02x05 - Breaking the Seal

[bunniefuu]

Ba

-bum.

Previously on The Dragon Prince So, the most important things, I've written down.

A letter? You'll understand in time.

I want you to break the seal when Well, you'll know when.

I have done terrible things.

I thought they were necessary.

Now, I don't know.

General Amaya reports that Elvin forces are gathering on the Xadian side of the Breach.

We must be prepared to fight, and we won't be able to fight them alone.

The other four kingdoms have agreed to a summit of the Pentarchy.

I will rally the kings and queens behind Katolis and finally destroy the Xadian thr*at! Halt! Dismount, disarm, and proceed alone to the meeting point.

- Welcome.

- How gracious.

You're the fourth to arrive.

May I say, on behalf of all of the kingdoms, we were deeply saddened to hear of King Harrow's passing.

Thank you, King Ahling.

That means a lot.

But we were reassured when we received the scroll informing us that you would be the regent of Katolis until Ezran comes of age.

It is humbling to be trusted with the boy's education and training, as well as decisions of state.

And speaking of regents, it seems we are only waiting on the regent of Duren? I apologize for my lateness.

Queen Aanya of Duren.

How you've grown.

Welcome.

Hmm.

We are here to discuss some rather weighty matters.

Will your regent be joining us soon? I speak for myself now, and for my people.

Yes, this is a very serious situation.

I intend no offense, but these issues require an adult perspective.

It seems I am a crown without an adult, and you're an adult without a crown.

Let's just begin.

Very well.

I called us here today because I am afraid.

Terrified.

After centuries of fighting amongst ourselves, the five human kingdoms finally found a balance, an era of peace.

But a new thr*at has arisen to challenge all of humanity a thr*at from Xadia.

On the night of the full moon, the Dragon Queen sent assassins Moonshadow elves over the border, and they m*rder*d King Harrow.

Now, Sunfire elves are gathering near the border.

An invasion is imminent.

Even worse, there are reports of shadows in the clouds.

Dragons.

Flying high above the towns of Katolis.

When I close my eyes, I see fire raining down, death and destruction everywhere.

It won't stop in Katolis.

They will spread their wrath to all the human kingdoms soon enough.

The time to stop Xadia is now.

We must stand together to protect our common humanity.

I call on you to join me, to join Katolis.

Fight beside each other to drive back this thr*at.

Ugh.

Ah, yes, the smell of land.



- Sweet, sweet land.



- Whoo

-hoo! Let him finish.

The faint, distant smell of land, that is.

There it is.

About a full day of sailing ahead until we reach the shore.

Well, Zym, want to go count clouds again? Or we could nap.

Lord Viren, the people of Neolandia understand the common humanity that binds us.

If the other kingdoms agree to act in unity, we will commit to this alliance.

Yes.

In unity, you will have our support, as well.

King Florian? If we are unanimous, then the kingdom of Del Bar will join.

Queen Aanya, what say you? I am undecided.

"Undecided"? Yes.

It means I've yet to make up my mind.

This is why we need an adult.

A leader who can make strong choices for their kingdom.

Everyone else here was capable of making a decision.

I won't send my armies to face unknown danger based on a two

-minute speech.

I may be a child, but apparently, I'm the least impulsive of us all.

Besides, I hardly call "we'll do what everyone else does" a decision.

Well, she's got a fair point.

Perhaps, I was rash in my words.

I apologize.

You are a young queen, but evidently far wiser than your years.

As a child ruler, I have had to survive adults trying to usurp my throne, coups, conspiracies and assassinations.

But sometimes, it's not the hard threats, but the soft threats that are the worst.

Sweet words can be more dangerous than hidden daggers.

My 19

-year

-old doesn't know half the words you just said.

And he still fights back about eating his vegetables.

Queen Aanya, would you allow me to share a story with you? A story of a time when our kingdoms worked together to achieve something miraculous.

Nine years ago, my oldest friend, Prince Harrow, became the king of Katolis.

I remember the coronation as if it were only yesterday.

Whoo! I want to make a difference, Sarai.

You will.

You'll be a champion of love and justice.

And I'll be fighting by your side.

He was a beautiful young king with a beautiful family, and it was a time of hope in Katolis.

Are we done yet? It looks pretty done to me.

Yes.

It's beautiful.

An excellent likeness.

You can all move now.

No, hold on, you're not free yet.

I'm afraid the king has to pose for one more.

Ah, my official portrait.

For history books and whatnot.

All right, ready? Put on your best history face.

Why don't you join me, Viren? But this is your official portrait as king.

Yes, and you should stand next to me, as I know you will stand by me through anything.

I brought you a surprise.

Jelly tarts in bed? We are the king and queen now, we can do whatever we want.

Ah, someone's inherited your sweet tooth.

Ezran is a lucky boy.

Born a prince, as I was.

But there are so many in our kingdom who were born with less.

Harrow, what troubles you? Why do I deserve this? What did I do, except being born with everything? You are humble, and grateful, and kind.

Sarai, my father told me that above all, I must be a just king.

The night he d*ed, Lady Justice came to me in a dream.

