man about non-committal topics. They chatted about their favourite foods, science, life in Ed'heer, and many other things. They were interrupted only by a knock on the door. A messenger from Solvein brought a letter informing them that the combat exams had been delayed by one day and that those who had not managed to take the magic tests would have to report to the arena on the same day in the morning.
The door opened unexpectedly and Darius stood in the doorway. He looked exhausted again and was undoubtedly worried. He quickly approached his apprentice.
‘Are you sure you're all right?’ Bleist blurted out, looking closely at the dragon.
‘Everything's fine, Master.’ Draco smiled, hoping it would cheer his master up a little. ‘Doctor Herpetes didn't find anything.’
‘What happened there?’ Darius, having made sure that his pupil was indeed all right, sat down next to the reptile. ‘I heard the description from the messenger, but many things don’t add up for me.’
The boy looked at his master for a moment, weighing in his mind how he should phrase what he wanted to say. Finally, he decided there was no point in worrying about the right words and simply outlined what he had seen. He had to admit to himself that it wasn't really much. Flashes, fog, and something moving in it. Very little.
‘Once more.’ The magician leaned towards his student. ‘Something passed you by, and then there was a great flash?’
‘Yes.’ Draco regretted not catching a glimpse of what it was, even out of the corner of his eye. He was extremely curious himself. ‘I would even say that I noticed the movement more than what caused it.’
‘The most important thing is that you came out of it unscathed.’ Darius was visibly relieved. ‘An aura and wave of energy capable of shocking not only students but also assistants is certainly not normal. You need to be knowledgeable in advanced magic, have considerable reserves of mana, and hide your intentions from the examiners...’ Earl thought for a moment.
‘I didn't even have a chance to
