Onyx Storm: Chapter 44
Apr. 23rd, 2025 12:25 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
penwallaThe gang returns to Navarre.
Our opening quote is some political stuff about the ramifications of the death of the queen of Poromiel. Not sure what it means.
Yes, the strikethrough is there in the original.
I'm torn about this, because at least this isn't just blatantly spoiling future events, but it also doesn't really make sense yet and not in a way that intrigues. We'll see.
Violet and co. aren't punished for running off on an unsanctioned mission because the king is grateful to have Aaric back. No, really, that's on the first page of this chapter, in case you were wondering if Violet would actually have to face the consequences of her actions.
And so the team disbands, Mira and Garrick back to the front, Drake back to Poromiel, and Violet and her squad...have to go to class.
In the three weeks they've been gone, the dark wielders have made good progress, taking half of Krovla. No idea how much territory that is or what that means, but it's bad, I guess. And of course, the Navarre king still won't open the borders to civilians from Poromiel. Why wasn't that brought up during the treaty negotiations? Also, how does Navarre have the manpower to defend their border when they're fighting the venin and losing? Weren't they running out of manpower when the book started?
So, we're back in Battle Brief, discussing the army Violet negotiated for and the fall of Suniva.
Hey...question. Haven't the Poromish been at war with Navarre and their dragons and the venin? Why bother with walls? Why are their cities not fireproofed? Like I don't understand, the Poromish have been at war with flying magic lizards for quite a while. Yet there's no sign that they've actually developed any anti-dragon or wyvern tech besides crossbolts and stealing metal from Navarre.
The class's task is to dissect the venin's tactics since it's likely they will deploy similar in the future. Xaden interrupts to ask a question (why is he here?) revealing that the venin stole six crates of freshly delivered venin-killing daggers. Violet realizes that this means the venin must have a spy who could tell them where and when the crates would be delivered. Sidenote: I hate that the special venin-killing metal is just called "alloy". Give it a fantasy name!
Naturally, this attack was conducted by Theophanie, because the wyvern flew in using a thunderstorm as cover, meaning they needed a lightning wielder to redirect the strikes from the storm.
Their professor continues to push them for answers on how they'd handle this tactic, and Rhiannon suggests sending Violet, the only lightning wielder they have. Ridoc and Sawyer are mad at her for making this hypothetical suggestion, because it would put Violet in danger and because she is a cadet. This is stupid for a number of reasons, the least of which that Violet has been seeing combat for like two and a quarter full books.
They go to the Archives to meet Jesinia, who gives them a package for Violet that she sniped before Aetos could intercept it.
Violet and Sawyer have a brief conversation about his hesitation to get back on his dragon--with his prosthetic he's not sure he can mount, and he doesn't want to ask his dragon for help--and then Violet, finally having her friends alone, tells them about Xaden being a venin. Chapter end.
This is another chapter where we are forced to sit through Battle Brief because that's the only way Yarros has of giving us war-related exposition. But it's such a boring way of doing it. Our heroes are losing this war and thousands of people are dying, and it feels like there has to be a more impactful way to convey that.
Our opening quote is some political stuff about the ramifications of the death of the queen of Poromiel. Not sure what it means.
Your Majesty, unfortunately I can find no law that supersedes the Unification Scrolls. The Provincial Commitment under Queen Alondra the Bold (207.1)— consolidating the provinces’ armies under the queen’s standard for the Poromish conflict— expired with the Second Aretia Accord, and control of all forces should must return to the provinces from which they hail. I recommend demanding asking for a new Provincial Commitment covering our current conflict.
The provinces will never agree after the rise in conscription rates. My advice: do not anger Tyrrendor’s duke, who now commands the largest portion of our army. Screw this. I hate my job.
Yes, the strikethrough is there in the original.
I'm torn about this, because at least this isn't just blatantly spoiling future events, but it also doesn't really make sense yet and not in a way that intrigues. We'll see.
Violet and co. aren't punished for running off on an unsanctioned mission because the king is grateful to have Aaric back. No, really, that's on the first page of this chapter, in case you were wondering if Violet would actually have to face the consequences of her actions.
And so the team disbands, Mira and Garrick back to the front, Drake back to Poromiel, and Violet and her squad...have to go to class.
In the three weeks they've been gone, the dark wielders have made good progress, taking half of Krovla. No idea how much territory that is or what that means, but it's bad, I guess. And of course, the Navarre king still won't open the borders to civilians from Poromiel. Why wasn't that brought up during the treaty negotiations? Also, how does Navarre have the manpower to defend their border when they're fighting the venin and losing? Weren't they running out of manpower when the book started?
So, we're back in Battle Brief, discussing the army Violet negotiated for and the fall of Suniva.
“They dropped out of the sky, which made Suniva’s fifty-foot walls obsolete,” the flier continues, “then started a… fire. Is it true most everyone burned to death?”
My stomach pitches. I can’t think of a more horrible way to die.
“Unfortunately, yes.” Devera nods. “The fire started in the famous textile district and, with the help of what we think were wind-wielding venin, quickly devoured most of the city, despite the efforts of the four drifts in permanent residence, all of whom perished. We had a riot of four stationed there to protect the queen. One rider and two dragons made it out alive, which is the only reason we have facts instead of rumors to build on. Estimated casualties are somewhere around twenty-five thousand lives.”
Hey...question. Haven't the Poromish been at war with Navarre and their dragons and the venin? Why bother with walls? Why are their cities not fireproofed? Like I don't understand, the Poromish have been at war with flying magic lizards for quite a while. Yet there's no sign that they've actually developed any anti-dragon or wyvern tech besides crossbolts and stealing metal from Navarre.
The class's task is to dissect the venin's tactics since it's likely they will deploy similar in the future. Xaden interrupts to ask a question (why is he here?) revealing that the venin stole six crates of freshly delivered venin-killing daggers. Violet realizes that this means the venin must have a spy who could tell them where and when the crates would be delivered. Sidenote: I hate that the special venin-killing metal is just called "alloy". Give it a fantasy name!
Naturally, this attack was conducted by Theophanie, because the wyvern flew in using a thunderstorm as cover, meaning they needed a lightning wielder to redirect the strikes from the storm.
Their professor continues to push them for answers on how they'd handle this tactic, and Rhiannon suggests sending Violet, the only lightning wielder they have. Ridoc and Sawyer are mad at her for making this hypothetical suggestion, because it would put Violet in danger and because she is a cadet. This is stupid for a number of reasons, the least of which that Violet has been seeing combat for like two and a quarter full books.
They go to the Archives to meet Jesinia, who gives them a package for Violet that she sniped before Aetos could intercept it.
Violet and Sawyer have a brief conversation about his hesitation to get back on his dragon--with his prosthetic he's not sure he can mount, and he doesn't want to ask his dragon for help--and then Violet, finally having her friends alone, tells them about Xaden being a venin. Chapter end.
This is another chapter where we are forced to sit through Battle Brief because that's the only way Yarros has of giving us war-related exposition. But it's such a boring way of doing it. Our heroes are losing this war and thousands of people are dying, and it feels like there has to be a more impactful way to convey that.
