Unlike Surdi, who had spent the past few hours wandering the hive with little to no goal in mind, Darmok navigated it with fascinating accuracy. He led the young dragon down a series of hallways, open areas both big and small, past a little indoor garden, until eventually, they stood at the bottom of a short but wide staircase, standing in front of a rather massive set of doors.

[What is this place?]

"You'll see," Darmok brushed off his question and with a few taps on the right places, he forced the stone doors to slide open.

Beyond them lay a place of both unimaginable beauty and immense anxiety. It was a single rectangular room. The only place in the whole hive that had actual corners. Streams of water were running down the walls, settling down on the floor in a rather thick layer. What seemed more out of place, however, was the fact that the water was sitting on the ceiling as well, and yet, not a single droplet ever dripped down. Something was glistening underneath the surface of the liquid. As if minuscule little gemstones were scattered into the water. The tiny shimmers they gave off illuminated the place with faint lights of all imaginable colours. Surdi squinted his eyes. As impressive as the place was, it also made him feel rather uneasy. It was like staring into a tunnel through the ocean. Something inside his head was convincing him that if he was to step inside, the ceiling would fall down and he'd drown.

[What is this place?] he asked, moving his hands as quickly as he can to hide the slight trembling.

"It's a mana cave. Dragons come here to meditate on the questions of magic."

[The water is magical?]

"Yes. Have you ever heard anything about dragon burial rites?"

[Umm... no?] he signed and slowly backed away from Darmok. Something about his words made it seem that he was about to bury him in there.

"When dragons die, their bodies are sent off in a way they join the elements. Fire burns them to ashes, the wind then scatters them, and the earth uses them to fertilise new life."

[And water?]

"Water is treated differently. Dragon scales absorb mana, as you know. So they are taken from the bodies of our deceased before the cremation. Then they are ground to fine dust and mixed with the water in here. The scales that once belonged to the departed dragons now enrich the water with mana."

[So... there are dead dragons in the water.]

"No! Of course not! Just the scales! Don't be so barbaric!"

Surdi looked at the water gently rippling right in front of him. [So... what is the place actually for?]

"Ceremonies usually. But mages come here to meditate. Submerging into the water enhances one's mana regeneration exponentially. Usually, dragons sit at those seats at the very end of the room. They let the water falling down the walls flow over themselves as they feel the mana coursing through their bodies. For some, it is relaxation. For others a custom or even a source of inspiration."

[Do you do it?]

"Me? No, not much. I am more of a swordsman than a wizard, you see."

Surdi's eyes landed on the thin and long scabbard hanging on Darmok's belt. [That's a sword?]

"Indeed. The draconic Takina," he exclaimed and proudly drew the curved blade, showing it off."

[It's so weird.]

"Weird?!" Darmok shook his head. "What do you mean? Why weird?"

[It's all curved, but not as much as a sickle. And it's so thin. It looks like it would break very easily.]

"It does. The sword is used for striking quickly, not for prolonged duels. The curve allows you to slash with it right as you draw it. It is light and very aerodynamic, so excellent for fast and precise strikes."

Something about the sword fascinated Surdi. It was unlike whatever Glavas showed him before, and the idea of striking fast and ending the battle before it can even begin was a concept he would very much prefer over the usually prolonged battles.

"Well, shall we go inside?"

[INSIDE? Into the mana cave?]

"Yes! What, you think I brought you here to just watch? I wanted to show you how it works too. Thought it might help you learn a bit more about your own magic."

The young dragon clenched his fist to finally stop his fingers from trembling. [Okay, I'll do it.] He took a big step forward, but Darmok's massive hand quickly pulled him back.

"Hold on! Not so fast!"

[Oh... Is it dangerous?]

"No, but... you have never been in contact with a mana-enriched land, right?"

[No, I guess not.]

"Then enter slowly. It might feel a bit... overwhelming at first. Think of it like diving into really cold water. Dip your toes in first and enter slowly."

Surdi did as the man asked of him. The moment he touched the surface of the water for even a brief moment, shivers ran across his whole body, forcing him to quickly back out again.

"Aaa! Something bit me!" he yelled at the old dragon.

"Nothing bit you. It's just the mana. You are absorbing it automatically. Just try to focus and you will quickly get used to it. Here. You can hang on to me so you don't trip. Some people... ehm... at least as far as I've heard, can sometimes get a bit dizzy and fall into the water face first."

[Did that happen to you?]

"NO! Of course not! I'm a natural when it comes to magic!"

[Thought you weren't a mage.] Surdi grinned. Teasing the gate guard was a lot more fun than he expected.

