ã€ŠDraconia Offlineã€‹


 1. Welcome to Draconia Online

    Osaka in Japan, 2083

    The sun was shining through the window with summer intensity, filling the hospital room with its warm light. But death wasn¡¯t picky; it didn¡¯t need depressing atmosphere to come.

    The line stopped going up and down and became straight. The beeping faded after a while, it wasn¡¯t needed anymore.

    There was silence for a moment. A second of deadly tranquillity. Then sobs.

    ¡°Time of death¡ª14:32,¡± the doctor noted down into his datapad.

    He pulled a sheet over the woman¡¯s dead body, looked at the child crying next to her bed and let out a resigned sigh. The boy couldn¡¯t have been more than four years old and was adamantly holding his mother¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Is the boy her only family?¡± the doctor scratched his chin with concern. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen any visitors. Where¡¯s the father anyway?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d already checked the register, his birth certificate says father unknown,¡± the nurse shook her head. ¡°The social services are taking care of him for now and are searching for his relatives in Europe.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s half Japanese, though. Do they really want to send him there?¡± the doctor bit his lip. He was mostly successful at keeping things emotionally professional but it was hard in cases when children were left behind.

    ¡°Doctor, is it true what they say?¡± the nurse asked, nervously studying the patient¡¯s medical record. ¡±That the brain tumour was caused by VR?¡±

    ¡°Who said that?¡± the doctor frowned. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°But she was some kind of game developer, right?¡± the nurse insisted. ¡°She must have used that damn VR helmet a lot. There¡¯re people who report headaches and¡­¡±

    The doctor didn¡¯t get time to answer as four men in formal black suits suddenly entered the room. Without hesitation and any greeting they quickly put the woman¡¯s dead body on a stretcher. They had to forcibly tear the small boy from his mother because he refused to let go.

    ¡°Too soon for the mortuary service,¡± the doctor frowned. ¡°Who are you? Who gave you permission to take the body?¡±

    ¡°A thorough autopsy is in order,¡± one of them said dryly. ¡°We¡¯re taking the body to a better facility.¡±

    ¡°Okaa-chan!¡± the boy screamed in Japanese and tried to get hold of his mother again.

    ¡°Ryuuto, your mom is gone,¡± the nurse gently caught him. ¡°I¡¯ve told you, remember? She was very sick. She¡¯s in a better place now and doesn¡¯t feel pain anymore.¡±

    The doctor argued with the intruders for a while but they shoved official custody papers into his face and quickly left with the body.

    The little boy, Ryuuto, started to cry uncontrollably. The nurse tried to comfort him and hugged him firmly but it didn¡¯t help much. The doctor sighed and went to call the social service lady who was waiting in the hall.

    ¡°My mom¡¯s not thinking anymore. Not thinking, not feeling,¡± the boy kept repeating as he was sobbing into the nurse¡¯s uniform.

    *****

    Prague in the European Union, 20 years later

    The underground metro is always packed at this hour. A mass of turbulent emotions is the hardest to deal with but I¡¯m somewhat used to it. An elderly woman bumps into me as she¡¯s trying to secure her place at the last second before the door closes. No word of apology. Instead, her anxious emotions hit me.

    I twitch and squeeze my way closer to the other door. A man holding a suitcase to my right is nervous about something but, thankfully, I¡¯m not close enough to feel more. A girl opposite of me is looking in my direction but her eyes are unfocused. I notice she has an implant so I guess she¡¯s browsing the Internet right now.

    For a while I was considering getting one myself but after a product presentation with a mock implant that gets attached to one¡¯s temple temporarily, I quickly changed my mind. Unlike full-dive VR, implants provide only partial virtual experience which messes with my telepathy. And I wouldn¡¯t have the nerve to use it among people anyway.

    When the train starts moving, windows change into advertisements banners.

    ¡°UrgoLogi corp. wishes you a pleasant journey.¡±

    God, I hate ads. But this train is sponsored and therefore not as expensive so the commuters have to bear with it.

    I notice a man eyeing me from a few metres away. I pull my face mask higher and check that my hoodie didn¡¯t slip. Even though lots of people have all kinds of crazy cosmetic procedures done these days, my natural androgynous features still attract unwanted attention. Being harassed on my way to school is something that would ruin my morning so, after some unpleasant past experiences with train perverts, I always travel in disguise.

    I turn my back to that man and take out my vibrating phone.

    Erik (9:36)

    You free tonight? ^_^

    I smile to myself and start typing a response.

    Ryuuto (9:37)

    Yep, I can drop by after school.

    Erik (9:37)

    Cool, looking forward to it. Should I order some food?

    Ryuuto (9:38)

    Sure, no time for lunch anyway.

    Erik (9:38)

    Eat, skinny, you dumb.

    Ryuuto (9:39)

    I will¡­ at your place. Promise. See ya.

    Another stop, more pushing. The girl leaves and her place is taken by that elderly woman. It¡¯s evident that she doesn¡¯t approve of people who aren¡¯t ill wearing face masks. She gives me a stare as she¡¯s trying to guess my gender and shakes her head. She¡¯s one of those people who hate ambiguity, I can feel her discontent. But I¡¯m just a random stranger to her so she lets it go.

    I close my eyes, trying to clear my mind. Too many emotions can overwhelm me to the point of a severe headache and that¡¯s the last thing I need when I have an entire school day ahead of me.

    *****

    A paper ball hits my arm and wakes me up.

    ¡°Ryuuto,¡± one of my classmates hisses at me. ¡°The professor¡­¡±

    I blink, confused for a moment. Then I realise that I must have dozed off for a few seconds. I get angry at myself¡ªwasting precious time with a real teacher! At least she wasn¡¯t looking at me; I don¡¯t want to seem rude. She¡¯s not here as a mere hologram, after all.

    I stretch and finish my coffee from the campus cafeteria that is totally cold now. This is only my second lecture today but I feel exhausted already. When I think about it, I¡¯ve been feeling pretty tired lately. And my back feels sore today. Maybe I game too much? But I don¡¯t think I put in more hours than usual.

    The coffee helps a little and focusing on the most enthusiastic students who really pay attention does the trick, too. One of my coping mechanisms I¡¯ve developed over years. I like school even if it poses all sorts of problems for me. Like sitting in a lecture hall with twenty other students and perceiving their emotions whether I want to or not. I wish I could switch it off at will. But I can¡¯t.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    I buy another cup of coffee in the short break between lectures and manage to pull through the rest of the day. I look forward to seeing Erik which helps me tolerate another overcrowded train on the way to him. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re dating but I still really enjoy spending time with him.

    *****

    Erik lives in one of those old historical buildings from the twentieth century. He¡¯s not particularly rich but he was lucky enough to inherit the apartment from his grandparents. It¡¯s a nice spacious place with nostalgic atmosphere but it¡¯s not soundproof and the neighbours are mostly old people so we can¡¯t be loud.

    He greets me with a wide smile, grabs my hand and pulls me inside. I love his straight-forwardness. He¡¯s a no bullshit kind of guy. And I can feel that he¡¯s excited already.

    ¡°It¡¯s been ages since your last visit,¡± he says and kisses me right in the hall. He immediately gets rid of my ponytail so that he can caress my long hair. He always does that.

    ¡°Two weeks, your shifts didn¡¯t fit my school schedule,¡± I take off my shoes and put them on the rack. Unlike me, Erik keeps his place tidy.

    His mood slightly changes. ¡°You fucked other guys during that time?¡± he purses his lips in an accusation.

    ¡°No, other guys fucked me,¡± I correct him and try to make it into a joke. After all, we¡¯re not dating. Normally I don¡¯t feel guilty about it but Erik seems to be the only one who can make me feel guilty. I¡¯m not sure why. I mean¡­ I never cheat, my lovers all know.

    Erik knows that as well but he¡¯s still a little bit pissed; I can feel his irritation. His desire is bigger, though. He pushes me to the wall and slips his hand under my t-shirt. I gently touch his mind and the world around me blurs.

    I¡¯m an addict. A telepath addict hooked on my lovers¡¯ feelings. Thoughts and feelings of strangers have a tendency to hurt or annoy me. Thoughts and feelings of people I like are a drug to me.

    Erik unexpectedly pushes me back. I blink, confused. A forcefully interrupted connection is disorienting.

    ¡°Your stomach is rumbling,¡± he says, partly amused but mostly concerned. ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner first, okay?¡±

    No need to argue, I¡¯ve been starving the whole afternoon. Stacking various classes one after another is efficient but as a result I never have time for lunch.

    ¡°I ordered your favourite Thai,¡± he boasts as he presents me a plastic takeaway box.

    His thoughtfulness never ceases to amaze me. I guess that¡¯s why I fell for him. That and also the fact that he¡¯s a medical helicopter pilot who offered me a free flight on the day of our first meeting in a bar. My first time flying. Or rather my first time flying in real life.

    ¡°What?¡± I mumble with a mouth full of noodles because he¡¯s watching me for some reason.

    ¡°I just like looking at you, pretty boy,¡± he shrugs. ¡°You should definitely do something about your diet, though. Have you lost some weight again?¡±

    ¡°No idea, I don¡¯t own a scale,¡± I dip a piece of fish in a spicy sauce and shove it into my mouth. ¡°I eat when I¡¯m with you.¡±

    ¡°And with other guys,¡± he still refuses to let it go.

    He usually doesn¡¯t have such a problem with it so I guess he must be feeling neglected by me. Erik is actually very possessive which makes him a bad choice for someone like me but I can¡¯t help it when someone¡¯s mind attracts me. My telepathy is a double-edged sword when it comes to love.

    ¡°I¡¯m with you now,¡± I assure him and I really mean it. I always fully focus on the person I¡¯m with at the moment. It¡¯s impossible for me not to if I like them. It¡¯s like being addicted to chocolate and having an exquisite bar in front of you. Impossible to resist or think about anything else until you eat it whole.

    We finish our dinner and decide to take a shower together. He enjoys undressing me and I enjoy feeling attractive in his eyes. I used to be ashamed of my lack of masculinity when I was younger but only until I found out that certain types of guys are totally into that. And these guys often happen to be the types I¡¯m into so it¡¯s a win-win. Unless they¡¯re train perverts, of course.

    Erik takes the soap and starts washing me. He¡¯s the only person I know who insists on these traditional soaps instead of shower gels from automatic dispensers. I think it¡¯s an adorable quirk.

    I feel a weird tickling sensation when he soaps my back, especially the area under my shoulder blades.

    ¡°What?¡± he stops as soon as he notices my discomfort.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± I shake my head. I must have strained my back at school. Sitting for several hours can be demanding.

    Then it¡¯s my turn soaping him and I enjoy every second of it. Erik is quite muscular but not too much, exactly as I prefer it. And he¡¯s tall. Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m particularly short myself but my lovers always end up to be taller than me.

    We continue in his comfy wide bed and I lose myself in his mind again. I know exactly how to please him. The physical and the mental blur¡ªI¡¯m high.

    Suddenly, he pushes me down and stops for a moment which blunts the connection.

    ¡°How did you know that I would like that?¡± he looks at me strangely.

    Oops, I did it again. I try to be careful but I fail more often than not.

    ¡°Telepathy,¡± I joke.

    Only it isn¡¯t a joke. But he has no idea. Nobody does.

    ¡°Have you tried that with other guys?¡± he guesses and looks saddened. ¡°Am I not enough for you? You really like me, admit it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not boyfriend material,¡± I say, grumpy that he¡¯s stopped at the best part.

    ¡°You¡¯re not slut material either,¡± he raises his eyebrows. ¡°Why do you act like one?¡±

    ¡°I simply don¡¯t have time for proper dating. I have school and my job,¡± I quickly come up with an excuse. I can¡¯t tell him the true reason.

    ¡°Your job,¡± he repeats. ¡°Which I still know nothing about.¡±

    Erik has a tendency to talk a lot when something bugs him. It¡¯s cute but rather distracting when we¡¯re supposed to do other things. And he¡¯s not pesky, only genuinely concerned.

    I silence him with a kiss to deepen our connection again. I remind him with my body why we¡¯re friends with benefits and that talking isn¡¯t necessary.

    *****

    I don¡¯t do mornings so I dress up when Erik falls asleep. I watch him for a few minutes, he¡¯s so damn handsome. I bend down to kiss him goodbye and get the last taste of him. His sleeping mind is so soothing. I¡¯ve never met anybody like Erik, to be honest. I could spend countless hours in him. But I know I can¡¯t.

    I lov---

    I stop myself in my thoughts. What was I just thinking? Erik doesn¡¯t know me. Not really. He just likes my face and body. That¡¯s it. If he knew the truth about me, he would probably run away and call me a freak. No, I can¡¯t get attached for this exact reason.

    *****

    My apartment isn¡¯t as fancy as Erik¡¯s place but compared to my previous tiny room at grandmother¡¯s, it¡¯s heaven. Rents in Prague are extremely high and sharing would be much cheaper, but my telepathy makes it impossible for me to have flat-mates. I also don¡¯t want others to know how I make a living.

    I put down a package that I picked up downstairs from the delivery repository and sigh. The box isn¡¯t that heavy but I¡¯ve always had difficulties carrying stuff that weights more than a few kilos. I¡¯ve tried exercising several times but I could never develop any muscles.

    I suspect that my frail body might be somehow connected to my telepathy. What else could it be than some strange genetic mutation? But being scared of doctors and hospitals in general, I¡¯ve never gone to any major medical check-up to confirm it.

    Besides, I shiver at the thought of what would such confirmation mean. They¡¯d probably never allow me to leave hospital ever again and run all sorts of experiments on me. I mean¡ªreal telepathy. The scientists would go crazy.

    All of a sudden, my stomach starts grumbling in discontent. I guess my Thai dinner didn¡¯t quite agree with me even though it¡¯s a dish Erik orders regularly for me. But weak digestion is another thing I¡¯ve learnt to live with.

    To distract myself, I log into my account to check my current balance. The developers sent me 500 Euro for yesterday¡¯s raid that was streamed on the official game channel. As I¡¯ve already paid the rent for next month, I send the whole amount to pay off another little bit of my huge debt.

    ¡°Fan mail,¡± a reminder AI speaks up.

    ¡°I know,¡± I nod to myself and switch on the holographic projector.

    Many famous streamers want their true face to be known but I dread it. Being asked out on a date by random strangers, often quite pervy, is bad enough. I don¡¯t need more attention. Also, I can¡¯t spare money for an apartment with better security. VR celebrities are always under attack by their own fans and have stalkers. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve never told anyone who I am in real life. As a telepath I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it.

    I set the holographic projector to materialise a cosy coffee shop scenery behind me and cover my appearance with a 3D version of my ingame avatar. I start to open fan mail, commenting on exceptionally nice letters written on real paper by hand and thanking senders for any little presents inside. Fans love their nicknames being mentioned.

    Of course, I get most fan mail digitally but handicrafts had their second renaissance recently so it isn¡¯t unusual that I get cute hand-made plush toys of ingame pets and knitted bracelets with game logos. Once I got a very nice winter scarf that I love wearing ever since.

    ¡°Thank you, Liu24net, a beautiful picture,¡± I smile and hold up to the camera a drawing of my ingame avatar in a rather erotic pose.

    Majority of my fans are girls with such fantasies and I present myself as openly gay so it only gives them more fuel. Another reason not to ruin their illusions by revealing my true identity. Well, I¡¯m quite confident that they¡¯d most probably like my true face because it isn¡¯t that different from my game avatar but I suspect that these fangirls are mostly into my fictional inhuman parts.

    ¡°And now time for real work,¡± I smile to myself.

    I lie down on my bed, put on the latest VR helmet¡ªcourtesy of my game employer¡ªand log in. The game starts the initialisation process.

    Checking VR compatibility¡­

    Compatibility: 100%

    Logging in¡­

    Welcome to DRACONIA ONLINE

    I stop feeling my real body and instead I start experiencing that familiar weight of wings on my back. The feeling I love. I open my avatar¡¯s eyes and the virtual world around me materialises.

    I¡¯m standing in front of a cave, the last spot I was in before my last log off. I can hear birds singing, the wind pushing into the trees and a nearby river. But for me it¡¯s like total silence because I can¡¯t read anyone¡¯s thoughts or feel their emotions here. VR is the only place apart from sleep where my brain can truly rest.

    I suddenly hear voices, several players are approaching. I quickly pull a cloak out of my digital inventory and put it over my wings. It can¡¯t hide the fact that I have them because they¡¯re too huge for that but I just need to cover their colour. At the last second I pull a hoodie over my silver hair.

    ¡°Hey, somebody¡¯s already here,¡± says a Dragonkin who appears out of the forest. He¡¯s in full-plate armour and is carrying a shield and a sword. His scales are dark green and black horns on his head exceptionally big.

    He¡¯s followed by a mixed party consisting of a Clawfang wolf, an Earthborn with a bow and one more Dragonkin of a monk class.

    ¡°And it¡¯s a Celestial, lucky us,¡± says the Clawfang girl. ¡°Wanna join us? We could really use some magic in there. What¡¯s your level and class?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m waiting for my own party,¡± I lie.

    ¡°What¡¯s up with the cloak?¡± the Earthborn asks. ¡°I thought you Celestials hate to cover your wings.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been in a different location and it was raining,¡± I lie again. ¡°Please, don¡¯t mind me. This dungeon is a private instance anyway.¡±

    The first Dragonkin, who looks like their party leader, shrugs. Any other race might be a player killer waiting to ambush unsuspecting victims but Celestials aren¡¯t built for that so he isn¡¯t wary of me.

    When they disappear into the entrance, I quickly take off my cloak. The Earthborn archer was right, Celestials hate wearing anything over their wings. It simply isn¡¯t comfortable. But my pure white wings are unique in Draconia so unless I want to deal with fans¡ªor haters for the matter¡ªI have to mask myself.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it!¡± I say to myself enthusiastically and start streaming for my channel. ¡°Going solo to the Forgotten Cave, attempt number 4.¡±

 2. VRMMORPG

    I fly higher to have a better view of the battlefield. The Forgotten Cave ends in a huge boss chamber so I can manoeuvre without problems.

    The Skeleton King, a huge bone figure in rusty armour, is eyeing me menacingly. He throws his axe at me but I expect it at this stage. I evade it easily and use those few seconds the enemy needs to pull his weapon back to finally release Meteor Superior I was casting for more than three minutes now. It¡¯s difficult to be preparing such a complex spell and keep evading at the same time but I¡¯ve mastered it over the years.

    The explosion is so overwhelming that even I have to quickly fly away to safety. In Draconia, there¡¯s no such thing as protecting the caster or the rest of the party against friendly misfire. Everything that¡¯s supposed to do damage does so to whoever stands in the way.

    BOOOOOM!

    The ground shakes with a deafening sound and a shockwave almost knocks me down but I manage to balance my fall and fly back up almost immediately because I¡¯ve been training exactly for such situations.

    ¡°Yes!¡± I exclaim.

    It¡¯s a clear hit and the boss¡¯s HP drops to 25%. The impact leaves a black crater.

    Too early to celebrate, though, the Skeleton King enters the last stage and his behaviour pattern radically changes again. I¡¯ve never been that close before so I have to improvise. I studied stage 4 from the videos of others and my own runs with a party but it¡¯s very different when I don¡¯t have any back-up and the boss focuses entirely on me.

    I had all kinds of energy shields in place in the beginning but I¡¯ve lost most of them during stages 2 and 3. Now I have only one shield left which means that two more mistakes and I¡¯m dead. Celestial magic is amazing but my race can¡¯t take any direct hits.

    ¡°COME FORTH MY SERVANTS!¡±

    The Skeleton King rages and calls his minions. They¡¯re numerous but these lesser skeletal knights can¡¯t really hurt me when I¡¯m in the air so I don¡¯t worry about them.

    Suddenly, something bashes into my energy shield from behind.

    ¡°What the¡­?!¡±

    Shit, skeletal bats at this stage? Why? They don¡¯t spawn during party raids. Skeletal bats aren¡¯t particularly strong, more of pests really, but they can distract you, especially a magic caster who has to focus.

    The boss starts throwing boulders at me which is another unexpected turn of events. He never did that in previously recorded battles. Is it because I¡¯m the only opponent and in the air so the algorithm altered his behaviour accordingly? Did the developers take this scenario into consideration? I guess they could have anticipated that the best Celestial players will definitely try to solo it.

    I evade another boulder and this time only by a few inches because skeletal bats keep hindering me. I start flapping my wings wildly and releasing mana to create an air current which sweeps the bats away. I¡¯m pretty exhausted at this point, even virtual limbs tire to make the game more realistic, but I successfully get rid of those pesky critters.

    Then I notice the boss is taking two boulders at once. I widen my eyes in horror and I manage to escape one stone but the other hits my last shield and shatters it. As I try to balance the shock wave, the Skeleton King jumps and grabs me.

    I gasp for air when he starts clutching me. Some reflexes are hard to ignore. I know that my real body is safe in my bed and breathing normally but Draconia is a hardcore game with pain receptors switched on and my virtual avatar is being squeezed to death right now.

    My HP is dropping at astronomical speed and when it reaches 10%, the Skeleton King, as if programmed with malice to be even scarier, tosses me into the mud on the ground. I feel the bones in my wings breaking and it¡¯s excruciating, even though the pain is mostly dulled on purpose.

    That didn¡¯t exactly go as planned. Oh, well, it is one of the most difficult bosses in the game and he hasn¡¯t been soloed yet after all¡­

    YOU DIED!

    Type of death: Regular

    Penalty: -300 HP for 1 day

    -300 MP for 1 day

    Resurrection: Immediate

    The pain lasts for three seconds followed by ten seconds of unconsciousness giving my brain time to recover. After that, I wake up, resurrected. My wings are okay again but I¡¯m still a muddy mess.

    I check my stats. Dying lowered my health and magic points for one day but nothing dramatic. I¡¯m fortunate that the Skeleton King didn¡¯t hit my weak spot between the wings because the penalty for that is 24 hours with a blocked account.

    As I¡¯m standing up and stretching my wings to relieve the strange after-feeling of broken bones, another player rudely bumps into me. As if I don¡¯t get enough accidental bumps in public transport. But touching people here doesn¡¯t trigger my telepathy so I don¡¯t mind that much.

    ¡°What are you doing loitering here like that!¡± he berates impatiently. ¡°In and out swiftly, that¡¯s the rule.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I apologize rather than cause an unnecessary quarrel over something so trivial. Some players have rather short tempers.

    ¡°You Celestials, always with your heads in the sky,¡± he murmurs irritably.

    He¡¯s right about the in and out swiftly part. Loitering in the Shrine of Resurrection isn¡¯t a good idea because players are being revived all the time. It¡¯s just not so easy for a Celestial to be quick about it. Our magic is highly regarded and always on demand when forming a party for dungeon raids, but on the ground we¡¯re hopelessly clumsy compared to other races.

    I watch that guy as he runs out of the Shrine. He¡¯s a feline Clawfang with a cheetah styled avatar, cool look and medium-tier equipment. Around level 45, I guess. Much lower than me but I bet he thought I¡¯m a total noob.

    Well, to be honest, I do look shabby right now. My robe is tattered from the battle and my wings are all muddy. I hate that feeling; every Celestial wants their wings to be spotless, call it our quirk. But I need to hide my unique ingame appearance so it¡¯s for the best at the moment.

    I tighten the hood around my face and finally step outside the Shrine.

    I check my streaming page. Most players are commenting on my mistakes, offering constructive feedback and giving me advice for my next attempt. Only a minority is amused that I failed and ended epically in mud. But they still watched my endeavour which means money from ads so I¡¯m not bothered by that. I spend a few minutes typing responses and thanking everyone for their kind donations.

    NEW INCOMING MESSAGE

    A familiar dialogue window with a mail symbol pops out of space in front of me.

    ¡°Your Highness, please DO participate in our celebratory Council of Seraphs today at 18:30,¡± the message states. The window contains a confirmation button but just as I¡¯m about to hit ¡®dismiss¡¯, there¡¯s an immediate video call.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare miss this meeting!¡± the caller shouts at me without any greeting. Her name is Liana and she¡¯s my trusted viceroy. A very demanding person who keeps me in line. At least most of the time.

    ¡°We have to appoint new seraphs today,¡± she says impatiently and flaps her black wings.

    ¡°Oh, right, I forgot,¡± I slap my forehead. ¡°Sorry, Li. Still, can¡¯t we push the developers again to give you that administrative power as well? I¡¯ve been doing it countless times, it gets repetitive.¡±

    ¡°Enjoy your royal shit,¡± she shrugs. ¡°I¡¯m doing half of your work as it is. Besides, do you have something better to do than fulfilling your obligations?¡±

    ¡°Another attempt in the Forgotten Cave,¡± I say. ¡°I was sooo close this time.¡±

    Liana narrows her eyes. She always does that when she doesn¡¯t approve. ¡°You know race rulers shouldn¡¯t form parties with just anybody, it breaks game balance.¡±

    ¡°Solo,¡± I set the record straight so she wouldn¡¯t worry.

    ¡°You went alone? To the hardest dungeon for a full four-member party?¡± her eyes widen. ¡°Did the boss hit your wings?¡±

    ¡°Obviously not or I wouldn¡¯t be talking to you right now.¡±

    Is she concerned about me or about the work I wouldn¡¯t be able to do otherwise if my account was frozen for one day? It¡¯s often hard to tell with her but I know that she does care. She only has her own way of showing it.

    ¡°You¡¯re crazy as always,¡± she sighs but I don¡¯t miss that she grins a little. She actually likes that side of me.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to make it more fun for my followers. An occasional failure is good too,¡± I smile but there¡¯s no misguiding my sharp viceroy.

    ¡°Come right away and no more excuses!¡± She ends the call abruptly and doesn¡¯t give me any time to respond.

    A short message arrives just a minute after: ¡°There will be Heavenly Lemon Cakes.¡±

    She knows how to bribe me.

    *****

    I use a portal and teleport to Assiath, the capital of my race. It¡¯s a city floating in the sky, inaccessible to other races unless they get a teleportation permit. It can also be reached by flying but since only Celestials possess wings in this game, other races have no means to visit it conventionally. This is also part of the role-play and lore of this imaginary world. Celestials literally live in the sky.

    I decide to visit the trading quarter to buy something sweet before Liana seizes me indefinitely. The street is busy as usual with players shopping and non-player characters running various stalls.

    I buy myself a delicious looking candy with a minor energising effect and sit on the edge of a local fountain to relax. As I¡¯m finishing the candy, I hear someone¡¯s squabbling.

    ¡°Those who can¡¯t do even a simple pirouette in the air are a disgrace to our race,¡± a girl with sandy wings spits just a few metres away.

    ¡°His Highness is too benevolent. If it was up to me, I¡¯d talk to the developers and force people like you to change their race¡­ to any race, just not ours,¡± her friend agrees, sounding really aggressive.

    I analyze the situation. There are two Celestials, judging from their equipment of cherub rank, around level 35. There is one more player in a malakhim robe, level 15 I guess. She¡¯s clearly intimidated by the couple and they¡¯re blocking her way. They must have seen her clumsy landing or something because one¡¯s flying ability isn¡¯t necessarily tied to the level.

    Exemplary bullies. Well, time to make an example out of them.

    ¡°We would lose a third of our population that way,¡± I say out loud and step in.

    The couple turns towards me, looking all pissed. The malakhim girl takes this opportunity to run away. Good.

    ¡°Can you manage advanced flying?¡± the girl asks and looks at my tattered clothes with utter disrespect.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about speed or air acrobatics,¡± I oppose. ¡°You have to feel the air in your heart and simply enjoy flying.¡±

    ¡°Exactly because of that laid-back attitude other races don¡¯t bow to us,¡± the boy hisses angrily.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a game, there¡¯s no reason to,¡± I argue. ¡°Sure, there¡¯s Draconia¡¯s lore and in role-play events it might be nice for a more cinematic feeling but otherwise totally pointless.¡±

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Let¡¯s duel, you stupid noob,¡° the girl challenges me. ¡°Then you¡¯ll see what advanced flying is good for. Seraphs are the strongest amongst us.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re not seraphs,¡± I note. I know all seraphs, at least their faces. Liana made sure of that.

    ¡°Not yet but soon we will be,¡± the girl shouts and passes me a dialogue window with a duel challenge.

    Duelling in cities is considered to be bad manners and you can¡¯t duel to the death anyway in peaceful locations but some people can¡¯t seem to help themselves. I accept the duel just to give them a lesson.

    As the timer starts to count down, the girl prepares herself to fly as soon as allowed. I don¡¯t give her that luxury. When the window states START, I need just a millisecond to prepare a spell because a high-tier one isn¡¯t necessary. She doesn¡¯t even know what hit her when she finds herself suddenly lying on the ground, unable to breathe.

    DUEL FINISHED. WINNER: AEFENER

    The couple stares with disbelief, first at the dialogue window, then at me again. It¡¯s impossible for a Celestial not to know the name of their Emperor.

    ¡°It seems too early for you to apply for the seraph title,¡± I observe and try to act cold. ¡°A seraph must be able to put up a protective shield right away.¡±

    ¡°Y-Y-Your Highness,¡± the boy falls to his knees. The girl would probably do the same but she¡¯s still too busy catching her breath.

    ¡°Role-play bullies,¡± I murmur to myself, unfold my wings and fly away.

    Don¡¯t get me wrong, I love role-play in story events. I sympathise with being totally absorbed in playing but there¡¯re limits to that. Some people think that role-play can be an excuse for bullying, narcissism and feeling superior to other races and lower levels.

    I glide over Assiath, trying to clear my irritated mind. I detest people who make enjoying the game hard for newcomers. As if being called a noob isn¡¯t bad enough, it¡¯s this kind of behaviour that makes role-playing games unappealing for casual players. People like those two give us a bad reputation.

    But I stop thinking about them after a minute. Flying is too pleasant for having negative thoughts. Now all I can think about is enjoying all those things I don¡¯t experience in real life¡ªthe feeling of having a pair of fluffy wings on my back, the wind that listens to me and the ultimate freedom of the sky.

    I breathe in deeply and when I breathe out, I fold my wings close to my body and start falling. Advanced air acrobatics are popular among higher levels and I utterly love them.

    I watch Assiath getting bigger as I get closer to the ground and shiver with excitement when feeling the bursts of air around me. I open my wings at the last minute which most people don¡¯t have the nerve to do. Even if Draconia is just a game, the instinct to survive is too strong and the idea of smashing into the ground too scary. And nobody wants to feel pain needlessly, however dulled. I trained hard to be able to perform a coordinated fall without flinching too soon.

    I surprise a bunch of Celestials chatting in a park beneath me. It¡¯s considered rude to use air bursts near other people in non-combat areas but I can¡¯t help it. If I want to make the ending really impressive, I need an air boost. The spell has been on my lips since I started falling and now I simply activate it. The energy sends me violently up but, with the right position of my wings, the ascension looks neat.

    The current throws me a few hundred metres above Assiath and I finally slow down. I¡¯m panting but I feel happy and energised. Sorry, Erik. That time you took me for a helicopter flight was amazing but nothing compares to using your own wings.

    REMINDER: MEETING IN 45 MINUTES.

    I sigh because it means that my flying session is over. I set for the royal palace that shines in the centre of the city.

    In a few minutes, I land in front of the main gate. The royal palace is enveloped in a protective shield and the main gate is the only way in. Only seraphs and personnel with permission can enter the premises and even they have to go through the guards. Guards are non-player characters with only limited dialogue options but their stats are high so they would have no problem protecting the palace against intruders.

    I¡¯m hoping to get into my quarters before Liana notices my presence but she must have some kind of advanced notification setting that alerts her when I enter the palace grounds. I hear flapping wings and there she stands in front of me¡ªmajestic, annoyed and unavoidable.

    ¡°Finally you¡¯re here and looking like a vagabond,¡± she snorts. Her avatar has violet hair, she¡¯s wearing official embroidered attire and as always looks absolutely perfect¡­ unlike me. Her golden Celestial eyes are piercing me fiercely.

    ¡°The Forgotten Cave is muddy,¡± I shrug. ¡°Plus, I can¡¯t exactly go out looking all regal, people wouldn¡¯t leave me alone.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t exactly go out without the royal guard either,¡± Liana retorts. ¡°At least try to role-play a little bit, will you?¡±

    ¡°The game would be boring that way!¡° I whine. ¡°I could just abdicate, you know.¡±

    ¡°We both know that you love it too much. And¡­ well¡­ I admit the game wouldn¡¯t be so much fun without you around,¡± she says reluctantly. I¡¯m surprised by her sudden honesty but she does have a cute side only I get to see from time to time.

    ¡°We can duel again,¡± I suggest. ¡°Last time you almost beat me.¡±

    ¡°The only reason I stood a chance was because I came up with a very solid strategy beforehand,¡± she says. ¡°You¡¯re such a videogame nerd that your spellcasting and flying abilities are far beyond anybody else among the Celestials.¡±

    I grin. ¡°I¡¯m proud to be geeky and nerdy!¡±

    ¡°Go wash yourself and get dressed, we start in half an hour. Please?¡± she smiles knowingly.

    I resist rolling my eyes in front of her. Liana always means well and I know that. Even though she¡¯s like a nagging mother sometimes, she has that power to push people where she needs them for their own good. I actually enjoy being, within reason, scolded by her. Having things done with minimum procrastination is much easier with her behind my wings. She can never know I think that, of course.

    Funny, sometimes I actually wish my telepathy worked here. Liana seems like a strict person both here and in real life but I think she really enjoys my carefree company. I mean, if she didn¡¯t, why would she bother with me in the first place?

    *****

    I¡¯m lucky that one of the perks of being royalty, and living in a palace, means having personal NPC maids. They capture me the moment I step into my chambers. Maids were programmed by Liana herself to make their master presentable and they don¡¯t rest until the task is finished. They eagerly undress me almost at the doorstep when they see the rags I have on.

    Then a bath and meticulous scrubbing of my muddy wings. To be honest, I¡¯m thankful for that part. Having wings dirty for longer than a few minutes gives Celestials an unpleasant itchy feeling.

    ¡°Can I choose my attire?¡± I ask the maids when they finish drying my feathers and hair. Only battle gear can be equipped immediately from the inventory.

    ¡°No, Your Highness, Her Eminence Liana has already chosen for you,¡± one of the maids answers with a pre-prepared dialogue option.

    ¡°As expected,¡± I murmur.

    Liana is an utter perfectionist and considers me to be a part of her arrangement.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± I complain and inspect myself in the mirror.

    The royal garment is overkill however you look at it. A long ornamental robe with many layers of cloth makes me look like some kind of princess even if it isn¡¯t technically a dress. Well, my avatar isn¡¯t exactly masculine, just like me in real life, and Celestial males generally can¡¯t have overly muscular builds because we have to be light for flying. But still.

    ¡°You look stunning, Your Highness,¡± a maid compliments me. Can one be glad about a compliment from an NPC? Can their artificial intelligence even analyze appearance properly?

    ¡°And your hair is done,¡± another maid announces. ¡°Please, don¡¯t make yourself that dirty again, it was a chore to wash out all that mud.¡±

    At least my hairstyle isn¡¯t a total disaster; they took advantage of my avatar¡¯s long hair and created a samurai-ish high braid. I suspect that it isn¡¯t historical at all, probably came from some old videogame about samurai warriors, but it looks cool.

    I step outside my chamber and the NPC guards automatically follow me and don¡¯t leave until I reach the main reception hall.

    ¡°Good, white again,¡± Liana evaluates me immediately when I show up. ¡°You look presentable enough. Be a good sovereign and act according to the role-play, will you? Newly appointed seraphs worked hard to earn that rank and want their ceremony to be a cinematic experience.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± I nod obediently. ¡°You know I wouldn¡¯t ruin events that are being recorded and streamed. It¡¯s my livelihood, after all.¡±

    Liana pokes me as a reminder that it¡¯s against the code of virtual conduct to talk about real life here; especially during role-play events. But she gets it.

    Heavenly fanfares start to play and the event begins. I try to act serious and collected; antagonising Liana is never a good idea. Still, it¡¯s hard not to giggle when I¡¯m being presented as His Godly Emperor Aefener.

    There are only two new seraphs today since getting the highest rank is very difficult and usually takes several years depending on how much time one devotes to playing. In addition, not all players aim for the top, most just want to enjoy some leisure time in virtual reality.

    I have administrative rights from the developers to promote players of my race to the highest rank possible if they meet certain criteria. And so I do. I touch both of them, perform a prescribed hand gesture recognised by the system and official seraph symbols appear on the back of their left hands. Done, easy business, if it wasn¡¯t for all the theatrics.

    A reception follows. The food is tasty but it only stimulates certain parts of one¡¯s brain; it doesn¡¯t really fill my stomach.

    ¡°Here, you deserve it,¡± Liana brings me one of those delicious looking Heavenly Lemon Cakes that were promised.

    I dig in and enjoy the warm feeling this special cake produces. It was originally designed as superior buffing food a Celestial was supposed to eat before difficult battles but ingredients are so hard to collect that it¡¯s now more of a luxury item.

    ¡°I made it myself,¡± Liana murmurs and if her avatar could blush, she probably would. She made sure nobody¡¯s looking at us, of course. She relaxes only when we¡¯re alone.

    ¡°Thanks, Li, you¡¯re an excellent cook,¡± I cherish every bite.

    ¡°Only if it was so simple in the real world,¡± she suddenly looks sad. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for cooking.¡±

    I don¡¯t say anything. Liana almost never speaks about her real life and when she does, it¡¯s so super rare that I gobble every word. I guess she needs her virtual escape as much as me.

    One of new seraphs appointed today approaches us when I finish eating my cake as if he was waiting for the right opportunity. He probably was.

    ¡°Your Highness, my name is Gotrid,¡± he introduces himself and looks at me with a friendly grin. His avatar is quite muscular for a Celestial but he¡¯s still slim. The game doesn¡¯t allow players to create bodies that wouldn¡¯t match a chosen race.

    ¡°Sure, I remember,¡± I nod. When bestowing new ranks, I have to read that person¡¯s nickname aloud during the ceremony after all.

    ¡°Coping well?¡± Liana asks. ¡°Entering the royal service is a huge game changer for players.¡±

    ¡°You can be a seraph without royal affinity,¡± I remind him just to be sure he¡¯s clear on that.

    Being part of the royal business is a great privilege but it goes with certain obligations like compulsory role-playing during official events and participating in specific raids. And everything is being streamed and recorded. Not many players have the time, vigour and patience for that.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to be a part of all that,¡± he says with confidence. ¡°But thank you for the concern, Your Highness, I¡¯m honoured.¡±

    And then he does something really embarrassing. The leans on one knee in a bow, takes my right hand and kisses it. I don¡¯t turn red only because the VR helmet doesn¡¯t recognise such delicate emotions for projecting.

    ¡°T-The s-streaming has e-ended, you know,¡± I mumble and jerk my hand away. People around me laugh.

    ¡°When ingame, I role-play,¡± he shrugs and looks at me dreamily.

    Gay, he¡¯s definitely gay. Since I present my virtual avatar as openly homosexual, from time to time my fans are asking me out and hit on me when they meet me. I always politely decline. It¡¯s mostly only mildly bothersome but no one has ever been as bold as Gotrid.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you, Your Highness¡­¡±

    I whine in annoyance. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that outside official events. It¡¯s weird!¡±

    He¡¯s teasing me! I can tell by his mischievous look.

    Liana looks amused by our newest palace member. She must have interviewed him before, I have no doubt, it¡¯s standard procedure. The royal palace is basically just an elite leading guild. And she fancies people like him who take hardcore gaming deadly serious.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you,¡± he repeats stubbornly, ¡°and forgive me if I¡¯m too curious, Your Highness, but¡­ well, is it true that your VR compatibility level is 100%?¡±

    ¡°Where did you hear that?¡± I frown.

    I peripherally catch that Liana is looking quite guiltily sideways. Li, you traitor!

    ¡°Well, yeah,¡± I say after a short consideration with a deliberately indifferent tone. ¡°So what?¡±

    ¡°So what!¡± Gotrid gasps. ¡°That¡¯s unbelievable!¡±

    He finally forgets his formal rhetoric when excited.

    ¡°Liana has 95%,¡± I try to distract him, pointing at my viceroy who¡¯s pretending to be choosing one of the delicious-looking canap¨¦s. ¡°And other race rulers are also over 90.¡±

    ¡°But nobody exceeds 96. I mean, anyone except you,¡± he¡¯s not letting it go. ¡°How it is? How real is the game for you?¡±

    I¡¯m saved by an automatic system warning.

    ALERT: TIME TO SLEEP

    Gotrid looks fairly disappointed. It¡¯s evident he¡¯d like to stay longer but he sighs that he has work next morning.

    ¡°See you tomorrow, Your Highness,¡± he winks at me before his avatar disappears.

    Everyone starts to log off.

    ¡°Thanks for the event, it was nice.¡±

    ¡°Good night!¡±

    ¡°See you tomorrow!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t log in for two days. I¡¯ll be at in the countryside and internet connection there isn¡¯t fast enough for VR.¡±

    Liana says goodbye to our guild members and then approaches me again when most people go offline.

    ¡°You did well,¡± she says, praising me. ¡°You know what¡­ I think I¡¯d love to form a party. I didn¡¯t have a chance to go on a raid for three weeks because of that new story update. I deserve to have some fun.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d help me with the Forgotten Cave?¡± I smile. But I was half-expecting that.

    Liana is indeed a workaholic when it comes to ruling our race but she¡¯s still a hardcore player who simply enjoys the game.

    ¡°I would, but with a proper party,¡± she emphasises. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of bringing Gotrid to better assess his abilities. It¡¯s also a great way for you to get to know him because I¡¯ve appointed him as your personal adjutant.¡±

    ¡°An adjutant?¡± I frown. ¡°I don¡¯t need an adjutant.¡±

    Although¡­ I guess I wouldn¡¯t mind looking at Gotrid¡¯s avatar again. He was a bit too assertive but the flirt was playful. Too bad I can¡¯t read Gotrid¡¯s true intentions here but he seemed like an honest straight-forward guy. The type I enjoy being with. Little bit like Erik. And there¡¯s no harm in flirting in the game. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to meet in the real world.

    ¡°Yes, you do¡­ the latest story update in just two weeks!¡± she sings, annoyed that she has to keep reminding me. ¡°He¡¯ll make sure you stay in the palace and work. Tomorrow we¡¯ll have some fun in the dungeon and then¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± I wave my hand. ¡°But I want to choose our tank.¡±

    ¡°You have someone in mind?¡± she tilts her head. ¡°Cross-species party with a race ruler in it should be approved by the Council, you know that. Game balance.¡±

    Liana is all about game balance.

    ¡°Not if it¡¯s my old friend who won¡¯t babble about it,¡± I persuade her. ¡°And I won¡¯t stream it, promise.¡±

    ¡°You mean Fefnir,¡± she deducts. ¡°Okay, I have no problem with that, he can be trusted. If it¡¯s our private business, no need to spoil it with bureaucratic procedures.¡±

    ¡°See you tomorrow at, let¡¯s say, six? Fefnir is offline right now,¡± I find out after briefly checking my friends list, ¡°but I¡¯ll send him an invitation anyway even if he can¡¯t make it.¡±

    We¡¯d be fine with an all-Celestial party if it¡¯s seraphs but I just really like having a reliable tank. It makes casting long complex spells much easier.

    ¡°Got it,¡± Liana nods. ¡°Good night, Aefener.¡±

    ¡°Good night, Liana.¡±

    DRACONIA ONLINE SERVICE

    LOG OFF COMPLETE

    I take off my VR helmet and yawn.

    When full-diving into the virtual reality, the body rests but the brain still continues working so it¡¯s not proper sleep. The research discovered that you can cut sleep by 50% if you spend the rest of the night in VR but no more than that or you¡¯re in for some serious neurological problems.

    I pulled several VR all-nighters years ago when I started gaming professionally but I soon found out it simply isn¡¯t worth it. I couldn¡¯t focus at school, I felt groggy all day and once I almost ended up being run over by a car because I didn¡¯t notice the traffic light turned red. Even though I still spend much more hours in VR than is recommended, I don¡¯t pull all-nighters anymore.

    My irritated stomach calmed down when I was ingame but I can tell it¡¯s been hurting. Nothing too serious, though, or the system would have logged me off automatically.

    My poor back feels even sorer than before. Should I maybe invest in a better mattress? I scratch it and sigh. My back always feels strangely bare immediately after I exit the game. I just miss my wings.

    I yawn again. Okay, time to sleep for real.

 3. Level Up

    Morning comes too soon but I¡¯m used to it. I¡¯m definitely not an early bird but school starts at ten o¡¯clock so I have to get up. To my annoyance, I find out that proper sleep didn¡¯t help at all and my back hurts even more now.

    I¡¯ll have to ask one of my lovers to give me a massage as soon as possible and maybe find some stretching routine online. I can¡¯t pay a professional masseur to do it; I¡¯d probably go crazy to read thoughts of someone I¡¯m not used to for an hour.

    I quickly wash my face, look at myself in the mirror and sigh. I¡¯m too skinny, Erik was right. Even my virtual avatar, that is really slim, has more meat on its digital bones. I¡¯ve been making a New Year¡¯s resolution to eat better each January but I¡¯ve always failed. I¡¯m just too busy.

    I check my phone¡ªan unread message from Erik: a pissed one. I start typing a response.

    Erik (7:23)

    Moron, you left again.

    Ryuuto (8:45)

    Sorry, but you know I¡¯m like that.

    Erik (8:50)

    I¡¯ll lock the door next time.

    Ryuuto (8:51)

    That sounds ominous. Please don¡¯t.

    Erik (8:51)

    Seriously, can¡¯t we have breakfast together?

    Ryuuto (8:52)

    I don¡¯t do breakfasts.

    Erik (8:52)

    You don¡¯t do many things. What are you so afraid of?

    What am I so afraid of? Well, people finding out that I¡¯m a freak, for one.

    I scratch my hurting back, upset. For someone who doesn¡¯t have any extraordinary sensory powers, Erik sure is perceptive. I always have to be extra cautious around him which is part of the fun but at the same time it can be exhausting.

    But Erik is special to me, I really like him. He thinks I treat him like any other of my lovers but that¡¯s not true. I¡¯ve known him for over a year now and I¡¯ve never been seeing anyone for that long. I always leave when things start to get too emotional; when my lovers¡¯ feelings start to drain me. Erik¡¯s feelings don¡¯t do that for some reason. Maybe I like him more than I realise.

    My phone starts to ring. Talking about early birds¡­

    ¡°Send me a taxi, will you?¡± the old lady on the phone blurts at me.

    Grandma. She looks annoyed as always when she has to call me because of something.

    ¡°Where to?¡± I ask and I¡¯m trying to sound kind.

