"Let's have lunch. What do you want to eat?" Gael asked him. They had just left the headmaster's office and were making their way back down to the lobby.

"Anything is fine," he said. "Actually, maybe that vegetable dish you made last night."

"You liked it? Sure, but my housekeeper would be the one preparing it this time."

After accepting the job offer, Alec spent the rest of the morning signing documents required for his graduation. Gael had promised, that with the help of the headmaster, it would be sent to Icefall Academy as soon as possible. Before the end of the weekend, he would finally receive his degree. He would still need to go under evaluation before being officially hired, but it was more of a formality. Gael had enough authority to do so, and he was not afraid of being judged for nepotism because of it.

"I trust that you'll do a good job," were Gael's words. Alec had no idea why Gael would trust him when the only thing he saw so far was his combat abilities. Gael had never even seen him teach. Alec tried to shrug off the pressure from Gael's trust.

He still could not believe it. While it was true, that he had worked hard to graduate early while fulfilling hunting requests, he held no hope of actually being offered a teaching-related job so quickly. He was young and lacked the connections to receive opportunities like that.

But an opportunity came knocking on his door, and from Draeyer Academy at that. Something he thought would take a while to come his way.

"If you think that an opportunity that comes to you is worth it, grab it. Don't let go. Don't feel unworthy about it and think it was just luck. Remember that diligence creates the conditions for luck to happen, and luck is like a reward for those who never stopped putting in effort."

Ever since he left Gelun, Alen's teachings would always appear in his mind often compared to before. He had learned so much from his brother, but it seemed that he had neglected those lessons because he had insisted on staying in his own bubble. Now that he thought about it, if Alen was still alive, he would have driven Alec out of Gelun to explore the skies. He would've sent him to Icefall Academy to be an actual student instead of to "make friends" like he always told him to. His brother would be disappointed to know that he had stayed miserable in his "comfort zone," because he was afraid that stepping outside of it would make drown him in even more misery.

And he really was miserable. Until Crimson came.

He clenched his fists. Thinking of Crimson would eventually lead him to thinking of the bastard. He hated that the happy memories he had of Crimson would always be stained with the memory of the thief. I wish that bastard would just jump over the Edge or get eaten by a drae—no. The drae might get an upset stomach. Maybe he should be hunted down and eaten by a pack of armor cats.

"Why do you want to be a teacher?"

He was broken from his musings of the thief and cats when Gael spoke. He also realized that they were in the lobby, standing before the large statue of black drae with jewel sapphire eyes. He resumed walking, heading out the doors with Gael.

"Because of my brother."

"Alen? What about him?"

Alec slowed his steps, before stopping just before the doors of the academy. He looked up at Gael as he answered. It would not matter much if Gael knew his reasons. It was not a big deal after all.

"I learned a lot from Alen in the short time he raised me. I learned all his knowledge, skills, and maybe a bit of his wisdom. I didn't want it to go to waste. I wanted to share it with as many people as possible. It's also my way of keeping his memory alive."

Gael eyes widened before he bit his lips to stop his smile from widening. Alec frowned.

"What's funny?"

Instead of answering, Gael chuckled and placed a hand on his head. Alec started to protest when the man started ruffling his hair but stopped when he looked into Gael's eyes. He found sadness, and maybe a bit of envy in the dark green depths.

"You really love your brother. It must be nice to have a sibling like you," he said. He dropped his hand and started walking away, leaving Alec standing there in confusion.

Why is he sad?

Why should you care that he's sad?

Because I wasn't raised to be a sack of drae's shit.

True. You're more of an asshole deep inside.

Fuck off!

He walked after Gael staying just a step behind him. He contemplated asking him if he was okay, but a presence from behind caused him to pause. Something grabbed the back of his neck before he could turn, and he dangled a foot off the ground. He didn't panic, already knowing who it was.

"Asher, can you please put me down?" he asked. "I am not an unruly draeling that needs to be held like this." He felt a rumble of laughter come from the drae behind him. "Also, your saliva is getting on my clothes."

Gael turned to look back at them, amusement replacing the bit of sadness in his eyes. But Asher seemed to have noticed it. He dropped Alec, nearly causing him to fall on his knees. He really wanted to scold the drae a bit but stopped himself. Asher had wrapped his long neck around Gael, nuzzling his hair while making comforting purrs from his chest.

Alec smiled softly at the sight. It must be nice to be a Draeyer. He remembered Crimson again. If he had more time...he would've asked if Crimson wanted to Bond with him. Whether the drae would have accepted or not, he would never know. Maybe being a Draeyer isn't for me.

"I'm fine, Asher. I really am," Gael said as he hugged Asher's neck. "Are you hungry? Join us for lunch."

The black drae opened his wings and flapped them in excitement at the mention of food. Alec chuckled at the sight. Draeyer or not, he was happy with the friendship he has developed with the draes he met so far.

"By the way Asher, can you take Alec to the Sanctuary after lunch? I have something to do this afternoon."

Alec perked up at the mention of the Sanctuary. A giddy feeling bubbled in his chest at the thought of more draes. He only hoped they were as friendly as Asher and Iris had been when they first met.

-------

After lunch, Gael went back to the main campus to catch up on some work. He was left behind with Asher, who would be leading him to the Sanctuary.

The big drae stood in his stable, waiting for Alec to approach. When he did, the creature lifted his neck and motioned for Alec to sit on his back. Alec paused, remembering Crimson's promise, causing him to reluctantly shake his head at the offer.

"I'm sorry, Asher. I can't. It's too much for me, right now."

Asher noticed his reluctance and tilted his head in confusion. To the drae, riding on his back must have not been a big deal. It was only for a moment though, before the drae nodded his head like he had understood something. He placed his snout on Alec's hair, nuzzling it like he did with Gael earlier. Alec immediately felt better. "Thank you, Asher."

