"Is that a Realm Opening Pill?" Jiang Fei said, looking in wonder at the small black pill Master Zhao held in his hands. Arran frowned. Again, he found that she knew far more about the world of magic than he did. "It is," Master Zhao replied. "So that's how you did it!" Jiang Fei looked at Arran as if she had finally figured him out. "That's how you opened your Wind Realm so quickly!" Arran didn't correct her. Although he had not used a Realm Opening Pill for his Wind Realm, Jiang Fei did not know about his forbidden Realm. Looking somewhat smug, Jiang Fei turned her attention back to the pill. "Is it as painful as they say?" she asked, a hint of apprehension appearing in her voice. "It's bad," Arran said honestly. "I passed out from the pain when I took it." Jiang Fei nodded thoughtfully. Then, she reached out to Master Zhao, who handed

Master Zhao was quiet, and Arran spent his time thinking about the journey that lay ahead of him. Just moments ago, he had believed that would learn magic with Master Zhao by his side to protect him from the Academy and any other dangers he might encounter. Now, he understood that the journey ahead would be far lonelier and more dangerous than he had previously imagined. He cast another glance at Jiang Fei. Her earlier spasms and convulsions had subsided, and now she looked peaceful, as if she was merely sleeping. Arran wondered whether she would join him on the journey to the Shadowflame Society. Master Zhao said he would invite her, but Arran doubted she would agree. She had joined them to become an apprentice to Master Zhao, after all. Now that the man was leaving, there was little reason for her to remain with Arran. As Arran gave the subject some thought, he wasn't entirely

Although Jiang Fei had said Redwater wasn't much of a town, Arran still found himself impressed by the sight. It was several times as large as Riverbend, with numerous houses and stores, all featuring slanted black tile roofs. At first, he was confused by the town's name, but when he saw the reddish color of the river that ran through the town, he understood. "It's iron," Jiang Fei explained. "There's iron in the hills between here and the mountains, and it turns the river red. Doesn't hurt the taste, though." Arran nodded, although he quietly resolved he would stick to drinking ale while he was in town. Not that that was much of a punishment, of course. As they searched for an inn, Jiang Fei made them stop several times to try the dumplings and steamed buns that were being sold by vendors on the side of the road. "Try this one," she said, thrusting a steamed bun into his hands.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Arran raged at Jiang Fei. They were back at the inn, and it had been over half an hour since Stormleaf had left. They had patiently waited until they were certain they weren't being listened to, but now, Arran could finally vent. "I was thinking a little lie was better than letting us get killed," Jiang Fei said flatly. "A little lie?!" Arran was dumbfounded. "You agreed that we would travel with him! What are we going to do? How can we stay hidden if they're right there with us?!" "It was the only choice," Jiang Fei said. "Even without finding Realms, we were too suspicious. And the Academy…" She sighed. "They would rather kill a few innocents than risk letting an enemy escape." Arran wanted to protest, but he thought she was probably right. Still, it took him some moments to calm down. When he finally regained his composure, he thought

Inside Arran raged a torrent of raw Essence, rushing through his veins like a violent storm. It was more than he could contain, more than he had thought possible. He had taken the ten Realm Opening Pills the moment he understood that Stormleaf planned to kill him, and now, the Essence within them erupted in his body. Taking the pills was a crazy decision, but not one he had taken without thought. Each Realm Opening Pill contained the raw Essence of a defeated Grandmaster, and if he was able to wield that power, perhaps he would have a chance of escaping the situation alive. It was a wild gamble, but it was the only thing he could think of that might give him a small chance of survival. "Who are you?" Stormleaf asked. "Were you the one who killed our brothers?" While there was some fear in the faces of his two companions, Stormleaf himself did not seem the least bit concerned. If