    My sweet Gran is totally capable of calling her own taxi, she does send me the requested address via messenger right away, but she prefers I pay for it. Her philosophy is that she was taking care of me for fifteen years so I¡¯d better start paying her back now that I¡¯m independent. I have no problems doing her favours¡ªshe¡¯s my only family after all¡ªif only her attitude was better.

    ¡°Great, and I¡¯ll send you my medical bill when I return from hospital,¡± she mumbles and ends the call abruptly.

    I sigh. How long does she expect me to pay for any extra expense of hers? It always starts like this in autumn. Her mood gets really bad when weather worsens and she starts visiting various doctors, demanding that I pay for everything. I guess I¡¯ll get her a spa retreat for Christmas again. It ends up being much cheaper and she treats me nicer after that. Or maybe I should send her to see a psychologist so that her bipolar disorder is finally diagnosed properly? New medicaments would really help her. If only she wasn¡¯t so stubborn about it.

    Her neighbours think she must be pure evil but she¡¯s just miserable. One doesn¡¯t have to be a telepath like me to know when a person feels deeply hurt. Gran has never gotten over the death of her daughter in Japan where she couldn¡¯t reach her. She¡¯s never forgiven the unknown man who took her daughter away so she decided to punish the child of such a man¡ªme.

    The Social Services are always trying to find any close living relative if parents untimely die and since they couldn¡¯t trace by biological father, they entrusted me to my grandmother. If she refused, they wouldn¡¯t give her any pension from the social system so she had to comply. Her coping mechanism was that she hated my guts with burning intensity. A tough situation for a 4-year-old who could literally feel all that hate telepathically.

    Shit, school starts at ten! I quickly put on some clean pants, a hoodie with a logo from the classic game series Mass Effect and a black face mask.

    I miraculously manage to find an empty seat on the train and yawn. Weird, I¡¯m always aiming for at least four hours of sleep each day, more at the weekends, but lately I feel really tired no matter how long I sleep. Is my haemoglobin too low or something? I know next to nothing about biology. Maybe I really should just eat better.

    What I really need right now is coffee so I stop by a local bakery that¡¯s on the campus grounds. My head starts to slightly hurt which is strange. Sure, the train was pretty much full as every morning but the day is just beginning. I shouldn¡¯t be overwhelmed so soon.

    ¡°Well, look who¡¯s here for fucks sake,¡± a familiar voice suddenly calls to me. Turbulent emotions, not good ones.

    ¡°P-Peter,¡± I¡¯m startled when I turn around and recognise that person. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m actually studying here, my first semester,¡± he¡¯s staring at me intensely. ¡°You¡¯ve never told me you¡¯re a student at Charles University.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember us having a proper conversation,¡± I answer accordingly. ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°Why so cold?¡± he smirks and leans towards me to whisper. ¡°You were so hot for me last time.¡±

    ¡°Only because I was drunk,¡± I step back instinctively.

    I¡¯m usually very careful when choosing my lovers¡ªI always check their true intentions¡ªbut that evening at the bar I was quite drunk which clouded my judgment. When I sobered up, I realised that behind the passion I experienced with him are much darker and unpleasant urges. So I ran away.

    ¡°Are you leaving again?¡± he grimaces and grabs my hand.

    His intense emotions paralyse me for a few seconds so he manages to get me away from onlookers. To other people, we probably seem like a normal quarrelling couple.

    ¡°Let-me-go,¡± I hiss through my teeth but he¡¯s much stronger than me.

    I have no chance of winning this wrestling game. He pushes me towards the wall and forces a kiss. I struggle but there¡¯s no use. A telepathic connection kicks in whether I want it or not.

    His mind is even worse than I remember. It¡¯s all jumbled, full of selfish intentions and narcissistic tendencies. He doesn¡¯t like me, he just wants to wreck me as a revenge for dumping him.

    I want to call for help, we¡¯re not that far from other students, but he won¡¯t let me take a breath for more than one second between forced kisses. He clutches my wrists and pushes his knee between my legs. His hand tries to undo my belt.

    NO! I¡¯m not delving into his ugly mind for a second longer. OUT! I WANT OUT! So I push¡­ somehow¡­ with my mind into his. And something breaks.

    My brain explodes with pain and it¡¯s as if an invisible wall falls down. I¡¯ve never experienced anything so painful before and it blinds me for a moment. I can feel his emotions much stronger now and his thoughts are crystal clear to me. Like there¡¯s no filter anymore.

    I have no idea what happened but all of a sudden he lets me go and collapses to his knees. He¡¯s gasping for breath, his eyes widened. I¡¯m not waiting for him to recover and run.

    My head is now pulsing with a proper migraine and I see little stars all around me. The world is spinning, I stagger and must look drunk to people I pass. Their emotions are stronger than ever before which makes me nauseous. I hide in a nearby park and throw up behind the bushes.

    Thankfully, I didn¡¯t drop my backpack so I take out my water bottle and painkillers that I always carry with me, just in case. I gulp two at once. My body is shaking, I¡¯m still in shock. I try a breathing exercise that usually works when I¡¯m overwhelmed but it¡¯s hard to calm my wildly beating heart in the worst phase of a panic attack.

    There¡¯s no way I¡¯m in shape for classes and I¡¯m not returning to campus while Peter can still be there. What the hell happened anyway? Did I give him some kind of telepathic shock? It was as if I forcibly entered his mind, not only silently ¡®listened¡¯ as always. Did he feel it? What if he did? What if he deduces that I¡¯m a telepath? But¡­ I guess nobody would believe him anyway.

    Crap, my panic attack won¡¯t get any better when considering such things. I hug my legs and, to distract myself, I look up to the sky. How I wish to have wings here! I¡¯d just fly away and nobody would bother me anymore. I wouldn¡¯t feel anyone if I was far enough from people on the ground. True silence also in the real world and the freedom of the sky I¡¯ll never have.

    My back suddenly tickles again as if to remind me that such fantasies are pure waste of time. I scratch it but the sensation refuses to go away. I scratch and scratch and eventually the tickling fades away but the areas under my shoulder-blades stay somehow warm and weirdly pulsating.

    Yes, I definitely play too much, I should cut back. My body is obviously confused because I spend too much time as my virtual avatar. There were cases of people who stopped differentiating between the real world and the virtual one. They basically went nuts. I bet it also started with something minor like tickling around non-existent limbs. What if I¡¯m prone to psychological disorders after my Gran? Mom also had mood swings in the last stage of her tumour.

    Spinning and shaking eventually gets better but my mind is still a mess. I actually know and occasionally practice some basic meditation techniques to clear my head but I¡¯m too anxious for it right now. I need to rest in a mind I really like, that always helps. Erik¡¯s face is the first one that pops up.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    I hesitate. I¡¯m seeing two more lovers and they¡¯re fine but Erik¡­ He¡¯s the best fix. Can I bother him, though? Isn¡¯t he on duty? His work is pretty irregular.

    I dig out my phone.

    Ryuuto (10:14)

    Hi, I kind of changed my mind. You free? I mean¡­ right now?

    My hands are shaking when I¡¯m waiting for him to respond. Fortunately, he does almost immediately. Thank God for Erik being so approachable and checking his phone without delay, unlike me.

    Erik (10:17)

    Who are you and what have you done with Ryuuto? Impostor! o_o

    I nervously chew my lip. Yeah, that¡¯s totally out of character for me.

    Ryuuto (10:18)

    Sorry, I know that I can be a jerk. So do you?

    Erik (10:18)

    Hmm¡­ you¡¯re in luck. ;)

    Ryuuto (10:19)

    Coming then¡­

    Am I being selfish right now? I¡¯ll seriously try to make it up for him later.

    *****

    Erik doesn¡¯t live near the campus but his place isn¡¯t on the other side of Prague either so I arrive within forty minutes. Painkillers kick in and mitigate my severe headache to a tolerable level but I still almost puked three times in the train when someone got too close to me.

    Erik opens the door almost immediately when I ring the bell. I was never happier to see him and I realise all those things I love about him. Like he¡¯s here for me even though I ran away from him last night. Like he¡¯s not judging me even if I must look really shitty right now. He genuinely cares.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a visit I¡¯d have never expected,¡± he smirks and his mind is full of fondness.

    The familiarity and power of his emotions take me by surprise. Normally, I¡¯d feel such strong feelings only during sex. I stumble and fall into his arms.

    ¡°Ryuu, do you feel okay?¡± he touches my forehead in concern.

    He shouldn¡¯t have done that¡ªthe sheer volume of his thoughts almost knocks me down. In an attempt to keep my sanity, I tear down my face mask I forgot to take off and kiss him urgently.

    I get lost in his mind and come back only after he pushes me away.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that I don¡¯t enjoy this new wild you,¡± he says, surprised but grinning. ¡°But at least come inside first, will you?¡±

    I allow him to manoeuvre me into his hallway and wait impatiently for him to close the door behind us. The second we have privacy, I seize him.

    *****

    I see everything; Erik is like an opened book. I can browse all his memories and access his inner desires. I can also see the things he isn¡¯t even aware of, all his subtle tendencies and suppressed emotions. And everything is lovable about him.

    It¡¯s not just sex anymore, we¡¯re making love. Our connection has deepened to the most intimate level.

    ¡°Ryuu¡­ I¡­ I love you,¡± he whispers between moans.

    It¡¯s impossible to resist such a pure feeling. All my defences fall. And for the first time in my life, I¡¯m not afraid to say it.

    ¡°I love you too,¡± I whisper back and shower his mind with my affection.

    *****

    I wake up with a twitch. Erik is sleeping but it¡¯s still only afternoon. I feel his emotions as sharply as during our sex but I¡¯m able to think rationally again. I¡¯m finally able to differentiate between my feelings and his so I can start thinking things through.

    I did something horrible and unfair to Erik. I¡­ used him. He¡¯s the last person in my life who deserves that and I hate myself for it right now. I might have hurt my one precious person. Does it make me a bad person? What should I do?

    I love you too. I caress his wavy hair. Have I loved him before? Was I just too scared to admit it to myself? I don¡¯t do boyfriends, my own rule. I mean¡­ what if they found out? That possibility frightens me the most. It frightens me being called a freak. Especially by people I like.

    You¡¯re special to me, Erik. But what now? I got consumed by you and at the same time I consumed you. What if I hurt you? So far I¡¯ve been only catching other people¡¯s emotions, thoughts only upon touch, but now I¡¯m sure I entered your mind. I don¡¯t want to hurt you like I hurt Peter.

    I sit up and quietly put my feet on the ground. This time I feel guilty to leave without saying goodbye but it¡¯s better this way. I don¡¯t deserve him and he doesn¡¯t deserve to be used by a freak. I have to disappear from his life to protect him from me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Erik¡¯s strong arms suddenly twist around my stomach and pull me back. I gasp for breath, startled. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn¡¯t notice he woke up.

    ¡°You jerk, what did you want to do? Leave like that? After what just happened?¡±

    He¡¯s furious which is an honest reaction to what I did to him. I deserve his wrath; he has every right to be angry at me. To detest me.

    ¡°You have some explaining to do,¡± he traps me into his arms. But even now he stays gentle with me which makes me feel even guiltier. I invaded his very mind, his most guarded privacy. He must think I¡¯m a monster.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m s-sorry,¡± my eyes start to water. ¡°D-did I h-hurt you? I¡¯m s-sorry¡­ so¡­ s-sorry.¡±

    His expression softens for some reason. His emotions get calmer.

    ¡°I was angry because you wanted to run away,¡± he says slowly. ¡°As for the other part, I simply demand an explanation.¡±

    I start to shiver uncontrollably, my breathing gets erratic. I feel another panic attack coming. How am I going to explain something like this? How do I get out? Then he does something I can¡¯t quite phantom. He pulls me even closer and clutches me in comfort.

    ¡°Come on, breathe, don¡¯t go panicking on me, there¡¯s no reason to,¡± he says soothingly. ¡°Do your thing if it helps you. It helped when you came, right?¡±

    And he kisses me on my forehead.

    I enter his mind again. Erik is full of questions, anxious to get proper answers, but, surprisingly, I don¡¯t feel any repulsion from him. The word ¡®freak¡¯ doesn¡¯t cross his mind even once. On the contrary, he¡¯s excited that he found something extraordinary.

    I¡¯ve never thought of myself like that. I¡¯ve never considered the possibility that someone might actually be okay with it. He generously gives me a few minutes to slow down my breath.

    ¡°Feeling calmer now?¡± he touches my chin because I¡¯m still afraid to look him in the eye.

    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± I mumble but my voice remains shaky.

    ¡°You¡¯re obviously scared to share your secret so I¡¯ll make it easier for you,¡± he says, extremely softly. ¡°Based on what I¡¯ve just experienced with you and while thinking about all those previous instances when you knew too well what I¡¯d like¡­ well¡­ are you some kind of telepath?¡±

    ¡°Ehm, I-I¡­,¡± my voice fails me.

    He knows¡­ he actually knows. And he can¡¯t be shaken at this point by some quickly made up lies. He felt me inside his own being. I can¡¯t make myself to say it aloud so I touch his mind and finish the sentence by sending my thoughts to him. I was never able to do such a thing before but now it seems easy.

    Yes, I am.

    He lets me rest in his arms for a while without saying anything because my breath gets erratic again. I guess, as a medical pilot, he must have some experience with panicking people. He¡¯s really good at it.

    ¡°You don¡¯t mind?¡± I whisper when I finally manage to put together a proper sentence.

    ¡°If I mind? Ryuu, you dummy, that¡¯s just... well¡­ fantastic!¡± he says excitedly.

    Oh, certainly not the reaction I expected. I look up to meet his eyes. They¡¯re actually smiling, full of tenderness.

    ¡°You¡¯ve offended me a little bit, though,¡± he looks at me pointedly. ¡°You were so scared of how I¡¯m going to react. Have I ever given you a reason to? Couldn¡¯t you read in my mind that I¡¯d accept all sides of you?¡±

    ¡°S-sorry,¡± I apologise again. ¡°I¡¯ve never told anyone; it was always my worst nightmare. I didn¡¯t hurt you, did I?¡±

    ¡°You kidding? It was the best sex of my life,¡± he smirks. ¡°But how is such a thing as real telepathy even possible? I always thought such things were science-fiction fairy tales or conspiracy theories of crazy people who believe in UFOs.¡±

    ¡°No idea, I was born like this,¡± I say truthfully. ¡°Maybe my Mom knew something, but she¡­ she died when I was four and still living in Japan.¡±

    He doesn¡¯t say anything, realizing how painful this topic is for me and that I don¡¯t have the capacity to talk about it just yet. I love that about him.

    I love you.

    It takes me a few seconds to realise I¡¯ve sent the thought together with an emotion to him. I turn red with embarrassment.

    ¡°Well, I love you too,¡± he pokes my nose. ¡°I¡¯m glad we¡¯re finally on the same page about it. And it took you only a year to admit it.¡±

    He tries to play it as a joke but he¡¯s painfully right.

    ¡°I know I¡¯m horrible at proper relationships,¡± I sigh. ¡°And you were so patient with me.¡±

    ¡°Because I think you¡¯re worth it, skinny,¡± he tickles my ribs. ¡°Are you still afraid of committing? Even with me?¡±

    ¡°A bit, yes,¡± I can¡¯t lie to him anymore. ¡°I have some¡­ trust issues. My telepathy often makes it very hard for me even if it sounds counterintuitive.¡±

    ¡°We can take it very slow,¡± he assures me. ¡°But I¡¯m not letting you go now that I know that you love me as well. I¡¯m quite possessive, you know? Oh, right, you do know.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the first person who found out the truth about me and you¡¯re fine with that. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting you go either,¡± I finally manage to smile.

    ¡°So,¡± he becomes stern. ¡°I can give you all the time you need but there¡¯s one condition: I seriously don¡¯t want you fucking other guys from now on. I want you for myself. Can you deal with that?¡±

    ¡°I¡­,¡± I hesitate but only for a moment. ¡°I think I can now. My other lovers were just acquaintances with benefits. Only you are special¡­ always been,¡± I set things straight. ¡°No real feelings with them, just sex. I don¡¯t need that anymore.¡±

    ¡°Have you before?¡± he asks, tilting his head.

    ¡°Well¡­,¡± I feel embarrassed to say it.

    ¡°No more secrets, Ryuu.¡±

    ¡°I might be¡­ hooked on connecting to my lovers telepathically during sex,¡± I admit reluctantly. It feels weird to say it aloud. As if I¡¯m at some addicts anonymous meeting.

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± he caresses my hair. ¡°Not that I would mind, that sex was amazing. Of course, provided I¡¯m enough for you. Am I?¡±

    ¡°Yes, definitely,¡± I nod wildly because he looks insecure for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll have to see you much more often or I¡¯d go crazy with a telepathic craving, though. Is it okay with you?¡±

    ¡°You could have in the past,¡± he reminds me. ¡°You were the evasive one, not me.¡±

    I realise my stupidity. ¡°I guess¡­ I was afraid of getting too attached to someone.¡±

    ¡°Get attached to me,¡± he proposes and kisses me again.

    And I do. Our telepathic connection deepens and I get lost in his mind. His consciousness is so comforting. I bathe in it.

    ¡°Huh, how come I didn¡¯t notice it sooner?¡± he gasps for breath. ¡°It¡¯s so intense.¡±

    ¡°Because my telepathy wasn¡¯t this strong before,¡± I say. ¡°It got much stronger a few hours ago. There was¡­ ehm¡­ an incident at school.¡±

    ¡°What kind of incident?¡± he raises his eyebrows.

    ¡°An ex-lover found me, a very bad choice for one night,¡± I say. ¡°When he caught me and I couldn¡¯t free myself, I started panicking and did some kind of telepathic shock to him. I¡¯m not sure what I did but immediately after that my telepathic ability got sharper.¡±

    ¡°It must have levelled up,¡± he scratches his chin, thinking.

    I smile to myself; his game analogy is spot on even though he¡¯s a non-gamer.

    ¡°But seriously, how can you choose so poorly when you can read other people¡¯s minds?¡± he rolls his eyes. A good point.

    ¡°I got drunk that evening,¡± I avoid his gaze because I feel totally embarrassed about it.

    ¡°I thought you never drink?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve made that resolution after that.¡±

    I¡¯m all red with shame so I push my head into his chest. I hug him tight to test whether I gained more control. I¡¯m overwhelmed again but my control certainly gets better with every attempt as I manage to pull my mind out much sooner.

    ¡°Now you do the penetrating¡ªthe mental kind,¡± he chuckles and squeezes me around my back.

    A sudden sharp pain explodes under my shoulder-blades. I let out a short cry.

    ¡°W-what?¡± Erik is startled and loosens his grip right away. ¡°Too much?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± I say quickly and push him back a little. ¡°I¡¯ve been only gaming or sitting at school recently and my back is sore as a result. It¡¯s been like this for a few days. I seriously have to do some yoga.¡±

    ¡°You are one of those VR gamers, aren¡¯t you?¡± He¡¯s not surprised because he must have noticed that I wear only geeky clothes with pictures from videogames. But I¡¯ve never talked about it with him before because it isn¡¯t something we have in common.

    ¡°Well, yeah,¡± I nod and my eyes meet his alarm clock. ¡°Shit, it¡¯s 16:20 already?¡±

    ¡°So what? Let¡¯s cuddle some more, my cute telepath,¡± he wants me back in his blankets but I resist entering his mind this time. A little success.

    ¡°I have a raid at six,¡± I explain to him. ¡°I know that you probably think of it just as a game but for me actually¡­ it¡¯s important.¡±

    My words aren¡¯t that convincing but because we¡¯re still touching each other, I send my feelings to him. This time a feeling of urgency. I could ditch my party, but¡­ I consider them my friends, even if only ingame.

    ¡°Okay, fair enough,¡± he says after a brief consideration. ¡°I¡¯d love to develop more crazy theories about your astonishing telepathy but it¡¯s probably better for me to digest what I already know for now and I should get some rest before my next shift anyway.¡±

    ¡°Is my telepathy draining you?¡± I worry.

    ¡°A bit,¡± he admits. ¡°But I think it¡¯s only because I¡¯m not used to it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll impose on you until you get used to it then,¡± I smile.

    ¡°Counting on it,¡± he makes the last attempt to pull me back but I jump out of bed on a quest to get dressed.

    He¡¯s watching me, amused, as I¡¯m frantically looking for my clothes all over his apartment. We must have been really wild when I got lost in his mind; I hope his neighbours won¡¯t complain.

    ¡°Game hard, psychic nerd,¡± he kisses me goodbye in front of the main door. He didn¡¯t bother to put on even his underwear. ¡°And remember: No fuc---¡°

    ¡°I KNOW FOR GOD¡¯S SAKE!¡±

    *****

    The train is cramped at this hour which is a double hassle with my levelled-up telepathy but I just don¡¯t care. I feel happy as never before. Erik knows and he¡¯s okay with it. I¡¯d never imagined that telling anybody and being accepted can be so fulfilling.

    My phone beeps.

    Erik (16:52)

    Hey, I forgot to ask for your address. Don¡¯t you think I can finally visit your place now that I know? ;)

    I hesitate for a minute. I¡¯ve never had a visitor at my place. Shit, I need to clean up. Seriously. Erik¡¯s place is so tidy. What would he think of me if he saw my messy gaming den? But then I smile to myself and my chest gets warm. I send him my address, wondering how things have changed in just a couple of hours.

    Erik (16:54)

    Sweet. Can we have lunch together? Soon? I¡¯ll drop by.

    Ryuuto (16:55)

    Sure, what about Thursday after 12:30? I don¡¯t have classes then. ;)

    *****

    When I get home, it¡¯s already quarter to six. I quickly eat a pre-cooked lasagne from the box, my only meal today, lie down on the bed and put on my VR helmet.

    Checking compatibility¡­

    Compatibility: 87%

    LOGGING IN¡­

    WELCOME TO DRACONIA ONLINE

    87%? WHAT???!!!

 4. Compatibility Failure

    Compatibility: 87%

    I feel my avatar¡¯s virtual body again but it¡¯s a weird experience. I have my wings, of course, but they don¡¯t feel that real to me anymore. I try stretching them and they respond nicely but the sensation is rather dreamy.

    Is this how VR is like to normal players? What the hell happened? I¡¯ve never heard of any cases of people¡¯s immersion ability going down as it can only go up based on how many hours a player¡¯s brain spent connected. The brain gradually adapts, it¡¯s a proven fact. It can get stuck at a certain level when one¡¯s mind reaches its limit but never decrease.

    Then I realise another thing which makes me shiver. My telepathy¡­ it¡¯s still on. A bit clouded, but I feel emotions that aren¡¯t my own. How is that possible? Shocked, I look around but I¡¯m alone in the royal office. Is it coming through the walls? It seems ridiculous that I¡¯d be able to perceive other people¡¯s emotions in VR when their real bodies are often thousands of kilometres away but I need to make sure.

    I check the map of the palace. With my administrative rights, I can actually see players who have permission to be here as little dots. The royal palace is basically a guild house and I¡¯m just a glorified guild master, after all.

    I can see a few dots that represent guild members quite near me so I try focusing on them. I get nothing specific, though. What I feel comes from a totally different direction. No, it¡¯s just not possible to feel other people¡¯s emotions here. Players are connected from all over the world. Sure, my telepathy got stronger just a couple of hours ago but it¡¯s still impossible.

    Then it hits me. I can identify these emotions! They are familiar, belonging to my neighbours. Somehow¡­ I can still feel telepathic waves from the real world. It¡¯s a vague mixture which unnerves me. I¡¯m used to either feeling everything and assigning it to specific people or nothing at all in VR.

    Is it because my immersion ability dropped? With 87% immersion, it would mean that my brain is still 13% in the real world. Normally, people shouldn¡¯t feel any difference because they don¡¯t possess extrasensory abilities. But I do. A huge difference. Could my helmet be simply malfunctioning? Please, let it be the case!

    Liana¡¯s avatar materialises just two minutes after me.

    ¡°H-hi,¡± I say, startled a little. It¡¯s weird to feel other people¡¯s emotions but not from the person in front of me. I¡¯m suddenly unsure how to talk to her.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she notices something¡¯s off about me right away.

    Should I tell her? I can¡¯t mention telepathy, but¡­

    ¡°Just tired,¡± I decide to lie. ¡°Do I play too much, Li? How many hours do you play?¡±

    ¡°Usually around six at workdays,¡± she says and is looking at me with suspicion as I¡¯ve never doubted my gaming habits before.

    ¡°That¡¯s not that different from me when I¡¯m at school, hmm¡­¡±

    Liana is eyeing me analytically.

    ¡°You don¡¯t look comfortable,¡± she summarises. ¡°I don¡¯t want to preach but it¡¯s never a good idea to ignore your body and play when you¡¯re sick in real life.¡±

    I need to tell her at least something or I¡¯ll go crazy.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have flu or anything like that but lately¡­ I don¡¯t feel well-rested after gaming and my back is sore,¡± I confide.

    Her expression changes.

    ¡°I also feel really tired recently,¡± she admits.

    ¡°Do you think there might be something wrong with our VR helmets?¡± I suggest.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible that they¡¯re trying something new with the upcoming update, but¡­¡±

    Our debate is interrupted by Fefnir¡¯s message asking me what the hell is taking us so long.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we can test our helmets when playing,¡± Liana proposes so we teleport to the dungeon¡¯s entrance.

    I see Gotrid already fully equipped in his battle mage armour. At first glance he seems a bit uneasy but then he notices me and beams.

    ¡°Your Highness, good evening,¡± he bows to me theatrically. I wonder why he looked troubled just a second ago. Damn, now I could really use my telepathy.

    ¡°A new seraph that one, huh?¡± Fefnir asks me, sitting on the rock and sharpening his sword. He¡¯s a bulky Dragonkin wearing armour we Celestials wouldn¡¯t be able to move even an inch.

    ¡°Gotrid, Fefnir is our tank and physical defence,¡± I force myself to act cheerful and introduce my old gaming buddy. ¡°He¡¯s level 80, a warrior class and one of the best tanks in the game. It would be better to have an Earthborn for a healer but no such luck this time so I guess I¡¯ll pose as a cleric.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t attack?¡± Gotrid is confused. ¡°Your damage must be ridiculously high.¡±

    ¡°It would be a total overkill,¡± Fefnir says while materialising his favourite helmet out of the inventory and putting it on. ¡°This is one of the hardest dungeons, sure, but we¡¯re all veterans. If Aefener attacks as well, it won¡¯t be a challenge.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I actually like healing,¡± I smile. ¡°I can¡¯t do antidotes and debuffs like an Earthborn but my healing skill is unrivalled.¡±

    ¡°Which active spells do you have then?¡± Gotrid is curious. ¡°I¡¯ve always taken you for a pure magic damager.¡±

    ¡°All of them,¡± I say truthfully.

    ¡°Wh-¡­?¡± Gotrid is speechless. ¡°But that¡¯s impossible!¡±

    ¡°The system allows it,¡± I remind him. ¡°If you don¡¯t choose a class, spell tiers won¡¯t get blocked.¡±

    ¡°Yes, in theory. You¡¯d have to know all the spells by heart without the system¡¯s assistance,¡± he opposes. ¡°And without a class, you don¡¯t get perks.¡±

    ¡°I prefer a clever combination of various skills and having all elements at my disposal,¡± I explain. ¡°I can make up for not having class perks that way.¡±

    Gotrid gasps. Fefnir puts a hand on his shoulder and says: ¡°People like Aefener have no real life and spend all time ingame. Don¡¯t be impressed.¡±

    ¡°I do go to school!¡± I oppose, offended. ¡°And this is actually my work.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can confirm that he certainly isn¡¯t online all day,¡± Liana verifies. ¡°He¡¯s just a natural talent at gaming I guess.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, I did train a lot,¡± I say. ¡°I spent countless hours studying the Celestial magic system, practicing mana channelling and chaining skills one after another.¡±

    ¡°Spellcasting for sure, but flying is like breathing to you. Aefener is the only Celestial who managed to fly on the very first day when the game launched,¡± Liana pokes me. ¡°Developers were astonished; they predicted that a player¡¯s brain wouldn¡¯t adapt for at least several weeks.¡±

    For a moment I forgot about my pressing problem. The brain is supposed to be adapting. And now it seems my brain might have lost some of that adaptation. Or could my levelled-up telepathy be interfering? But how come Liana also doesn¡¯t feel quite alright? I hope playing the game will tell me something. If my compatibility level really decreased, it should make me a less effective player.

    ¡°L-let¡¯s do a formation and proceed,¡± I cough. ¡°Fefnir to the front line¡­¡±

    ¡°What about equipping something more suitable?¡± Fefnir points out. ¡°You can¡¯t raid a dungeon in a dress, angels.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± I realise that me and Liana are still wearing royal attires. They¡¯re very expensive and rare but only decorative. Fortunately, equipping our battle gear from the inventory takes only a few seconds.

    I¡¯m a bit worried about Gotrid because he isn¡¯t used to our style of fighting but him having level 60 means at least three years of gaming experience and I relax when he defeats a level 70 monster on his own.

    There¡¯s something off, though. We all feel it. We proceed quite successfully but we¡¯re not in sync. Fefnir is slow with his aggros, Liana isn¡¯t effective with her mana consumption during spellcasting and Gotrid seems a bit unfocused.

    My healing can¡¯t keep up with all these mistakes that cumulate and I¡¯m also majorly distracted by leaking emotions from the real world. We make it in the end but if I was streaming our endeavour, I¡¯d be deeply ashamed by such performance.

    ¡°Well, that was a weird run,¡± Fefnir snorts and kicks the dead Skeleton King.

    ¡°Sorry, I just feel weird, to be honest,¡± I sit on the ground as I¡¯ve lost all interest in the treasure chest that appeared in front of us as a reward. I¡¯m suddenly dead tired, something¡¯s definitely off. And I bet for them as well.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    I breathe in deeply and say: ¡°I think there¡¯s something wrong with my helmet. My immersion level¡­ ehm¡­ it dropped. The game feels dreamy to me, I can¡¯t focus properly.¡±

    ¡°WAIT A MINUTE!¡±

    All of them shout at the same time. So I was right, it¡¯s not only me.

    ¡°I used to have 93% but today it was 90%,¡± Fefnir shrieks. ¡°It was such a shock that I even thought of quitting on you, guys.¡±

    ¡°My 95% dropped to 92%,¡± Liana says.

    ¡°83¡­ now 79,¡± Gotrid gulps. ¡°I thought my helmet is malfunctioning.¡±

    ¡°Mine dropped by 13%,¡± I lower my head.

    ¡°Shit, that¡¯s a lot, Aefener,¡± Fefnir shivers. ¡°Do you feel alright?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I know that 87% is considered great when it comes to one¡¯s compatibility level but my surroundings feel too unreal to me,¡± I sigh. ¡°My wings listen to me and everything but the air doesn¡¯t feel as real as before.¡±

    ¡°Send a message to the developers,¡± Gotrid proposes and finally forgets about using honorific and role-playing. ¡°They¡¯ll surely listen to one of their best players. I bet they have you in their priority list when it comes to answering questions from customers.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I nod and materialise a virtual console in front of me. I send an official customer service request but even for me it usually takes a few hours to get a reply.

    ¡°It might be something with the game itself,¡± Liana is thinking out loud. ¡°Let¡¯s check the Internet in the real world. If it¡¯s not only us, I bet players are already starting to complain about it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Uriel is calling,¡± a notification window pops up in front of me.

    ¡°Uriel?¡± Gotrid tilts his head because he obviously can¡¯t know everyone from the royal guild since it¡¯s only his second day as our member.

    ¡°She leads our magic training team,¡± I explain quickly and put her call through.

    ¡°Hi, Aefener,¡± Uriel¡¯s bust appears as a hologram in front of me. She has short blue hair and gray wings with a black pattern.

    ¡°Hi, Uriel,¡± I greet her. ¡°I guess you noticed as well that something¡¯s wrong with the game?¡±

    ¡°We did,¡± she says slowly. ¡°So it dropped by 13% for you? Crap,¡± she swears. ¡°The bug might be worse than we anticipated.¡±

    ¡°Huh? How do you know that?¡± I blink, confused. ¡°Who¡¯s we?¡±

    Uriel chews her lip.

    ¡°I know because I got your customer request ticket, Aefener,¡± she says slowly. ¡°I¡¯m one of the developers.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding!¡± my jaw drops and I¡¯m not the only one.

    ¡°Well, you know,¡± she laughs nervously. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be any fun just watching the game from above. How else could we really know what to improve?¡±

    ¡°Wicked,¡± Fefnir remarks. ¡°Is one of you also in the Dragonkin leading guild?¡±

    ¡°Sure, he¡¯s contacting Patriarch Deminas as we speak,¡± she nods. ¡°Don¡¯t panic, the compatibility drop is happening to everyone. We¡¯re not sure if we messed something in the upcoming update which was implemented a few days ago or if it¡¯s the firmware update in helmets that manufacturers are responsible for. We¡¯re running all sorts of tests.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense why you wanted to lead the magic training team so badly,¡± Liana remarks. ¡°You need willing beta testers, right?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no misguiding you, Li,¡± Uriel smiles faintly.

    ¡°I bet you developers must be going crazy right now,¡± Fefnir says sympathetically.

    ¡°The drop in compatibility is one thing,¡± I decide to mention it, ¡°but I¡¯ve been experiencing strange fatigue and even back pain in real life.¡±

    ¡°I feel more tired as well,¡± Liana seconds.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Uriel is taken aback. ¡°We have no such reports from other players but we can¡¯t overlook anything. Thank you for telling me.¡±

    ¡°Do compatibility levels keep dropping as we speak?¡± Gotrid is curious.

    ¡°They do,¡± Uriel sighs. ¡°I have to go now, sorry. You have no idea how much work and complaints we are dealing with right now. We¡¯ll post new information on our official site and stay in touch with all race rulers.¡±

    ¡°Should we keep playing or take a break?¡± Liana asks.

    ¡°Try to play normally, we need more data,¡± Uriel pleads us. ¡°I just hope we didn¡¯t mess it up too badly¡­ well, see you!¡±

    Uriel¡¯s call ends and soon she appears offline but I bet she¡¯s still plugged into the game trying to fix things, just not with her casual avatar. Wow, I¡¯m friends with an actual developer. How cool.

    We discuss things a bit more but because it¡¯s nothing we as normal players can solve, we decide to log out for now and try again tomorrow. Play normally as Uriel suggested.

    ¡°Just a sec,¡± Fefnir holds us when we reach for the log out button on our virtual consoles. ¡°What¡¯s the lowest immersion level needed for Draconia¡¯s VR full-dive?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ 45% I guess?¡± Liana tries to remember but she isn¡¯t sure. None of us knows exactly as we never needed it.

    ¡°If¡­,¡± Fefnir continues, ¡°and is a big if just to be safe than sorry¡­. if the game eventually crashes, we should have some other means how to get in touch in the real world, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Right, a good point,¡± Liana scratches her chin. ¡°What should we use? Nothing that links to our real names, though.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m on Vortex,¡± I say. ¡°I have my fan page there because you can link it to virtual games you play and stream through it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also on Vortex,¡± Gotrid seconds. ¡°It¡¯s a safe platform.¡±

    ¡°Watching Aefener¡¯s feed I bet,¡± Fefnir smirks.

    ¡°Let¡¯s use that,¡± Liana ignores his bickering. ¡°Our nicknames will be the same to avoid confusion and we can find each other through Aefener¡¯s account.¡±

    ¡°A great idea and¡­¡±

    I don¡¯t finish the sentence. Out of the blue, my head explodes with a severe migraine. I¡¯ve never felt a headache during full-dive so it takes me by surprise and I collapse on my knees. I¡¯m not able to keep my wings folded behind my back so feathers are suddenly everywhere on the ground. Not a nice view seeing a proud Celestial like that.

    My friends jump to help me but the system notices an abnormality in a user¡¯s brain and initialises an automatic safety log out.

    WARNING: ANOMALY DETECTED

    INITIALISING EMERGENCY LOG OUT¡­

    I find myself lying on the ground next to my bed. My body must have tossed even though that should have been impossible when full-diving. The helmet is padded but it seems that I still hit my head pretty hard. I take it off and try to get up.

    My head is spinning and I feel like throwing up. I resist it for a few seconds but then my last meal goes down the toilet. I take two painkillers, rather not thinking that eating drugs on an empty stomach is asking for digestion problems. Do I feel like this because of my telepathy or because of the possibly faulty helmet? I¡¯m not sure which would be worse.

    Anyway, I¡¯m all sweaty so I take a shower right away, hoping it¡¯ll clear my head as well. I expect relief but when hot water lands on my back, it starts to hurt almost unbearably. I quickly dry myself and inspect my back in the mirror only to discover that areas under my shoulder-blades are red. In panic, I reach for the only cream I have. I apply it to the affected places but it doesn¡¯t help at all.

    Is this really just from gaming? Can a person lie on their back so badly that it would irritate the skin or something like that? Should I¡­ go see a doctor? What would I even say to them? That I have strange injuries from gaming? They¡¯d send me right to a psychiatrist for sure!

    No, let¡¯s analyse it logically. There¡¯s definitely something wrong with the game but I¡¯ve also been playing too much and my telepathy got stronger which could be a contributing factor. In any case, others didn¡¯t mention any physical pain. I just need a good rest, that¡¯s all. Tomorrow I¡¯ll ditch school and tell my professors that I¡¯m sick. Technically, that isn¡¯t a lie.

    After writing a message of apology to my supervisor, I go back to bed. I¡¯m tossing for a few minutes as I can¡¯t lie on my back, my migraine is at its worst and my head is full of catastrophic scenarios. I also feel my neighbours way too strongly. But sleep eventually comes when I¡¯m thinking about Erik.

    *****

    Crazily strong hunger wakes me up. I don¡¯t even think of my back for a while because staring at a revolving plate in the microwave is somehow more alluring. I ravenously eat the whole pizza in just ten minutes and then continue with cornflakes and milk.

    When hunger fades away, I start to think and most importantly feel my body again. My shoulder-blades are pulsating wildly and the unease spread to neighbouring areas. I rush to the bathroom, take off my shirt and inspect my back. Red areas are even redder and now also swollen. I try touching the swelling and it hurts like hell.

    Doctors¡­ I should¡­ probably¡­ see some doctors. Where is the nearest hospital anyway? Is my basic health insurance sufficient to treat this mysterious illness? I take out my phone to call an ambulance but my phobia kicks in and I don¡¯t.

    Instead, I look at my Vortex profile. Liana, Fefnir and Gotrid are asking me to confirm their friendship requests so I do. I consider writing Erik but what would I even say to him? That I¡¯m ill from excessive gaming? That there¡¯s a possibility that VR helmets can mess with one¡¯s brain?

    Oh, right, an unread message from him. I haven¡¯t noticed for all that puking and panicking.

    Erik (21:50)

    Going for my night shift, what about lunch together when I¡¯m done and had some sleep?

    Erik (2:30)

    No emergencies, bored. Did you have a good time with that raid thing?

    Erik (2:53)

    Still playing?

    I want to reply to him, I really do, but my eyes close and I fall asleep.

    *****

    I¡¯m looking at myself in the mirror. There¡¯s only me and the mirror, nothing else matters. My reflection is confusing¡ªit¡¯s showing my virtual avatar while I¡¯m still the real life me.

    ¡°What¡¯s real?¡± I whisper. ¡°Am I dreaming?¡±

    I look around but I see only blackness. I turn back to the mirror and now it reflects my usual body. However, I feel a familiar comforting weight on my back. I have wings! The images switched places.

    ¡°This is also not right,¡± I say and the world around me starts to spin.

    There¡¯s nothing to hold on to except for the mirror. I clutch to it so desperately that it falls down and breaks to pieces. The reflection is fragmented and it¡¯s showing my virtual avatar again. Who am I now? I inspect my body¡ªI still have wings, even my hair turned silver and my eyes golden. Two images became one. Who am I at the end?

    Then comes pain so excruciating that my vision blurs indistinguishably and when I regain consciousness again, I¡¯m lying on the bed in my apartment. Not only my back, my ribs hurt now as well. All I can think about is food. Do I still have something left? Please, anything will do.

    I look into my pantry and find some old toast bread. It¡¯s a bit stale but luckily without mould. Good enough. I even find a jar of jam I probably got as a present for correcting someone¡¯s essay. I spread the jam on the bread and nothing has ever tasted better in my life. I eat all of it, take more painkillers and after a few minutes the pain mitigates to the point I¡¯m able to think straight again.

    I¡¯m afraid to check my body in the bathroom but I have to. I shiver when I see my reflection in the mirror. I look shitty. Moreover, a few millimetres of my hair from the scalp turned white. Is it because of stress or something? The state of my back isn¡¯t that surprising considering that my whole torso hurts like hell. As expected, areas around shoulder-blades are even more swollen.

    Call an ambulance? Call Erik? He does have medical training. For my whole life I¡¯ve been terrified of doctors and hospitals. Now for the first time I desperately need them but every fibre of my body is warning me against it.

    I collapse on the floor and start crying. My Mom had hallucinations before she died. Doctors said the tumour was causing it. Could her illness be hereditary? Am I going nuts because my brain isn¡¯t okay? Is it because of my telepathy? After all, having telepathy isn¡¯t exactly normal.

    But my friends are also experiencing strange fatigue. It can¡¯t be a coincidence. Maybe I¡¯m not the only one experiencing weird symptoms apart from dropping compatibility level? What if it somehow affects all players of Draconia? It seems ridiculous, of course, but I have to make sure.

    I check Draconia¡¯s Internet forum. The most popular topics are usually strategies for dungeons and stat builds for specific classes. Used to be. The hottest topic in the last 24 hours is reporting problems with dropping VR compatibility but there¡¯s nobody reporting strange physical symptoms in the real world.

    I lie down on my stomach, a pillow under my chin, and put on my VR helmet. I need to talk to Liana. And other race rulers and basically everyone else this effects. I¡¯m a little bit afraid how the connection will seem now but there¡¯s nothing to lose, I guess.

    CHECKING VR COMPATIBILITY¡­

    WARNING: COMPABILITY FAILURE

    ERROR#542

 5. Meeting IRL

    I slowly take off my helmet. My hands are trembling and I still can¡¯t believe it. What if it¡¯s not just the helmet¡¯s or the game¡¯s fault? What if I lost my immersion ability forever? VR was my only silent place where my mind could relax if I don¡¯t count sleep. And also my source of income.

    What will happen to me if it¡¯s permanent? How will I rest when emotions of others overwhelm me? How will I pay for school, my apartment and food? I can¡¯t return to Grandma, that¡¯s out of the question. She has no responsibility towards me anymore, I¡¯m an adult. And she wouldn¡¯t want me back anyway.

    I still need two years to finish my studies but they won¡¯t give me any student loan because I have debts already. I¡¯d have to find another work. But how many jobs don¡¯t require any special qualifications? And would I be able to handle it with my telepathy? I guess I could start streaming retro games but there¡¯s considerably less money in that.

    My eyes start to water but I bravely hold tears in and cuddle under the blanket. I realise I desperately wish to talk to Erik but at the same time I don¡¯t want him to see me this miserable. I want him to tell me everything¡¯s going to be okay and hold me in his arms. I want to kiss him and forget about the whole mess. But he must be sleeping after his night shift and I don¡¯t want to wake him up. I was selfish yesterday already.

    ¡°Uhm, stop,¡± I clutch my head as if that would actually help to turn off all those leaking emotions around me. I gradually got used to the minds of my neighbours to the point they almost didn¡¯t bother me anymore but that was before my telepathy levelled up. Everything feels too damn strong now. It¡¯s maddening.

    My phone beeps which, thankfully, distracts me.

    YOU¡¯VE BEEN INVITED TO A GROUP CHAT.

    I open my Vortex messenger and find that Liana and Gotrid are online. It¡¯d be a good idea to add my other guild mates but I don¡¯t have their Vortex IDs. I sigh. We¡¯ve been too strict with the code of virtual conduct and never made any attempts to pursue communication outside Draconia. And now, if the game crashes altogether, we¡¯ll lose all contact and that scares me. I do consider them my friends.

    Ryuuto (6:43)

    Guys, I can¡¯t connect at all. Compatibility failure. My back is red and swollen. Permission to panic?

    Liana (6:44)

    Don¡¯t. I¡¯m ingame right now but, damn, it¡¯s crappy. Dropped to 65%.

    Gotrid (6:45)

    60% for me, ingame with Liana.

    Ryuuto (6:45)

    You¡¯re in?!

    Liana (6:46)

    Yeah, there¡¯s a way to connect Vortex chat to the ingame messenger. You didn¡¯t know?

    I feel stupid. I¡¯ve been using Vortex for years but I¡¯ve never known about that function. Or maybe it was mentioned somewhere when I started using it but I blocked it on purpose because I was afraid people wouldn¡¯t leave me alone and disturb me when playing.

    Ryuuto (6:47)

    That¡¯s great! Add as many of our guild mates as you can while your immersion still allows you to log in. And other race rulers. Their immersion ability is also over 90% and it seems it drops more quickly for higher levels.

    Liana (6:48)

    Twyla and Werden contacted me already, we¡¯ll be in touch. Aefener, how did you say it started for you except for fatigue?

    Ryuuto (6:48)

    Back pain, especially around my shoulder-blades.

    Liana (6:49)

    Shit. My shoulder-blades started tickling today but I hoped I was just imagining things. What about you, Gotrid?

    Gotrid (6:49)

    Tiredness so far but I guess it¡¯s just a matter of time.

    On one hand, it¡¯s reassuring to hear that I¡¯m not the only one developing symptoms. On the other hand, I wouldn¡¯t wish it to anyone. I shiver and I hide under the blanket completely. Is my room getting colder?

    Liana (6:50)

    Aefener, what can we expect to come next?

    I can¡¯t see their expressions or feel their emotions but I just know they¡¯re freaking out right now. Who wouldn¡¯t be.

    Ryuuto (6:51)

    Redness, then swelling. Pain in your chest and fever. Also extreme hunger but puking at the same time. Not nice.

    USER FEFNIR IS ONLINE.

    Fefnir (6:53)

    Immersion level 64%, guys. And my tailbone started tickling. I¡¯m literally unable to stop scratching my butt. It¡¯d be funny except it isn¡¯t.

    Gotrid (6:54)

    What do you make out of it? We feel it in the spot of our virtual wings and Fefnir in a spot of his tail.

    Fefnir (6:55)

    That we stopped differentiating between the game and reality, the brain got confused and started to do weird shit to our bodies.

    Liana (6:55)

    I¡¯m not nuts. I can differentiate the game and the real world just fine.

    Fefnir (6:56)

    Got a better explanation?

    Ryuuto (6:57)

    What if the VR helmet is powerful enough to do something directly to our brains and get us sick? It was being discussed when the full-dive technology started. People worried that some third party might come up with technology to control VR users.

    Liana (6:57)

    I smell a conspiracy theory. Besides, other VR users are fine. It¡¯s affecting only players of Draconia. A design fault in the game itself? Maybe they changed something important to implement the upcoming story arc and made a huge mistake that messes with our helmets. Hopefully, it just confused our nervous system.

