Draeyer Academy
Drae Skyland
Northeastern Space
With his silver fork, Knox took one large chunk from the slice of chocolate cake on the saucer in front of him. He brought it to his open mouth, disregarding the disgusted look which came from Solana as he savored its sweetness on his tongue.
"You have exceptional table manners, brother," Solana said. She took a bite of her apple, swallowed, before resuming. "But when it comes to sweets, you seem to forget all of it."
Knox only smiled at her through a mouthful of cake. He gulped it down his throat before taking a sip of water from his goblet. While he finished its contents, he shifted his gaze to Alec who was unusually quiet―even though he already was the silent type. He found him focusing on the journal the Gue had given him. His plate lay empty a few inches away from where his triplets curled into snoring balls.
"Are you coming close to opening it?" Knox said. Alec flinched and snapped from his concentration on the leather-bound diurnal. He turned his attention to him, before looking back at the book as he cradled his chin on his palm. He turned the book on its spine, and Knox saw the golden lock preventing them from seeing its contents.
"The lock has a triangular keyhole," Alec said, as he traced it with his finger. "I've been picking at it till midnight but I only ended up keeping Leyan and the other two awake."
"Are you sure the Gue didn't give you a key or anything?"
"It's not fair," Solana said. Their heads snapped to her and found her bottom lip jutting out while a crease formed between her brows. Knox couldn't help but smile at the sight.
"What's not fair?" Alec said, raising a brow at her.
"I found the orb first, but since that little fur ball gave it to you, it's now yours," she said. The journal suddenly shook in Alec's hand and the Gue's pruf, resembled a growl directed at her. Like Solana, the students close by had big round eyes, and trembling lips. But with one look from him and Alec, they faced their tables and resumed their lunch.
"Gues can merge with the objects they are protecting, Solana. It makes it easier for them," Alec said. "So, better be careful in making comments about this Gue whenever the journal is around. He can hear you."
"Why do you know so much about them? Until last night, I never knew they even existed." Solana said. In the process, her eyes kept darting to the book on the table, most probably afraid of any sudden movements from it.
"I only know the basics about them," Alec said. He placed a hand on the journal and traced the swirls and patterns covering the leather. "It's just my brother always had this large pool of knowledge in his mind. Sometimes when he tutored me, one topic strayed into a different one. I remember that he was talking about the noble families in Arktis, and the next thing he was mentioning the Gues while drawing images of them on the snow."
"You're brother tutored you?" Solana said. "He must be really intelligent then."
"Everything I know I learned from him," Alec said. Knox almost immediately felt the gloom coming off of Alec. Judging by the faraway and longing looks that filled his crystal blue eyes, he had pretty good idea where his brother was. That territory was too sensitive for them to thread―yet anyway. Solana, as usual, was oblivious though.
"I can't wait to meet him, tomorrow," she said. She was about to take another bite on her juicy red apple, but paused when she saw the look Alec was giving her. Knox saw how his eyes dropped halfway and the corners of his lips turned down. He shifted his gaze on the table and fiddled with his fingers.
"I wish I still had the chance to see him," he said. A pained smile flitted to his lips, and he tilted his head back. "He always got along with people who share the same attitude as yours Solana. He would've been happy to meet you."
Solana placed her apple on her plate. She stared at it, with her arms folded on top of the table. Knox knew for a fact, that like him, she understood Alec's words.
"I'm sorry Alec. I didn't know," she said. When the twins looked up at him, Alec gave them both a small smile. He reached a hand out to the newly-awakened Leyan, and stroked his head.
"Exactly, you didn't know," he said. "Which is why, you don't have to apologize." By the time he finished his sentence the other two Draelings awoke, and sought for his attention. Knox smiled, happy about the progress in their friendship. He half-expected Alec to raise his walls again, but instead he let them in. They were slowly lowering his barriers.
They watched as Alec's face lit up at the interaction with his Draelings. Knox sighed, suddenly missing Uby. The red Drae had exceeded the size limit for it to be allowed inside the building. Usually the Draeling would be purring at his hand begging for one of his treats.
"You said something about tomorrow," Alec said. "What's going to happen then?" The twins locked eyes, knitting their brows at Alec's question.
"Weren't you briefed about the Visitations?" Knox asked. Alec shook his head, as he continued to stroke the back of Entiny's ear.
"For two days every month, family members or guardians are allowed to enter the grounds. Most students spend time with their families outside of the campus, particularly in Saggaran. There are few who choose to stay and bond with their relatives here."
"Oh," Alec said. "Does that mean I'd only have my Draelings as company back at the dorm?"
