When he woke up there was still twilight outside the bedroom windows and silence reigned. Draco stretched feeling rested and relaxed. There was also a strange feeling of anticipation accompanying him. Not only did the tour with his newfound company seem exciting, but he was also looking forward to what master would show him today. He knew that what he would have to learn to begin with were only the basics, but he really wanted to know more about magic. The events of the previous day were only now beginning to sink in completely. Yesterday he hadn't realised what he had actually done. It wasn't at all that he had rescued James or faced armed opponents, but that he had cast two spells. Spells he had never heard of, that he had imagined, shaped by force of will and imagination.
He still laid on the bed for a while staring at the ceiling and reflecting on everything that had happened for, after all, such a short time. He knew that he had been incredibly lucky and should be grateful to fate for what had happened. Recalling everything one by one, he again vowed to himself that he would not let his master down and would do everything in his power to make the most of the opportunity given to him.
He snapped out of his deep thoughts and stood up. Semi-darkness still prevailed everywhere, so he reflexively waved his hand releasing a portion of energy and a golden light hovered near him, illuminating the room. Fascinated, he looked at his creation and saw that a small rune signifying light was flickering inside the sphere. This time it was from the Atlantean alphabet. He tilted his head curiously and wondered how it was that he was suddenly doing such things reflexively. Only a day or two earlier he would have lit the dwarven lamps or breathed flame on the candles he had prepared. He sighed, not even knowing what to think about it. So he just waved his hand and went to get dressed. Just as reflexively as the use of magic, it came to him to take his sword with him, which he basically never parted with.
He walked around the bedroom for a while thinking what he would do so early, as he suspected it was still the middle of the night for people. All because I went to bed early. He thought, deciding to read a book from his aunt for a bit. As he entered the living room he glanced at the clock and whistled slightly in surprise. The dial showed that it was getting to four o'clock, which meant that he had not slept as long as usual. Interesting. He wondered if nervousness before the next day was to blame, or perhaps the fact that he was in a new place.
He sat down at his desk and busied himself with a book, illuminating page after page with a magic light. He had already browsed through the small booklet before, and now he was beginning to delve more deeply into its contents. As he flipped through the last page and lifted his gaze he saw that it had already become brighter outside. He looked at the clock, which this time showed a few minutes past six. Again he didn't know what to do with himself and reflexively began to fidget by rolling the sword hilt between his fingers. He only realised he was doing this after a few minutes. It was then that he realised that he was actually a bit fidgety and needed to do something with the energy. He quickly changed into a loose tunic and plain trousers and left his room. He gently closed the door behind him and descended to the lower level as quietly as possible. He remembered the layout of the next floors quite well thanks to his tour with Trace and was even able to find his way around quite well. He went down to the ground floor and it was only there that he saw one butler tidying up.
-Umm... Excuse me.- He spoke up a little uncertainly. Somehow he did not feel at ease with his situation. The man turned and appraised the dragon with his eyes, and then bowed slightly with a stony face.
-I'm listening, young master.
-Umm... What time is breakfast usually at?- Draco asked.
-At half past nine, young master.-The butler straightened up suddenly quite stiff, almost at attention.
-Young master is up already?- The majordomo's voice sounded unusually loud, amplified by the acoustics of the main hall.
-Somehow, I couldn't sleep anymore.-The dragon turned towards the older man, who looked identical to the previous evening, as if he hadn't gone to bed at all.-Good morning, Oscar.-He respectfully bowed slightly, causing a gentle flash of a smile on the aged magician's face.
-Good morning, young master.- VetSalus bowed with solemnity and lightly surveyed him with his eyes.-Are you going somewhere?- He asked raising an eyebrow.
-I need to move around a bit, so I thought I'd practice with my sword.- He replied somewhat quietly. It seemed to him that it came out somehow awkwardly, but he forced himself not to run away with his eyes.
-I wish our earl would approach his duties with such enthusiasm.- Oscar sighed barely noticeably and immediately put on a stony face.-I will send someone to fetch the young lord half an hour before breakfast.
-Thank you.- Draco smiled in appreciation, and when the majordomo nodded he quickly turned to leave.