    It seems to be the most reasonable explanation. I¡¯ve never wanted to believe that my Mom¡¯s tumour was caused by her testing VR games all day long, even though, there weren¡¯t that many safety precautions in helmets back then.

    Fefnir (7:00)

    Well, I was thinking¡­ what about meeting in the real world? I know that normally I shouldn¡¯t be suggesting it but these aren¡¯t normal circumstances. To be honest, I¡¯m freaking out and need to see someone who¡¯s going through the same shit. Also, and don¡¯t take me as a sentimental person, the prospect of our beloved game crashing made me realise how I cherish our ingame friendship. I¡¯d love to meet you, guys, for real. Fuck the code of virtual conduct.

    I freeze for a moment. Meeting my ingame friends in the real world is an idea that has never crossed my mind until today. I can almost hear Erik berating me: What are you so afraid of? Right, what am I so afraid of? Overcome it, stupid me! Make some friends in the real world! At least try! I take a deep breath and type back:

    Ryuuto (7:02)

    Fefnir, you still in Prague?

    It was a coincidence that I found out Fefnir is also from Bohemia. Three years ago he was considering different colleges and mentioned Charles University as his option. And then he boasted that he passed entrance exams. We were even talking about meeting IRL back then but I chickened out and Fefnir never brought it up again.

    Fefnir (7:02)

    Yop. I assume you too?

    Gotrid (7:03)

    Hey, shouldn¡¯t we go to hospital or something?

    Ryuuto (7:04)

    No, thank you, I have a phobia of doctors. I¡¯ll rather overcome my social anxiety by meeting you guys than face the white coats.

    Fefnir (7:05)

    Well, I¡¯m generally fine with doctors but in this case I¡¯m scared shitless. They¡¯d definitely experiment on us.

    Liana (7:05)

    You watch too many conspiracy movies. They¡¯d most probably just check our brains in a tunnel.

    Yes, Liana¡¯s right¡ªthat¡¯s most probably what doctors would do. And what I absolutely can¡¯t afford to undergo with my telepathy.

    Fefnir (7:06)

    You must be scared as well. Don¡¯t play brave, Liana.

    Liana stays silent for a while, almost certainly offended. But she¡¯s not the type to stay offended for long because it isn¡¯t efficient. And she¡¯s a master of efficiency.

    Liana (7:10)

    Okay, let¡¯s meet then. We sure are lucky¡ªI live in Berlin so I can be in Prague around lunch time if I depart right away. I assume you¡¯re both students without a car so I have to travel to you. What about you, Gotrid?

    Gotrid (7:11)

    I live in New York. T_T Oh, I won¡¯t see my cute Emperor!

    I can¡¯t help it and chuckle. He must have done in on purpose to lift the heavy atmosphere a little bit. What a sympathetic flirt he is, I like him.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    Fefnir (7:11)

    So where shall it be? Preferably somewhere a little intimate but still public and where they serve food. I¡¯m ravenous every two hours and I bet you are as well. Gotrid can stay in touch and we¡¯ll call him when we get there.

    Liana (7:12)

    I know a good restaurant in Old Town with privacy seating. I go there on business meetings when I visit Prague from time to time. I can be there around eleven.

    She sends us the address.

    Liana (7:13)

    Tell the waiter to take you to the table with the tag Draconia Online. Eat your fill, I¡¯ll pay, no worries. See you there, have to hurry.

    *****

    I take another dose of painkillers and try to sleep some more to pull myself together. I wouldn¡¯t go to school in such a state but I must somehow get to our meeting point which isn¡¯t exactly near from my apartment. The alarm wakes me at nine so that I have time for a long shower. I got sweaty again as my fever didn¡¯t go down a notch. I try cold water instead of hot and it relieves the back pain somewhat.

    Even with painkillers doing their magic, a cold shower and a nap I feel shitty and must look like a zombie. Just to be safe, I bring some plastic bags in case I puke again. I put on my usual gaming clothes¡ªit¡¯s not like I own anything else than that. I¡¯m glad that the hoodie hides my whitening hair. No need to look weirder than I already do.

    I find an empty seat at the back of the train and collapse on it. There¡¯re three more people sitting but they stand up and run away from me, probably not wanting to catch what I presumably have. Do I really look that horrible? Anyway, less direct emotions which is good.

    Since the journey to the centre is at least 35 minutes before changing for a tram, I go over possible scenarios in my head so that I won¡¯t focus that much on what people around me are feeling. All of my theories turn out really pessimistic. Hopefully, I¡¯m just over-thinking as always. There must be a reasonable explanation to all of this.

    The developers must have messed up some settings in the VR helmets which came through with the new update. Our brains got confused and started weird processes in our bodies which caused some kind of psychosomatic illness. Yes, it¡¯s purely psychosomatic; I don¡¯t want to even think about tumours.

    At the main train station, I have to change to an old fashioned tram. Old Town is considered a UNESCO treasure so the government is trying to keep it as historical as possible.

    While waiting at the tram stop and focusing on not collapsing on the pavement, I notice a girl with turbulent emotions of fear. She can¡¯t be more than seventeen years old and is wearing a lolita dress. Lots of girls are into that kind of fashion lately, it¡¯s undergoing a renaissance or something.

    Normally I don¡¯t respond to other person¡¯s feelings¡ªhow would I explain that I can feel them in the first place?¡ªbut that girl is so scared that I have to do something. Feeling shitty myself is no excuse.

    Then I notice that she has a Draconia logo key ring hanging on her backpack. I gasp for breath. Of course, I feel so concerned because her feelings are the same as mine right now. She¡¯s also a Draconia player.

    ¡°H-hi, sorry to bother you,¡± I try speaking in Czech because she looks like a local.

    The girl flinches. I probably look suspicious in my hoodie and face mask.

    ¡°I noticed your key ring,¡± I add quickly. ¡°I also play Draconia and, well¡­ I feel really weird and I guess you too?¡±

    Her eyes widen. ¡°Y-yes,¡± she says timidly.

    I look around but everybody¡¯s minding their own business and there¡¯s nobody standing too close to us.

    ¡°My immersion level has been dropping and a few hours ago I¡¯ve lost my immersion ability completely. Overall, I don¡¯t feel okay.¡±

    The girl nods furiously.

    ¡°I play as an Earthborn,¡± she whispers. ¡°What¡¯s happening? I¡¯ve been looking at the game forums but everyone¡¯s just panicking and the developers have no idea so far. I¡¯m scared to tell my parents, they would take my helmet away from me forever. They¡¯re against VR as it is.¡±

    ¡°Listen,¡± I continue, surprised that I¡¯m actually talking to an unknown girl with such ease. ¡°I have a meeting with two other players. It¡¯s in a restaurant in Old Town. You can join me if you want.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not some kind of pervert?¡± she narrows her eyes in suspicion.

    ¡°No, I just dress funny,¡± I take off my face mask.

    ¡°Oh!¡± she¡¯s genuinely surprised and for a moment forgets about her defences. ¡°A true Asian pretty boy!¡±

    I sigh and roll my eyes. I get that a lot.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you Asian?¡± she notices my irritated reaction. ¡°Your Czech is perfect, though.¡±

    ¡°Half Japanese, half Czech,¡± I shrug. ¡°I might look more to the Asian side but I¡¯ve been living here for 20 years.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, we just love Asian stuff,¡± she blushes.

    ¡°Yes, I know,¡± I say impatiently. ¡°Would you like to join me then? We¡¯ll use a tram that is full of people and there¡¯re waiters in the restaurant. You have nothing to be afraid of and you can always run.¡±

    ¡°No problem, I trust your pretty face,¡± she smiles.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t trust people so easily and based on looks alone,¡± I sigh.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lecture me, you¡¯re not that much older!¡±

    A teenage mind is always intriguing. Not childish anymore, not yet adult. It seems I¡¯ve met a very stubborn person in a rebellious stage. Our tram arrives in that moment, I get on and she does too. She doesn¡¯t hesitate even for a second. Is she that brave or just too trusting?

    ¡°My name¡¯s Ryuuto, what¡¯s yours?¡± I ask when the tram starts to move.

    ¡°Sofie, but call me Ingri, that¡¯s my gaming nickname.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Ingri. I wish it was under more pleasant circumstances.¡±

    ¡°Under pleasant circumstances we¡¯d probably never meet,¡± she remarks.

    We aren¡¯t comfortable talking about the game in a crowded tram and the situation is too serious for a casual small talk so we stay silent for the rest of the journey. We get off on the sixth stop at the National Theatre and I check the map on my phone.

    ¡°This way,¡± I navigate us though the narrow historical streets. Facing a fancy restaurant, my navigation announces that we¡¯ve reached our destination.

    ¡°This is it? You sure?¡± Ingri is doubtful.

    ¡°Well, it should be,¡± I¡¯m as confused as she is. ¡°The address and the name are correct.¡±

    We inconspicuously look inside but a waiter catches us right away.

    ¡°Good morning, do you have a reservation?¡± he¡¯s inspecting my gaming clothes and Ingri¡¯s dress that looks more like a costume. He wrinkles his nose.

    ¡°I hope so, a table for Draconia Online,¡± I say uncertainly. ¡°A friend arranged for us.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that table,¡± the waiter relaxes. ¡°Please, follow me. One other gentleman is already waiting and Miss Richter should arrive shortly.¡±

    Miss Richter? Is that Liana¡¯s real name? Why did the waiter feel such respect when he said it? We¡¯re taken to our table and there indeed is somebody waiting. He¡¯s about the same age as me which I expected since we both attend university but unlike me, he¡¯s very tall and bulky. He looks like someone serious about sports which is unusual for hardcore gamers.

    ¡°Fefnir?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Hell yeah,¡± he stands up and stretches his hand towards me.

    I shake it and thanks to the direct contact I¡¯m able to telepathically check his intentions. The touch is too short for a proper analysis but at least I made sure he¡¯s a good guy who can be trusted. Somehow I think that we can easily become friends even in real life. Maybe meeting virtual friends in the real world isn¡¯t such a bad idea after all. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have refused his invitation back then.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a surprise,¡± Fefnir whistles when I take my face mask off. I keep the hoodie, though. ¡°You totally have Celestial features even here.¡±

    ¡°Bishounen,¡± Ingri mumbles a Japanese word for a handsome boy in a dreamy voice. I resist rolling my eyes.

    ¡°And who¡¯s that? You brought your girlfriend?¡± Fefnir smirks. ¡°What an obvious couple.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend,¡± I frown, but I know that Fefnir is just joking to release the tension. ¡°We met by chance at the tram stop. I noticed she has a key ring from Draconia and looks uncomfortable so I invited her to our meeting.¡±

    ¡°Seriously, what is this place?¡± Ingri ruffles her huge skirts and sits down. ¡°I still get pocket money from my parents and that¡¯s definitely not enough to buy even a drink here.¡±

    ¡°Calm down, the waiter assured me that we can order whatever we want and Liana is paying,¡± Fefnir winks at us and sips from his cup.

    ¡°Drinks are nice but I¡¯m starving,¡± I whine. ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten anything since yesterday because last meals I had ended in my toilet. But it seems painkillers worked and I¡¯m ravenous now.¡±

    ¡°Whatever we want,¡± Fefnir reminds me. ¡°I ordered scrambled eggs with bacon just a minute before you showed up.¡±

    I flip though the menu. Ingri was right; students can¡¯t afford even a drink here. I decide to trust my viceroy¡¯s generosity and order pancakes with spinach, eggs and ham. Ingri goes for pancakes with blueberries.

    I suddenly feel another person approaching our table. And it¡¯s as I¡¯ve been always imagining what Liana¡¯s telepathic imprint would feel like if I ever met her for real. Resolute but kind. Stern but fair. Reasonable but occasionally playful.

    ¡°Hi, easy to recognise you right away, you look like your avatar,¡± she addresses me in English. English from now on it is then, the same as ingame.

    I look up from the menu. The real life Liana can be no more than 35 and has long brown hair tied into a perfect high knot and is wearing an expensive-looking business suit.

    ¡°Can I say you too?¡± I say when she sits down. ¡°You have exactly the same expression.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you mean it as a compliment,¡± she actually smiles which brightens her serious face. ¡°Have you ordered?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Fefnir nods and is nervous to talk because the waiter came with her and is standing next to our table, awaiting more orders.

    ¡°Could I have that pumpkin soup with wholemeal bread I often order?¡± she asks.

    ¡°Of course, Miss Richter,¡± the waiter nods. ¡°Please, tell the young man that even though we don¡¯t have a dress code for breakfasts and lunches, having a hoodie on isn¡¯t acceptable.¡±

    ¡°I will. Also water and orange juice for everyone,¡± she adds. ¡°We¡¯ll have coffee later.¡±

    The waiter bows courteously and leaves.

    ¡°Seriously, take it off,¡± Liana purses her lips at me. Gosh, she¡¯s really the same as Liana from the game. ¡°That¡¯s rude in any restaurant and super rude here.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, b-but¡­,¡± I shyly pull my hoodie down.

    My friends look in disbelief at my partly white hair.

    ¡°Since yesterday,¡± I explain. ¡°Probably caused by stress?¡±

    Liana notices the new girl only now when Ingri curiously pulls one of my locks. ¡°Do I know you? Are you from our guild? Or a girlfriend?¡±

    I open my mouth to protest.

    ¡°My nickname¡¯s Ingri. I doubt we know each other, Ryuuto noticed me on a tram stop and invited me.¡± I can feel she¡¯s happy Liana mistook her for my girlfriend.

    ¡°So your real name is Ryuuto,¡± Liana analyzes my looks thoroughly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stick to ingame nicknames,¡± Fefnir proposes. ¡°I¡¯m hopeless at names.¡±

    Nobody has a problem with that, we all silently nod.

    ¡°So I¡¯m Fefnir,¡± Fefnir introduces himself, just for Ingri.

    ¡°Liana,¡± our benefactor continues.

    ¡°Aefener,¡± I second.

    It takes Ingri five seconds to understand what our nicknames imply.

    ¡°W-w-wait a minute!¡± she almost jumps. ¡°Aefener, the Emperor of Celestials? And Liana, the Celestial viceroy? And Fefnir¡­ the name¡¯s also familiar.¡±

    ¡°Viceroy to Dragonkin,¡± Fefnir helps her.

    ¡°Wow! Famous people!¡± she opens her mouth wide. ¡°I¡¯ve never actually met anybody famous.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a celebrity,¡± Fefnir grins.

    ¡°Stop joking, remember why we¡¯re here,¡± Liana reprimands him. ¡°The situation is dire, there¡¯s might be something seriously wrong with our brains. We should be in hospital but here we are.¡±

    ¡°Well, I actually have a phobia of doctors,¡± I raise my hand.

    ¡°I don¡¯t and I¡¯m still terrified,¡± Liana says.

    ¡°Hey, we forgot about Gotrid,¡± Fefnir reminds us, takes out his tablet and calls him. It must be awfully early for Gotrid in New York but he picks up almost immediately.

    ¡°Hello guys,¡± a man in his thirties greets us with a grin which is the same as ingame¡ªmischievous but good-natured. I¡¯m not even surprised that he didn¡¯t button up his shirt considering how openly flirty he is with me.

    I gulp. Damn, how can it be? He¡¯s totally my type! Erik can never know we were flirting or he¡¯s going to kill me. Flirting in the game is one thing, there¡¯s no harm if we both know it¡¯s just playful. But flirting while looking at your true faces¡­ that¡¯s thin ice even if Gotrid is in the USA.

    ¡°Oh, Your Highness! You¡¯re gorgeous also in real life!¡± he¡¯s beaming. ¡°And is that Fefnir to your left?¡±

    ¡°Yep, in all my beauty,¡± Fefnir smirks. ¡°I bet you¡¯re really relieved that Aefener isn¡¯t some fat spotty nerd, right?¡±

    Ingri chuckles.

    ¡°Gotrid, are you in contact with American players?¡± Liana pushes Fefnir out of the tablet¡¯s camera and sits next to me.

    ¡°Good morning, Your Eminence,¡± Gotrid winks at her.

    ¡°And I¡¯m Ingri but you don¡¯t know me from the game,¡± the girl leans in and waves on the camera. ¡°Oh, another handsome one!¡±

    ¡°Hi, sweetheart,¡± he grins at her. ¡°I have lots of American players in my friend list and their compatibility level keeps decreasing as well. Some of them are using alternative models of VR headsets licensed especially for the US market so it doesn¡¯t depend on the helmet manufacturer.¡±

    ¡°Right, the developers stated that just two hours ago,¡± Fefnir announces, checking his phone since Liana is occupying his tablet. ¡°They¡¯re apologising and promising that they¡¯re working hard on fixing the problem.¡±

    I feel so relieved. It sucks that Draconia is buggy but it means I didn¡¯t lose my immersion ability. The helmet just doesn¡¯t work for one game.

    ¡°Still, that doesn¡¯t explain why we feel so strange,¡± Liana points out. ¡°I talked to Twyla and Werden whose compatibility was 95% and they also feel really tired and their limbs started tickling.¡±

    ¡°Wow, you talked to my Queen and King?¡± Ingri is astonished. ¡°Do all high levels know each other?¡±

    ¡°Sure, we started playing when the game launched six years ago and have been playing it ever since,¡± I quickly explain to her. ¡°Not that many original players persevered. Life eventually interferes I guess.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not only tickling,¡± Liana says. ¡°Aefener, you said that your back is red and swollen, right?¡±

    ¡°Ehm¡­ yeah,¡± I nod slowly because Ingri doesn¡¯t know. ¡°I thought it could by psychosomatic or something.¡±

    We stop talking when the waiter returns, bringing us our orders. Liana thanks him and waits until he¡¯s gone. She looks at us with an expression saying there¡¯s no need to be formal and starts to eat ravenously. We do the same, the smell of freshly cooked food in front of us is impossible to resist. There¡¯s no more talking for several minutes, just the sound of cutlery hitting plates. Even Gotrid is munching toasts, only in his case it¡¯s very early breakfast.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand the hunger,¡± Liana says when she finishes her meal. ¡°I get the pain; our brains are confused, sending weird neurological signals. But how can it affect the fullness of our stomachs? I had a sandwich just an hour ago on my way here.¡±

    Fefnir checks the Internet again.

    ¡°Oh, it even got to the main news,¡± he says. ¡°Some players went to hospitals so the authorities took notice.¡±

    We watch the news and discuss things for another half an hour. My condition worsens by the minute. I try to pay attention and hide my discomfort but at a certain point, it¡¯s just impossible.

    ¡°S-sorry, bathroom,¡± I stand up quickly. ¡°Uhm, I think I¡¯m going to puke again.¡±

    I run towards the bathrooms, not caring if it¡¯s for gentlemen or ladies, and I don¡¯t even have time to close the door behind me. I¡¯m lucky to make it and my expensive meal ends up in the toilet bowl. I feel surges of pain in my whole torso and my fever probably got even worse.

    ¡°Aefener, are you okay?¡± Liana finally catches up. Others follow but nobody has any idea what to do.

    Liana wants to comfort me by patting but her hand freezes when she touches my back. She feels the swelling under my clothes and shivers.

    ¡°Fuck, he¡¯s far worse than we thought,¡± she gulps. ¡°How long have you been experiencing symptoms?¡±

    ¡°Fatigue started two weeks ago I guess,¡± I say weakly as I¡¯m trying to clean the aftertaste in my mouth with fresh water. I manage but my legs refuse to work anymore and I collapse to the floor.

    ¡°We should call an ambulance,¡± Ingri suggests, worried.

    ¡°Please, anything but that,¡± I implore them. ¡°It just psychosomatic¡­ must be. I¡¯ll take a break from VR altogether and my brain will calm down.¡±

    ¡°Well, I could take you home by car but are you sure?¡± Liana bites her lip.

    ¡°If it comes to the worst case scenario, then call an ambulance,¡± I insist.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go then. You need to lie down,¡± she nods. ¡°Fefnir, can you¡­?¡±

    Fefnir grabs me off the floor easily. With his support, I can slowly walk. Ingri ends up in charge of the tablet, quickly tells Gotrid what just happened and hangs up. Liana says goodbye to the waiter, assuring him to pay for my mess, and shows us to the restaurant¡¯s private parking lot.

    ¡°Woooow,¡± Fefnir is astonished by the car Liana arrived in. ¡°It¡¯s the newest model of Tesla.¡±

    I¡¯m not an expert on cars but even I recognise that it must be super expensive and luxurious.

    ¡°Hop in,¡± Liana waves her hand and looks at me. ¡°Try not to puke inside, okay?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have plastic bags in my pocket,¡± I assure her. I wouldn¡¯t be able to pay for cleaning those seats with my whole month¡¯s income, I¡¯m sure about that.

    ¡°Ingri, I can¡¯t take you too,¡± Liana stops the girl. ¡°You¡¯re still a minor, go home and tell your parents what¡¯s going on.¡±

    ¡°No way,¡± Ingri protests and sits next to me. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to hospital either but my parents would surely send me there. Fefnir, sit in the front, please, you¡¯re too big. I¡¯ll take care of Aefener here in the back, no worries.¡±

    ¡°A proper fan girl,¡± Fefnir remarks, laughing under his breath.

    ¡°Are you, Ingri?¡± Liana narrows her eyes. ¡°Are you in Aefener¡¯s fan club?¡±

    ¡°So what,¡± Ingri shows defiance as if Liana¡¯s her mother.

    ¡°So what,¡± Fefnir repeats after her and sits in the co-driver¡¯s seat. ¡°If she wants to go, let her. We¡¯ll send her home later.¡±

    Liana resigns and starts the car. I tell her my address and she puts it into the navigation system. This model is autonomously self-driven so I¡¯m surprised when she takes the wheel. She catches my surprised face in the back mirror.

    ¡°I like driving,¡± she mutters.

    ¡°Why buying the newest self-driven car then?¡± Fefnir asks and puts on the belt.

    ¡°Because it¡¯s safe and I can relax when I¡¯m tired. And because I can,¡± she shrugs. ¡°Ingri, belt on and Aefener as well. Don¡¯t act like kids back there, I¡¯m responsible for you now.¡±

    We obediently comply. Liana¡¯s strict mode is especially scary in real life.

    I¡¯m afraid the drive won¡¯t do my upset stomach any good but Liana¡¯s driving steadily on purpose and the system helps her with that. I get sick only once when she has to stop suddenly because of a car in front but I manage to hold it.

    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Liana announces when we¡¯re standing on a parking lot in front the building where my apartment is.

    ¡°I expected you¡¯d live in one of those fancy apartments for VR celebrities,¡± Fefnir says when he helps me out of the car. ¡°This is still decent, though. Soundproof, right? Neat.¡±

    ¡°I have some personal financial issues,¡± I murmur, unwilling to tell him more.

    I unlock the main door and we get into the elevator. I¡¯ve never had any visitors and in a few minutes I¡¯ll have three. Funny how things can go. I hope my kitchen isn¡¯t horribly messy as I rarely bother cleaning after meals right away.

    When we get off the elevator and appear from around the corner, I hear an angry shriek.

    ¡°Are you kidding me?!¡±

    Erik is standing in front of my door, holding boxes of takeaway food. Did he want to surprise me? Or was he concerned because I didn¡¯t respond to his texts? Crap, it¡¯s Thursday around 12:30, right? We were supposed to have our first lunch together, it totally slipped my mind!

    Unfortunately, all he can see is me and Fefnir as others are a few steps behind the corner. His expression turns wild. I can understand how he feels even without my telepathy. From his perspective, it must look like Fefnir is hugging me. Hell breaks out.

    ¡°I TOLD YOU THAT I DON¡¯T WANT YOU FUCKING OTHER GUYS!¡±

 6. Am I Growing Wings?!

    ¡°It isn¡¯t how it looks like!¡± panic seizes me when I perceive Erik¡¯s turbulent emotions. Gosh, did I just say the cringiest sentence ever? What if he¡¯s not going to believe me? But I feel too weak to properly defend myself.

    Thankfully, Liana and Ingri appear from behind the corner and my sharp viceroy gets the gist of the precarious situation right away. Before I can even catch my breath, she¡¯s already explaining how things really are and making peace with Erik while he forcefully tears me away from Fefnir.

    ¡°So we were together in a restaurant when suddenly Aefener got really sick and we had to carry him home,¡± she summarises.

    ¡°Aefener?¡± Erik blinks and clutches me more tightly.

    ¡°Oh, sorry, I meant Ryuuto,¡± Liana says my real name. ¡°Aefener is his gaming nickname. I was under the impression you¡¯re his boyfriend¡­?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± he doesn¡¯t deny it even though he promised me that we¡¯re only sexually exclusive for now and taking it slow. I don¡¯t oppose it. In fact, I kind of like how it sounds which surprises me. I thought I wanted to give it more time to process but right now it¡¯s really comforting.

    Erik is looking at me, not furious anymore, but still somewhat pissed and confused. He¡¯s challenging me to read his hurt emotions. He wants to make me feel guilty for not responsing to his texts. And he¡¯s successful, I do feel guilty.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Erik, I¡¯ve been kind of¡­ indisposed,¡± I apologise properly and because we¡¯re touching, I send my sincere apologises also in a form of a strong emotion.

    His anger calms down immediately, now he¡¯s only worried. He knows I¡¯m not able to lie when we¡¯re connected telepathically. Conveying emotions doesn¡¯t work that way. I could maybe lie in my thoughts but never with feelings.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t replied to my texts so I came here,¡± he says and touches my forehead. ¡°Shit, you¡¯re running a fever. Did you catch the flu? What happened to your hair?¡±

    ¡°Something potentically much worse, I¡¯m afraid,¡± I cough because it¡¯s getting really difficult to breathe with my ribs hurting so much.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you to bed then,¡± he helps me take out the key chip from my pocket.

    He unlocks the apartment and we all come in. My place is pretty big for one person but it immediately gets crowded with four visitors. My first visitors ever.

    Shit, I naively thought I left my apartment quite tidied but I didn¡¯t. It looks pretty okay to me but judging from my friends¡¯s facial reactions and emotions, they feel horrified. I turn red with shame. Do most normal apartments look like Erik¡¯s neat home? Am I that bad?

    ¡°What¡¯s with this avalanche of stuff?¡± Liana is inspecting my possessions all over the place; shelves overflooding with action figures, comic books and other merchandise. She¡¯s half laughing, half shaking her head in disbelief.

    ¡°Gifts from fans and promo items from Draconia¡¯s developers,¡± I try to explain.

    ¡°You get the latest gadgets as presents?¡± Ingri curiously picks one box I still didn¡¯t find time to open.

    ¡°I also review stuff from time to time.¡±

    ¡°Your bedroom? You¡¯re barely standing,¡± Erik pokes me, totally not interested in the merch.

    ¡°That door.¡±

    ¡°Seriously, Ryuu?¡± my boyfriend rolls his eyes when he walks me there. Oh, did I just call him my boyfriend in the thoughts? Did he catch that? Gosh, he did, he smiled!

    The bedroom is even worse than the living room, merch literally everywhere. My bed is covered with comic books and VR gear because I like having everything I currently use near me. I¡¯m used to it but, well, compared to Erik¡¯s bedroom, it is extremely messy.

    ¡°How can you even sleep here?¡± he helps me sit down and starts to clear all the books and cables.

    ¡°Figured as much,¡± Liana and others step in and look around, amused. ¡°No wonder you have to use digital backgrounds,¡± she comments while pointing at my 3D projector.

    Erik finishes cleaning my bed and decides to help me take off my hoodie. I whine when he touches my ribs which startles him.

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Liana stops inspecting the room. ¡°Well, the thing is¡­ Ryuuto doesn¡¯t have the flu. He has¡­ we don¡¯t know what it is, actually.¡±

    Erik stares at her, dumbfounded.

    ¡°Did you give him drugs or something?¡± he hisses. ¡°Ryuuto, did you go to a bar when you left my place yesterday?¡±

    ¡°God, no!¡± Liana shakes her head. ¡°We¡¯re his ingame friends. My name¡¯s Liana, that¡¯s Fefnir and Ingri.¡±

    Erik frowns, not approving of being told only nicknames.

    ¡°Erik, they really didn¡¯t give me anything,¡± I grab his hand. ¡°Do you remember when I mentioned that my back hurts?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he nods slowly. ¡°What does it have to do with anything?¡±

    ¡°Everything, it seems,¡± I sigh. ¡°Take a look.¡±

    Erik purses his lips but he pulls my t-shirt up. And instantly freezes.

    ¡°SHIT! What the hell, Ryuuto?¡± he gasps.

    ¡°Is it that bad?¡± I ask. ¡°Can you take a photo and show me?¡±

    I¡¯m astonished how calm he seems about it. I guess he must be used to much weirder shit at his work. Still, it takes him three attempts to unlock his phone because he keeps missing. Is he nervous because it¡¯s me?

    ¡°Kurva,¡± I swear in Czech and my head spins when I see it. I¡¯m glad my stomach is empty because I¡¯d probably throw up again. ¡°Is it¡­ a tumour?¡±

    The swelling got even bigger, it¡¯s really huge now. I can see that my back is swollen in two distinct places, right under my shoulder-blades.

    ¡°Tumours don¡¯t grow in a matter of days,¡± Liana assures me but her tone is anything but sure.

    ¡°Will someone explain to me what the hell is going on?¡± Erik demands.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know either,¡± Liana sits on a chair in front of my 3D projector. ¡°We all play Draconia Online¡ªI¡¯m sure you at least heard of it¡ªand two days ago weird things started happening. First, there was unnatural tiredness, then physical symptoms.¡±

    ¡°How can some fucking game do THIS?¡± Erik dramatically points at my back.

    ¡°Let me take a look,¡± Fefnir offers. ¡°I study physiotherapy so I might discover something.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not touching my boyfriend!¡± Erik acts defensive.

    Oh, I see why he doesn¡¯t want Fefnir to touch me. He¡¯s concerned that I might project my emotions to anyone who would touch me. He¡¯s so cutely protective. I just love him.

    ¡°Oh, come on now,¡± Fefnir grows impatient. ¡°First, just for your information, I¡¯m 100% heterosexual. Second, I do professional massages. Third, I have basic medical training.¡±

    ¡°SO-DO-I,¡± Erik cuts every single word and to prove his point, he touches my back.

    The pain is so intense that I scream and collapse¡ªluckily on my soft bed. Erik winces, startled.

    ¡°He needs to go to hospital!¡± he insists. ¡°Why didn¡¯t take you him there in the first place? Do all gamers lack common sense or what?¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s scared¡­ we all are,¡± Ingri gulps.

    ¡°Erik,¡± I pull him by his sleeve when the shock of pain mitigates. ¡°Let Fefnir do it. He might be able to find something out.¡±

    Plus, I can¡¯t go to hospital, they could find out about me, I tell him telepathically. He finally realises why I¡¯m so against it and bites his lip. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m in control now, I add.

    ¡°I should be able to tell if it¡¯s just a normal swelling,¡± Fefnir says, confident. ¡°So far we think that our symptoms are purely psychosomatic. The brain is confused from VR and does funny things. If it¡¯s just a rash, however ugly, it should be okay in a few days of rest.¡±

    After a short consideration, Erik finally allows him to sit next to me on the bed. But he keeps holding my left hand. Now that I can also enter one¡¯s mind, not only ¡®feel and listen,¡¯ I¡¯m afraid I might project some of my pain into him. I want him to let go but he clutches me even tighter.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can take it,¡± he whispers into my ear. From my friends¡¯ points of view, it probably looks like he gives me words of encouragement.

    ¡°Do you have some cream, Aefener?¡± Fefnir asks. ¡°Any lotion will do.¡±

    ¡°In the bathroom locker.¡±

    Fefnir runs off. Erik cleverly uses that brief time to kiss me, not caring that ladies are watching. I feel a surge of excited enthusiasm from Ingri. Once a fangirl, always a fangirl¡ªI¡¯d actually laugh if I didn¡¯t feel so miserable and scared.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be gentle, but brace yourself,¡± Fefnir warns me. Erik isn¡¯t happy that he has to take off my t-shirt completely in front of three unknown people but it¡¯s necessary.

    Fefnir¡¯s touch is indeed professional, certainly not as clumsy and sharp as Erik¡¯s, but it still hurts like hell. But it¡¯s somewhat bearable. If I know when to expect pain, it¡¯s easier to contain. Fefnir is inspecting my whole back extremely carefully and he¡¯s using the cream as he would oil so it does resemble a massage. Even though he¡¯s acting tough and rather carefree, I can feel he¡¯s as panicky as the rest of us.

    But it¡¯s not Fefnir whom I¡¯m craving. I access Erik¡¯s mind and it sooths me. I try not to send any of my pain to him and it seems to be working. Erik is aware that I¡¯m hurting but he doesn¡¯t perceive it as his own sensation so he¡¯s fine.

    ¡°So?¡± Liana grows impatient.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure,¡± Fefnir shakes his head. ¡°I¡¯d swear I can feel something hard under the skin. But it¡¯s too low so it can¡¯t be a shoulder-blade. A cyst maybe?¡±

    ¡°That would be a reasonable explanation I guess,¡± Erik nods. ¡°We get lots of these in the hospital.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s not a tumour?¡± I sigh out, relieved.

    ¡°Most probably not, tumours really don¡¯t grow in a matter of days,¡± Erik reassures me. ¡°Or it might be inflammation?¡±

    ¡°But I can feel strange tickling as well,¡± Liana reminds us. ¡°Ryuuto said it started as tickling at first. How can we have the same symptoms?¡±

    ¡°These things can be psychosomatic,¡± Fefnir suggests. ¡°VR helmets could have stressed certain parts of our brains that sent confused signals to the rest of the body.¡±

    He presses my back again. This time I don¡¯t expect it and the pain startles me. I let out a suffocated cry and something under my skin suddenly moves. I can¡¯t see it, of course, but Erik and the others do. And they widen their eyes.

    ¡°W-what the¡­?¡± Fefnir flinches. ¡°Cysts don¡¯t move.¡±

    God, what if it¡¯s a parasyte? We¡¯ve had some cases, Erik is thinking frantically. He doesn¡¯t say it aloud in order not to scare me but he forgot I can hear his thoughs when he¡¯s touching me.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a parasyte!¡± I exclaim. Just a second later I realise I aswered Erik¡¯s thought in front of everyone. Shit, will they think I acted weird? Fortunately, it seems they were thinking the same.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen a documentary with under-skin parasytes,¡± Ingri gulps. ¡°It wasn¡¯t nice.¡±

    ¡°Say no more, Ryuu is scared enough already,¡± Erik stops her.

    ¡°Try touching it again,¡± Liana proposes.

    Fefnir nods and presses against the swelling again and under both shoulder-blades at the same time. I gasp and now I feel like I¡¯m actually moving something myself. Fefnir presses harder which makes me streighten my back.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Fefnir yells, astonished. ¡°I think I saw¡­ a bone structure?! Erik, did you see it too?¡±

    ¡°I did¡­ see something,¡± he says slowly. ¡°It definitely wasn¡¯t a parasyte.¡±

    ¡°Guys¡­ don¡¯t think I¡¯m crazy but¡­ it kind of looks like wings!¡± Ingri whispers.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡± Erik purses his lips.

    ¡°Well¡­ he does play as a Celestial,¡± Liana is thinking out loud. ¡°And Fefnir complains about his tailbone.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Erik is completely lost.

    ¡°Celestials have wings in the game and Ryuuto and I play as Celestials. Fefnir plays as a Dragonkin, they have tails,¡± Liana explains briefly.

    ¡°And I feel tickling in my palms and feet where the Earthborn have rooty tentacles,¡± Ingri adds. ¡°So we all feel strange in spots of our virtual limbs?¡±

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t see it myself, I¡¯d think you¡¯re crazy conspiracy people,¡± Erik¡¯s voice trembles.

    There¡¯s a solid silence for at least a minute.

    I wait for Erik to have a hysterical outbreak because he¡¯s totally freaking out in his mind¡ªI¡¯m not far from it myself¡ªbut he doesn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he lies and hugs me, careful with his hands around my swollen shoulder-blades. His tenderness calms me.

    ¡°What kind of creatures are Celestials?¡± he finally speaks again, his voice cracked. ¡°Draconia is a fantasy game, right?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t like that term but basically angels,¡± I try to explain as simply as possible.

    ¡°Oh, good¡­ I was afraid you¡¯d change into a dragon or something like that,¡± he almost sounds relieved.

    ¡°That would be me.¡± Fefnir, strangely, doesn¡¯t seem that worried about his prospects. ¡°Dragonkin don¡¯t have wings, though. We¡¯re too heavy for flying.¡±

    ¡°Ach du lieber Himmel!¡± Liana swears in German. My always rational, always reasonable, always practical viceroy. She loses it.

    ¡°Wissen Sie was¡­ Do you even get what that means?¡± she screams.

    I¡¯m really thankful that my apartment is soundproof now. She looks at everyone in disbelief.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t. At least not fully yet,¡± she shakes her head violently. ¡°WE ARE CHANGING INTO OUR AVATARS! FOR REAL!¡±

    Fefnir nervously giggles. Oh, so he¡¯s lost it after all. He certainly has a funny way of showing it. Ingri sits down, leaning towards the wall. She hides her face in her palms and starts to sob.

    Surprisingly, the first person to calm down is Erik. He caresses my hair and kisses me. For a while, I get lost in his mind but from the outside it probably looks like a long kiss.

    With a deepened intimate connection I get to understand why Erik isn¡¯t as freaked out about the whole thing as he should be. After my confession about telepathy, his bar for strangeness got much higher than normal.

    ¡°And your white hair?¡± he asks. ¡°Hard not to notice.¡±

    ¡°My avatar has silver hair,¡± I say but I can¡¯t keep my eyes open any longer. My consciousness sinks into darkness.

    *****

    When I wake up, Erik is still by my side me but I must have been out for quite a while because my gaming friends made themselves comfortable in my apartment. Liana is watching news using my 3D projector she connected to her laptop, Fefnir sips coffee from my favourite mug and Ingri took off her corset. I feel that their emotions are much calmer. They think rationally again.

    ¡°He¡¯s up,¡± Erik announces when I twitch.

    ¡°Did I fall asleep on you?¡± I yawn. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be, more like passed out,¡± Erik kisses me, indifferent to three other people in the room.

    Ingri must have been crying for some time because her eyes are still red and puffy. However, she seems to enjoy watching my intimate interaction with Erik. I guess it helps her to get some emotional relief so I don¡¯t mind her staring at us.

    ¡°Careful, your¡­ ehm¡­ wings have grown again,¡± Erik helps me to sit up. ¡°Their structure is now clearly visible from under the skin. I¡¯m still finding it hard to believe but there¡¯s no doubt. See for yourself.¡±

    He takes a quick photo of my back and shows it to me. Damn, it¡¯s no mistaking it now! And is there on my skin¡­ what is that exactly? White pointy dots, two small patches of them around the swellings.

    ¡°Oh, that itches!¡± I whine and try to scratch it. Erik catches my hand and doesn¡¯t let go. No scratching, Ryuu, he says in his thoughts.

    ¡°We think they¡¯re calamus, we looked it up online,¡± Fefnir suggests, ¡°they started popping two hours ago. You¡¯re most probably growing feathers which is only understandable considering¡­ you know.¡±

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Liana asks. ¡°Your fever won¡¯t go down.¡±

    ¡°Ravenous,¡± I say, able to think only about food now. ¡°Erik, what about those dishes you brought? Can I have it now? I hope I won¡¯t puke this time.¡±

    ¡°Fefnir ate it all three hours ago, you¡¯ve been out for five hours in total,¡± Erik says but adds quickly: ¡°But don¡¯t worry. When we found out there¡¯s next to nothing in your fridge, we¡¯ve ordered. We have noodles with chicken, vegetable curry rice, three pizzas and some pasta.¡±

    ¡°A cheese pizza, please,¡± my mouth starts to water.

    ¡°I¡¯ll heat it for you,¡± Ingri offers and swiftly leaves for the kitchen.

    ¡°How do you all feel?¡± I ask in a meanwhile so that I don¡¯t focus that much on the pain. They must have been discussing things the whole time I was passed out.

    ¡°Our symptoms are progressing as well but, luckily, we¡¯re still a few days behind you,¡± Liana says.

    ¡°A few days? Why is it so quick in my case?¡± I frown.

    ¡°We¡¯re guessing your immersion ability,¡± she suggests. ¡°By the way, most players of Draconia all over the world are experiencing the same symptoms in early stages. It¡¯s on all conventional broadcasting platforms and viralling on the Internet.¡±

    ¡°But VR developers, scientists and doctors still don¡¯t know what it is,¡± Fefnir says. ¡°Players only experience fatigue, redness and tickling so far. They still think it¡¯s purely psychosomatic.¡±

    ¡°Oh, shouldn¡¯t we share the information, then?¡± I¡¯m surprised they didn¡¯t already when I was asleep. ¡°Everyone must be panicking, we have to help.¡±

    ¡°We should. The problem is,¡± Liana sighs, ¡°even anonymously, it¡¯ll be probably very easy to link it to you specifically.¡±

    ¡°How come? Take a photo of my back only, not my face.¡±

    ¡°They put two and two together an hour ago and concluded that the speed of progressing symptoms is tied to one¡¯s immersion level,¡± she explains. ¡°And while you¡¯ve never publicly confirmed the fact, it¡¯s no secret that your level is, or rather was, 100%. Draconia¡¯s developers have your address, right? They send you promotional stuff and fan mail, after all.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± I realise but I¡¯m too hungry to think what it entails for now. My empty stomach rumbles. Thankfully, Ingri returns with my pizza. I gobble each piece, not worrying that I must look very messy.

    Erik, so far looking dead serious, smiles. ¡°Nice to see you eat so enthusiastically for a change, skinny.¡±

    ¡°Oooh,¡± I drop back on my bed, full and content, when I finish the whole meal. ¡°That did the trick. I hope I¡¯ll hold it in my stomach this time.¡±

    ¡°Okay, listen now,¡± Liana sits on the edge of my bed. ¡°We¡¯ve been thinking that your apartment isn¡¯t a good place for you to stay.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Erik nods. ¡°They explained some things to me about the game when you were asleep so I agree with your¡­ ehm¡­ viceroy.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not ingame, she¡¯s not really my anything,¡± I oppose but I¡¯m too stuffed to move. I¡¯ve always had a tiny stomach.

    ¡°You still don¡¯t get it,¡± Liana tweaks me, quite hard. ¡°We are changing into our avatars! It¡¯s really happening! Soon, you will have wings in real life. And so will I. Fefnir will have a tail, horns and scales. And Ingri¡­ whatever the Earthborn have, I have no idea how it¡¯s officially called, to be honest. Can you even imagine that? And what if it won¡¯t stop at a purely physical level? What if we¡¯ll have our skills and magic even here?¡±

    ¡°Magic? You serious?¡±

    ¡°Total serious,¡± she nods. ¡°But even without any actual magic, we won¡¯t look human anymore. Whatever is happening, it¡¯s changing our very DNA.¡±

    ¡°Right, time for another photo shoot,¡± Erik grabs his phone and takes a photo of my face this time. ¡°Look.¡±

    I freeze for a moment. My hair continues to whiten from the scalp, does is actually grow really fast? I¡¯d swear my hair is at least four centimetres longer. And my eyes, my originally dark eyes, start to look much brighter.

    ¡°We can¡¯t know if our ingame levels will mean anything here, probably not,¡± Liana continues. ¡°Even if we develop mana, we¡¯ll have to learn everything from the scratch. I doubt just saying a made-up fictional word will actually produce a spell. But it seems immersion levels have a significant effect and yours was the highest.¡±

    ¡°You could have mentioned you¡¯re the Emperor ingame,¡± Erik pokes me. ¡°Liana told on you while you were asleep.¡±

    ¡°Just a glorified guild master,¡± I set things straight. ¡°A VR celebrity, nothing more.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, we must presume that the developers together with doctors and various scientists will be probably very interested in examining you and other race rulers as well when they find out what¡¯s really going on,¡± Liana says. ¡°So unless you want to become their lab rat¡­¡±

    ¡°But where should I go?¡± I feel desperate. I¡¯ve always considered this apartment to be my safe haven. And now it¡¯s not.

    ¡°You can stay at my place,¡± Erik offers readily. ¡°There¡¯s nothing connecting me to you. They¡¯d never find you.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I was thinking about my place,¡± Liana coughs. ¡°Sorry, Erik, I know that you¡¯re Ryuuto¡¯s boyfriend but you can¡¯t protect him if it comes to the worst. If the government decides this is a matter of national security and Ryuuto¡¯s quick transformation can help their scientists to crack it as soon as possible, they won¡¯t hesitate to take him by force.¡±

    ¡°And you can?¡± Erik is offended. ¡°Who are you, anyway? Liana, a fake nickname. A fictional viceroy in some fantasy game. That¡¯s all we know about you.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Liana smiles mysteriously. ¡°I¡¯m just the owner and CEO of AstraTech, one of the richest and most influential people in Europe.¡±

 7. My Viceroy is a CEO

    ¡°No way! You¡¯re THE Laura Richter?¡± Fefnir opens his mouth wide and stares at her.

    And he¡¯s not the only one¡ªwho wouldn¡¯t know about AstraTech¡¯s mysterious owner who is known to be adamantly rejecting all attempts for interviews and hates to be photographed. I think I once saw a rare photo of her on the Internet but I hardly ever pay attention to these things so her face wasn¡¯t familiar when we met in the restaurant.

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s right,¡± Liana simply nods.

    She acts nonchalant about it but I can feel she¡¯s a bit nervous. I wasn¡¯t able to identify such subtle nuances before but with my levelled-up telepathy I can tell that she¡¯s afraid we won¡¯t see her in the same light as before¡ªas one of our gaming buddies. I guess rich people have it tough as well, just in different aspects of life.

    ¡°B-but¡­ why would someone like you play VR games?¡± he shakes his head in disbelief.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± she raises her eyebrows. ¡°CEOs are people too, you know. And come on, you make it sound as if VR games are only for losers with no life.¡±

    ¡°W-well¡­ of course not,¡± Fefnir admits because it¡¯d mean he¡¯s one of those losers. ¡°I just didn¡¯t think have-it-all people would play hardcore RPG games.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my means of relaxation,¡± Liana says, ¡°to become someone else and forget about the mundane at least for a while. Isn¡¯t it the same for all of you?¡±

    I get it; someone like Laura Richter must be constantly facing unimaginable pressure and unending workload. She probably plays Draconia to escape it in a similar way I use VR to escape the unending avalanche of emotions from other people.

