Draeyer Academy (First Ver.)

Chapter 26-Gael

Draeyer Academy
Drae Skyland
Northeastern Space

Gael rubbed his hands together as he tried to ward off the cold the ice-crimas emitted as they floated around the room. Compared to Arktis, the room was warmer so he didn't complain when the headmaster summoned him. Still, the ice sickles hanging down the chandelier gave him the idea that the crimas had been on for quite a while.

The black metal door released an earsplitting squeak as it flew open. He saw a mop of black hair peeking out of the gap between the door and wall, before his gaze fell on brown-orange eyes.

"Come in, Gravis," Headmaster Donovan said. He stood from the old red-leathered chair lying across the small brown-walled room, tightening his coat around him in the process. His boot-clad feet stopped in front of a long table where an object lay covered by a white sheet.

Gael turned his attention back to his colleague, and saw the sleeve, where his arm should've been, swaying behind him as he slammed the door closed. They nodded at each other, before they turned to the headmaster, who held a solemn look on his wrinkled face. Gael's brows knit in his thoughts. He's seldom his cheerful self lately, he thought.

"Gael," Donovan broke him out of his thoughts. He blinked before straightening his stance, and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yes, headmaster?" he said.

"As you already know, Alec has unlocked the powers he shared with his Draelings," the old man said. "His fire has the ability to freeze; turn objects into pure ice."

When he finished, he grabbed hold of the white sheet. Tugging, it dropped to the floor, and revealed a large snake made out of ice, as cold mists floated around it. Its maw was frozen open, revealing its fangs and two-ended tongue, as if ready to pounce on its prey.

"A rather terrifying fire among the rest I've seen and encountered," Gravis commented. After glancing at the two older men with wide eyes, Gael stepped closer to the table. He circled it with long strides, never taking his eyes away from the creature with details that could surpass any sculpture. But he knew it wasn't a sculpture. The thought sent a shiver up his spine, not because of the cold, but because of slight fear of what Alec could do if he strayed from the right path.

As he leaned forward in front of its menacing face, his eyes spotted a small red crystal orb on its forehead. He corrected his posture and turned to the two, pointing at it in the process.

"What's that red thing in there?" he said. As if expecting the question, Donovan was one step ahead and already nodding at Gravis to continue.

"It's a newly-invented crima which allows anyone to control animals when it's implanted on any part of its body," he said. "It harnesses the thoughts of the controller and sends it to the brain. It's a weapon only allowed to be used on our battles with the Southern Hemi-Space."

At his words, Gael's hand curled into fists as a crease formed between his brows. In a blink of an eye, he smashed the snake's frozen head with his fist, leaving behind its long frozen body. Blood dripped from his hand to the floor, but he paid little attention to the pain.

"They know we're keeping him here," he said. "It was a bad idea to bring him to this place."

"What's going on?" Gravis said. Gael tensed, cursing in his head for forgetting the man was in the room with them. He would never hear the end of it from the headmaster later. Contrary to what he expected, his eyes grew big when the old man spoke.

"Alec saw the face of the thief who broke into Ruby Tower," he said. "Now we think the bastard is out to kill him for it."

"I think it's something more than that," Gael said. Their eyes shifted to him before he continued. "The way he looked at Alec...had some meaning. A deep hatred of some sort...Aish...I saw it with my own eyes, I just...."