Draeyer Academy (Rewrite)

Chapter 7-Promise

Alec watched the two men as they conversed near the tree line. The others-Ryders he could see, now that anger wasn't clouding his mind-were roaming about his yard and tending to the drae's wounds. He continued to rub the creature's head as he contemplated what he had just experienced moments ago.

Truth be told, he was still pissed off. It would not be the first time someone accused him of something he did not do, but it had been years. The experience had forced him to relive the times he was constantly being thrown in jail back in his early teens. He hated being reminded of how the people of Gelun treated him. But he was especially angry at himself for letting them do whatever they wanted all those years ago.

You were young, his inner voice spoke. It wasn't your fault. They took advantage of a ten-year-old's grief and helplessness to vent their own grief and frustrations.

It was ignored once again.

His gaze went back to the two men, distracting himself from his thoughts. The two seem to be in another not-argument. Judging from the way they kept looking at his direction, the subject was probably him. It was difficult to hear the full conversation because they were so far away though.

"He's...skill...No doubt...recommend...academy," He heard from the one with green eyes, Gael Fenrin. He heard Kreis scoff.

"Just...kid managed to untie himself...famous knots?" Kreis Hildegen said. Gael glared at Kreis, who seemed to have been being sarcastic.

"Yes...don't forget...'kid' gave you...injury," he said. He heard Kreis' groan of irritation.

"You are never going to let that go!" Kreis shouted, causing Gael to chuckle. They continued to look his way from time to time, as they continued their conversation in much quieter voices.

"Weirdos, the two of them," he murmured to the drae. The Ryders tending to the creature's wound heard him and let out quiet chuckles. But the two, did not make any other comment. They seemed to agree with what he said. He could not blame them. Judging from the time he saw them earlier from the caravan, these group of men and women seemed to have been suffering from the bickering of the two weird men.

He looked down at his lap when the drae let out a low growl. It-he, Alec decided-surprised him by trying to stand, straining his large body in attempt to surround and shield Alec from something.

"What-" his voice left him when he heard familiar beating of large wings. Instead of one, there seemed to be two. He turned his head and looked up at the sky near the tree line. His eyes caught the sun gleaming off the silver armor of two adult draes. One black and the other white. The two circled above twice, before landing in front of Gael Fenrin and Kreis Hildegen.

"Hey, Asher, had fun hunting?" Gael Fenrin asked the black drae. Asher gave him a nod, but Alec could tell by the body language, the hunched wing and pleading eyes, that it was not satisfied. His own drae would look similar every time he did not feed him more meat.

"We'll get you more food when we get back to the inn, Asher," Gael Fenrin seemed to know this too, judging from his words.

Alec watched as the man ran a hand over the white star markings on his Asher's neck before getting ready to mount the saddle nestled between where the creature's neck connected with its wings. But before they could do so, he stepped back when Asher stood on his hind legs while looking attentively around them.

He looked over to find Kreis' white drae also doing the same, causing the man to knit his brows. As if in sync, the two Drae's eyes landed on Alec. He stilled when the two draes started to approach. His hands going to his own red drae's head to calm him as he tried to tuck Alec under his uninjured wing.