03x04 - The Midnight Desert

[bunniefuu]

Ba-bum.

Previously on The Dragon Prince...

But, Rayla, you need to know.
The Dragon Queen is dying.

We have to get to her. It's the only way.

I'll send a message
to the Dragon Queen.

If she knows her little one still lives,
perhaps she'll hold on.

Ethari, can I ever come home again?

Xadia has att*cked the human kingdoms.
All of us.

There must be a proportionate response.

w*r.

What? No. The people of the human kingdoms
and Xadia want peace.

High Mage, I've brought someone
who wishes to speak with you.

Hmm.

I'm fine. I'm fine.
This is fine.

So, um, yesterday must have been
a hard day for you.

Not really.

Back when I was a kid, my family used to
do this thing called "big feelings time."

You close your eyes, and ask yourself
if you have any big feelings.

Then you say them out loud,

and the other person says
they hear your feelings,

and it makes you feel good.

Humans are so weird.

I'm just saying,
you've been through a lot lately.

It would be understandable
if you had some...

Leave me alone.

...big, big feelings.

If you don't stop pestering me
about this right now,

I'm going to give you a big feeling
on the side of your head.

Prince Kasef of Neolandia
requests an audience.

I'm here to deliver an ultimatum.

It means I'm forcing you to make
a final decision.

I know what an ultimatum is.

Does this thing have more pieces?

Katolis and Neolandia were not
the only kingdoms att*cked.

The King of Del Bar
and Queen of Evenere were slain.

Their people are angry and want justice.

They are ready to wage w*r on Xadia.

Their armies have arrived in Katolis.

You dare violate our borders!

We do.

Here is your ultimatum.

If you will not stand with us,
then you stand in our way.

King Ezran, we can show Xadia the strength
and righteousness of the human kingdoms.

Four armies, joined as one!

Enough! I've already told you.
Katolis will not wage w*r on Xadia.

Then tomorrow at dawn,
three armies will wage w*r on Katolis.

What are you doing?

Preparing you for greatness.

Now, be still.

Someone's coming.

Greetings, travelers.
My name is Naimi-Selari-Nykantia.

But they call me "Nyx."

Hi, Nyx. My name's Rayla.
They call me "Rayla."

And I'm in a bad mood.
Either you fly away now,

or I'm going to use these blades
to do something that's gonna cheer me up.

Ah, I should have guessed.
You're the banished Moonshadow elf.

What? What are you talking about?

I am an emissary
of the Dragon Queen.

She received your message,
and she sent me to help you.

I am at your service.

And you must be...

I'm an Earthblood elf.
Oi!

Hmm. Message said you'd be
traveling with a human companion.

Oh, does it, now?

That was me all along!
I was the human.

And there he is, the dragon of the hour.
Oh, and he has his mother's eyes.

I have been authorized by the Dragon Queen
to fly him directly home.

That's not going to happen.

We're doing just fine on our own, Nyx.

I can get the baby dragon home fast,
and that's what matters most.

We're not letting you take Zym.

Whoa! Okay, okay, understood.

Well, how about this?
I can give you all a ride.

Not interested.

Are you sure? How do you plan
to cross the Midnight Desert?

Do we look stupid? We're not crossing
through the Midnight Desert.

We're going around it.

The Dragon Queen is dying,
and you would waste a week,

when I can take you straight across
in two days?

How?

Follow me.

King Ezran, Kasef's thr*at is terrible,
but we can win.

What do you mean?

Your Aunt Amaya,
and your mother before her,

saw to it that our army
was the best trained

and most disciplined force
in the kingdoms.

The coming battle won't be easy,
but we will triumph.

But at what cost?

The necessary cost. Many lives.

- How many?
- No one can say for sure.

- How many?
- I don't know.

Give me an answer, a number.

Thousands. Probably tens of thousands.

That's no triumph.

The Midnight Desert is hot,
haunted, and horrifying.

The black sand soaks up the sun,

so in the daytime it's hotter
than any desert known to elf.

And the night is worse.

That's the haunted and horrifying part?

It's infested with soulfang serpents.

They suck the spirit out of their victims,
turning them into barely-living husks.

But we're going to be above all that.
Literally.

There she is.

That's my ride. An ambler.

She'll get us to the central oasis
by sundown, and we'll spend the night.

