Draco had been sitting for quite some time, observing the somewhat nervous bustle. Almost constantly, someone new would appear, instructors in Solvein uniforms and magicians in ordinary robes. Everyone was heading towards the terrace where the incident had taken place.
The dragon also looked at the unconscious people lying in rows. He quickly spotted Aidan, barely three victims away from where he himself had woken up. Among the others, clergymen were still bustling about, providing first aid. However, Draco was certain that not everyone who had taken the exam that day was here. Combining this with the absence of healers and the redhead's stories about the Tower of Water, the dragon concluded that whatever had happened must have resulted in serious injuries.
As time passed, the weakness he had felt earlier gave way to unpleasant nausea, which, however, did not significantly affect the dragon's functioning. Nevertheless, following the priestess's instructions, he sat politely on the wall, waiting to see what would happen. When the first people began to wake up and slowly recover, Draco began to worry about something else entirely. Judging by the time he spent observing the area and roughly estimating how long he might have been unconscious, it was already late, very late. This meant that the carriage from Ed'heer, and thus the soldiers, had been waiting in front of Solvein for a good few hours. Much longer than the exam should have lasted. The master had only brought him there in the morning and gone to his office, so someone else must have come for the dragon, probably Ari and his company. It was probably even more stressful for them, because due to the exams, no one was allowed into the complex, and Draco doubted that the soldiers had been given any information.
The dragon looked towards the road disappearing behind one of the Towers, wondering how much longer he would have to sit here. Looking around, he saw another group of magicians emerging from the Solvein building. At the very front was a figure in a red and purple robe. Judging by his posture and attire, Draco suspected that the rector of the Academy himself had finally arrived.
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Darius felt like screaming at the top of his lungs. He had been having nothing but problems since morning. As soon as he left his apprentice in Solvein, he ran into a messenger sent by Rex. It turned out that there had been a mistake in the archives and all the reports had to be verified. And that was just the beginning. Upon arriving at his destination, he discovered that not only had there been irregularities, but there were also visible gaps. He had no idea that refraining from swearing could be so difficult.
Verifying the archives and documents that ended up in the Azure Guard's office was tedious and extremely monotonous. Fortunately, he did not have to do it alone, as Rex and three not-so-happy clerks also got to work. Just when it seemed that the drudgery was coming to an end, another messenger appeared at the door. The urgent summons to a meeting at intelligence headquarters was not welcome, but he could not ignore it.
The journey from the archives to the Luminous Palace gave Darius some respite, but only then did he realise how late it was. He began to wonder how Draco had done on his exam. He had no doubt that the dragon had passed, but he wondered if his student was not too concerned about the upcoming tests and the results of the previous ones. Sometimes it seemed that the reptile saw the biggest problems in the simplest things. Darius sighed deeply and tried to take his mind off it. He failed.
With a new headache, he entered the headquarters and stumbled upon an argument between soldiers. The situation was unclear, to say the least. Intelligence officers were tossing around conflicting reports from various agents, trying to figure out which one was telling the truth. The matter was quite serious, as it mainly concerned politics at the Tsar's court. The discrepancies stemmed from the sources themselves. Agents working in Rekserberg reported that the vampire ruler was pressuring the Tsar to agree to a ceasefire during negotiations with Mortis. This was allegedly due to problems with arming new units and protracted negotiations with dragon mercenaries.
On the other hand, news came from St. Petersburg that contradicted the previous report. According to them, the vampire ambassador suggested intensifying military operations and attempting to create a new front. He was said to be looking for an opportunity to break Mortis' position by attacking the Chernka enclave and capturing the fortress located there. Additional troops were to come from the boyars and one of the mage guilds located in Moscow.
Darius may not have had the latest information, but rumours had been reaching him for some time. The rumours came from a trusted source, one with beautiful lips and a deadly smile. Gizel mentioned several times that Ambassador Wolczar was suspiciously often in contact with mage guilds from various regions of the empire. It seemed that this should not be too worrying, but over time, the pro-war attitude of the local mages became increasingly alarming. This even led to Marshal Zilven personally travelling north as a mediator.
After gathering all the information and consulting with other intelligence departments, they finally reached a consensus. Both informants were telling the truth, and the problem from the beginning had been Wolczar's unforeseen machinations. In addition, agents from Dagos, Abbis and Durtah Zav added some fresher information. The dragon mercenaries adamantly refused to lower the price for their services, greatly reducing the combat potential of the Tsar's army. The dwarven forges worked day and night to deliver the weapons ordered by both sides of the conflict, necessary to arm further units. The orcs, on the other hand, were growing impatient with the war raging almost on their territory, viewing the tsar's actions with increasing disfavour.
After completing all the documents, Darius could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Leaving the intelligence offices, he thought about visiting his own office to check if there was any important news waiting for him. However, as soon as he crossed the doorstep, he knew that something else had happened.
