The ash fell steadily as the Hippogriff slid into Porthaven. The crew stood in silent vigil watching the flames consume what was left of the small town. Across the water the fire crackled and buildings came tumbling down. A lighthouse fell into the still water, and vanished, leaving no trace that it had ever stood on Porthavens rocky shores.

A dark cloud hung above the devastated town and the crowd that gathered at the docks shouted at the Hippogriff as the ship drew steadily nearer.

“It's all gone,” said Jayce, his voice barely above a whisper.

His face grew white, “Malice,” he whispered.

Scarlet cursed under her breath. Her steady gaze met Tristans. Something in her eyes put him on guard. Scarlet had seen the blue flames surrounding him during the serpent king's attack.

Tristans could see her piecing it together, his vision of Malice, the blue flames. Scarlet looked like a hunter that had just found its prey.

A fight broke out on the docks as people tried to get to the front of the queue.

“Those folk will tear us apart to get on board,”said the captain.

He shook his head. “We ain't anchoring here.”

“We can't just leave them,” said Luna. “They’ve lost everything. Some could be badly hurt.”

The captain puffed out his chest and blew out his mustache.

“You are free to swim ashore, lady if that's what you want,” he said. “This is a merchant ship, fully loaded with cargo. We have enough space for twenty passengers, including crew. There’s more than a hundred folk gathered there.”

“But,” began Luna.

“No buts. There’s too many of them, there’s no way they’ll all fit aboard.” He pointed a stubby finger at Luna. “Are you going to be the one who selects those we take and those that stay behind?”

Tristan rested a hand on Luna’s shoulder.

“We will report this to the city watch in Aressea,” said Jayce. “They’ll send help.”

A group of bystanders jumped into the water and began swimming towards the ship.

“Hard to port,” commanded the captain. “Let's get out of here.”

“Wait,” Tristan shouted.

The captain waved a hand at him. “We are done waiting.”

“We can come back,” said Jayce.

Tristan shouted, “I'm getting off here,” and before anyone could say a word he ran down the stairs and to his cabin.

Tristan tore the blanket off his hammock and used it to strap Unity, his new sword to his back.

One thought raced through his mind as he headed back onto the deck. Malice was after the lightning magi. If there was even a chance that she was still alive, he needed to find her.

Up on deck the scene hadn't changed much when Tristan arrived. Jayce and Luna were talking to the captain and Scarlet was standing alone watching the smoldering town.

“You’re an interesting guy,” Scarlet said as she came up beside Tristan.

“You are free to join me,” he said.

She laughed. “I said you are an interesting guy, not a smart guy.”

Jayce joined the two of them. He shook his head. “I think you’re crazy, hoa.”

Tristan laughed.

Luna hugged Tristan. “You don't have to go,” she said.

Tristan rested his hands on Luna’s shoulders. “This could be my last chance to find answers,” he said.

Their gazes met and Tristan saw a light of sadness in Luna’s eyes.

“We will send help as soon as we can,” she said.

He nodded.

There was a huskiness in his throat. He didn't trust himself to speak immediately.

With all that had happened in his short time on Westwind, he had grown close to Luna, Jayce, Gabbro and even Scarlet. To them their relationship was a fleeting thing, thought Tristan. But to him they were the first friends he’d ever had.

As he stepped to the side of the ship, he felt something familiar. The world had changed but once again he felt rejected.

“This is just a game,” Tristan told myself.

He secured the sword on his back and without looking back he dived into the ocean and left the only friend he’d ever known behind.

***

Tristan avoided the harbor and the crowds that had gathered there. Instead he swam with the current to a rocky outcrop on the south side of the island. There was no one around when he pulled himself onto shore. He unwrapped his sword, hoping that the saltwater wouldn't cause it to rust. He wrung out his bathrobe and blanket and laid them on a rock to dry.

Tristan climbed atop the highest rock and sat in his boxers and watched the Hippogryph slowly disappearing over the horizon.

It felt like someone was watching him. Tristan felt a chill wash over him. He looked around but nobody was there.

From the dream Tristan remembered the basic outline of the island. The town spread from the western shore to the center of the island. On the northern side of the island was a hilly area that overlooked the sea. It was there that he would find the Master's hut. Tristan wasn't sure what answers he would find on Porthaven. Malice had brought him to Umbra and the dragon was connected to the Master. If the Master was still alive she was the only lead he had.

***

It was a ghost town that Tristan walked through. The fires had been so intense that building and rock turned to molten lava. Once cooled, it had fused into horrifying shapes. Faint embers glowed within the shapes. Smoke bellowed out of the remains of black charred buildings. The smell of burnt bodies permeated the air all around him.

Porthaven was a thing of nightmares. He passed the charred corpses of a family that had been sitting at a burnt table, eating dinner.

Everywhere were signs that the dragon’s fire had caught the people unawares. The light reflected off of something shiny half buried under rocks. Tristan pushed the rocks aside. He stared at the remains of a charred hand half buried in the earth and reaching for the sky. On the finger of the hand was a gold wedding ring, just like Tristan mothers.

A gut wrenching feeling came over Tristan. He bent over and threw up in the street.

“This is just a game,” he said as he wiped his mouth clean.

In the center of the town square the ground had been torn up and turned to granite in the shape of a massive wave. Objects protruded out of the grim wave. Tristan didn't have the stomach to look any closer.

He was so bothered by the sight that he nearly stepped onto a gnarled form of an old man huddled next to a building wall.

