I'm back again. Finally got that slump out of the way.

So now brief recap.

Alec and Areisha got attacked by wolves being mind controlled by unseen enemies. They managed to hold out long enough to be rescued by Gael *whispers* who was late again *whispers* (Gael in the background being held down by Kreis screaming "your fault I was late. you wrote it that way) 

Anyways. Slow chapter this one. We're moving to Cetrulis next chapter. FINALLY!

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Alec looked down at the stitches in his hands as he waited for the doctor to remove them. He sat on a chair in the academy infirmary, while Gael sat a little further to his right giving him a concerned gaze. Glacia sat on Gael's lap, giving him the same expression. Midnight was at the side, glaring at Dr. Meya's careful hands while Cerulian slept draped over Alec's right shoulder like a wet rag.

It had been a week since the incident with the mind-controlled Moon wolves. He and Areisha Roselintine were brought to the hospital in Serene City unconscious. Fortunately, aside from scrapes, bruises, and minor wounds, they were fine. Gael spent the rest of the time scouring the forests for any animal with the strange red crystal.

They found a large net that had traces of the moon wolves. It looked like they were taken from the untamed Moonglow Forest and were dumped into the more maintained Stardust Forest where they were found.

They followed the traces to Moonglow. Sadly, they only found a den of dead old wolves and a very malnourished wolf cub which they quickly rescued. Alec had never seen Gael more furious than that day. He was pretty sure that Gael would have turned the entire Moonglow into ash if he hadn't been in his right mind.

Alec sighed, briefly thinking of the unfortunate wolf pup.

It had also been a very long week of Gael fussing over him because he could not use his hands properly.

Trying to keep the wolf's jaws from clamping down on his neck had caused its teeth to dig into his palms. If Cerulian had not attacked the wolf as soon as he did, Alec's hands would have been a bigger mess of flesh, blood, and bone.

"It's...fascinating," Dr. Meya said as she removed the stitches one by one. "You were lucky that the injury wasn't so severe, but most people would take at least half a month to a full one to heal from injuries like yours."

"I heal quickly," Alec said.

"I see," the old doctor said. She kept quiet as she removed the rest of the suture from his skin. "This is good too. Because of this, your trip to the temple has been delayed. If you don't depart the day after tomorrow, Headmaster Donovan worries that the priests will barge into the academy."

"Why would that be a problem?" he asked. He always asked why that was, but it was quickly followed by a quick subject change.

Like the current situation.

"I dare them to barge in here," Gael muttered.

Without even looking away from Alec's hands, Dr. Meya grabbed a roll of bandage from a nearby tray and threw it. It hit Gael on the forehead, dead center.

"Grow up," she scolded him. "I don't want to deal with you being locked up in my house for a week again."

Alec stared.

"As if I wanted to be locked up, Master," Gael said. "Besides, I'm sure I won't be locked up in your house anymore. I have quite a few of my own now."

Master? Alec wondered. He also briefly wondered why he wasn't more shocked about the locked-up thing before he discarded it as a useless thought. If it's Gael, then anything can happen.

"Scram," the old lady said calmly.

"Come with me Glacia," Gael said. "You're the only one who's happy around me."

Which was true. Glacia had warmed up to Gael for some reason. Midnight had mellowed out his overprotectiveness around Gael as well. Alec asked the little ice blue draeling why, but the little one only gave him a teasing feeling through the bond, similar to how a child would say "It's a secret."

When Gael left with Glacia, Dr. Meya fell quiet again. A while later, she opened her mouth.

"I used to be a doctor for the Ryders," she said. Apparently, Alec had failed to hide his curiosity. "But I eventually got frustrated with my work because they always came back injured because of the bags of drae shit that infest these skies. In the end, I quit and joined the Ryders and kicked criminal asses until I was discharged for a leg injury. Donovan found me and offered me a position of instructor where I met that stupid brother of yours."

Women are scary—especially old women. Alec resolved to never piss Dr. Meya off. Gael looked like he was scared of her too, otherwise, he would not have left Alec in the infirmary.

"When it came time to retire, I couldn't sit still so I went back to my original profession, and now here I am," she said. With a light tug, the final stitch was removed from Alec's hand. "Done. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly and take it easy. Run along now, before that idiot disciple comes back again."

Alec remained sitting. "My question though..."

A tired expression appeared on Dr. Meya's, making her look even older than she already was. "Trust me. It would be better for your state of mind if you remain ignorant of the shenanigans your idiot brother gets up to."

Alec sighed. "If you say so, Dr. Meya."

The old lady reached up and patted him on the head. When her hand settled on his hair instead of moving away, Alec looked up and found a peculiar look on her face. Like she was lost in her memories.

