Somewhere near Saggaran Skyland (Draeyer Academy Spacelet)
Northeastern Space

"They...blamed me and my brother for...an epidemic that killed almost half of the townspeople," Alec said.

"The Raze Boils?" Gael asked. "The news reached the other skylands as well," he answered when Alec raised a brow at him.

"Yes, it was," he answered and fell quite again.

"Sorry for the interruption," Gael said. Alec nodded before he continued.

"We used to travel a lot around Arktis when I was young. When we traveled we often acquired diseases. One day, my brother got sick, I wasn't worried because it happened to me too when we came home. He had high fevers and his body suffered convulsions every night. One night, red boils formed on his skin and covered all of his body. The town doctors did everything they can to help him, but eventually...he didn't make it.

"A few days later, the doctors and the people who tended my brother got the Raze Boil too. They suffered and eventually they died like Alen. I should've gotten the disease and died too. But for some reason, my body was immune to it. No matter what I did, I didn't acquire it." he said.

He looked up and saw how Gael looked at him like he grew two heads. A dry chuckle escaped him as he understood why he was giving him that look.

"I was a suicidal 10 year-old, ruined by grief. I think I recovered by spending so much time in the forests and hunted animals. I managed to live a plain life by myself for the past eight years. The townspeople shunned me out, and treated me differently. Looking at the little boy from earlier, and the way his father looked at me, I'm guessing one of their family members probably got infected with the Raze. And I hope it was not the child's mother," he said. Silence fell over them once more before Gael broke it.

"Thank you for telling me. Must've been hard, until Crimson came," he said. At the mention of the Drae, Alec's heart sunk even further. Gael seemed to notice the darker gloom around him because he spoke in an urgent tone.

"But it wasn't your fault, okay? There are some things that are meant to happen, and those things are the most uncontrollable and ones we can't do anything about," he said.

"Thanks. You're the first person I talked to about this," Alec mumbled.

He looked down when he felt a tug on his wool shirt. Asher looked up at him with big pleading white eyes, and he ended up raising a brow at him. Alec stood up and the Drae led him a bit further from the stone he was sitting on. Asher tugged him down on the ground. He sat crossed legged and the Drae curled around him, trapping him between his limbs. Asher rested his big head on his lap.

"What are you doing?" Alec asked. The heavy feeling in his chest lightened a bit and a smile tugged at his lips. The Drae only purred at him in response.

"Drae's are sensitive, caring and loving creatures Alec. They can feel what others are feeling and find ways to help them if they feel down, or calm the person down when they are angry. They're only like that to people they like though," Gael said. "That trait would never disappear like their natural armor. It would always be there, no matter how many years pass,"

"Hmm..." Alec hummed. He yawned as his eyes drooped from tiredness, the warmth from Asher made him squeeze closer to the Drae. It made him even more tired as he leaned on his neck. The position looked uncomfortable but he seemed fine and his eyes fully dropped closed.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked with closed eyes. He heard Gael's footsteps headed towards him, until he felt him close by.

"You'll see once we get there," he heard him say.

-----

"I'm not a little kid, for you to be surprising me like this," Alec grumbled. His complaint fell into deaf ears when Gael made no sound to answer him. "Can I take this blind fold off, now?"

"Do so, and I'll push you off of Asher," was Gael's reply. Alec heard the Drae growl in anger, sending vibrations throughout his body. "I was only joking, okay? I'm not going to push him off." Gael said it so urgently and worriedly, that Alec felt laughter building up inside him. He kept quiet and lengthened his patience. He trusted this man for some reason he didn't know and, even though it was odd, it was enough for him.

With his sharp ears, he heard sounds of different creatures. He knew he was in a forest, having felt his senses tingling like they always did when he was surrounded by lots of trees and different creatures. He heard a squeak, a tweet, chattering, and what caught his attention most were the loud roars that came from different directions.

"I hope you're not here to feed me to some creature," he muttered. It earned a laugh from the older man that drowned out the sound of the creatures. He felt Asher descending lower and lower, until he heard and felt him made contact with the ground.

He felt a tug on his blind and it fell off. The moment it did, he glared at Gael who stood beside his Drae, already dismounted. "I didn't get why you had to blind me," he said.

