Ghost

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**Ghost** is the twenty-first episode of *The Dragon Prince* and the third chapter of the third book, "**Sun**".

Rayla returns home to an alarming discovery, the Sunfire Elves decide Amaya's fate, and Claudia confronts her father.

## Plot

Nearing Rayla's home, the Silvergrove, she warns Callum that the Moonshadow Elves may not react in kind to human presence. To counter this outcome, Callum creates a crude disguise of an Earthblood Elf and imitates a bad accent, much to Rayla's embarrassment.

In Katolis, Prince Kasef is once again summoned to the throne room by King Ezran. In an attempt to convince Kasef that peace is a possibility, Ezran reveals to him that Azymondias, the Dragon Prince, is still alive and that, because of this, the initial reason for the war is nullified. He explains that Callum and Rayla are currently returning the prince to the Dragon Queen Zubeia, who will likely have a change of heart upon seeing her son alive and well. However, Kasef turns down Ezran's proposition, calling him out for being a naive kid, before storming out of the building. As Kasef prepares to leave the castle a member of the High Council, Saleer, suddenly approaches him to request a private discussion.

Inside the city of Lux Aurea, Janai has summoned the language interpreter Kazi to her side after learning that Amaya uses a form of sign language to communicate. Kazi assumes that the variation used may be Katolis sign language, but reassures their superior that they can translate for her. The two proceed to the city's prison in which Amaya is being kept: a platform surrounded by a fiery veil that Janai steps through before she welcomes the human general as a prisoner to Lux Aurea.

Once at the Silvergrove's edge, Callum only spots an empty meadow before Rayla reveals that her entire village concealed by a spell and that the only way to access it is to perform a ritual that can lift the veil. The two perform the dance required to enter her home while Azymondias darts around their feet, and the Silvergrove reveals itself before them. Excited and eager to show him around, Rayla pulls Callum in, offering him some of their famous Moonberry Surprise. However, Callum quickly notices something off about the place, pointing out the lack of faces on the residents. To her horror, Rayla realizes that she has been turned into a ghost.

Meanwhile in the dungeons of Katolis, Aaravos's caterpillar calls a miserable Viren to compose himself as he knows Soren and Claudia will be visiting his cell soon. When a Sunray Monarch descends into his cell, Viren absorbs its magic to replenish his corrupted appearance. Once at his cell, Claudia asks her father for the reason for his imprisonment, to which he confesses that he went against Katolis's laws to summon the Pentarchy. Claudia then reveals that they failed their mission to secure the egg as it had already hatched, and that it almost cost Soren his life, to which Viren furiously lashes out that Soren's life would not matter as long as the Dragon Prince was recaptured. Realizing his mistake, Viren calms himself and explains that he would surrender his own life for the egg, claiming all his actions are for the benefit of humanity. On that cue, Claudia calls her father out on telling Soren to kill the princes.

Frustrated with the realization that she is a ghost, Rayla explains to Callum that the Moonshadow Elves have essentially banished her, just like her parents after abandoning their duty. Encouraged by Callum's reassurance that she has done nothing wrong, Rayla leads Callum to the home of Ethari, Runaan's husband, who took care of her while her parents served their duty with the Dragonguard, believing that he would understand. However, much to her shock, Ethari appears to have ghosted her as well.

Back inside the fire prison, Janai uncuffs Amaya so she can respond to her interrogation. But to Janai's frustration, Amaya remains silent and only replies an insult which Kazi only nervously interprets back to her. Having enough, Janai wonders if Amaya would still be up for joking when facing the judgement of the Sunfire Queen, Khessa. After leading Amaya to the throne, Janai explains the refusal to cooperate with the interrogation to Queen Khessa. Taking one good look at Amaya and being spit at, Khessa orders to have the prisoner executed.