    ¡°So,¡± Fefnir¡¯s expression brightens and his emotional state changes. The shock is digested, now he¡¯s amused. ¡°You started playing Draconia and ironically end up being the Celestial viceroy. How is that relaxing?¡±

    ¡°It¡­ got a bit out of hand,¡± Liana sighs. ¡°I¡¯m a workaholic and an over-achiever and it seems I can¡¯t help it even in the virtual world. I never planned to be the viceroy but as that title automatically goes to the second best Celestial player, I inevitably became one.¡±

    ¡°And then you saw how hopeless Aefener is at planning anything that isn¡¯t combat-related,¡± Fefnir chuckles, ¡°and just couldn¡¯t ignore it?¡±

    ¡°Pretty much,¡± she shrugs. ¡°Once a manager, always a manager I guess.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always thought you must be some kind of manager in real life,¡± I smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re still Liana to us.¡±

    She smiles back, looking grateful. It seems like a big deal for her and I suddenly feel the urge to explore her mind. There¡¯re so many contradictory things in her that I can¡¯t help but to be fascinated.

    Erik clutches my hand. Is he jealous that I¡¯m so interested in her? But it¡¯s not like I can seriously fall for my viceroy, being a woman and all, so I send that reassurance telepathically to him together with a thought: Don¡¯t be silly, I love only you.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m perfectly capable of giving Aefener asylum,¡± Liana continues with the original topic. ¡°My mansion has its own security service and I can accommodate even you guys if you want. Not Ingri, though, she goes back to her parents.¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on,¡± Ingri finally speaks up as she¡¯s been silent for a while. ¡°Don¡¯t treat me like a kid, I¡¯m seventeen already. I want to go with you. What do you think will happen when my parents find out? They¡¯ll send me to hospital for sure.¡±

    ¡°Your symptoms are slow, your immersion level wasn¡¯t that high, right?¡± Liana opposes. ¡°Aefener needs protection because they¡¯d most probably treat him as patient zero but you¡¯re just one of million other players. Doctors won¡¯t be particularly interested; they¡¯ll go after high-levels.¡±

    They start to argue but their heated debate is paused by my cry. The swellings start to itch all of a sudden and it¡¯s almost unbearable.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t scratch it,¡± Erik catches my hand.

    Fefnir quickly examines my back. His touches mitigate the itching a little bit but he¡¯s not scratching my back either. I whine and beg but nothing softens them to allow me some relief.

    ¡°I suspect your wings are getting ready to come out,¡± Fefnir observes.

    ¡°From under the skin?¡± I gasp. ¡°H-how?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll have to split the skin,¡± he says slowly. ¡°They can¡¯t stay inside for much longer considering how fast they¡¯re growing. Probably the sooner they come out, the better for you. It shouldn¡¯t hurt so much if they grow outside your back.¡±

    ¡°Were your ingame wings big?¡± Erik is curious. ¡°Or just symbolic?¡±

    ¡°Huuuuuge,¡± Fefnir smirks.

    ¡°We know nothing so far, they might not be as big here,¡± Liana objects.

    ¡°They must be if you really want to be able to fly,¡± Fefnir insists.

    ¡°Birds have different bones than humans,¡± Ingri remarks. Is biology her hobby so she chose to play as an Earthborn? ¡°Can¡¯t it be the reason why your whole body is hurting? You might need to get hollow bones to make your skeleton lighter for flying.¡±

    ¡°Oh, hollow, haven¡¯t thought of that,¡± I clutch my chest. ¡°I do feel weak, you may be right.¡±

    I shiver and Erik hugs me more tightly. I¡¯m scared shitless and I don¡¯t freak out only because I have no energy for that right now. Erik keeps comforting me by sending me lots of love.

    Whatever happens, I¡¯m staying with you, he says in his thoughts and I honestly don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without him.

    ¡°Did you come up with some theories why it¡¯s happening when I was passed out?¡± I ask to distract myself and stop from developing a panic attack.

    ¡°Sure, one theory crazier that the other,¡± Fefnir says. ¡°I¡¯m in favour of a massive genetic experiment done by some super secret organisation tinkering with VR while Liana¡¯s theory is more mystical.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not really if you think about it,¡± she shakes her head. ¡°I proposed some kind of rapid evolution. Our brains are spending lots of time in VR and who says another evolutional leap cannot happen in accordance to what our brains believe in?¡±

    ¡°That is quite mystical,¡± I say, ¡°but it doesn¡¯t sound so far-fetched considering the circumstances. I¡¯m prepared to believe anything at this point.¡±

    ¡°I proposed aliens,¡± Ingri boasts but she suddenly sniffs and furiously looks around. ¡°Aefener, do you have a plant in your apartment? I smell something¡­ green.¡±

    ¡°A small cactus near the window in my kitchen,¡± I reply, confused about the off-topic question. ¡°It was a present.¡±

    Ingri behaves as if she¡¯s almost in a trance. She runs off and brings the plant with her. She gently pats it, totally mesmerised.

    ¡°Ingri¡¯s Earthborn powers are awakening I bet,¡± Fefnir comments.

    ¡°They probably are, I can feel something,¡± Ingri whispers, charmed by the little succulent. ¡°You don¡¯t give it enough care, Aefener. Shame on you.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I know nothing about plants. I¡¯m surprised it was able to survive at all in my care,¡± I say guiltily. ¡°You can have it if you want.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll nurse this poor thing,¡± Ingri nods.

    ¡°Another breakthrough discovery,¡± Liana coughs to clear her throat. ¡°But back to the main topic. We should move Aefener immediately before he¡¯s not able to travel at all. Fefnir, any idea how long does he have?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, hard to say,¡± Fefnir thoroughly examines my swellings again. ¡°There¡¯s no way of telling but unless the transformation is meant to kill him then judging by the speed of the growth I¡¯d say a day or two?¡±

    I stop breathing for a moment. Could I be killed by my own wings? Bleed out when they try to come out? If it¡¯s some sick government experiment, who says the first test subjects have to survive it?

    ¡°Don¡¯t even say that word out loud!¡± Erik berates him. ¡°Ryuu is going to be fine.¡±

    ¡°Aefener,¡± Liana sits next to me and speaks softly. ¡°I know that you don¡¯t want to leave your home but they¡¯ll certainly come for you when they put one and one together. Maybe they already did and are just looking for ways how to circumvent your confidentiality contract and get your address from the developers. It won¡¯t take them long I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you just too pessimistic?¡± Fefnir opposes. ¡°Sure, they might take him to hospital and run a few tests but it¡¯s not like they¡¯re going to dissect him. He¡¯s an EU citizen and has his rights.¡±

    ¡°We might lose our human rights if the EU government decides we¡¯re not technically human anymore,¡± Liana frowns. ¡°Human rights are a fragile thing.¡±

    ¡°Give us a few minutes alone to think it through,¡± Erik asks. ¡°Can you wait in the kitchen?¡±

    ¡°Okay, I need to eat something anyway,¡± Liana nods.

    ¡°God, me too,¡± Fefnir agrees and his stomach grumbles as if in response.

    ¡°You ate just,¡± Ingri denounces him. ¡°Two whole meals that were meant for Aefener and Erik.¡±

    ¡°So what, I¡¯m a growing Dragonkin,¡± he states proudly. ¡°I need energy for my tail, horns and scales.¡±

    Everyone leaves my bedroom and it¡¯s finally quiet.

    ¡°So do we have a conventional discussion or your special way?¡± Erik winks.

    ¡°My way,¡± I hug him firmly. ¡°I need to feel you all the way.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m flattered, just don¡¯t get lost in it, okay? We really have to think this through,¡± he says, all serious.

    I nod but I still initiate it with kissing as I found out it¡¯s the fastest method that works for me. I do get lost, just for a moment. Then I hold back and we start discussing. It¡¯s still very new to me¡ªthis two-way highway. And it turns out that also much more effective. We don¡¯t need to formulate our thoughts into sounds and our emotions add another layer of meaning.

    Do you feel she can be trusted? Erik¡¯s mind is anxious. What if she¡¯s part of it somehow? I mean¡­ AstraTech¡¯s owner playing as your ingame viceroy? What¡¯s the chance of that?

    There¡¯s no cheating in Draconia, she really is the second best Celestial player, I defend her. I¡¯ve known her for six years now. Do you think someone would be willing to spend so much time in the game if they wouldn¡¯t enjoy it?

    Well, AstraTech doesn¡¯t do business in VR, but still¡­

    I trust her. Even if we have known each other only ingame, I consider her my friend.

    Do you trust her based on your ingame experience or did you check her telepathically?

    Both.

    Oh, Ryuu, it¡¯s still crazy. What¡¯s going to happen to the world?

    I have no answer for that. He gently touches my wings under the skin. He doesn¡¯t feel repulsed which is a good sign? Will he love me when I become a completely different species?

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°Of course I will,¡± he answers aloud. ¡°I love you as you are, wings or not.¡±

    I shiver with happiness. I¡¯m so scared but with Erik by my side I feel like I can overcome anything. If I survive the transformation and Erik still finds me attractive, I can do this. Come what may. I kiss him again and our connection deepens. I bathe in his generous love and give him my love in return.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ love birds? Are you talking about it or doing something entirely else?¡± Liana¡¯s irritated voice takes us back to reality. She¡¯s standing in the door and we¡¯re lucky that from her standing point it simply looks like we¡¯re cuddling. ¡°You¡¯ve been at it for half an hour and I see you¡¯re not even talking.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s going,¡± Erik says quickly. ¡°I hate to admit it but you¡¯re the best option under current circumstances. So does it mean we¡¯re going to Berlin?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she nods.

    ¡°I¡¯m going too,¡± Ingri pushes her head under Liana¡¯s forearm because my viceroy is blocking the door. ¡°I¡¯ve made Liana talk to my parents and after some negotiation they agreed.¡±

    ¡°They did?¡± I¡¯m astonished. ¡°I thought they¡¯re super strict?¡±

    ¡°As every teenager, Ingri was exaggerating,¡± Liana rolls her eyes. ¡°They¡¯re quite reasonable.¡±

    ¡°And they¡¯re scared shitless,¡± Fefnir finishes. ¡°They¡¯re glued to the news and totally against sending Ingri to hospital when they saw how overcrowded they got with the panic. Liana has better access to healthcare.¡±

    ¡°Okay, they aren¡¯t so bad,¡± Ingri admits. ¡°They¡¯d rather let me go to Germany than face unforeseen complications or be tested on like some experiment.¡±

    It¡¯s surprising to me that they let her go but on the other hand it¡¯s not like Liana is some evil corporate overlord. And if she has private doctors she can call, it would convince even Ingri¡¯s parents.

    ¡°Start packing,¡± Liana concludes. ¡°We don¡¯t have that much time considering your condition and we need to stop at everybody¡¯s place for their stuff.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pack for you,¡± Erik offers because I¡¯m too sickly. ¡°Just tell me what you can¡¯t live without and point me in that direction.¡±

    It¡¯s really hard to decide. I¡¯ve never been on an actual packing holiday or a long trip so I have no idea what I¡¯d need.

    ¡°I¡¯ll provide all basic stuff so no need to bring things like a towel and toothbrush,¡± Liana reassures me.

    ¡°Do you have anything other than geeky clothes?¡± Erik shakes his head when he opens my wardrobe.

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Nerd.¡±

    He packs two t-shirts, my favourite hoodie and enough underwear for a week. Liana tells him that one week isn¡¯t only optimistic, it¡¯s blatantly na?ve. So he packs some more.

    ¡°And my phone and laptop, of course. And don¡¯t forget my e-reader. And my Nintendo handheld. And¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going on beach holiday,¡± Liana intervenes when Erik gets desperate because my backpack is full already. ¡°You¡¯re growing wings, stupid. I doubt you¡¯ll have time or be in a mood for anything else besides that.¡±

    ¡°I know but playing games or reading books helps me with anxiety and might help me not focus on pain that much,¡± I murmur. ¡°I really can¡¯t live without these four things and who knows when I¡¯m returning.¡±

    ¡°Possibly never,¡± Fefnir remarks.

    I look at him, horrified.

    ¡°Don¡¯t scare him more than is necessary,¡± Liana slaps him over his back. ¡°We just need to hide him until his case isn¡¯t that super rare anymore. When all players start visibly growing extra limbs, he¡¯ll be safe again.¡±

    Erik packs a few more items and I¡¯m good to go. Although, go isn¡¯t the right word for it, I have to be carried. I¡¯m too weak to even stand at this point so Erik has to carry me like a princess. If it was in a normal situation, I¡¯d thoroughly enjoy it. To ease the pain, he puts a pillow between his hand and my back.

    ¡°Now it¡¯s handy that you¡¯re so light, skinny. You okay?¡± he asks me because I twitch when we come out of my apartment.

    ¡°Erik, what if I never return here?¡± I shiver. ¡°I do consider it my home.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Of course you¡¯re going to return. Why wouldn¡¯t you?¡± he smiles at me.

    He¡¯s not sure, though. And he knows that I feel it from him. But he says it anyway.

    *****

    It turns out everyone lives in different parts of Prague; Ingri actually lives in a village twenty kilometres away. We first stop by Erik¡¯s place and wait for him to pack. I feel uneasy without him¡ªdo I crave him that badly or is it because I feel so vulnerable right now?¡ªbut he¡¯s really quick about it. Unlike me, he knows perfectly well where his things are.

    ¡°What about your work?¡± I realise.

    ¡°I have lots of unused holiday,¡± he says. ¡°I¡¯ve never had a reason to take it. Now I do.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sacrificing your precious off days for me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, you¡¯re the best reason.¡±

    Fefnir takes much longer. We wait for him in the car outside of his university dormitory. When he comes back with two camping bags, he looks pissed.

    ¡°My flat-mates are jerks,¡± he grunts. ¡°They know that I play Draconia so they treated me as if I was infectious or something. If that¡¯s how they treat me now, how is the world going to react to us when people find out the whole truth?¡±

    At last, we arrive at Ingri¡¯s place. Her parents have a traditional rural house with a huge garden. They greet their daughter on the porch; Ingri¡¯s luggage is already prepared because she called her mom in advance. They keep hugging her and talking for several minutes. They must really love her. At least someone has a nice family.

    The trunk is overstuffed now. It¡¯s fortunate that Liana chose such a spacious model or five people with baggage wouldn¡¯t be able to fit.

    ¡°Are your parents gardeners?¡± Liana asks.

    ¡°My Dad is a botanist, my Mom designs gardens,¡± Ingri says and keeps my cactus on her lap. ¡°I love plants too, obviously. That¡¯s why I chose to play as an Earthborn in the first place.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense. Scared of becoming a plant yourself?¡± Fefnir asks bluntly.

    ¡°Fefnir, don¡¯t be a prick,¡± Liana reproaches him.

    ¡°What? I just prefer direct questions,¡± he shrugs.

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not,¡± Ingri replies calmly. ¡°There was an initial shock but when I felt Aefener¡¯s cactus, something in me moved. I look forward to being able to connect to nature even if it means my body is going to change significantly. And we¡¯re not plants, geez! We just overtake certain vegetal characteristics that are beneficial for us. Why is it so difficult for other races to comprehend?¡±

    ¡°The Earthborn are quite peculiar,¡± I explain to Erik. ¡°The simplest definition would describe them as genetic engineers. They can analyze genetic information and alter their bodies.¡±

    We finally depart. I¡¯d prefer to clinch to Erik and not push my hurting back unnecessarily but Liana insists on seat belts again. This time for a different reason.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be stopped by the police for some nonsense,¡± she says. ¡°The world is panicking and the EU government might want to control the movement between states.¡±

    She has a point so I stop arguing with her. The pain in my back is getting worse and worse but I take another painkiller and the cushion helps too.

    When we finally leave the extended Prague district and hit the highway to Germany, I fall asleep on Erik¡¯s shoulder, comfortable under a warm blanket.

    *****

    ¡°Ryuu, wake up,¡± Erik gently shakes me.

    ¡°W-what?¡± I blink, perplexed where we are.

    ¡°We¡¯re here. You¡¯ve been sleeping the whole journey,¡± he explains.

    ¡°C-cold,¡± I shiver. ¡°Oooh, I need the bathroom!¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, maybe we should have woken you when we took a break, sorry,¡± he wraps me in the blanket and takes me into his arms again. I silently hiss¡ªmy wings kept growing during our travel so Erik¡¯s touch is very painful even if he uses the pillow for support.

    I look around and find that we¡¯re in an underground parking lot. It¡¯s not that big but then I realise all these expensive cars must belong to Liana only. Damn, why would someone need so many of them? Simply because they can? In Liana¡¯s case, I guess she really must love driving.

    Liana, or rather Laura Richter, is talking to her employees a few metres away. They¡¯re already taking out baggage to the elevator. They¡¯re wearing butler, maid or security uniforms. Wow, I¡¯m seeing actual maid uniforms! So these things still exist?

    ¡°Okay, follow me, please,¡± Liana waves at us.

    The employees are eyeing us. Did she tell them at least vaguely what¡¯s going? Do they even know their employer plays VR games? I capture their suspiciousness. Our visit must be out of character for Liana.

    I try not to stare but I probably do. Liana¡¯s mansion is unbelievable. How can someone even accumulate this much wealth? The house has a modern minimalistic style, almost no excess stuff, but it still manages to appear super luxurious. It¡¯s not a mansion, it¡¯s a palace.

    ¡°I never host guests in my house but, thankfully, I do have two guest rooms. Hana insisted,¡± Liana says.

    ¡°Who¡¯s Hana?¡± Fefnir asks, also staring at everything around.

    ¡°My most trusted housekeeper,¡± she says. ¡°Ah, here she is. Let me introduce you.¡±

    Hana turns out to be a lady in her sixties with sharp eyes, hair tied into a bun and perfect maid visage. Liana must have called her about our situation when I was asleep because Hana doesn¡¯t look that surprised. Her emotions are mixed. On one hand she¡¯s totally devoted to her employer, on the other the prospect of us soon turning into completely different species frightens her. A genuine reaction, to be honest.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get this young man into bed,¡± Hana goes for the most practical solution in front of her. I feel she¡¯s trying to suppress anxiety by making herself busy with tasks.

    Even guest rooms, according to Liana never used, are luxurious and spacious. I¡¯d expect nothing less from such a mansion.

    ¡°Okay, Aefener and Erik obviously stay together,¡± Liana instructs us. ¡°Ingri, would you mind sharing a room with Fefnir? Hana will separate the beds, of course. We can make better arrangements later.¡±

    ¡°No problem,¡± the girl shrugs.

    ¡°Bathroooooom,¡± I beg.

    Erik smirks and takes me there. Everyone is busy unpacking when we return.

    ¡°Food is ready, Madam,¡± Hana reservedly looks inside. ¡°Should we bring it here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please, Ryuuto is too weak for the dining room,¡± Liana agrees and uses my real name with her.

    Three servants come in and bring numerous plates on food trolleys. Liana says thanks in German and dismisses them. Hana stays a little longer just to put a table sheet on the bed in case we make a mess and then leaves.

    Everybody sits down and we dig in, not worried about appearances. It¡¯s food for at least ten people but I think we¡¯ll finish all of it.

    ¡°Our transformation must require a lot of calories,¡± Fefnir contemplates. ¡°We¡¯re super hungry every few hours.¡±

    ¡°Something tells me you¡¯re always super hungry,¡± Ingri teases him while she¡¯s pouring olive oil on the salad.

    ¡°I do lots of sport,¡± Fefnir goes for roast beef.

    ¡°Oh, come on, Ryuu, have some protein,¡± Erik is trying to force me to eat baked chicken. My hands are shaking so much that Erik decided to feed me. ¡°You can have a dessert after a proper meal.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± I struggle with him.

    ¡°You really do have a horrible diet,¡± he frowns. ¡°Your body needs protein now more than ever. You¡¯re growing wings, for God¡¯s sake.¡±

    He puts a fork with a chicken piece under my nose.

    ¡°Oooh, I think I¡¯m gonna puke again!¡± the smell irritates my stomach immediately.

    ¡°Erik, don¡¯t!¡± Liana stops Erik from trying to force a fork down my throat. She hits her forehead as if she¡¯s just realised something. Judging by her excited emotion, she has.

    ¡°Everyone, stop for a moment and look at the meal you¡¯ve chosen,¡± she tells us.

    ¡°Whut?¡± Fefnir¡¯s mouth is full of beef.

    ¡°Oh, I get it,¡± Ingri is the first one to understand. ¡°We¡¯ve instinctively chosen food according to our future races.¡±

    ¡°Some explanation, please?¡± Erik implores.

    ¡°I took salad,¡± Ingri starts explaining. ¡°Earthborn are vegans in the game. You went immediately for meat, Fefnir. You didn¡¯t even bother with potatoes or dumplings because Dragonkin are carnivores. Liana chose pasta with lots of cheese, Celestials are vegetarians.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right!¡± Fefnir nods furiously. ¡°Aefener, what were the meals that upset your stomach?¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± I start thinking. ¡°I had Thai at Erik¡¯s, it had fish in it. Later I had some lasagne which contained ham. At the restaurant, I ordered pancakes with eggs and spinach but there were pieces of ham again. Before we left Prague, I had cheese pizza. My stomach was okay after that. So you think¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, afraid so,¡± Liana says. ¡°Our digestive systems are changing as well. For me, Fefnir and Ingri it seems to be starting with mild taste preferences but I bet you can no longer digest meat. Now you can¡¯t even bear to smell it.¡±

    ¡°Okay, got it,¡± Erik comes to terms with it quickly and changes baked chicken for pasta, following Liana¡¯s example. ¡°Still no sweets for you as the main course but we can forget about meat.¡±

    I finish the whole plate under five minutes and even ask for a second helping.

    ¡°So? Does your stomach feel alright?¡± Erik asks me, concerned.

    ¡°Seems so,¡± I nod. ¡°Can I have some dessert now, please?¡±

    My gaming friends are giggling at our interaction which brightens the otherwise tense atmosphere.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anybody eat so poorly and unbalanced,¡± Erik shakes his head. ¡°I¡¯ll keep checking your diet from now on.¡±

    ¡°That sounds menacing,¡± I¡¯m almost worried what it entails.

    ¡°Try this one,¡± Liana points at one of the cakes.

    I give it a try and¡­.

    ¡°Heavenly Lemon Cake!¡± I exclaim, astonished. ¡°But how¡­?¡±

    ¡°Many attempts and errors in the kitchen,¡± Liana grins. ¡°I asked Hana to replicate it and just two months ago she was finally successful. I was thinking about posting the recipe online for all players to enjoy, but that was before all this.¡±

    When servants take away empty dishes, Erik helps me to lie down on my left side. I was acting cheerful during our meal but it exhausted me completely.

    ¡°Fever doesn¡¯t go away no matter how many pills he takes,¡± he¡¯s worried.

    ¡°It might be a good thing,¡± Fefnir says. ¡°When ill, high temperature helps the body.¡±

    Liana chews her lip and looks at me. ¡°So¡­ do we post it? It¡¯s your decision, Aefener.¡±

    I¡¯m really glad that she¡¯s not forcing me. Being given a choice is always nice even though I feel I have to do it¡ªlike I somehow owe it to other players. Funny, do I think like the true Emperor now? I do feel obligated to my fellow gamers.

    Not wanting to go to hospital because they would find out about my telepathy is one thing but this is a safe method how to convey important information without endangering myself. We need to document it. What if I¡¯m going to need help with the process but some players will go through their transformation alone and die? I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with myself if a few videos could prevent it.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I say firmly. ¡°The players and doctors need to know what to expect.¡±

    ¡°How do we go about it?¡± Erik stays sceptical. ¡°I don¡¯t want Ryuuto to suffer any negative consequences by making his case public. Being labelled as patient zero is never a good thing.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we brought him here in the first place,¡± Liana assures him. ¡°I¡¯ll shelter him for as long as necessary. And it¡¯s not as if Aefener¡¯s condition is infectious so there shouldn¡¯t be negative consequences, only extreme publicity.¡±

    I gulp, ¡®only¡¯ she says. It sounds so simple. I should be used to publicity, being a famous streamer, but I¡¯ve never shown my real face. I don¡¯t want to start with it now so we decide that I¡¯ll be lying on my stomach, not facing the camera, and Fefnir will try to describe my condition to the audience off screen. Liana won¡¯t be connected to the video at all.

    ¡°Uff, my back looks like this now?¡± I¡¯m dazed when we review it. Unless someone argues our video is a total fake, there¡¯s no mistaking what¡¯s going on.

    My wings got so big that their bone structure is super visible under the skin. No wonder I can¡¯t sit leaning back without a pillow. And that¡¯s not all, feathers kept developing as well and areas around the swellings are now covered with tiny fluff. White, of course, so everyone will probably get the same colour as ingame. And instantly recognise it¡¯s me.

    ¡°Can you really post it so that the source can¡¯t be tracked, Li?¡± Erik asks, still not fully comfortable with the idea, but he perceives my determination and why I feel obligated to do it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I own some of the best encryption protocols.¡±

    I can¡¯t keep my eyes open any longer.

    *****

    A heated argument wakes me up. I blink, confused for a moment. Then I remember that I¡¯m lying in Liana¡¯s guest room so I calm down. I feel weak. So weak. My whole body is hurting as if thousands little needles were piercing every cell of my body.

    ¡°You¡¯re too loud,¡± I whisper a complaint. ¡°Take it to another room, I¡¯m still sleepy.¡±

    ¡°Aefener,¡± Liana is furious.

    ¡°Did something happen?¡± I¡¯m wide awake in an instant. ¡°Did they track it to you? How long was I sleeping?¡±

    ¡°Two hours and they didn¡¯t have to,¡± Erik sighs and carefully caresses my fluffy feathers.

    ¡°There¡¯s a leaker in the mansion,¡± Fefnir clutches his fists. ¡°Now the whole world knows where you are and that Laura Richter is also involved.¡±

 8. Having Wings Isnâ€™t My Biggest Problem

    A leaker. That word lands heavily, especially on Liana.

    ¡°Someone betrayed me,¡± she hisses. ¡°Who would have the nerve¡­?¡±

    ¡°Who knew about the video?¡± Fefnir frowns.

    ¡°No one, I uploaded it myself in the security room,¡± Liana says. ¡°Only Hana knows that I play Draconia and you¡¯re my ingame friends but I trust her completely.¡±

    ¡°One of the other servants then?¡± Ingri suggests. ¡°The video went viral and when they saw it, they must have recognised the guest room.¡±

    ¡°How many views?¡± I ask. I¡¯m used to my videos having over million views but they¡¯ve never gone truly viral. Hardcore VR games are popular but still appealing only to a specific target audience.

    Erik hugs me in advance and slowly says: ¡°Literally the whole world?¡±

    ¡°Until our video was released, the media were treating it as a strange anomaly, most probably a defect in VR helmets so not everyone took notice,¡± Fefnir explains. ¡°Well¡­ that changed even though lots of people still argue the video might be fake.¡±

    ¡°The leaker connected you to Laura Richter so your safe haven is no longer a secret,¡± Erik keeps hugging me which I really appreciate. I¡¯m this close to a panic attack.

    ¡°I can still protect you just fine,¡± Liana reassures me. ¡°AstraTech¡¯s city district is an autonomous area, the EU government has only limited jurisdiction here. I was hoping to keep your whereabouts secret but right now I¡¯m more concerned that there¡¯s an employee I can¡¯t trust.¡±

    I open my mouth but I close it so quickly that nobody notices I wanted to say something. My immediate idea was to find the culprit with my telepathy but I¡¯d reveal my telepathy that way.

    I think they¡¯d take it well, Erik says in his thoughts.

    Maybe, but us transforming into our avatars is too much already, I answer.

    Still, I¡¯m surprised that I¡¯m even considering it a possibility for the future. Could I eventually open up to more people than just Erik? But I¡¯ve been hiding it for so long that I can¡¯t just bring myself to tell them¡­ at least not yet.

    I suddenly feel sharp pain as my wings jerk violently. If Erik wasn¡¯t holding me and I wasn¡¯t sitting on the bed, I¡¯d collapse.

    ¡°Shit, they¡¯re starting to cut through the skin,¡± Fefnir checks my back and gulps.

    ¡°So soon?¡± Liana gasps. ¡°The doctor isn¡¯t here yet.¡±

    ¡°Y-you c-called a-a doctor?¡± I cough.

    ¡°Of course I did, dummy,¡± she shakes her head. ¡°What¡¯s the point of having the best healthcare possible if I don¡¯t use it when necessary?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be okay,¡± Erik whispers into my ear and carefully lies me down. ¡°We can do this.¡±

    ¡°Hana!¡± Liana calls the housekeeper. She appears in the door in a few seconds and judging by her expression she got the gist of the situation with a single look.

    ¡°I¡¯ll fetch clean towels, hot water, bandages and a disinfectant,¡± she runs away.

    ¡°We might not have time to call an ambulance if he bleeds too much,¡± Fefnir¡¯s hands are shaking. ¡°I¡¯m no doctor. I just do massages and tell people how to exercise.¡±

    Everybody looks at Erik. He was boasting about having a medical training after all.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ I¡¯m a helicopter pilot, guys,¡± his voice cracks. ¡°I have some basic training but I always sit in the cockpit flying to hospital while doctors do their job.¡±

    I scream again. I wanted to grab Erik¡¯s hand but I must have moved some muscles connected to the wings instead. It takes my breath away and I gasp desperately for air. My friends freeze but just for a fleeting moment.

    Fefnir and Erik turn me on my stomach. Erik holds my right hand, telling in his thoughts to access his mind for comfort. I don¡¯t. Instead, I close my mind completely. I¡¯m sure I wouldn¡¯t be able to contain my pain this time.

    ¡°Did I tell you that I¡¯m afraid of blood, guys?¡± Ingri says in a high-pitched voice.

    Liana tries to act like she has things under control but it couldn¡¯t be further from how she truly feels right now. Fefnir is prepared to hold me by brute force if needed but he¡¯s scared he will hurt me. Erik is assuring me that it¡¯s going to be okay and is sending me tons of love. I hungrily gobble it.

    These are the people I can trust I realise as pain grows stronger and stronger by the minute. If I survive this, I¡¯ll take another step in my openness quest. I¡¯ll tell Erik that I love him and I¡¯ll keep telling him until it gets annoying. I¡¯ll make friends in real life. Later, I might even tell them about my telepathy.

    The door bursts open. I can¡¯t see the person from my position but I can feel them.

    ¡°Sorry, the traffic was terrible,¡± a woman¡¯s voice is panting and then she must see my back because she exclaims: ¡°Sheisse! I didn¡¯t want to believe you, Miss Richter, but it¡¯s true?!¡±

    ¡°No time to explain things, did you see the news and the video?¡± Liana throws her a disinfectant.

    ¡°I did¡­ in the car,¡± she gulps, takes off her coat and cleans her hands. ¡°I have no expertise for this!¡±

    ¡°Nobody does,¡± Liana cuts her excuses. ¡°You¡¯re here to make sure he won¡¯t bleed out. I¡¯ll pay you triple¡­ or whatever it takes to keep Ryuuto alive.¡±

    The doctor sits next to me and with trembling hands carefully touches my back. Her emotions and thoughts hit me and I have to make an effort not to enter her mind.

    ¡°Bones¡­ they¡¯re really bones,¡± she gasps.

    ¡°Ah!¡± I scream because the wings move again.

    She jerks her hand away, astonished and a little bit disgusted. I guess it¡¯s not a nice sight to see something unnatural moving under the skin. I¡¯m really glad all I feel from Erik is love. Others are scared but I don¡¯t feel any disgust from them either.

    ¡°D-document it!¡± I manage to say but it irritates my lungs and I start coughing.

    ¡°Ryuu, no!¡± Erik violently shakes his head. ¡°It¡¯s too intimate and¡­¡±

    ¡°Do it, Li!¡± one syllable words are easier to pronounce.

    Liana nods, she was just waiting for my permission. I was determined to shoot my transformation since our first video and she suspected it. The world has to know what to expect. Or not the world, screw the world¡ªthe players have to know.

    My gaming friends¡­ and even players I don¡¯t know. People like Ingri who play just for occasional fun and are now becoming a totally different species. People who aren¡¯t lucky like me to have a loving boyfriend and a rich CEO to help them.

    The wings jerk violently and their joints start pushing against the skin. I can¡¯t imagine going though this alone. I would either bleed out or go crazy.

    ¡°They¡¯re coming out!¡± I scream and squeeze the pillow under my chin. Ingri gives me something to chew on so that I won¡¯t bite my tongue.

    My wings are pushing and pushing and every second feels like an hour. When they finally rip the skin, the world blurs and I feel warm blood dripping down my back.

    They try to speed the process by helping my wings out because they¡¯ve only partially emerged. Liana and Erik keep pulling, Fefnir is holding me down, Ingri is pouring disinfectant onto the wounds and the doctor is trying to stop the bleeding.

    ¡°Pull them out! Pull!¡± I hear Liana shouting but it¡¯s the last thing I hear.

    *****

    Hungry, so hungry. Exhausted. My whole body hurting, my back is sore. A weird sensation of new limbs. Twitching. Pins and needles all over my skin. A strange pulsating energy inside of me.

    Ryuu, Erik kisses me on my forehead. Open to me again, please.

    I do. I¡¯m confident I can contain my pain now.

    Did I manage¡­?

    Obviously, he laughs in his head.

    I slowly open my eyes. Erik is hugging me carefully, the doors are open and I can hear the news on.

    ¡°Majority of Draconia Online¡¯s players are experiencing mild pain, redness around areas of extra limbs they have ingame and great hunger every few hours. Symptoms of the person in the video are very advanced and might indicate a likely future for others if it¡¯s truly genuine.¡±

    ¡°The players claim that the person in question must be Aefener, one of the most famous VR streamers.¡±

    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    ¡°According to an anonymous source, Laura Richter, the owner of AstraTech, is currently harbouring Aefener. Their personal connection is still unknown.¡±

    Erik, are my wings¡­? I¡¯m afraid to ask.

    Beautiful, he assures me with a kiss.

    How long was I out?

    Eleven hours, you had us worried.

    We keep kissing, hungry for each other.

    ¡°Ryuu¡¯s up!¡± Fefnir looks into our room. ¡°Eh, they¡¯re at it again. Don¡¯t they ever have enough?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s never enough of boys¡¯ love,¡± Ingri¡¯s head appears in the doorway and she giggles.

    I imagine my transformation must have been quite nasty but the sheets on our bed were changed for clean ones and I survived which is all that matters. Plus, Fefnir and Ingri joking must be a good sign.

    Erik sighs as he¡¯d like to have more private time together but there¡¯re much more important things right now than cuddling. I need to eat¡­ and see my wings!

    Liana joins us, eyeing me. I try to turn my head but I¡¯m too weak to move a muscle. Hana discreetly enters the room and kindly positions a big mirror for me to see.

    ¡°Oh,¡± I let out a sigh of relief. ¡°They are¡­¡±

    ¡°Cute,¡± Erik finishes for me, grinning. ¡°Really, really cute.¡±

    The wings¡­ I expected them to be all dirty, wrinkled and ugly without feathers but they¡¯re surprisingly pretty. No blood and no wrinkled skin. Feathers need some time to fully grow but my wings are already covered in white fluff. Only the bandaged areas around them are a reminder of how rough it was when they came out.

    ¡°I washed them while you were sleeping,¡± Erik says proudly. I thank him with another kiss; it means a lot to me. My boyfriend washing my wings¡­ he really isn¡¯t repulsed by my new limbs!

    Erik then puts the mirror in front of me so that I can check my face. My eyes are completely golden now and hair continues to grow quickly. It looks a bit funny having two colours. I guess I¡¯ll need a haircut soon.

    ¡°Is the golden meaningful?¡± he asks.

    ¡°Celestial eyes are adjusted for bright sun,¡± I explain. ¡°On the other hand, we don¡¯t have very good night vision. Clawfangs and Dragonkin do.¡±

    My stomach rumbles, painfully.

    ¡°I¡¯m sooo hungry,¡± I lament.

    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Liana nods happily and calls her servants to heat the food for me.

    Erik gently pulls me to sit and hugs me on his lap. The door opens again and a woman wearing a white coat steps in. I didn¡¯t have a chance to see her face yesterday but I can tell by her telepathic imprint that she¡¯s the one who stopped my bleeding.

    ¡°The patient is awake,¡± she smiles, relieved. ¡°How do you feel?¡±

    ¡°As if I¡¯ve just run a marathon,¡± I say truthfully. ¡°Doctor¡­?¡±

    ¡°Julia Stein,¡± she introduces herself. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind I took some credit?¡±

    ¡°Credit?¡± I don¡¯t understand so I try to check her intentions telepathically. When she came, I felt only fear from her but right now what I perceive is¡­ pride? Enthusiastic anticipation even? Fascination?

    ¡°We posted the video of your transformation and Doctor Stein insisted she doesn¡¯t want her face blurred,¡± Erik explains quickly.

    ¡°It¡¯s a truly historic occasion I can be part of,¡± she grins and I feel no regrets from her.

    ¡°Dr Stein came to terms with the situation pretty fast,¡± Liana sighs. ¡°She demanded it as her payment.¡±

    ¡°And paid it did,¡± she says. ¡°I had countless video calls with other doctors and experts. The world is going crazy over your case.¡±

    She stretches her hand to touch my wings but I twitch on reflex and manage to move them. I gasp, it hurts like hell but at least I know I can indeed move them.

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± Stein¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°Controlling entire new limbs so soon? Contemplative studies agreed that even if we could grow something new, an adult brain wouldn¡¯t probably be able to handle it.¡±

    ¡°It feels the same as ingame,¡± I murmur.

    ¡°There were people who could never learn to move their virtual extra limbs,¡± Fefnir says. ¡°I think I once read almost 20% had to quit playing because of that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot but no wonder,¡± Dr Stein shrugs and finally touches my wings.

    I shiver and get goosebumps. She¡¯s examining me like some exquisite specimen and thanks to the direct touch I can clearly perceive her thoughts.

    What a fascinating mutation. How is such a thing possible? Is the human brain more potent than we¡¯ve ever thought imaginable? Will he be really able to fly? Damn, I have to move him to my clinic. This can earn me a Novel Prize if I crack it!

    ¡°That¡¯s quite enough, doc,¡± Erik softly slaps Stein over her hands because he feels my raising anxiety. ¡°Ryuuto has a phobia of doctors and you¡¯re scaring him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just examining¡­ doing my job,¡± Stein opposes.

    ¡°Examine me then,¡± Liana offers herself instead. ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t take long either since my compatibility level was 95%. I¡¯m starting to feel dizzy and my back is pretty swollen already. And my hair stars to change colour,¡± she points to a few millimetres from her scalp turning violet.

    ¡°I tried VR a few times,¡± Dr Stein comments. ¡°I could barely connect and hated the experience. To be honest, I¡¯d never suspect you¡¯re a gamer, Miss Richter.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to my room, doctor,¡± Liana gets up and takes the woman with her. The doctor gives me one more eager look before they disappear.

    I don¡¯t like her! I shout in my thoughts towards Erik.

    I don¡¯t like her either, he agrees. The moment she overcame the initial shock, she started plotting how to use the situation to her advantage.

    ¡°Oh, Deminas is calling me through Vortex,¡± Fefnir announces, holding his tablet. ¡°Do you mind if I put him on screen and switch on the camera?¡±

    ¡°O-okay,¡± I nod and Erik quickly wraps a blanket around my chest.

    An elderly man appears on the projector. I¡¯m surprised. I suspected the Dragonkin Patriarch has to be older than most of us but I didn¡¯t expect him to be this old¡ªhe¡¯s in his sixties. There aren¡¯t that many older people who can handle VR and that well on top of that.

    ¡°Hello Aefener, hi Fefnir,¡± he greets us.

    ¡°Lord Deminas, my liege,¡± Fefnir grins and cannot help himself to role-play a bit just to ease the atmosphere.

    I stare at Deminas and only a few seconds later realise how dumb I must look with my mouth open. Celestials look pretty human in the face but the Dragonkin are totally non-human. Deminas¡¯s eyes are starting to look lizard-like and that on his face¡­ is he developing scales?

    I turn to look at Fefnir properly. I was passed out for many hours since we arrived to Liana¡¯s mansion so everyone¡¯s symptoms must have progressed. I notice Fefnir¡¯s hands are reddened and his eyes a bit¡­ more yellow? And he sits awkwardly so I guess his tailbone must be swollen.

    ¡°Deminas, did you manage to hide?¡± I ask, worried.

    ¡°I did,¡± he nods. ¡°As soon as your video went viral, I fled to a cottage owned by one of my close friends. My wife is also with me.¡±

    ¡°Hi there,¡± an elegant lady briefly shows in front of the camera and waves at us.

    ¡°But seriously, Aefener, your wings are out,¡± he stares at me. ¡°I saw the second video but I still couldn¡¯t fully believe it.¡±

    ¡°Deminas, do you have someone with medical experience to help you with the transformation?¡± Fefnir says.

    ¡°My niece is a nurse,¡± he nods. ¡°But I don¡¯t think the Dragonkin will have it that dangerous. I¡¯m not saying less painful because our skeleton is quite different from humans and it already hurts terribly but fortunately we only have a tail that has to come out from under the skin.¡±

    ¡°Was my video too nasty?¡± I gulp. ¡°I didn¡¯t see it myself and I don¡¯t think I want to.¡±

    ¡°A bit gory, yes,¡± he admits. ¡°But the players had to see it. Especially Celestials because it was evident you wouldn¡¯t manage it if you didn¡¯t have help.¡±

    I shiver. So it¡¯s true, I¡¯d be dead without my friends. As I know myself, I wouldn¡¯t bring myself to call an ambulance and¡­ die in my apartment? Erik catches what I¡¯m thinking about and shivers as well. You wouldn¡¯t call even me? he asks. I don¡¯t answer.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m currently contacting all members of my guild and trying to get in touch with other guilds as well,¡± he says. ¡°I¡¯ve talked to Twyla and Werden but no luck contacting Emi.¡±

    ¡°Emi,¡± I whisper. The Clawfang Alpha¡ªone of my oldest gaming buddies. I hope she¡¯s okay.

    ¡°You should check your Vortex profile, Aefener,¡± Deminas reminds me. ¡°I know you were indisposed until now but I bet lots of people are trying to contact each other through you since your profile is public.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± I agree.

    ¡°Staying in touch then,¡± Deminas says and ends the call.

    ¡°Where¡¯s my phone anyway?¡± I try to look around but every tiny movement hurts like hell.

    Ingri passes the phone to me, she was apparently made the head of communication by Liana.

    ¡°Oh, Gotrid is calling again,¡± Ingri says, checking Fefnir¡¯s tablet. ¡°I was texting with him while you were passed out. He¡¯s worried even though I assured him you¡¯re okay.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Gotrid?¡± Erik raises his eyebrows because he feels something strange from me. Shit, my double-edged telepathy is working against me!

    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t¡­!¡±

    Too late, Ingri pushes ¡®answer via a video call¡¯ button and positions the tablet in front of us.

    ¡°My Emperor, are you okay? I saw the video, it looked torturous!¡± Gotrid blurts the moment he sees my face. What¡¯s worse¡ªhe¡¯s sitting on his bed, half naked.

    I swallow and my face turns red. I feel Erik getting pissed.

    ¡°Who¡¯re you?¡± he almost spits.

    ¡°Who¡¯re you?¡± Gotrid repeats, only with different intonation.

    ¡°I happen to be Ryuuto¡¯s boyfriend if that isn¡¯t obvious,¡± he clutches his teeth and holds me tighter.

    ¡°Damn, figures my cute Emperor would already be taken!¡± Gotrid whines dramatically which makes Erik fume.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, Gotrid,¡± I try to make myself sound like him being half naked is nothing special and I don¡¯t stare at his chest. ¡°How do you feel? Do you have someone to help you with the transformation? It¡¯s too dangerous to go through this alone.¡±

    ¡°I contacted my gaming buddies from New York, we¡¯ll try to establish a support group for those who dread hospitals and don¡¯t have relatives willing to take care of them,¡± he says. ¡°We¡¯ll manage somehow, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°S-stop addressing me like that,¡± I flinch. ¡°Now that we can¡¯t connect to the game anymore, I¡¯m nobody¡¯s Emperor.¡± Crap, does Erik feel I actually secretly like being teased by him?

    ¡°But I¡¯m looking at the Celestial Emperor right now,¡± he smirks. ¡°You look exactly as the lore says you should. And if you become the best magic caster and flier even here¡­¡±

    ¡°Talking about magic is premature,¡± I stop him. ¡°First we have to make sure that nobody dies during the transformation itself.¡±

    ¡°Mr Ryuuto, your food is here,¡± Hana enters the rooms and finally brings me something to eat. My mouth immediately waters.

    ¡°Ryuuto is busy. Bye!¡± Erik rudely ends the phone call.

    I want to berate him but the smell of the dish in front of me makes me forget everything else. It¡¯s a bit weird eating purely vegetarian now but I don¡¯t crave meat anymore and so far everything I tasted in Liana¡¯s mansion was super delicious.

    ¡°Do you want a bite?¡± I offer Erik part of my dessert.

    ¡°You know I don¡¯t really like sweets,¡± he shakes his head. ¡°Besides, I ate when you were sleeping.¡±

    Liana and Dr Stein return when Hana takes away empty dishes.

    ¡°Li, how do you feel? How far are you?¡± I ask and she sits on my bed.

    ¡°Feverish,¡± she says tiredly. ¡°We roughly estimated I¡¯m five days behind you.¡±

    ¡°One percent of previous VR compatibility possibly makes a day difference?¡± I deduce.

    ¡°I think the transformation might have started at the same time for everyone but the speed of progress is individual,¡± she nods. ¡°It¡¯s likely high-levels will have it very turbulent while lower levels will have more time for their bodies to adjust.¡±

    She gently pets my wings, thinking frantically. She¡¯s trying to imagine that in a few days she¡¯ll become a winged person herself and it scares and excites her at the same time. Nothing will be the same, nothing. I¡¯m this close to a mental breakdown. What will my employees say? How will the world react to us? Can I stay Laura Richter? Will I become Liana?

    Fefnir, who went back to checking the news after the phone call with Deminas, increases the volume on the holographic projector that¡¯s been running the whole time in the background. There¡¯s a debate between one of the experts and the commentator.

    ¡°There¡¯s no mistaking it now. Even those who argued Aefener¡¯s videos might be fake have to accept the truth now. The research proved that the players of Draconia Online are really turning into their virtual avatars. If it means only a purely physical change or also their ingame abilities remains unsure.¡±

    ¡°But how is such a thing even possible, Professor?¡±

    ¡°Truth to be told, we have no idea. Examining patient zero could tell us something but Laura Richter refuses to release him into our care.¡±

    All of a sudden, the commentator stops talking and for a few seconds listens to someone speaking to him through the headphone in his ear.

    ¡°We¡¯ve just got more breaking news!¡± the commentator says excitedly. ¡°The real identity of streamer known as Aefener is Ryuuto Rehak, a 24-year old university student from Prague. It seems the information was released anonymously after a hacker attack on Draconia¡¯s servers.¡±

    My real photo taken by TV producers from a school register appears on the screen.

