Tristan got up and after taking a quick dip in the root-pool in his chambers, he geared back up and headed outside.

Felicity was a few minutes behind him, and as he got outside she landed atop his head and began making her paw-claw biscuits. "What now?" she asked.

"I think we should head back to the Citadel," Tristan replied, "And we should check in with Eloise. It's only been a little over a day, but I want to see if she has found anything about where the assassins are located." His expression firmed, and his voice was more resolute. "We need to stop these attempts."

"No unicorns, then," Felicity said as she flopped prone, dangling her legs on the sides of his head as her tail swished and tickled the back of his neck.

"I don't think so. We need to get Rory and Bertram if they want to head back."

Felicity looked over to a few other fairy dragons lounging nearby, "Hey! Seen the half-brother?"

"Nope!"

"I think they were fucking with some nymphs."

"I heard them arguing with the gnomes!"

"We sent them on a scavenger hunt."

"Eat shit." That last one sounded quite angry, and Tristan locked eyes with the fairy dragon.

Felicity giggled, "That one is Deckard. He's just mad about my taking his horn!" The fairy dragon huffed and flew off. Felicity sighed, "It just hurt his pride. That I beat him in a wrestling match and got away with a trophy."

Tristan shook his head, "We'll check with the gnomes first." He pointed to the fairy dragons in order, "You, go check the Summerbalm Springs. You, go to wherever you sent them on this scavenger hunt."

"I was only kidding!" the one who mentioned the scavenger hunt replied. The one he had pointed at who had commented about the nymphs lifted off and zipped across the sky on their duty.

Tristan walked past the remaining fairy dragons and headed to where the gnomes were – hard at work at all manner of crafts. The stalls had filled out nicely with plenty of products: garments, weapons, armor, jewelry, potions, and starberry mixed with clearcool. The latter two, Tristan paused at and performed the Infuse Elixir spell, also taking a few flasks of the clearcool elixir for emergency rations if needed.

He ended up finding Bertram and Rory, sitting and drinking starberry wine. Grandfather Hurvun was there, as well, and they were regaling the gnomes with their dragon hunt stories. Everyone looked over as Tristan walked up, and the gnomes dipped their heads briefly.

Bertram stood up and looked Tristan up and down. "Did you get taller?"

"Just a bit," Tristan said as he held up his index finger and thumb, leaving a little gap to emphasize how miniscule the height change was. "I was able to beat The Matriarch in sparring, so I'm pretty sure I could kick your ass anytime."

Bertram cracked a smile, "I would take you up on that, but I'm a bit tipsy." He gestured to the ring of stones that had been carved into various single person and two-person seats, "Going to join us?"

Hurvun raised a flask, "It's pretty damned good stuff! Not as much potent alcohol-"

One of the gnomes interrupted, "We're working on that, you old fart."

Hurvun looked back to the gnome who had spoken, "You're calling me old? Aren't you all basically immortal? Hmm?"

Tristan just shook his head as his grandfather got into an argument with the gnome about age, and focused on Rory who was decked out in new clothes that were quite flattering. "Did you both get armor and weapons sorted?"

Rory nodded, "I didn't think I needed an upgrade, but after seeing some of what these fellows can do, well, I'd be a fool not to take up your charitable offer of custom gear."

Bertram pointed to a stall a few feet away, "Got it on a rack in there. Want to see?"

"Sure," Tristan replied as he followed his brother. "I also was going to head back to the Citadel."

"We'll stay here for now," Bertram replied. "Going to spend some down time after that Wild Realm hunt. Just don't take too long, eh? It's going to be another…gods…thirty-five days until the one-week Realm portal opens."

"I've lost track of the days," Tristan said as he reached into his hip pouch for his small Omnitome, and flipped to the front. Fifth of Wither Season, he thought as he snapped it shut.

Bertram gestured through the open stall entrance and to the armor and weapon racks. The suit of armor he walked over to was similar to Tristan's, but lacked his ornamentation. "They insisted I not be as fancy as you." He went to a weapon rack and drew a massive sword – just like grandfather Hurvun's. "I actually needed someone to do the Dragon's Doom spell on this." He held the weapon, hilt first, to Tristan. "Mind doing the honors?"

Tristan went to the bracers and fuddled around with them, finding that they had small, hidden rods just like his armor. "I'll do you one better," Tristan replied. "Lets get all the layers separated out, and I'm going to get you kitted up just like me."

The next few hours Tristan spent spinning and reverse-spinning his crucible as he set up Bertram's armor with the same set of spells he had access to. The whole setup was identical – including the sword.

He did the same for Rory's new armor; scale armor minus the protective plates, a large shield which could be spun to change its size, and a collapsible spear. He was able to put all but the rod-based, offensive spells into the items.

"This is…wow," Bertram clapped a hand on his shoulder pauldron, "You've really gone above and beyond for us."