In the corridor, right next to the entrance to the intelligence offices, stood one of the messengers from Ed'heer. He quickly caught up with the earl and briefly told him what had happened during the exams in Solvein. Bleist abandoned all other thoughts and immediately went home. The only positive aspect was that Oscar, as soon as he heard what had happened at the Academy, sent a message not only to Darius, but also to Dr Herpetes, asking him to visit. Earl spent so much time in the intelligence office that a message summarising the healer's visit arrived from Ed'heer. Fortunately, the examination showed that nothing had happened to the dragon.
The carriage stopped. Darius, torn from his thoughts, looked out the window and was surprised to see the facade of Ed'heer. He did not know at what point his mind had wandered so far, but considering his level of fatigue and all the thoughts swirling around in his head, perhaps it was not surprising.
One of the soldiers opened the door. Before he could speak, Bleist was already halfway to the door.
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Draco sat on the sofa staring at Oscar sitting opposite him. The older man had not taken his eyes off the dragon since he learned about the unpleasant incident in Solvein. He quickly notified the master and asked for a consultation with Dr. Herpetes. As it turned out, the healer found a moment to come to Ed'heer. Fortunately, the examination revealed no injuries, but the dragon was still given several potions to drink, the names of which he did not even want to know. Although they helped with his constant nausea, the potions were still nasty. In addition, Draco was forbidden from exerting himself in any way until at least the following day. This was unimaginable for the reptile, as he was already bursting with energy and couldn't sit still. It was for this reason that he found himself under Oscar's constant and very attentive care.
The majordomo's uncompromising attitude forced the dragon to capitulate, and he politely took up his books. At the same time, he talked to the older man about non-committal topics. They chatted about their favourite foods, science, life in Ed'heer, and many other things. They were interrupted only by a knock on the door. A messenger from Solvein brought a letter informing them that the combat exams had been delayed by one day and that those who had not managed to take the magic tests would have to report to the arena on the same day in the morning.
The door opened unexpectedly and Darius stood in the doorway. He looked exhausted again and was undoubtedly worried. He quickly approached his apprentice.
'Are you sure you're all right?' Bleist blurted out, looking closely at the dragon.
'Everything's fine, Master.' Draco smiled, hoping it would cheer his master up a little. 'Doctor Herpetes didn't find anything.'
'What happened there?' Darius, having made sure that his pupil was indeed all right, sat down next to the reptile. 'I heard the description from the messenger, but many things don't add up for me.'
The boy looked at his master for a moment, weighing in his mind how he should phrase what he wanted to say. Finally, he decided there was no point in worrying about the right words and simply outlined what he had seen. He had to admit to himself that it wasn't really much. Flashes, fog, and something moving in it. Very little.
'Once more.' The magician leaned towards his student. 'Something passed you by, and then there was a great flash?'
'Yes.' Draco regretted not catching a glimpse of what it was, even out of the corner of his eye. He was extremely curious himself. 'I would even say that I noticed the movement more than what caused it.'
'The most important thing is that you came out of it unscathed.' Darius was visibly relieved. 'An aura and wave of energy capable of shocking not only students but also assistants is certainly not normal. You need to be knowledgeable in advanced magic, have considerable reserves of mana, and hide your intentions from the examiners...' Earl thought for a moment.
'I didn't even have a chance to get close.' Draco was more pleased than disappointed about this fact. He didn't like to get himself into trouble, and at that moment, the arena certainly promised plenty of it.
'Maybe it's for the best,' Oscar, who had been listening to them in silence for a while, interjected.
'Yes, definitely,' Darius looked at the dragon again. 'This whole situation must have been exhausting, and the potions probably didn't make you any more awake. You should lie down, Draco.'
The reptile was already taking a breath to reply, but his master's concerned yet stern gaze cooled his enthusiasm. Before going to prepare for bed, he thanked Oscar for making the time enjoyable and Darius for his concern.
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Draco did not sleep well that night. The dream spectre chasing him through the maze of passages and corridors had returned. Tireless and terrifying, it was always just a step away from the dragon. When it came within arm's reach, he woke up with his heart racing.
'It's just a dream... It's just a dream...' he repeated to himself. However, to ease his mind, he lit a few small fireflies. They helped a little, but did not dispel the nightmare.
As a result, the dragon woke up later than usual and feeling uncomfortable. In addition, he had the impression that he had spent most of the night thinking rather than sleeping.
Yawning widely, he dragged himself to the dining room. He hoped that a good breakfast would improve his mood. He had not yet entered the room when he heard the sounds of a heated discussion coming from behind the door. It was easy to distinguish the master's voice, and the other was equally pleasant to the ear. Draco entered with a broad smile.
Gizel was explaining something to Darius, gesturing animatedly and using rather colourful language. She looked much better than when they last met, but not as good as when they first met.
'Gizel, it's wonderful to see you again.' Draco rushed over to greet her.
'Oh! My dear, I was just about to ask about you.' The elf interrupted her speech and turned to the dragon with a sincere smile on her face. 'It's so good to see you.'
'We missed you,' the reptile blurted out before he could bite his tongue. He knew perfectly well why the duchess had left in such a hurry.
'The estate cannot manage itself, and I had to take care of something.' Her broad smile was captivating. 'A bunch of boring duties not worth mentioning. Better tell me how you are doing.'
Draco took his place at the table and began to talk.