Tristan stayed mounted, and his senses were on-edge as he kept himself on high-alert. "Attacked by assassins in the Wild Realm." He felt himself hyperventilating and tried to calm his breathing as the near-death experience vividly replayed in his mind's eye. "We're safe here, right?"
Eloise looked quite perturbed, but nodded. "Yes, none can enter the Citadel's grounds with intent to harm one of our students. Even from other Realms." She looked to Rory, gave her a brief nod, and then Bertram, wincing as she saw his lack of armor. "Lost your gear?"
Bertram sighed, "Yeah. Tristan's going to get me a replacement." He grimaced, "Assassins were pretty brutal. Didn't help that we had just finished hunting a water dragon."
Eloise glanced over at Felicity, "What did you want me to do, exactly?"
Felicity frowned, "We need to get back to the Fey Realm. Tristan needs Essence to put into his ring. Just keep us safe."
Eloise nodded and tapped her staff a few times. The whole group was transported in the blink of an eye to the space in front of their rooms. "I will go and fetch a spare essence elixir." She tapped her staff once more, vanished, and not five seconds later she came back with a vial held in her hand. She handed it to Tristan.
He knocked it back and quaffed it down, reverse-spinning his crucible. He could feel the cool, soothing liquid settle in his stomach like a brisk, refreshing drink of water. And he felt more relaxed now that he was inside, surrounded by stone walls.
Rory cleared her throat, "Assassins been after you for how long, again?"
"Since I was in Bhant," Tristan replied.
"Any way to track them down?" Bertram followed up.
"Obadai was working on it," Tristan replied. "Felicity, use the bangle and see if you can talk to him."
She shook her head slightly, and the gold bangle jingled as she used the stored Spoken Message: Half-Realm spell within. "Hey, it's Felicity! … Yeah, we are doing okay. Close encounter with assassins…mhmm…" she frowned and stomped her little paw-claws on Tristan's head. "That s-u-c-k-s…I'll tell him." She flapped down off Tristan's head and onto Onyx's instead, so she was looking right into Tristan's eyes. Her expression was one of annoyance more than anything. "Obadai said that he figured out some information. The assassins are called The Venomous Rose. He doesn't know their base of operations, or who the leader is, or any of that stuff. But, he was able to figure out that their hideout is not on The Mortal Realm."
That makes them so much harder to track, Tristan thought. He looked to Eloise, "I know divination can't go across Realms normally. Is there any workaround? Any spell type?"
She frowned, "There are ways, but given our inter-Realm marketplace, I have an idea. I'll talk to a colleague of mine. One who is a divination specialist. I can ask her to go from Realm to Realm, attempting divination spells to try and find these assassins." She sighed, "It would be easier if you have their clothes or something."
Felicity grinned and reached into her pocket dimension, pulling out a black cloak. "I got one! Snagged it from the beach as we ran off!"
Eloise nodded and took the offered garment. "I'll put her on it. You lot going to the Fey Realm, I assume?"
Tristan nodded, "I need to be somewhere I know is safe. The safest place possible."
"Fair enough." Eloise tapped her staff and vanished again.
Bertram sighed again, looking over at Rory, and mumbling, "I really liked my armor."
She rubbed his back reassuringly, "It's okay. Tristan's gnomes are going to set you up." She looked up to Tristan with a firm, stern, look, but her voice remained the same tone. "Aren't you?"
"We already had him measured up," Tristan replied as he began spinning his crucible and pushing the essence into his ring. "Now, give me an hour and we'll depart."
Bertram and Rory went to their bedroom, shutting the door behind them. Tristan, Onyx, the two other unicorns, and Felicity were left in the hall. Tristan dismounted Onyx and sat along the wall next to his room. His armor made a slight rasping noise as he did so.
"The new gear kept you safe," Onyx commented as he paced over to Tristan.
Tristan nodded, "Yes it did. Really good investment. I still got bruised up."
