I cast them, the instructor made some notes, and that was it. Nothing interesting.’ He braced himself behind his back so as not to fall over. ‘Later, Aiden took me to the Tower of Earth, to the underground. Maybe it was better that we got there quite early, because at least I didn’t have to wait for my turn. My examiner turned out to be a grey orc woman who didn’t introduce herself, but after hearing the description, my master said it must have been Isverna Gar'quette. Personally, the name meant nothing to me.'
‘I've heard of her somewhere before.’ Vi must have been listening carefully, because he interrupted them, leaning over Kei. ‘I just can't remember where.’
‘It sounds familiar, but it doesn't mean much to me either.’ Forth just shrugged.
‘Never mind, tell us what happened next, because I can see from your expression that something else happened.’ Ari was very good at reading the dragon.
‘It started out standard, just attacking as if you wanted to hurt the other person,’ Draco continued. ‘I could feel that she was strong, in the sense that I somehow knew that even if I gave it my all, I would have trouble even hurting her. After a while, she told me to stop and said that by human standards, it was good, even very good.’
‘That's an understatement,’ Forth rolled his eyes. ‘Once someone tries you, they'll know you're good, you don't have to be an instructor from Solvein.’
‘But she's also the only person I've heard of who can recognise a dragon, even without transformation.’ As he said this, the reptile felt uncomfortable. It sounded as likely as a dragon wielding magic. Draco smiled to himself.
‘I guess nothing surprises me anymore,’ Ari sighed.
‘If she really recognised it and didn't find out some other way.’ Forth seemed sceptical. ‘But what reason would she have to try to find out more about you on her own?’
‘I think she did recognise it.’ Draco wasn’t entirely convinced that it was possible either. After all, even the twins Vittoro and James didn’t
