Tristan stood up and shook shards of glass from his blood soaked cloak. He stared down at the three Masters writhing in pain on the ground. Blood ran from their eyes and ears and the halos of light around each Master faded then vanished.

Tristan knew he was in trouble. He stumbled from the room leaving a trail of bloodied footsteps behind. He needed to get away. The Masters would hang him for what he’d done to them.

With each step Tristan took the walls lurched around him. He could see the great doorway at the end of the passage. He knew that on the other side were green fields and a gentle trickling stream. His knees were weak and the pain in his chest ached.

He reached the door and pushed against it with what strength he had left. He stumbled through the doorway and into the light. He fell to his knees. He looked down at his shirt and realized that he still had the ice bolt protruding from his chest.

He grabbed hold of the ice shard and tugged on it but his bloodied fingers kept slipping. He needed to get the ice out so his body could heal itself. His lung felt heavy and he gasped for breath.

“Help me,” he whispered. His vision blurred and the sound of fluttering wings filled the air.

***

Stones crunched under footsteps drawing nearer to him.

Through bleary eyes Tristan looked up and saw a figure holding a sword, standing over him.

He closed his eyes waiting for the blow.

“Tristan,” said a voice. It sounded far off.

“Tristan, stay with me.”

“Who are you?” he asked.

“It’s me, Luna. Jayce is here too.”

“What’s happened, hoa?” Jayce asked. “You looked terrible. Is all this blood yours?”

Tristan blinked and saw Jayce and Luna standing in the shadow of a statue.

Buzzbeak stood by his feet, keeping the two at bay.

“Could you stop the bird from attacking us?” Luna asked. “I need to lay my hands on you to heal you.”

“Buzzbeak,” Tristan said, his voice barely above a whisper.

The stormcrow hopped closer.

He tried to stroke the bird but his finger wouldn't move. He felt his consciousness beginning to slip away.

“If you trust me,” he whispered. “Get me out of here.”

***

Tristan woke up to the sight of golden healing light radiating from Luna’s hands. She looked up and her gaze met Tristans. “You’re awake.”

Jayce who had been pacing up and down beside him stopped and knelt down beside the bed. “About time, hoa” he said.

“How are you feeling?” Luna asked. “You had me worried there for a second.”

“I feel like I could sleep for the rest of my life and still be tired.”

Luna’s eyes lit up in a smile. “If you have the energy to be dramatic then you are feeling better.”

“Where am I?” he asked.

“We’re at the Badger and Toad. It's the Inn Jayce and I have been staying at.”

Luna handed him an earthy green potion. “Drink this,” she said in her most commanding voice. “It will help restore some of the blood you’ve lost.”

Tristan eyed the bottle suspiciously and then downed the potion. He pulled a sour face. “They say if it tastes bad then it must be good for you,” he said. “Then this stuff must be a miracle cure.”

“It's the ground moth wing,” she said. “You lucky you only had to drink it. I had to dry the moths and grind them into a powder and trust me they smell worse than they taste.”

“Thanks Luna. If it wasn't for you two I don't know what would have happened to me.” Tristan’s brow creased in a frown. “How did you find me?” he asked.

Luna shook her head. “Jayce sensed something bad happening at the academy. He ignored it at first but the feeling never left. So we came running. We didn't know it was you until we arrived.”

“Who attacked you? Start talking. We need to know if the attacker is still here.”

Tristan shook his head. He didn't know if he should tell them. He wasn't sure he knew what happened either.

“There’s so much to tell,” he said. “It began with the dragon.”

“What are you talking about, hoa?”

Luna’s grip tightened. “The dragon really is free,” she said.

Tristan nodded.

“And that's not all,” said Tristan. “Malice is somehow connected to me. Before Master Fannen died she told me I could learn how to sever the link at the academy.”

“Wait what?” asked Jayce. “The Master’s dead? How?”

Luna covered her mouth with a hand.

“Start from the beginning,” she said. “Tell us everything.”

Tristan knew he couldn't tell them everything. If he told them he was from another world it would create confusion and possibly they would think he was insane. He knew what people did to the insane in his world and didn't want to find out what they did to them in Umbra.

Tristan told them about the revenants. He told them about the Crimson Guards attack and how Master Fannen had died. He didn't mention the fact that he had been forced to kill her. Finally he told them how Malice had reached through him and attacked the Masters in the Chamber of Testing.

The three lapsed into silence for some time. Each tangled in their own thoughts.

They were taking it much better than he had expected.

“So what are we meant to do, hoa?” Jayce asked.

“Right now we don't do anything,” said Luna. “We are students. We can't stop Malice, as for the Crimson Guard, we just need to hope they aren't looking for Tristan.”

Something occurred to Tristan. “Where’s Scarlet?” he asked.

Luna and Jayce looked at each other then at him.

“It's a long story,” said Jayce. “Get some sleep. We’ll tell you all about it in the morning.”

***

Tristan laid back on a pillow. It was good to sleep at an Inn again. The sheets were soft and the linen smelt fresh. As he laid in bed thinking about everything that had happened that day. He heard a bell ring in the darkness. He peered off the side of the bed. Nothing was there.