Not wanting to give up so easily, Callum tries to get Ethari's attention for Rayla so she would have a chance to explain herself. Upon lifting the blade he is currently working on to eye height, Ethari sees Rayla inside the weapon's reflection and finally acknowledges her presence. Despite being unable to hear her, Ethari recalls that he had already known Rayla had not been ready for their mission, blaming her for the demise of Ram, Skor, Callisto, Andromeda, and most importantly, Runaan. Ethari leaves the room and Rayla rushes out of the building in tears.

Confronted by his daughter, Viren twists his own words while pretending that Soren had simply been too dense to understand that he had really meant to save the princes. Despite Soren's adamant defense of what he knew to have been told, Viren convinces Claudia that Soren had interpreted his words in the worst way possible and causes her to side with her father. As the two leave, Saleer bribes the guards for a secret visit with Viren, bringing Prince Kasef along as they conspire in a plot to overthrow Ezran's rule.

After she had rushed out, Callum finds Rayla sitting at the lotus pool of the Silvergrove, where she explains that she has finally understood that she was the only one to return from the mission. She explains that before the mission, Ethari enchanted a metal lotus for each of the assassins, which were then placed inside the lotus pool. As long as they were alive, the lotuses would stay afloat, confirming the death of Rayla's companions as only her own lotus has been kept afloat. Inevitably, this also led to concluding that she had abandoned her mission. Moments later, Ethari approaches her again.

Janai objects her sister's decision to execute Amaya, respecting her warrior's honor during combat and having been treated with respect all the same. Amused, Khessa compromises by having the "Light" decide over Amaya's fate. Pharos, the Sunfire High Priest of the palace, brings his staff to her face, where its light increasingly brightens in intensity. Janai instructs Amaya not to look away if she wants to live, and despite suffering a burning pain in her eyes, she endures the judgement. With the Light discovering a pure heart inside of Amaya, Khessa is forced to allow Janai continued custody of Amaya, telling her to enjoy her new pet.

Ethari allows Rayla to temporarily break the spell keeping them apart, so that he can finally learn the truth. Rayla ruefully admits to having failed her teammates, but introduces Azymondias to Ethari and encourages the possibility for peace. While grateful, Ethari sadly informs Rayla that they need to hasten their travel as Zubeia has fallen ill after the loss of her mate and son. He offers the two his and Runaan's Shadowpaw and Moonstrider, allowing them faster travel. Before leaving, Rayla asks Ethari if she could ever return home, which Ethari is not certain of. He hands her his Moon Opal necklace that matched Runaan's before the ghosting spell takes a hold of him again. Ethari takes a glance at Rayla's still floating metal lotus before returning to his home, unaware that Runaan's glowing lotus hovers half afloat in the depths of the pool. Retrieving a white Shadowhawk arrow he had crafted, he sends a message of life to Zubeia, hoping to balance out the message of death attached to the last letter ever received from Runaan.

## Characters and Cast

* Callum (Jack De Sena)
* Rayla (Paula Burrows)
* Ezran (Sasha Rojen)
* Bait
* Azymondias
* Viren (Jason Simpson)
* Claudia (Racquel Belmonte)
* Soren (Jesse Inocalla)
* Aaravos (Erik Todd Dellums)
* Kasef (Vincent Tong)
* Runaan (Jonathan Holmes)
* Ethari (Vincent Gale)
* Moonshadow Elf Assassins
* Saleer (Jonathan Holmes)
* Corvus
* Opeli
* Amaya
* Janai (Rena Anakwe)
* Kazi (Ashleica Edmond)
* Khessa (Brenda Crichlow)
* Pharos

## Trivia

* Callum says "high four" instead of "high five" while pretending to be an Earthblood Elf, referring to the fact that elves only have four fingers.
* The ritual needed to enter the Silvergrove was designed by cinematic animator TheSigularity and animator Zakiah Grant. To shoot a reference, the two replicated the steps on the concrete outside of the studio, but faced struggles as their shoes were too stiff to take the steps properly.

#### Credits

* The credit scene of Pharos's staff being shown foreshadows it being stolen by Aaravos and Viren in "Hearts of Cinder".