"Dr. Meya?"

She snapped out of it and removed her hand from his head. "Sorry," she said. "You reminded me of a colleague I had a few years ago. Your eyes are quite similar. I guess I really am an old woman now. Reminiscing."

Alec nodded and got up to leave with the still-sleeping Cerulian and Midnight who gingerly kept poking at the pinkish skin on his hands. "Thank you, Dr. Meya." Turning, he headed for the door.

He paused to look back at the old doctor. His mouth opened to say something, but he eventually shook his head and left.

She looked sad.

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Later that evening, Alec was peacefully checking if he forgot to add something to his luggage when Gael threw his door open. Cerulian growled at being woken up, before falling asleep again in his basket. Midnight and Glacia were more or less used to it now and only blinked their eyes from their spot on the couch.

"This better be important," Alec said.

"It's horrible."

Alec knew by now that Gael tended to be dramatic so he only raised a brow. He went back to checking his luggage.

"I can't come along with you on this trip," Gael said. Tossing himself on the black couch in Alec's room, he hugged a throw pillow lined with white stars. Glacia and Midnight looked upset at him taking most of the space on the couch.

"And that's horrible because?"

"The first thing you should ask is why I can't come along," Gael glared at him. "You don't care in the least?"

"The trip would be a bit quiet, but otherwise I'm fine with it. It's not a good time for you to leave."

"Why?"

"You have piles of paperwork in your academy and home office, plus..." Alec said. He then began rattling off Gael's to-do list. Gael looked like he was being visibly punched or kicked as he went on and on about his duties in the academy. He was about to move on to the list of business matters that Gael's executive secretary, Amara, brought over that morning when Gael surrendered.

"Enough," Gael, looking somber, let go of the pillow and cuddled with Glacia instead. The little draeling looked resigned to her fate, reminding Alec of the times he surrendered to Alen...then Gael's dramatics. "It's just I was looking forward to showing you around the Cetrulis Skyland," he grumbled onto Glacia's head."

Alec looked at him. Really looked at him. Beneath the childish antics, he genuinely looked upset. He sighed. "Why can't you come along?"

The childishness diminished and Gael's "Monster of Ash" demeanor surfaced for a brief moment. He was quick to calm down and started rubbing his cheeks over Glacia's head. "I have some cleaning up to do on top of all the stuff you listed and did not list," he said. "I've been so quiet the last few years that the filth actually managed to creep up onto the security teams. Time to remind these guys again why Serene City and Draeyer Academy are off-limits from their dirty hands."

"Then I'm glad I won't be here when ash covers the sky," was all he said. He turned to his closet door and rummaged in there for a pair of socks. When he came out, Gael spoke again.

"Are you sure you'll be fine on your own?"

Alec stuffed the socks into his suitcase before answering. "I'm not a child, Gael."

"I'm worried."

Alec paused. It was still hard to accept that there were people worried about him. He was so used to being alone. He couldn't do anything he pleased anymore because he had to be considerate of people who thought of his well-being. It was honestly limiting and sometimes suffocating.

But...it was nice and familiar. The one thing he prayed for was someone to lean on, and Kosmos unceremoniously dumped Gael on him.

He sat on his bed, facing Gael. "If you're worried, then do you have someone you trust that can look out for me on your behalf."

Gael looked like he was expecting a fight by the way he tensed, but he was quick to relax at Alec's compromise...though looking somewhere between confused and elated. "There's Kreis, but he's busy too..."

He got lost in thought for a bit before a smile gradually pulled at his lips. "I could ask Zandria and Edrik. They're currently in Cetrulis to check up on some of their businesses there."

At the mention of the twins' parents, Alec recalled his interaction with the two not long ago. The two, especially Zandria, had been a big help in calming him down after that...episode he had after seeing Gael injured back at his mansion.

He was plied with tea and biscuits, and was distracted by funny anecdotes of the stuff Gael and the twins got up to when they were younger. The couple were nice and warm people.

"If they don't mind," he said.

"They won't. They'll be happy to look after you," Gael said. "They would be very delighted..."

Alec was quick to notice the mischief bleeding into his tone. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing," Gael said. He quickly got up and shot towards the bedroom door.

There was a tug on his Bond with Glacia. Alec massaged the bridge of his nose.

"Gael," he said. The man paused. When Gael turned around, Alec had his palm up and a knowing look in his eye.

Very carefully, Gael pulled Glacia out of the pocket of his pajama top and gently placed her on Alec's palm.

Then he bolted out the door.

Alec sighed again, but this time his sigh was joined by Glacia's.

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Fluff fluff fluff