Shcielle (Draeyer Academy 2)

Chapter 10-A Picture and Strangers

Icefall Academy
Arktis Skyland
Northern Space

Make sure Alec goes straight back to the hotel. He might see us buying him a birthday present and ask about it. Solana's words echoed in Areisha's mind.

"Why does it have to be me?" she asked Emera. The Draeling looked up at her for a moment before the creature shifted her gaze back to her front.

She grumbled curses under her breath as she exited the arena along with the uninjured people. Pausing in her strides, her attention went to her friends walking ahead of her to the city. Solana had taken Lux with her and she was now petting the kitten with a smile on her face. With another curse, she walked a different snow-covered path leading behind the arena.

Walking past the stadium, she kept her eyes up at the towering building of Icefall Academy. Due to its elevation on the mountainside, it was so much taller than Draeyer Academy. The ice covered roofs of its towers glinted under the sunlight, giving it a wonderful allure. The story depicted on its windows was somehow similar to the ones in Draeyer Academy.

A few minutes passed and her eyes caught sight of the tunnel leading to Icefall Academy's sanctuary. Faint light came from the inside, and she could hear familiar roars coming from it. She approached and entered. The light source was coming from the other end of the tunnel which was some distance away. She ran the length of it, and before she knew it, she was surrounded by tall pine trees with leaves covered in large amounts of snow.

Draes in different colors and sizes ran and flew about the area. Looking around her, she noticed that the sanctuary was in a small valley surrounded by mountains in all sides. She smiled when she saw a group of Draelings rolling on the snow and biting one another's ears. An adult Drae landed close and separated them all with a gentle push from its talon.

Small roars came from her side, causing Emera to raise her head and Areisha to look down. Her eyes fell on Entiny who was hopping on her spot while flapping her wings. She smiled when Midnight and Leyan did the same and Emera copied them. The four young Draes ran toward a small grove and she followed them. Looking ahead she could see people gathered around the teal Drae from earlier.

She paused next to one of the pine trees and allowed her eyes to wonder on the people present. Professor Linan, along with another man, was tending to the injured Drae. Two Icefall students, one of which was the Draeyer of the teal Drae, sat on a large flat rock with Kreis, Gael, and headmasters, Donovan and Zedrius talking before them.

Near the teal Drae's head, Alec sat on the cold snowy ground rubbing its head while he spoke to it. She assumed the words must've been comforting for the Drae soon fell fast asleep.

Alec's attention snapped to his Draelings and Emera, before his gaze scanned the area and landed on her. Instead of holding his gaze, she looked away and walked toward him.

"Where are the others?" Alec asked when she was near.

"Since the ceremony was postponed, they went ahead," she said. "For unknown reasons I was elected to stay behind and wait for you...and our professors."

A chuckle escaped Alec's lips before he wrapped a hand around his Sentiral Stone. She caught sight of faint green light from his fist, as he stood. A few moments later, a pale colored stone dangled on the metal chain around his neck.

"Then you can just wait for our professors," he said. "I have to go somewhere since I have the time now."

"Where are you going?" she asked and tilted her head to one side.

"To a house that I didn't know I lived in when I was three."

Areisha paused and one of her brown brows rose up in question. Before she could utter her confusion, a soft timid voice clogged the words on the back of her throat.