    I freeze. My heart starts pounding wildly and I feel like I can¡¯t breathe. My limbs go numb, including my wings. A panic attack seizes me.

 9. I Can Do Magic IRL!

    ¡°Come on, breathe, Ryuu,¡± Erik is comforting me and lets me rest on his chest. My wings are trembling, mirroring my jarred emotions. Celestial wings are extremely sensitive according to the ingame lore and it seems they¡¯ll be super sensitive even here.

    I¡¯m with you, he adds in his thoughts.

    I hug him even tighter and try to adjust my erratic breathing to match his calm breath. I do believe him but at the same time I can¡¯t help it¡ªall I feel right now is dread. My two videos went viral and now my real identity is out as well which means that literally the whole world knows me. I imagine lots of people would be ecstatic about such a thing happening to them but there¡¯s nothing worse for a hiding telepath than crazy public attention.

    ¡°Does he have a history of panic attacks?¡± Dr Stein asks, worried.

    ¡°Maybe?¡± Erik answers, uncertain. He did experience my panic attack once before when my telepathy was revealed to him.

    I always panic when people might find out, I explain to him in my thoughts.

    That¡¯s understandable, don¡¯t feel ashamed, he gently pets my shivering wings.

    ¡°Anyone would be panicking if that happened to them,¡± Ingri points at the 3D projection which is still showing my photo next to the commentator.¡±

    Soft knocking at the door.

    ¡°Miss Richter,¡± Hana warily peeks inside. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you but the EU representative is calling again.¡±

    ¡°Time for work,¡± Liana sighs and gets up. Slowly, with evident effort.

    ¡°You should rest,¡± Dr Stein advises her.

    ¡°But I can¡¯t, can I?¡± she shakes her head. ¡°Unless we want the government to storm my place.¡±

    I feel a surge of gratefulness towards my reliable viceroy. It¡¯s only thanks to her that I¡¯m not locked in some lab and being experimented on. My panic gets better a little when I realise I shouldn¡¯t be that focused on myself. We¡¯re in it together, it¡¯s happening to all Draconia¡¯s players.

    ¡°Can we do anything to at least ease your burden?¡± Fefnir asks.

    ¡°Sure,¡± she nods. ¡°We need to establish a network for all transforming players where we can share information and cooperate. Right now all that matters is to survive the ordeal but we have to prepare for what comes next. Well, I have to go to take that call.¡±

    She leaves while Dr Stein stays. She makes me nervous and thinking about our future doesn¡¯t help much. I bet my friends had quite some time to ponder what happens when we all transform while I was passed out but I didn¡¯t have the chance to give it much thought yet. One thing is certain, though: Nothing is going to be the same.

    ¡°Better now?¡± Erik kisses me when he makes sure I¡¯m breathing normally again.

    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± I say. ¡°It was a shock but I feel safe with you.¡±

    ¡°The government needs information, it¡¯s understandable,¡± Dr Stein shrugs, walks across the room and sits on our bed. I feel that Liana trusts her but she still makes me anxious. Is it simply because of her occupation¡ªmy phobia of doctors? Or intuition?

    ¡°But locking high-levels against their will is horrible,¡± Erik frowns.

    ¡°What would you do in their situation?¡± she purses her lips. ¡°As a doctor, I understand them perfectly. Imagine there¡¯s a mysterious disease and people are panicking. You have to start the research immediately and do whatever is necessary to uncover it.¡±

    ¡°Are you implying Ryuu is acting selfishly hiding from them?¡± Erik gets angry.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying his case could tell us a lot about this phenomenon,¡± she answers calmly but I feel she¡¯s aggravated inside.

    ¡°Doc, I want to help,¡± I try to be cooperative. ¡°I¡¯m just panicky about hospitals, that¡¯s all. You have my permission to publish whatever you find out about me.¡±

    Are you sure? Erik is doubtful. He¡¯s getting really good at talking to me in his thoughts.

    It¡¯s not like she has a tunnel here, I reply. Only my brain is abnormal and she has no way of performing magnetic resonance at Liana¡¯s mansion so I¡¯ll be fine. She¡¯s right about uncovering what¡¯s behind the transformation as soon as possible and I might be able to help.

    ¡°Well, thank you for that permission,¡± she smiles, more content now. ¡°Miss Richter must be facing a lot of pressure from the government but if we at least share information with them and they know it comes from an actual doctor, they should stop pressing that much.¡±

    ¡°Ryuu¡¯s case won¡¯t be that special much longer, right?¡± Erik reminds us. ¡°Liana said she¡¯s about five days behind so we need to withstand that pressure only for a few more days.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to spoil your hopes but Ryuu became kind of a world-wide celebrity,¡± Fefnir speaks up. ¡°Even when all of us transform, people won¡¯t forget his face any time soon.¡±

    ¡°Sucks,¡± Ingri puffs. ¡°Still, won¡¯t that give you more followers? Check your Vortex.¡±

    I feel better after eating so I successfully manage to grab my phone she kindly passes me. Erik still has to hold me, though. Not that I¡¯m complaining, I enjoy being held by him.

    Aren¡¯t you tired of me already? I ask.

    Nope, silly.

    I realise I love talking to him purely telepathically but we can¡¯t overuse it in front of others. It probably looks weird when we don¡¯t talk for too long but our expressions keep changing.

    ¡°Nante koto?!¡± I swear in Japanese and my head spins when I finally open my profile.

    ¡°Damn, Ryuu,¡± Erik widens his eyes, staring at my phone. ¡°54 million followers and counting? For real?¡±

    ¡°I used to have 8 million,¡± I gulp.

    ¡°Even that is impressive,¡± he¡¯s astonished. ¡°You could have mentioned you¡¯re so popular.¡±

    ¡°My avatar is popular,¡± I set things straight.

    ¡°But you¡¯re becoming your avatar, right?¡± he softly tickles my wings.

    ¡°Oh, exhausted,¡± the phone slips from my hands and lands safely on the bed. I can¡¯t hold it anymore, I¡¯m still not strong enough. ¡°Ingri, can you check for me?¡±

    ¡°Sure, I love social media,¡± she nods happily and seizes my phone. ¡°You don¡¯t mind me managing your profile?¡±

    ¡°I name you my manager,¡± I shrug and accidentally move my wings again. ¡°Shit, it hurts,¡± my eyes water.

    ¡°Please, let me do my work,¡± Dr Stein squeezes closer to us, doesn¡¯t wait for my permission this time and touches my back. ¡°How did it work in your game?¡± she asks, hungry for answers. I sense raising ambitions from her.

    ¡°It usually took players several weeks to get adjusted but then we just moved our virtual limbs by just thinking about it,¡± Fefnir answers for me. ¡°Later it became automatic like you don¡¯t think hard about using your hands or legs.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯ll probably be the same here,¡± the doctor nods and makes a mental note. ¡°It¡¯s not only about wishing here after all, you need to move all those new muscles. And exercise I imagine?¡±

    ¡°Great, I love exercising,¡± Fefnir smirks. ¡°I play as a Dragonkin, doc, we¡¯re naturally very strong but I think we¡¯ll definitely need to weight-lift if we want to build all those muscles here.¡±

    ¡°And your race, Mr Rehak?¡± Stein tilts her head.

    ¡°Just Ryuuto is fine,¡± I mumble. I don¡¯t like it when people use my surname and address me as Mister. ¡°Celestials exercise only by flying.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, which won¡¯t happen for quite some time,¡± she takes my left wing and stretches it.

    I whine in pain and Erik slaps her hand.

    ¡°Doing my job, just doing my job,¡± she sings and runs away, saying: ¡°I need a measuring tape.¡±

    Do you feel ulterior motives from her? Can¡¯t she be the leaker? Erik asks.

    She¡¯s eager to analyse every centimetre of me, I sigh even in my thoughts. But that¡¯s no ulterior motive, she doesn¡¯t really hide that intention, right?

    She comes back very quickly, holding a borrowed measuring tape and a medical tablet. I flinch but she doesn¡¯t waver.

    ¡°Please, let me do my job, Ryuuto,¡± Dr Stein smiles. ¡°We need to give the EU government at least something so that they don¡¯t bother Ms Richter that much.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Fefnir surprisingly agrees with her. ¡°I was already checked by her while you were sleeping. Dr Stein is a professional, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    I give in and tell Erik to lay me down on my stomach. She takes a lot of photos of my back and even shoots a video commenting on an apparent layout of my new bones.

    ¡°The wings don¡¯t grow out of original shoulder-blades,¡± she remarks. ¡°Rather it seems the patient developed additional shoulder-blades a few centimetres under them. The body might be more balanced for future flight that way as it won¡¯t interfere with normal usage of arms.¡±

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    She takes a tape, carefully stretches my wings to the sides and measures them.

    ¡°The current length of one wing is thirty centimetres,¡± she notes down. ¡°I¡¯ll keep measuring them every day to estimate how quickly they grow outside the body.¡±

    Then she switches off the recording and asks Erik to weight me.

    ¡°Nope, scales hate me,¡± I use all my strength to evade him.

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik rolls his eyes and easily catches me into his arms.

    Because I¡¯m not able to stand yet, he steps on the scale holding me, then puts me back on the bed and the doctor takes off Erik¡¯s weight out of the total sum.

    ¡°Fifty-six kilo,¡± Dr Stein notes down, frowning. ¡°The patient is underweight.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re even worse than I imagined,¡± Eriks shakes his head. ¡°I¡¯m going to stuff you from now on, do you understand?¡±

    ¡°If Aefener¡¯s bones are getting hollow, isn¡¯t he going to lose more weight?¡± Ingri worries.

    ¡°I¡¯d love to X-ray you, Ryuuto,¡± Dr Stein says longingly. ¡°Won¡¯t you reconsider? My clinic is private and I would treat you as my most precious patient. Miss Richter can send some of her bodyguards with you, I have no problem with that.¡±

    ¡°No, thank you,¡± I flatly refuse. ¡°Erik, can you wrap me in a blanket again? I¡¯m cold.¡±

    ¡°Your thermoregulation might have changed as well, the room is warm,¡± the doctor notes down another piece of information.

    ¡°Celestials are weak towards cold, that¡¯s why they were wearing such complicated multi-layered attires,¡± Ingri recalls the game trivia. ¡°Aefener, will you let me adjust your clothes?¡±

    ¡°You can sew?¡± Fefnir looks up from his tablet where he¡¯s constantly checking the news.

    ¡°Sure, I adjust my lolita clothes all the time,¡± she nods proudly. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Hana for a sewing kit, be right back,¡± she runs off.

    I don¡¯t want to offend her but what if she ruins my favourite gaming clothes? I say to Erik.

    Your wings aren¡¯t going anywhere and you can¡¯t stay under the blanket forever, dummy, he laughs. I love how he¡¯s able to do that in his head. It makes me laugh as well, only I can¡¯t help it and giggle for real.

    ¡°Something funny?¡± Dr Stein raises her eyebrows because she catches it. Shit, I need to be more careful with my expressions!

    ¡°I-I just though how I¡¯m going to look like,¡± I quickly come up with a lie. ¡°An angel in gaming clothes. Ridiculous, right?¡±

    The doctor shrugs indifferently, too busy finishing her report.

    ¡°Back,¡± Ingri returns and enthusiastically shows us an advanced sewing kit with all kinds of tools.

    She takes my favourite t-shirt, measures it, draws two lines with a crayon and pulls out scissors.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m actually good at this,¡± she smiles confidently when she notices how nervous I am. ¡°I¡¯m not a professional tailor obviously but this is no big deal.¡±

    I watch in horror as she cuts two huge holes into the t-shirt that was part of a unique promotional event and can¡¯t be bought again. Then she does some sewing so that the fabric won¡¯t start ripping out.

    ¡°Done, easy,¡± she throws the first t-shirt at me, continuing with the rest of my wardrobe.

    Erik pulls the t-shirt over my head and helps me push my wings through the holes. It hurst but we manage.

    ¡°When they get too big, pushing won¡¯t work, not enough space,¡± Erik concludes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll think of something,¡± Ingri says confidently. ¡°Buttons should do the trick.¡±

    ¡°Not my hoodie!¡± I shake my head violently when she grabs my absolute favourite piece. ¡°I can still use it, at least for some time. The hoodie is two sizes bigger, I can hide my wings under it if I fold them.¡±

    ¡°No hiding, Aefener,¡± Liana suddenly enters the room. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t need to hide.¡±

    She looks and feels pissed but when she sits on our bed, she whines and collapses on her left side.

    ¡°God, I¡¯m tired,¡± she sighs out. ¡°Dealing with the government is exhausting.¡±

    ¡°How did it go?¡± I¡¯m almost afraid to ask.

    ¡°Not well,¡± she says truthfully. ¡°They want to get their hands on you and the only thing that¡¯s stopping them is the fact that they can¡¯t risk going against me. And they suspect I¡¯m changing as well. Until your identity was still secret, they thought you¡¯re a son of some kind of rich businessperson I was asked to hide. Now that they know you¡¯re not, they deduced we must know each other from the game.¡±

    ¡°But your wings will be out soon anyway,¡± Fefnir remarks. ¡°Does it matter that much?¡±

    ¡°It does, stupid,¡± she rolls her eyes while Dr Stein measures her temperature. ¡°I can¡¯t show any weakness, now more than ever, but looking at Aefener¡¯s state it¡¯s evident I¡¯ll be unusable for quite some time.¡±

    ¡°I feel better now, we should recover quickly,¡± I try to sound positive. ¡°I even managed to hold my phone. Look,¡± I stretch my hand but the phone is lying too far from my reach.

    Come on, I say to myself and stretch a little bit more. Still too far, though. All of a sudden, the phone jerks violently by itself and¡­ falls down on the floor.

    There¡¯re ten seconds of solid silence. Erik is so shocked that he¡¯s silent even in his mind. Dr Stein is staring with her mouth open wide.

    ¡°M-magic!¡± Fefnir is the first one to exclaim. ¡°Must be! How did you do that, Aefener?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡­ I have no idea,¡± I gulp. ¡°I couldn¡¯t reach it so¡­ a strong wish I guess?¡±

    ¡°Do it again!¡± Liana sits up and her expression is mad.

    ¡°Come on!¡± Ingri grabs my phone off the floor and puts it in front of me again.

    ¡°Not with my phone!¡± I shake my head violently.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that I made you buy that screen protector, right?¡± Erik laughs but it¡¯s the kind of nervous laugh that precedes a mental breakdown.

    He somehow successfully came to terms with me being a telepath and having wings but now he¡¯s facing another unbelievable phenomenon. Poor Erik. And there doesn¡¯t seem to be an end to strangeness any time soon. I hug him and now it¡¯s me comforting him.

    ¡°DO IT!¡± Liana and Fefnir shout at me at the same time.

    ¡°Use this instead,¡± Ingri readily positions a pillow in front of me.

    ¡°E-ehm¡­ okay,¡± I say timidly.

    Still, I have no idea how I did it in the first place. I try focusing on the pillow and sending a strong wish to move it but nothing happens.

    ¡°Well? Don¡¯t you feel anything? Mana?¡± Liana nudges me.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling something pulsating inside me but I thought it¡¯s my bones getting hollow,¡± I say. ¡°Mana¡­ I¡¯m not sure, Li. I can somehow accept DNA changing even if it¡¯s stretching science too far, but mana? Magical energy?¡±

    ¡°But you did magic, we all saw it,¡± Liana insists. ¡°Right, doc?¡±

    Dr Stein finally closes her mouth and simply nods. I guess it must be much harder for her and Erik to accept such a thing as magic because they¡¯ve never played virtual games where it exists. As for me and my gaming friends, we were experiencing magic every day in the world that was almost indistinguishable from reality so we got used to it. But still¡­ in real life? Seriously?

    ¡°Heyaa,¡± out of the blue Fefnir takes the pillow and throws it at me.

    I know it can¡¯t really hurt me but I flinch on instinct and the pillow changes its trajectory, hitting the wall behind me.

    ¡°Magic confirmed,¡± Fefnir grins and his teeth flash for a moment. Did I just see¡­ small fangs?

    Erik must have seen it as well because he blinks, dumbfounded again.

    It¡¯s real¡­ it¡¯s real¡­ it¡¯s happening¡­ they¡¯re¡­ my Ryuu is¡­, he¡¯s thinking frantically.

    I¡¯m still me, I assure him and try calming him with lots of love. It does seem to work as he gets his cool back.

    ¡°Real magic,¡± he speaks aloud and caresses my face. ¡°How is the world going to react to that?¡±

    ¡°We have to keep it secret as long as possible,¡± Liana says resolutely. ¡°The world is panicking already now that it¡¯s been proven we¡¯re really changing into our avatars. I¡¯m afraid we can even expect violence and limiting our human rights if it comes to the worst scenario. Confirming magic isn¡¯t wise at this point, we have to keep our people safe during the transformation when we¡¯ll be utterly vulnerable.¡±

    Our people, she says. I shudder at what it might entail¡ªdividing the population into ¡®us¡¯ and ¡®them¡¯ is never a good thing. But what else is to be expected? Soon there¡¯ll be five races on the planet. Everything¡¯s going to change. And now that magic is confirmed, it¡¯s only logical to expect that other races will get their abilities as well.

    What does it all mean!? Erik starts freaking out again. I calmed him just a moment ago but because he can perceive my emotions and thoughts, he can also catch what I¡¯m pondering about and get nervous as a result.

    ¡°I agree, we have to keep it secret for now,¡± Fefnir nods. ¡°We¡¯re lucky to be safe at Liana¡¯s place but many others won¡¯t be as lucky. I imagine there¡¯re already people who fear us and if they find out we can do magic¡­ well¡­¡±

    ¡°Dr Stein, I forbid you to make it public,¡± Liana turns to the doctor. ¡°You can publish the rest but don¡¯t you dare mention magic. At least not yet.¡±

    I¡¯m catching all sorts of conflicting emotions from the doctor. Julia Stein¡­ she seems to be just a simple private GP for rich people but I can feel her ambitions go much higher. She wants to skyrocket her career on me. Still, would she betray Liana, her employer? And the Hippocratic Oath?

    ¡°I understand,¡± she says with evident self-denial. ¡°But I want to be the first to publish it when the right time comes.¡±

    ¡°Deal,¡± Liana agrees.

    ¡°Try something else,¡± Ingri pulls my sleeve now that I¡¯m properly dressed.

    ¡°Sorry, Ingri, I¡¯m dead tired again,¡± I take a deep breath and Erik carefully lies me on my right side. I try to stretch my wings to rest them properly on the mattress.

    ¡°If magic here is based on mana, whatever that is in reality, it might be connected to one¡¯s overall energy,¡± Fefnir thinks out loud. ¡°In the game, you could take a potion when your mana was exhausted but I¡¯m afraid there¡¯ll be no such shortcut here. It¡¯s most likely Celestials will have to sleep and eat to refill mana.¡±

    ¡°Mana¡­ magic¡­,¡± Dr Stein shakes her head. ¡°It sounds like a fairy-tale. If I didn¡¯t see it myself, I¡¯d never believe it. Or it might be scientifically explained after all? Some ability of a human brain we still know nothing about that was awakened? Did you have other abilities apart from telekinesis?¡±

    ¡°Of course, all sorts of abilities,¡± I say. ¡°But simple telekinesis is the only one that didn¡¯t require complicated spellcasting.¡±

    ¡°Miss Richter, do you feel something already?¡± Dr Stein asks, fascinated.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ uhm, dizzy,¡± Liana massages her temples.

    ¡°Li, you need to rest, seriously,¡± I say sternly and manage to touch her because she¡¯s sitting close to us. I want to check up on her.

    As I suspected, she¡¯s totally exhausted and just putting on a brave front. She¡¯s not worse than me five days ago but she was working the whole time. I don¡¯t want to invade her privacy so I only peek into her fresh memories. I knew it! She didn¡¯t sleep since we came here!

    ¡°Aefener¡¯s right,¡± Fefnir supports me. ¡°Go to bed, Li.¡±

    ¡°And eat something, Miss Richter,¡± Dr Stein adds. ¡°You might lose weight otherwise.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll keep monitoring the situation,¡± Ingri says confidently. ¡°I¡¯m still at least two weeks behind you so I can be of use in the time you¡¯re too weak.¡±

    ¡°Okay then,¡± Liana sighs in resignation and finally leaves. Dr Stein goes as well, mumbling she has to publish new information.

    ¡°Your compatibility was 80%, Ingri? That¡¯s very impressive,¡± Fefnir is amazed. ¡°What was your ingame level?¡±

    ¡°Thirty-seven,¡± she says and continues adjusting my hoodie. ¡°It¡¯d be much higher but my parents didn¡¯t let me be plugged in VR for too long. But I started with VR as soon as I could so I guess my brain got used to it nicely.¡±

    ¡°When did you start, Aefener?¡± Fefnir is curious. ¡°Also at fourteen?¡±

    ¡°Well, not exactly,¡± I say slowly. ¡°I started gaming seriously at fourteen, yes, but I was testing VR when I was four.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ what?!¡±

    Ingri stops sewing, Fefnir looks up from his tablet and Erik frowns.

    ¡°My Mom was a VR developer,¡± I explain. ¡°Or not really a developer, a researcher rather. I don¡¯t remember it that well to be honest but I was testing some experimental stuff for her.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why your compatibility is so freaking high!¡± Fefnir claps his hands victoriously. ¡°Your brain got a chance to adjust at a very early age.¡±

    ¡°Yep, most probably,¡± I nod.

    ¡°I thought testing VR on children is forbidden by the law?¡± Erik is shocked.

    ¡°It is. Not that my Mom cared I guess. But I really enjoyed it, she didn¡¯t force me or anything.¡±

    I¡¯ll tell you the details later, I add in my thoughts. In fact, my Mom had a very good reason that relates to my telepathy.

    It should better be good, Ryuu, because it sounds like abuse, he¡¯s concerned.

    ¡°What is she doing now?¡± Fefnir asks.

    ¡°Huh, who?¡± I¡¯m confused.

    ¡°Your mother. If she¡¯s a VR researcher, didn¡¯t it occur to you to go to her for answers?¡±

    My chest gets heavy. It¡¯s been so many years and I don¡¯t remember her that well but it still hurts talking about it.

    ¡°My Mom died when I was a child,¡± I say simply.

    ¡°S-sorry,¡± Fefnir flinches. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t realise¡­ I mean¡­ you used the past tense but I thought she just changed jobs or retired.¡±

    ¡°Moron,¡± Ingri kicks him under the table and glimpses at my phone in front of her that started vibrating. She must have put it on silent because of countless notifications flooding my account.

    ¡°Oh, your grandmother is calling you,¡± she announces and hands me my phone.

    Grandma. I freeze seeing her name on the screen. She never calls me just to wish me a pleasant day so either she needs something again or¡­ she saw me on the news. I bet it¡¯s the second option.

    ¡°Guys, can you leave, please?¡± my voice cracks. ¡°It¡¯s private.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Fefnir and Ingri nod and leave for their guest room. Ingri takes the hoodie and the sewing kit with her.

    My fingers tremble when I¡¯m about to hit ¡®answer the call¡¯ button.

    ¡°Erik, it¡¯s probably going to be nasty,¡± I warn him beforehand. ¡°We don¡¯t exactly get on well.¡±

    He¡¯s known nothing about my Grandma until now so it¡¯s going to be embarrassing. He feels my anxiety and fear and clutches my hand in comfort.

    ¡°We don¡¯t choose our family,¡± he shakes his head and gives me a quick encouraging kiss.

    I touch the button and all hell¡¯s fury breaks out.

    ¡°I¡¯VE TOLD YOU THOSE DAMN VIDEOGAMES WILL BE THE END OF YOU! DO YOU EVEN REALISE WHAT KIND OF FREAK YOU HAVE BECOME?!¡±

 10. Personal Connections

    I¡¯ve never been that embarrassed in front of anyone. I don¡¯t care that my grandmother calls me names if I¡¯m alone. I can take it. But I don¡¯t want others to see how miserable I am. Especially the one I love.

    Erik loses it.

    ¡°Listen, lady, you¡¯re not going to treat Ryuuto like shit,¡± he starts shouting to the phone.

    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°I happen to be his boyfriend,¡± he says proudly and I love him even more for that.

    ¡°Ooh, I¡¯ve always suspected you¡¯re a disgusting queer,¡± Grandma throws a tantrum. ¡°And now the world is going to be full of freaks. It¡¯s all over the news. I¡¯m not going out to see freaks everywhere, send me money for at least a month of deliveries.¡±

    I¡¯m not able to reason with her. She¡¯s always been horrible to me but this is just too much.

    ¡°O-okay, Grandma, I will. Bye,¡± I say faintly and hastily hang up because I can hear she¡¯s taking a deep breath for spurting more insults.

    ¡°Why did you give in to her ridiculous demands?¡± Erik is raging.

    She¡¯s my only family, I switch to telepathy again because it feels easier.

    That doesn¡¯t give her the right to treat you this way!

    It¡¯s not so simple, Erik. She¡¯s bipolar so she can¡¯t help it.

    Don¡¯t justify it, I bet she was always like this towards you.

    I don¡¯t care that much anymore. I have you now. I feel like I can take anything.

    Oh, Ryuu, it just hurts me when you feel so down, he shakes his head.

    Sorry, am I draining you? I worry.

    That¡¯s not what I mean, dummy, he caresses my face and puts a few locks of my hair behind my ear. It¡¯s grown again, at least three more centimetres are silver. I actually like knowing how you feel. Please, don¡¯t ever close up to me again, okay?

    ¡°I love you,¡± I say, this time aloud. After all, I promised during my transformation that I won¡¯t be hesitant to say it anymore.

    ¡°I know,¡± he smirks.

    If I could, I¡¯d jump. Erik knows the old classical Star Wars movies? B-but¡­ he isn¡¯t even a geek! He starts laughing.

    ¡°Okay, that had the intended effect,¡± he says, pleased with himself. ¡°I saw those films during a school movie night. The love catchphrase sounded so funny that I remembered it. Never have I thought it¡¯d come in handy.¡±

    We spend a few minutes just hugging and kissing. Erik sure has a soothing effect on me. Then I suddenly realise that I didn¡¯t bathe since I came here. I turn red¡ªI must stink, yuck!

    I want to take a shower, I send him an urgent thought.

    Thought so, he replies and chuckles. Not that you smell that horribly but you need it.

    He¡¯s getting really good at our telepathic communication. He willingly makes the thoughts he wants to send to me much stronger.

    He picks me up and takes me to the bathroom. It¡¯s so fancy that there¡¯s a shower AND a bath tub. Erik doesn¡¯t have to ask, he goes for the bath right away. He turns on hot water, we wait for a while for the tub to fill in and then he undresses me, taking off my bandages as well. He puts me in and hops after me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t wet my wings,¡± I tell him, a bit alarmed, when he grabs a washcloth.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t,¡± he assures me. ¡°I¡¯ll just wash the sweat and residual blood around them, okay? Besides, you¡¯re healing surprisingly fast. Your metabolism is probably overcompensating.¡±

    I¡¯m glad that I can¡¯t see my back right now. It hurts when Erik starts washing it but he¡¯s really careful so I don¡¯t whine much.

    ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it looked before,¡± he tells me, his voice calming. ¡°The scars might be much smaller than we originally thought. Fifteen centimetres, no more.¡±

    ¡°Do you like how I look now?¡± I¡¯m almost afraid to ask.

    ¡°You¡¯re still you,¡± he smiles. ¡°Can¡¯t you read that in my mind?¡±

    ¡°I want you to say it aloud,¡± I blush. ¡°Still¡­ I guess¡­ I¡¯m not human anymore.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t oppose that,¡± he says but his hands don¡¯t stop washing my back. ¡°Do you want me to wash your hair?¡±

    ¡°Oh, please,¡± I plead. ¡°I feel greasy.¡±

    He studies every lock of my silver hair while washing it.

    ¡°Nothing can¡¯t be further from your original black,¡± he comments but I can feel he likes my new colour.

    When he¡¯s done washing me, he washes himself quickly as well and then changes the water in the tub. Something tells me Liana won¡¯t mind that we consumed too much. We even find some foam so we put it in to create a bubble bath.

    We continue cuddling until I realise Erik got hard and is thinking only about one thing. My double-edged telepathy turns against me and I immediately feel horny as well. But it¡¯s not only that. I overflow with happiness when I realise that I still attract him.

    ¡°T-touch my wings,¡± I let out and my new limbs are trembling. I¡¯m surprised I want to be touched there so badly.

    He¡¯s hesitant at first, afraid he might hurt me. He touches me very gently and when I don¡¯t complain, he plays with different kinds of petting¡ªtrying it slow, a little bit faster and pushing his fingers under my little fluffy feathers. I caress his cock in return.

    Then he, cautiously, tries to caress the area between my wings that stayed intact. In the game, it was my race¡¯s weak spot so I should be guarding it but it turns out I¡¯m extremely sensitive there. I cry in pleasure and climax. My excitement goes through our telepathic connecting to him and he orgasms at the same time.

    ¡°R-Ryuu, look,¡± Erik exclaims, his breath erratic.

    I open my eyes to discover that there¡¯re huge soap bubbles floating all around us.

    ¡°Magical,¡± I whisper.

    ¡°You did it,¡± he kisses me.

    The bathroom door suddenly bursts open.

    ¡°What the hell is going on in here?¡± Fefnir runs into the bathroom.

    ¡°There¡¯re bubbles all over the hall!¡± Hana is panicking while Ingri looks amused.

    They freeze and stare at us. I turn red, Erik rolls his eyes and tries to hide me under a towel.

    ¡°Well, this is so NOT totally unexpected of you two,¡± Fefnir smirks while touching one of the bubbles. ¡°How did you do it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, a spur of the moment I guess,¡± I say truthfully, still red with embarrassment.

    ¡°So magic is confirmed again,¡± Ingri¡¯s looking at the bubbles with astonishment. ¡°You must have produced some low level air spell into the water.¡±

    ¡°Ehm¡­ some privacy here?¡± Erik loses his patience.

    They reluctantly leave. Fefnir is looking disappointed that he couldn¡¯t burst every single bubble, Ingri is dreamingly staring at us and Hana just utters: ¡°I¡¯ll send the cleaning service after you¡¯re done.¡±

    *****

    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s so¡­,¡± I¡¯m looking for the right word while staring at my growing follower count. It¡¯s risen to 89 million.

    ¡°Mind-blowing?¡± Erik helps me.

    ¡°Well, I got many haters as well,¡± I sigh but it¡¯s no surprise.

    I feel overwhelmed so I switch off all Vortex notifications on my phone. Three hours ago, right after our shower, I entrusted Ingri my login details and let her take care of my social media completely. She seemed eager to take that task and asked Hana for a tablet to borrow. The housekeeper gave her the newest model and told her she can keep it. That¡¯s Liana¡¯s wealth for you.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    My phone beeps but this time it¡¯s not Vortex but a regular text message.

    Filip (15:24)

    Hey¡­ ehm¡­ I saw you. Obviously. I just want to say that I¡¯m cool with that.

    Crap, I try to hide my phone but Erik is quicker and glances at the screen. I feel he¡¯s getting pissed but he sighs out and calms down.

    ¡°Your previous lover?¡± he asks plainly.

    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± I nod. ¡°Sorry, I wanted to end it with him after we became a thing but I didn¡¯t have a chance.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± he¡¯s surprisingly calm about it. ¡°Do it now then.¡±

    ¡°N-now?¡± I flinch.

    Another message arrives shortly after the first one.

    Filip (15:26)

    You know, I actually adore your wings. I imagine you¡¯re even cuter with them. Can we do it when you recover? I totally wanna try.

    ¡°Now, Ryuu!¡± Erik purses his lips.

    ¡°O-okay,¡± I admit I have to end this right away so that I don¡¯t give Filip false hopes.

    I liked him so out of respect towards him, I make a proper phone call. I thank him for our time together and mention I have a boyfriend now.

    ¡°Good for you, Ryuuto,¡± Filip¡¯s reaction surprises me. ¡°So you finally opened up to someone?¡±

    ¡°Ehm¡­ was I that obvious?¡± I sigh.

    ¡°Totally,¡± Filip answers. ¡°I¡¯m really happy you¡¯ve found someone decent.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Goodbye, Filip, I wish you all the best,¡± I say sincerely.

    ¡°Good luck, my cute nerd, you¡¯ll need it,¡± he says and ends the call.

    ¡°Well, that was okay,¡± Erik is content. ¡°Will you deal with the other guy?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait until he writes to me first,¡± I shake my head. ¡°I bet he needs time to process what¡¯s happening. Oh, I¡¯m cold again.¡±

    Erik fetches the hoodie Ingri kindly adjusted for my wings.

    ¡°It seems right temperature will be very important for Celestials,¡± he says and helps me to put in on.

    ¡°We were wearing completely different clothes in the game. Do you want to see?¡± I grab my phone and show him my ingame picture.

    ¡°Wow, what a beauty,¡± he whistles. ¡°Not that you¡¯re not pretty in real life,¡± he quickly adds. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ that long silver hair and princess clothes do their job.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not princess clothes,¡± I poke him. ¡°It¡¯s basically a fantasy version of kimono.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t see any difference,¡± he giggles but then he gets serious. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. So what was the deal with your Mom making you test VR?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been telepath since birth,¡± I clarify. ¡°My Mom maybe knew why but hard to explain something like that to a four-year old. Anyway, too many emotions from strangers can give me a severe migraine but my Mom found out that I can¡¯t feel anything when my brain is plugged in VR. So she used it as a reliever for me.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± he approves now.

    ¡°But that won¡¯t be possible anymore,¡± I note sadly. ¡°To be honest, it makes me anxious. VR was the only way for my mind to truly rest if I don¡¯t count sleep. Next time I get a headache, I won¡¯t have my escape.¡±

    ¡°Painkillers?¡± Erik suggests.

    ¡°I was already overdosing,¡± I sigh. ¡°And my body doesn¡¯t take them well, they make me nauseous. I guess that¡¯s why I¡¯m so thin. There¡¯re often times I can¡¯t eat anything.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Ryuu, don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll think of something,¡± he kisses me on my forehead which makes me feel his love even more strongly. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll be able to connect again in the future?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± my wings tremble, mirroring how I feel. ¡°VR helmets are designed for human brains but I¡¯m not human anymore.¡±

    ¡°We might find some ways to train your telepathy,¡± he stays optimistic. I hope he¡¯s right.

    A soft knocking on the door. Erik says ¡®come in,¡¯ the door opens and Liana appears. She¡¯s looking more rested even though she hardly slept five hours.

    ¡°Hi, Li. You didn¡¯t have to wake up, I¡¯m okay.¡±

    ¡°Nah, I can¡¯t sleep properly during the day,¡± she says. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s already time for dinner and I¡¯m starving. Can Hana bring food into your room again? I do have a nice dining room, of course, but you should stay in bed.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± I nod.

    Three servants come in, bringing a small dining table and three chairs. They try not to stare at me but they inevitably do. But who can blame them?

    Suddenly, I feel something strange from one of them, a woman in her thirties with short hair. Is it¡­ guilt? Can she be the leaker?

    Erik, I think it¡¯s her, I say in my thoughts, panicking. That woman standing closer to the door.

    Are you sure? he asks and clutches my hand.

    I can¡¯t be absolutely sure unless I touch her, I admit. But I feel the emotion of guilt. She¡¯s hiding something.

    How do we go about it without revealing your telepathy? Erik ponders.

    In the meanwhile, the servants finish preparing our dinner and Fefnir and Ingri join us. Hana puts mine and Erik¡¯s plate on a tray so that we can continue sitting on the bed. I¡¯m relieved that I don¡¯t feel anything strange from her. It would hurt Liana¡¯s feeling if the leaker was her most trusted housekeeper.

    As she¡¯s putting down my plate, a small pendant slips out of her blouse. It¡¯s a cross. So Hana¡¯s Christian, huh? I hope that the fact there¡¯ll be a whole angelic race on Earth soon won¡¯t mess with her belief. We¡¯re not angels from the Bible but the developers must have drawn their main source of inspiration from it. I don¡¯t want to even think about possible future conflicts it might entail.

    ¡°Pretty white feathers,¡± Hana smiles at me. ¡°Will everyone look like him, Miss Richter?¡±

    ¡°No, players could have their wings brown, sandy, variously patterned¡­,¡± Liana names. ¡°Mine were and probably will be black. But I¡¯m by no means a fallen angel, Hana,¡± she adds quickly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss, I have nothing against black,¡± Hana reassures her.

    ¡°Aefener¡¯s wings and hair colours are unique, though. White and silver were the Celestial royal colours in Draconia,¡± Liana explains because it¡¯s evident Hana knows next to nothing about the game. She must have known that her employer plays it but that¡¯s all.

    ¡°Royal?¡± Hana blinks, confused. ¡°There were kings and queens in your game? And Mr. Ryuuto played as the King?¡±

    ¡°He was the Celestial Emperor,¡± Liana says. ¡°And I was his viceroy.¡±

    For a moment, I have no idea why Liana is explaining that to her. Then it hits me. She wants to see whether this information appears online because the public still doesn¡¯t know about the connection between me and Laura Richter. There are three more employees in the room, setting our lunch and listening. And it seems Hana is actually plotting with Liana, playing a little charade. Oh, my viceroy is indeed so clever.

    ¡°What a trap,¡± Erik comments when the servants leave the guest room. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re an angel? You seem more like the devil to me.¡±

    ¡°Zip it,¡± she throws a crumpled napkin at him.

    Then we eat and are quiet for a while. Everyone focuses hard on chewing and choosing another helping. Erik has to feed me because I tire quickly but he doesn¡¯t mind at all. On the contrary, he enjoys it. So does Ingri watching us.

    This way you can¡¯t be picky, Erik tells me in his thoughts.

    Nooo, I hate mushrooms, I try to fight because he¡¯s pushing a spoonful of them into my mouth.

    You¡¯re a vegetarian now so unless it¡¯s not meat, you have to eat everything.

    I catch Ingri intently staring at us. Except, this time it isn¡¯t because we¡¯re such an eye candy to her. She¡¯s studying our expressions that keep changing depending on our current emotions and mental utterances. Shit, we need to be more careful. Telepathic connection isn¡¯t as unrecognisable as I¡¯d hoped.

    Fortunately, Ingri gets distracted by her tablet beeping.

    ¡°My King and Queen are calling,¡± she announces and hastily gulps a mouthful.

    ¡°Connect them,¡± Liana nods and puts down her fork. Ingri positions the tablet on the table so that we¡¯re all visible to the camera.

    ¡°Hi everyone,¡± a couple in their late twenties appears on the screen. Huh, not a conference call? They¡¯re sitting next to each other like us? I notice their skin is changing colour to green, how surreal.

    ¡°Hi Twyla, hi Werden,¡± Liana greets them. ¡°You also got together?¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t have to,¡± Twyla smiles and they both show us their wedding rings.

    ¡°No way! You¡¯re married in real life?¡± Fefnir drops his jaw. ¡°I thought you were dating only virtually.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve actually known each other since secondary school but that isn¡¯t why we¡¯re calling,¡± Werden coughs. ¡°We¡¯re beginning to¡­ ehm¡­ feel the nature I guess?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re getting your plant powers,¡± Fefnir says excitedly.

    ¡°Fefnir, I told you we¡¯re not really plants,¡± Ingri slaps him.

    ¡°The point is¡­ it seems we¡¯ll really have our racial abilities here,¡± Twyla concludes. ¡°What about you, Aefener?¡±

    I look at Liana and she encouragingly nods.

    ¡°I can do telekinesis,¡± I confide and watch my Earthborn friends being astonished even though they were half-expecting that. ¡°So far only accidentally.¡±

    ¡°You also did that bubble spell,¡± Ingri reminds me.

    ¡°What bubble spell?¡± Liana asks because she missed it.

    ¡°In the bathroom with Erik,¡± I explain. ¡°I didn¡¯t plan to do it, just happened.¡±

    ¡°And Erik is¡­?¡± Twyla is eyeing him and looking for signs of transformation. ¡°One of us?¡±

    ¡°Erik is my boyfriend and no, he didn¡¯t play Draconia,¡± I shake my head and clutch his hand.

    You like saying that word, admit it, Erik teases me. Boyfriend¡­ boyfriend¡­ boyyyyyyfrieeeend.

    Stop it, you! You¡¯re distracting me.

    Anyway, we decided it¡¯s better to keep it secret for as long as possible,¡± Liana says. ¡°You know how people are when facing something new and strange. It could put us in danger if it¡¯s revealed that we can do magic and we¡¯ll be totally vulnerable during our transformation. Aefener can¡¯t even walk.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± they both nod.

    ¡°We were also thinking about establishing some kind of conference for the players,¡± Werden suggests. ¡°Right now we¡¯re contacting each other through Vortex but that platform can¡¯t be really used for planning and videoconferences with a lot of participants.¡±

    ¡°I was also thinking about something like that,¡± Liana says, thoughtful as always. ¡°I¡¯ll put my IT guys on the task.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Laura,¡± Twyla smiles. ¡°I never thought I would know such a famous person.¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m still Liana to you,¡± she waves her hand.

    I¡¯m glad she thinks that way. My trusted viceroy. My¡­ friend even in real life.

    You¡¯d be busted without her, Erik remarks. Half-joking, half-serious.

    And he¡¯s right.

    *****

    ¡°Mmm,¡± I stretch all my limbs which also includes wings now.

    I slowly open my eyes, it¡¯s morning. Erik isn¡¯t lying next to me but I can feel him just a few metres away. The shower is on so there¡¯s no doubt what he¡¯s doing. I sit up and find out that I¡¯m well-rested and feel much stronger today. We went to sleep early yesterday because Dr Stein showed up after dinner and insisted Liana goes to bed again.

    ¡°Where¡¯s my phone?¡± I murmur, rubbing my eyes. ¡°Oh, here is it,¡± I grab it and just a second later I realise that I took it floating in the air in front of me.

    How the hell does telekinesis work? When I want to use it, I can¡¯t. When I don¡¯t really want to use it, it works automatically. Maybe I¡¯m just thinking about it too much? Telekinesis isn¡¯t spellcasting, it¡¯s our main racial ability after all.

    I take a deep breath and look at various items around me. I try to remember how it felt in the game. Celestial telekinesis isn¡¯t used for combat because it can¡¯t lift things that are too heavy so we were using is just for pure convenience in everyday life. Not that often, to be honest. New players were having fun with it for a few days but then it got boring.

    Just move, I wish so! I try an effortless strategy and¡­ items around me go into the air. Wow, success! I try touching the floating items and steer them how I want. I experiment with how many I can lift at the same time and it seems seven is the limit, or at least my current limit.

    ¡°Oh, cool!¡± Erik appears in the door, wrapped in a towel. ¡°Did you get the hang of it?¡± he sits next to me on bed.

    ¡°Seems so,¡± I nod proudly. ¡°It¡¯s not that hard in the end. The point is not to overthink it.¡±

    ¡°So are you an angel and a mage?¡± he nudges me.

    ¡°Celestials aren¡¯t really angels,¡± I repeat. ¡°We don¡¯t serve any god and we¡¯re not peaceful creatures that just sing hymns in the clouds. We¡¯re a race with its own culture just like other Draconia races.¡±

    ¡°It gives me goosebumps when you say ¡®we¡¯ as if I¡¯m not included,¡± he hugs me, saddened. ¡°Even though it¡¯s true now.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean it like that, Erik,¡± I say quickly.

    ¡°I know,¡± he lowers his head, ¡°but that doesn¡¯t change current facts.¡±

    My phone beeps. A message from Liana.

    Liana (7:56)

    Come to my room. I¡¯ve identified our leaker.

    I gulp. Why do I feel it¡¯s not going to be pretty?

 11. The Leaker Uncovered

    ¡°W-wow!¡± I can¡¯t help it and stare when we arrive to Liana¡¯s private rooms. Erik carries me in his arms again which I thoroughly enjoy this time.

    ¡°It¡¯s as I¡¯ve always imagined a super rich person¡¯s apartment to be like,¡± Erik agrees.

    The room is unbelievably spacious and it¡¯s only the entrance lobby. My whole apartment would fit in here! Everything is meticulously clean and super modern. I don¡¯t see any stuff lying around like in my place. I admire the way Liana is able to show off her wealth by total minimalism.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally here,¡± Ingri appears in the door opposite to us.

    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t want to wake up Ryuuto too early,¡± Erik says. ¡°Did you have breakfast already?¡±

    ¡°Not yet,¡± she shakes her head. ¡°Liana refuses to eat until we confront the leaker. Follow me.¡±

    She leads us through two rooms into the study. This room is quite different from the rest of the mansion¡ªfull of antique furniture and paper books. Liana is sitting in the armchair and looks tired even though we¡¯ve just woken up. Fefnir is sitting near her, browsing the news on his tablet again. I notice strange formations on his hands.

    ¡°Fefnir, your hands¡­!¡± I exclaim.

    ¡°Yeah, real scales,¡± he nods and lets me touch them. ¡°They¡¯ve started growing properly overnight. There¡¯s one unpleasant side effect, though.¡±

    ¡°A side effect?¡± I don¡¯t understand.

    Fefnir sighs and ruffles his hair. Quite a lot of them fall off.

    ¡°You¡¯re losing your hair!¡± Erik is shocked.

    ¡°The Dragonkin are all scaly,¡± Fefnir explains to him. ¡°I guess my horns should be growing soon as well.¡±

    I¡¯m glad the only difference in your case are the wings, Erik is relieved.

    And hollow bones¡­ altered  digestion¡­ stronger lungs probably¡­ golden eyes¡­ mana, I name.

    But you stay pretty, he insists while sitting down into the armchair to Liana¡¯s right. He positions me on his lap, giving Ingri an eye candy.

    Beauty is subjective, Erik, I insist. We aren¡¯t human anymore so our perception of beauty will most probably change over time.

    ¡°So¡­ the leaker?¡± Erik asks aloud. We can¡¯t speak telepathically for too long because then we make unnaturally long pauses.

    ¡°Two of them actually,¡± Liana informs. ¡°One of them dumb, the other more cunning.¡±

    ¡°Two?¡± I¡¯m surprised. ¡°Is it one of the maids then?¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± Liana nods. ¡°The information that I was the Celestial viceroy ingame appeared online almost immediately. But I suspect she didn¡¯t release it on her own and rather gossiped to other people in my mansion. What a bonehead.¡±

    ¡°And the other?¡±

    ¡°I strongly suspect one of my bodyguards,¡± Liana sighs, disappointed. ¡°We checked the security logs that overlapped the time the information was released with respective work shifts. Only a handful of people fitted those criteria and even less talked to the maid in question that day. Besides, I¡¯ve been having problems with tiny leaks for over a year now, especially when travelling, so it must be one of the people I take with me.¡±

    ¡°So we have our main suspects and just need their confession,¡± Fefnir concludes.

