'Have you seen anything like this?' The Duke looked at his guests.
'Unfortunately not.' Gizel was disgusted, but she tried to hide the emotions that had slipped out of her control. 'I've encountered many... of these filthy things, but nothing like this.' She looked away as if the mere sight of the shards caused her pain.
Darius watched the elf for a moment, wondering if he should say something to her, but decided that it would only make her feel worse. The mage turned his gaze back to the object. Fortunately for him, he rarely had to deal with matters related to black magicians. Even more rarely did he encounter corrupted artefacts; in fact, he had only seen it once before.
That dark magic catalyst had been destroyed during an attack by several battle mages of the Azure Guard on a dark wizard who was trying to resist them. The damaged artefact exploded, engulfing its user and everything around him. Fortunately, the attack had been carried out from a distance.
Black magic was not within Bleist's area of expertise, so he decided to focus on something more familiar. Although the markings on the surface were partially distorted, he was able to read some of them.
'It's an activation rune,' he muttered under his breath. He didn't dare touch the remains of the artefact, so he walked around it, trying to look at the fragments from all angles. 'The incantation in its classic version... A bit archaic.' He lit a small light, focusing its rays on the surface of the warped object. 'The figure is rather human, although the lavender jade...'
'Does that mean anything to you, Darius?' Von Konlah seemed to expect a lot from them.
'Similar figurines were once left in the tombs of powerful elven mages.' Bleist combed his hair thoughtfully. 'Three or four millennia ago. Back then, they were made of bone or crystal. However, jade... would rather indicate an origin from the Far East.'
'It's not a funerary statue.' Gizel tried not to look at the object. 'They always depicted a seated figure, and this one was clearly standing.' The elf turned away and walked over to the window. 'The face is also missing; someone left it blank.'
'Yes, you're right.' Darius looked at the fragments again. 'But I'm more intrigued by these runes. On the one hand, the old dialect indicates that the statue itself is ancient, but the syntax of the incantation does not come from the same period. Someone wanted it to look old.'
'Maybe someone convinced the boy that it was an ancient artefact and sold him a real black magic bomb?' All emotion disappeared from Gizel's voice. She closed herself off.
'But why?' The rector shook his head. 'The exam wasn't conducted with a large number of people present.'
'Maybe it was about the family of one of the students? Or the instructors?' Darius decided he had seen enough of the black magic object, so he gently closed the lid. Touching the box, he determined that it was made of lead. 'We saw the coats of arms on the carriages in front of the entrance.'
'I doubt anyone would go to such lengths to carry out such an ineffective attack.' The headmaster shook his head. 'I personally checked the list of examinees. There is no one on it who could get under the black magicians' skin.'
'If it becomes known that Inferni has appeared in Solvein, it will be a blow to the Academy's image.' Gizel stared into the distance the whole time. 'Perhaps the reason is more prosaic than it seems.'
'A crack in the Academy's reputation doesn't change anything.' The rector waved his hand. 'It wouldn't be enough to harm us anyway.'
'What about the Arcana Convocation?' Darius moved away from the dangerous box with undisguised relief. 'The tournament takes place at the end of this academic year.'
'I thought about that too, but there's no indication of that.' Von Konlah shook his head. 'If one of the prospects had helped with the exam, the matter would have taken a different turn long ago.'
'Did you change anything at the last minute?' The elf looked at them over her shoulder. Her eyes were slightly narrowed, as if she wanted to see something hidden.
'Not at the last minute.' The duke pushed the lead box aside and sat down at the table. 'Originally, Johan wanted to conduct the retake exam at the City Watch's training ground, but after the memorable ball, Sydney promised me access to your training grounds, the Guard's, from the new year.' He pointed at Bleist. 'Our dear captain was so excited that he abandoned the idea of going to the old training ground and spent the last month checking out the area made available to us by the Azure Guard. By the way, when you see your commander, please give him my regards, Darius.'
'I won't forget to mention it.' Bleist nodded. He didn't want to say that he himself had no intention of looking for General Leigher. 'Back to the topic at hand. Has anyone been informed about the changes?'
'There was no need.' Von Konlah shrugged. 'The meeting point was in front of the entrance to Solvein anyway, so there was no need to tell anyone.'