The dragon stepped outside the palace and stretched. He adjusted his sword belt and looked around. Everywhere was quiet, the trees swayed nonchalantly in the gentle breeze, and the crystal hovering over the entire city was beginning to emit a brighter and brighter light. He took a deep breath and let himself go at a light jog around the estate. He wanted to warm up a bit before reaching the training ground. He didn't impose too fast a pace on himself, but when he reached the place he decided that he would do a few more rounds around the designated area. He then stretched a bit and prepared to exercise.
First, he practised the basic movements simulating cuts and attacks, trying to get an even better feel for the balance of the blade and how it cut through the air. He switched several times from one-handed to two-handed grip and back again, while changing stances. When he had done the full series of exercises he was used to he felt some sort of subtle change, a slight hesitation when he already wanted to holster the weapon and do some more running or some strength exercises. He squeezed his grip tighter and closed his eyes. He concentrated on his energy and sank into his source. When he looked ahead again he was standing in the middle of darkness surrounded by a sphere of light. He tightened his grip more firmly and once again, just as with the first contact, new techniques appeared in his mind, ones that had been suggested to him by Gler'thys itself. With a little hesitation, he lifted the blade and placed it in the first position. He had no idea how, but he knew that beyond the source he had done exactly the same thing. With a slow, very precise movement he began to follow what the sword was telling him. He performed each form by moving as slowly as he could. With each successive technique he could feel his muscles working, moving to the rhythm of his steps, each movement harmonising with his slow breathing. No rush. He could see each successive movement he was about to make, and at the same time he knew exactly what the whole technique looked like. Everything in its place. The end of one form and the beginning of the next aligned in a single step determining a complete change of position. Another swing, push, withdrawal and lunge forward. All at a pace that to a human would cause pain. Even to him, the dragon, the sword weighed heavy with such an exercise and it had nothing to do with the unusual balance of the weapon. He performed the four techniques intertwined into a coherent pattern and went back to the beginning. He took a deep, relaxing breath, breathed out and went to the starting position again. He repeated the whole set-up a few more times trying to correct the shortcomings, which Gler'thys signalled with a short cold sting. When he was satisfied and had assimilated the basics of the new technique he decided to perform it one last time-as fast as his skills would allow.
He stood in the starting position and took a few breaths calming himself even more. It was just him and Gler'thys. Nothing else mattered at that moment. In an instant, he tensed all over, raised his blade in a slash and danced with murderous accuracy. He could almost see the spectral opponents being reached by successive blows. Slash, retreat, duck, change position, lunge with a thrust and automatically move on to the next cut. Each move made with precision hammered into the flesh by slow practice, each fast enough to turn the blade into a shimmering smudge that seemed to float around him.
He didn't keep count of the passage of time, but he was sure the whole thing didn't take much. When he stopped, at the very end, he slid the sword into its scabbard in a slow motion and took a deep breath. He wanted to somewhat calm his rapidly beating heart and the heat of battle that was building up within him. He slowly opened his eyes on an exhale and froze. He was standing in the middle of the training ground, and all around the area marked out by stone columns stood soldiers watching him closely. They looked as if they had come here to train, but instead they just stood and watched.
-Young master keeps surprising us.- A familiar voice snapped the dragon out of his astonishment. He instantly turned towards the lieutenant, who swept past the soldiers who had been standing behind Draco's back so far.-I must honestly admit that I didn't expect something like this from a magic adept.-Eghart smiled friendly.-I rarely see such control over weapons. Young master must have practiced a lot from an early age.
-Um... I tried.-The dragon felt a bit confused. He looked around and lost his confidence even more.-I'm sorry, I didn't know you had training.-He rubbed his hands together awkwardly.-I...
-It's nothing young master!- Trace seemed bewildered. His wide eyes and slightly crooked head depicted it perfectly.-It was rather we who did not want to interrupt the young master. Young master was so focused that we did not dare to disturb.- Trace looked back at the soldiers nodding at him with seriousness.
-A...It's not that big of a deal...- Draco clasped his hands behind his back.-I had to practice a bit...and that was it.- He shrugged his shoulders.