    I knew it, Liana was on the task almost the whole night. No wonder she looks so worn off. After the incident is over, we¡¯ll have to insist she rests even if I have to talk to the doctor about it. Where¡¯s Dr Stein anyway? I guess Liana doesn¡¯t want her to witness it.

    One of the maids enters the study and I recognise it¡¯s the one from yesterday that felt guilty. I¡¯m relieved that Liana was able to identify her even without my telepathic help. The woman is probably in her late twenties, quite young. If she¡¯s just dumb, I hope Liana will have mercy.

    The maid puts a tea set on the table and intends to leave.

    ¡°Stay, Anna,¡± Liana orders and her voice is cold.

    The maid flinches. She can tell something¡¯s wrong.

    ¡°Sit,¡± Liana points to the sofa in front of her.

    Anna shivers but obediently sits down.

    ¡°M-Miss, I-I¡­,¡± the maid is nervously squeezing her apron. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything!¡±

    ¡°How long have you been employed here?¡± Liana looks sternly at her.

    ¡°T-three years,¡± Anna gulps and starts to shake.

    ¡°Are you aware that you¡¯re still bound by the confidentiality contract?¡± my viceroy narrows her eyes.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t post it!¡± the maid jumps.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything yet,¡± Liana says calmly.

    She¡¯s telling the truth, I say to Erik. She didn¡¯t post it but she knows who did.

    ¡°But you told the information to someone else,¡± Liana leans towards her. Menacingly. ¡°Who posted it then, Anna?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­,¡± the maid is sobbing at this point.

    She¡¯s scared, Erik, I realise. Not by what Liana might do to her, though. Her fear goes elsewhere.

    Is it possible that whoever she stupidly told it to is threatening her? Erik deduces.

    Most probably, I agree.

    ¡°Are you being threatened by the person who got the information from you?¡± Erik asks aloud.

    ¡°Y-yes,¡± she whispers and lowers her head.

    ¡°Anna,¡± Liana faces the maid again. ¡°I¡¯m disappointed that you gossiped with other servants even though your contract forbids it but whatever that person is threatening you with, you know I can protect you, right?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, Miss,¡± Anna keeps sobbing.

    ¡°So who is it?¡± she presses on but generously gives the maid a few moments to catch her breath.

    ¡°P-Paul,¡± Anna lets out weakly after a pause.

    Liana sighs and I can feel her utter disappointment. Did she consider him a loyal employee until now?

    Is she telling the truth? Erik wants to make sure.

    Yeah. She¡¯s one of those people who aren¡¯t able to lie effectively. Or hold a secret. Ask what is he threatening her with. She¡¯s really nervous and not only because she¡¯s being interrogated.

    ¡°Does that Paul have something incriminating on you?¡± Erik asks for me. I¡¯m glad he does. Liana knows too well that logical deduction isn¡¯t my forte.

    ¡°P-photos¡­,¡± Anna twitches and inadvertently looks Fefnir¡¯s way. She widens her eyes when she takes a proper look at him and discovers the forming scales.

    ¡°Hana!¡± Liana calls her trusted housekeeper who was apparently waiting behind the door because she appears immediately.

    ¡°This one did it?¡± Hana shakes her head, also deeply disappointed. ¡°Anna, you stupid, that blabbering mouth of yours ruined your future career.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Miss Richter, Mrs Hana,¡± the maid is crying uncontrollably at this point.

    ¡°Paul did it,¡± Liana says tiredly. ¡°Bring him here so that he doesn¡¯t suspect anything. Tell two other bodyguards to come as well just in case.¡±

    Hana nods, looking pale. The betrayal of one of Liana¡¯s direct employees is a nasty thing.

    ¡°Normally I¡¯d confront him without you being here,¡± Liana says and I feel embarrassment from her. ¡°But, frankly, I feel so weak I¡¯m afraid I might faint. Having you with me¡­¡±

    ¡°Say no more,¡± Fefnir puts his hand on her shoulder. ¡°You have our support, you know that.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do with her?¡± Ingri, who¡¯s been silent the whole time, finally speaks up and points at the sobbing maid.

    ¡°A-are you going to fire me, Miss?¡± Anna shakes.

    ¡°I should, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± Liana scratches her chin. ¡°But you¡¯ve been working excellently so far and I¡¯m not a person who can¡¯t forgive one blunder.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°S-so¡­?¡± Anna looks up, hopeful.

    ¡°Still, I can¡¯t fully trust you after this,¡± Liana adds. ¡°You can stay in my company but not as my personal maid. Hana will arrange a transfer for you.¡±

    ¡°O-oh,¡± the maid is both relieved and sad at the same time. I guess working for Liana directly comes with all sorts of perks and quite a salary.

    Two bodyguards come to guard the entrance but I¡¯m still nervous. What if he turns violent?

    Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ll handle him, Erik assures me. Besides, we have Fefnir here as well. It seems his transformation doesn¡¯t make him feel weak.

    Because he¡¯s a Dragonkin, I say and I¡¯m glad that I can distract myself by explaining. They have extremely strong bones and muscles. Even if they¡¯re hurting, they¡¯re pretty resilient towards pain.

    Whereas your and Liana¡¯s bones and are getting weaker, he¡¯s saddened.

    We stay silent, anxiously waiting for this Paul guy to arrive. Liana is resting, Fefnir is checking the news again and Ingri is managing my profile. Erik is hugging me and doesn¡¯t say anything specific even in his mind. Anna continues sobbing. We all want it to be over.

    ¡°I¡¯m here, Miss Richter,¡± a man in his forties with a beard finally enters the study. ¡°Do you need me to escort you some¡­,¡± he widens his eyes when he sees the sobbing maid. He quickly puts two and two together, turns back and tries to flee.

    Only now he notices the two bodyguards standing by the wall. They readily seize him.

    ¡°You bitch! Did you tell on me? Stupid whore!¡± Paul starts spouting insults. ¡°It¡¯ll upload automatically unless I cancel it, understand, you slut?¡±

    Anna is on the verge of fainting but Fefnir catches her and lies her down on the sofa.

    ¡°On his knees in front of me,¡± Liana orders coldly.

    The bodyguards raise their eyebrows but they manoeuvre Paul towards Liana and push him down. It¡¯s as if something in Laura Richter just snapped and I can feel my viceroy for the first time in real life. The pain, anger and betrayal were too much for her human psyche¡ªI get the first glimpse of a Celestial mind. It¡¯s not only our bodies changing, it seems to be affecting our minds too!

    ¡°Hey,¡± he¡¯s furious and tries to free himself desperately.

    ¡°Why?¡± Liana asks and her expression is unreadable. Not to me, though. I can feel her fury and I¡¯ve never felt anything like that from a human before.

    ¡°Money, what else!¡± he snaps.

    ¡°Was I not paying you enough?¡± Liana tilts her head.

    ¡°They offered me three million,¡± he grins.

    The hate he feels towards Liana is making me nauseous. I know for sure it wasn¡¯t his first betrayal, only the biggest one that finally uncovered him.

    ¡°Did you sell information on Laura before?¡± I ask myself as I don¡¯t have time to discuss it with Erik.

    ¡°You have no idea!¡± he chuckles.

    It¡¯s just a hint of a gesture Liana does and Paul is suddenly lying on the ground, coughing blood from his mouth and swearing. I blink, unsure what just happened. It seems Liana made a silent order and one of the bodyguards hit Paul. Hard.

    ¡°L-Li?¡± I gulp because the mixture of emotions I feel from her is anything but pleasant. It¡¯s dark and full of rage at the same time.

    ¡°How did you get Anna¡¯s photos?¡± Liana¡¯s voice is a whisper. Still, it somehow resonates the room. Even Fefnir shivers.

    ¡°The bitch was whoring around the mansion,¡± Paul starts laughing madly. ¡°I¡¯ve just stolen the footage as evidence. It¡¯s quite juicy.¡±

    I feel total shame from Anna but it fades in comparison to what Liana feels right now. This is how I imagine Celestial wrath.

    ¡°I suppose you think that now I¡¯m going to call the police and have you arrested,¡± she says in an unnaturally calm tone.

    ¡°I have my money,¡± he shrugs. ¡°I can have everything I want even in home arrest.¡±

    Liana clicks her tongue. ¡°Just simply fire you? Hana!¡± she calls for the housekeeper again.

    ¡°Yes, Miss,¡± Hana appears from behind the door once more.

    ¡°Banish this scum from my district and put him on the EU unwanted list,¡± Liana orders.

    At first, I have no idea what that means but judging by Paul¡¯s horrified expression it must be a terrible punishment. I massage my temples. My head starts to hurt. Too many turbulent emotions.

    Are you okay? Erik asks, concerned, because he feels my unease.

    Just a minor headache, I assure him.

    ¡°Y-you can¡¯t do that!¡± Paul tries to get up but he¡¯s smacked down again.

    ¡°Oh, yes I can,¡± Liana smiles darkly. ¡°You thought it¡¯s just an urban legend? Well, good luck in your future life. Get him out of my sight!¡±

    The bodyguards nod and pull the screaming and cursing Paul outside. Hana takes away Anna. She¡¯s disappointed with her junior but stays gentle and tries to comfort her.

    ¡°God, I¡¯m tired!¡± Liana takes a deep breath. ¡°Bring us breakfast at once!¡± she shouts after other servants.

    ¡°Li? What did you mean by banish?¡± I ask, afraid to hear the answer. I¡¯m still shocked how ruthless my kind viceroy can become if there¡¯s a need.

    ¡°Exactly as it sounds,¡± she says. ¡°That traitor won¡¯t be able to buy even a train ticket. Not to mention a decent job or a house.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s true!¡± Fefnir is astonished. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it but I also thought it¡¯s only a made-up rumour.¡±

    ¡°Is such a thing even possible?¡± Ingri opens her mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s actually very simple,¡± Liana yawns. ¡°Adding his ID on the black list means that he¡¯ll be refused everywhere when he tries to identify himself. He might have his three million but he won¡¯t be able to use it in the EU.¡±

    ¡°Poor fella,¡± Fefnir utters but he doesn¡¯t care.

    The servants come with our breakfast. It must have waited for us for quite some time because everything is under heating lids. We start eating in silence, the atmosphere is too heavy. Not even Fefnir has anything funny to say.

    I¡¯m shocked, Erik says to me. She didn¡¯t hesitate to use violence. Can we really trust her?

    She was merciful to Anna, I remind him. Besides, I don¡¯t feel she¡¯s a violent person. I guess¡­ she just has to be ruthless sometimes? Consider her difficult position.

    Liana leans towards the bread but it¡¯s too far for her to reach. I don¡¯t think hard about it and use telekinesis to pass it to her.

    ¡°Oh, did you get the hang of it?¡± she¡¯s pleasantly surprised and her emotional state brightens.

    ¡°This morning,¡± I nod. ¡°The key is not to overthink it. Just think you¡¯re moving the object and it does move.¡±

    ¡°Pass me the sausages!¡± Fefnir nudges me and his mood also improves.

    I focus on the plate and land it in front of him.

    ¡°And I want that salad,¡± Ingri demands as well.

    ¡°I¡¯m not your butler,¡± I roll my eyes but pass her the bowl to make her happy.

    ¡°You need to practice it anyway,¡± Fefnir shrugs and ravenously gobbles his meat. Ingri wrinkles her nose. She¡¯s still far behind us with her transformation but it seems meat is starting to stink for her. Erik takes notice.

    ¡°Do you mind me eating meat so near you?¡± he asks me because he also grabs a sausage.

    ¡°Nope,¡± I shake my head. ¡°And my nose isn¡¯t that sensitive anyway. Except for the eyes able to handle even the brightest sunlight and an excellent eye-sight in general, Celestials don¡¯t have super senses.¡±

    ¡°The game was very balanced when it comes to races,¡± Fefnir says between munches. ¡°Celestial magic might seem over-powered but Celestial bodies are extremely weak.¡±

    ¡°Every race has its strengths, weaknesses and special abilities,¡± I explain to Erik and bite into a toast.

    ¡°Which is fascinating beyond belief,¡± Dr Stein suddenly emerges. I was wondering when she was going to show up. ¡°I barely slept, the doctors and scientists are getting more and more intriguing data on patients. What about your telekinesis, Ryuuto?¡±

    I make a few pieces of cutlery levitate as a demonstration.

    ¡°Unbelievable!¡± Dr Stein is touching the floating objects and is anxious that she can¡¯t film it. She¡¯d love to make it public but she isn¡¯t as stupid as Anna. She knows well what is Liana capable of if she breached the contract.

    We continue eating breakfast while Dr Stein is documenting our new dietary preferences. When we finish, Liana is strongly advised to return to bed.

    ¡°Do you need company?¡± I ask because I feel she¡¯s reluctant to leave¡­ without us.

    ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± she looks at me with reddish sleepy eyes that are turning golden.

    ¡°I would be scared shitless without Erik,¡± I say.

    ¡°I¡¯d really appreciate it then,¡± she murmurs.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to invade your private rooms, but what about moving us all here?¡± I suggest. ¡°I bet you have more than one bathroom on this floor and beds can be put anywhere in these ridiculously huge spaces.¡±

    She¡¯s thinking about it for a while, then she slowly nods.

    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s make our headquarters here,¡± she agrees. ¡°Ingri can sleep in a room next to my bedroom, Fefnir can take the lounge and you two the salon.¡±

    *****

    It doesn¡¯t take long for the servants to move us. In just an hour, I¡¯m sitting with Erik in our new room, a luxurious salon. Our double bed was positioned to the left corner which required to move some furniture but it¡¯s still spacious.

    Because we¡¯re much closer, I can now feel Liana. She¡¯s sleeping soundly and Dr Stein is looking after her. Fortunately, my headache didn¡¯t develop into a migraine so I didn¡¯t have to take any painkillers.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I ask because Erik frowns while looking at his phone.

    ¡°A text from work, they want to cut my holiday,¡± he says. ¡°The hospital is full of Draconians and they need all the help they can get.¡±

    ¡°Draconians?¡± I blink. ¡°Is that the official term?¡±

    ¡°Seems so,¡± he shrugs. ¡°I saw it twice already on the news and now my superior has called you that in her text. What, aren¡¯t you called like that?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± I shake my head. ¡°Sure, the game was called Draconia but we never used any term describing all races altogether.¡±

    ¡°Well, get used it. It seems to be catching on.¡±

    ¡°What about your job? Will you go?¡± I get nervous. I can¡¯t imagine being without him even though I realise how selfish I am.

    ¡°No way.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t they be mad?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve just texted them back that I¡¯m taking care of a Draconian. They can¡¯t say anything against that since it means one less patient in hospital,¡± he says.

    ¡°What would I do without you?¡± I hug him.

    ¡°You¡¯d still have Liana,¡± he reminds me. ¡°By the way, you did feel something strange from her, right? I mean besides all the drama. The way she acted¡­ I know that she¡¯s a big shot but even super rich people wouldn¡¯t push someone on their knees, would they?¡±

    ¡°I think our mentality might be changing as well,¡± I say slowly. ¡°Liana actually acted as a true Celestial viceroy would.¡±

    ¡°But you stayed the same¡­ I mean mentally,¡± he opposes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Erik,¡± I sigh. ¡°I guess I was always weird so there¡¯s not that much difference.¡±

    ¡°Liana¡­ she was¡­ scary. I don¡¯t want you to be scary,¡± he shivers.

    ¡°I most certainly won¡¯t become scary,¡± I assure him. ¡°Not in my nature. Liana is probably inclined to it and the transformation is making it stronger.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s in the Celestial nature in general?¡± Erik is finally realising that we¡¯re really not peaceful angels.

    ¡°We¡¯re actually the least peaceful race in Draconia,¡± I admit.

    ¡°The least peaceful?¡± He gasps for breath. ¡°B-but¡­ I thought it¡¯s the Dragonkin who must be violent¡­ or those Clawfangs.¡±

    ¡°The Dragonkin are actually the most peaceful race, they¡¯re really phlegmatic,¡± I¡¯m amused by his judgment based on looks alone. ¡°It¡¯s my race that thrives in conquest. We might not seem like it but according to the lore we treat other races as inferior. Which was something I was constantly standing against and I hope won¡¯t transfer here.¡±

    ¡°No shit, can you imagine that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to imagine that.¡±

    *****

    ¡°Li, how do you feel?¡± I gently catch her hand to check up on her.

    She was walking just a few hours ago but it was only thanks to adrenaline. Now that the leaker is uncovered and gone, her body finally gave in.

    ¡°Shitty,¡± she¡¯s breathing with difficulties.

    ¡°Can I see your back?¡± I ask because so far she has been shy about it.

    ¡°Be my guest, I don¡¯t care at this point,¡± she half-closes her eyes. ¡°Doc?¡±

    Dr Stein carefully pulls up Liana¡¯s pyjamas so that we don¡¯t see more than we have to. Damn, did I look like that as well? Liana¡¯s back is all swollen and the bone structure of forming wings is clearly visible from under the skin. It looks horrid¡­ alien even.

    ¡°How come you¡¯re fine?¡± Erik asks Fefnir. ¡°Your compatibility level was just two percent lower than Liana¡¯s, right?¡±

    ¡°You mean except for the fact that I almost can¡¯t sit down normally because of my tail?¡± he laughs. ¡°Well, I do feel pain but somehow¡­ I don¡¯t mind that much?¡±

    ¡°The Dragonkin resilience,¡± Ingri comments. ¡°I¡¯m afraid my transformation will be similar to the Celestial one. I feel weaker and after our breakfast this morning I had to spend an hour outside¡­ sunbathing.¡±

    My phone starts ringing so I take it out of my pocket. It¡¯s Gotrid.

    ¡°H-hey,¡± he¡¯s panting and this time he¡¯s not half-naked. The room behind isn¡¯t the same as before. Did he move to meet other players?

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± we¡¯re all startled, even Liana opens her eyes because his voice sounds serious and disturbed.

    ¡°They voted just a few minutes ago¡­ it got through,¡± he gulps.

    ¡°Voted what? Who did?¡± I¡¯m confused. Only Fefnir who is constantly glued to the news understands right away.

    ¡°The Congress?¡± Fefnir guesses.

    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯ve announced the state of national emergency,¡± Gotrid says. ¡°Guys¡­ I¡¯ve just seen a tank in the street under my window.¡±

 12. Donâ€™t Be Afraid of Us

    It almost doesn¡¯t seem real but Fefnir turns on the 3D projector and it¡¯s on all news channels. Silent and horrified, we stare at a live footage of the military occupying streets of American cities. Fefnir then finds a debate programme.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a precaution,¡± an American politician claims vehemently and looks pale. ¡°We want to avoid any violence¡­ possible racial riots.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to protect the transforming players,¡± her colleague seconds. ¡°There were already some cases of Draconians being attacked... so far only verbally, fortunately.¡±

    ¡°Hospitals are full and people are buying food rations like crazy,¡± the first politician adds. ¡°All we want is to prevent panic.¡±

    ¡°But you strongly recommend that Draconians don¡¯t go outside unless they absolutely have to?¡± the commentator asks.

    ¡°We implore them,¡± the politician nods. ¡°For the time being¡­ until people get used to it a bit.¡±

    I look at Erik and he clutches my hand. We were expecting some kind of escalation soon but a state of national emergency?

    Fefnir switches the channel and it¡¯s the EU representatives speaking. Although they didn¡¯t announce the state of emergency, they also strongly advise players not to leave their homes for now. Allegedly, for our own safety.

    ¡°Our safety!¡± Liana spits. ¡°They¡¯re afraid of us, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s understandable, Miss Richter,¡± Dr Stein speaks up. ¡°We still don¡¯t know what¡¯s really going on and people are losing their nerves. I mean¡­ we know WHAT is going on. But we have no idea HOW and WHY.¡±

    ¡°They can¡¯t limit our freedom of movement like that,¡± Fefnir protests and angrily hits the chair.

    He just wanted to release some steam but the wood doesn¡¯t withstand the pressure and breaks. Fefnir opens his mouth wide and looks at the damage he¡¯s done.

    ¡°S-sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ I¡­,¡± he¡¯s shocked by his own strength.

    ¡°And that¡¯s exactly why people are afraid,¡± Dr Stein gulps. ¡°Four new races on the planet, each with abilities far exceeding humans.¡±

    ¡°We have to prove that we¡¯re still us,¡± Liana says. ¡°We¡¯re still their friends, colleagues from work, family¡­¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Ingri is on the verge of panicking and looks back at the projection. Now it shows a footage of people protesting in front of the White House.

    ¡°You two specifically might be able to help,¡± Liana points at me and Erik.

    ¡°Huh?¡± we both blink, confused.

    ¡°First of all, you¡¯re a VR celebrity, Aefener. You¡¯ve already had millions of followers and you keep getting more by the minute. That means that we can reach a lot of people with whatever you post online. We potentially have a huge audience.¡±

    She breathes in.

    ¡°Secondly, your boyfriend is human. The public will accept us better if we show that we¡¯re still friendly with them so there¡¯s no reason to fear us.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t involve Erik,¡± I violently shake my head. ¡°What if someone hurts him because of me? There will be many haters.¡±

    ¡°You-are-so-cute-but-stupid,¡± Erik pauses every single word. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving your side which means that I¡¯ll be perfectly safe wherever you¡¯ll be.¡±

    ¡°I have a third point,¡± Ingri brings up, trying to calm herself. ¡°Think about the majority of your fanbase, Aefener. Giving them an eye candy by presenting your handsome human boyfriend will make them even crazier for you. That¡¯s more positive publicity.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­ Erik¡­ I don¡¯t want to involve him¡­,¡± I¡¯m hesitant.

    ¡°Ryuu, I mean it when I say that I¡¯m okay with it,¡± Erik insists. ¡°I know that you want to protect me but let¡¯s face it. Your wings aren¡¯t going anywhere and the world is never going to be the same. I¡¯m not leaving you even if you are a new species now. Besides, I agree with Liana¡ªI can really make a difference just by being openly by your side.¡±

    ¡°What about your publicity, Li?¡± Fefnir asks. ¡°Aefener is just a popular streamer of one VR game but your name is universally known.¡±

    ¡°My publicity won¡¯t help,¡± Liana sighs. ¡°On the contrary, it¡¯d only harm us. I¡¯m a super rich businessperson, quite eccentric, and people can¡¯t relate to that. Aefener is, on the other hand, still a student leading a normal life. He¡¯s liked by his fans and has a lover who stayed human. Many people, transformed or not, will easily sympathise with that.¡±

    ¡°And he¡¯s beautiful,¡± Ingri adds.

    ¡°Also that,¡± Liana agrees, amused. ¡°He¡¯ll make a perfect public relations figure. Of course, other famous Draconia streamers and former race rulers will hopefully help as well and¡­ ouch,¡± she whines because she became too excited and tried to sit up.

    ¡°Don¡¯t strain yourself, Miss Richter,¡± Dr Stein pushes her down.

    ¡°Li, you¡¯ve done more than enough already,¡± Fefnir says. ¡°Now it¡¯s time we work while you rest. Go to sleep, we¡¯ll brainstorm some ideas in the study.¡±

    *****

    ¡°I¡¯m not presenting myself as the Celestial Emperor,¡± I refuse.

    ¡°But you technically are one,¡± Ingri insists. ¡°You look the part so let¡¯s use that.¡±

    I roll my eyes. Calling myself the Emperor ingame is one thing. That¡¯s just role-play. But transferring that into real life? Ridiculous.

    ¡°I¡¯m not doing it,¡± I purse my lips, pissed.

    All of a sudden, a glass of lemonade falls down the table and breaks. And it wasn¡¯t unstable or anything.

    ¡°Aefener?¡± Fefnir raises his eyebrows. ¡°Did you do that?¡±

    ¡°N-no?¡± I twitch. ¡°I mean¡­ not willingly.¡±

    ¡°We have to train our new abilities or we can potentially become dangerous to our surroundings,¡± Ingri says and looks at the glass shards. ¡°Can you levitate them?¡±

    ¡°Hm? Sure,¡± I focus on the shards and they fly up. I think she just wants me to clean the mess but something else is bugging her.

    ¡°Celestial telekinesis wasn¡¯t used in combat much, right?¡± she asks, thinking hard.

    ¡°Not really, it¡¯s too weak for that,¡± I confirm.

    ¡°Well¡­ but in theory¡­ you could throw the shards at someone, right?¡± Ingri ponders.

    I shudder at the thought. In the game, throwing small objects at players didn¡¯t really do any damage but here if used inventively¡­ I get distracted and the shards fall down.

    ¡°Damn,¡± Erik shivers as well. ¡°A lethal weapon, another reason for people to panic.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Hana looks into the study. ¡°The IT department just let me know that the secure network is ready and asks where you want to install the command centre.¡±

    ¡°Excellent,¡± Fefnir appreciates. ¡°I guess¡­ here?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Hana frowns at the broken glass.

    ¡°A small accident with telekinesis,¡± Ingri explains. ¡°Sorry, Mrs Hana.¡±

    Hana sighs and sends a maid for cleaning. The maid has seen us several times already but she stares at my wings and Fefnir¡¯s forming scales again. Thankfully, she doesn¡¯t ask what happened, cleans the mess and leaves immediately after that. I catch her anxiety, she feels uneasy around us.

    Do we really look THAT weird? I ask Erik.

    Well, yeah, he doesn¡¯t deny it. To be honest, what¡¯s weirder is the fact that you¡¯ve come to terms with is so quickly.

    I suppose it¡¯s because we¡¯re used to having these bodies from the game.

    ¡°G-good afternoon,¡± two IT technicians enter the study.

    They see us for the first time so their stares are really intensive. They freeze completely for a few seconds, astonished. Even though they must have seen me on the news, actually encountering real angel wings must be mind-blowing.

    ¡°Can you set it up here?¡± Fefnir steps in front of them and points towards Liana¡¯s huge study desk.

    The technicians flinch. Fefnir looked impressive even as human and now he has scales and seems somewhat bulkier. It is a bit terrifying.

    ¡°T-three c-computers will do?¡± one of the technician answers with a stutter.

    I don¡¯t need my telepathy to see that these poor guys are scared of us. We¡¯ve done nothing intimidating and they don¡¯t know I can do telekinesis, yet they¡¯re terrified. I deepen my connection to Erik and try to see us with his eyes but it doesn¡¯t work. He got used to us by now and him being telepathically connected to me almost nonstop is a contributing factor.

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    I can take any weirdness you throw at me, Erik chuckles in his thoughts because he knows I¡¯m searching his mind right now. I don¡¯t think anything can truly surprise me anymore since my boyfriend is a telepathic angel.

    The technicians start bringing computers and screens and plugging them. Fefnir is trying to help them but they¡¯re too nervous around him and almost drop one of the computers. In a few minutes, Liana¡¯s desk is transformed into a decent IT corner.

    ¡°You can continue working with Vortex but now everything goes through our security protocols,¡± one of the technicians explains. ¡°For a fee, the platform allows users to connect their own private servers so we took an advantage of that. Naturally, AstraTech has some of the best encryption protocols and servers and you can set your passwords without us just as Miss Richter ordered.¡±

    ¡°Great, thank you,¡± Fefnir nods.

    ¡°If you need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to contact us,¡± the other technician says politely but, in reality, he hopes we won¡¯t need their help that often.

    ¡°Gosh, they didn¡¯t have to be that scared,¡± Ingri sighs when the IT guys leave.

    ¡°They weren¡¯t scared of you¡­ yet,¡± Fefnir shrugs. ¡°They were staring at me.¡±

    Ingri is at least two weeks behind me with her transformation so nothing obvious is visible yet. She was complaining about needing more sun and switched to vegan diet but that¡¯s it so far. The Earthborn bodies are very intricate, though. I bet she¡¯s changing rapidly inside.

    I notice she¡¯s rubbing her chest a few centimetres above her stomach.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ask, worried. ¡°Did Dr Stein examine you?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah, I just feel a bit weird,¡± she says slowly. ¡°I think my wallascula started growing.¡±

    ¡°Wallascula?¡± Erik tilts his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s a special organ in which we can process new genetic information according to the game lore,¡± she explains. ¡°We¡¯re not plants even if we look the part a bit because we can alter our bodies.¡±

    ¡°The developers of your game really enjoyed creating inhuman races, didn¡¯t they?¡± Erik shakes his head.

    ¡°Which reminds me¡­ what about Uriel?¡± Fefnir remarks while switching on one of the computers right away. ¡°She never contacted us again which is strange. I thought we¡¯d stay in contact.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, I totally forgot about her,¡± I chew my lip. ¡°She didn¡¯t even add me at Vortex.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ as one of the developers her compatibility level must have been really high, right?¡± Ingri ponders. ¡°If the Japanese government needed patients for research, I think there¡¯s a good chance she volunteered. Taking responsibility is a Japanese quirk, right?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, my mentality is European,¡± I shrug. ¡°But I think you might be right.¡±

    Then we spend some time trying to find out how all the equipment works. The IT department was very generous and brought also cameras, microphones, 3D projectors and other stuff for professional streamers their employer must have requested.

    ¡°Should we wait for Liana to shoot the video?¡± Fefnir scratches his chin when he positions the camera.

    ¡°She¡¯s still sleeping, let her rest,¡± I shake my head.

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Ingri narrows her eyes.

    A hint of panic runs down my spine. Does she suspect something? Am I too obvious with Erik?

    ¡°She would have called us,¡± I say quickly.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Fefnir murmurs. ¡°AstaTech¡¯s servers are really great. It seems I can connect several thousand people into one videocall. Being able to manage such a thing is a different matter but the good news is¡ªwe can do it. Can we continue using your account, Aefener?¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± I nod and hope that it¡¯ll distract Ingri.

    Fortunately, it does. Ingri turns into my social manager again and eagerly helps Fefnir to set my password and tinker with various settings.

    ¡°Damn,¡± my head spins when I see the current count. 102 million followers.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing, right?¡± Erik nudges me. ¡°It means that you¡¯ve got many fans who aren¡¯t transforming players.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ if you put it that way,¡± I admit he¡¯s right. ¡°It¡¯s still unnerving, though. I didn¡¯t mind talking to my fans before because it was through my avatar. Showing my true face¡­¡±

    ¡°Your beautiful true face,¡± he gently grabs my chin and kisses me because he feels my uncertainly and low self-esteem.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what we need,¡± Ingri exclaims excitedly.

    Erik rolls his eyes and pulls away.

    ¡°No, seriously, something like this,¡± Ingri insists. ¡°Let¡¯s make a video in which we show that humans and new races can still love each other.¡±

    ¡°I have to agree with Ingri on this,¡± Fefnir seconds. ¡° And Liana suggested something similar.¡±

    I¡¯m still not sure about it but Erik surprisingly agrees with the idea as well. We devote an hour to writing a script and preparing the background and it does feel like I¡¯m back to my streaming career.

    Don¡¯t fret, you¡¯ve done it countless times before, Erik encourages me since he catches my anxiety.

    When Draconia was just a game, I oppose.

    It¡¯s me who should be nervous, he laughs. I¡¯m basically debuting.

    Your nerves are steel compared to me.

    Not when it comes to public speeches.

    I anxiously look Ingri¡¯s way but she¡¯s adjusting the camera and doesn¡¯t pay attention to us.

    We have to be careful with our telepathic communication, I warn him. Ingri suspects something.

    But you are considering telling them, right?

    Eventually¡­ yeah. When I¡¯m ready.

    ¡°Okay, done,¡± Ingri announces.

    ¡°Do we look alright?¡± Erik gets nervous after all. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we comb our hair better or change clothes?¡±

    ¡°Nah, look natural,¡± Fefnir waves his hand.

    I gulp when Ingri gesticulates at us and turns on recording. We went through what we¡¯d like to say to the world three times but we still stutter so we have to re-shoot several times. We¡¯re holding hands visibly to the camera and kiss lightly at the end so that there¡¯s no doubt what our relationship is.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s really cute,¡± Ingri is content when we review the thing. ¡°It¡¯s evident that you¡¯re nervous but that makes it only more believable and relatable.¡±

    The minute we upload the video, views start skyrocketing. I have to look away from the counting.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we did well and it¡¯s for the world,¡± Erik scratches my left wing. ¡°Besides, your feathers are growing rapidly, the wings are even prettier.¡±

    I carefully stretch my wings to the sides to take a better look. Proper feathers really are growing quickly which pleases me. Just like ingame, I enjoy that feeling of my back not being bare. Erik smirks because he feels what I¡¯m thinking about and he starts to playfully caress my wings.

    ¡°Oh, s-stop,¡± I moan.

    ¡°Too much pressure?¡± he pauses immediately, concerned he might have caused me pain as I¡¯m not fully healed yet.

    ¡°N-no¡­ but¡­ ehm¡­,¡± I blush, embarrassed. ¡°Not in front of them.¡±

    Fefnir and Ingri look at me, dumbfounded. Then Ingri realises what¡¯s going on and starts to chuckle uncontrollably.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Fefnir¡¯s confused.

    ¡°Let¡¯s say Celestials will get a very peculiar erogenous spot,¡± she¡¯s laughing.

    ¡°What, the wings?¡± Fefnir slaps his forehead.

    ¡°Figures,¡± she shrugs. ¡°Celestial wings are supposed to be extremely sensitive¡­ for all sorts of things it seems.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still a minor, Ingri,¡± Fefnir sighs.

    ¡°I¡¯m of legal age for these things,¡± she objects. ¡°Not that I¡¯ve actually done it myself yet but¡­ ehm¡­ I read¡­¡±

    ¡°Gay fic,¡± Erik finishes for her and repeats her utterance: ¡°Figures.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, I bet you¡¯ve read tons of Draconia gay fanfic on our Aefener, here? And wings were the main attraction?¡± Fefnir bursts laughing so hard that his tailbone must hurt like hell. But he can¡¯t help it.

    ¡°Seriously, what is it with girls and their obsession with boys love?¡± Erik shakes his head, annoyed. ¡°Are we a spectacle to you or what?¡±

    ¡°You two certainly are,¡± Fefnir has to dry his laugh tears. ¡°Giving Ingri a good show every time she looks at you.¡±

    The embarrassing situation is saved by my Vortex messenger beeping. Gotrid is calling again and sends me at least two dozen invitations. We put the call on the big screen.

    ¡°Heya Gotrid,¡± Fefnir greets him. ¡°Thanks to Liana¡¯s awesome IT team, we now have the means to connect everyone into one mega server.¡±

    ¡°Nice,¡± Gotrid smiles even though he looks dead tired. ¡°And I saw the video, it¡¯s really cute.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s try that massive videocall thing,¡± Ingri adds everyone who¡¯s currently online. ¡°However much I love social media, I can¡¯t respond to everyone writing to you, Aefener.¡±

    I expect the players to be a bit shy at first but the moment Ingri switches on the videocall and starts approving participants, countless faces start appearing on all three screens. The camera is still facing me and Erik.

    ¡°Aefener!¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s really him.¡±

    ¡°And that guy from the video.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s our viceroy?¡±

    ¡°Is she really Laura Richter?¡±

    ¡°My parents are forcing me to go to hospital. I don¡¯t want to!¡±

    ¡°It hurts so much.¡±

    Thanks to admin rights, Ingri quickly puts everyone on mute because the commotion is too overwhelming.

    ¡°H-hello guys,¡± I greet them and try to count all those miniature faces on three screens. I fail, of course, but I guess we have more than a hundred people connected.

    Since everyone joined the chat with their Vortex profiles, I can see their ingame nicknames and not real names that wouldn¡¯t tell my anything. I spot Taranah, Maineia, Reniel and many others I know from the royal guild and also countless people I don¡¯t know so they must be either Fefnir¡¯s or Ingri¡¯s acquaintances.

    ¡°If you want to speak, click the raise the hand button and we¡¯ll unmute you,¡± Fefnir tells them and sits next to us. Ingri squeezes to my right. It¡¯s still too many people who want to talk but now it¡¯s at least manageable.

    ¡°Gotrid, can you tell everyone what¡¯s the situation in the USA?¡± I ask him specifically.

    ¡°Not great, not terrible,¡± Gotrid sighs and I see a few people sitting around him. I¡¯m glad he isn¡¯t alone. ¡°The military is securing the centres of all big cities but they aren¡¯t doing anything¡­ yet. The government is constantly imploring us not to go outside. The players whose compatibility level wasn¡¯t that high are still okay as their transformation isn¡¯t visible yet but high-levels are struggling.¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s the mood of the public overseas?¡± Erik asks.

    ¡°People are scared,¡± Gotrid says truthfully. ¡°Americans have always been preppers but nobody remembers such hysteria. They¡¯re especially afraid of what we¡¯ll be potentially able to do in the future.¡±

    ¡°Right, my strength is getting out of control a bit,¡± Fefnir admits. ¡°I¡¯ve just damaged a chair by accident.¡±

    ¡°Physical strength is at least understandable,¡± Gotrid says. ¡°They¡¯re scared of magic.¡±

    All participants are suddenly raising their hands and I bet I know what they want to ask.

    ¡°Aefener,¡± Gotrid coughs and looks at me intently. ¡°Can you do magic? Did you¡­ try?¡±

    ¡°E-ehm¡­,¡± I look in panic at Erik.

    They are too many people, what if someone babbles about it online? I¡¯m worried. I agree with Liana, people will go crazy when they find out for sure.

    Keeping it secret for a few more days would be great but I¡¯m afraid your friends already suspect that¡­

    ¡°You can, can¡¯t you?¡± a woman sitting next to Gotrid snaps and doesn¡¯t let Erik finish his thought. ¡°I can see it in your face.¡±

    Shit, my expression gave me away. I¡¯m not a good liar. Never been.

    ¡°My Emperor,¡± Gotrid begs, ¡°we have to know.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I can do telekinesis,¡± I say slowly and quickly add: ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone yet, okay? We need to keep our people safe for as long as possible. This confirmation is sure to spiral things out of control.¡±

    It¡¯s a good thing that connected players are muted because I see them shouting to their cameras, begging me to show them.

    I sign resignedly and let a few objects levitate around me. Of course, it causes a huge uproar. I notice Taranah is violently gesticulating, asking to speak up. Together with Uriel, he was the head of our magic research team ingame. I unmute him.

    ¡°Aefener, that¡¯s amazing and terrifying at the same time!¡± he exclaims. ¡°We¡¯ve been hoping the transformation won¡¯t be just physical but now that we know for sure also our powers are becoming real as well¡­ damn!¡±

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t tell anyone else, okay?¡± I repeat desperately. ¡°I know that you¡¯d like to tell at least your gaming friends but it¡¯d be impossible to keep secret. Hold on for just a few days, please.¡±

    People are nodding but I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s in vain. Some of them are bound to tell others.

    Did I screw up? I clutch Erik¡¯s hand.

    It¡¯s not your fault, lying isn¡¯t in your nature, he answers reassuringly.

    I¡¯m good at lying only about one thing¡ªmy telepathy, I admit.

    That¡¯s not exactly lying, Ryuu, that¡¯s rather omitting a certain information. When I asked you directly about it, you couldn¡¯t lie, remember?

    ¡°Real magic¡­ here!¡± Taranah is freaking out and muted people too.

    Out of the blue, I can feel a sharp sensation of pain that isn¡¯t my own. It belongs to¡­ Liana!

    ¡°L-Li,¡± I let out, horrified.

    Ingri and Fefnir look at me, not understanding why I¡¯m mentioning her now and why my voice sounds so concerned without any cause. Another reason why I¡¯ve always been afraid to make close friends in real life. I was sure they¡¯d notice sooner or later that I can perceive something they can¡¯t.

    ¡°W-we should maybe check up on her?¡± I suggest, trying to save the situation.

    In the end, I¡¯m saved by Hana bursting into the study, this time without her decent knocking.

    ¡°Miss Richter¡­ she¡­,¡± the housekeeper is panting. ¡°Her wings are coming out!¡±

 13. Her New Wings

    It¡¯s sooner than we expected but it¡¯s not like we know how the whole process works in the first place. In panic, we storm into Liana¡¯s bedroom. Dr Stein had already rolled Liana over to her stomach and uncovered her back.

    It makes me nauseous to see for myself how the transformation looks like from another¡¯s point of view. Liana¡¯s new limbs are pushing into her skin and it¡¯s totally alien. Poor Liana is wailing, crying and swearing. I freeze for a moment but Liana¡¯s pain doesn¡¯t let me stay still for too long.

    ¡°We¡¯ve managed once, we¡¯ll manage for the second time as well!¡± Dr Stein throws a disinfectant as us. ¡°Wash your hands and help me.¡±

    ¡°A-Aefener,¡± Liana¡¯s eyes water and she desperately grabs my hand when I sit down on the bed next to her.

    Her pain hits me hard and my head spins. I don¡¯t perceive it as my own sensation but it¡¯s still really intense. I clutch her hands in comfort.

    ¡°Aaa!¡± she screams when her wings jerk again. Fefnir holds her down and this time he has to carefully watch his own strength.

    ¡°The sedatives aren¡¯t working,¡± Dr Stein wipes the sweat from her forehead. ¡°I was hoping that¡­ no, her metabolism must be much different now.¡±

    ¡°Scheisse!¡± Liana swears again and is clutching my hands tight.

    Her pain is too much for me to handle. It¡¯s risky but I enter her mind, trying to calm her down. And¡­ it does seem to work. She¡¯s still wailing and hurting but it isn¡¯t overwhelming. I gently touch her mind without sending any of my thoughts, hoping she¡¯s too occupied to notice my presence.

    It feels endless but eventually her wings tear the skin. Liana faints for a few minutes but another burst of pain wakes her up. I push further into her mind to blunt it.

    ¡°Pull!¡± Dr Stein instructs and together with Erik they¡¯re trying to get the wings out.

    Half of my consciousness is in Liana¡¯s mind, the other half is trying to keep track of what¡¯s happening around me. Once again I must admire Erik¡¯s ability to act in extreme situations. Even Ingri is doing well, assisting the doctor.

    And then the wings finally come fully out. They¡¯re all bloody but it¡¯s strangely beautiful. It looks like a birth and from a certain perspective it is. I¡¯m not the only winged person anymore. I¡¯m a Celestial and now she is too¡ªthe beginning of a new race.

    ¡°A-ah,¡± Liana sighs in relief and faints for good. Her grip loosens and she lets go of my hands.

    I¡¯m silently watching as Dr Stein stops Liana¡¯s bleeding, disinfects the wounds and bandages her. The wings are dirty but I can spot black fluff. So we¡¯ll get our ingame colours after all, that pretty much proves it.

    ¡°Ryuu, are you okay?¡± Erik takes a look at my wrists. ¡°Damn, does it hurt?¡±

    Only now I look at my hands. They¡¯re badly bruised and I didn¡¯t feel it that much because Liana¡¯s pain was stronger. But I don¡¯t care, my friend needed to hold onto someone and I feel honoured to be that someone.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I nod. ¡°Can I wash her wings? I didn¡¯t do much.¡±

    You did plenty, Erik says. You entered her mind and lessened her pain, right? Don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t noticed.

    ¡°Emotional support counts as well,¡± Ingri shakes her head. ¡°On the contrary, you did too much it seems,¡± she stares at my bruises.

    ¡°I want to do it,¡± I insist. ¡°I think she¡¯d wish I do it for her as another Celestial and her friend.¡±

    Hana brings bowls with water and washcloths. My hands hurt quite a bit but I thoroughly wash Liana¡¯s new limbs while telepathically comforting her in her sleep. Erik assists me. The wings look more like stumps at this point but I can¡¯t help to admire them. It¡¯s miraculous what our bodies were able to do in such a short period of time.

    ¡°We have six limbs now,¡± I mumble when Hana changes the water for clean one.

    ¡°You certainly do,¡± Erik smiles at me and hands me a new washcloth.

    Then we don¡¯t speak for a while and focus on the job. Dr Stein helps us handle the wings so that the wounds don¡¯t re-open. She¡¯s totally fascinated and is probably thinking about all that new information she¡¯ll post under her name. I don¡¯t like her mind but her expertise is needed. Thanks to her and the fact it was our second try, Liana didn¡¯t lose as much blood as I did.

    ¡°It felt a bit easier than your transformation,¡± Fefnir remarks and breaks the silence.

    ¡°Maybe because her body had more time to adjust and we already knew what to do?¡± I suggest.

    ¡°She seemed to handle the pain better,¡± he observes.

    I catch Ingri staring at me strangely.

    ¡°Now what?¡± Erik takes a deep breath.

    ¡°We wait until Li wakes up,¡± I say.

    *****

    ¡°Ehm¡­ Aefener? What are you doing in my bed?¡± Liana¡¯s voice wakes me up.

    I blink, disoriented for a moment. Then I realise I must have dozed off, lying next to her in the corner of her huge bed. Erik let me rest here after I finished cleaning her wings. I was exhausted but I didn¡¯t want to leave her. We¡¯re alone but I feel the others nearby.

    ¡°L-Li,¡± I sit up quickly. ¡°How do you feel?¡±

    ¡°Battered,¡± she whines. ¡°Starving.¡±

    ¡°But otherwise?¡± I smile because I sense that she¡¯s okay.

    ¡°Extremely weak but at the same time somewhat¡­ great?¡± she smiles back. ¡°And I can feel something pulsating in me.¡±

    ¡°Mana,¡± I nod. ¡°That¡¯s what it feels like I guess.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for holding my hand and just¡­ you know¡­ being with me,¡± she whispers and I can feel a wave of loneliness coming from her.

    Is it possible that she doesn¡¯t have anyone really close? Typically, people would be thinking about their loved ones but Liana wasn¡¯t calling anyone in her mind during her transformation. Come to think of it¡­ we¡¯ve been here for several days now but we¡¯ve met only Liana¡¯s servants, no one else.

    ¡°Li, you¡­,¡± I stop myself. What would I even say to her? That I know exactly what she feels?

    Liana looks at me with a hint of suspicion in her eyes. She can¡¯t quite grasp it but she must have noticed something was off when she was holding my hand. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t even cross her mind to think of telepathy but considering what¡¯s happening with us¡­

    ¡°Miss, you¡¯re up!¡± Hana opens the door and beams. ¡°Lunch? Right away?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± Liana lets out and Hana runs off. ¡°How long was I out?¡±

    ¡°Sixteen hours,¡± I count, checking my phone.

    ¡°Were you with me the whole time?¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± I nod.

    ¡°Thanks, Aefener. I really appreciate it. Erik didn¡¯t mind?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m probably the gayest person on Earth, Li,¡± I chuckle. ¡°Sorry, you¡¯re really beautiful but¡­ you¡¯re not a guy.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s so relaxing being around you,¡± Liana manages to laugh. ¡°You¡¯re the only person I know who doesn¡¯t try to get into my bed even though you just kind of did.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re both awake, finally!¡± Fefnir enters the room and Dr Stein and Ingri with him.

    ¡°Miss Richter, how do you feel?¡± the doctor starts examining her right away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I wanted to be here when you wake up but I desperately needed to take a shower.¡±

    ¡°No problem,¡± Liana says weakly while her temperature is being taken.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Erik?¡± I ask. I can sense that he¡¯s not far and feels a bit down for some reason which makes me concerned.