"Surprise," Gael said and outstretched his arms. Alec's senses became aware of his surroundings once more, and his mouth fell open at what he was seeing. Trees with lush green leaves and thick undergrowth surrounded him. A few feet away, two crossing trees formed an arch, serving as an entrance to a wide meadow where Draes in different colors and sizes played and rolled around the grass. The air also felt warm, not too warm and not too cold either. It felt good, and fragrant scents drifted to his nose.

He dismounted off Asher, and the Drae scampered away from them and through the arch. His brows crossed when he noticed that nothing was strapped on the creature, not even their saddles. He turned around and spotted Gael talking with three men wearing brown tunics, and a kind looking old woman. The three men carried their belongings in their arms.

"Alec," Gael called out. At once, he walked over to them until he stood behind the man. Gael faced him, and spoke with a smile.

"I'm sorry we had to land here. Asher's been away from his mate far too long, and he was too eager to see her," he said. Alec nodded and returned his smile with a small one.

"Where are we?" He asked as his eyes drank in the greens. It felt and looked so different from Arktis, and it felt no bother at all.

"You're in Draeyer Academy's Sanctuary, young man," the old woman said. She had long graying hair tied into a neat bun, and honey brown eyes behind a pair of spectacles. She wore a long sleeved plain blue dress with white cuffs, and high neck line. "I'm Grandma Eden. I'm incharge of what every student needs in this institution."

"Draeyer Academy..." Alec said as he trailed his gaze to Gael. "Why did you take me here?" he asked as he narrowed his eyes.

Gael rubbed the back of his head, and gave him a sorry smile. "This is the only place for you to stay in Alec. Besides, the headmaster had requested your stay here. And no matter how many times you refuse, you'll always end up bowing to his commands. Trust me," he said.

"Yes, Donovan can make you agree to anything by either asking or manipulation. Seriously, sometimes he uses his incredible wit for his own needs, and it's so terrifying," Grandma Eden said. Alec only nodded at the old woman while giving Gael a side glance, telling him in silence that their conversation still needed to be continued.

"And speaking of Donovan, he has been restlessly waiting for your arrival, asking me almost every hour if you had arrived. I think it's best if you go see him now" Grandma Eden said, as she made a shooing gesture. "We'll take care of your things and room Alec."

Alec felt a tug on his arm, and glanced up to find Gael dragging him away from the old woman. When they were a distance away, he shrugged his arm off and settled walking in to step with him.

"What next?" he blurted out.

"You're going to meet the headmaster, and take the entrance exams," Gael answered like it was no big deal. But Alec on the other hand, had wide eyes and his jaw dangling open.

"Does that mean I have to study here?" he asked in disbelief. Gael stopped and turned to face him with amusement shining in his eyes.

"Yes, of course. It would be strange that you're staying here without studying," he said, "It's easier to keep you safe in this place. You're here because, we're protecting you from that cloaked man and you're helping us find him." Gael's face turned stone serious as he said the last two lines. Alec sighed and his shoulders slumped forward. He tucked his hands into his pockets and they curled into fists, hidden away from Gael's view.

"Fine, but don't expect me to have good grades," he said. He stiffened when he felt an arm snake around his shoulder, and Gael's laughter rang out around them. He winced as he heard a ringing in his ear once he finished laughing. The man dragged him by the shoulders and continued in the direction they were heading to. Alec looked ahead and his mouth fell open once more.

From where they were, he saw large skyland with a huge 12 storey castle-like building on top of one its big hills. He saw the tops of a few more buildings hidden behind the tall trees and undergrowth.

"That's the main campus," Gael said as he stopped. "And we have to cross here to get to the there." Alec stopped staring up and looked down at what was in front of them.

A wide metal bridge, with thick translucent glass forming an archway over it, spanned before them, leading to the other skyland. Alec estimated that it was 20 feet long. He followed after Gael when he stepped into the bridge. The metal clanged beneath his boots, causing an uncomfortable sound to echo on the glass. He tried to look through the glass, but all he could see was white, and the light of the afternoon sun.

"It's the third day of the week so most classes have already ended by now," Gael said, as he smiled. "Make sure your ready for the students' curious eyes, especially the girls'...hehehe." The smile and laughter made Alec uncomfortable and a weird feeling settled on his stomach. Nevertheless, he ignored it, and put on his emotionless mask.

Once they stepped out of the bridge, Alec caught sight of two tall Watch Towers on either side of a cobblestone path, which led further into the forest that hid some parts of the Academy from view.

