Chapter 3

Othis got out of the carriage, stretched and yawned widely. He was completely exhausted after the ball and several sleepless nights. All he dreamt of was a quiet day and an evening in which he would go to bed early and get up in the morning rested. That was all he needed for complete happiness.

He wanted to head straight to his flat, but first he had to check if anything had happened during the night that he should know about. So he entered through the main door and walked down the hall to the study. He stood in front of the entrance and begged in his mind that he could leave it as soon as possible. He went inside.

As soon as he crossed the door he knew that the day was unlikely to be one of peace and quiet, let alone one in which he could catch even a little sleep. In front of the fireplace Bleist was walking back and forth. He was wearing local clothing and his hair looked like it had been caught in the middle of a tornado. He looked nervous and terribly excited at the same time. This alone made Othis anxious and his friend's blank stare made him fear what he was about to hear. All sorts of reasons for Darius' behaviour like this came to his mind, from some sort of accident to an assassination attempt. He did not know what had happened, but he admitted to himself that he would rather not find out after all.

-Darius? Has something happened?- he asked looking at the other master.

-At last you are.- Bleist with quick step approached from him abandoning his steady route between the two figures by the fireplace.-I have been waiting for you since I returned.

-That's what I noticed. What has happened?-He repeated the question looking his friend in the eyes.- Just take it easy so I can understand something.

-We must find him, at all costs. I will have to write to the Grand Master, they need to know.- Darius turned around and started walking back and forth again which was a symptom of great concern and strained thinking in him.- But first we have to make sure. If...

-Wait, wait... Slowly, what is it? Just from the beginning, if you please.

-I bumped into him.- Bleist stood still and looked at Othis.-That boy I told you about.

-The black dragon one,- the Ambassador tossed in.

-Yes, yes, yes, at him. Where he was before.-He took a breath and went on.-In the harbour on the Verde. I followed him, but somehow I lost him.-He waved his hand.-I was about to go back, but I sensed someone using magic spontaneously.

-There is a young sorcerer in town who has only just discovered magical abilities?- Othis began to understand why Bleist was behaving like this. A young wizard who does not control his power can be very dangerous to himself and his surroundings.

-Wait, let me finish.- Darius shook his head.-I went to the place where I sensed him. I think I scared him by accident because he jumped on his feet and hit me with a wave of energy... No, not me just everything around me.- He corrected himself quickly.Then he ran away.

-Then we have to notify some authorities.- Othis nodded slightly reassured, as he had expected something worse.-I don't know who is responsible in Dagos for something like this, but....

-You don't understand!- Bleist stepped quickly into his words.-He wields the Magic of Light! He is one of us!

-If you're sure that is indeed our problem, but I don't understand where an untrained Atlantean came from in Dagos.

-I don't know how, but I know he's here.

-Eh... A new problem with the suffix urgent.- Othis sighed heavily.-I guess you'll have to hang up your holidays and help me with this.

-Yes, I have to.- Bleist absentmindedly combed his hair with his hand.

-You won't be able to find that dragon of yours either.

-What?- Darius glared at the Ambassador and after a moment loudly let out the air he had been holding back earlier.-I didn't tell you, I got caught up.-He suddenly grabbed Othis by the shoulders and looked him straight in the eye.-This black dragon is Atlantean.

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Jeviev gently closed the cracked door of the old orphanage behind her. In the daylight, the building seemed less scary to her, but even more gloomy and depressing. She didn't understand why this was where Draco usually hid. Once she asked him about it, he just shrugged his shoulders and replied that it was probably the only place where nobody looked.

The elven girl set off upstairs, being careful of the scarred steps and the swaying handrail. When she stood on the first floor she only glanced at the dilapidated corridor running the length of the wing and headed for the only open door halfway up it. This time she paid no attention to the creaking of the old planks under her feet. She walked quickly.

She stopped at the door, took a deep breath and than stepped inside. She stood just outside the doorstep squinting slightly. As she had expected Draco was sitting on the floor against the wall. However, she thought she would find him as a human, meanwhile in the shadows she saw a dragon-like figure shielded by black wings. She was surprised, for as far as she knew her friend rather preferred to be human. However, she merely shrugged her shoulders and walked towards him.

She stood exactly in front of him looking down at the dragon. He sat entwining his tail around his entire body and draping himself over with his wings. Jeviev shook her head and crouched in front of him.

-Draco,- she whispered quietly, -Draco, please,- she repeated, putting her hand to his wing, which was smooth and soft to the touch, and she could feel the pulsing of hot blood under her fingers.

She stayed in this position until she felt him twitch. Then she removed her hand and sat across from him looking at her friend investigatively. Draco didn't move for a moment, then spread his wings to their full length before folding them behind his back. He looked up at the elf with golden eyes and flicked his tail gently.

Jeviev immediately noticed that something was different than usual. She seemed to notice something in the dragon's eyes that had not been there before. Some deep, inner glow.

-Madame Nasua is worried about you,- she said calmly, -so am I.- She paused looking at the dragon in earnest, looking for signs of a reaction in him that might tell her what had happened.-You did not come home for the night. Again.- She added with emphasis.- You did not go to the Academy today either.

