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Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 42

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Written by: Cory

Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 42

The epigraph is… strange. It feels like it doesn’t belong here. Although, I do have to ask—Melgren is sending four dragons and their riders, yet he says their most valuable resource is weaponry and not… dragons?!

“You’ve become the very thing we abhor, the horror we fled from.”

Well, the irids certainly continue being horrid themselves. In their anger, though, the irids told us they fled. They fled. They seem to me rather… cowardly.

“No, you are.” The male cranes his head in my direction. “She is but what you made her.”

This is confusing, right? The irid tells Violet that humans are the horror and that Andarna is but what they made her. It feels off. Again, it feels like we don’t understand the dynamics between humans and dragons. Are humans using dragons?

“We have watched some of your journey and feel it is not peace you seek, but victory.”

There! They have been following them. Watching them from a distance. “Some of your journey.” When did they notice them? When did they start to watch them? So many questions here.

“Perhaps the corrupted ones should devour the land in its entirety. Only when they’re faced with starvation will they confront the evil they’ve become. Either they’ll die off and the land will regenerate, or they’ll confront the abominations they’ve become and change.”

So much is packed into this paragraph. Thank you for all the clues, Rebecca!

When venin don’t have magic, naturally, they will be faced with starvation. We’ve known that from Jack’s situation. If they die off, the land will regenerate! This is crucial information. We’ve been wondering for so long what will happen if there is no more magic. We’ve been assuming that the dragons will die too. But clearly, the irids are not concerned?

But most importantly—the land will regenerate! Magic will return on its own! Is that what happened on some of the isles? Were they drained entirely and some of them started showing signs of recovery?

The other clue is that venin can change. But how? Could it be that they need to reach rock bottom?

“Their offspring could evolve, perhaps.”

Again, so much meaning here. Their offspring. As in physical ones? Can venin even bear children? Or is it metaphorical? The same way Jack and Xaden are now brothers, being someone’s “sons.” Their venin creator. So cryptic.

Even though Andarna has failed to secure a meeting with her own den, even though they tore her apart, in her last moments with the irids, she still attempts to help Violet. To ask the most burning questions about Xaden.

“Is that the dark wielder’s cure?” Andarna asks, her head moving in a serpentine motion. “To evolve?”
[…] “There is no cure.”

There is no cure. Just abstinence from magic. At least that’s how it sounds like at the moment.

“The soul is not kept by the earth as dark wielders steal its magic. The power exchange kills the soul one piece at a time, and death has no cure.”

The soul is not kept by the earth. But it is captured by one God we know: Malek. Death has no cure. But perhaps… death likes to make exchanges.

“Will you not at least tell us how the dark wielders were defeated in the Great War?” Andarna asks, her words flowing faster, like she knows her time is short.
“Apparently they weren’t if you’re here asking,” the female replies.

The irids know so much and are clearly not up for sharing information. Were the dark wielders defeated? I don’t think so either. They found a way to exist in the Barrens and wait until they could strike again. It took them centuries to build a powerful enough army, though. So something really did buy humans time.

“We have a long flight ahead, and there is nothing to be gained here.”

A long flight ahead. To where? They have been following them for a while; they said that much. They are not from a nearby isle. Where exactly did they come from?

“You will not be allowed entrance to our isle nor instruction in our ways. We part here and wish you peace.”

Are they… from an isle of peace? Is there another God out there for peace? Sounds like Deverelli. They don’t involve themselves with venin. They preach peace…Deverelli are the brokers in the war, right? They capitalise on it. Could it be that it’s where the irids are? Or at least, nearby?

Leothan clearly wants to know more about Andarna. It feels like he is trying to understand her situation and Violet’s. We also learn about why feathertails are golden—to ensure all hatchlings are cared for without deference to breed or den.

And then… well, Xaden ruins it all.

Many of you have asked, why are his eyes red? He didn’t draw magic, so how could he show signs that he is venin? Well, the irids are magic, and they infuse a little of their magic when they do their whistle thing to be able to communicate. So that magic caused a… boost toward Xaden. Basically, he got a wave of magic, and so he reacted to it.

“Her scales shifting to gold.”

I swear I actually started crying at this point. She’s just learned that having golden scales means being cared for without deference. And now, she chose that very color to receive unconditional love from her own. It was heartbreaking.

And just as we’re sad, we’re also hit by a bucket of ice water because fuuuuudge, Ridoc has just seen Xaden too.

This is NOT going well for Violet.

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Cory

Hello! I’m Cory, a devoted superfan of the Fourth Wing, Iron Flame and the Empyrean Series. My passion for these epic tales has led me to read and reread the books, each time uncovering new layers of information. I’ve created this site to share my insights and discoveries with fellow fans and anyone interested in exploring the rich world of Empyrean.

3 responses to “Onyx Storm Read Along – Chapter 42”

  1. Ailish Williams Avatar
    Ailish Williams

    Part of me wonders if when they’re referring to the ‘corrupted ones’ and their offspring evolving , I think they’re referring to humans in general, who corrupt dragons who pull from the ground rather than pulling from the sky like the Irids do

    Reply
  2. Melissa Avatar
    Melissa

    I think there is also a lot more in this sentenc: “We have watched some of your journey and feel it is not peace you seek, but victory.” Would that mean that they shouldn’t try to defeat the venin (and hence victory) but rather live with them (peace) and find common grounds ? how would that be possible with venins?

    Reply
    1. Cory Avatar
      Cory

      I think someone was super smart and explained that they think venin have an addiction to power. Keep that power in check and they will be able to survive just fine. So perhaps, they can live in harmony but only once they can decide to not draw magic anymore.

      Reply

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