"Allow me," Onyx said as he lowered his horn and it glowed with a deep, yellow hue. Tristan saw the stream of essence pour out and wash over him. Within moments, his bruises were gone and he felt quite relaxed as warmth permeated his muscles. Onyx straightened up, "Huh, that worked."
One of the other unicorns walked over and nudged him, "We can use wind elementalism, protection, and rejuvenation. Innately, we can heal individuals. Though the strength of such mending is based upon the bond we share with them."
Felicity tapped Onyx's head with a paw-claw, "Aww, you big softie, you."
Onyx shook his head slightly, "I respect Lord Tristan. He respected me and Midnight. No bridles, no harsh words. Even let us loose on the beach for a wonderful nighttime ride. Truly an experience I cherish."
"Maybe we'll get beaches in the Fey Realm," Tristan said with a slight smile.
One of the other unicorns dipped their head, "A part of the realm that was sealed before ours was an ocean of sorts."
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"See? Oceans are on the table!" Felicity said with joy.
An hour passed and Bertram came out with Rory to join Tristan, Felicity, and the unicorns as they all transported to the Fey Realm. Immediately, Bertram and Rory went over to the forges and smithies to inquire with the gnomes about the new gear.
Tristan, meanwhile, reverse-spun his crucible as he filled up his essence to the brim. He then both-direction spun it, becoming one with the Realm. "Matriarch!"
She flew down from the top boughs a few moments later, landing in her full-sized fairy dragon form. "Yes, Lord Tristan," she said calmly.
"Assassins targeted me again," Tristan said as he crossed his arms and sighed. Onyx and the other unicorns wandered off, and Tristan kept speaking. "I can't go anywhere outside of the Fey Realm and the Citadel of Essence without risking assault."
The Matriarch frowned, "It is not necessarily a bad thing to be confined to safety, Lord Tristan."
Tristan scratched his head, then his hand was forced aside as Felicity landed atop his head and began making paw-claw biscuits. "Yeah, well, the Wild Realm was a good opportunity. I acquired several more dragon crucibles with my family spell. And resistances to spell types. Plus, Eloise is going to work with a colleague to try and track down where these assassins are coming from."
"Then it seems like we must simply bide our time," The Matriarch replied. "You should grow stronger in power, then. New spells available to you, and that handy Omnitome with the archives in the Citadel; not to mention you also have been neglecting your training with me, and your meditation."
Tristan chuckled, "Yeah, I guess I should get back to a routine of sorts." He sighed, "I know I want to unseal the last part of the Fey Realm proper, also. The Fallthorn Forest, yes?"
The Matriarch nodded, "Yes, that is correct. Containing the Spriggan."
"And we have more sub seals beyond that," Tristan replied.
"Correct."
Felicity sighed and flopped herself onto his head, her tail hanging down his back as her chin dipped down onto his forehead. "I am going to be so bored!"
"Don't you have siblings you can play with?" Tristan replied as he poked her cheek slightly.
"Mhmm," she replied mellowly. "But I want to cause hijinks."
The Matriarch laughed, "I believe that Hurvun could be pranked with relatively little overall impact, child."
Felicity immediately perked up, and took flight from Tristan's head, "I'm going to get the old geezer good!"
Tristan shook his head as she flew off. "She's a handful sometimes."
The Matriarch nodded, "If she ever gets too much, let me know." She turned to face the pool of nymphs, "I believe Thallia wished to talk to you."
"Send her to my quarters," Tristan replied as he began moving. "I want to relax a bit after all of the commotion."
"Very well."
Tristan was luxuriating in the bath with several fairy dragon attendants nearby who were chatting about their recent new creation. One of which Tristan was sipping. A blended mix of starberries, starberry wine, and some other fruits that had been growing from the various trees he had planted. It was a thick slurry of juices and chunks that was quite refreshing.
Thallia entered and walked right up next to the tub, looking down with a slight smirk. "Lord Tristan, may we speak?"
Tristan nodded, not even caring that she was ogling him in the water. "By all means."
She sat on a stool next to the tub and sighed. "Lord Tristan…I feel it is my duty to be the one that pushes you to do something you may not like to do."