Asher moved away and started walking ahead. Alec had to jog a bit to keep up with his large steps, but he did not mind. He got to enjoy the scenery under the noon sun, and it looked different from when he saw it earlier. Soon enough, Asher had turned it into a racing match and Alec gladly participated. They ran through the wide paths, giving people a shock at the sight of them. Alec did not care and neither did Asher. He enjoyed the feel of the wind on his face, and the warmth of the sun on his body, and embraced the new smell of the woods surrounding him.

A bubble of joy started to grow in his heart, and he let it out with a loud laugh. He had a run with Gael earlier that morning, but he had been too bothered by his thoughts and headache. It was different now. He had no other thoughts in his head but enjoyed the moment as he raced with Asher. Although he knew that Asher was purposely slowing down. The drae was doing a poor job at acting like they were neck and neck. Alec enjoyed their little game even more.

Soon enough, they emerged from the woods and stopped before the Edge of the Skyland. Alec had to pause at the sight of a 100-meter sky bridge in front of him. It led to another skyland that was half the size of Draeyer Academy skyland. In the distance, he could see numerous draes of different sizes and colors flying over the tree line. He could also hear their delighted roars as they tagged each other in the air. His smile widened at the sight.

Asher nudged him towards the bridge where two guards stood at the entrance. The two stopped him and Asher.

"Identification please," one of them said. Asher grumbled from beside him. The guard gave a small smile at the drae. "Sorry, big guy. I know you're here because of Professor Gael, but it's procedure."

Alec pulled back his sleeve and presented the identification bracelet Gael had given him. It had his name engraved, along with Gael's. He was told that he had to wear it all the time to gain access to some areas in the academy.

The guards nodded and one of them went to open the gate of the bridge. The other one spoke to Alec. "I think you're aware of the general Sanctuary rules, but I'll still give a brief reminder. Never hurt the creatures inside, which includes the plants and other animals other than the draes. If you're looking for a drae to Bond with, be respectful and keep your distance if they don't like you. Do not feed the draelings. They just had lunch and will pretend to be starving just to trick you into giving them more," he said with a chuckle.

He quickly returned to being serious and spoke in a warning tone. "Also, if one of the caretakers tells you "no" do not argue. These guys are dealing with draes all day, and should never be messed with if you know what's best for your well-being. That's pretty much it."

Alec and Asher thanked the guards and entered the gate.

He had to pause at the sight of the Infinite Sky just below his feet but soon looked up when Asher pushed him forward with his tail. He had flown over the Infinite Sky on a Float not long ago, but walking over it on a metal bridge was a different experience. It made him realize why many found the endless sea of clouds beautiful but utterly terrifying.

A few minutes later, they reached the other end of the bridge safely. A forest of trees, lusher than the one in the main skyland surrounded him. The trees were older and taller than some on the main skyland. Flowers of different sizes shapes and colors grew in small patches and bushes, while some hung on vines among the tree branches. Some insects and birds would flit about the place, somehow making everything more beautiful to his eyes.

He was about to continue exploring when he noticed that the sound of draes had disappeared. He frowned. Before crossing the bridge, he could hear how noisy it was in this area. He grew worried and urged Asher to move forward. The drae, surprisingly, moved behind him. He heard him take a deep breath and rise to his hind legs. His large wings spread wide before coming to envelop Alec in a protective bubble.

"What are you doing—"

He was interrupted when multiple sounds of very large steps approached him. Soon enough, more than a dozen draes, both adults and draelings, emerged from the trees and headed in his direction. He froze when their reptilian eyes fell on him with such intensity that he grew wary for a moment. Asher growled low at them in warning—but he sounded frustrated to his ears.

His confusion only grew when the older draes stepped close and glared at Asher. The poor drae wilted under the combined glares of his elders and stopped enveloping Alec in his wings. Alec did not feel any malice or danger from the draes, but he stayed still nonetheless. What in the skies is going on?

He watched as the older draes allowed room for younger ones and the draelings. Soon, one by one, they took turns rubbing their snouts and heads against him. His eyes widened when he realized that they were doing that as a form of greeting him. Crimson, Iris, and Asher had done the same before. But why the Blazen are there so many of them? Most draes hate being touched and would never approach first.

He just stood there accepting their greetings. Some of the younger adult draes and draelings would refuse to stop rubbing against him unless he reached out and patted them back. Eventually, his wariness disappeared and he started to enjoy the experience. It was all so surreal, being treated this warmly by so many majestic creatures. It left him speechless.

From behind him, Asher continued to growl in frustration. It took a while, but Alec realized that Asher was making sure that the other draes did not overwhelm him. He laughed at the situation.

But some people were too surprised about the scene of multiple draes greeting one person.

"What in Blazen?"

Alec turned his head. He found a group of people, probably the caretakers running towards them along with some of the guards. They were led by a tall muscular man that wore thick-framed glasses. He was the one who shouted in surprise.

"Alec?" someone from behind the man said. Alec looked for the voice and found that among the crowd, were two people he had seen at the lake earlier that morning. They were the young man and young woman that were with Gael.

Alec could only continue to pet the draes and ask them to move away just so they wouldn't accidentally pile on top of him. "I'm just as confused as you all are."

He sighed.

While it was nice being bombarded with affection by draes...it was getting too much.

How do I make them stop?

---------

Alec: *feeling down and sad*

Me: RELEASE THE DRAES *draes charge at Alec*

Alec: Wait, what— *gets buried under a pile of draes*

Me: You are welcome.

Alec: *frees one hand from under the drae pile* *gives me the middle finger*