Three
The elves escorted Kara back inside Dragon's Nest. They travelled through more hallways, twisting and turning until Kara was sure she would never be able to learn her way around the place. They stopped before a solid wooden door veined with amethyst gems that cast flickering purple light across Kara's uneasy face. This place was nothing like Hogwarts, which had always felt welcoming and magical. Here, the sprawling building felt cold, even dangerous.
"This is our Ceremony Room," Beshal announced. He and Tika went inside, leaving Kara hovering alone. She gripped her wand tightly, its familiar weight a comfort. Steeling herself, she followed them into the chamber.
A high glass ceiling brushed the sky, supported by silver birch columns. The walls were draped in creeping vines, their tendrils stretching down like a thousand curling fingers. A sea of faces turned towards her. Elves of all ages filled the room, their stares colder than morning frost. Despite the resplendent beauty around her, a hollow dread took root in her heart that begged her to retreat, and her palms grew clammy around the smooth length of her wand.
Beshal and Tika left her with a group of elves near her age, departing without a backward glance. A tense, uncertain silence fell, and the young elves eyed her warily. Kara shifted uncomfortably, acutely aware of their scrutinizing gazes. Those stood closest to her shifted subtly away, leaving her standing apart and Kara had to fight back the sting of rejection. She would not let them see how much their disdain wounded her.
Inhaling a shaky breath, she straightened her posture. She took in the grandeur of the Ceremony Room, attempting to display a calm she didn't feel. In the depths of her mind, though, Kara couldn't help but imagine the elves discussing her in hushed whispers, dissecting her human heritage like it was a curse.
"Welcome novitiates!" a commanding voice suddenly boomed through the chamber. Kara's attention snapped to the elf now ascending a central dais, his gnarled hands clasped together. Power and authority radiated from his tall frame. "I am Kalon, Ambassador of Dragon's Nest." His shrewd gaze swept over the group Kara had become a part of. "The mentors shall now choose who to guide. Step forth, present yourself, and pledge your dedication."
Kara's stomach knotted with anxiety as the elves around her began lining up before the dais, heads held high. One by one they came forward; melodic voices ringing with vows to train diligently and uphold the values of the Draconian Watch.
Kara observed the other novitiates closely as they were selected by their mentors, noting variations in appearance that piqued her Ravenclaw mind. What distinguished the elves with turquoise skin and shimmering blue hair from those with emerald complexions? Back at Hogwarts she had read what little was known of elven culture, but those texts were ancient and clearly did not reveal the full diversity of their race.
Pyke and Nhilor bore skin that shimmered like twilight, a spectrum of blues dancing across their figures. Liu and Tiamah were as green as fresh emerald leaves, the exact shade of the Forbidden Forest in spring. Rosa was striking, with skin the colour of fresh milk and snow-pale hair.
All too soon, the line dwindled down until only Kara remained. She had no choice but to step forward as the whispers broke out anew. She could feel a blush creeping up her neck as she looked towards the remained mentors. The dread she had felt earlier once again wrapped around her like a cloak. She cleared her throat and forced herself to call out her name.
"I am Karina Hansen." She would make no pledges here - the Dragon Mark may have brought her to this place, but she had never asked for this. Let them judge as they would.
Kalon's dark eyes assessed her for a long moment before he spoke. "Who shall mentor Karina?"
Kara weathered the deafening silence that followed, staring fixedly ahead. Kalon repeated his call, but not a single elf stepped forward or spoke. Their hostility toward her presence could not have been clearer. Kara's face burned, but she refused to drop her gaze.
At last, Kalon heaved a resigned sigh. "Well, I cannot force anyone to guide you, so I will become your mentor myself."
The murmurs rose sharply at this, laced with undisguised disgust, but Kara sagged slightly in relief. At least she had not been cast aside completely, though she read the resentment in the elf's eyes at being saddled with her. Perhaps he, as Ambassador of this place, might have a solution for her presence here. Maybe she'd finally be able to leave.
The ceremony concluded, and the novitiates and their mentors dispersed. Kara lingered awkwardly, unsure where to go, until an impatient Kalon guided her to his office. The room was austere yet elegant, with floor to ceiling bookshelves and a large carved desk. Kara perched on the edge of her seat, uneasy under Kalon's scrutiny.
"Listen well, human," he began, leaning back in his chair. "You are a guest in our world. Your presence here is a curiosity, not a privilege. You will obey our rules, respect our customs, and strive to live up to the expectations we have for our novitiates."
He retrieved a large parchment from one of the drawers in his desk, unrolling it before her. "These are the rules and regulations of Dragon's Nest," he continued, sliding the parchment towards her. "Read them. Learn them. Obey them. And remember, you are not one of us. You will need to work twice as hard as any elf here to earn your place among us."
