Bertram and Rory did not join Tristan; only Felicity flew over to land on his head, making her paw-claw biscuits on his scalp. "I found them lounging up on the top boughs with some starberry wine. No interest!"

Tristan spun his crucible, activated the ring, and warped back to The Mortal Realm, to the Citadel of Essence, outdoors near the inter-Realm marketplace. It was late morning, with the sun high overhead given the shorter days in the southern hemisphere with the deepening Wither Season upon them.

"Only…" Felicity reached into her extradimensional storage space and pulled out her Omnitome, flipping open the cover. "Wow, time flies when you're busy! 20th of Wither Season. Sixteen days until the first student visit from here to the Fey Realm."

Tristan walked over toward the inter-Realm market, activating the Disguise Form spell inside of his Anorox Family Crest. His appearance was that of his Bhant human guise, and not a single eye drifted toward him with suspicion or alarm as he walked through the market. Stopping by a food vendor stall, he purchased a few pastries and handed one up to Felicity, who snagged the nut-filled pastry from him and scarfed it down.

"What's the plan?" she asked through crumbs.

Tristan looked about, "We need to check in with Eloise." Spinning his crucible once more, he pushed the powerful magical energy into his Citadel Student Pin, activating the Limited Teleport inside, and traveling to Eloise's desk in the administrative part of the Citadel."

She looked up from a book she was reading; several parchments unfurled next to her on her desk in orderly, organized piles. "I was wondering when you would show up." She tented her hands and rested her chin on them. "Please, sit."

Tristan did so, and Felicity appeared with a pop a split-second later as she flapped down to sit on the other chair next to him. "Sorry for being abrupt," Tristan said.

"Last we spoke you were being chased by assassins and sought refuge in your Fey Realm," Eloise said calmly, her solid, glowing, red eyes boring into him. "And I told you I would acquire information." She tapped the pile of missives to her left, "We have some answers."

Felicity frowned, "Then what are you waiting for? Who is trying to kill Tristan?"

Eloise leaned back in her chair for a moment, pursing her lips, before she stood up and grabbed the parchment, rolled it up, and put it into one of her cloak's pockets. She also grabbed her stave. "We should meet with and discuss with Markus."

Right. That's the Headmaster, Tristan recalled. "Very well," he said as he stood up. Felicity hopped up onto his head.

Eloise came around her desk, tapped her stave on the ground, and the trio were warped to the corridor of offices, with the one before them labeled "Headmaster." Eloise walked forward and rapped her knuckles on the solid wood a few times.

The door opened seemingly of its own volition, and Eloise gestured for Tristan and Felicity to follow her in. They did so, and the door shut behind them. The small foyer was the same as before, but the main office itself was slightly different – the furniture had been moved around so that the desk which had been dominant in the center of the room was pushed against a wall.

On the ground was a huge grid of complex, entwined coils of metal that made out a mesmerizing pattern that sparkled and glittered. Markus Vrilz, the Human Headmaster, sat on a cushion in front of the small array. He glanced up, "Eloise, Lord Tristan, Student Felicity-"

"I'm the court Jester, thank you very much!" Felicity interrupted.

That got a slight smile from the man, "Well, my apologies. Welcome. Eloise, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

She produced the series of scrolls and walked around the metal array that clicked and sparked, "Professor Ghavron was able to determine that the assassins that stalked and nearly killed our enrolled students in the Wild Realm are, in fact, coming from the Demon Realm. A base of operations whose location is still hidden…but we know who is sponsoring them." She glanced back to Tristan, "Ever heard of the Demon King, Duberceix?"

Felicity laughed, "Ha! I called it! He kidnapped bloodlines and killed the rest off. He's breeding replacements and is going to take over the Mortal Realm!"

Elosie looked genuinely impressed and confused at once. "How could you possibly know that?"

Felicity trumpeted, "I'm an evil genius when I want to be!"

