Alec placed their dinner on the island counter. Kreis had come over so he ended up making a larger portion. Pulling the black apron off, he hung it by the kitchen doorway and headed for the living room. He thought back to what happened that afternoon.

After the Bonding with the triplet draelings, Gael dragged him into the city to buy supplies. Leaving the three little ones for a few hours with Professor Linan for a checkup had been difficult, but he had needed to prepare their home for the arrival of the three. Gael, having experienced Asher as a draeling, had bought beds, hygiene supplies, blankets, toys, food, and treats and even got Alec some books on raising draelings.

Alec was going to say he was being too much but Gael's words had shut him up.

"These draelings will get the best of everything! They're the first triplets in two hundred years, Alec!" he said. "If they had not been Bonded to you, the Temple would have tried to take them under their care!"

The Temple of Kosmos, the main religion of Kosmiks worshipped Kosmos. It was said that a long time ago, before the draes came into existence, the skylands always sank beneath the Infinite Sky and people were always forced to move every few decades or centuries. Then one day, Kosmos came. No one knew where he came from, but he was followed by creatures he called draes. The draes had converged a silvery power, now called Antenier, that caused the skylands to rise and remain floating above the Infinite Sky permanently.

Kosmos had disappeared as if saying his duty was done. However, among the draes, three ones remained. Those three draes were particularly close with Kosmos.

Celestara. Aerion. Zephyro.

They stayed behind and there were countless stories of them protecting the lands and its people, some saying it was a duty Kosmos left behind for them.

As a result of this, three became a sacred number for the people. Three draes even more so.

The Temple would have really taken in the triplets if Alec had not Bonded with them as they have done for centuries.

The good thing about the Temple is that they hold Bonds more sacred than having triplet draelings, so there was no way they would take the draelings away from Alec.

After their whirlwind shopping spree, Alec had left Gael to set things up at their home. When he entered the Sanctuary clinic, he had found an exhausted Professor Linan with a few other staff. The draelings were fitfully sleeping on the torn-up cushion of the examination table. Alec learned that the three had cried so much when he left, and Midnight had even raged and tore the cushion. From then on, Alec swore that he would never leave them for no longer than an hour.

Shaking his head at the shenanigans the three would get to soon enough, he entered the living room.

However, it was dead quiet, which caused him to frown. A house with two childish weirdos as best friends and three draelings should not be that silent.

How to raise draelings 101 Rule #2: Silence is not a good thing.

Feeling a bit of dread, he searched the area before moving down the hallway. He found that Gael's home office was open so he quickened his steps and peered inside.

He frowned and tilted his head. "What are you two weirdos doing?"

The two men stood to the left at the door, gazing up at something on one of Gael's many overflowing shelves. When he moved further into the room, he saw his draelings on top of the shelf. They had pushed aside some trinkets and books to make space for all three of them.

Midnight stood in front of his siblings baring his gums at the two men. Cerulian was glaring at them in annoyance, likely because they interrupted his sleep. Glacia was on the verge of tears. When all three saw Alec, they immediately cried out.

Through the Bond, Alec got the impression of "get these buffoons away from us."

"Okay, you two. Back off before Midnight decides to tear up your faces like what he did with the clinic examination table."

The two supposedly older men sighed in disappointment. When they moved away, Cerulian jumped off the shelf and landed on Alec's shoulder. With a nudge from Midnight, Glacia followed and landed on Alec's head. Midnight was last and fell on his other shoulder. The dark blue draeling remained glaring at Gael and Kreis.

Alec gathered them in his arms and glared at the two. "What is wrong with both of you?"

"Triplet...!" Gael said.

"Draelings!" Kreis said completed.

Alec finally noticed the things in their hands. Kreis was holding three identical stuffed draeling dolls while Gael had colorful treats in his hands.

"Alec please tell them that we're okay," Kreis said.

"One draeling is already difficult to care for. You're going to need extra hands with three," Gael reasoned. "You can't be with them for all hours or else they'll get too dependent on you."

The reasoning was sound and they were sincere. But why do I feel other intentions?

He looked at them closely and found that the two were glaring at each other from the corner of their eyes. Having observed them enough these last few months, Alec immediately knew the reason.

"You idiots are trying to win over the draelings first so you can brag about it to the other," he said.

The two "adults" fell silent and looked away from him. With a frustrated sigh, Alec walked over to the large windows and pushed them open.

"Iris! Asher!"

From behind him, he heard the two asking why he called the two draes. He ignored them.

When the two draes approached, he created an emphatic thread. After Bonding with the draelings, he found that his range had increased. Now he did not need to be touching a drae to form a thread. He could do five meters at most, but he still felt that it was growing. In a few days, maybe he could reach 10 meters.

Through the thread, he sent a feeling of frustration and incredulity. He followed it with the feelings he received from the triplets. Almost immediately, the two adult draes' eyes narrowed.

Alec moved behind Kreis and Gael. He watched with growing amusement when Iris's head entered the window and motioned for Kreis to move forward with a turn of her head. The moment the Head Ryder moved closer, Iris clamped down on his arm and dragged him out the window. Kreis screamed in anger.

Asher's head appeared next.

"Wait a minute—" Gael tried to say. Alec kicked his back and sent him forward. Asher grabbed him too and the two weirdos were effectively gone for a few more minutes. From outside, Alec heard heavy thuds and shouts of "traitor" and "betrayal" from the two men.

Alec nuzzled the three draelings' heads. "They're gone for a bit," he said. "But they're not bad people. Aside from me, they will do anything to protect all three of you. You're completely safe with them." He tried to impress that on the Bond.

Glacia sent curiosity as a reply as if asking if it was true.

