Coming home had always been something that soothed the nerves and meant that, at least for a while, one could leave some of one's worries behind. Work ceased to feel so pressing, even though it managed to intrude even into Ed'heer. This respite was sometimes illusory, but it offered a certain indescribable comfort. The very thought of being able to escape the hustle and bustle of the Palace corridors, the watchful eyes of officials, or the rigid formalities was like a balm for his wounds.
Darius had to admit that ever since Draco had moved into the estate, returning to Ed'heer had become even more pleasant, and explaining the intricacies of the art of magic to his pupil gave the mage immense satisfaction. The young dragon, his very presence and his approach to the reality around him, was also refreshing and allowed Bleist to view many matters from a completely different, until then unfamiliar, perspective.
After an exhausting day filled with, admittedly, rather turbulent encounters, Darius needed nothing more than the peace and quiet of home. Throughout the entire journey back, he'd also been planning his lessons with Draco, ideally something that involved a fair bit of physical activity. The young dragon would certainly be delighted at the prospect. In fact, he always was when it came to physical exercise.
However, the idyllic prospect of spending the afternoon, or rather the evening, vanished the moment the carriage doors opened. In the driveway, not far from the front entrance, stood a green carriage, with elven riders milling about it. There was no point in guessing who might have paid such an unannounced visit. There was only one such person.
Darius stepped out of the carriage and immediately summoned one of the footmen who was waiting for him by the door leading to the hall. The servant, clearly younger and not very experienced, paid more attention to nervously scanning the driveway than to the earl's presence. Perhaps, however, it was hardly surprising; after all, it wasn't every day one saw besses, kelpies and tarians in one place. And up close, at that.
'How may I be of service?' The young footman finally realised he ought to attend to something more important than gazing at the war beasts.
'Where might I find the Duchess?' After all, Gizel was due a proper greeting.
'In the drawing room.'
'With Draco, I presume?' He didn't need to ask, but he did so almost out of habit.
'Yes, the young master is keeping Her Highness company.' The footman bowed gracefully.
'Colonel, we'll be here at the same time tomorrow morning.' The heavily armoured guard accompanying Darius straightened up on his tarian, casting not-so-discreet glances towards the elves busy with their work.
'Thank you, Harven. You're free for the rest of the day.' Bleist nodded to his temporary deputy and went inside. No sooner had he stepped through the door than another footman was already by his side, rapidly asking whether the earl required anything, whether he should serve supper, or perhaps prepare a bath. Darius calmly repeated that he needed nothing, whilst making his way towards the drawing room.
He entered the room without announcing himself; after all, he was in his own home. Just as he'd expected, he found Gizel talking to a young dragon, who was recounting something with great excitement. Given that today was his first day at Solvein, it wasn't hard to guess what Draco might be on about. The only thing that didn't quite fit the situation was the elf's expression. Wrinkles had appeared on her beautiful face, and her gently narrowed eyes suggested that not everything she was listening to was to her liking. The last thing he needed was for something to go wrong on his first day. He thought to himself, but a warm smile spread across his face.
'Gizel, forgive me for greeting you so late,' he began from the doorway. 'If you'd given me a heads-up, I'd have tried to get back earlier.'
'I suppose I'll stay a bit longer,' the elf said curtly, her face softening ever so slightly. She rose from her seat as he approached her. 'It's nice to see you anyway, Darius.' She smiled gently.
'You too, as always, actually.' Bleist felt his cheeks flush slightly.
'How was it at the Palace, Master?' The dragon also stood up and addressed the colonel eagerly.
'Exhausting, interspersed with the tedium of long-winded ramblings circling round topics that added nothing to the matter.' He'd liked to put it more bluntly, but he bit his tongue. The irritation caused by the officials' sluggishness, sometimes called meticulousness, was not something to be taken home with him. 'I'm in need of a rest, Draco. A few days when I won't have to worry about a thing,' he complained to his pupil, who looked at him with sympathy.
'Don't feel so sorry for yourself.' The elf seemed to lack any trace of empathy, or perhaps she was simply very good at hiding it. 'One might think your job involves more than just poring over piles of paper,' she added sarcastically.
'How was it at the Academy, Draco?' Bleist pretended not to have heard the elf's sarcastic remark and steered the conversation towards something neutral, though it would be more accurate to say something thoroughly engrossing. Incidentally, the wizard assumed that even if the dragon had already managed to recount his entire day, Gizel would certainly be keen to hear the lad's story again.
