Draco kept wondering what was happening to the master, but both Captain Forth and Oscar assured him that the earl would certainly be all right. The dragon, however, remained restless throughout the morning. Neither combat training, meditation, reading books nor practising simple spells helped. He was constantly overwhelmed by difficult questions. Not knowing what else he could do, he decided to follow his mentor's advice and went to see James in the afternoon.
The entrance to Matheo's shop was closed, and a note inviting customers to return the following day was stuck to the window. Draco hadn't thought beforehand about what to do in such a situation and was a bit annoyed with himself for not having asked about the entrance to the Vittoro house, which didn't go through the shop. Ari and the rest had no idea either. So he stood in front of the door, wondering what to do.
'Draco?' James's voice came from somewhere to the side. The elf was standing in the street in his everyday clothes, holding a bag of shopping. 'How did your exams go?' the long-eared boy blurted out excitedly.
'Hi, it's nice to see you too.' The dragon breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of a friendly face.
'Oh, don't be like that, tell me.' The boy pushed his way to the door and began rummaging through his pockets. 'Anyway, I'm not the only one who's curious. The Master would have made the trip to Ed'heer himself long ago if there hadn't been so much work.' He continued, searching through his pockets. 'Somewhere here... Oh! Here they are!' He cheered, pulling out a bunch of keys. 'I was starting to think they'd nicked them.'
'From you?', Draco asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. 'Don't you work here as a security guard?'
'It happens,' James muttered, shooting the dragon a warning glance. 'You must not have come across those scoundrels from Xalveth yet. They've nimble fingers, far more so than they ought to.'
'Who and from where?' The dragon raised his eyebrows. He hadn't heard that name before, and it seemed he'd be better off knowing it. From the context, he suspected what sort of characters they might be, and from experience he knew they never boded well. He had ventured too often into the depths of the ports along the rivers of Dagos. Although, on the other hand, it was precisely from the rogues that he had never encountered hostility or violence. They mostly left him to his own devices, only occasionally warning him against entering certain back alleys.
James glanced over his shoulder at the dragon, nearly missing putting the key in the lock. He cast another glance at the carriage and the four soldiers behind his friend.
'Well, you've been in the city for less time than I have, and apart from Soeren, Ed'heer and Koriens, you don't go anywhere.' The lock clicked and the door swung open. 'You should find out a bit more about the city, mainly things useful for everyday life. I know, you've had other things on your mind lately, but think about it," the elf gestured for him to come inside.
'We'll wait by the carriage,' Ari smiled slightly. 'We'll rest a bit after this morning's training.' He looked meaningfully at his hands, as if to say they were aching.
The dragon merely narrowed his eyes, but said nothing in response to the dig.
'Do as you please.' Draco shrugged and followed James inside. 'Well, then?' he asked, following the elf deeper into the shop.
It seemed that, despite the recent renovation, the place was in quite a state of disarray. Some of the armour racks stood empty, some suits of armour had been rather haphazardly arranged, and one could see the haste. Furthermore, dust was visible all around, as if someone hadn't had time to clean up properly. Everything pointed to the fact that there was indeed an incredible amount of activity in the shop and the smithy.
'Members of the Thieves' Guild, who else?' James snorted, making no attempt to hide his opinion of these suspicious characters. 'Lately, they've been venturing into Dorvus with increasing boldness, whereas not so long ago they were hanging around the harbour, the poorer districts and Xalveth. A week ago, they nearly picked my pocket.' He huffed irritably.
'I don't think you should be bragging about that last bit.' Draco smiled wryly at the elf's irritation. 'It's interesting that they've become so brazen. I didn't think they'd be a problem in Atlantis. Especially considering how many patrols you see on the streets.'
'You might run into the army and the City Guard on the main roads, but the further you stray from the main thoroughfares, the less likely you are to encounter them. Well, perhaps apart from Rithien and, until recently, Dorvus.' James began climbing the stairs leading to the upper floor. 'It's particularly bad in the slums, though I've only heard that through the rumours.'
'Slums? Here?' The dragon was surprised. Until now, he'd had the impression that the City of Light was a fairly wealthy city, perhaps with great disparities in wealth, but he'd never have associated it with poverty. Besides, he hadn't encountered extreme poverty in Dagos either; one could say a lot about dragons, but thanks to their abilities, they were always sought-after workers in many fields. Their natural predisposition for amassing wealth also served as a motivating factor.
