Draeyer Academy (First Ver.)

Chapter 36-Happier

I feel much better now. My nose is clear and the headache's gone. This chapter is long and rather VERY important than it would seem.

Maenin City
Cetrulis Skyland
Central Space

"I'll see you soon, little Cenred." The voice rang through the darkness in Alec's mind. He was floating in the midst of it all, as the words repeated non-stop: getting slower and quieter every time, until it disappeared.

Hushed voices coming from around him caused him to arouse from his sleep. Alec tried to open his eyes, but pain shot through his skull like a knife piercing skin. When he released a groan, he heard hurried two sets of footfalls heading for him. He felt one side of the soft bed sink, before a gentle hand ran through his hair. It eased the throbbing he felt.

Soon, he felt familiar warm and wet flesh leaving a trail of liquid dripping down his cheeks to his neck. He didn't have to open his eyes to know it was his Draelings. He released a groan and used his arms to cage the triplets to his body, with his eyes still closed.

"Stop it you three," he mumbled with a smile. "My head hurts like...." He was unable to finish due to another grunt of pain leaving his mouth. He peeled one eye open, before the other followed. He found himself staring up at a wooden ceiling before the triplets' toothless smiles greeted him. He smiled back and rubbed their heads. Only then did he notice that his right hand had a bandage wrapped around it.

"What happened to you?" a voice said from his left. He turned his head to the same direction and found Gael looking at him with a deep crease between his eyebrows. Alec brought his bandaged hand to his head as a sting came from the effort at trying to remember.

"I...I can't remember," he said.

"I went looking for you when you were taking too long to leave the Simbhan. But after that, I heard a scream and the birds in the woods flew away in flocks. When I went to look, your Draelings came scampering and led me to you," Kreis said. He sat on the foot of the bed, and gave him the same expression Gael wore on his face. "You were lying there on the ground...on your stomach with a bite mark on your hand. It seemed to me that you bit it yourself."

Alec heaved in a lungful of air, as he forced himself to sit up. Gael assisted, and even though he didn't like it, he allowed him. His back rested on the pillow Gael propped against the headboard. He stared down at his lap before he spoke.

"I really can't remember much," he said. "I know that these three," he nodded at the Draelings, "ran off into the woods. I followed after them...and then...everything went black, and I woke up here."

Silence followed after that. Alec's hand reached out to his Draelings when he noticed their droopy ears and wings as they lowered their heads. He stroked each of their heads as he spoke.

"I'm not blaming you three, all right?" he said gently. "It's not your fault." They crawled over the bed and curled close to him. He smiled.

He shifted his head back to the two men when he heard them sigh. He tilted his head to the right as he stroked Midnight's neck.

"At least you're safe," Gael said. He patted Alec's shoulder before cradling Entiny in his arms and stroking her back. Compared to the other two, the grey Draeling got along well with Gael. Midnight and Leyan though, preferred Kreis. Alec shook his head.

"But we're going to have to send you back to the Academy first thing tomorrow morning," Kreis said. "It's not safe as I expected it to be."

"It's all right with me," Alec said. "I've got nothing better to do than follow you around or stay here."