Icefall City
Arktis Skyland
Northern Space

"Any news about the Alerick Nial file?" Gael asked as he looked at Kreis. His best friend sat across from him, eating a slice of chocolate cake with a smile on his face. In all honesty, Gael wanted to ask the man why he even had time to come to their inn and enjoy a snack in the dining room. Last he recalled, Kreis should be busy fixing the security gaps of the Sky Games.

"They're still looking. It really will take some time before they find it," Kreis said. He reached for a glass, filled it with water, before gulping the liquid down. "What about the Shcielle?"

"Lord Donovan's men are keeping an eye on Janz Gardius," he said. He took a sip of his tea before continuing. "There's no sign of the Shcielle. There's no sign that he's hiding anything."

"It would be so much easier if we could just walk up to him and ask," Kreis groaned up at the ceiling.

He sat there, with his neck craned upward in the same aching position. However, he straightened and narrowed his eyes at Gael in a scrutinizing gaze. Gael raised a brow at him in question.

"You seem happier these past few days," Kreis said while pointing a finger at him. "Is there something your best friend should know about?"

Gael placed his cup on the saucer before speaking. "It's nothing."

"When Gael Fenrin says 'nothing' there is 'something," his best friend said. For a moment, he was quiet, brows knitted in contemplation. Realization fell on his face along with a smirk. "Is it the woman Linan told us about?"

Gael's eyes widened in surprise while his silly mind couldn't help but think back to Vaneesa. Kreis deemed his reaction as a 'yes," because the man leaned back on his chair and his smirk stretched almost all the way to his ears.

"What's her name?" Kreis asked. He leaned forward and Gael rolled his eyes. The Head Ryder of the First Regiment looked like a child asking for candy.

He was about to tell him to drop the subject, when the doors to the dining room opened. They looked up and found Solana entering the room.

Even without his Sentiral Power, Gael knew very well what Kreis was thinking to him right at that moment. You're saved...for now.

"Where have you been, Lana?" Gael asked. "You left the stadium earlier than anyone so we expected you'd be in your room."

"I went looking for Alec," she said. She stepped aside to reveal a little someone hiding behind her frame. "Someone wanted to talk to him."

Gael and Kreis stilled at the sight of the familiar child gazing at them with big warm eyes. There was a toothy smile on the boy's face, lighting up the rest of his features.

"Hello," he said in a chirpy little voice. "My name is Krizton." He then bowed at the waist after dropping his small basket of flowers on the red floor.

Gael smiled at his politeness before Solana's voice caught his attention.

"I'll leave you here with them, Krizton," she said. "I have to go and change my clothes. Alec will probably be here soon."

"Yes, eaana," Krizton said. Solana led him to a chair next to Gael. She helped him climbed on top it, seeing that he was bit short to do so on his own. Once he was settled, the blonde ruffled the child's messy black locks before leaving the room.

Silence engulfed them, as the two men gazed at Krizton behaving on his chair while staring at the room in wonder. He looked so adorable that Gael was having a hard time suppressing his smile.

"Would you like some cake?" Kreis asked the little one. As he spoke, he placed a slice of the sweet treat on a saucer. Gael then slid it in front of Krizton after placing a fork next to it.

"Is it all right?" Krizton asked with a tilt of his little head.

"Of course," Gael answered while Kreis chuckled.

"Thank you," the child said. He got on his knees since he was too small to reach it from his initial position.

Gael placed his head on his palm as he leaned on his elbow. He watched the little one eat. He used to watch Knox and Solana do the same when the two were still children. There was something about that particular scenario that would give him a sense of peace.

"I wonder when I'm going to have my own child," Gael heard Kreis mutter.

"With the wall between you and Meolie right now, I'd say," he paused, "never."

He bit his lip to hold in the laughter threatening to leave his throat when Kreis sent him a glare enough to wither any plant.

Ignoring his best friend, he turned back to Krizton and the flowers in the basket. "Are those flowers for Alec?"

With his mouth full, Krizton looked up at him and nodded. Kreis stood and filled a glass with water before giving it to the little one. As the boy drank, one flap of the double doors opened.

All of them looked to find Alec and Areisha standing by the doorway with wide blue eyes staring at Krizton.

"Alec-uno!" Krizton yelled. He stood on the seat and jumped to the floor, startling the adults as he landed with a loud thud. Before any of them could react further, Krizton ran the short length toward Alec and hugged the young man's knees.