'The classes were… rather lacklustre.' That certainly wasn't the first word that had sprung to Draco's mind. 'At least the theory ones. Everyone was saying almost the same thing, and yet every lecturer said something different. Apart from telling us what we'd be learning, there was nothing else.' He shrugged. 'The practical sessions, on the other hand, were brilliant!' The young reptile beamed, as if he were about to recount the discovery of an ancient artefact. 'Admittedly, at first Cedric did everything he could to make sure I didn't like him, but Zane says he'll grow out of it…'
'Slow down, Draco, one thing at a time. Who are Cedric and Zane?' Darius sat down on the sofa, soaking up the energy radiating from the student.
The dragon took a step back and began his story from the moment they'd parted ways at the entrance to Solvein.
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Bleist had been biting his lip for some time, but he didn't interrupt his pupil. He didn't know whether to despair at his apprentice's injuries and recklessness, or perhaps to be glad that the dragon had evidently found himself some friends. It was obvious that the boy was in no serious danger during the exercises, but once again it was clear from Draco's words that he lacked the instincts and sensitivity associated with pain. The problem was exacerbated by his habitual risk-taking and, in some situations, his lack of fear.
'The medic at the Tower of Water dressed our wounds, handed out potions and only let us go once everyone had drunk them,' the dragon concluded with a broad smile on his face. Darius knew that one didn't end up in the infirmary for just any old reason, and the wizard was not at all pleased by the downplaying of his own injuries.
'May I see your hand?' Gizel was the first to react, although she was doing exactly what Darius wanted. Help was one thing, but she had to assess for herself whether everything was all right.
Draco didn't need to be told twice and immediately held out his left hand to the elf. Only now did Bleist notice that the student's entire metacarpus was wrapped in a very discreet, flesh-coloured bandage. The Duchess's nimble hands easily removed the dressing. Darius rose from his seat to get a better look at the wound. At that moment, the injury didn't look all that bad. Fresh skin covered almost the entire metacarpus, but redness was still visible in the places where it had only just grown back. The graze, which the reptile had played down, made the hairs on the earl's neck stand on end, and his own hand began to tingle unpleasantly. The wound, especially given how it had been caused, must have been truly nasty, and must have been excruciatingly painful. Yet for Draco, it was merely a minor injury.
'You said a friend dressed your wound.' There was nothing in Gizel's voice to give anything away, which was unsettling. The young reptile, however, seemed not to notice this, still engrossed in his story.
'Yes, Noah knows a thing or two about plants,' Draco replied enthusiastically. 'First he just bandaged my hand, and then he found something for a compress… Some sort of lilies.'
'Trisna lilies?' The elf looked the dragon in the eyes.
'Oh, exactly!' the boy exclaimed happily. 'They had really beautiful flowers.'
'Oh, certainly.' A steely edge crept into the woman's tone, and even Darius flinched with concern. 'That's exactly what they're known for; they're as beautiful as they are poisonous.' Gizel squeezed Draco's hand tighter. 'Even for dragons,' she added, emphasising the point strongly.
'Noah mentioned something about it.' The youngster unwittingly walked straight into the trap. 'But he used a young plant and did something to it. I suppose it's some sort of magic, or plant control…'
'Is he perhaps a parthir?', Bleist diverted their attention to himself, hoping to pre-empt the elf's outburst. He could see perfectly well that Gizel wanted to tell the boy off for disregarding such serious threats. The mage, however, believed that in his pupil's case, such behaviour might prove counterproductive.
'Yes. Oh, it's the first time I've ever seen plants move of their own accord. It was truly amazing.'
'Your friend certainly knows a thing or two about plants, but you ought to be more careful. If something like that happened to you somewhere where you couldn't count on anyone's help, it could end very badly.' Darius began to explain this calmly and without unnecessary emotion. 'In future, you must pay closer attention to your condition and any injuries. You mustn't take them lightly. I really don't want anything to happen to you because of simple carelessness or negligence. Promise me you'll look after yourself better, all right? Otherwise, I'll be worrying about you even more than I do now.'
The dragon froze for a few heartbeats, and then a shadow of understanding flashed across his gaze. It was hard to tell whether the reptile had grasped what Darius really meant. However, it seemed they'd just taken a step in the right direction.
'All right, Master, I promise.' Draco smiled slightly. 'I'll try not to ignore incidents like that. And I'll avoid exhaust the source, too.' He added, shifting his gaze to Gizel, who was still holding his hand. 'I don't want to cause the Master any more worry, so I'll do my best.'
'Wait, wait… What sort of exhaustion?' Bleist froze.