Tristan bent down to help the man then realized that the old man’s skin had turned a blue gray from suffocation.

Tristan kept walking, the grip on his sword growing tighter with every step he took.

***

The red afternoon sun shone through patches in the black clouds as Tristan reached the northern part of town. He found Master Fannen sitting on the roof of a collapsed building. He recognized her not from her clothes, which were tattered rags, or from her face, which was buried in her hands. It was the yellow halo of light that surrounded her and the sword on her lap that gave her away.

“You come to finish me off?” she asked, without looking up.

“Master Fannen?” Tristan asked.

“And in that form,” she said, then laughed. “You monsters are sick.”

“It's not what you think,” Tristan began to say but before he could finish speaking Fannen had crossed the space and attacked.

Tristan lifted his sword instinctively and barely deflected the blow in time.

Fannen jumped back landing on the balls of her feet and scattering debris in all directions.

Tristan blinked and when his eyes opened again Fannen was already closing the distance. Her sword raised high ready for an overhead strike.

He lifted Unity to block the attack but Fannen’s sword stroke didn't come. Tristan grunted in pain as she kicked him in the stomach instead. He staggered back and the Master followed up her kick with a downward slash at his chest. Tristan dodged a moment too late and her blade sliced across his side like fire searing through his skin.

Tristan fell to the ground and clutched at his bleeding wound with one hand. With the other he raised his sword and stared at her defiantly. Master Fannen stepped towards Tristan slowly as if she had all the time in the world, her sword raised and ready to deliver the killing blow.

“Stop!” Tristan shouted. “Please, I’m not here to fight.”

“Says the monster with a sword,” she said through gritted teeth.

Tristan dropped his sword and raised his hands.

“I'm a traveler,” he said. “Luna sent me.”

The Master hesitated. Tristan saw the yellow halo around her flicker and then die down. Fannen fell to one knee with her sword still clutched in her hand and for the first time Tristan saw how badly injured she really was.

The fingers on Fannen’s left hand were bloody stumps and the whole left side of her body was burnt and bleeding.

Tristan said, “I didn't come to fight but to talk.”

He stood up, left his sword on the ground and walked up to her.

“I mean no harm,” he said.

Tristan held out his hand and she stared at it for a moment before taking it with her good hand.

A vision flared into Tristan’s mind. He saw a tiny wizened woman with fairy wings and wearing silver spectacles. The old fairies eyes widened as she noticed him.

“Out,” said the fairy. She flicked Tristan on his forehead and his vision blurred.

“Are you helping me up or just holding my hand?” asked the Master.

“What?” Tristan stammered as he helped her up. “Sorry it's just, I thought I saw...” Tristan trailed off.

“You look just like the hero,” said Master Fannen. “But the hero had no children.”

“I just want to talk,” said Tristan.

“Well talk,” she said. “As you can see,” she gestured at her wound. “I don't have much time left.”

“Can I help you?” he asked.

“Are you a healer?”

Tristan shook his head.

“What can you do to help?”

“Not much I guess,” he stammered.

“Do you usually say things just for the sake of making noise?” she asked.

“It's something we do where I come from,” Tristan muttered.

“Where's that? You clearly are not from around here.”

“London,” Tristan said.

Fannen’s eyes hardened and she reached for her sword and then stopped.

“No semi intelligent person would say they are from London unless they had a death wish. Start speaking Tristan. Why are you really here?”

Tristan figured he better get to the point in case she changed her mind and decided to kill him.

“Have you heard of anyone traveling between worlds?” he asked. “Is that all you came to ask?”

Tristan nodded.

“I didn't think there were any worlds other than Umbra,” she said.

“So, coming here was a waste of time,” said Tristan.

“Listen young man, as much as I’d like to help you. There are more pressing issues right now. Like getting off this island.”

Master Fannen walked over to the remains of her hut and kicked away the debris.

“Why did Malice attack you?” Tristan asked. “I know he was looking for you.”

“What is your connection with Malice? How does a boy know that the dragon is free when all the world still thinks he is safely sealed away?”

Tristan took a deep breath and told her his story. There was no reason to hold back. He told her about his coming to Umbra, about the green haired girl and the dragon. Finally he told her about the dream.”

Fannen paced while Tristan spoke, she asked no questions and did nothing to interrupt him. The sun had set when he finished his story. Thin wisps of mist crept up from the ocean and covered the land like a wet blanket.

When Tristan was finished talking he leant against a broken down wall that used to form part of Fannens hut.

The Master continued pacing, tangled in her own thoughts.

“Do you believe me?” He asked, when the silence had stretched on for too long.

Fannen stopped pacing and turned to him. “Most magi would kill you if they believed half of what you just said.”

Tristan glanced at his sword which was propped up against a broken down wagon.

“Lucky for you I’m not a magi any more,” she said. “I’m just a researcher.”

She walked over to Tristan and looked him in the eye.

“Do you have missing parts of your memory?” she asked.

“No.”

“Do you wake up in places and not know how you got there?”

He shook his head.

“That's good,” she said. “Let's hope for your sake that the connection is one sided.”

She looked at him meaningfully. “The dragon is newly awakened. His attack should have destroyed me and this whole island. If he notices the connection he will kill you.”

Tristan swallowed the lump forming in his throat.

“You need to sever the link.”

“How do I do that?” he asked.

Fannen shook her head slowly.

“We need to get to the academy,” she said. “They can heal me and there you will get the instruction you need to defend yourself from the dragon’s taint and hopefully find a way to sever the link before it's too late.”