Tristan felt a pit in his stomach and waited with bated breath for her to speak.
"…I think you should procreate. Have a child. Have the bloodline persist."
Tristan kept quiet. But inside, he felt a torrent of emotions. Anger, because he did not want his prior decisions questioned. Understanding, because he knew she came from a place of genuine concern for the future of the Fey Realm. And lastly a sense of pained acceptance of her words. "I know…some nobles have children because they must…" he shook his head, "I…I do not want a child. I do not want to be responsible for raising one, teaching one."
"You would not have to," Thallia replied quickly, her tone lightening a little bit as she prodded at the crack in his absolute decision. "You have fairy dragons, us nymphs, all manner of people who can help. You would not have to be involved at all if you did not want to."
At that, Tristan felt immediate sorrow. He brought his knees up to his chin and set his head on them. "I won't be like my father," he muttered as he remembered the man who had effectively abandoned the responsibility for raising him. "If I had a child, I would be involved in their life." He gripped his legs and sighed, "I'm not ready for that. I'm not ready to be a father."
Thallia frowned, but nodded, "I figured you might say that. Then I had one other request. One that will help to ensure the viability of keeping the Fey Realm with a Winterbloom." She reached into a small pouch hanging from her belt, and pulled out a small vessel. A sealed bottle with Elvish inscribed around the rim, but it was small and delicate. "I can take your seed and store it in this. Should you perish, a new Winterbloom of your bloodline could then be produced with a willing Elf mother. Their bloodline does not matter, as long as they are of some amount of Elf heritage – your Winterbloom bloodline will win out."
Tristan felt very odd. "That's…flattering. But…one moment." He spun his crucible in both directions, and spoke softly. "Matriarch, please come to my quarters. Felicity, you too."
A few minutes passed and Felicity flew in, with a triumphant grin on her face. "I got your old geezer good!" She flapped over and landed on the edge of the tub, "I did something great! Hid next to the toilets, waited for him to start taking care of business, and then I scared him right good!" she cackled with laughter.
Thallia sighed, "You fairy dragons with your pranks."
The Matriarch came through the door a moment later, "This is an odd place for a meeting, Lord Tristan. Whilst you are in a tub, no less."
"Please, the nymphs were going around nude until I asked them to clothe themselves," Tristan replied. "Now…Thallia, tell them your plan."
Thallia held up the bottle and explained her plan. Felicity looked slightly concerned, but The Matriarch had a thoughtful expression on her face. She looked over to Tristan as Thallia finished, "And what did you want from me in this matter?"
"I want to make sure that the vessel will not be used unless I die. I would entrust it to you, and no one else, as you have the Realm's best interests in mind." Tristan frowned, and kept spinning his crucible in both directions. Establishing his contact to the Realm and controlling it to his whims. "I, Tristan Winterbloom, Lord of the Fey Realm, order you, Matriarch, to keep the vessel safe once it is filled, and only follow through with Thallia's plan if I am dead or fail to return to the Fey Realm for a full century."
The Matriarch dipped her head and closed her eyes, letting out a slight sigh of understanding and confirmation. "My Lord Tristan, I will do as you command."
Felicity interrupted, "Wait wait wait! Wait! How exactly do you intend to acquire this seed?" She looked at Thallia suspiciously, "This watery tart isn't touching my Tristan!"
Thallia chuckled, "I don't care how we acquire the means to have an heir to the Winterbloom legacy, as long as we have the means." She stood up, handing the vial to Tristan. "How you get it is up to you. Alone, with help, whatever you decide." She smiled coyly, "I would be happy to help-"
Felicity splashed her with water using her tail, "I said hands off! Keep your fishy fingers off him!"
"Jeesh, possessive."
Tristan put his head in his hands, clutching the stoppered, circular container in his palm. "Just…Felicity will help me out. Okay? I'll give the vessel to The Matriarch when its done. Please, everyone but Felicity, just leave."
The room quickly cleared of all except Felicity who hopped off the edge of the tub and transformed into her alluring Elfanoid form. "So, how do you want to do this?"
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