-Just practice?-The lieutenant laughed with obvious irony.-I'm afraid to ask how young master is doing when he's serious!-This time the soldiers roared with laughter as well.
The dragon became a little abashed and gently squared his shoulders. He wasn't sure how to take the behaviour of those gathered. Until now, if he had heard something like this from others it was usually that they wanted to tease him in some way, but now he did not sense the same aura of contempt and annoyance from those around him. Rather, he felt that they were genuinely surprised and interested. Something in their eyes, some lively sparkles, also hinted that they were waiting anxiously for something.
-Hmmm...- Eghart propped himself up on his hand and appraised the dragon with his eyes. Draco was just about to ask if something had happened after all, when the lieutenant gave a quick glance at the soldiers around them.-What would young master say to joining us? Such a joint training session?
Draco was already about to refuse fearing that he would only disturb everyone, but he noticed something strange. Everyone seemed to be anticipating his reaction. On the faces staring at him, he could see some trace of concealed anticipation for confirmation.
-If I'm not bothering anyone...- he said after a moment. He lowered his eyes and stared at the ground. He wasn't sure if he had read the anticipation he had sensed earlier correctly and was a little afraid of the reaction of his master's soldiers. However, when he heard somewhere off to the side a sigh of relief he looked at the warriors. On their countenances he saw only satisfaction.
-From what I have seen, I can tell that young master will not be disturbing us.- Trace smiled in a friendly manner for a moment and then suddenly became serious.-What are you all standing around for?! - He raised his voice, looking at the soldiers. -You have already had your warm-up, so get into groups of five and practice one-on-one battles! The winner fights another duel! - The lieutenant's voice echoed over the square forcing everyone to move from their spots.- Ari! Forth! Kei! Vi! Get over here!
Everyone moved simultaneously dispersing and splitting into teams of five. Four people ran out of the crowd. As Draco concluded, they must have been the ones called by Eghart. The dragon was a little taken aback as instead of serious soldiers, four, sixteen year old boys at most, stopped in front of the lieutenant. They were of similar height to Draco, but were more slender and less muscular. They looked like they were fast and familiar with weapons, and extremely motivated.
-Young master will be practising with the four of them today.- Trace nodded at the boys standing in front of him and then beckoned the dragon to him. When Draco stood next to the lieutenant the man continued.-This is Ari Moon.-He pointed to a blond boy with olive skin and bright, serene eyes. Ari had pointed ears and fairly regular features which hinted that elven blood flowed through his veins.- Cassius Forthfinter.- The black-haired boy with pale skin croaked when his name was said and barely audibly muttered under his breath Just Forth. His elongated teeth and almond-shaped pupils indicated that he was a vampire.- Kei O'realy.- The red-haired, broad-shouldered boy with green eyes grinned. After a better look, the dragon had to conclude that Kei was not much, if at all, inferior to him in terms of physique. He was the only one without any distinctive feature indicating what race he was from, so Draco assumed he was human.- And Vincent Pazza.- The last of the soldiers nodded gently. He had chestnut hair and was slightly shorter than the others. His rather rough features indicated that he was not human either, and the dragon suspected that he was a dwarf or part halfling.- Gentlemen, as you may have already guessed, this is Draco Ignis. Our earl's apprentice.- The lieutenant continued.- Today he will be training with you as the fifth.- They all nodded their heads as if on command to indicate that they understood.- Well, I think everything is clear, so I will leave you alone.- And he left without even a second's delay.
There was a somewhat awkward silence that was difficult for both parties to break. Draco felt insecure and inexperienced in interacting with people of similar age, and the young soldiers were unsure how they should treat the dragon. Eventually, the elf grunted and took a step forward.
-Ari.- He held out his hand apparently deciding that he would try to begin the acquaintance in a friendly manner. In his eyes the dragon saw uncertainty. He could see that the boy had bet on this approach on the impulse of the moment rather than on the basis of deeper thought. In the gaze of the others, Draco saw a sudden fear, as if they were frightened by such familiarity.