"Aren't your parents coming?" This time it was Knox who asked, and immediately regretted it when Alec gave them nothing but silence. His attention was on Leyan, Midnight and Entiny as they purred against his arms.
"I don't have any," he said. "And frankly I don't care."
Knox's eyes drifted to Solana, and tried to have a silent communication with her using a secret language they both made. Let's never mention this again ever, he thought as he made signs on top of the table with his fingers. Solana who was looking at his hand, subtly nodded at him.
"Ceiv and...Isha always stay here during Visitations," Solana said. "Isha's father is always busy, while Ceiv is...like you...I guess. So you'll have company." She released a sigh once she finished and saw Alec nod at her words.
"Since Professor Gael is your guardian, and based on his nature, he'll come by and check on you," Knox said. "And I'll give you a bit of advice, Alec. Make sure your room is clean, or else he won't stop nagging about you tidiness."
Alec laughed. The kind of laughter he rarely let them hear. It was loud and uncontrolled, like he could care less of the gawks and stares directed at him.
Knox turned to Solana when he heard a long sigh come from her. He found her staring at Alec with a smile on her lips. An involuntary smirk formed on his face at the sight.
"Well, well, well..." he whispered, but he knew she heard him. Solana looked up before she shifted her attention to him. He only shrugged when she raised a brow in question. He tucked into his half-eaten cake, as he tried to suppress his smirk.
―――
He knocked on the white-colored door. Moments later, he heard footsteps from inside the room heading towards him. When it flew open, he raised the brown book in his hand, in front of the person's face. Alec's blue eyes widened for a moment, before his hand snagged the book away from his face. Knox laughed.
"That's the book you wanted to borrow," he said. "Mind if I join you for a while?"
Alec looked back at him after scanning his gaze over the cover of the book. His eyes held boredom, before they shone in warmth when his sight settled on the red Draeling looking up at him. Uby sat almost in level with Knox's knees, with his tongue dangling out of his currently toothless mouth. He and Alec smiled.
"As much want to only allow Uby in, I guess he won't be happy if I leave his Draeyer out," Alec said. He stepped to the side, opening the door wider into his dimly-lit blue room. Knox could see one corner of his lip turning up into a playful smile. With a roll of his grey eyes, he stepped inside, with Uby dashing ahead of him.
"Very hilarious, Arden," he said. "Very."
Once in, his sight took in the clean room with the exception of Alec's desk. The light-crima shining over the study table allowed him to see the papers and books cluttering the surface.
"You and Gael are the same in more ways than one," he said. "No wonder the both of you get along."
"You address him like that?" Alec said. One of his brows arched at him while he asked. He nodded.
"Grandfather was his guardian," he said. "When he isn't his professor self, we would've called him Uncle. But he insisted to call him by his name because we make it sound like his more than 30 years old."
"I see," Alec said. He sat back down in front of his desk, and opened the book he borrowed. Knox turned away from him, and his gaze found Alec's triplets at foot of his bed. They curled into balls on the black cushions of the large weed basket-bed. Uby lay close, bringing his head up to watch the three younger Draes from time to time. Knox walked over to Alec's bed and sat on the edge. Silence surrounded them, with the exception of the Draes' snoring.
"Why are you here again?" Alec said. Knox chuckled and stood. He walked across the room, and dropped his body on the couch located close to Alec's closet.
"You have to be honest with me, alright?" he said. "Do you like my sister?"
From the corner of his eye, he watched him tense before his shoulders eased. Alec twisted in his chair and faced him with an amused smile on his face.
"Yes, I like her," he said, "but not in the way your thinking."
"In what way then?"
"She's like the little sister I never had," Alec said. "And also, she's the first friend, who is close to my age that I ever made in a very long time."
Knox fell silent after that. Curiosity overcame him because of Alec's last statement.
"You must've had a rough life then," he said.
"If you consider being shunned by your hometown, and forced to live alone near a forest as such, then yes I had pretty rough life."
"You do know that my sister might be able to hear you say that?" Knox said. It took all his efforts to suppress the surprise threatening to form on his face.
"I know," he said. He turned back to his book, and wrote something on his notebook. "But like you, I trust she won't tell others and pry unless I decide to tell her myself."
"Even though it was so cryptic, and anyone who has an inquisitive mind would be dying to know more?"
"Yes."
"You're such a bastard who likes to play with people's curiosity," Knox said. He groaned, resisted the urge to pull at his hair. "Solana, I hope you don't mind if I join you in your quest to figure out this walking mystery called Alec."
Alec laughed. If Knox had his grandfather's Sentiral Power, he would've heard his sister laugh out a yes.