Tristan interrupted, his tone deathly serious. "So we know who is responsible. A Realm Protector who plots against the Mortal Realm. What are the Realm Protectors, the gods, going to do about it?"

Headmaster Markus sighed and shook his head, "The gods of our Realm are not as invested as other Realm's Protectors. Mostly because of the sheer population numbers for people. As long as this…insidious takeover does not overtly disrupt the status quo, they will not care."

Eloise nodded and looked at Tristan, "Now that we know who is responsible…I am afraid to say, but the rest would be up to you acting in a non-student capacity."

Tristan took his Citadel Student Pin and slotted it into a spare opening on his amulet belt, slightly adjusting the pin to dig into the leather and stay affixed. "I understand. You cannot have the Citadel mixed up in my personal vendetta."

"Glad you see it that way," the Headmaster stated. "Eloise…I believe you have a sabbatical coming up, do you not?"

"I do in a Season."

"Take it when Tristan here goes to do what he needs to do, if you desire to help him out."

Eloise looked to Tristan and a smile flicked across her lips. "I would offer my help if you would take it, Lord Tristan. I have a bone to pick with Duberceix."

"What kind?" Tristan asked.

Eloise's face turned to a frown. An angry frown. "He…well, one of his early moves when I was a little girl was to enslave my village. I escaped here, to the Citadel. I wouldn't mind getting revenge of my own."

"I would be happy to accept your help," Tristan replied. "First off, though, we need more intelligence. Where the assassins are headquartered, how they are able to come back from the dead, how to stop that from happening, and finding allies."

"I doubt you'll find many there," the Headmaster replied.

Felicity spoke rapidly and with excitement, "We can surely find some Demon Lords who hate the current Demon King and want to displace him. All we have to do is go there – in disguise of course – and do some work to make a reputation, get into some audiences, and make some friends in high places. Then, we reveal ourselves, and our grand plan. Get a whole bunch of the Demon King's underlings to turn on him. Then, we attack!"

The Headmaster smirked, "They do have a predilection for undermining one another, not a bad plan, all things considered."

Eloise grinned, "Sounds excellent. Although, it may be better if we split up once we are in the Demon Realm. I can stay in the largest city and gather information there, whilst you go to the outlying cities and interact with the different Demon Lords to see if you can accomplish your plan." She pointed to the silver ear-cuff around his ear. "We need to prepare with artificed items."

"Agreed," Tristan replied. "I recently acquired access to Fourth Order spells."

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The Headmaster grinned, "Congratulations, Sorcerer Tristan. Fourth Order is a mighty threshold that many Humans finish their education here at achieving. And you have been essence-weaving for how long now?"

"Under a year," Tristan replied.

"Rapid advancement," Markus replied.

Felicity spoke with confidence, "I can use Third Order! And I have transmutation."

"It's not a competition," the Headmaster said with a slight smirk. "Although many students do treat it as such."

Eloise cleared her throat, "Congratulations aside, how long do you need to prepare?"

"I would want some time to prepare. Really prepare," Tristan replied. "Let's say at the end of Wither Season, start of Winds. How's that sound."

"Plenty of time," Eloise stated. "You will be able to memorize spells in that span, I trust?"

"Yes," Tristan replied. "I won't be memorizing a huge amount, though. Just the ones I plan on using routinely. The rest that are useful, I'll artifice into items." He gestured to his armor, "This alone has ten artificed spells within it."

This registered a look of shock from both essence-weavers, but Eloise broke the momentary silence. "How?!"

Tristan quickly described the layers of the armor and the small rods in the bracers. "I fully intend on getting more of these rods artificed," he stated. "Along with even more – then I can swap out offensive spells stored in the bracers." He also grabbed the small, cloth sleeve that covered the amulet belt and pulled that aside to reveal the several amulets and citadel pin. "The armor is defensive, the rods inside the bracers will be offensive, and the amulets will be for utility."