The two slowly entered the waters of the cave. Surdi firmly held onto Darmok's clothes. Sometimes, it felt as if the ground beneath him was shifting and swaying, but stopping for a moment or two made the feelings quickly subside. Each step was more and more difficult. It did not feel like water and even though the surface barely reached above Surdi's ankles, it was like he was swimming in it. Dragons didn't have hair that could stand up nor skin that could suffer from goosebumps, but if they did, Surdi would be experiencing both of them. It was indescribable. Like tiny bugs crawling up his legs, under his clothes, and over his whole body. Like millions of tiny fish nibbling on his scales, eager to tear off a piece. And yet, none of it was painful.

"Alright, that is about enough. We'll head back now, okay?" Darmok told Surdi after he saw his twisted expression.

"What? No! You said they sit at the end, no? The wizards?" the dragon muttered.

"Yes, but those are actual wizards. You aren't used to it yet."

"Exactly! I... I need to use this fresh feeling. Before I become used to it, I need to learn as much as I can. After that, it will be difficult to sense it, no?"

What the boy said did not make sense to Darmok and yet he said it with such grit and determination that he believed every single word of it.

"Alright. But I will keep close, okay? If you feel like it's too much at any moment, tell me and I will carry you outside, alright?"

Surdi nodded and slowly shuffled all the way to the far end of the room. Once there, he sat down on one of the round, raised platforms, which were often used for meditations. The moment he leaned against the wall, the water ran down over his shoulders and across his chest, crashing against his crossed legs before finally settling down on the floor. A brief thought passed through the young dragon's mind. How come the water level wasn't rising? Was the water in constant circulation? Before he could even consider any possible answer, the coldness of the liquid hit him. His shoulders raised up into an involuntary shrug. The feeling that something was nibbling on him was no longer only radiating from his feet. It was everywhere. Like diving head-first into an itchy sweater. His body twitched on its own as reflexes took over. He felt Darmok's hand land on his shoulder but quickly shook it off.

[No. I need to find the calm,] he replied, not even knowing if the old dragon said anything, and if so, what it was.

He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. His mind tried the best it could to empty and imagine nothing but endless darkness, but it was as if colours were constantly exploding beyond his eyelids. Since thinking about nothing was impossible, he tried something else. The surge of mana was reminding him of the feeling he experienced in Elkif on the roof. How the cold air felt as if it was seeping into his body as if he was an endless sponge. For a while, his thoughts remained in the elven city. He recalled the battle with the Granitar, how he went to fetch Alma, and even before that, how Glint helped him train. He wondered, if only for a brief moment, if perhaps now he could find a way to create the poison from the blade. But as best as he tried to recall the taste and feelings, nothing came forth. His brain had long forgotten most of it. The only thing Surdi remembered was the horrible taste of metal as he had licked the black blade. The more he dove into his own past, the more the effects of the water subsided. Suddenly, he was asking himself when exactly did the water stop feeling so tingly and itchy, and when did his shoulders finally relax? He had no answers. Instead, he was met with that annoying metal taste again. Where did it come from? Were his memories of it truly that strong? He clenched his teeth, desperately trying to push the flavour out of his mind. Something clicked. His teeth bit down on something. Something small, round, and uneven. The dragon's eyes flew open as he spat the object out into his hand. The sight was unbelievable. There, in his palm, lay a tiny metal nugget. He played with it for a moment before biting down on it again to make sure it was real. The hardness, texture, and taste were all corresponding, as well as the dark colour.

"Did I just make this?" he thought to himself and turned to Darmok, who, out of boredom, had decided to also close his eyes and meditate for a while.

Surdi raised his hand to nudge him, only to feel his arm move as if it was bound by lead. Caught off guard, he moved his whole body. The feeling was the same everywhere. It was as if his muscles had been clenched so strongly that he somehow overworked them.

"Darmok?" he mumbled to get the dragon's attention.

"Yes?"

"I feel kinda... weak."

The guard's eyes nearly shot out of his head. The idea that he had lost the track of time and let the dragon be overwhelmed by magic terrified him. Especially considering what his father could do if he'd find out.

"Oh! Then let's get you out of here!" he replied and with one swift motion, he stood up and scooped the young dragon off the floor, carrying him in his arms. "Are you okay? Do you feel sick?"

"N-No. Just tired," Surdi replied.

"Let's get you to your room then. I'm sorry, this was a stupid idea."

"No no, it's fine. I can shake it off. There is somewhere else I'd like to go first."

"Somewhere else? Don't you want to go to your room and lie down for a while?"

"Yeah, but first, I wanna see a library. Does this place have one?"

Darmok raised his eyebrow. "A library? Well... yes. But most books are in the dragon language. Though there are some in the common tongue as well. We can find you something to read, surely."

"Good. I'm looking for something specific."