Draeyer Academy (First Ver.)

Chapter 23-Two is Company, Three is a Crowd

Draeyer Academy
Drae Skyland
Northeastern Space

"It looks bigger than the others," he whispered as he stared at the egg. As soon as he said that, something pale blue popped out from the silver top of the egg as it cracked. Next something silver emerged and shined under the mid-afternoon sun.

A claw, he thought. The others eggs completely hatched and Draelings in different colored scales and inborn armor, scrambled out of their eggs covered in sticky yellow substance. Small whines and growls escaped their mouths as they shook around and stretched their wings. Gasps filled the air, but Alec maintained his focus on the same egg since the beginning. Soon, all eggs hatched, except one.

His focus broke when the all the new hatchlings screeched into the air. He took a step back, when they crawled over to him as quick as the hares he hunted back in Arktis. They gathered in front of him, about more than 15 pairs of different-colored eyes stared up at him.

Murmurs erupted from behind him, and he could feel their intense gazes on the back of his head. He dared not turned, and straightened himself. He looked down and ran his gaze over each Draeling. As he did, he found a smile tugging at his lips as he saw innocence in each of the babies' eyes. His eyes widened when they spread their wings. They lowered their heads to the ground, folding their almost dry wings in the process. On instinct, he raised his hand. The Draes shot up at once, and dashed passed him, scurrying to the group of students behind him. He looked behind him, and smiled. He saw how each Draeling's eyes lit up in a strange light, when they stood in front of their chosen. He heard their growls and purrs of delight when the students picked them up and cradled them in their arms.

"Shall we get used to Draes acknowledging you first before the others?" Solana joked. He looked to his side, and reined himself from inching away from her like earlier. He shook his head from side to side, and flicked her temple.

"Oh be quiet," he said. With another shake of his head, he looked over to the last egg. Pieces of its blue and black shell continued to break and fall onto the pile of dry grass surrounding it. The entire clearing lapsed into silence once more. He was sure everyone fixed their eyes on the hatching egg. At last, he released the breath he didn't know he was holding, as the silver part of the egg crumbled.

"Aww..." Solana said. A small Draeling, with scales the color of Alec's irises, peeped out from the egg with amber eyes which almost looked golden. Small horns protruded out above the twitching pointy ears.

But not a moment later, Alec's jaw dropped when another pair of the same amber eyes popped out of the egg. A Draeling, with dark blue scales, looked around with curiousness in the said-colored eyes. Horns also protruded out of his head.

Both of them had the same pair of black wings marking on the right side of their necks.

"Twins...." Donovan trailed off. Alec turned to the old man and saw him with clasped hands over his chest. His grey eyes lit up in joy as he stared at the two Draelings. He looked back and a chuckle escaped passed his lips.

The two hatchlings rocked back and forth on what was left of the egg. The shell tipped back, the bottom part facing their direction. The Draeling scrambled from behind it, and ran across the grass. They left behind a trail of sticky golden yolk as they scurried across.

"Their males, but their kind of smaller than male Draes," Solana said.

"Their twins, sis," Knox said. "They had to share the same nutrients while cramped inside that egg, the same way we had in mother's womb."

"I see your stupid face as living proof of that, every single day, so you don't have to remind me," she mumbled. Alec quietly chuckled at them both, before his attention fell to the blue Draelings. Just like the rest, they stood on all fours, looking up at him with big eyes and slit pupils. But his eyes knit together when he saw the look in their eyes. Instead of the innocence he expected, their eyes shined as tears gathered at the corners of their amber eyes. Without giving much thought he bent down on one knee.