Cerulian had dozed off again with the annoyances gone. Alec chuckled and shook his head at the little sleepyhead. He knew that the draeling had heard him but did not expend energy to reply.

Meanwhile, Midnight snorted. He did not believe him.

Alec laughed at that. "Right, they don't seem all that reliable right now. But I'm telling you to trust them."

Midnight sent a reluctant feeling of acceptance.

-------

An hour later, the two weirdos had showered and filled their bellies with Alec's cooking. They sat on the back porch, two cups of coffee and one cup of tea steaming on the table. In the yard, Asher and Iris lay on their stomachs as Glacia and Midnight ran all over them. Cerulian lay on Iris' head, his entire form spread over like a weirdly-shaped blanket.

"So, why did you really come here?" Gael asked Kreis.

"No...reason. I was just taking a day off and then heard the news about the triplets," he said. "There was no chance in blazen that I would not come to see them."

Alec narrowed his eyes at the half-lie. Gael did the same. His older brother gently placed his coffee down on the coaster. "What's the tea?"

Kreis blinked and looked at his teacup. "Black?"

Alec prayed to Kosmos to be taken out of this conversation.

"You know what I mean, Kreis. Don't play dumb!"

"Well, I'm not telling you! It's personal."

"I'm your best friend!"

"What kind of best friend didn't immediately call when he learned about the triplets!"

Alec knocked back his coffee and mumbled. "Kosmos, save me from these two idiots."

As if answering his prayer, there was a clang of the bell from the front door.

Alec ran to the front door. Once there, he opened it to find Headmaster Donovan with Professor Meolie and Professor Linan behind him. The old man smiled widely at Alec.

Somehow, Alec felt like he was getting into something even more bothersome than hearing the two weirdo's arguments.

"Please come in, Headmaster. Professors," he said. "Gael and Kreis are at the back."

When he returned, he was immediately assaulted by the three draelings who climbed up his form. All three were very alert to the newcomers. The three of them glared at Linan, who gave a wry smile at them. They only gave Headmaster Donovan a curious look. But when they looked at Meolie, they froze. Soon after they burrowed into Alec's clothes, their claws pricking his skin.

Through the Bond, the three gave him an impression about how Meolie smelled different and scary. Alec chuckled a bit.

Professor Meolie was in the medical department specializing in various herbs...and poison. Working around such materials had altered her scent in some ways. Alec noticed how most draes avoided her, and how sad it made her.

Professor Meolie made a face like she was about to cry when she saw how the draelings hid in Alec's clothes. But she shook her head and went back to a serious face. Said serious face faltered for a moment when her gaze briefly landed on Kreis.

Oh. Interesting, he thought.

"Good evening, everyone," Headmaster Donovan greeted. The other two answered back.

"Good evening, sir. What can we do for you?" Gael asked.

The three visitors sat down and Alec went to get more cups. He was stopped however by the headmaster. "We actually came for Alec."

Understanding formed within Gael's green eyes. "They're quite fast..."

Alec tilted his head. "Who?"

"The Main Temple of Kosmos has invited you over for a visit," the old man said. "To be precise, they invited the draelings and want to see them. Check if they are okay and in good hands."

"Is this necessary?"

"It's not urgent. They want the draelings to settle in first," the headmaster said. "But I suggest you head there in a week or two. This is the first time in history that triplet draelings will not be staying at the Temple. So they are...anxious and worried to say the least."

Gael spoke up. "Pardon me but, that's a bit ridiculous. Alec's my brother. The Main Temple already knows me enough to know that I would give nothing but the best for the triplets. Better than anything they can ever give even. They're even Bonded to Alec, for Kosmo's sake," he said. "Nothing is stronger than a Bond between a drae and Draeyer."

Headmaster Donovan only shook his head. "They know that, but we still can't deny a request from the Temple," he said. "The longer you take, those old guys might just barge in here. They're good people, but so hard to handle."

Why would a bunch of old priests be hard to handle?

Alec had good feelings towards the Temple. He attended mass every month and donated some of the edible meat of his kills to the nearest Temple in the area he was in. When he was weaker, he was even saved by a few priests when he almost bled to death from a bad encounter with his first silver bear.

Alec was suddenly not feeling good about the invitation. He could sense troublesome things coming his way.

Very troublesome things.

Feeling his emotions, the three draes inside his shirt poked their heads out and nudged his chin. He chuckled at the tickly feeling and patted their heads.

"Do you want to go, Alec?" Gael asked. From the look in his eyes, Alec got the feeling that if he said no, Gael would do something to make it happen. 

Alec wanted to say no but he hesistated. He was suddenly more afraid of what Gael would do to the Temple than what troublesome things the Temple would bring him.

"I'll go."

His older brother nodded, a bit of disappointment on his face. But soon enough his face lit up like he thought of something and started mumbling. Alec heard "...first trip...memories...pictures...albums...oh...Cetrulis clothes..."

Kreis, who heard the whole thing looked to Gael and frowned in disgust. "Rein it on or be reined in by Asher."

Alec looked away and pretended to not have seen anything.

Poachers. Traffickers. The Whispers. Thieves. Unruly students. The Temple.

All those had nothing on Gael when it comes making him feel like troublesome things were coming.

------

Ohhh A TRIP.

I think we all know what's going to happen. Or do we?

Hiya. Extra-long chapter to make up for things. Hope you enjoyed it.

When separated Kreis and Gael are brilliant people. Together...they share a few brain cells.

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Triplets Corner:

--On Gael and Kreis--

Cerulian: Zzzz...

Glacia: Funny. *cute gummy smile*

Midnight: UNRELIABLE.