-Draco.- The dragon shook the outstretched hand and tried to smile. He didn't know if he was entirely successful, but he hoped that the expression on his face at least resembled a smile nonetheless.-Happy to meet you.-He added vigorously shaking the hand he was holding. The other three exhaled slightly and followed Ari's lead.
-Call me Forth.-The vampire looked a little embarrassed.
-I'm Kei!-The boy was bursting with energy and seemed to be spreading optimism around him.
-Vincent, for friends Vi.-It seemed that Forth wasn't the only one who was shy.
-It's really nice to meet you.-This time Draco was sure he was smiling. The reaction of the newly met soldiers seemed to take some weight off his shoulders. He hadn't realised that he had been so concerned about how Darius's subordinates would react to him. It seemed that, like the officers and Oscar, the soldiers didn't mind the dragon either.
-Let's start practising before the lieutenant notices us.- Ari said quickly, looking around frantically.-He's really nice until he catches sight of someone lazing about.
-I'll go first!- immediately shouted Kei.-And Vi!- He added pulling his friend's arm with one hand and taking out his sword with the other.
-As usual...- muttered Vincent somewhat brandishingly, but he did not resist. The others just shrugged their shoulders and prepared to watch the duel. Draco stood between Ari and Forth still wondering how to behave and watching everyone carefully. From the sound of clashing steel, he concluded that the other squads must have already started. He focused on his group. He wasn't the only one trying not to let the preparing two out of his sight.
-I advise you to watch well, Draco.- Said Ari in a whisper.-You may be...surprised.
-And later you'll have to fight with Kei or me anyway.-Added Forth.
-Why?- Draco understood why Cassius was certain that he would be the one he would have to face, but he didn't know why it was just as likely that he would have to fight the gushingly enthusiastic Kei.
-You assumed Kei was human, didn't you?- Ari smiled under his breath.
Draco didn't have time to say anything because the trainees were just about to start. They saluted each other with their swords and took starting positions. Without any warning, the fight began. Kei moved with incredible speed making a cut. After that one move, Draco knew what Ari meant. A human wouldn't be able to move that fast and precisely. A dragon? He thought as he watched Vi barely parry another blow and focused on exploiting even the smallest shortcomings in his opponent's defenses to attack. No, his movements are somehow... different, wild. Kei abruptly jumped back and bared his face in a wolfish grin revealing all his teeth. His next move surprised the dragon again. Kei made a long step forward and with one leap jumped over Vincent and found himself behind his back. He immediately took the advantage and nudged the tip of his sword slightly below his opponent's shoulder blade.
-I won!- declared Kei with pride in his voice.
-Once again.- Vi added while hiding his weapon. He didn't look surprised by the course of the duel or concerned about his defeat. Gasping heavily, he sat down on the ground.-You give me a beating every time,- he whined quietly.
-You're wondering, aren't you?- Kei stuck his gaze into Draco. He didn't look particularly tired and was still smiling.-I'll tell you who I am if you win with me!-He shouted clapping his hands. He looked like he had just come up with it and was extremely proud of the idea.
-We always agree that the winner can choose who he wants to fight. Of course, only from among those who did not participate in a given round.-Forth began to explain.-If you do not want, I can
... -No, no.-He was interrupted by Draco.-I'm curious, and besides... a great fun is brewing.-He put his hand on the hilt of his sword and felt something strange. A slight tremor, something like anticipation and eagerness. Gler'thys was raring to fight. And so am I. The dragon smiled and faced Kei.
For a moment it seemed that Ari and Forth would intervene, but they both just shook their heads. Vi shrugged his shoulders and sat down so he could watch another duel. Draco stood and stared at Kei trying not to miss even the slightest movement on his part. It seemed that the other boy was doing exactly the same thing. The dragon drew his sword in a smooth motion and saluted with it. Kei repeated the gesture and they both moved to their starting stances. For a moment they just measured each other with their eyes, and then suddenly Kei tensed up and threw himself forward with a straight thrust. Draco waited until his opponent had shortened the distance to half, and nimbly stepped out of the strike line. At the same time, he attacked in a wide arc, but at the last moment Kei managed to deflect his sword and jump back a few meters.