The surprise on Alec's face melted and was replaced by a soft smile. He bent and slipped his hands under the boy's armpits, lifting him then with ease to his right hip. "Don't jump down like that again," he reprimanded in a soft voice. "You could've slipped and hurt yourself."

"Sorry, eouno," Krizton said as he hugged Alec.

"You forgot about me already?" Areisha asked with mock disappointment. Gael's brows knitted in worry when he saw the unusual redness on her right cheek. He could swear he can see a few patches of black forming on her face.

"Opps!" Krizton laughed. "Hello, Isha-ana!"

With a laugh, Alec bent slightly so Krizton could lean down and give Areisha a quick hug.

"Now, what are you doing here?" Alec asked. "Don't tell us you snuck out again?"

The little boy gave a sheepish grin in return. The smile vanished though, as the corners of his little lips turned down.

"I heard about the sick Draes, eouno," he said. "I was worried so I went to the greenhouse and asked them if they needed help."

"And?" Areisha prodded.

"They told me about the cure!" Krizton yelled with his whole brightening.

Gael and Kreis froze on their streets with their mouths falling ajar and eyes widening into the size of saucers. Gael didn't know what he should be shocked about first. The fact that Krizton could talk to Draes or the news about a cure for the Draes. He opted to be shocked at both.

One of Krizton's fingers pointed at the basket of flowers he brought with him. "They said Alweyas will cure them. They also said that if it's mixed with Februs leaves, it will be more effective. I didn't know what Februs plants looked like so I couldn't bring any."

The whole room fell into a stunned silence, before Alec crushed the little one into a tight hug. When he pulled back, he ruffled the boy's hair. "Thank you, Krizton," he said. Alec then looked down at his Draelings. "So this is what you've been trying to tell me." The three growled up at him from the floor.

"Papa always told me that if I could help, I should do so," Krizton said. "You're welcome."

Alec's smile softened even more and he placed Krizton on the floor. Alec and Areisha's Draelings, who were had been mostly silent, rushed to the boy and purred against him.

Krizton's laughter filled the silence of the dining room as he petted the baby Draes. "It's nice to see you too," he said. "I should've brought Elvyra but she hid under my bed again."

Looking at the little boy, Gael knew that Janz Gardius was a great man. Again, he wondered why Lord Donovan even thought that the Shcielle was with him. It seemed unlikely that Janz Gardius was associated with Herce Rubiosa.

The little one played with the Draelings for a while. They on the other hand, watched him all with fond smiles. It was a while later when he looked up at Alec and spoke in a saddened tone.

"I have to go now, eouno," he said. "My grandma will be back soon from the market. I don't want her to worry."

Alec dropped on one knee before patting his head. "Sure," he said, "I'll take you back."

Gael and Kreis locked eyes. It was their chance to get close to the little boy.

"Actually," Gael began, "Kreis and I can take him. The both of you can rest. Now that a cure has been found, I'm sure your assistance will be needed tomorrow. You're going to need all the rest you're going to get."

Alec looked hesitant at first, before he looked down at Krizton. The boy had crouched next to Entiny. The little one's brows knitted in concentration as the grey Draeling seemed to be telling him something. A moment later, another smile covered his face as he stood.

"Entiny says I'm safe with you, Mr. Gael, Mr. Kreis," he said before turning to Alec. "I can go with them, eouno."

Alec messed with the little ones hair once more, before nodding with a smile. "Be careful," he said. After Areisha bent and embraced Krizton, they went on their way.

―――

Krizton hummed and skipped between him and Kreis as they walked down the street leading to the boy's home. The both of them watched him fondly as his little feet jumped from one dark circle of cobblestone to another. He was too adorable that the passersby couldn't help but smile at him.

"Do you still remember me?" Gael asked.

Krizton stopped jumping and turned to him with his little eyebrows meeting in the middle. He titled his head from left to right and both men chuckled at his actions. All of a sudden, his face brightened I realization.

"You're Ashers Draeyer," he yelled. Like the excited child that he was, he stepped closer to Gael's towering form and craned his neck to look up at the man. "Where is Asher?"

Gael forced a smile despite the anger he felt about what happened to his Drae. "Asher's wing is injured," he said. When he saw the crease of worry between the little one's brows, he was quick to follow up his statement. "But he's slowly recovering."

"Okay," Krizton said. "Tell him I said hello."

"I will."

Kreis surprised them both when the man picked the boy up and carried him in one swift motion.

"You," he poked the Krizton's little nose, "have quite an amazing memory and attention span for a five year-old."