'Oh, well, back in the village… After I cast that barrier spell and felt faint, Cedric said it was exhaustion, and he called the symptoms a mana hangover…'
'Draco, has anyone examined you since then?' Earl, terrified by the prospect of complications arising from the unrestricted and violent use of significant mana reserves, immediately grabbed the student by the arm and channelled his energy towards him. He would have loved to check the boy's source straight away, but he was aware of the danger and didn't want to risk tragic repercussions for himself. If anything were to happen to him, Draco would certainly blame himself. The examination brought some relief, as he didn't notice anything alarming in the behaviour of the mana.
'I was fine, I feel great…'
'I know you feel perfectly fine, but the state you're in after draining a source affects your magical sphere, not your physical one,' he cut in. 'I don't feel as though anything's wrong, but I'd still prefer someone to have a look at you. I hope Dr Herpetes can spare a moment.' He said the last part more to himself. 'Did you eat when you got back?' he pressed further.
'Yes, we had dinner together,' Gizel interjected. She, too, must have realised the seriousness of the threat that the dragon had skilfully glossed over.
'Good,' Bleist nodded. 'Draco, recovering mana after being drained isn't as simple as with normal use of magic.' Once again, he opted for a calm explanation. 'You feel fine now, at least for the moment. In situations like this, fatigue and physical symptoms appear with a significant delay, ranging from a few to over a dozen hours. The collapse is sudden and severe,' Darius said with concern. 'Imagine a mana hangover two or three times worse, accompanied by disorientation, convulsions and tremors. Fortunately, there are medicines that help with this. Dr Herpetes will certainly know what to do.'
To the earl's surprise, the dragon seemed only slightly concerned. The information he had just presented would be terrifying to most mages. One step at a time, he thought, trying to calm himself down.
'That doesn't sound too good…' Draco finally said.
'No, but don't worry. We'll sort this out.' Bleist tried to put on a reassuring expression. He knew he should have reprimanded the dragon for his irresponsibility, but not right now. There would be time for a serious talk later. 'Mana regeneration is most effective whilst you're asleep, so you should lie down now. Despite appearances, you'll fall asleep as soon as you try, and with a bit of luck, you'll sleep through the worst of it.' He squeezed the student's shoulder a little tighter. 'Come on, I'll take you back to your room.'
Draco didn't protest; he simply nodded.
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Darius slumped onto the sofa. He was tired, though mentally drained above all. The situation with his pupil had been terrifying for him. He hadn't realised he was capable of feeling such intense fear for another person. From the moment Draco had fallen asleep until Dr Herpetes's arrival, Bleist had spent the time pacing nervously around the reptile's living room. He tormented himself over not having warned the pupil about the potential danger posed by exhaustion. He'd previously thought that systematic study and practice under his supervision would prevent such an incident, and yet it had happened.
Fortunately, the healer arrived fairly quickly and attended to the dragon. Upon waking, the reptile complained of dizziness and nausea, but had not yet experienced any other symptoms. During the examination, the boy was forced to listen to a telling-off from the doctor and a lecture on the risks of reckless behaviour. Darius, who was listening in from the sidelines, also got an earful. After the whole procedure, Herpetes ordered the dragon to drink a few potions, after which he fell asleep straight away. As he was leaving, the healer assured the colonel that there was nothing to worry about and that by morning Draco would be as fit as a dragon… In other words, just as usual.
'Everything all right?' Gizel sat down beside him and placed a glass of wine in his hand.
'Yes, it seems so.' He instinctively emptied the glass without even realising what was in it. 'Herpetes said Draco's fine. He's exhausted, mind you, but he hasn't hurt himself.'
The elf breathed a sigh of relief and downed a drink herself. For a long time, they sat shoulder to shoulder, in silence, gazing off into the distance. Their nerves, frayed by anxiety over the pupil and the earlier exhaustion from a hard day's work, were beginning to take their toll. Darius's eyelids felt heavy, and his thoughts moved ever more slowly and sluggishly.
'Has he fallen asleep?' Gizel's quiet voice roused him slightly.
'Yes, after those potions, he'll sleep until morning.' He nodded and glanced sideways at the elf. 'Oscar's staying with him, and he told me to get some rest.' He complained, but there was no enthusiasm in his voice. He didn't have the strength for it.
'I think he was right.' Gizel leaned in and gently brushed her lips against his cheek. 'Good night, Darius,' she whispered in his ear.
Before Bleist could even recover, the elf had melted into the darkness of the night like a dream-like apparition. Yet the warmth she left behind was very real indeed.