that are worth a lot of gold. Ezran refuses to give Bait up, which prompts Finnegrin to offer a chest with contents that he claims to be three times more valuable than one Glow Toad.

Rayla is displeased that she and her group are unable to find a ship captain who agrees to take them to the Sea of the Castout. Shortly after she vented her frustration out, Soren walks in to inform her that he has found the perfect captain for their voyage. Rayla smiles when Soren describes the captain as a blind man with a pet parrot.

Claudia is searching the skies for the dragon as Terry rows the raft down the river. Just as Terry believes that dragon had given up, it ambushes the group from behind and shoots a jet of water that pushes the raft to shore before knocking it away from Claudia's group. Viren, Terry, and the Being take cover behind a rock when Claudia decides to confront the dragon herself.

Callum's group is surprised that the ship captain who agreed to take them to the Sea of the Castout is none other than their old friend Villads. Villads explains that he and Berto have expanded their trade to Xadia following the battle at the Storm Spire and that he intends to help Team Zym once his new first mate returns from the marketplace. However, Ezran refuses to leave Scumport since he plans to steal something that should not be in Finnegrin's possession.

Finnegrin is writing inside his office when Elmer walks in to present Soren, who is posing as a wealthy merchant named "Smort Longpocket". Soren persuades Finnegrin into leaving and locking his office, and the latter is unaware that Ezran is hiding behind a nearby pile of crates.

The dragon uses its tail to knock Claudia back and swat her staff from her hands. Claudia responds by casting a dark magic spell to absorb and redirect the dragon's water blast before she traps it in an ice sculpture shaped like a grasping hand.

Soren, Finnegrin, and Elmer are walking through the Scumport's marketplace before Callum and Villads create chaos by unleashing a swarm of Smoke Bees from the barrel they are pretending to fight over. The resulting cloud of smoke allows Rayla and Stella to steal Finnegrin's keys right as the Tidebound Elf chooses to return to his office. Rayla then gives the keys to Zym who then flies it to Ezran. Upon retrieving the chest, Ezran and Zym escape through a window, with the former using his crown to slide down a rope that stretches down from the top of the tower to the marketplace far below.

Claudia taunts the trapped dragon for not expecting humans to fight back and intends to murder it slowly. But before she can deliver the killing blow, Terry convinces her to stand down since the dragon has admitted defeat. Claudia complies with Terry's words and decides to free the dragon since it now fears her. The frightened dragon flies away, which allows Claudia and her group to resume their journey to the Sea of the Castout with the Being guiding the catatonic Viren by holding his hand.

Ezran and Zym board *The Ruthless* and commands Villads to depart from Scumport alongside the rest of Team Zym. Ezran opens the chest and reveals that they have rescued three baby Glow Toads from Finnegrin. When Callum realizes that they might have left Villads's new first mate behind, the captain assures them that she will catch up. Not long after, a winged female Skywing Elf soars down and lands on the deck of *The Ruthless*, causing Callum, Rayla, and Zym to realize that Villads's new first mate is none other than Nyx. Nyx introduces herself to the rest of Team Zym when Finnegrin manages to spot all of them with his spyglass.

## Characters and Cast

* Callum (Jack De Sena)
* Rayla (Paula Burrows)
* Ezran (Sasha Rojen)
* Bait
* Stella
* Azymondias
* Soren (Jesse Inocalla)
* Viren
* Claudia (Racquel Belmonte)
* Terry (Benjamin Callins)
* The Being
* Finnegrin (Tariq Leslie)
* Elmer (Dave Ward)
* Villads (Peter Kelamis)
* Berto (Paula Burrows)
* Nyx
* Sneezles
* Hat
* Jellybug
* *Sea Legs*

## Spells

Dark Magic

* Dloh dna erans, eci fo walc *(Claw of ice, snare and hold)*

## Trivia

* The story of how Rayla and Stella visited Scumport is detailed in the side story "Chasing Shadows" - Parts One, Two, and Three.