Draeyer Academy (First Ver.)

Chapter 7-Welcome to Draeyer Academy

Somewhere near Saggaran Skyland (Draeyer Academy Spacelet)
Northeastern Space

"They...blamed me and my brother for...an epidemic that killed almost half of the townspeople," Alec said.

"The Raze Boils?" Gael asked. "The news reached the other skylands as well," he answered when Alec raised a brow at him.

"Yes, it was," he answered and fell quite again.

"Sorry for the interruption," Gael said. Alec nodded before he continued.

"We used to travel a lot around Arktis when I was young. When we traveled we often acquired diseases. One day, my brother got sick, I wasn't worried because it happened to me too when we came home. He had high fevers and his body suffered convulsions every night. One night, red boils formed on his skin and covered all of his body. The town doctors did everything they can to help him, but eventually...he didn't make it.

"A few days later, the doctors and the people who tended my brother got the Raze Boil too. They suffered and eventually they died like Alen. I should've gotten the disease and died too. But for some reason, my body was immune to it. No matter what I did, I didn't acquire it." he said.

He looked up and saw how Gael looked at him like he grew two heads. A dry chuckle escaped him as he understood why he was giving him that look.

"I was a suicidal 10 year-old, ruined by grief. I think I recovered by spending so much time in the forests and hunted animals. I managed to live a plain life by myself for the past eight years. The townspeople shunned me out, and treated me differently. Looking at the little boy from earlier, and the way his father looked at me, I'm guessing one of their family members probably got infected with the Raze. And I hope it was not the child's mother," he said. Silence fell over them once more before Gael broke it.

"Thank you for telling me. Must've been hard, until Crimson came," he said. At the mention of the Drae, Alec's heart sunk even further. Gael seemed to notice the darker gloom around him because he spoke in an urgent tone.

"But it wasn't your fault, okay? There are some things that are meant to happen, and those things are the most uncontrollable and ones we can't do anything about," he said.

"Thanks. You're the first person I talked to about this," Alec mumbled.

He looked down when he felt a tug on his wool shirt. Asher looked up at him with big pleading white eyes, and he ended up raising a brow at him. Alec stood up and the Drae led him a bit further from the stone he was sitting on. Asher tugged him down on the ground. He sat crossed legged and the Drae curled around him, trapping him between his limbs. Asher rested his big head on his lap.

"What are you doing?" Alec asked. The heavy feeling in his chest lightened a bit and a smile tugged at his lips. The Drae only purred at him in response.

"Drae's are sensitive, caring and loving creatures Alec. They can feel what others are feeling and find ways to help them if they feel down, or calm the person down when they are angry. They're only like that to people they like though," Gael said. "That trait would never disappear like their natural armor. It would always be there, no matter how many years pass,"

"Hmm..." Alec hummed. He yawned as his eyes drooped from tiredness, the warmth from Asher made him squeeze closer to the Drae. It made him even more tired as he leaned on his neck. The position looked uncomfortable but he seemed fine and his eyes fully dropped closed.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked with closed eyes. He heard Gael's footsteps headed towards him, until he felt him close by.

"You'll see once we get there," he heard him say.