The dragon only nodded slightly, driving his gaze into the wall somewhere at the level of Jeviev's head. It had not escaped her notice.

-What happened Draco?

She sat and waited for an answer as she had so many times before, but never before had she seen so much uncertainty, fear and something like hidden anger in his posture. The elfess knew full well that she would eventually find out everything. She would have to wait, but she would find out.

It wasn't until a few minutes had passed that Draco stirred and cast his gaze to the boards between him and his friend.

-I don't know,- he muttered in a hollow voice.-I don't know what happened.

-It's about Pircea,- she asked without letting him out of her sight.-Have they attacked you again?

-I ran away from them.-He shook his head as if shaking something off.-Then later... I don't know what happened then... I ran away....

-When later? Why did you run away?- Jeviev was slightly surprised. She had expected to hear something about another ambush prepared by Pirce's gang. She didn't know what to think about what Draco was trying to tell her.

-I... I was hiding.- He shook his head slightly.-In the harbour near the Verde. In some alley. I wanted to... I wanted to calm down, and to wait.

He fell silent again staring dully at the floor. Jeviev sat staring at him and waiting for him to pick up the thread. It had never happened before that Draco would talk about something so incoherently. The elfess knew immediately that what had happened had been bothering him all along.

-When... When I was sitting there. Someone came in there and... And I don't know what happened then. I got scared. I thought it was someone from Pirce. Then something flashed, and I ran away.-He looked into her eyes suddenly, in his eyes she could see a new golden glow perfectly now.-When I finally got here I was dazed and confused, but when I changed... I don't know how to say it.-He shook his head with resignation.-It will be simpler to show you.

He closed his eyes and changed. Now a petite, fair-skinned boy with a mane of blonde hair was sitting in front of Jeviev. A few seconds after that something strange began to happen. The air around Draco wavered, and after a moment it began to glow with a warm, golden light. The boy sat surrounded by a luminous, asymmetrical sphere.

Jeviev sat staring at it all with her eyes wide open. She didn't know what she was actually looking at and wasn't entirely sure she could believe her own senses.

After a moment, Draco turned back into a dragon and the sphere disappeared. He lowered his gaze and waited for his friend to say something. He couldn't bring himself to look at her. He didn't know if he had done the right thing by telling her everything, because he was afraid that she would freak out and leave him alone.

-What happened?- Jeviev spat out after a while.

-I don't know, but every time I turn human the same thing happens.- Draco wrapped his tail around himself looking at the boards in front of him the whole time.-I can feel it, but I can't affect it. I don't know what's happening to me. I don't understand it.

-Take it easy.- Jeviev only managed to put her thoughts back together after a while.-You mustn't be so worried. Everything will be fine.-She spoke in a quiet, reassuring voice.-Maybe you just need to try to treat this as a new dragon skill and understand it as you did before?

The dragon did not move. It continued to sit with its head lowered, stubbornly staring at a single point on the floor. The elven girl already knew what he was really worried about from the very beginning of their conversation. Maybe what was happening to him filled him with fear, but he was even more frightened by the vision of being alone. Now she knew and understood him. She had no idea how she would have behaved if she had been in his place, but she was sure that he would have tried with all his might to be there for her and help her with everything.

Jeviev got up from her seat and walked over to Draco. She gently touched his cheek and turned his head so that she could look into his eyes.

-It will be alright, Draco,- she whispered.-Remember that you are not alone with this.

As soon as she said those words she herself felt as if she were lighter, and when she saw the dragon's smile she knew they would make it.

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-Wait... What!- Othis looked at his friend with wide eyes.-It is impossible, though. Dragons don't...

-Well, that's right.- Darius let go of him and began to circle around.-Dragons do not wield magic to any degree. They are creatures of magic, but they are not able to use it... It is unprecedented, unusual.

-Stop!- Hugo stood in front of his friend looking at him in disbelief. He himself didn't know what to think about it.-If this is really the case then we must find him immediately. If only to check it out.

-That's what I said!- Bleist bridled.- We must check him out and then inform the Grand Master and the Crown Marshal. They must know about it. It'll be more difficult after that...

-If the Dragon Council sniffs something out it won't be more difficult only it will become an almost impossible task.

-Unless we have a good bargaining chip.- Bleist smiled broadly.-You just have to work out what they would want.

-As usual, I'm always the one who has to solve the worst problems.- Othis murmured a little sadly.-But what effect could such a combination have on his abilities?-He asked this question essentially to himself and not quite consciously repeated it aloud.

-I'm not sure, but it seems to me that he can be really strong.- Bleist shook his head.With a single hit of unformed energy he shattered one of my shields.

-But... how? -After this information, Othis had already completely lost any understanding of the situation. A huge whirlpool of questions appeared in his mind demanding immediate exploration.

-Another thing we don't know.- Darius smiled looking at his confused friend.-I think we both need to start looking for answers. Immediately.

Othis only nodded and immediately moved towards his desk by the window overlooking the garden. Some sort of framework plan of action was beginning to form in his head and he was sure that Bleist was also aware of what he needed to do. Without any further exchange of words, they both knew what they had to do. Hugo began to look through his notes on the masters sitting in the Dragon Council, while Darius took a quick step towards the gates of the Embassy wanting to look for useful information on the dragon-mage.