    ¡°He¡¯s been on his phone for quite some time,¡± Ingri informs. ¡°Looks important.¡±

    ¡°I hope they aren¡¯t making a fuss at his work,¡± I worry.

    The servants bring in lunch and they stare at Liana¡¯s wings. I guess it¡¯s one thing seeing a person they don¡¯t know like me with wings and entirely different thing seeing their employer. Plus, Liana¡¯s eyes are now completely golden and her hair is rapidly growing and turning violet.

    There¡¯s plenty of food as always so we all eat. Dr Stein helps Liana to sit and feeds her. I perceive Liana¡¯s discomfort¡ªshe hates feeling so vulnerable. I understand as I would feel the same way if it wasn¡¯t my boyfriend taking care of me.

    My boyfriend¡­ what¡¯s taking Erik so long? Is he okay? I¡¯m becoming more and more nervous with each passing minute. I quickly finish eating and for the first time since my transformation try to stand up.

    ¡°Aefener?¡± Fefnir looks up from his plate. ¡°Will you manage?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m about to find out,¡± I say and carefully move all the weight on my legs.

    I wobble for a second but Fefnir doesn¡¯t have to help me in the end. My legs are still weak but I can slowly walk on my own which boosts my mood. My wings fold automatically so they aren¡¯t in the way.

    ¡°Hmm, nice,¡± I inspect myself in Liana¡¯s huge mirror on the wall. The wings are tiny but really cute. Just a month ago if I went out like this, people would think it¡¯s a cosplay.

    ¡°Yep, they suit you,¡± Ingri grins. ¡°Can I take a photo for your profile?¡±

    Before I even manage to say anything, she¡¯s already taken at least three shots.

    ¡°Done, posted,¡± she says enthusiastically. ¡°Just wait for all the likes.¡±

    I hope she knows what she¡¯s doing. I trust her social media skills but she¡¯s still a 17-year old teenager with no real life experience.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°That t-shirt is a joke, though,¡± Liana remarks because I¡¯m wearing my favourite t-shirt with the logo of Draconia Online.

    ¡°On the contrary, I think it¡¯s spot on,¡± Fefnir laughs.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to find Erik,¡± I wave my hand.

    I enter the hall and close the door behind me. Two bodyguards are standing in the hall and raise their eyebrows at me.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ h-hello,¡± I greet them nervously but they don¡¯t stop me or anything.

    I¡¯ve never actually walked in Liana¡¯s mansion so I¡¯m not sure where to go. I decide to follow Erik¡¯s telepathic imprint. I walk slowly, supporting myself by touching walls. A hall¡­ a room¡­ another hall¡­ a terrace.

    There he is, sitting on the sofa outside with his ear glued to the phone. He looks and feels annoyed.

    ¡°E-Erik?¡± I say quietly, not wanting to startle him. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± he turns around and puts the phone down, covering the microphone. ¡°Should you be walking so soon?¡±

    ¡°I feel much better, what about you?¡±

    ¡°Just a sec,¡± he puts the phone back to his ear. ¡°Yes, I know, Mum. No, I¡¯m not coming back this week¡­ probably not even next week¡­ I don¡¯t know, Mum. No, tell Dad that I¡¯m totally okay. Gosh, I know that my boyfriend has wings now. I don¡¯t care.¡±

    So it¡¯s a family phone call. I suddenly feel bad for eavesdropping. I want to leave but he gesticulates at me to sit down on the sofa so I do.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call later, okay? Yes, I know. Bye,¡± he hangs up with a long sigh.

    ¡°Family problems?¡± I stretch my hand towards him but I stop myself. I got too used to our telepathic connection, we should talk normally from time to time.

    ¡°Not really,¡± he shakes his head. ¡°Compared to yours, my family is super loving. They¡¯re just stressed seeing me trending literally everywhere.¡±

    ¡°Do they have a problem with the fact that your boyfriend is a freak?¡± I lower my head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t use that word,¡± he says sternly. ¡°You¡¯re a different species, not a freak. Besides, your friends are the same and you don¡¯t think of them that way.¡±

    ¡°Old habits die hard,¡± I murmur.

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± he touches me and his love pours into me. ¡°You¡¯re not a freak. Never been.¡±

    His phone is ringing again. Erik rolls his eyes.

    ¡°Literally everyone who knows me is calling,¡± he explains. ¡°This time,¡± he looks at the screen, ¡°it¡¯s one of my friends.¡±

    ¡°Take it,¡± I say. ¡°Better deal with it right away. I¡¯ll return to Liana and others.¡±

    ¡°No, stay,¡± he insists. ¡°I want you to hear what I have to say to them.¡±

    So I do and I¡¯m overjoyed how he¡¯s defending me and our relationship. How he¡¯s adamant in his decision to help all Draconians. I couldn¡¯t wish for a better boyfriend. Still, one thing bothers me.

    ¡°Am I selfish?¡± I ask when he ends the call.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he doesn¡¯t understand, slips the phone into his pocket and hugs me. ¡°Are you having another moment of low self-esteem?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± I shake my head and resist entering his mind even though he¡¯s so close. ¡°I just want to make sure you¡¯re not sacrificing your life for me. I mean¡­ your family is against it¡­ you¡¯ll probably have problems at work¡­ you became a celebrity overnight and¡­¡±

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± he interrupts me. ¡°How would you describe my personality in one word?¡±

    I¡¯m thinking about that for a long moment.

    ¡°A protector,¡± I say finally. ¡°Someone kind who wants to help people and make a difference in the world.¡±

    ¡°You flatter me too much, but¡­ okay,¡± he nods. ¡°I like helping people. If I left you and went back to my hospital, I¡¯d be able to help only a handful of patients. Through you, I can reach the world. Liana is absolutely right. My very presence here and the fact that I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor¡¯s boyfriend can really help to calm things down.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m probably addicted to you, do you realise that?¡± I say honestly. ¡°My telepathy¡­ I can¡¯t help it. I might become a burden when you get tired of me.¡±

    ¡°What a cute burden I have,¡± he smirks and doesn¡¯t let me rattle anymore. Instead, he showers me with kisses.

    I¡¯m not doing anything I don¡¯t want to, he adds in his thoughts. Besides, I¡¯ll probably get into historical textbooks one day. What a feat for a mere helicopter pilot, right?

    *****

    ¡°Thanks, Aefener,¡± Liana says when I help her eat. ¡°I don¡¯t feel comfortable being fed by Dr Stein or even by Hana. It just feels weird. You¡¯re my close friend so I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°No problem,¡± I smile at her, happy that she thinks of me that way, and deliver another spoonful into her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do for giving me refuge.¡±

    ¡°I kind of envy you having Erik,¡± she admits between munches and looks at my boyfriend with a bit of envy. ¡°You¡¯re such a nice couple.¡±

    ¡°T-thanks,¡± I blush.

    My phone beeps but since I have my hands full, Ingri takes if for me. I thought it¡¯s just another social media thing but Ingri looks horrified and shows my phone to Erik.

    ¡°Delete it,¡± Erik wrinkles his nose and feels pissed.

    ¡°Huh? What is it?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to see that,¡± Erik shakes his head.

    ¡°I think I do,¡± I use telekinesis to get my phone back. I¡¯m becoming really good at it.

    I read a few lines and freeze. My second lover did write back after all. But it¡¯s anything but pleasant. How could his mind even attract me? But¡­ I guess nobody can truly know how someone will react when millions of people inexplicably start turning into totally different species. Not even a telepath.

    ¡°What a piece of shit,¡± Erik rages. ¡°Delete it, Ryuu, and block his number.¡±

    I do but Liana manages to take a glimpse of the text.

    ¡°Wait, you had more boyfriends at the same time?¡± she realises.

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t my boyfriend, just an¡­ acquaintance with benefits,¡± I try to make it sound like it¡¯s not a big deal. ¡°It was before me and Erik officially became a couple,¡± I add quickly.

    ¡°Whatever,¡± she continues eating. I¡¯m glad she¡¯s not judging me. ¡°Still, it¡¯s horrible that someone you know would think of you that way.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a natural reaction,¡± I shrug. ¡°I was extremely lucky with Erik.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you were,¡± Erik smirks and I grin back.

    I deliver another spoonful and notice that Liana¡¯s left wing is itching. I scratch the spot to relieve her and want to continue feeding her but Liana frowns.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ how did you know?¡± she¡¯s totally confused.

    ¡°What?¡± I¡¯m confused as well. Then, to my horror, I realise that I felt her discomfort with my telepathy and acted upon that on reflex. It¡¯s sometimes impossible for me to differentiate what is normal to perceive and what is not.

    ¡°How did you know where to scratch me?¡± she narrows her eyes.

    ¡°Y-your left wing was twitching,¡± I quickly come up with a lie.

    Ingri and Fefnir look up from their plates. Fefnir is totally oblivious but Ingri looks at me questionably. Fortunately, Erik comes to my rescue.

    ¡°I found out this is the Celestial sweet spot when it comes to scratching,¡± he touches the exact same place on my left wing.

    I shiver because it¡¯s damn pleasant and thanks to that my cover is solid and they buy it.

    ¡°The true sweet spot is elsewhere, though?¡± Fefnir can¡¯t help it when there¡¯s a space for jokes.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liana blinks.

    ¡°Oh, I forgot you were sleeping when we talked about it,¡± he realises and points with his scaly hand between my wings. ¡°The Celestial weak spot seems to be erogenous in real life.¡±

    I watch Liana turning red. Huh? I¡¯d never think someone like her would feel embarrassed about erotic things. But she does which is surprising. Could she have less experience than me even though she¡¯s older? Well, if she¡¯s afraid that people are only after her money, she might be actively avoiding dating.

    She¡¯s more normal than you in this area, Ryuu, Erik is laughing in his head. You do realise that having several sexual relationships at the same time isn¡¯t exactly normal for a university student?

    I¡­ I guess, I reluctantly admit. I¡¯ve never thought of it that way. I can¡¯t resist when someone¡¯s mind attracts me.

    Dummy, normal people don¡¯t work like that. And Liana especially needs to be wary of other people since she¡¯s the Laura Richter.

    ¡°My Queen and King are calling!¡± Ingri exclaims excitedly and saves the embarrassing moment.

    ¡°Oh, is their transformation over as well?¡± Liana guesses, relieved the topic has changed.

    It turns out that¡¯s exactly the case. Twyla¡¯s and Werden¡¯s faces appears on the screen, their skin now completely green and eyes as well. But that¡¯s not necessarily the only Earthborn colour, they will probably be able to make themselves however colourful they wish. After they manage to perfectly control their body functions, of course.

    ¡°Hello Li, I can see your wings are out,¡± Werden smiles. ¡°How do you feel?¡±

    ¡°Weak but otherwise fine,¡± Liana says. ¡°What about you two? How¡¯s the Earthborn transformation?¡±

    ¡°Exhausting but unlike you not dangerous,¡± Twyla answers. ¡°Growing an entirely new organ is no joke but there¡¯s no bleeding, no skin tearing apart.¡±

    ¡°How do you know your wallascula finished growing?¡± Ingri asks curiously and pats her ribs.

    ¡°Because we can connect to plants and even animals now,¡± Twyla answers, looking proud.

    She shows her palms to the camera and tiny roots appear. But they aren¡¯t really roots, they just resemble them. For the Earthborn, their rooty tentacles are a sensory organ through which they can absorb genetic information from various sources.

    ¡°W-wow,¡± Ingri is astonished and excited about her prospects. ¡°Did you test it?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Werden nods. ¡°We tried connecting to our horses and various plants. It¡¯s hard to describe really and we can¡¯t control it yet. Still, the point is that it¡¯s highly probable we¡¯ll become genetical engineers even here.¡±

    ¡°Coooool,¡± Ingri prolongs. ¡°And you have horses?¡±

    ¡°We own an organic farm,¡± Twyla explains.

    ¡°You were Earthborn even before your transformation,¡± Fefnir chuckles.

    ¡°Pretty much,¡± they¡¯re smiling. ¡°We get it that people panic and everything but we¡¯ve never felt better. How is it with you?¡±

    ¡°The same,¡± I confirm. ¡°It was scary at first but now¡­ I just love my wings.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think our people will mind that they¡¯ve transformed into their avatars,¡± Werden says. ¡°Sure, it¡¯s scary and confusing and everything changes for us but¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a dream come true,¡± Fefnir finishes the sentence.

    ¡°The transformation might have changed our mentality as well and brains in general,¡± Werden suggests. ¡°I mean¡­ not might have¡­ definitely has. We just feel different, our perception feels different.¡±

    I look at Liana and think of how she dealt with the leaker. It was beyond acting tough as a CEO, it was true Celestial wrath. Liana herself probably didn¡¯t realise that but what I felt from her wasn¡¯t a human emotion.

    ¡°So the problem won¡¯t be Draconians becoming depressed about their transformation,¡± Liana summarizes. ¡°How humans react to us, whether they accept us or not, will be the problem.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so,¡± Twyla nervously nods.

    I gulp. Humankind has finally overcome racism based on one¡¯s skin colour but now we¡¯re in for a new kind of racism?!

    ¡°We have to act,¡± Liana says. ¡°We have to establish some kind of network to support each other. We should also unite for dealing with governments all over the world and ensure our rights and law protection.¡±

    ¡°So it comes down to choosing our representatives,¡± Twyla points out. ¡°But how? Do you think it should be us, the original race rulers? We have no expertise for this, Li, we¡¯re just farmers.¡±

    ¡°And Aefener a student,¡± Liana shrugs. ¡°We have to do what we can. Sure, we could hold some sort of online election but it¡¯d inevitably come to who the players know so race rulers would most probably win anyway. What I¡¯m proposing is using your publicity to reach our people and unite us.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll gladly help however we can,¡± Werden nods. ¡°Just don¡¯t expect us to know about politics.¡±

    ¡°That will be my job, don¡¯t worry,¡± Liana waves her hand but suddenly whines because she accidentally moved her wings.

    ¡°Li, you have to rest for a few days,¡± I gently push her back on her side and cover her with a blanket while leaving out the wings.

    ¡°We should but it doesn¡¯t seem we can,¡± Twyla sighs. ¡°Are you watching the news?¡±

    ¡°We are, nothing good for us,¡± Fefnir says darkly. ¡°You¡¯re right, we have to start acting quickly. Liana¡¯s IT department set up a cool command centre for us so we can take over while she rests.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I can at least¡­,¡± Liana is struggling with me but she has no strength in her limbs.

    ¡°Li, I mean it,¡± I try to be strict.

    ¡°So¡­ I should let my Emperor do the job?¡± she finally gives in and yawns.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± I promise her and wait until she falls asleep which is almost immediately considering her condition.

    We move to the study and let Hana and Dr Stein watch over her. Then we call the Earthborn rulers once again and connect also Deminas, the Dragonkin Patriarch. It turns out he was about to call us himself because he also has news to share.

    ¡°My tail is out,¡± he blurts.

    His head is almost all scaly, eyes yellow and he has no hair anymore which makes Fefnir sigh even though it seems he came to terms with it. Deminas¡¯s wife is sitting next to him and is rolling her eyes when he shows his butt to the camera with obvious pride. It¡¯s there, a little scaly tail.

    ¡°Still nothing from Emi,¡± I¡¯m beginning to worry sick.

    ¡°The Clawfang Alpha has always been wild and unpredictable,¡± Twyla shrugs but it¡¯s evident she¡¯s worried as well.

    ¡°I know but this is real life. What if her family forced her to go to hospital?¡± I say. ¡°Being a high-level, they¡¯d be probably doing all sorts of experiments on her.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a chance the government is ignoring our human rights,¡± Werden looks gloomy. ¡°Especially if they concluded that we¡¯re not technically humans anymore.¡±

    ¡°Damn, do you even realise how much work there is ahead of us?¡± Deminas sighs. ¡°Just as I was about to finally retire. Though¡­ I think the committee will get rid of me sooner or later.¡±

    ¡°They can¡¯t fire us from our job just because¡­,¡± Twyla protests but Deminas doesn¡¯t let her finish.

    ¡°Yes, they can,¡± his yellow eyes sparkle. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look good to have a reptile as a school principal. If parents complain and they surely will, I¡¯ll lose my job.¡±

    ¡°Oh, what about my studies?¡± I realise only now.

    ¡°Well¡­ you can¡¯t go back to university any time soon,¡± Erik says. ¡°Even if people accept Draconians somehow, you¡¯re still a world celebrity, Ryuu.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I never wanted to show my true face,¡± I sigh.

    ¡°We¡¯re also reluctant to accept it but we have responsibility to our people,¡± Werden says. ¡°I know it sounds ridiculous to think we¡¯re still race rulers even in real life, but¡­ I¡¯m afraid we kind of are. It¡¯s not only about our ingame fame, Aefener. We assume that if our transformation is so fast, our abilities might also be above average.¡±

    ¡°And becoming a race ruler was all about being the top player,¡± Deminas nods.

    ¡°You think our original levels will mean anything here?¡± I doubt.

    ¡°It might be the case, yes,¡± he says. ¡°But first things first. I think we really need to¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry to interrupt you, my liege,¡± Fefnir suddenly speaks up and his emotions flutter which isn¡¯t a good sign. I turn my head to him and find out he¡¯s been checking his tablet during our conversation.

    ¡°Did something happen?¡± I ask and expect the worst.

    ¡°We half-expected it but hoped for the better. The better didn¡¯t came true, though,¡± Fefnir signs. ¡°Your telekinesis is out, Aefener.¡±

 14. I Need to Train My Magic

    ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself, Ryuu,¡± Erik is comforting me. ¡°It would be out sooner or later.¡±

    ¡°But later would be so much better!¡± I oppose, devastated.

    ¡°What are the reactions?¡± Ingri asks.

    ¡°As expected¡ªenthusiastic from Draconians, fearful from humans,¡± Fefnir says.

    ¡°But it¡¯s just a rumour, right? A hear-say,¡± Erik is hopeful.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Fefnir shakes his head, pissed. ¡°Someone recorded Aefener when he was demonstrating it.¡±

    ¡°Kurva,¡± Erik swears in Czech. ¡°Another fucking leaker.¡±

    ¡°It just proves we have to establish some kind of inner circle that would consist of people we can really trust,¡± Deminas says.

    ¡°You basically mean high-levels only,¡± Twyla points out. ¡°What about the majority of Draconians?¡±

    ¡°So we¡¯re sticking to this name?¡± Ingri ponders. ¡°Draconians?¡±

    ¡°We have to name ourselves somehow,¡± Fefnir shrugs. ¡°It has a nice ring to it and people have already adopted it.¡±

    ¡°Wait a sec,¡± I realise. ¡°Is every player of Draconia transforming? Even those who didn¡¯t play much or started the game just a few days ago?¡±

    ¡°A good question,¡± Erik agrees. ¡°People whose immersion level was very low should be weeks behind high-levels so we¡¯ll have to wait to know the answer, right?¡±

    ¡°Anyway, we have to start organising ourselves immediately,¡± Deminas continues with the topic. ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know how else to avoid leakers unless we invite only high-levels we know personally and are in our leading guilds.¡±

    ¡°It seems so¡­,¡± I¡¯m searching for the right word, ¡°snobbish.¡±

    ¡°Just for the time being,¡± Twyla says diplomatically. ¡°We can have proper elections later.¡±

    I stay doubtful but my friends are eager to pull this plan through.

    *****

    ¡°Ryuuto, for Christ¡¯s sake!¡± Erik shouts in horror.

    ¡°W-what?¡± I get startled.

    ¡°You¡¯re spilling it!¡±

    I look at my soup to find out that it¡¯s spiralling wildly and leaking over the edge. I¡¯ve been checking my phone during lunch and haven¡¯t touched my meal for a minute or so. And in that minute I was distracted, the soup started doing weird shit.

    ¡°I¡­ I wasn¡¯t doing it on purpose,¡± I defend myself.

    ¡°Aefener, you have to start training right away,¡± Liana widens her eyes. ¡°Your powers are getting out of control. Next time you might start heating the air and hurt someone.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t spells require some kind of preparation even here?¡± I feel overwhelmed. ¡°Like chanting, transfiguration symbols¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably just a usage of your spontaneous telekinesis,¡± Erik says.

    ¡°Li, did you try magic?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Of course,¡± she nods. ¡°Nothing happened. I mean¡­ I feel my mana. At least I think I do. But I haven¡¯t managed to actually move anything just with my mind yet.¡±

    ¡°What about now?¡± Fefnir throws a tray at her without any warning.

    Liana shrieks, twitches and¡­ the tray flies into a different direction.

    ¡°You can do it!¡± he grins victoriously.

    ¡°Du Trottel! You stupid prick!¡± Liana is furious. ¡°Don¡¯t go scaring me like that!¡±

    ¡°I knew it would work. It worked for Aefener before,¡± he shrugs.

    ¡°Yeah, with a soft pillow!¡± she berates him. ¡°You threw a tray at me, dumbass.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s train together,¡± I propose. ¡°We¡¯re the first Celestials to fully transform so we¡¯re ahead and can teach others what we discover. That way we can hopefully prevent magical accidents.¡±

    Liana agrees and, after an hour rest because she still needs to take is easy, we start our very first magic training session. Just to be safe, Hana took anything sharp away from the room and gave us a plastic table-cloth in case we spill something on the bed.

    ¡°I can document it now that the secret is out, right?¡± Dr Stein asks.

    ¡°Yes, but don¡¯t film it,¡± Liana states a condition. ¡°We¡¯ll probably take a long time anyway and I want to make a nicely cut video later with proper explanation when we get the hang of it.¡±

    Dr Stein nods and readies her laptop so that she can at least take notes. Erik, Fefnir and Ingri sit and watch us intently which only makes Liana nervous.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stare like that!¡± she complains. ¡°I can¡¯t focus.¡±

    Fefnir shrugs and takes out his tablet. Ingri goes to take care of my social media again and Erik helps her. They still look up from time to time to check our progress but it¡¯s not unnerving anymore.

    ¡°Magic requires focus but in case of our spontaneous telekinesis, the key is not to overthink it,¡± I try to explain because Liana seems lost. ¡°You¡¯re already able to do it in your defence so just trust yourself that you can do it whenever.¡±

    I let a few objects levitate around us. Liana stares at them in envy.

    ¡°Do I need to activate my mana somehow?¡± she asks.

    ¡°I guess,¡± I shrug. ¡°But I don¡¯t feel my mana being depleted by simple telekinesis so it¡¯s probably just a tiny fragment of it. Just as you¡¯d lift your arm and it takes some calories.¡±

    ¡°Telekinesis¡­ simple,¡± Dr Stein mumbles and shakes her head in disbelief.

    Liana ignores her and focuses on a book in front of her.

    ¡°Just wish it move,¡± I give hints. ¡°Imagine in your mind that it floats up.¡±

    The books twitches and flops over. It doesn¡¯t exactly fly up but it¡¯s something.

    ¡°I made it move!¡± Liana is overjoyed.

    ¡°Just like that,¡± I smile.

    We spent an hour practicing until Liana gets exhausted. She was able to make the book float for a while in the end but it wasn¡¯t as smooth as I expected. Still, Dr Stein is more than happy and shows Liana her notes for confirmation she can publish it.

    ¡°It¡¯s so damn hard!¡± Liana is furious. ¡°How come you seem to do it so effortlessly?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a few days ahead of you,¡± I remind her.

    ¡°Nah, you could do it almost immediately after your transformation and you had no teacher,¡± she sighs. ¡°Once the best caster, always the best caster.¡±

    ¡°I doubt our original levels will mean anything here,¡± I shrug.

    ¡°What if they will?¡± Fefnir, who was silent until now, speaks up. ¡°The top player of each race automatically became its ruler.¡±

    ¡°Ingame, not here,¡± I say.

    ¡°It makes even more sense here,¡± Fefnir insists. ¡°Especially if our mentality is changing as well. We respect only skill when it comes to our leaders. In case of Celestials, magic ability.¡±

    ¡°Plus, Aefener looks like the Emperor,¡± Ingri agrees.

    ¡°Ridiculous,¡± I roll my eyes and look at Erik for support.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how it worked in your game,¡± he scratches his chin. ¡°But considering how good you obviously are with magic, your appearance and popularity¡­ well¡­ Ryuu, I¡¯m afraid you should start preparing for that eventuality.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± I point to my nose. ¡°Becoming the Celestial Emperor in the real world? You nuts? Everyone can see Liana would be much better choice. I¡¯m just a student. Apart from being a streamer, nobody really. I can maybe represent us as a kind of spokesperson but that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, Aefener,¡± Liana yawns tiredly. ¡°You¡¯re far better suited to lead our race than me.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­ you¡¯re the Laura Richter,¡± I shake my head violently. ¡°You have the influence, the riches, you know politics and business.¡±

    ¡°Which makes me perfect as your viceroy,¡± she says. ¡°In the Emperor, we look for something entirely else. We need the best magic caster and flier among us and an idealist. You fit those criteria perfectly, Aefener.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still quite far in the future,¡± Erik holds my hand because he can tell I¡¯m starting to feel anxious about the whole thing. ¡°Calm down, Ryuu, you¡¯re doing stuff again.¡±

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°Right, mind stopping that?¡± Fefnir points towards two pillows that keep bouncing against the wall.

    I take a deep breath and levitate them back onto Liana¡¯s bed.

    ¡°It seems emotion management will be crucial for Celestials,¡± Ingri comments.

    ¡°For the Dragonkin as well. Don¡¯t forget about that broken chair,¡± Liana says.

    ¡°I assure you I¡¯m in control of my¡­ oh shit,¡± Fefnir doesn¡¯t finish his sentence and whines instead.

    ¡°W-what?¡± we get startled. Especially me because I can feel he¡¯s hurting.

    ¡°S-suppressing p-pain¡­ not always s-smart,¡± he starts panting and collapses on his knees.

    We notice Fefnir¡¯s pants are getting bloody. Erik and Dr Stein jump in, drag him on Liana¡¯s bed and the doctor pulls his trousers down without any hesitation.

    ¡°His tail is coming out,¡± she states the obvious and gulps.

    We call Hana and she hurries with water, clean bandages and disinfectant. Fefnir is panting and swearing but he doesn¡¯t seem to be in total agony like Liana or me. I want to blunt his pain but I can¡¯t connect to Fefnir without him finding out, his mind is too awake.

    He¡¯ll be fine just as Deminas was, Erik assures me.

    B-but¡­ I want to help him.

    He doesn¡¯t need it. Besides, other Draconians won¡¯t have a telepathic friend.

    Everything is going too fast. One second Dr Stein is disinfecting her hands, the other Fefnir¡¯s tail is already cutting through the skin. Inhuman¡­ it¡¯s totally inhuman. Strangely, it doesn¡¯t feel that alien, though. For some reason I feel that it¡¯s okay¡ªhow it should be. Did my perception of things change without me noticing?

    Fefnir is cursing and I find out that I had no idea how many swear words exist in Czech. Fortunately, it takes Dr Stein only a few seconds to pull his tail out. It¡¯s so much quicker and safer than a Celestial transformation.

    Plus, Fefnir doesn¡¯t faint afterwards. He half-closes his eyes and is whining while the doctor is stopping his bleeding but he¡¯s managing surprisingly fine. I can feel his pain and it is excruciating but the way his body and brain handle it¡­ that¡¯s Dragonkin resilience.

    *****

    Fefnir didn¡¯t faint but he fell into deep sleep right after that. Liana¡¯s bodyguards had to carry him into his bed because his body is too heavy for us. And he¡¯ll get even sturdier¡ªthe Dragonkin are all scales and muscles.

    Are you okay? Erik asks. No headache?

    No, I wasn¡¯t connecting to him so I didn¡¯t feel it that intensely. And it seems I got used to my friends¡¯ minds by now so there shouldn¡¯t be any problems in the future. I really like them so it¡¯s only Dr Stein I¡¯m not comfortable with. But one person is nothing.

    ¡°Li? What is it?¡± I look towards her because she¡¯s frowning over her laptop.

    ¡°Going through all the work that cumulated while I was indisposed,¡± she sighs. ¡°Hana and my assistants did their best but lots of things require my authorisation. Also,¡± she chews her lip, ¡°the government keeps pushing me again since your telekinesis is out.¡±

    ¡°Is it bad?¡± I shiver.

    ¡°Well,¡± she clicks her tongue, ¡°the only thing that prevents them from claiming you is the fact that you¡¯re under my protection. If you stayed home¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯d be locked up somewhere and experimented on,¡± Erik finishes the sentence, his expression grim.

    ¡°But lots of high-levels will go through their transformation in a few days,¡± I oppose. ¡°Why are they so interested in me specifically?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still the patient zero,¡± she reminds me. ¡°And I think they suspect your miraculous ingame magic ability might transfer here. Which is something we need to confirm for ourselves as well so keep training, Aefener.¡±

    ¡°Do you think our spellcasting will actually work?¡± I say. ¡°I doubt saying some made-up fantasy words will actually produce a spell. As if I would say ¡®Ignis Minor¡¯ and that casts a small flame.¡±

    To demonstrate it¡¯s a nonsense, I put up my palm, focus just as I would in the game and try channelling that vibrating energy I feel inside me. And, contrary to my belief, my palm lights up!

    ¡°Ah, dammit. O-ouch!¡± I scream and in panic try to shake the flame off because it¡¯s burning my skin.

    ¡°Oh my God!¡± Liana shrieks but for a different reason. The little flame got on the bedsheet and is spreading.

    The only person who keeps their cool is Erik which isn¡¯t that surprising considering his occupation. He quickly takes a pillow and extinguishes the fire in time. Then we stare at the black hole in the bedsheet and my burnt palm for a while.

    ¡°Ryuu, are you okay?¡± Erik speaks first and takes a look at my palm.

    ¡°N-no,¡± my eyes water. ¡°It fucking hurts. It didn¡¯t ingame.¡±

    ¡°Well, this is the real world and you did materialise a flame on your skin, dummy,¡± Erik says lightly to calm me down.

    Liana gains her composure and calls Dr Stein. The doctor glares at my burn with her mouth open wide so Liana has to nudge her to do the job.

    ¡°We need a safe environment to practice,¡± Liana summarises while Dr Stein is tending my injury. ¡°It¡¯s confirmed that magic can get easily out of control and that was only a level 1 spell.¡±

    ¡°We have to announce it immediately,¡± Erik says and is hugging me because I¡¯m still in a shock. ¡°Someone could seriously burn their house or hurt themselves when experimenting.¡±

    ¡°Announce what?¡± Ingri enters the room. ¡°Sorry, I had a call with my parents.¡±

    ¡°That,¡± Liana points to the blackened sheet. ¡°Aefener tried Ignis Minor and it actually worked.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand how some made-up spell can work in the first place,¡± I say and my voice is trembling. ¡°I can somehow digest telekinesis but this?¡±

    ¡°Celestial spells have their origin in Latin,¡± Ingri explains. ¡°And Draconian lore in general is based on real-world things like mysticism, kabala and hermeticism.¡±

    ¡°And how do you know that?¡± Liana raises her eyebrows.

    ¡°I got an encyclopaedia for Christmas called Draconia Online: A Complete Guide to the Lore,¡± she grins. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know it exists?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I got it from the developers as a gift,¡± I remember now. ¡°But I haven¡¯t found time to read it yet.¡±

    ¡°So you suggest Celestial magic might work because it¡¯s based on some ancient mystic principles?¡± Erik is sceptical.

    ¡°Still better explanation than ¡®it just works,¡¯¡± Ingri shrugs. ¡°Maybe the principle is universal but it needed mana to fuel so it never worked for humans.¡±

    ¡°Do you have healing spells as well?¡± Dr Stein asks curiously after she finishes bandaging my poor hand.

    ¡°Sure, but at higher levels,¡± I say. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s the Earthborn who are master healers.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I¡¯m still developing,¡± Ingri shakes her head.

    ¡°I know, I know,¡± I wave my injured hand. ¡°Let¡¯s make that video right away, I don¡¯t want anyone to get hurt unnecessarily.¡±

    ¡°Miss Richter should stay in bed, though,¡± Dr Stein purses her lips because it¡¯s evident Liana wanted to call her bodyguards to carry her into the study.

    ¡°We can do it, Li, don¡¯t worry,¡± I assure her. ¡°Rest, okay?¡±

    Liana sighs. She¡¯s not the type who enjoys resting when there¡¯s work to be done. But it seems she trusts me so she leaves it to us.

    *****

    ¡°I just hope our warning works,¡± I say when we finish the newest video in which I presented my injured hand with a brief summary of how it happened.

    ¡°It will,¡± Erik gives me words of encouragement. ¡°At the very least, Draconians won¡¯t try spellcasting inside.¡±

    ¡°Done, uploaded, people clicking,¡± Ingri announces and sounds nervous. ¡°I need sun and fresh air, guys. Can I leave you to your own devices?¡±

    ¡°Sure you can,¡± Erik rolls his eyes.

    ¡°Already regretting I¡¯ll miss all that BL action while I¡¯m gone,¡± she smirks at us and leaves in a hurry.

    The Earthborn have more ways how to sustain their bodies than just food. Compared to me, Liana and Fefnir, Ingri¡¯s vegan diet is pretty light in calories so I guess she needs to energise somewhere else as well.

    ¡°But seriously, what does she think we¡¯re doing when nobody¡¯s around?¡± I shake my head and look at Erik.

    ¡°I hate to admit it but, in this case, she¡¯s spot on,¡± Erik almost jumps at me and showers me with kisses.

    I realise that we¡¯re finally alone. We haven¡¯t had many private moments since coming here and I¡¯m too exhausted in the evening so it¡¯s no wonder Erik wants to use this rare opportunity that presented to us. His desire is overwhelming and I get lost in his mind. Then he suddenly stops, disturbed by something. Oh, not something¡ªsomeone. Hana is standing in the door.

    ¡°Would you mind moving into your room, please?¡± she asks nicely, totally indifferent towards the position she caught us in. ¡°The maids finished cleaning it and I¡¯d like to send them here.¡±

    ¡°No problem,¡± Erik doesn¡¯t feel ashamed at all and quickly takes me into his arms.

    ¡°Hey, I can walk on my own now!¡±

    ¡°I know but you¡¯d take too long,¡± he grins mischievously. ¡°Let¡¯s continue in our bed, shall we?¡±

    We pass the maids in the hall and they blush when spotting us. Normally, I¡¯d probably feel embarrassed but then I realise I¡¯m not catching that much fear from them this time.

    You really have a good effect on people, I tell him.

    Well, sure. You don¡¯t seem nearly as intimidating when I¡¯m holding you or rather when a human is holding you.

    So Liana was right, you can help us¡­ in so many ways.

    Yup, just by staying by your side.

    We arrive in our room and decide to take a shower first. Fortunately, there¡¯re several bathrooms nearby and one just two doors from the salon.

    ¡°Celestials don¡¯t sweat much, do they?¡± Erik ponders when we¡¯re undressing. ¡°I took four more showers than you since coming here but you miraculously don¡¯t stink or anything.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you mean it as a compliment or try to suggest I should wash more,¡± I say but I¡¯m not really offended.

    ¡°The first option,¡± he grins and helps me out of my t-shirt because I¡¯m struggling with my wings. Then he carefully takes off my bandages except for the newest one on my hand.

    ¡°Healing really nicely,¡± he comments happily on my back. ¡°Oh, Ryuu, but that one,¡± he gently takes my injured hand which is bruised from Liana¡¯s transformation in addition to the burn. ¡°Don¡¯t wet it, okay? I¡¯ll wash you.¡±

    I¡¯ve always liked showering with my lovers as an erotic foreplay. I¡¯m a bit disappointed that I can¡¯t soap his muscular body but he¡¯s giving me such gentle care that I get excited nonetheless.

    ¡°Damn, Ryuu, can you stop being so cute?¡± he moans because he gets hard. ¡°We can¡¯t do it in the shower until you fully heal.¡±

    He quickly finishes washing and drying me. He got a few feathers around my back a bit wet but nothing unpleasant.

    ¡°When your back heals, I can use a hairdryer on your wings,¡± he says and the idea amuses him. ¡°Would you like that?¡±

    ¡°Blowing hot air into my feathers? I¡¯ll probably love it,¡± I smile. ¡°But how am I going to take care of my wings when they¡¯re fully grown? Can you even imagine how huge they must become if I¡¯m to become airborne?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a bit worrisome,¡± he agrees. ¡°You probably won¡¯t fit into things like regular chairs either.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about that right now,¡± I shake my head violently and kiss him instead.

    We keep kissing, lost in each other¡¯s minds, until Erik realises we¡¯re still in the bathroom. He wraps me in a huge towel, covers himself as well and runs with me in his arms into our room. We continue in bed.

    I love you, I love you, I love you, I keep repeating in my thoughts and get rid of the towel.

    I know, dummy, he laughs both in his mind and aloud. You¡¯re projecting your love into me all the time. Hard not to notice.

    ¡°Must it be always you dominating?¡± I say aloud and I push him onto his shoulders. ¡°I can¡¯t lie on my back anymore. At least not for a while.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have to be,¡± he bursts laughing. ¡°Except you like me on top, admit it.¡±

    ¡°Fuck you,¡± I lower my head for a deep kiss.

    ¡°Literally in this case,¡± he comments jokingly a second before I close his mouth with mine.

    Inexplicably, I suddenly feel a light breeze but I¡¯m not bothered. I¡¯m too lost in him and the breeze is pleasantly pushing into my feathers. I stretch my wings to their full span and enjoy the moment. Erik isn¡¯t so relaxed about the thing, though.

    ¡°W-what is it?¡± he gasps. ¡°Are you doing it?¡±

    ¡°Definitely,¡± I go hungrily for his cock. ¡°I don¡¯t know how and I don¡¯t care.¡±

    ¡°R-Ryuu, it¡¯s dangerous. What if it gets out of control?¡± he starts panicking because the breeze gets stronger.

    But I don¡¯t care about anything at this point. I care only about connecting to him. I crave him, I desire him, I want him whole. I need both his body and mind. I feel the insides of my body pulsating with mana, channelling it into the air with my wings. I deepen our telepathic link.

    ¡°R-Ryuu,¡± Erik moans and loses the last shred of logical thinking.

    ¡°Do it,¡± I give in and finally let him dominate.

    And he does.

    *****

    I wake up in his comforting hug. He¡¯s playing with my wings, tenderly caressing the feathers. They have grown again; they always grow quickest overnight.

    ¡°Do you feel okay?¡± he asks when he notices I¡¯m up.

    ¡°I feel amazing,¡± I smile, totally content.

    ¡°That was¡­,¡± he¡¯s looking for the right word, ¡°Celestial sex, right?¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± I murmur, not sure how to reply. ¡°Draconia Online was a hardcore role-playing game but erotic things were forbidden by the system actually. There¡¯re other games and services for that kind of thing.¡±

    ¡°So we have to find out ourselves,¡± he is thinking. ¡°I¡¯m fucking an angel¡­ gosh. Who would have thought? It¡¯s so different. So¡­ out of this world.¡±

    ¡°But you do like it?¡± I ask but I don¡¯t worry because I know he enjoyed it thoroughly.

    ¡°No problem in the pleasure area but the technique will be a bit challenging when your wings grow to their full size,¡± he considers. ¡°Does your lore say anything about it at all?¡±

    ¡°There are mentions of Celestials mating in the air,¡± I recall.

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± his jaw drops.

 15. Roots, Fur, Scales and Feather

    ¡°You should be resting, Fefnir,¡± I implore him.

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good,¡± he waves his hand impatiently.

    I haven¡¯t seen him just for twelve hours but it was enough time for his body to become almost completely covered in scales. All of his hair fell off and I notice small horns forming on his scalp.

    ¡°Can I touch it?¡± I ask but curiosity isn¡¯t the only reason why I want to touch him. I need to make sure that he¡¯s really okay.

    ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡±

    I gently touch his scaly head, then inspect the little horns. It¡¯s fascinating what his body is capable of. I¡¯m after a different thing, though. I connect to his mind, careful to only listen and not to project anything as I do with Erik.

    I¡¯m afraid that Fefnir, however bravely he acts, is panicking about the whole thing. I mean¡­ becoming a reptile¡ªwhat a mind-fuck. Except for wings and golden eyes, I still look pretty human at least from the outside but the only thing that the Dragonkin have in common with humans is a humanoid shape. They look like dragons who walk on two legs and have fingers.

    Surprisingly, I don¡¯t find any panic in Fefnir¡¯s mind. Of course, he¡¯s worried about how his family and friends are going to react but concerning his transformation, he¡¯s excited and can¡¯t wait to test his new power. He feels calm inside, phlegmatic even¡ªlike he can take on anything with his strong body. The Dragonkin mentality, really.

    ¡°Do you feel like you¡¯ll be able to breathe fire?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Hmm, I do actually,¡± he grins and pats his stomach. ¡°I heard from Ingri that you already did some fire show?¡±

    ¡°It was hardly a show,¡± I sigh and show him my bandaged palm. ¡°I almost burnt Liana¡¯s bed.¡±

    ¡°You have to be more careful next time, Ryuu,¡± Erik worries. ¡°How did it work ingame anyway?¡±

    ¡°Celestials can do fire magic but their bodies aren¡¯t built for that,¡± Fefnir explains. ¡°You can¡¯t make a flame on your hand like you did ingame where your own spells couldn¡¯t hurt you, Aefener. Only Dragonkin scales are designed to resist the heat.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m scared of fire magic after that incident,¡± I admit. ¡°It was a shock.¡±

    ¡°No wonder, Celestials can control all elements to a certain extent but fire isn¡¯t their natural racial skill after all,¡± Fefnir says because Erik doesn¡¯t know these things. ¡°The air is.¡±

    ¡°Right, the air,¡± Erik coughs. ¡°Like yesterday? You seemed to be totally in your element.¡±

    ¡°What about yesterday?¡± Liana enters the study, being pushed in a wheelchair by Hana. Her feathers have grown overnight and Dr Stein standing by her side can¡¯t seem to have enough of her precious patient.

    ¡°Seriously, is anyone even remotely resting?¡± I frown.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t rest that much either. It just seemed that way because your prince was carrying you everywhere you wanted,¡± Liana reminds me. ¡°And Ingri is resting, I made her.¡±

    ¡°At least someone is in bed,¡± I sigh.

    ¡°Not really in bed,¡± Liana says. ¡°She¡¯s in the gazebo outside. For someone who¡¯s constantly insisting on not being a plant, she certainly acts like one. She¡¯s inspecting all garden flora and sunbathing since this morning, totally mesmerised. And what was that about yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Ryuuto did some kind of air magic,¡± Erik says. ¡°Creating air currents¡­ like a light breeze.¡±

    ¡°Wow, how?¡± Liana is genuinely impressed. ¡°I wanted to test that flame spell but Dr Stein didn¡¯t let me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still recuperating, Miss Richter,¡± the doctor stays adamant.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how,¡± I admit. ¡°Another spur of the moment.¡±

    ¡°What were you thinking about? Did you channel mana? Did you do something with your wings?¡± she¡¯s super-curious.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ it happened during¡­ me and Erik were¡­ you know,¡± I don¡¯t finish the sentence because I don¡¯t want to go into details in front of Hana and Dr Stein.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Liana turns red. She really is easily embarrassed when it comes to sex.

    My phone starts ringing, a Vortex ringtone. Without my social media manager, I have to take care of that.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Gotrid,¡± I announce.

    ¡°Let¡¯s put him on the big screen,¡± Fefnir suggests and quickly boots one of the computers.

    ¡°Hello my European friends,¡± Gotrid greets us weakly. He¡¯s in bed and it¡¯s evident he¡¯s sitting only with great effort. ¡°My Emperor,¡± he nods at me especially and manages a faint smile.

    ¡°Are you okay, Gotrid?¡± I worry because he looks pale.

    ¡°As okay as one can be just a few days before their wings come out,¡± he says tiredly. ¡°That¡¯s not why I¡¯m calling, though. Guys, this is Gin.¡±

    A new figure appears on the screen, sitting next to Gotrid. It¡¯s a fully transformed Clawfang! His ears are wolfish and he¡¯s almost all furry at this point. His eyes are unnaturally blue as if he was a Husky dog.

    ¡°Gin as¡­ Emi¡¯s Beta?¡± I realise I know the name. We weren¡¯t friends ingame but all high-levels at least vaguely knew each other.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Gin confirms. ¡°I¡¯m calling because we tried every means but my pack still isn¡¯t able to get in touch with our Alpha Emi. To be honest, we¡¯re starting to panic. All races have their rulers trying to calm the situation and organise Draconians¡­ all except us.¡±

    I chew my lip. Oh, Emi, where are you? Are you okay? Besides Liana and Fefnir, Emi was one of my closest ingame friends even though we didn¡¯t have that much time to raid together anymore since we took our thrones.

    ¡°We¡¯ve tried everything,¡± Gin is desperate. ¡°Various social platforms, videos, forum posts. Emi has a Vortex account for her fans but she hasn¡¯t been online recently.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try looking for her,¡± Liana promises him. ¡°We could try pressing the developers into contacting her through her home address.¡±

    ¡°The developers are useless!¡± Gin spits. ¡°We had one of them in our leading guild but he vanished as well.¡±

    ¡°The same for us,¡± I reveal. ¡°We haven¡¯t heard from Uriel since the last time we were able to log in the game.¡±

    ¡°It seems you have to take her place, Gin. At least for the time being,¡± Liana says.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Beta,¡± he opposes.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have anyone else that well-known,¡± Liana insists.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, viceroy,¡± Gin bars his teeth. He has two fangs that kind of look like they belong to a vampire. ¡°I don¡¯t smell like the Alpha, they won¡¯t listen to me.¡±

    Liana blinks, trying to wrap her head around it. Clawfang animality is something so distant to the Celestials that she must have problems understanding the concept of smells being significant. Celestial noses are below average. Something either smells nice or stinks for us. We can¡¯t distinguish subtle differences in scents like the other three races can.

    ¡°But they will listen to the videos you make or when you call them,¡± Fefnir interferes. ¡°You¡¯re still a gamer with quite a fanbase, right? Nobody can smell you through the Internet.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever I can, Gin,¡± Liana reassures him. ¡°In the meanwhile, please cooperate with us and try to persuade your guild members to do the same.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ okay,¡± he sighs.

    ¡°My Emperor,¡± Gotrid speaks up. ¡°How is your magic progressing? I saw the video when you¡¯re warning our people against experimenting indoors.¡±

    ¡°Right, I hurt myself pretty badly,¡± I put up my hand for him to see. ¡°Be careful, okay? Don¡¯t try anything reckless.¡±

    ¡°For now I¡¯ll be glad to survive the ordeal,¡± he chuckles nervously. ¡°Is that doctor with you?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Dr Stein squeezes into the camera scope.