'Gizel, you know a few summoners, don't you?' Darius looked up at the elf.
'That's an exaggeration.' The duchess snorted.
'Never mind.' Earl waved his hand. 'How long does a summoner need to synchronise with the catalyst?'
'Two or three months.' A sparkle appeared in Gizel's eyes that he knew very well. They were both thinking the same thing. 'An inexperienced one will need more time, much more.'
'I think Mr Vechs received the figurine about six months ago.' Darius tapped his finger on the box. 'Maybe even earlier.'
'I'd like to ask him, but it won't be possible to talk to him anytime soon, if ever.' The Duke frowned a little more. 'He hasn't regained consciousness since the incident, and from what I've been told, the doctors don't give him much time. That cursed artefact sucked too much of his life force out of him.'
'We'll have to determine exactly when he came into possession of it.' Darius didn't even try to feign optimism, because the more time passed since the artefact was handed over, the less information would be found. 'Then where it came from.'
'I'll ask a few... friends who are experts in ancient art.' Gizel finally turned away from the window and approached the table.
'Art, you say...' Bleist couldn't resist a slightly sarcastic comment.
'Yes, true enthusiasts.' The elf glared at the colonel. 'Fences, smugglers, thieves, forgers.'
'You have a wide circle of friends.' The Duke seemed completely oblivious to the warning signs.
'You have no idea how wide.' Bleist drew Gizel's attention back to himself. 'For my part, I can check what the Watch and Amethyst have found out. Maybe they've uncovered something.'
'You're forgetting that we're still missing the two most important things.' The elf softened her tone slightly. 'The goal and the motive.'
'Maybe I'm naive, but I hope that some information will shed some light on that as well.'
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Draco descended with Aiden down the stairs to the basement of the Tower of Earth, located just behind the Tower of Chaos when viewed from the entrance to Solvein. As it turned out, it was very similar to the military part of the main complex, except that here the walls were made of rough, grey stone. As soon as they were underground, the dragon heard the sound of voices. It turned out that a dozen or so students were passing the time chatting with their friends while waiting for their turn.
Several groups of students had already gathered in the wide, stone, curved corridor. Every now and then, with deeply hidden anxiety, they glanced at the double doors to the training rooms.
'Yours is over there.' Aidem nudged the dragon, pointing to the entrance on the other side of the corridor. 'I'm going further down, so good luck.' He smiled and quickly moved down the stairs.
'You too,' Draco managed to say, but the redhead was already disappearing around the corner.
The reptile looked around once more. No one was waiting at the entrance Aiden had pointed out. With no other choice, he approached the door. A piece of paper with the order of examinees was nailed to the wide wooden frame. Surprisingly, there were only four names on it:
Draco Ignis
Ingram Unwarg
Percy Xel'veth
Filip Zamoyski
The dragon looked around the corridor once more, but no one paid him much attention. Not knowing what to do, he simply knocked.
'Come in!' The voice coming from behind the closed door was firm, calm, cold, and yet there was a certain lightness to it.
Draco instinctively adjusted Gler'thys and entered, trying to look calm. The training room was huge. It occupied the area of the lecture hall where the written exam was held and could easily accommodate several dozen pairs of trainees at the same time. The floor and walls were lined with fairly soft wood, which, despite heavy use, showed no signs of wear. Racks for training weapons, training dummies and various other equipment were pushed into the corner. The only piece of furniture left in the middle was a stand with several types of bladed weapons.
Next to the training blades stood a very tall woman with anthracite skin. She had a wide jaw, from the lower part of which two thick fangs protruded from the corners of her mouth. Her bright eyes pierced the dragon as soon as he crossed the doorway of the training hall. The woman eyed him for a moment before adjusting her long, braided navy blue hair and beckoning him with a gesture.
'Come here.' Her voice was melodious, which contrasted sharply with her guttural accent. 'Name,' she asked when he was close.
'Draco Ignis, third-year military profile candidate, sethi.' The dragon instinctively clicked his heels, as if reporting to the instructors in Dagos. The only thing he remembered was to use the appropriate polite phrase. Orcs were extremely sensitive about titles, especially warriors. The woman smiled slightly and looked at the boy more closely.