Eloise looked genuinely impressed, and the Headmaster had a look that Tristan could only describe as greedy. "This…imagine if we had…" he cracked a wide smile, "Make sure your markets are stocked. I plan on acquiring many assets from your craftsmen."

"If you can get your hands on any dragon blood, and test it for poison before bringing it along to trade, I'd take that instead of coin or gem."

The Headmaster nodded, "I will begin acquiring such specimens. Still in liquid form?" he queried.

"Yes. I need to be able to drink it," Tristan replied.

"Very well. I will work on that as soon as I finish my current project." The Headmaster tapped Eloise's calf from his seated position. "You and Lord Winterbloom here will be fine in the Demon Realm, I am sure." He locked eyes with Tristan, "But, you are not affiliated with the Citadel during your venture for vengeance. I want that made perfectly clear. You will surrender your citadel pin," his eyes shifted to Eloise, "and your staff at the Demon Realm portal to one of the rift wardens."

Eloise and Tristan both nodded, and Felicity bopped Tristans' head with her paw-claws. "I'm going to stay here," she said with confidence. "Work on learning more transmutation spells. I learn better with someone teaching me." She poked Tristan in the head, "Visit every few days?"

He nodded which shook her slightly atop his head. "Of course. Eloise, I am going to head to the Fey Realm, acquire a whole bunch of items we can artifice, and then I want to come back here and work with some essence-weavers for spell types that I cannot use. We need realmwalking spells for a quick escape if necessary, communication that is better than my current half-Realm capabilities, and anything else you think appropriate."

She replied, "Vous parlez couramment la langue des démons, n'est-ce pas?" (You are fluent in Demon's Tongue, yes?).

Tristan responded flawlessly with practiced perfection from a youth at court speaking the language of the nobility in the kingdom of Bhant. "Oui, mais je ne connais pas les coutumes du royaume des démons," (Yes, but I do not know the customs of the Demon Realm).

Eloise grimaced slightly, "Then perhaps we should get a translation spell – which falls underneath communication as a spell type – we should get that placed in an item you can utilize. Your speech is too formal for the average Demonkin."

"What if I used my Bhant Human disguise?" Tristan asked as he gestured to his current Disguised Form.

She shook her head, "No. I would not risk it. We should go with Demonkin to draw the least suspicion as possible. And how long does your Disguise Form last?"

"Just an hour," Tristan replied. "But it's only a First Order spell. I am due for an upgrade."

Eloise nodded, but the Headmaster spoke before she could. "I would advise that you spend adequate time preparing. Perhaps have Felicity here look into transmutation that will alter your physical body for a longer duration, as illusions are broken with sustained interaction, whereas transmutation would be undetectable save for divination spells."

Felicity grinned and giggled, "What if I made him into a her?"

Tristan bristled at the idea, but the Headmaster answered. "You could, but that comes with consequences. Gender-swapping transmutation is not temporary, and is a high Order of spell. I think…Eighth, if I recall correctly?"

"I'm good," Tristan replied. "Just getting the Demonkin physical form should be good enough." He looked to Eloise, who seemed amused at the small exchange. "We will proceed with the plan. We venture to the Demon Realm on the first of Winds Season." He bowed to the Headmaster with a small bow of recognition, "Thank you for the advice."

"You are always a student," the man replied with a cheerful smile. "Just don't get my Citadel involved, is all I ask. Diplomacy is a headache, and losing access to the Demon Realm means we lose a portion of students, and some trade for excellent reagents and components for all manner of potions and elixirs."

Elosie gestured to the door, and Tristan turned around, leaving and entering the main hallway. She looked at Felicity, "Going to go off and audit some classes?"

She nodded and poked Tristan's ear, "Love you! I'm going to go learn!" she vanished with a slight pop as she activated her student pin.

Tristan leaned against the wall and began spinning his crucible, channeling it into his ring. "I'll head to the Fey Realm in an hour. What type of gear and equipment do you want for our artificing preparations?"

