The Drake Figurine in So Let Them Burn: A Symbol of Covert Bonds and Fragile Trust
What the Drake Figurine Is
The drake figurine is a small scalestone carving that Queen Aveline gives to Elara Vincent before the sisters are separated. It is modeled on Justice, a drake, and distinguished by the red coloring of its flank. A switch at its base produces harmless pea-size bursts of flame at regular intervals, and the object is designed to enable covert astral calls—a way for Elara to communicate secretly without being detected. The text notes that such figurines can overheat and shatter in explosive blasts if used incorrectly, adding an element of risk to what appears to be a simple decorative keepsake.
The figurine is made of scalestone, the same material used to construct the drakes that serve as San Irie's war machines. This material connection is significant: the object that enables Elara's secret communication is literally built from the substance of war.
A Queen's Gift: Espionage and Hidden Agendas
The figurine's primary purpose is espionage. Aveline gives it to Elara specifically for covert astral calls, positioning Elara as an agent of the crown who is expected to gather information and relay it in secret. This connects directly to the theme of deception, espionage, and hidden agendas. The queen's gift reveals that even in peacetime, the war's legacy of mistrust persists—open communication is either impossible or too dangerous, so the queen needs a private channel to reach Elara.
The figurine also represents a conditional trust. Aveline gives Elara a tool for covert action rather than a public acknowledgment of their alliance. This mirrors the broader political landscape of the novel, where colonial legacy and post-war trauma make open alliances fraught. The queen's methods are pragmatic and calculating; she values Elara as an asset, not merely as a citizen.
For Queen Aveline, the figurine is a means of maintaining control and surveillance. It allows her to stay connected to Elara without exposing their relationship to public scrutiny, a strategy consistent with the queen's broader approach to governance throughout the novel.
A Lifeline Between Sisters
When Elara arrives at Hearthstone Academy, the figurine takes on a more personal meaning. It sits on her nightstand, one of the few personal items she unpacks in a room she has not made feel like home. The text notes that Elara has not committed to the idea of staying at Hearthstone, and the figurine becomes a touchstone—a connection to her former life and to her sister.
The figurine's most significant moment comes when Elara tries to use it for summoning and fails. The dragon bond with Zephyra has made Iryan summoning impossible, and the figurine becomes, in Elara's hands, a useless hunk of scalestone. This is a devastating moment for Elara Vincent, who has already lost her dream of joining the Sky Battalion. The figurine, once a tool of connection, now symbolizes her isolation and her loss of identity.
But then Faron Vincent reaches her through the figurine. The flame becomes consistent and deep red, and Faron's voice comes from its depths. Faron has been calling every hour, but Elara's figurine was not switched on. This moment transforms the figurine from a symbol of loss into a lifeline. Despite the distance between them, despite Elara's new bond with a dragon and her apparent betrayal of San Irie, the sisters can still reach each other through this small object.
This connects to the theme of sisterhood and sacrificial loyalty. The figurine becomes the physical embodiment of the bond between Faron and Elara—fragile, easily broken, but persistent. Faron's relentless calling, hour after hour, mirrors her refusal to give up on her sister even when the world believes Elara has turned traitor.
Loss and the Fractured Self
The figurine's failure to work with summoning is deeply symbolic. Elara has always defined herself through her connection to her ancestral spirits—her three maternal aunts who died in the war against Langley. The figurine, designed to channel summoning magic, becomes useless when Elara loses this ability. Zephyra explains that the dragon bond makes summoning impossible because Elara's soul is now whole, no longer fractured. This is a profound transformation: Elara has been completed by the bond, but this completion comes at the cost of her Iryan magic and her connection to her ancestors.
The figurine thus becomes a symbol of what Elara has lost. It is a reminder that her bond with Zephyra, which should be a gift, has severed her from her cultural and spiritual heritage. This connects to the theme of the burden of divine sainthood and the cost of power. Elara's power comes with a price, and the figurine is a tangible reminder of that price.
The moment also highlights Elara's grief. She screams her aunts' names again and again, but none of them appear. The figurine, which was supposed to be a channel to the dead, now only amplifies her sense of aloneness. Zephyra's explanation—that Elara's soul is finally whole—offers little comfort, because wholeness has cost her the very thing that made her feel connected to her family and her country.