Lady Justice, huh? She was wearing her robes.

Ugh, so a boring dream.



- May I continue?

- Go on.

She said to me that justice was more than fair decisions and fair consequences.

True justice was a fair system.

Then she laid before me her scales, her sword, and her blindfold and told me to choose.

You chose the blindfold.

I did.

She said the blindfold gives us a way to test the system.

That I should use it to imagine I had not been born yet, and that I did not know if I would be born rich or poor, what color my skin would be, what culture or practices my family would have.

That a fair system should be fair no matter the accident of my birth.

That the rights, and laws, and opportunities within the system should stand to protect and empower everyone.



- Lady Justice is wise.



- Yes.

And she didn't make any moves on you? Wise enough to know better.

You're especially inspiring when you say things like that with jelly smeared on your nose.

What? King Harrow worked tirelessly.

He told me he thought of himself as a servant of all the people of Katolis.

A servant king.

But one day, two visitors came from a faraway place, another kingdom, in fact.

They desperately needed King Harrow's help.

Do you know who these unexpected guests were? They were my parents.

Yes.

Hey, can't a guy get a couple minutes of below

-deck privacy around here? I'm serious, leave me alone.

Hey, wait, wait, wait.

Why don't you join me down here? I could use a little extra light.

Your parents, the queens of Duren, carried themselves with great dignity, but there was pain in their eyes.

No, please, you don't have to kneel.

We are here to humble ourselves and beg your help.

The kingdom of Duren has been suffering from a terrible famine for nearly seven years.

Our food and resources are almost gone.

This winter, we will run out of food and a hundred thousand people will die.

Then we will help you.

The kingdom of Katolis will share all that we have with the people of Duren.

My king, with respect, you spoke too soon.

Katolis has barely enough food to sustain its own people through the winter.

There is not a handful of grain to spare.

I won't turn my back on people in need.

If you share with them, a hundred thousand people will still die, but half of them will be from our own kingdom.

Then it seems we have no choice.

Exactly.

I'm sure they will understand.

We will share whatever we have with them.

And we will share in their suffering.

Harrow had committed help far beyond our means.

That winter, starvation and death, a devastating tragedy would be inevitable.

But a new possibility presented itself to me.

I have been doing research.

Yes.

I can see that.

Poring over ancient texts, maps and archives.

And I may have found a creative solution.

Something that could save lives.



- Well, go on!

- Behold! It's a rock.

This rock is, in fact, a rare relic from Xadia.

It's a piece of a great monster, a rocky giant who lives high in the mountains.

A Magma Titan.



- It's warm.



- Yes.

Now, the titan lives close to the border of Xadia.

If we can hunt this monster and slay it, I can use the heart of the titan in a powerful spell that will warm the land, and allow us to magically grow an incredible bounty.

Enough to feed two kingdoms?

- Enough to feed ten kingdoms.



- Hmm.

Of course, at the time, I was not the king's closest adviser.

It's a mistake, Harrow.

Why do you have such a problem with this? We k*ll one monster to save a hundred thousand people.



- You keep calling it a monster.



- Yes.

It's a giant beast made of rock and magma.

I call that a monster.

Is it intelligent? What? What do you mean? Does it think? Does it feel? Does it have a family? I sincerely doubt it has a family.

Then is it the last of its kind? Why does any of that matter? I know it seems like this will solve things, but isn't it a little too easy? That's always the way with dark magic.

What choice do we have? You said you want to build a better world, to really change things, but that's going to take decades of hard work.

There's no monster you can slay and solve all your problems.

There's no shortcut.

This is going to be a very slippery slope! Harrow, tell me you won't do this.

It's our only chance.

We will enter Xadia through the Breach.

There we can pick up supplies and

- I'm here.



- Queen Sarai.



- I thought you disapproved.



- I disagree.

But I stand by you anyway.

Thank you.

I think this was in our marriage vows, right? Something about keeping you alive when you're acting like a brave idiot? Come on.

We traveled as quickly as we could to the border.

Bold adventurers from two kingdoms crossed the Breach together, hoping to find a way to help their people.

Thunder, the King of the Dragons, patrols the skies from dawn until dusk.

So, we will enter Xadia at sundown, and we must return with the heart of the titan before the first moments of the sun's rise.

Will these ballistas be able to take down a Magma Titan? If our aim is true, we'll find the right spot and get the job done.

What? Nothing.

We emerged into darkness and quickly got to work.

Let's go.

The night is short.

With each step further into Xadia, my heart b*at louder with excitement and fear.

This place held both the promise of our salvation, and the thr*at of our destruction.

We were ready for the fight of our lives.

We found the titan, but it wasn't what we expected.

It's dead.

What do we do now? Don't sound so disappointed.

If it's dead, we don't need to k*ll it.

We just open it up and take what we need.

I've had his letter for a few days now, but I just can't bring myself to open it.

I don't know.

I know it sounds crazy, but it's like, right now there are words he hasn't said to me, and they're all right in there.

They're just waiting to come to life.

But then once I read it once I read the last word then he'll really be gone.

Forever.

Okay.

Thanks, Bait.