'Shocking, isn't it?' Draco couldn't see the elf's face, so he only saw him shaking his head. 'I didn't know about it either when I arrived here; most visitors don't.' He glanced over his shoulder. James's eyes gleamed with a somewhat unsettling light. 'On the other hand, it's pretty much the norm for larger cities, both the slums and the Thieves' Guild. In Atlantis, it's interesting in that the entire slum district is located in the old tunnels stretching beneath the city. Xalveth, as it's called, has many entrances, but most are near the harbour. It's very easy to vanish into the winding corridors or get lost, so I wouldn't advise venturing in there. Especially since the arm of the law doesn't reach that far, unless you count the underworld's representatives as part of it.'
'Tunnels beneath the city? Now that's something interesting.' Draco took a keen interest in the subject, which reeked of mystery. Of course, he suspected that if he'd asked Leopold about them, he'd have learnt the full history of the underworld. The halfling would probably have been more than happy to tell him everything, too. For now, however, the place remained a mystery. 'You have my attention.'
'Well, that won't be much use.' James gave a short laugh. 'Xalveth is merely a fraction of what lies beneath the ground. No one really has a clue where the tunnels lead, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say led. Many have collapsed, and those that haven't are in danger of doing so very soon. There are tales of daredevils who ventured into the deeper regions of Ilvien.' Draco flinched at the word, which had cropped up several times in ancient books of magic and originated from an old Atlantean dialect. According to the dictionary definition, it meant Place of Rest or Final Destination. Not exactly encouraging for exploration. 'It is also said that another, older city lies buried beneath Atlantis. I also heard someone in a bar talking about grotesque creatures wandering the dark corridors.' This time, James's eyes burned with pure curiosity. It turned out that, apart from his work in the smithy, there was something else that had caught his attention.
'Golems, constructs and creatures summoned centuries ago.' Matheo's voice made them both jump. The towering blacksmith stood at the top of the stairs, looking at his apprentice with a certain weariness. 'I thought you were taking a while to come back, so I was about to go and fetch you, but I see you're keeping the guest company.' The giant smiled gently. 'Hello, Draco.'
'Good morning.' The dragon was indeed delighted to see the blacksmith. 'I hope I'm not intruding.'
'Not at all, come in.' Matheo stepped aside, clearing the entrance. 'We're actually on a break. We've managed to get through most of the orders, and for the rest we're waiting for the raw materials. Luckily, we don't have any new ones either.' He breathed a sigh of relief. 'I can't remember the last time I had a proper sleep. Ugh...' The blacksmith grumbled, though he didn't seem to be suffering quite as much as he made out. 'By the way, Darius has it too easy. Peace and quiet and paperwork.' He shook his head, pretending to ponder something. 'I must shatter that peace and pay him an unannounced visit.'
'That might be difficult.' Draco made an apologetic face. 'This morning Master was summoned to the Palace, and later he left on the orders of the Marshal and the Grand Master.'
'It seems I'm not the only one with problems, then.' The blacksmith took a deep breath. 'What's put off isn't lost.' He shrugged his massive shoulders. 'Come in, Draco.' The man set off down the corridor, and the elf and the dragon had to make an effort to catch up with him. 'Unfortunately, it's just us; everyone else is running errands in town,' Matheo continued. 'Fiora would be pleased you've come. She's been saying lately that because of your exam preparations, you're always busy and can't even spare a word for her.'
'I'll have to apologise to her,' the dragon muttered. He knew he'd been thinking constantly about the exams fast approaching, but he hadn't realised it was that obvious. The only moments when he felt at peace were during training, so perhaps he really was worrying too much. Now, once again, he couldn't shake the intrusive thoughts circling around his test results and couldn't settle down.
'Don't worry, we both know how important it was to you.' The blacksmith patted the boy on the back sympathetically. Draco nearly toppled over.
'We all know,' added James. 'Though I must admit, your muttering of spells under your breath was a bit worrying.'
The dragon shot his friend a reproachful look, but seeing the expression on his face, he almost burst out laughing.