Captivity and the Erosion of Agency
At Rosetree Manor, after Elara has been captured, she finds the drake figurine but cannot summon it. The dragon relics in the manor block her connection to the den, and the figurine is useless. This moment underscores the theme of the struggle for self-determination against divine and imperial control. Elara is trapped, her tools of communication stripped from her, her agency diminished.
The contrast between the figurine's role at Hearthstone and its role at Rosetree Manor is striking. At Hearthstone, it is a lifeline—it connects Elara to Faron and provides a sense of home. At Rosetree Manor, it is a dead object, blocked by the very relics of the empire that has captured her. The figurine goes from being a tool of connection to a symbol of captivity.
This progression mirrors Elara's broader journey in the novel. She begins as an eager recruit, hoping to serve her country, and ends as a captive, her identity fractured by forces beyond her control. The figurine, which once represented her secret alliance with the queen, now represents her powerlessness.
The Figurine and the Fragile Trust Between Nations
The figurine is also a symbol of the fragile trust between San Irie and Langley. It is a drake—a war machine—rendered in miniature, a reminder of the conflict that shaped both nations. The fact that Aveline gives Elara a drake figurine for covert communication is ironic: the object that represents the war is now being used to navigate the peace.
This irony connects to the novel's critique of colonial legacy and imperialism. The figurine's model, Justice, is a drake—a weapon of war. By naming the figurine after Justice, the novel suggests that justice in this world is tied to military power and colonial conflict. The figurine's use for covert communication further complicates this: justice is achieved through secrecy and manipulation, not through open truth.
The figurine also connects to Reeve Warwick and Signey Soto, characters who navigate the boundaries between nations. Reeve carries a dragon relic that ties him to the Gray Saint, while Signey is bonded to a dragon and caught between her Langlish heritage and her growing connection to Elara. The figurine, like these characters, exists in the space between loyalty and betrayal.
Study Questions
1. Why does Queen Aveline give Elara the drake figurine rather than communicating openly? What does this reveal about the queen's methods and the political climate of San Irie?
Aveline gives Elara the figurine for covert astral calls, indicating that the queen operates through secrecy and manipulation. This reflects the post-war political climate, where open communication is dangerous and trust is scarce. The figurine reveals Aveline's pragmatic, even calculating, approach to governance—she values Elara as an asset, not just as a citizen. The gift also suggests that the queen anticipates threats that require hidden channels of communication, foreshadowing the espionage and hidden agendas that drive the plot.
2. How does the figurine's function change after Elara bonds with Zephyra? What does this symbolize about Elara's transformation?
Before the bond, the figurine is a functional tool for summoning-based communication. After the bond, Elara can no longer summon, and the figurine becomes useless. This symbolizes Elara's loss of her Iryan identity and her forced transformation into something new. The figurine's failure mirrors Elara's own sense of being broken and remade against her will. Zephyra's explanation that Elara's soul is now whole offers a paradox: Elara has been completed, but this completion has severed her from her ancestors and her cultural heritage.
3. Compare the figurine's role in Elara's life at Hearthstone versus at Rosetree Manor. What does this contrast reveal about her journey?
At Hearthstone, the figurine is a lifeline—it connects Elara to Faron and provides a sense of home. At Rosetree Manor, the figurine is useless, blocked by dragon relics. This contrast reveals Elara's increasing isolation and the erosion of her agency. The figurine goes from being a tool of connection to a symbol of captivity, mirroring Elara's broader journey from eager recruit to powerless captive.
4. The figurine is a rendering of Justice, a drake. How does this naming connect to the novel's broader themes of justice and colonial power?
The figurine's model, Justice, is a drake—a weapon of war. By naming the figurine after Justice, the novel suggests that justice in this world is tied to military power and colonial conflict. The figurine's use for covert communication further complicates this: justice is achieved through secrecy and manipulation, not through open truth. This connects to the novel's critique of colonial legacy and imperialism, and to the theme of the struggle for self-determination against divine and imperial control.