She smiled, and pulled out her Omnitome from a robe's pocket, flipping it to a page and ripping it out. "I have a list of what I call my "dream equipment". It is what I would have if I could afford it."

"I'll get the Gnomes on your gear first," Tristan stated as he slipped the parchment into his hip pouch. "Then, my own items. I will return every morning and check in with you."

"And I will notify professors we may be coming in for a surprise spell they can cast. I cannot tug around an artifice teacher all day, though, so we can only do up to your Fourth Order reliably."

"What are your spell types?" Tristan asked.

"Demonkin can utilize smoke, fire, and poison elementalism, enchantment, hexes, binding, and summoning. Need a quick explanation?"

"I have an hour," Tristan replied with a sigh. "I should look at upgrading this ring."

"I wouldn't," Eloise replied as she leaned against the wall next to him, her staff couched in her elbow. "It is valuable having an older spell that is harder to track. Someone using divination to chase you across Realms would instinctively look at realmwalking spells as their answer, but the spell contained in that ring is so esoteric and outdated, it would not cross their mind." She shuffled a little bit and continued, "Which spell types are you unfamiliar with?"

"Hexes and summoning," Tristan stated.

"Hexes are curses," she replied. "They are temporary – or in the case of Tenth Order and higher, permanent afflictions. It can be as simple as you having general misfortune – misplacing a coin or two, or finding a pebble in your bread – or as dire as never being able to sleep and plagued by nightmares. Summoning entails creating manifestations of another spell type based off of a species. For example, demon bats are a common flying species in the Demon Realm. But if a Demonkin used a summoning spell, they could create copies of that creature that only last for a set amount of time, and are…flavored by the spell type they utilize. I could, for instance, summon a demon bat made of fire, or poison – you get the idea."

"Do Demon Lords have more spell types?" Tristan asked.

"Yes, they are the purest expression of various bloodlines." She smiled softly, "When we go to the Demon Realm, we will be going in blind except what my contact can tell me. But, we have our plan. I'll establish myself in the capital of the Realm, and you will go to the various Demon Lord estates and offer your service to earn credibility and trust." She glanced sideways at him, "Eventually you would need to confide in them the truth of your mission – so you must be wary and take supreme caution."

"Any chance we can get some spell scrolls with binding spells imbued into them? With standard terms?"

Eloise grinned, "An excellent idea. I'll get one of our more…thorough adjunct professor working on a template we can utilize." She stood up from the lean against the wall. "See you tomorrow." She tapped her staff and vanished.

Tristan sighed and resigned himself to waiting on his ring being filled with essence, his mind racing. I know who is responsible for mother's death, he thought. This Demon King…a Realm Protector…get allies, bring him down. Destroy the assassins by taking out their benefactor. Possibly find their base of operations before-hand and destroy that, first. I've got a lot to do preparation-wise.

He grabbed the chain holding his Anorox Family Crest and pulled it out from under his armor. Holding it in his palm, he gently traced the outline of the symbol on the front. I'm about to embark on a very not dragonslaying endeavor. Sorry, grandfather, for not sticking to what we do best. But my mother deserves justice. I'm going to have my vengeance…even if I have to kill the equivalent of a god.

That idea sent a chill through him, and he knew that this Demon King would be equal in power to The Matriarch. But, he had also seen her almost bested by an adult Fire Dragon. A large essence crucible, and potent essence-weaving, does not mean he is invincible or unkillable. Their access to artificed items is going to be far less than my arsenal, given that Elves are natural artificers. But…I will need to gather lots of information.

Learning a bit about Eloise's past, he felt a pang of sorrow for her situation. Given how old she is, that must have been during Duberceix's rise or early reign. I would hold a grudge if my whole village was enslaved and I had to flee…I can trust her. Just trust her with the intelligence gathering while I work on allies.

Before he knew it, the ring was filled up, and he activated it as he warped to the Fey Realm.

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