The reptile also sized up the orc woman. Her linen shirt clung to her shoulders and arms, emphasising her muscles. The rolled-up sleeves revealed old scars on her forearms, which stood out starkly against her skin. Her strong stride and agility also indicated her nimbleness. Draco had no doubt that he was facing a truly powerful warrior. In addition, his instincts told him that she posed a real threat.
'I see you have your own weapon. Good.' The dragon didn't even notice when the training sword from the rack found its way into the instructor's hand. She stood three steps away from him and assumed a basic stance. 'The test will be simple. Attack me as if you want to hurt me.' She smiled carefree. 'You may begin.'
It took Darco a few heartbeats before the meaning of the command pierced through the nonchalance with which it was uttered. He instantly reached for his sword. He took Gler'thys in his hand and attacked almost immediately. The dragon had no doubt that he would not be able to hurt his opponent, but he decided to follow the command diligently.
He began as befits a dragon, or at least someone who had studied in Dagos, with a leap forward and a cut from a short charge. The blade only groaned as it collided with the training blade. He feinted and moved slightly out of the orc's reach. He couldn't see any gaps in her defence. He quickly decided to play more on surprise. He moved forward again, attacking with heavy blows aimed at the upper half of her body. After a few parried attacks, he quickly changed his style, switching to a more refined one that matched the balance of his sword. The blade swirled and danced in the air. The training hall was filled with the sound of clashing steel, even though Draco was unable to see the instructor's movements. It seemed as if her sword simply appeared in the right place all of a sudden.
The barrage of blows lasted a good while. The dragon tried various things - from feinting blows, to sidestepping, to suddenly changing his fighting style. Nothing worked. He didn't even notice a hint of surprise in the woman's eyes, as if he had been an open book to her from the start. Moreover, one that she had read more than once.
'That's enough.' The instructor didn't have to raise her voice. She was simply listened to. 'You're very good with the sword. Excellent by human standards.' Draco beamed, feeling that his efforts had paid off. 'But we both know that's not all you're capable of.' The boy's expression soured slightly. 'I've dealt with your kind too often in battle not to recognise you at first glance.' She pulled up her left sleeve, revealing a bicep that looked as if someone had tried to tear it apart with sharp claws a long time ago. 'I've paid for my mistakes with dragons many times over.' She lowered her arm and stared at the boy even more intently. 'The way you handle weapons, your strength and reflexes. That gives you away, at least to anyone sensitive to such nuances. Although what puzzled me most was that you were the only one conscious when I arrived at the arena the day before yesterday.'
Draco didn't know what to say. He had never heard of anyone being able to distinguish a dragon from humans based on just those few points. He didn't have time to say anything either.
'Now fight me properly. Use all your strengths. And don't worry, no one will come in without my permission.' She turned her back on him and took a few steps away. 'Unless you don't care about passing, that is,' she added, turning back to face him.
The dragon breathed heavily. He weighed his options, but none of them looked very appealing. All he could do was obey and give it his all, not just what was possible for humans. He weighed the sword in his hand and felt a pleasant vibration. Without a word, the reptile tensed and in one leap was next to the woman. The sword cut through the air, leaving only a shimmering trail behind it. Sensing the change in the blade's trajectory, he changed his grip to two-handed and cut lower. The blade missed only slightly, deflected by the orc woman. Draco attacked several more times in a leaping style, then switched to what he had learned from Gler'thys.
The sword struck the training weapon again and again, sometimes sparking. The orc woman seemed tireless. Draco decided not to delay any longer. After a series of attacks, he slashed in a wide arc. Taking advantage of a brief moment when the instructor's attention was focused on the tip of his sword, the boy transformed. Gler'thys became longer, forcing the orc to take half a step back. The dragon was just waiting for that and lunged with his sword in one hand and his claws in the other. Before he was within range, a training sword appeared out of nowhere and blocked both blows.
Draco had been trying for a long time to turn his height and strength advantage into victory. He wasn't doing very well. He struggled for a long time, looking for gaps and mistakes. He was unable to do so. In addition, his instincts were screaming that he didn't stand a chance against her. When the reptile began to feel tired, the woman pushed him away and stopped him with a gesture.
'You're doing very well,' she patted the dragon on the shoulder. 'Keep it up, and I'll definitely help you polish your skills.'