Onyx Storm Theory: Sloane is life, Naolin was…not

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Written by: Cory

Onyx Storm Theory: Sloane Mairi is life but Naolin was not...

The time has come to talk about Sloane. Sloane is such a beautifully crafted character with a fantastic arc. Given just how gentle and warm Liam was, we were all shocked by her reaction towards Violet. Yet Violet continues to look after her.

Violet respects her promises, doesn’t she? She promised Liam she’d look after Sloane, and no matter what Sloane threw at her, she did. That’s also a nudge towards the ending of Onyx Storm, by the way—how Violet kept her promise to Xaden.

Back to Sloane. I’ve talked about her before and how I think she will play an integral part in restoring the Barrens. And now that we know we have an agrarian as well? Perfection. The Barrens can be restored.

We now have even more information about Sloane. Let’s check it out:

“I don’t know how. When your m—” She stops herself. “Transferring is different than imbuing. I know that much.”

We learn that there’s a difference between transferring and imbuing. I think this is going to be relevant information for Books 4 and 5.

“Try,” Dain urges, shoving the sleeve of his uniform up his forearm.
“It’s dangerous to use your own power if you haven’t trained, so take mine. I’m the only one here who doesn’t have to wield today. Just try.”

Are you getting this? It’s dangerous to use your own power. OH. That makes me think of Naolin. Brennan was severely injured, and we know it takes a lot more to mend oneself. Naolin was transferring power—from himself to Brennan. And of course, he almost burned out… until he reached. He reached and turned for love! For Brennan.

“One hand on my wrist,” Dain says gently, like he’s talking to a skittish horse.
She stares at the gray handprint that scars his forearm. “I don’t want to do that. Become that.”

Whoa, okay. Rebecca Yarros is actually going there. Brilliant. We’re about to understand that when Sloane TAKES, she doesn’t drain like Venin does.

“You won’t.” He lifts his brows. “You can hate me later, but trust me now, or she dies.”

Pause for a second. How the hell does Dain Aetos know?

Sloane wraps her fingers around Dain’s wrist. Her eyes flare, and she swallows. ‘Someone like you shouldn’t have this much power.’”

What does Sloane mean by “someone like you”? Wait, wait. Someone like Dain? As in, a mind reader? A rider? A traitor? Is Dain still a traitor? I haven’t forgotten about Cath’s bad smell, just FYI. Also, Sloane can sense power. That’s amazing.

Sloane drops her little package and lifts her hand to the back of Brennan’s neck.[…] ‘Pull from the excess you feel in me, and push to the deficit in him. You’re not a weapon of destruction. You’re not Venin. You’re the artery power chooses to flow through. You’re life.’”

So much to talk about here. Why does Dain have an excess of power? I really want to understand this—it doesn’t feel like redundant information. Also, Dain tells Sloane she is life. It’s actually a beautiful moment. And yes, I do think Dain and Sloane are going to end up together. It just makes too much sense.

His foolishness gets her brother killed? Then he falls for the sister? It just makes sense.

Back to Sloane—Dain confirmed that she is life, as I said before, which means she will be the artery power flows through. Imbuing, transferring, the Barrens! Or even Venin…

Her brow knits, and Dain flinches. “I’m going to hurt you.”
“Gods, don’t I know it.” He nods. “But you’re not going to kill me, no matter how badly you want to. Now do it.”
Her mouth tightens, and Dain grits his teeth.

Can we take a moment to realize that this is one of the most beautiful quotes in Onyx Storm? I think Dain is already in love with her. And yeah, we immediately go back to normal. Enemies to lovers, YES!

And now back to Violet’s observation:

“There’s no mark at the back of his neck like he carries on his palm. There hadn’t been one on Dain’s wrist, either.”

Alright, so we get confirmation that the rune on Brennan’s hand is not actually a rune. But a gray mark, the same as what Dain has from when Jack drained him. Sloane doesn’t leave a mark because she is life.

Naolin, on the other hand, was also life… until he wasn’t. He saved Brennan, and it cost him everything. Isn’t that what Brennan said? He sacrificed his very soul for Brennan. Again, he turned for love.

Which leads me to another theory. Naolin might not exactly be dead. At no point in the books does it say Naolin is dead. Naolin sacrificed himself. Tairn says “the one before,” but never confirms that Naolin is the dead rider.

And you remember my theory, I hope, about Tairn severing the bond with Naolin? I think that’s what almost killed him—together with the fact that Naolin almost drained his dragon of power to help Brennan. Which would explain why Sgaeyl hates Brennan. He’s the very reason her mate almost died.

Two different siphons with two very different fates. Will we meet Naolin? What did Kaori say, anyway?

“After all, bonding makes you a rider, but resurrecting someone from the dead? Now, that makes you a god. I somehow don’t think Malek takes kindly to a mortal treading on his territory.”

And what did Theophanie say?

“Why serve a god when you can be one?” Theophanie snarls.

What are your thoughts? Do you agree that Sloane will be life and we’ll learn more about how Naolin turned? I think that would cause a lot of friction between Tairn and Violet. Violet will be upset to learn Tairn went through this and didn’t say a word, seeing as she’s going through it with Xaden. It also explains why Tairn is so grumpy about Xaden…

And yes, Sloane will save us all. And end up with Dain somehow. Or Dain will die, sacrificing himself for Sloane. Love can be tragic, right?