'I admit, I might have gone a bit over the top.' Draco had nothing to say in his defence; he had to give in and admit his mistakes. 'Master kept telling me I knew everything I needed to pass, and yet I still felt it wasn't enough.'
'And now you're on edge waiting for the results?' The elf nodded, his expression saying he knew exactly how the dragon felt. 'It'll be fine. Knowing you, you've already checked the answers yourself a few times.'
'Generally yes, but I'm not sure if I made a mistake whilst writing.' The dragon heaved a heavy sigh and entered the living room with the blacksmith, a place he knew well. 'I hope everything went well and I passed, though.'
'It won't be that bad,' James smiled warmly. 'You'd better tell us how it went in Enpine and about the exams. You haven't bothered to drop by since you got back.'
'Even if I'd wanted to, Oscar wouldn't have let me. He kept saying that the leg had to heal properly, and that healers and potions wouldn't help with everything.' The dragon complained. 'It's a good thing he didn't forbid me from practising, at least.'
'Wait, what do you mean, a leg that's healing?' The elf seemed surprised, and he wasn't the only one. Matheo froze with the jug in his hand.
'Oh, right, you probably don't know,' Draco remembered that he hadn't told anyone about the marvax attack. He'd almost forgotten about it himself, as he'd been far more preoccupied with the exams and what had happened in the magical arena. 'A marvax attacked me whilst I was on a ride in Enpine.'
He gave a brief account of the whole incident. It was hard to say whether he was recalling everything exactly as it had happened. It was all a bit hazy for him. The only thing that had etched itself into his memory was the lacerated wound on his thigh and the pleasant warmth of the healing.
'I'm glad you weren't hurt.' Matheo seemed concerned. 'Between the exams and everything else, you've had far too much to deal with. It's as if trouble's been following you around.' He shook his head.
'I was more likely running into it myself.' Draco gave a wry smile. 'There was an accident during the practical magic exam as well.'
He recounted what he'd seen on that fateful day. In the case of that incident, the whole scene glowed vividly behind his eyelids. Purple and red flashed over and over, and the terrifying howl was deafening even in his memory. He could say more about what he'd learnt afterwards than about the event itself.
'It hasn't been that long since we last saw each other, and so much has happened to you.' James whistled through his teeth. 'Perhaps you really should get some rest.'
'I tried.' The dragon didn't even try to hide his slight irritation. 'I can't sit still; I'm constantly thinking about the exam results, and now the master's gone too.'
'I know what Ari meant earlier,' the elf muttered.
'Speaking of Darius,' Matheo interjected. He clearly wanted to change the subject. "Do you know how long he'll be away?'
'When we said goodbye, he said he'd try to be back before the start of the academic year, but…' The dragon looked a little flustered. 'I don't expect him to manage it.'
'You're such a pessimist, aren't you?' The blacksmith shifted in his seat. 'If he said he'd come back, he'll come back. He'll sort out what he's got to do and be back in no time.'
'If only it were that simple...' Draco paused and looked at his companions. 'I didn't say he went alone.'
'That must have slipped your mind.' The giant tried to joke. 'Have they assigned him an aide again?'
'Not just that. The Master has been given a whole squad of the Guard.'
'Uh, that really is a more serious matter.' Matheo fell into thought. He seemed to be considering whether to say something, but in the end he merely shook his head. 'It happens, anyway. One thing's for sure, Darius would rather be here than wandering about who knows where.'
'He said something similar before he left.' The reptile nodded.
'He'll be back as soon as he can, don't worry about that, Draco.'
The dragon didn't reply. He knew that Master Vittoro was right, but it wasn't his mentor's return or his safety that worried him. Even during this conversation, he couldn't shake the thought of his exam results. The very dark thoughts.
A slightly awkward silence dragged on, broken only by sounds coming from somewhere outside the house.
'Have you been to the harbour yet?' Matheo blurted out unexpectedly.
'No, I haven't had the chance.' The question caught the attention of both the dragon and the silent elf.
'That's great timing.' The blacksmith stood up and pulled a letter from one of the sideboard's drawers. 'I've been informed that one of our shipments has arrived at the port.' He began to explain, looking more at his apprentice than at Draco. 'I was hoping James would go and check the cargo, so perhaps he'll show you Arkien while he's at it.'
'Gladly,' the two boys almost shouted in unison.