Kara took the parchment from him. The document was covered in meticulously written elven script; its margins decorated with intricate, swirling patterns, and she felt a moment of despair. It would take her some time to translate.
"Becoming a custodia demands discipline and dedication. You will be trained for the next two years – the first here, at Dragon's Nest, the second, if you pass the Challenges, between here and the Royal Palace."
Kara's heart sank. Two years! She did not want to be here, did not want to be surrounded by beings who evidently held nothing but contempt for her, when she already had plans for her future. In two years' time, she should have completed her OWL's and graduated from Hogwarts as a fully-qualified witch. Now, instead, she had to attend some mysterious training, converse with elves, and bond with a dragon. She supposed Kalon had no way of reversing whatever had brought her here either then. The new mark on her wrist felt like a shackle.
"Can I send owls to my loved ones?" she pleaded. "Just to let them know I'm alive?"
Kalon remained unmoved. "None may breach Drakonia's barriers, not even birds."
Kara was truly alone then. Alone in a world that didn't want her, faced with challenges she wasn't prepared for, surrounded by people she knew nothing about. What would Felix do when she failed to appear in her lessons? What would Jari think when he stopped receiving her letters? That she'd abandoned him for the wizarding world? The room felt as if it was closing in on her. Her eyes stung, and she had to blink rapidly to keep the tears at bay. Crying wouldn't help her situation.
Kara had always believed that the key to survival lay in knowledge. Ever since she was a child, from the moment she had first felt the thrum of magic inside her veins, she had wanted to learn. About magic, about the world, about history and creatures and people. Now, she realised, she must learn everything she could about the elves, their customs, their rules, and their expectations.
"You mentioned Challenges," she said, instead of giving into despair. "What are they?"
"The Challenges are a series of tests that novitiates must complete at the end of their first year in Dragon's Nest. They test your physical strength, your magical prowess, and your mental resilience." Kalon studied her, his gaze piercing as he added, "They are not easy. Not all who attempt the Challenges succeed. Only those who do may bond with a dragon and proceed to the second year of training. Failure often means death."
Kara swallowed hard. The severity of what she had gotten herself into was becoming abundantly clear.
"Are there any specific tasks?" she asked when she could finally get her voice to work.
"There are several," Kalon responded. "Each Challenge is designed to test a different aspect of your abilities. They change every time we have a new influx of novitiates and are not disclosed until the day of the Challenge itself. Your training in the coming year will prepare you for them, or at least, it should. You're a human. I am uncertain how you will fare."
That was not reassuring. With a sinking feeling, Kara realized just how out of her depth she truly was. But she was here, with no choice but to participate in the tests to prove herself worthy of staying alive.
"Is there anything else you wish to know?" Kalon asked after a moment.
Kara blinked. She opened her mouth, then closed it. Her mind was a whirl of thoughts, each clamouring for her attention. She wanted to know so much - about the elves, the Nest, the dragons, the challenges. She wanted to ask about the different elven races she'd seen in the Ceremony Room, the etiquette and social norms she needed to follow, the kind of training she'd be undergoing.
But the words tangled in her mind, a jumbled mess of questions she didn't know how to articulate. Everything felt so surreal, as though she was living in a dream and would wake up any moment. The days' events weighed heavily on her, and the constant fear and stress were taking their toll.
"No," she finally said. "No more questions."
Kalon nodded and stood, guiding Kara out of his office and through the Nest until they came upon a long hallway with doors dotted down its length.
"The dormitories," Kalon explained. "Guests and custodia stay here periodically. You will share a dorm with the other novitiates."
They moved to the end of the hallway and he paused in front of the final door. "Do not mistake my stepping up as a sign of my desire to guide you," he said. "I have no such inclination. As the Ambassador of Dragon's Nest, my duties are vast and varied. I do not have the time nor the patience to address every query you may have."
Kara tried to keep her emotions from her face. Despite his stern demeanour earlier, she'd hoped that Kalon, being her mentor, might be a source of support. But his words shattered that hope.
"You are here because of a decree, not a desire. You carry the blood of a race that is notorious for its selfishness and destruction. Do not expect warmth or sympathy from me. Or from any of the elves in the Nest."
Kara stared. Notorious for selfishness and destruction? What did that even mean? The prejudice was blatant, an echo of the unsaid hostility she'd felt from the elves since her arrival.
"Do not seek me out unless absolutely necessary. Your education and training will be handled by different tutors and trainers as deemed appropriate. You're expected to follow the schedule and rules diligently. That is all."
And with that, he turned on his heel and left, leaving Kara standing alone at the entrance of the novitiate's dorm.
AN
Ochre57 - My first review, ty! Thanks so much for reading, and I'm glad you're enjoying it so far :)