Then, tomorrow,
we come out the other side,

and the baby dragon's almost home.

- What do you think?
- The Dragon Queen is dying.

And this is going to save us a week.

Okay, let's ride.

Thanks, Bait. That helps.

Each one of these pieces is 500 people.

Five hundred men and women.
Some are moms and dads,

and have kids waiting for them at home.
All of these are sons and daughters.

Sisters, brothers, friends.

They're real people, Bait.

And after the battle...

How can I let this happen?

King Ezran, forgive me.

There may be a way
to prevent this bloodshed.

You can save these lives.

- What?
- Nothing.

I was just wondering
what you're thinking about.

I'm fine, Callum. Like I already told you.

Ugh, great. Just great.

- What happened?
- Her foot's stuck in a hole.

The soulfangs burrow under the ground
during the day and make all these tunnels,

and if too many are in one place,
the ground gives way.

I just need to go down
and get her foot out.

Don't touch my stuff.

What is it? Why you staring at that thing?

Something's so strangely familiar...

Boomerang?

Let's move.

- Um, excuse me?
- Uh...

King Ezran? Is that you?

We're down here.

Oh! Your Majesty.
I'm so sorry, I had the grate fixed.

Uh... Oh, let me just...
I'll break it for you. Stand back.

Uh...
I'll be sure to leave it broken.

Would you like a jelly tart?

That's not why I'm here, but, yes, always.

I need to ask you a favor.
Something very important.

If anything happens...
I mean, something might happen.

And I need you to take care of Bait.

I am honored and... humbled.

You understand what he needs?

An infinite supply of jelly tarts, and...

understanding and love?

Yes. Mainly the tarts.

Thank you.

Now, I want you to know, I have always
seen you as a kindred spirit.

There's the oasis.

It's not much, but it's a safe haven
from soulfangs and the husks.

How does it keep them out?

It's surrounded by obelisks
that create a circle of protection.

It's a magical barrier around the oasis.

Anyway, here's the Wonderwall.

Looks cozy enough.

It gets really cold here at night,
so we'll need these.

I wasn't sure if you guys
needed two blankets or just one...

Two. Yeah, two.
'Cause if there was just one, then...

- Two.
- Two. Two.

Suit yourselves.

It is ready.

Open your eye.

You can hear me.

And now you can see me.

And I can better serve you.

Rayla? Did you say something?

You okay?

- Rayla, it's okay.
- Get away from me!

Ezran, you don't need to do this.
There must be another way.

Don't worry, Corvus. I'll be okay.

King Ezran, are you sure?
There will be no going back.

I know what's right.
I know what I have to do.

- It's agreed. Everything you asked for.
- The battle?

It's been called off.
There will be no att*ck at dawn.

And what about the people
who no longer wish to fight at all?

They will be allowed
to lay down their arms,

and return to their families,
in peace and safety, as you insisted.

It's done.

Take him.

I'm so sorry it's come to this.

No, you're not.

No... I'm not.

Please leave me alone.
I don't want you to see me like this.

I don't care if you're crying.
I'm here with you.

I'm a mess.

- No, you're not. It's okay.
- I've lost everything.

My parents, the people who cared about me,
my home.

There's nowhere I belong now.

That's not true, Rayla.

You're going through a hard time,
that's all.

That's not all!
It's me, and it's all my fault.

I failed them. I let them all down.

They're right to reject me.

- I'm not good enough, and I never will be.
- Shut up.

Wait, what?

Just shut up, you're talking crazy.
Just listen to me.

You're too good
to feel this bad about yourself.

I know that, and you should know that.

You have true courage and a big heart.

I've seen you get knocked down
so many times before,

and every single time, you get up again.

That's real strength.

And... and you're ten times funnier
than any human I know.

See?

See, you know you're amazing.
You're smart, and fast, and beautiful.

Rayla, you're the most amazing person
I've ever met.

That's not what I was expecting.

You were saying all those things,
so I thought...

No, I mean, I wasn't saying those things
so you would...

We will never speak of this again.
Do you understand?

Of course. Of course, yeah.
Of course I do.

No, I mean never. I will bind myself
to k*lling you if you even mention...

Why would I?

No.

- We walk away, and this never happened.
- Perfect.

Oh, no!

Where's Zym?