"Good morning Professor!" somebody yelled. Alec looked up and found four men waving at them from a window at the top of the towers. Gael retuned the gesture before they threaded up the path, until Alec heard faint voices and multiple chatters of other people as they walked further.

Moments later, he caught movement from the corner of his eyes and spotted people around his age interacting with each other with smiles and a happy air around them. As they got closer, he saw two large buildings looming ahead. The two structures stood five stories above the ground, and the one to his left was painted white, while on the other side, the building was black. The buildings faced each other and in the middle, surrounded by the cobblestone path, stood a large fountain with three Drae statues squirting water from their mouths.

"These are the Dormitories. The black one is where you'll be staying in," Gael said. "Grandma Eden is preparing a room for you later."

Alec's brows knit when the loud chatters he heard toned down, and made a mistake of looking around. All eyes of the students outside were on them, as they propped themselves on the grass, benches, and even on the fountain. Some peered out of their windows and their eyes followed their every movement. He looked ahead, and forced himself to ignore the eyes that remained glued to his head.

"Professor Gael!" Gael stopped walking, and Alec had no choice but to do so as well. He looked up and spotted two girls in black and white-patterned shorts and boots with similar design. Their tops varied though.

"Hello to you two. Have you and your classmates finished answering the reviewer sheets I left you?" Gael said with a pleasant smile on his face. Alec drifted into his thoughts, not interested in their topic. He was brought back to reality when he felt a hand nudge his shoulder. He turned his gaze to Gael who looked at him with a titled head.

"They were asking for your name, didn't you hear them?" Gael said. Alec looked back to the two girls, whose smiles oddly made him feel irked. He shook his head before he spoke.

"I'm Alec Arden. I'm sorry I drifted off earlier. I'm tired and I want to rest," he said as he fixed his gaze on them. He saw how their cheeks turned red, and they giggled before smiling even wider at him. He shook his head in silence at their actions.

"I'm Lisa, and this is Riki. If we ever become classmates, feel free to approach us when you need something," Lisa said. Alec nodded and mumbled a thank you towards them. He turned to Gael, who nodded when he understood that look he was giving him.

"I'll see you two tomorrow in class," Gael said to the girls. To Alec's relief they resumed walking and were soon hidden by the trees covering the stone path that led up to the main building of the academy.

He turned his head when he heard Gael's failed attempts to contain his chuckles. When Alec turned to face him with his blank face, he lost all his restraints and his raucous laughter filled the forest. The other students most probably heard his laugh too. Once he calmed down, he wiped the tears from his eyes as he clutched his stomach.

"What's so funny?" Alec asked. Gael shook his head as he gave him a toothy grin.

"Don't be surprised if majority of the student body already knows your name tomorrow," he said, and they continued walking up the side of the hill. Alec stood there watching his back with his mouth hanging open. When he realized that he looked like a fool, he jogged after Gael, who stood at the top of the hill waiting for him. He was about to say something to him when he reached the top, but his breath caught in his throat at the view before him.

"Woah..." he said.

Drae Skyland was much bigger than he initially thought. From the hill, he could see the thick group of trees found all over the skyland. To his right, he saw a huge lake spanning from close to center and out all the way close to the skyland's Edge. His eyes narrowed to where a small group of houses clumped together across the other side of the lake.

"That's the Teacher's Village. I think you can guess what it's for," Gael said as he grinned. Alec nodded at him. He roamed his gaze behind him, and spotted the white and black roofs of the dormitories. As he continued to look, he spotted a blue building, one storey taller than the two dormitories, but still similar in design and structure. "Come on," Gael said as he started walking downhill. "The headmaster is waiting for us."

"What's he like?" At once, Alec wondered why he asked. Gael chuckled with a glint of happiness in his eyes.

"You'll like him. I'm sure of that," he said. Alec's brows scrunched at his mocking tone. It left an unsettling feeling in his gut, giving him the urge to glare at the back of the older man's head.

He busied himself by staring at the large structure that loomed ahead. He knew for a fact that it was the main building of the academy, and where the students had classes. He saw five towers, one taller than the other. The white walls with carved abstract patterns reflected some of the sun's rays causing him to shield his eyes every once in a while. On the large arching windows, he could see colored images depicting stories of Draeyers with their Draes. He sighed as he brought his gaze back to the path.

I wonder what this place has in store for me, he thought dryly.