He rolled onto his side and shut his eyes. He needed to get some sleep. Something small landed on the foot of his bed. He ignored it thinking it was only his imagination. Moments passed and something started to crawl slowly up the bed towards him.

Tristan sat up and saw a black cat with a silver bell around its neck staring up at him. Tristan reached out a hand to pet the cat but his hand touched something scaly. The cat purred and rubbed up against his hand and Tristan saw the cat had a pair of batlike wings on its back.

The cat pawed at the blanket and Tristan noticed a small scroll lying on the sheet.

Tristan lit his bedside lamp, then unrolled the note and read it.

Tristan Bell.

I trust your wound has healed sufficiently.

We need to speak.

Come as soon as you receive this note.

Sphinx will be your guide.

Leave your sword. Come alone.

Sphinx the cat led Tristan down the stairs of the Inn. The Innkeeper sat behind the bar dozing quietly in the corner. Tristan opened the door and stepped out into the night air.

The cat led Tristan down the main road and past a group of Night Watchmen who were standing around a fire. Sphinx took a left at an intersection across the road from a fletcher that had a statue of a woman drawing a bow in front of it. They walked up a winding road to the top of the hill. There Tristan found a rusty gate with a sign hanging from it. The writing on the sign was upside down and faded and dented from years of people throwing stones at it.

The cat slipped between the gate and Tristan followed. The gate creaked noisily. A sickle moon reflected off of rows of tombstones.

They were in a cemetery. The cat stopped in front of a crypt and waited for Tristan to catch up.

As Tristan stopped beside Sphinx, the cat’s bell rang out and began to glow a pale green. The crypt gate’s groaned and began to glow the same color. The bell around Sphinx’s neck shattered and dissolved and the gate swung open.

Tristan hesitated for a moment. Not for the first time that night he wondered if he was walking into a trap.

He thought about who could have sent the note. Apart from his friends only the butler knew that Tristan was there.

The cat tilted its head and watched Tristan.

“Where are we Sphinx?”

The cat flapped its tiny wings and began licking its paw.

“I guess you want me to go in alone?”

The cat ignored him and continued cleaning itself.

“This is mad,” he said. Tristan entered the crypt and the gates swung shut behind him.

***

A lamp flickered casting shadows along the wall. The air was dry and dusty and smelt of something Tristan thought could be embalming fluid. Two sarcophagi filled the center of the crypt and all along the walls were rows of urns with name plates beneath them.

“You came,” said a voice.

Tristan saw an old man standing behind one of the sarcophagi. The man had a beard down to his knees and had a feather duster tucked under his arm.

“My name is Aurelian Dibbet,” said the old man.

Tristan shifted awkwardly. “Why did you ask to meet here?” he asked.

“I come to this Columbarium most night's,” Aurelian said. “In this place is buried the greatest treasure.”

“What?”

“Untapped potential,” replied the old man.

“Did you know these people?” Tristan asked.

Aurelian smiled sadly but he did not answer his question.

Tristan had a moment of panic. What if the Master’s he'd injured had died and were buried in the crypt.

Aurelian seemed to read his mind.

“Let me reassure you, Tristan, that Lady Hemlock, Master Meerin and Master Calista are alive. They have been taken to the Temple of Belladeon.”

Aurelian furrowed his brows.

“Unfortunately their powers have been stripped from them.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Tristan asked.

The man raised his eyebrows.

“I have nothing to say,” said Tristan.

Aurelian’s beard wagged as he shook his head. “I understand your fear Tristan but a man that remains hidden will eventually lose himself.”

“Did you call me here to lecture me?”

Tristan was becoming frustrated. “I don't even know who you are, old man. I don't know what strange game you’re playing but I'm not interested. You hear me.”

Tristan tried to push down his rage but it felt like it wanted to rush out of him.

“You were abandoned,” said the Master. “Rejected.”

Tristan was having difficulty breathing. Blue symbols began to glow on his arm. He was so angry he wanted to lash out at the old man. To show him that he was strong. He didn't need anyone.

Jinx the cat leapt up on the sarcophagus beside him. The cat purred and rubbed its head against Tristan.

The blue light faded from his arm and Tristan looked up and met Aurelians eyes. Instead of fear or anger like Tristan expected, the old man's eyes were filled with kindness.

“You’re the Headmaster of Tempest academy,” said Tristan.

The old man smiled.

“You knew about Malice the whole time,” said Tristan. “Is that why you brought me here? So there was no one around that I could hurt.”

“I needed to see with my own eyes,” said the Headmaster.

“And?” asked Tristan.

“There is hope for you, young man. Malice has not possessed you yet.”

“Does that mean I am accepted into Tempest?” Tristan asked.

The Headmaster nodded. “Yes, but there are conditions.”

“Like what?”

“You will pay for the damages you incurred in the Hall of Testing.”

“Ok.”

“You will not use Malice’s flames in the academy. I don't want my students to be put in danger.”

“That sounds fair,” said Tristan.

“Good,” said the Headmaster. “One last thing. Let's keep this meeting to ourselves.”