Tristan reached up and scratched the now-sleeping Felicity's head between her antlers, eliciting a tail wag from her. "It's not a problem at all."

Bertram's face was serious, and he made sure Tristan was fully facing him. "I don't like owing people any-"

"I'm stopping you right there," Tristan replied cutting him off. "We are family. I'll keep you safe as best I can."

Bertram nodded curtly and the duo headed back to the circle of now riotously drunk people. "Enjoy the Citadel. Don't spend too long without coming to get us!" he sat down next to Rory, whispered in her ear, and she looked to Tristan with a nod as she raised her tankard.

Tristan gave his grandfather a slight hug from above before going to the dirt circle in front of the Queen's Wood. Someone had decorated the area, marking out a large circle with gem-studded stones – he assumed the gnomes' doing. Spinning his crucible, he traveled back to The Mortal Realm.

He appeared in front of his room, and Felicity let out a big yawn. "What's the plan?" she asked.

"I'm going to go to the Archive really fast," Tristan replied. "You go check in with Eloise, and bring her over to me."

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"Got it!" Felicity vanished from his head with a little pop noise.

Tristan had already been spinning his crucible, and he poured the energy into his student pin as he activated the stored Limited Teleport spell, appearing on one of the arrival platforms in The Archive.

Heading over to the Archivist's table, he joined the small queue of people until he was at the front and speaking to Betty. "Hey there."

He did not hear anything in his head, despite the eye looking over at him. It squinted, and then a phantasmal tendril floated down, grabbed a pen, and began scribbling on paper before him at blinding speed.

Your mind cannot be interacted with. Drop your defenses.

"I…urm…I don't think I can," Tristan said sheepishly. "I drank juvenile mind dragon blood, so I'm resistant to mind spells."

Irritating, she wrote back. But, ultimately a useful skill and only irritating in that I have to devote a slight bit of energy to writing right now. I could break through your defenses if I had a mind to, but it would take most of my focus. What is it you want?

"I need mind spell books and water elementalism as well."

She began scribbling a map of the archive with a message below it, I cannot interact with your mind anymore, so no more highlighted tomes. Look for these reference numbers.

"Thank you," Tristan replied as he grabbed the map.

She grabbed another piece of paper and kept writing, I did get word back from a friend of mine in the Heavenly Realm. A heaven dragon, which would give you rejuvenation as a spell type, is near death from old age. She has lived for millennia, and has agreed to being slain in the presence of her Realm's Protector.

Tristan was caught off guard by that, and just froze in place as he processed what Betty had written. Someone is just willing to die? He thought. I mean…I guess…if I were old and suffering and ending myself meant that I could help someone else… "Thanks for inquiring," Tristan said. "I need to think on that."

You have a week to decide, she wrote. Dragons know exactly when their death will occur if it is natural.

"Well, I mean…hmm…" Tristan felt a little bad about it, but he also had an idea and replied. "Do they know the time as well?"

I said exactly when. That includes down to the second.

"Then it's not as bad as I thought," Tristan replied feeling some relief. "Please pass along that I am interested. But I will wait until the last minute of their life before doing the deed."

I shall pass it along. Now, if you will excuse me.

Tristan nodded and headed to the location marked on his map. He found the two tomes quickly enough, and sitting down in one of the reading nooks he transferred the contents – up to Thirteenth Order of both mind and water elementalism spells – to his Omnitome.

Wrapping that up, and putting the books back, he was about to use his pin when he caught sight of Eloise with Felicity perched atop her staff walking over. "Ah, Lord Tristan," Eloise raised an appraising eyebrow, "You look…different."

Tristan nodded, "I did something special in the Fey Realm. Thanks for getting her, Felicity."

Felicity flew over to Tristan's head and took her perch, "No problem." She began batting at his ears, gently batting. "Bat. Batty bat."

Tristan ignored the minor irritation and spoke to Eloise, "Did you find anything out?"

"A little," she replied. "The assassins are trans-Realm. The Venomous Rose. They aren't a huge organization by all accounts – divination resulted in learning of the general numbers. About a hundred, in total." She frowned, "The interesting part is that they all carry two artificed items – a cloak which activates upon their death, which is something I have never heard of such an item doing, and the daggers that change shape and style according to the user's whims."

"A contingent activated item," Tristan clarified, with Eloise's nod confirming the concept. "And you've never heard of that being done?"

She shook her head, "If they could exist, they would be immensely powerful. Think about it – any ruler could have contingent, stored spells in artificed items for all manner of occasions. Poison, stabbing, you name it." She sighed, "I even consulted our experts on the matter, some of the professors here, and we cannot figure it out. It should not be possible. One of the limitations of artificed items is that they require essence to function."

"Shot in the dark – can you store essence?"

Felicity yawned, "I can make a storage dimension, why not make energy storage?"