They again switched to measuring each other with their eyes. This time they moved in unison. Kei threw himself into the attack by leaning low and gripping his sword with the blade down, while Draco prepared for a short cut. They met halfway between them and exchanged several blows in split seconds. The dragon felt that his opponent possessed truly astounding strength and could have bet that he was fighting a representative of his own race, but something told him that this was not the case after all. He pushed Kei away, knocking him off balance, and without thinking, he cut, aiming for his neck. When he saw that his opponent was preparing to defend himself, he changed the direction of the attack with a gentle flick of his wrist. Gler'thys stopped between Kei's shoulder and chest. The boy froze with his sword raised and an expression of surprise on his face. For a moment he stared at the blade clearly trying to figure out by what miracle it was in the place where it had just been.
-You've won...- finally choked out Kei. He lowered the sword without taking his eyes off the tip of the Gler'thys, and then shifted his gaze to Draco. The dragon picked up the sword, saluted and tucked the blade into its scabbard.- But...- Kei shook his head still unable to believe how the clash ended.
-I grew up in Dagos.- Draco smiled and shrugged his shoulders.-You fight similarly to dragons, so...-He shrugged his shoulders again not really knowing how to put it.
-This...I did not expect.- mouthed Ari somewhere from behind Draco's back.
-You're not the only one.- Added Vi, who meanwhile managed to rise from his seat and join the other two.
-Yhy...- Forth only managed to communicate that much. He was the most surprised of all. As Draco suspected, he was the only one who realized how much strength Kei actually possessed.
-So?- The dragon looked at the red-haired boy with anticipation.
-Hm?- At first Kei didn't know what he meant, but then understanding blossomed on his face.-Well, yes, you won.- He sighed, but immediately smiled.-Well, I promised to tell you. Eh, and I was already hoping that I could tease you for a while.- It seemed that he had no problem parting with the information about which race he belonged to, but he was really disappointed that he would not be able to play on Draco's curiosity a bit.- I am a lycanthrope and on top of that I can control transformations.- He threw out quickly on one exhale.
Draco was surprised. He didn't know much about lycanthropes, except that they were extremely strong, fast and often relied on keen senses and extraordinary reflexes. He had sometimes heard at the Academy in Dagos how lycanthropes' strength was compared to that of dragons, and there were long disputes about which race was stronger. Because of their common characteristics, both physical and transformations, different comparisons could often be heard. All representatives of this race had the ability to transform into a giant humanoid wolf with razor-sharp claws and extremely tough skin, but the change could not always be controlled. Draco learned at the Academy that lycanthropes were divided into three categories, or species as some preferred to call them. Those who changed only once a month, during the full moon, were popularly called werewolves. They gained a wolf-like form and extraordinary physical abilities at that time, but were unable to force or control the transformation. The second group were those who, like Kei, could control their transformation and were not dependent on the phase of the moon. They were generally stronger than werewolves and better at using their abilities. They were referred to as animorphs. The last group and also the least numerous were those who were not born lycanthropes, but were turned into them by a curse or black magic. They transformed at the moment of the first full moon since they were cursed and never returned to their original form. At the same time as this transformation, they would lose their sanity and their own personality by succumbing to the murderous instincts aroused by the forbidden magic. They were called Iente-cursed.
Draco had never met an animorph before, at least not that he knew of. He knew that the entire race of lycanthropes was shrouded in a veil of mystery and at the same time marked by a stigma of prejudice and hostility. He had tasted the latter two things firsthand, so he was far from judging anyone based on hearsay. He appraised Kei with an interested, investigative eye and smiled.
-I've never met an animorph.- He patted the lycanthrope on the shoulder in a friendly manner. It seemed that Kei expected a different reaction, because he only looked at the dragon with a strange expression on his face.-Interesting.- He smiled and turned to ask who he could duel with now. He noticed that in the nearest group the soldiers were watching him the whole time. When he met their gaze they quickly turned away and went back to practicing. He furrowed his eyebrows wondering if something was wrong.
-Umm...- Vi also looked around and then focused his gaze on the dragon.-Doesn't it bother you?- He asked uncertainly.