Krizton crossed his arms in front of his chest and pouted. "I'm six, Mr. Kreis. Not five."

The Head Ryder only chuckled as they resumed walking. Their pace was a lot quicker since they didn't have to slow it for the little boy's sake.

Krizton resumed humming as they walked. It was the same tune Gael had been hearing ever since they left Recessa tia Kyana. It sounded different from most of the fast-beat Arktis songs he heard so far.

"What song is that?" he asked.

Krizton stopped humming and looked to him, as did Kreis. The boy grinned. "It's a song the Draes always sing. Their language is hard to pronounce, so I just hum the tune."

"Really?" Kreis asked. "Can you translate the words?"

Krizton nodded. "It sounds like a rhyme in our language."

Both men urged him to continue as they walked. Krizton opened his mouth and spoke.

"Blessing of the brightest light

Go ahead and take your flight

Claim your place in the skies so blue

Your presence has been long overdue

Raise your head as they give a vow

They'll obey as you command, that they vow

Hear the call of your kindred too

And bring in peace as you were born to do"

He and Kreis fell quiet after hearing the words. Meanwhile, the little boy went back to humming the previous tune of the Draes' song.

"It sounds like a prophecy from one of those old and stupid books we used to read, Gael," Kreis said before giving a chuckle. Gael also laughed at his best friends comment.

"That's because it is a prophecy," Krizton said.

They stopped walking. Their wide eyes fixed on the little one in Kreis' arms.

"A...prophecy of what, Krizton?" Gael snapped out of his disbelief and shattered the silence.

"The Shcielle!" Krizton grinned. "The most powerful creation the Almighty Kosmos has ever made. At least that's what the Draes say. The Shcielle doesn't seem that powerful to me."

The men locked eyes, gazed at Krizton, before meeting one another's eyes once more. It went on for half a minute with their mouths falling ajar. Gael spoke.

"Krizton, do you know where the Shcielle is?"

The little boy grinned and nodded. "Of course I do."

"Where is it?" Kreis asked, leaning close to the boy's face in anticipation.

"It's with―"

"Krizton!"

All three of them snapped their heads toward the direction of the deep gruff voice. Once they did, Gael saw a bearded man standing across the street from them. He wore formal clothes of black and white. His black coat bore the bird emblem of Ordinacian Bank.

He crossed the quiet street with his frown deepening with every step of his boot-clad feet. As he did so, Krizton wiggled in Kreis' hold, causing the latter to place him back on the ground.

"Papa," Krizton said.

"Iz, what are you doing out here? You're supposed to be at home," Janz Gardius said. His voice had softened a bit, but still firm enough to show authority. "Did you go with the Draes again?"

Krizton looked up them. While gazing into his brown eyes, Gael caught on to the kind of look he was giving them. It was the same look Solana and Knox gave him whenever they wanted him to keep a secret when they were younger.

"We found him talking to our Draes," Gael said, the lie flowing smoothly out of his mouth. "We couldn't allow him to go home on his own so we decided to accompany him."

Judging by the rock hard look Janz gave them, Gael's lie failed to convince him. The older man turned to his son.

"Go wait for me by that lamp-crima post," Janz said while pointing at the metal rod. He reached for the fur-trimmed hood of Kriztons jacket and pulled it over the little one's head. "I have to talk to these gentlemen first."

The little one hesitated, but eventually walked over to stand by the post. They watched him pouting at the frozen ground before Janz spoke.

"You were the men that were with Alec a few months ago," he said at once. "I also know that you lied just now because my little one asked you to. He was with Alec." His tone was a lot firmer than before, without Krizton in earshot.

"I don't see what's wrong with that," Kreis said.

"Stay away from Krizton," Janz said. "Tell Alec that as well." Each word had emphasis as he hissed it through his teeth.

"We want to know your reason," Gael said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Alec is dangerous," Janz said.

"He may be dangerous, but you should see how he interacts with your child. Alec is fond―"

Gael stopped when Janz was in front of him at once and grabbed his jacket collar. The man's cold dark eyes bored into his. "Stay. Away. From. Krizton," he said. Janz released him, and he was quick to move away from the man.

With another cold glare, the man walked away and headed toward his son. As he walked, the wind carried a few of his muttered words towards Gael's ears.

"If you people only knew," Janz said, his tone almost sad and pitying. "I wonder if you would still help him."

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Hope you enjoyed. I made the UDs long to make up for your wait. Bye