Eloise's brow furrowed, "There are countless possible spell types out there. It is…reasonable, to state that some essence storage spell type has been discovered and cultivated." She groaned and rubbed her temples, her staff holding upright next to her on the ground. "This is going to be such a headache to figure out with new departments."

Tristan continued, "And I'd guess the stored spell has something to do with keeping them alive once they are slain?"

"Correct," Eloise replied. "Cloaks and daggers remain behind, which means whatever energy storage artificed items must be consumed, as the Cloak's stored spell is an old Blended Spell called Recover and Repose. Necromancy and teleportation, the spell causes the user's life to linger briefly, and then teleport away."

"Does it normally leave behind dust?" Tristan asked.

"It does," she replied. "We know that the assassins you have killed before have not actually died. Additionally, their benefactor has access to someone who can use artifice. Or several people who can, since they outfit with a new cloak and dagger each time."

Tristan felt anger. I've killed them, he thought, and they have some way to cheat their death? He thought back to Gertrude, the dead guards, and the slain house staff. I never got vengeance for them.

Eloise was smiling, "The other bit of good news, aside from knowing approximate number of assassins, is that my friend was able to discern the Realm of origin. Convoluted divination spell, but she was able to determine the Demon Realm is where the objects were made. It stands to reason that the home base of operations is there."

Tristan frowned, "I already killed a demon lord and a demon dragon from that Realm. I don't think my going there to find out more about this assassination faction is viable."

"It is not," Eloise replied. "Instead, just let my people keep doing some digging. I have contacts who are going to see what they can learn. In the meantime, just stay here at the Citadel."

"What about visiting other Realms in disguise?" Felicity asked.

Eloise frowned, "I would not advise it, but ultimately you make your own decisions."

"I would like to," Tristan stated. "I should introduce myself to Realm Protectors."

Eloise let out a slight guffaw that she stifled in the relatively quiet Archive. "Really?"

Tristan raised an eyebrow, "Considering that I'm above my Realm's Protector in the pecking order, I figured making introductions and broaching friendly relations would be a prudent path."

Eloise kept her voice low, but there was some amusement to her tone. "If you think you can get an audience with one? Be my guest."

Felicity stopped batting his ears and dipped her head over his, "We should go check out each of the Elemental Realms!"

"Not a smart idea," Tristan replied. "Arch Dragons are their term for their Realm Protectors." He looked to Eloise, "Any suggestions?"

She shook her head, "Not in particular. I think it is a fool's errand. My advice? Just stay here and practice your essence-weaving."

It…it might be the right path to take, Tristan thought. Just stay safe and bide my time while she figures out where the assassins are coming from. Stop them at the source. He nodded curtly, "Very well. I'll stay here for now. Or visit the Fey Realm. I'll advise you before I do so. Well, minus a Heavenly Realm visit."

She nodded and grabbed her staff, "That Realm is safe for visitors. Anything else?"

"No," Tristan replied as he reached up, grabbed Felicity, and set her on the table. "Thank you, Eloise."

"Mhmm." She tapped her staff and vanished with a pop.

Felicity sat on her haunches on the table, "What's the game plan?"

"Too late for the inter-Realm market," Tristan said softly. "Most of the portals are closed I'd bet." He looked around the at the books, and then over to the Archivist. "I don't see any type of security system here," he muttered.

"Oooh? Thinking of stealing something?" Felicity asked as she began tapping her paws excitedly.

"In a way," Tristan replied. "Go invisible, and go get me some books…"

Tristan and Felicity were up all night. She flew little runs back and forth as he filled up his Omnitome with all of the spell types he could get his hands on. Dozens upon hundreds of spell types. Enough that he was pretty sure they had put every known spell type into his Omnitome – all thanks to Felicity's impossible-to-spot nature for non-Elf blooded folk. It might be dangerous if this falls into the wrong hands, he thought, but that won't ever happen.

He knew it wouldn't, because he had an idea. "Felicity," he stated, "How do you do your storage dimension thing? How do all fairy dragons do it?"

She frowned as she looked at the various books on the table. "I never really thought about it. I just wave my paw or hand and it opens." She gestured, and the storage dimension opened up. She waved her paw again and it shut. "It's just a part of me."

Tristan got up and began putting the books back in their various locations, then headed over to The Archivist. "Hey there! I have a question on spell types."

She grabbed a pen and jotted down, Go ahead.

"My fairy dragon companion can open up a pocket dimension to store stuff. Felicity, mind showing Betty?"

Felicity did the feat once more.

Interesting, Betty wrote. Extradimensional spaces are a known spell type.

"Do you know anyone here who can do it?"

Any essence-weaver not bound by their heritage, Betty wrote back. Ask any human student, and give them the spell. Here is the location of a spell tome with that information.

Tristan took the scribble and handed it to Felicity, "Go get it. I'm going to find a human student."

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