-Bother?- Draco tore his gaze away from the group at the back and looked at Kei and the others in turn.- But what?- At first he didn't know what he had essentially been asked. Only after a moment did he understood. He took another look at everyone trying to pick out something from their attitudes, but he didn't notice anything he might have missed before.- Why should it bother me that Kei is an animorph?- He asked without really understanding it.
-Well... More often than not, new acquaintances don't react very warmly to this.- Kei seemed a bit embarrassed by the situation and the fact that he was explaining himself. However, it was clear that he was positively surprised, and this could mean that he really had to face a negative reaction often.
-Friends indeed,- Draco snorted.-Let's not spoil the atmosphere,- he added looking at Ari, who let out the held air with relief.-Forth, you said you were not bad...-He suspended his voice sending the vampire a protracted look.
-I said.-The boy nodded to Kei as they switched places.- And now I will show.
They faced each other and, as etiquette required, saluted. Forth, without waiting for any movement on Draco's side, attacked before the dragon had time to lower his weapon after the salute. The vampire was extremely fast, even for a representative of his race. Almost within a heartbeat he was behind Draco's back and struck from above his head. At the last moment, the dragon managed to shield himself with his own sword and push away his opponent's blade. Forth jumped back remembering how the earlier duel had ended. Draco sensed that this time the opponent was weaker than him, but surpassed him in speed and agility. The dragon gasped heavily. He assessed that this was going to be a difficult skirmish and he needed to focus. Especially considering that, unlike Kei, the vampire knew what Draco was capable of and didn't bother to probe him. He gripped the sword in both hands and fixed his gaze on the vampire. Forth made a couple of feinting moves in either direction in an attempt to provoke an attack, but his efforts were unsuccessful. Draco was too often the victim of taunts and provocations to let himself be carried along at a moment's notice. The vampire curiously tilted his head slightly and became still. They measured each other with their eyes looking for a exploitable gap in their opponent's posture. Neither of them spotted one that he could strike at without risking that his attack would end in his own defeat. Finally, Draco was the first to not hold out. He changed his position, shifted his weight to his back leg and moved slightly out of Forth's reach. The vampire sensed the opportunity and immediately moved to attack. The first few blows almost reached their target, however, Gler'thys always appeared in time. The clang of steel filled the air, and a few unintentional sparks sprinkled into the arena. The dragon knew that Forth could not compete with him in terms of endurance, so he decided not to take the initiative and focus on parrying more blows. He didn't know how much time had passed, but slowly the subsequent blows became a little weaker, a little less precise, and the vampire's earlier confidence disappeared from his eyes. Forth cursed silently and feinted a blow, after which he struck Draco with his shoulder. The dragon, initially surprised, backed away slightly, but that was enough for his opponent. The sword swished through the air and stopped almost at Draco's neck.
-Draw.- Ari's stifled voice was not much louder than a whisper.
-Draw?- Forth looked at his friend in disbelief.-What draw?- He shifted his gaze to Draco and was about to say something when he felt a gentle tap on his side at the level of his heart. He looked down and then slowly raised his surprised gaze.- A tie, indeed.- He could not bring himself to make any other comment. For a few heartbeats he stood surprised, and then burst into thunderous laughter.-You're good!-Friendly patted Draco on the shoulder.-You really surprised me.
-You are better.-The dragon smiled and hid his weapon.-For me you are too fast.
-Sure, sure...- Forth waved his hand reluctantly dismissing the remark.-A few more blows and you would have chopped my sword along with my arm.
-You are exaggerating.- Draco shrugged his shoulders slightly blushing. Apart from Jeviev, none of his peers said any compliments to him.-I just have a bit of proficiency in fighting dragons.
-I felt it.- Kei laughed lightly. It seemed that his good mood had returned and his embarrassment was gone.- You have a really heavy hand. I wondered which of us would have to let the weapon out of his grip.
-As it turned out, none.- Ari spread his hands with a slight smile.-But now...
-Here you are, young master.-The slightly out of breath butler quickly corrected his livery and evened out his breathing.- The majordomo ordered to tell the young master that breakfast would be served in half an hour.- The butler bowed and, without waiting for a reaction, quickly left the training ground.