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