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16 responses to “Onyx Storm Theory: Sloane is life, Naolin was…not”

  1. Nice theory! I am still at my second read and some chapters are still open. After reading IF I was so sad for Dain and that he was expelled of the group, there was the scene after Basgiaths battle when Rhiannon pushed him away. I have read theories of a relationship between Sloane and him before and didn’t liked it. After reading OS it has changed. Dains character development was great! He is breaking rules! The moment during signet sparring between Sloane and Dain let me listen up. Her cheeks turned red and she sounds so pissed and said he wouldn’t care for her life. It reminded me so much to FW with Violet and Xaden. Later there was a middle finger in Aretia and Sloane stared at Dain. I hope so much that there will be a scene between Violet and Dain and Vi will tell Dain something like: “Dain, if you really want Sloane, than give a shit to the rules and take it!” It would be terrible If Dain turns evil, why should he? I hope we will see much more of Sloane and Dain in book 4. The story between Brennan and Naolin is very exciting, too.

    1. Mirja, I have found another crazy thing. Would you mind reading it and telling me if I’m just going crazy here? https://www.empyreanriders.com/articles/onyx-storm-theory-who-turned-venin-at-the-end/

      P.S. I kinda low key love Dain now btw.

      1. Hi Cory, I’ve made a comment to the link. I have found another phenomenal idea about Sloane and Dain. What if Cath and Thoirt are freshly mated? That would be funny. I honestly don’t know if Thoirt is male or female. Violet could teach Sloane how to communicate with the bond.

        1. Hahahaha, ok that would be soooo fun!

          1. I´ve found a line to Thoirt:
            At this moment I spot two reds coming towards us from the south at breakneck speed.

            And then: I try hard to identify the dragons. Thoirt?
            The teardrop pattern in her right wing is unmistakable, but that would mean… Oh gods, Sloane is here.

            So we can be pretty sure that Thoirt is a female dragon!

          2. Someone sent me (a really long time ago) a theory where they think Aaric and Sloane will end up together via their dragons somehow.
            So maybe it was Cath and Thoirt and not Thoirt and Molvic. <3

            I worry about this relationship, tho. A little bit? Is Dain good? Was the smell of his dragon a fluke?

  2. I also love the scene where Sloane lunges for Cat and Dain stops her and even takes two of her punches before calming her down and grabbing her wrists. We had few scenes with them but the chemestry is crazy. When he says that he’s done coddling first-years and that her brother’s death will always be on him but not hers. OH MY GOD, I NEED THEM TOGETHER. I could not stress enough how much I want them together. And Dain is low key hot in this Onyx Storm, he’s breaking rules, learning from his mistakes, realising the piece of shit he has as a father and being the rider and wingleader he needs to be. Moreover, I totally agree that he’s already in love with her. Re-reading that “Gods, don’t I know it.” line, made me realise that perhaps, he was not talking about the pain due to Sloane’s signet, but the pain that he will feel or is feeling due to his love for her.

    1. I know. We need a Dain + Sloane kinda plot and book because, they both need each other in a weird f’ed up way.
      Dain is low key HOT right? Like, he was cute but annoying in Fourth Wing. Like a boy.
      In Iron Flame, he had redeemed himself.
      Onyx Storm. Hello! He’s growing up FAST.

      And I agree, the Gods don’t I know it, it’s Dain’s love declaration to Sloane. We’re here for it. We’re melting

  3. Yes! Good. It’s not exactly it, but so far, it’s the best theory about what could have happened with damned Naolin and Brennan. I don’t buy the swap of the rune for a mark from a venin. A rune is way more complex than just a gray smudge, right?

    1. So we’re thinking the grey smudge was either a mark; or it was a rune? Violet saw it on his palm and it looked like a rune right? Could it be
      a) the other hand haha
      b) she mixed it up?
      c) it’s the same and we’ve been misled…

    2. Wait a second “There’s no mark at the back of his neck like he carries on his palm.” -> Do we think this is a new one? So not the rune on his palm, but a new mark? did he channel? But then it wouldn’t show a mark on his arm and the ground beneath would go grey. Argh, nevermind, I can’t figure it out yet.

      1. Xaden channeled, but he didn’t have any mark. Brenna would have a mark if someone had channeled him.

        1. Hmmmm. I see that. The same as Aetos! With his grey handprint.

  4. Who did Xaden mean when he said this?:
    “I’d kill him if I could. Fuck, I thought I had. I wonder how many initiates feel the same about their Sage. At least one that I know of.”

    Did he mean the new brother? Is he just assuming? Clearly, he didn’t have much time to discuss it with him. Or does he already know about someone else who turned before and had the chance to share their experience with him?

    1. It must be Berwyn/ the sage/ the general. Xaden thought he had killed him in IF, but then he returned in Xadens dreams and in the end of OS at Draithus as well.

  5. OK, I just finished reading Onyx Storm, hence why I am on this website. So many questions!! so so so many! But speaking of love interests, I would like to see Ridoc stop playing the field and find love. Not really sure who he would end up with, maybe Aaric? Just a thought.
    Now back to the Venin and grey marks. If I’m understanding this right and it’s totally possible that I am still too confused to understand anything without maybe giving it a week or two to let the ending of OS resonate with me first. The gray marks that are formed on the ground are from the venin channeling the magic out of the Earth. So when Jack tried to channel Dani‘s magic, it left a gray mark where he touched and with the theory that Naolin was burnt out from using all his powers and desperate to save Brennan that he channeled from the Earth and that’s how he became a Venin. Wouldn’t it be possible for the gray mark that’s on Brennan hand to have come from Naolin still touching him after he became Venin and was probably still deeply immersed in healing him? Does that make sense??

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Hello! This site is dedicated to the Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros. I’ve made this place to explore the rich world of Empyrean, full of characters, theories, and places. Each post is carefully researched and updated with the newest details from the series. This site is also a great spot for discussing theories about the Empyrean Series. 🐉
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