    ¡°Thanks, doc, for that document you posted,¡± he seems really grateful. ¡°When my time comes, my friends will hopefully know what to do and won¡¯t panic as much.¡±

    ¡°What document?¡± I tilt my head.

    ¡°I wrote a thorough guideline to the Celestial and Dragonkin transformation,¡± Dr Stein says with evident pride in her voice.

    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± I¡¯m taken aback.

    For all that not liking her and having a default untrust towards doctors, I didn¡¯t realise she¡¯s actually helping us in other ways than just stopping our bleeding. She might be doing it for her own selfish reasons to enhance her career but if her data is beneficial to the Draconians, it¡¯s all good.

    ¡°Staying in touch,¡± Gotrid says goodbye and probably goes to sleep right after that.

    ¡°It won¡¯t take much longer, high-levels are either already transformed or close to transforming,¡± Liana ponders.

    ¡°Our network is up and running,¡± Fefnir says. ¡°More and more people are connecting every day.¡±

    ¡°Good, but even this solution will soon become hardly manageable just because of sheer numbers,¡± she sighs. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to my IT department again and give admin rights to all race rulers and their deputies. Whether we like it or not, we have to divide our races among ourselves.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s okay as it¡¯s taking into account our mentality,¡± Fefnir points out. ¡°Gin was spot on when he mentioned that the Clawfangs won¡¯t listen to anyone but their Alpha.¡±

    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t have to be that problematic for other races, right?¡± I oppose.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Aefener,¡± Liana looks at me questionably. ¡°I can¡¯t quite phantom it yet but¡­ I don¡¯t feel like answering to anyone else than you. Strange, I know. But that¡¯s how I feel it.¡±

    I stare at her, dumbfounded. Did Laura Richter just say that she¡¯s fine by me actually becoming her superior even in real life?

    ¡°Do you get it?¡± I turn to Erik who¡¯s been silent during the call.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°Partly,¡± he admits. ¡°You will probably really become the best magic caster seeing how it comes naturally to you while Liana is struggling and doesn¡¯t have any magical accidents so far. And if that¡¯s what makes the Celestial Emperor, I don¡¯t see any other way. Start preparing, my royal love.¡±

    They mean it. They all really do mean it! My head spins but Erik doesn¡¯t let me panic and pulls me to his chest in a hug.

    It¡¯ll be okay, I¡¯m with you, he comforts me and for that moment I believe him.

    *****

    Ingri returns when Fefnir is establishing four servers, one for each race. The technicians are helping him with that and feel super anxious around him. Well, he does look like a proper reptile now.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Ingri sits down next to me.

    I notice she¡¯s not wearing her corset today. She¡¯s still dressed in a lolita dress but it looks more casual.

    ¡°It was a bit suffocating,¡± she says because she guesses why I¡¯m staring at her outfit. ¡°And my dress is starting to feel strange as well. The material is artificial.¡±

    ¡°Order anything you want¡­ within reason, of course,¡± Liana offers. ¡°Will organic cotton be better for your Earthborn skin?¡±

    ¡°Perfect probably but they don¡¯t make any nice outfits with it,¡± Ingri looks saddened.

    ¡°Order just the fabric and hire someone to sew you a dress,¡± Liana shrugs. ¡°It seems we have to re-evaluate our fashion sense as well. Soon. Fefnir looks kind of ridiculous in his clothes and Aefener is shivering even if he¡¯s wearing a hoodie.¡±

    ¡°Hey, who do you call ridiculous?¡± Fefnir purses his lips.

    ¡°Aefener, you feel cold?¡± Ingri is worried. ¡°Should I adjust more clothes for you?¡±

    ¡°A bit, yes,¡± I say. ¡°And I didn¡¯t take anything else with me.¡±

    ¡°He was okay just yesterday,¡± Erik is also concerned. ¡°Since this morning, he put on a hoodie and he has two t-shirts underneath.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Hana to order him some thermo clothes,¡± Liana nods. ¡°And for me as well seeing how the transformation progresses.¡±

    ¡°Right, progress,¡± Dr Stein speaks up. She¡¯s sitting in the corner, either typing another document into her laptop or communicating with doctors and researchers. ¡°I should re-measure Ryuuto¡¯s wings.¡±

    I know that you don¡¯t want her touching you but we have to know, Erik tells me in advance because he notices my aversion.

    ¡°O-okay,¡± I agree and let Dr Stein do her job.

    I get goosebumps when she stretches my wings so I close my mind completely. I still catch what she¡¯s thinking about but at least she isn¡¯t pouring all her stuff into me.

    ¡°They¡¯ve grown by three centimetres each,¡± she announces enthusiastically.

    ¡°That much?¡± everyone is surprised.

    ¡°My laser measuring tape is very precise,¡± she confirms. ¡°Later, I¡¯d like to weight you as well, Ryuuto, to see if your bones are getting lighter.¡±

    If you get any lighter, a gust of wind will blow you away, Erik touches my wing to send me a joking thought and at that moment his phone starts ringing.

    ¡°Sorry, I have to take it,¡± he sighs. ¡°It¡¯s from work.¡±

    This time he doesn¡¯t want me to hear it and goes outside. I hope they aren¡¯t pushing him too hard about the fact why he¡¯s away. Come to think of it¡­ I should probably check my school email. I guess I must have missed some assignments. Do Draconians get extensions due to our condition?

    I open the university mail inbox and stare at it for a few seconds. Every professor of mine wrote me an email and there¡¯re several messages from the dean of my faculty as well as various student organisations. Also my classmates whom I¡¯ve hardly spoken to wrote me for some reason. Damn, I need a whole day to go through this avalanche of messages.

    ¡°Are you okay, Aefener?¡± Liana asks.

    ¡°School stuff,¡± I sigh. ¡°Oh, Li, what am I going to do? I have a degree to finish. Will they let me attend university again when things calm down?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she says truthfully. ¡°The world will most probably radically change with four new races on it. We can¡¯t be certain about anything. You heard Deminas¡ªhe might lose his job just because what he¡¯s transformed into. A new form of discrimination.¡±

    ¡°I need my laptop to go through all those messages,¡± I stand up and exit the study. The salon, which became my and Erik¡¯s room, isn¡¯t that far.

    I can almost walk normally again. Erik forces me to eat a lot so I have lots of energy. Still, Celestials will be weakened for several days after their transformation which might pose danger to us. Not everyone is going through it in a safe environment. What if someone gets hurt? What if humans attack us?

    I walk by two bodyguards and a shiver goes down my spine because they look at me strangely. They must know I can do telekinesis so they¡¯re wary of me. I feel a mixture of fear and fascination coming from them. The tone of their emotions is so¡­ human? So unlike Liana, Fefnir and Ingri.

    Out of the blue, I get nauseous. I somehow manage to pass the guards without flinching but then I run towards the bathroom. My fancy breakfast ends up in a toilet bowl. What the hell is happening? Why did the guards make me feel so sick? Was I disgusted by the mere fact I have to perceive human emotions?

    My hands are trembling when I¡¯m washing my mouth and face. Then I glance at myself in the mirror. Golden eyes, a pair of white wings that are getting more beautiful and elegant each day and¡­ two coloured hair. I touch the black part of my hair and feel that it¡¯s just wrong for some reason.

    I don¡¯t know what exactly I¡¯m doing to be honest but a second later I¡¯m rummaging through various drawers, looking for scissors. And there they are. My logical thinking gets hazy when I put scissors to my hair. I just know that I need to get rid of the black. That¡¯s not me anymore.

    I cut. And cut. And cut. Until there¡¯s no more black and my original locks are lying on the ground. And I feel better.

    ¡°Ryuu, for God¡¯s sake, what are you doing?¡± the door bursts open and Erik is standing there, staring at me in disbelief. ¡°I was looking for you.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I have no idea,¡± my eyes start to water. ¡°I just felt uncomfortable. Oh, Erik, you don¡¯t make me sick, that¡¯s a relief. I was worried that¡­¡±

    He doesn¡¯t know what happened but he goes for a hug as a default. The familiarity of his thoughts calms me down. Erik is okay¡­ I love his mind¡­ it¡¯s all okay.

    ¡°So¡­ what happened?¡± he softly asks me when my breathing slows down.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I dry my tears. ¡°I went to fetch my laptop but as I was passing two bodyguards, I suddenly started to feel nauseous. Their emotions did that to me.¡±

    ¡°And the hair?¡± he points to the floor.

    ¡°I looked at myself in the mirror and didn¡¯t like what I was seeing,¡± I admit hesitantly. ¡°Does it make any sense?¡±

    ¡°I guess nothing makes sense anymore, we just have to go with the flow,¡± he says and caresses my all-white hair. ¡°Let me fix your haircut, okay? It¡¯s crooked.¡±

    We quickly tidy the mess and Erik takes the scissors into our room. He seats me on the chair and tries to make my hairline even. He¡¯s no hairdresser but it¡¯s much better than my clumsy work.

    ¡°Strange seeing you with shorter hair,¡± he comments when it¡¯s done. ¡°But considering how quickly your hair grows, it won¡¯t stay short for much longer.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I ruffle my hair. ¡°I feel much better now.¡±

    ¡°You were panicking again, Ryuu,¡± he¡¯s saddened.

    ¡°Erik, did you notice any changes in my mentality?¡± I ask. ¡°For a moment there in the hall¡­ I felt repulsed by humans.¡±

    ¡°That might be impossible to answer,¡± he shakes his head. ¡°I don¡¯t have any means of comparing. You¡¯re the only telepath I know and normally people can¡¯t delve into each other¡¯s minds. I can judge your friends only by their behaviour.¡±

    ¡°And my behaviour?¡± I press him.

    ¡°Your behaviour is too influenced by you being a telepath I¡¯m afraid,¡± he shrugs. ¡°I don¡¯t mean it in a bad way by any means but you always acted abnormal. Which I¡¯ve liked,¡± he adds quickly.

    ¡°What if being a Celestials and a telepath isn¡¯t compatible?¡± I worry. ¡°My ability started acting weird around the time I was beginning to transform.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s getting stronger, not weirder,¡± he reassures me. ¡°And it actually might be connected to the current events somehow.¡±

    ¡°It might?¡± I¡¯m surprised he thinks that. I don¡¯t see any connection whatsoever.

    ¡°It¡¯s evident you see it as natural since you were born with it,¡± he bites his lip. ¡°But Ryuu, you do realise that having telepathy would normally be totally unimaginable? Something from science-fiction?¡±

    ¡°Ehm¡­ I guess?¡± I feel lost.

    ¡°Dummy, you don¡¯t really, right?¡± he smiles at me encouragingly and kisses me. ¡°My cute psychic angel, you take it more as a condition than something miraculous and extraordinary.¡±

    I blush and kiss him instead of answering. I love how he makes me feel confident in areas I feel most vulnerable. Could I be even proud of my telepathy one day?

    *****

    We took our time because comforting me somehow developed into cuddling so when we return to the study, we find everyone hard at work. Ingri gives me a thumb-up when seeing my new haircut.

    ¡°You look totally Celestial now,¡± she comments.

    ¡°I¡­ somehow I had a sudden urge to cut it,¡± I say.

    ¡°Everything¡¯s okay, Erik?¡± Liana looks up from her computer and analyses my new haircut for a few seconds. Then she nods in an approval.

    Oh, I totally forgot to ask him about that work phone call! I was selfish again and focused only on my problems. But Erik clutches my hand, silently telling me that it¡¯s okay.

    ¡°It was very unpleasant,¡± he sits down on the sofa heavily and grunts. I sit next to him. ¡°They were asking me what my intentions are¡­ whether I plan to return¡­ telling me that being that famous might interfere with my work if I do return¡­ They basically proposed I leave voluntarily.¡±

    I open my mouth and stare. Erik might lose his job because of me? B-but¡­

    Not because of YOU, he¡¯s almost screaming in his thoughts. Because of my prejudiced superiors. And it was my decision to publicly appear by your side, never forget that.

    ¡°No problem, I can employ you and offer you much better salary I bet,¡± Liana says nonchalantly.

    ¡°You need a helicopter pilot?¡± Erik is genuinely surprised.

    ¡°Nope, I already have one,¡± she shakes her head. ¡°I¡¯ll employ you as my spokesperson. As one of the benefits, you can borrow my helicopter from time to time. You became a pilot because you love flying, right? I don¡¯t want to rob you of that but at the same time I desperately need you. All Draconians need you.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Erik answers without any hesitation.

    ¡°Y-you really okay with it?¡± I gasp. ¡°You love your job!¡±

    ¡°I love helping people and flying,¡± he corrects me. ¡°And Laura Richter offers me a job where I can do both for a much better salary while staying with my boyfriend. A dream come true.¡±

    ¡°Great, my HR will prepare a contract for you,¡± Liana grins victoriously. ¡°To be honest, I wanted to offer it to you whether they fire you from your current work or not. This makes it much easier.¡±

    ¡°Will you employ the rest of us as well?¡± Fefnir is hopeful. ¡°I can¡¯t exactly go back to school and my part-time job either.¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± she nods. ¡°I need you with me. Forget about mundane jobs, we¡¯ll work for our people. There¡¯s no more important work right now.¡±

    ¡°Sweet, even me?¡± Ingri beams.

    ¡°Even you, hon,¡± Liana confirms. ¡°Sorry I took you only for a na?ve lolita girl I have to take care of at first. Your work with social media is excellent and I need an assistant I can trust and who is a Draconian. But you still need to take online classes, okay? Your parents would be angry at me if you dropped out of high school.¡±

    ¡°What about my school?¡± I realise I still haven¡¯t read those emails.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you have to discontinue your studies for a while, Aefener,¡± Liana sighs. ¡°You¡¯ll have much more work than Ingri.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­ my scholarship¡­,¡± I lose my voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to pay you much more, don¡¯t worry about money,¡± she waves her hand and suddenly freezes with a sudden thought. ¡°Aefener, did you check your bank account recently?¡±

    ¡°Hm? No, why?¡±

    Liana performs an exemplary face palm.

    ¡°You still have your donations running, don¡¯t you?¡± she asks.

    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± I answer slowly. ¡°But I don¡¯t stream anymore.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been sooo oblivious,¡± Erik laughs excitedly. ¡°Love, check your account immediately.¡±

    I frown but do as they say. I expect next to nothing because I usually monetise my gaming videos, detailed walkthroughs or merchandise which are things I couldn¡¯t do since it all started. So you can imagine my surprise when I open my donations account to find an unbelievable number.

    ¡°E-Erik,¡± my voice cracks, ¡°am I seeing right?¡±

    ¡°Damn, Ryuu,¡± Erik is speechless.

    Ingri, Fefnir and Liana jump to me to see the number for themselves. Liana shrugs, commenting it¡¯s petty money to her but Fefnir and Ingri are left speechless as well.

    ¡°Never underestimate internet fame, Aefener,¡± my viceroy shrugs. ¡°Draconians and people who aren¡¯t against us want to support you. They know what we¡¯re trying to do.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I can pay off my debt,¡± I realise and can¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°Sorry to intrude but what kind of debt is it anyway? You mentioned you have some financial issues once,¡± Liana asks carefully.

    ¡°Debts from my late Mom,¡± I decide it¡¯s okay to tell them now. ¡°From some project of hers that went bankrupt.¡±

    ¡°What kind of company transfers a debt to a little kid?¡± Ingri frowns.

    ¡°The kind of company that lends money to the terminally ill,¡± I say weakly. ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, I was four back then. She might have thought the research will help cure her tumour.¡±

    ¡°Why would anyone think that?¡± Fefnir is confused.

    ¡°Why would anyone think that VR can mess with our brains to such an extent that it changes our bodies completely?¡± I shrug. ¡°Compared to the radical change of our DNA, curing tumour seems like nothing.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯re back to the big topic,¡± Erik coughs. ¡°How is your transformation even possible in the first place and who would want such a thing? Why? For what purpose?¡±

    And does it relate to your telepathy? It can¡¯t be a coincidence. I bet your mother was experimenting with VR long before you were even born, he adds in his thoughts. She might have messed up her own brain and transferred it to you when she got pregnant.

    What a scary thought.

    ¡°The developers claimed to know nothing and now they¡¯re missing,¡± Fefnir scratches his scaly chin. ¡°I tried contacting them again and again but there¡¯s only the usual low-tier customer support that¡¯s pretty much useless now that Draconia Online is out of service permanently.¡±

    We discuss things for a full hour but we can¡¯t really conclude anything. Liana, practical as she is, finishes the topic by saying: ¡°We¡¯ll find out sooner or later anyway. Now we have more pressing matters like looking for missing friends, organising Draconians and making sure our humans rights still apply.¡±

    I take a look at the 3D projector that is constantly broadcasting news with turned off sound. Some researcher has named the event the Great Evolution and the term is trending.

    ¡°How fitting,¡± Erik points to the title below the reporter. ¡°They call it the age of roots, fur, scales and feather.¡±

    The Great Evolution¡­ the century when four new races mystically started appearing on the Earth literally overnight, each one of them so different from humans. What does it all mean? Is it a spontaneous evolution because our brains got used to VR too much or someone¡¯s manipulation?

    I¡¯m safe in Liana¡¯s mansion, yet I find myself trembling. Part of it is that I¡¯m feeling cold, the other half is fear. I look around and calm down a bit. I have my friends, I¡¯m not alone in this. Their minds are soothing, familiar. And I have Erik which is more than I deserve.

    I breathe in deeply but the moment my body relaxes, my mind somehow stretches and suddenly I feel everyone in the mansion and even on the premises. Twenty¡­ thirty¡­ forty-seven humans.

    My head spins and I throw up.

 16. Iâ€™m a Telepath

    I must have fainted because when I come to my senses, I¡¯m lying in my bed. My head is pulsating with a migraine and I feel weak. Telepathic waves from my surroundings are back to a tolerable level but I just somehow know that all it takes is a little push and I could break that safety barrier. My ability got stronger¡­ again.

    ¡°Ryuuto, you scared us,¡± Erik is clutching my hand tightly.

    What happened? he asks in his thoughts. Something to do with your telepathy?

    I don¡¯t get a chance to reply because Dr Stein insists on all sorts of medical examinations. I collect all my strength to close my mind to her.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a migraine,¡± I say and massage my temples. ¡°It happens to me from time to time.¡±

    ¡°To the point of fainting?¡± the doctor is sceptical.

    ¡°N-no,¡± I admit hesitantly. ¡°This was the first time.¡±

    ¡°Was it because he didn¡¯t rest properly?¡± Liana worries.

    ¡°Possibly,¡± Dr Stein nods. ¡°See, Miss Richter? You can¡¯t strain yourself.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just that, was it? Erik asks again.

    I¡¯ll tell you later.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, everyone, don¡¯t worry,¡± I try to smile. It¡¯s cringy, though.

    ¡°I know you probably don¡¯t have any appetite, Ryuuto, but you have to take in some nutrients,¡± Dr Stein says strictly. ¡°Your wings are rapidly growing and you puked your last meal. I¡¯ll tell Mrs Hana to prepare smoothies and protein drinks for you so that you don¡¯t have to chew.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I appreciate and I¡¯m surprised that I feel real concern from her. Maybe I was too harsh when judging her?

    ¡°Make sure he eats,¡± Dr Stein says to Erik and everyone finally leaves, letting me alone with my boyfriend.

    ¡°Erik,¡± I sigh and my voice trembles. ¡°I think my telepathy got stronger again.¡±

    Erik¡¯s eyes widen but he immediately switches into the comforting mode. He hugs me tight and his hands find my wings.

    Breathe, Ryuu, don¡¯t go panicking on me, he says softly in his mind. Together we can take on anything, never forget that.

    Can we? I try to calm my breath by adjusting it to his. It worked last time. What if my telepathy goes out of control? I wasn¡¯t able to enter anyone¡¯s mind just two weeks ago and now I can feel everyone in Liana¡¯s mansion and even on the premises outside. My migraines¡­ I¡­ what if¡­

    You¡¯ll able to control it, you just have to learn how, he plays with my feathers, trying to distract me with petting.

    If only there was something like ¡®How to train your telepathy 101,¡¯ I wish.

    We¡¯ll think of something, he assures me. For now, you should rest. Maybe you¡¯ve just strained yourself and let down your defences? Maybe you feel uneasy around¡­ ehm¡­ humans?

    I feel safe with you. Your mind sooths me.

    I guess I¡¯m special, he boasts and I have to agree. He is special.

    Mrs Hana knocks on the door, bringing me a smoothie. I wouldn¡¯t be able to chew anything but gulping sweet fruit I can somehow manage with a little bit of persuasion.

    Close your eyes, Ryuu, Erik lies down next to me and pulls me to his chest.

    *****

    Something strange I can¡¯t quite fathom wakes me up. My headache got a bit better thanks to sleep but I feel even more anxious for some reason. Erik is sleeping soundly, hugging me in comfort. He¡¯s dreaming of something nice so it can¡¯t be coming from him.

    I focus on it, trying to find the source even though my head is still killing me. I¡¯m able to perceive people much further than ever before so it¡¯s definitely another level-up. I can literally monitor all people in a certain radius now. It¡¯s weird and strenuous but I somehow know how to do it¡ªas if some barrier blocking my full power crumbled down just as it did with Peter.

    It¡¯s really hard to filter all those leaking emotions but I manage to recognise my friends among them. Their minds are hazy so they must have gone to sleep. It seems like it¡¯s the dead of night because most of the personnel are also sleeping.

    I try to ignore those who are sleeping and go after the awake ones. I perceive several guards, some of them whom I met and therefore identify their telepathic imprints. Surprisingly, Hana is awake as well and only a few rooms away. Is she a night owl? Or maybe she just went to fetch a glass of water or needed the bathroom.

    Never mind, I push myself to go further. I can¡¯t see the space in my head, of course, but I can sense where the people are which gives a good estimate of distances. The mansion is huge and premises even bigger which makes me realise I¡¯ve seen only a fraction of it. More guards patrolling the gardens¡­ a few more in the parking lot¡­ seems quiet.

    Wait a second! What¡¯s that?! I can feel six people totally focusing on something which is unusual so late at night. And their minds are not pleasant at all. In fact, they resemble Peter¡¯s somehow: cold, psychopathic, following only their own goals. I can¡¯t read their thoughts but they seem to have some objective they need to accomplish. I sense danger.

    ¡°Erik, wake up!¡± I shake my boyfriend. I¡¯m shivering in fear but at the same time I get an adrenaline rush.

    ¡°W-what?¡± he blinks and yawns. ¡°It¡¯s not morning already, is it?¡±

    ¡°There are dangerous people in the mansion,¡± my heart skips a beat and I send him my turbulent emotions to wake him up completely.

    ¡°W-what are we going to do?!¡± he sits up in a second.

    ¡°Call Hana, I feel she¡¯s awake. They¡¯re in the garage underground!¡±

    He slips from the bed and runs out of the salon. I want to go after him but my legs give in the moment I try to put my weight onto them so I end up with my knees on the carpet. My migraine worsened again when I was looking for the intruders and straining my brain.

    With difficulties, I make it back to bed. Will Hana believe him? What will he even tell her? That I miraculously know? But I couldn¡¯t stay silent just to protect my secret, those people are seriously dangerous and don¡¯t mind hurting others.

    ¡°O-ouch,¡± I whine because my head is pulsating wildly. I crawl under the blanket and I hide myself under it completely as if that would actually help to blunt my telepathy.

    The emotions intensify as Hana and Erik are waking up more people. Seconds fly by¡­ then minutes¡­ long, long minutes of waiting, being paralyzed by both fear and a worsening migraine. Liana¡¯s, Ingri¡¯s and Fefnir¡¯s minds are waking up as well; Hana or some other servant must have come for them. Commotion. Crazily strong anger coming from Liana. Fefnir and Erik keep their cool, Ingri is frightened.

    I fight with another impulse to throw up. I¡¯m so useless. At least I warned them but will it be sufficient? Wasn¡¯t I too late? If only I was strong enough to storm into the garage and eliminate the intruders with telekinesis or something impressive like that. Will I become strong some day?

    People are cumulating in the garage but my friends fortunately stay upstairs. I¡¯m relieved because I was worried for a second Fefnir would try to play the hero. He had a fleeting desire to go down and test his new strength.

    The commotion reaches its climax and there¡¯s struggle. Fear, hatred, pain¡­ everything intermixes. And then I feel a person die for the first time in my life. And it¡¯s like I¡¯ve died myself because the darkness takes me.

    *****

    ¡°Ryuuto!¡±

    ¡°Ryuu, do you hear me?¡±

    I don¡¯t open my eyes because of the voice. I wake up because Erik¡¯s love pulls me out of unconsciousness in which I took refuge.

    ¡°Oh, Ryuu, you¡¯re finally up,¡± he hugs me and keeps hugging me for a while. My mind finds balance thanks to him and I don¡¯t feel so dazed anymore.

    ¡°Is it¡­ over?¡± I¡¯m almost afraid to ask.

    ¡°Yeah, they got the bastards,¡± Erik assures me.

    ¡°B-but¡­ someone died? I felt¡­¡±

    ¡°One of the intruders was shot by the security,¡± he explains. ¡°Two guards were injured but they¡¯ll recover. They had the element of surprise thanks to you.¡±

    Erik then helps me sit and puts me on his lap. I was so lost in his soothing mind that I didn¡¯t notice my friends are here as well. And so are Dr Stein and Hana. They¡¯re stepping in one place, nervous, still shaken and not sure what just happened but suspecting.

    ¡°Ryuu, I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no talking your way out of it,¡± Erik sighs. ¡°You prevented a catastrophe tonight and they want to know how you did it. Fortunately, we could tell the rest of the employees that Liana got an anonymous tip from her acquaintances.¡±

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    Liana, Fefnir, Ingri, Hana and Dr Stein are all staring at me, eagerly awaiting my answer. I start shivering and my hearts races. I could maybe manage to tell my friends but the housekeeper and the doctor? Dr Stein especially is a dangerous person to tell. My worst nightmare.

    ¡°Aefener,¡± Liana sits close to us and her voice is soft. ¡°Whatever it is, you don¡¯t have to be afraid to tell us, okay?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, we¡¯ll accept everything about you,¡± Ingri seconds. ¡°I think I already know but you have to tell us yourself.¡±

    ¡°You know? How?¡± Fefnir is confused.

    ¡°Not everyone is as oblivious as you, Fefnir,¡± Ingri nudges him. ¡°Aefener, if my hunch is right, I¡¯m totally okay with it. Of course, I¡¯m mega curious but it won¡¯t affect our friendship in any way.¡±

    ¡°See? Your friends are with you,¡± Erik kisses my cheek.

    ¡°W-what about Mrs Hana and Dr Stein?¡± I voice my biggest concern.

    ¡°If I was Batman, Hana would be my Alfred,¡± Liana says encouragingly. ¡°As for Dr Stein¡­,¡± she looks at her sternly. ¡°She knows very well what would happen if she revealed something that I forbid her to.¡±

    They generously give me another minute to process it. Liana gently touches my left wing as if she had already guessed right and wanted me to check her resolution. Ingri hurries to touch my right wing and she¡¯s pretty much set on it anyway. Their encouragement calms my panic.

    ¡°I¡­,¡± taking a deep breath, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m a t-telepath.¡±

    And¡­ it¡¯s out. I came out to them and can¡¯t take it back. There¡¯re ten long seconds of absolute stillness.

    ¡°I knew it!¡± Ingri breaks the silence by exclaiming excitedly.

    ¡°I thought I felt something strange during my transformation,¡± Liana smiles. ¡°You blunted my pain back then, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Liana¡¯s and Ingri¡¯s emotions are more or less excited. Fefnir is totally dumbfounded and Mrs Hana and Dr Stein can¡¯t grasp it at all. But my friends are taking it well so I relax a bit.

    ¡°I need to test it,¡± Fefnir shakes his head violently, squeezes next to the girls and touches me as well.

    I¡¯m thinking of a pink elephant right now, he says in his mind and even tries it imagine it. With a hat on its trunk.

    ¡°Fefnir,¡± I answer, ¡°how is a pink elephant relevant right now? And why the hat?¡±

    ¡°Holy fuck!¡± Fefnir flinches and lets go of me. ¡°Is¡­ is it because of the transformation? Did you get an extra skill or something?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve been a telepath since birth,¡± I say slowly.

    ¡°Oh my God, are X-Men real after all? Do people with superpowers walk among us?¡± his jaw drops, revealing fangs.

    ¡°I¡¯m the only telepath I know,¡± I set things straight. ¡°I¡¯ve been hiding it my whole life. My Mom may have known something but she¡­ you know.¡±

    ¡°I was thinking that it can be connected to Draconia somehow,¡± Erik suggests. ¡°Ryuuto¡¯s mother was a VR developer. She might have done something to herself that got transferred to her offspring.¡±

    ¡°This is getting more and more complicated and smells of conspiracy,¡± Fefnir frowns. ¡°But it does make sense to the point that it can¡¯t be just a coincidence. I mean¡­ think about it. Ryuuto is a telepath since birth, his mother was a VR developer and his compatibility level was 100% which was thought to be impossible. It¡¯s as if someone was preparing him to become the Celestial Emperor.¡±

    ¡°But I started playing Draconia from my own free will, right?¡± I say, alarmed what it might imply if Fefnir¡¯s theory was true. ¡°There are many full-dive VR games I could choose from.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t be sure about anything considering what¡¯s happening,¡± Ingri says. ¡°Fefnir might sound crazy but we should take it into account.¡±

    ¡°A-anyway¡­,¡± I shake my head violently. ¡°You¡¯re okay with it? Me being a telepath? Won¡¯t you think that I intrude your privacy or something?¡± I ask shyly.

    ¡°Well, can you turn it off?¡± Liana shrugs.

    ¡°N-nope,¡± I say plainly. ¡°And normally I perceive only emotions. For thoughts, I need a direct touch as you¡¯ve already deduced yourselves.¡±

    ¡°Then it changes nothing,¡± she says. ¡°If anything, it makes you even more perfect for the Celestial Emperor who is supposed to be godly.¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on,¡± I roll my eyes even though I feel she¡¯s kidding and just wants to tease me. ¡°Still, don¡¯t you feel disappointed that I didn¡¯t tell you earlier?¡±

    ¡°It was your biggest secret, right?¡± my viceroy is looking at me tenderly. ¡°I would be afraid to tell anyone too.¡±

    ¡°Erik was the first one I told it to¡­ and now you. And you took it so well, thank you,¡± I blush.

    ¡°Partly told, partly revealed by consequences,¡± Erik gets serious. ¡°Li, his telepathy is getting stronger and stronger since the transformation. I¡¯m afraid he might lose control over it in front of other people sooner or later. Also, it¡¯s the source of his migraines.¡±

    ¡°Damn,¡± Liana hisses. ¡°However beneficial it might be to have the Emperor who¡¯s really miraculous, it might be problematic to humans. Just when I was thinking that the EU government will probably let you off the hook soon with all high-levels transforming, you add another mystery to your person.¡±

    ¡°So we keep it secret,¡± Fefnir says.

    ¡°Naturally, the EU and the public can never know or we¡¯re in serious trouble,¡± she nods. ¡°Crazy combat abilities are one thing but real telepathy? A possibility of invading people¡¯s privacy? That¡¯s especially scary to politicians who hold all kinds of secrets.¡±

    ¡°What do we do then?¡± Ingri is lost.

    ¡°Protect our Emperor, what else,¡± Liana shrugs. ¡°Hopefully, it shouldn¡¯t look that strange if I assign you some guards, Aefener, as we¡¯re seriously considering making you our leader.¡±

    ¡°And those intruders? Who were they?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I have yet to question them,¡± my viceroy sighs tiredly. ¡°I had them locked up for now. I wanted to do it right away but Erik found you passed out and called us.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow, Li, you¡¯re exhausted,¡± I insist. ¡°You still can¡¯t even walk, right? Did you ask Fefnir to carry you?¡±

    ¡°You feel that with your telepathy?¡± she grins.

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Okay, they won¡¯t run away after all,¡± she agrees. ¡°I have to talk to the security and strengthen my defences, though.¡±

    My friends are hesitant to leave and keep making sure that I¡¯m okay. I feel they want to shower me with questions but Mrs Hana finally processes the new information and insists they go to bed because it¡¯s 3 A.M. After that they finally leave but I¡¯m surprised that Dr Stein stays.

    ¡°You don¡¯t trust me, Ryuuto, do you?¡± she asks directly and sits on the chair, showing no signs of leaving.

    ¡°You can fool the others but not me,¡± I purse my lips. ¡°You¡¯re here just for the money and fame. You might not reveal my secret because Liana has you bound by contract but your motivation is far from being selfless.¡±

    ¡°Money and fame, I want it all,¡± she doesn¡¯t lie. ¡°I¡¯ve been living in my father¡¯s shadow for too long. Do you even realise how torturing it is to have an over-demanding parent?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I never knew my father,¡± I retort.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s hell,¡± she clicks her tongue. ¡°I¡¯m not hiding the fact that publishing information about Draconians isn¡¯t doing wonders for my career but I¡¯m still a doctor. And as a doctor, I¡¯m concerned about my patient¡¯s health.¡±

    ¡°What are you trying to say, doc?¡± Erik narrows his eyes.

    ¡°Let me be your doctor, Ryuuto,¡± Dr Stein looks at me with resolution. ¡°Don¡¯t push me away. I get it that you don¡¯t feel comfortable around me but I do want to help you.¡±

    ¡°Ryuuto has a phobia of doctors,¡± Erik reminds her even though Liana must have told her.

    ¡°A phobia as it is or were you afraid they might find out about your extraordinary ability?¡± she asks.

    I have to think about it for a moment. All these years I thought I¡¯m scared of doctors in general but now that Dr Stein already knows¡­ she might have a point actually.

    I don¡¯t have to be afraid anymore, do I? I ask Erik. At least when Dr Stein is concerned.

    What do you mean?

    She can¡¯t find out anything worse about me. Even if there¡¯re some more anomalies about my body, the worst thing is definitely my telepathy.

    Well, if you put it that way¡­ I guess. Does it make you feel any better?

    A bit, yes.

    ¡°Are you talking telepathically right now?¡± Dr Stein smiles and seems ecstatic analysing us. ¡°It¡¯s quite easy to notice when one knows what to watch out for: long pauses, slightly changing expressions, looking into each other¡¯s eyes¡­¡±

    ¡°Dr Stein,¡± I interrupt her.

    ¡°Feel free to call me Julia, Ryuuto,¡± she offers with a smile.

    ¡°You¡¯re not nervous that I can search your mind whenever you touch me?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she shrugs. ¡°If you need to make sure what my true intentions are, be my guest and connect to me right now. Patients should trust their doctors, otherwise our work can¡¯t be efficient.¡±

    I¡¯m considering it for a while. On one hand, I don¡¯t want to fully connect to someone I don¡¯t like. On the other hand, it¡¯d really help to solve my trust issues towards her.

    ¡°When your migraine gets better,¡± Erik stops me when he notices I¡¯m stretching my hand.

    ¡°I might get another,¡± I shake my head. ¡°And I want to resolve it now. Dr Stein is right¡ªif she¡¯s to become my doctor for real, I need to trust her.¡±

    ¡°Ryuu¡­,¡± Erik sighs.

    ¡°I need to do this,¡± I insist and get out of his lap so that my connection to him doesn¡¯t interfere.

    The doctor, so far looking confident, gets a bit pale when she realises we¡¯re really doing it. But she sits in front of me nonetheless. I¡¯m thinking how to go about it. It¡¯s one thing to briefly touch one¡¯s mind to make sure they¡¯re okay or to find out what¡¯s bugging them. But it¡¯s totally different to dig for inner desires and the deepest motivations.

    It¡¯s easy with Erik, I¡¯m totally used to his mind at this point and our full connection happens when we make love. Obviously, I can¡¯t do the same with her so I decide to try out something else.

    ¡°Dr Stein, I¡¯ll touch your temples, okay?¡± I ask for her permission.

    ¡°Julia,¡± she corrects me and nods.

    I hesitantly touch her head and her thoughts hit me. I want to close my eyes to focus better but then I have another idea. Instead, I look straight into her eyes and imagine it¡¯s a gateway into her mind. It surprisingly works and I access her consciousness.

    *****

    I was too afraid to look properly before, frightened they might find out so I was only browsing the surface. Erik was the first one who allowed me to see his mind fully and now Dr Stein. No, I should call her Julia. I¡¯d have never thought my second person will be someone I¡¯m most scared of. Yet, here we are.

    She couldn¡¯t be more different from Erik. Where he¡¯s selfless, Julia is selfish. I go deeper to see why she turned out the way she is now and go through her memories. Out of respect, I omit those which resist me because they must be private so I glance only the ones I really need and Julia is comfortable showing me.

    Her memories start flooding. A demanding father who wasn¡¯t there when she needed him the most. A mother who left the family and disappeared with another man. Nannies who couldn¡¯t replace parental love. Failing to be accepted into Oxford. A disappointed father who wished to have another excellent doctor in his family while she wanted to become a veterinarian. A burning desire to prove herself.

    People sure are complicated and I shouldn¡¯t be so fast to judge them. Julia isn¡¯t a bad person, she¡¯s just broken as I am in certain areas. As probably every person is. And she doesn¡¯t see us as monsters. There¡¯s no hate nor disgust towards us in her mind. On the contrary, she¡¯s totally fascinated. And that drives her ambition to become famous through us even more. She desperately wants her father to acknowledge her.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t force me,¡± she whispers when I end the connection and let go of her. ¡°I could feel you digging but you didn¡¯t open the doors I wanted to stay closed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not invading your privacy,¡± I reassure her. ¡°I just looked at what I needed to see.¡±

    ¡°Do you trust me now?¡± she asks.

    ¡°I do, Julia.¡±

    *****

    I had to rest for a day after that because I got one of the worst migraines I remember. Erik stayed with me the whole time, comforting me, letting me rest in his mind and making me drink smoothies.

    ¡°Liana needs me,¡± I say when I wake up from a nap. My head is still hurting but the migraine is behind me. I can feel that my friends are in the study, dealing with something extremely important and my viceroy is thinking about me.

    ¡°You should stay in bed and rest,¡± Erik shakes his head.

    ¡°I can¡¯t. We have work to do,¡± I sent my determination to him.

    ¡°But nothing strenuous,¡± he puts in a condition. ¡°Oh, Ryuu, you lost weight again,¡± Erik is saddened when I take off my sleeping t-shirt to change clothes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll eat properly later,¡± I promise and put on a clean t-shirt. ¡°Is it cold here?¡±

    ¡°Not particularly.¡±

    I sigh and put on a hoodie.

    ¡°Is Celestial metabolism so different?¡± Erik is curious.

    ¡°The game wasn¡¯t that detailed when it came to sensations, our bodies were only virtual,¡± I shrug. ¡°Generally, Celestials hate cold and it¡¯s not exactly warm high in the sky so we were wearing multi-layered robes.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯d love to see you dressed like that,¡± Erik grins. ¡°It¡¯d go nicely with your white hair and fluffy wings.¡±

    ¡°Not happening, this is the twenty-second century,¡± I roll my eyes.

    I still feel weak but I insist that I can walk on my own so Erik is only supporting me in case I wobble. I expect to just cross a few corridors to get to the study but we encounter two bodyguards standing in front of our room. They follow us without saying anything.

    ¡°Liana sure isn¡¯t losing any time,¡± I murmur. ¡°Is it really necessary even in Liana¡¯s private quarters? Shouldn¡¯t they be guarding the entire floor?¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t take any chances, Ryuu,¡± Erik says slowly. ¡°Especially now that we know that those people were after you.¡±

    ¡°WHAT?!¡±

 17. A Telepathic Interrogation

    ¡°K-kidnap me?¡± I stutter and can¡¯t believe it. Their target was me? Not Liana?

    ¡°The security interrogated the intruders but it was the only information they got from them so far,¡± Erik says. I feel he¡¯s anxious and angry at the same time while the only emotion I manage is shock and total disbelief. Why me?

    We arrive in the study and everyone looks up, startled, because they weren¡¯t expecting me. Julia is here as well and Hana is serving snacks. Only the people who know about my telepathy are present so I relax and can speak freely.

    ¡°Ryuuto, you should be resting,¡± Julia shakes her head in disapproval.

    ¡°I felt Liana needs me,¡± I oppose and I¡¯m surprised how nice it is not having to hide anything anymore. These are the people I can trust. My friends.

    ¡°Damn, Aefener,¡± Liana slaps her forehead. ¡°You sensed that? I wanted to let you rest for a few more hours but it seems nothing eludes the telepath.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I simply nod but my friends are impressed nonetheless. I¡¯m so glad I don¡¯t have to play ignorant. ¡°So¡­ what do you need me for?¡±

    I sit down on the sofa because chairs are all taken. Mrs Hana presents me with snacks immediately. She¡¯s a bit uneasy around me but otherwise she seems to be taking it well.

    ¡°Try at least something small,¡± Erik persuades me. ¡°Or I feed you another protein drink.¡±

    I hesitantly go for a chocolate cookie.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t he eat something healthier, doc?¡± Erik sighs over my selection because he was hoping I¡¯d choose some canap¨¦s.

    ¡°Hard to tell in case of Celestials,¡± she shrugs. ¡°Their bodies might process sugar differently from humans. Let¡¯s be glad Ryuuto eats at least something for now.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ what do you need, Li?¡± I repeat and slowly nibble into my cookie. It¡¯s homemade, wholemeal and full of quality chocolate so actually not as unhealthy as Erik fears.

    Liana sighs. It¡¯s evident she doesn¡¯t want to ask me for that thing but she has to. The others feel uncomfortable as well. Fefnir is almost crushing the chair¡¯s handle and Ingri is pale.

    ¡°The intruders won¡¯t to talk,¡± Liana says. ¡°It took several hours to get at least their objective. As for their employer¡­ they refuse to tell even though my security is very good at persuading.¡±

    ¡°W-wait,¡± I almost choke on the cookie because I feel something dark coming from her. ¡°You mean¡­ did you torture them?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly torture, no,¡± she shakes her head. ¡°I¡¯m not a monster, Aefener, come on. But my security has their methods.¡±

    ¡°B-but won¡¯t you have problems? Shouldn¡¯t you give them to the police? What about their rights?¡± I¡¯m shocked.

    ¡°You really are an idealist,¡± Liana looks at me, amused but content. ¡°It¡¯s not practical for today¡¯s world and the world we¡¯re entering into but our Emperor is supposed to be like that.¡±

    ¡°What do you need me for then?¡± I gulp.

    ¡°I know that it¡¯s a lot to ask, but¡­,¡± she¡¯s carefully choosing every word, ¡°I beg you to interrogate them telepathically.¡±

    I gasp for breath and drop my cookie.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, Laura,¡± Erik hisses. ¡°Ryuuto¡¯s head still hurts after the incident, he doesn¡¯t feel comfortable connecting to unknown people and you want to make him connect to those bastards who were after him? Do you want to traumatise my boyfriend?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m asking him, not ordering,¡± she lowers her eyes. ¡°I know that I¡¯m asking for a lot but we need to crack it as soon as possible.¡±

    I¡¯m considering it for a while. Just the idea of connecting to those people disgusts me but at the same time my ability can finally become useful to others. Plus, I do need to train it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± I say, trying to sound confident.

    ¡°No, Ryuuto, you don¡¯t have to! Liana has no right to ask that of you!¡± Erik is furious.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it for the good of our people,¡± I touch his hand and send him my determination so that he understands.

    ¡°Aefener is really perfect for the Celestial Emperor, isn¡¯t he?¡± Ingri comments to relieve the heavy atmosphere. ¡°He¡¯s already thinking like one.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯d make a terrible politician, though,¡± Fefnir chuckles.

    ¡°Erik, Aefener won¡¯t be in any danger during the interrogation,¡± Liana assures him.

    ¡°They¡¯ll definitely feel Ryuuto is digging in their minds,¡± Erik protests.

    ¡°No, they won¡¯t. I¡¯ll have them sedated,¡± Liana says as if that isn¡¯t a big deal.

    ¡°That¡¯s definitely illegal!¡± Ingri is startled.

    ¡°Actually, it isn¡¯t,¡± my viceroy shrugs indifferently. ¡°They invaded my private property and they refuse to identify themselves so it¡¯s as if they aren¡¯t even here. No organisation will publicly admit they¡¯ve sent them to kidnap Aefener even if they never return.¡±

    I shiver. The world Liana lives in is totally different from mine. And now I¡¯m becoming part of that world too. How carefree I was just two weeks ago. To think that debts, a grumpy Grandma and my telepathy were my biggest concerns.

    *****

    ¡°I was half-expecting you¡¯d have an actual dungeon,¡± Fefnir jokes when we get into the basement where the prisoners are being held.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a mafia boss, Fefnir,¡± Liana rolls her eyes. ¡°I have my wine cellar here and other storage rooms. My security had to improvise.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to come,¡± Erik says to Dr Stein. ¡°I imagine it won¡¯t be pretty.¡±

    ¡°On the contrary¡ªI had to,¡± Julia purses her lips. ¡°What if Ryuuto faints again? His telepathy might be amazing but it¡¯s evident that it¡¯s making him vulnerable. I¡¯m here to make sure he won¡¯t overdo it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving either,¡± Mrs Hana speaks up, pushing Liana in a wheelchair.

    ¡°Aefener, are you okay? Do you really feel like doing it?¡± Ingri pets my left wing so that her concern pours into me fully.

    ¡°I don¡¯t obviously,¡± I sigh. ¡°But I need to do it. Also, I¡¯m glad that my ability can finally become useful.¡±

    ¡°Finally useful? What, you never cheated on exams with it?¡± Fefnir jokes again but this time on purpose to relief the heavy atmosphere.

    ¡°I had virtual schooling, Fefnir.¡±

    ¡°Huh, you never went to actual school?¡± he¡¯s surprised. ¡°Not even for the primary?¡±

    ¡°I tried. I mean¡­,¡± I scratch my chin. ¡°Grandma enrolled me into the first grade, of course, but she had to pull me back just a few days after that. I couldn¡¯t stand all those emotions from my classmates and got into conflicts. I had much harder time controlling my telepathy when I was a kid. I often didn¡¯t know what¡¯s normal to feel so I reacted to things I shouldn¡¯t have. You can imagine what kind of situations that was causing.¡±

    ¡°And your grandmother didn¡¯t suspect a thing?¡± Liana raises her eyebrows.

    ¡°Gran didn¡¯t pay that much attention to me really,¡± I say. ¡°She thought I was autistic and the school psychologist thought that as well so I was given special online courses.¡±

    ¡°What a horrible lady,¡± Ingri shakes her head.

    ¡°Shush, we¡¯re here,¡± Liana warns us not to talk about my secret because we turn the corner and there¡¯re her bodyguards guarding the door.

    ¡°Miss Richter,¡± one of the men greets her. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want us inside? The guy is sedated and tied up but he¡¯s still a professional mercenary.¡±

    ¡°Nah, we have Fefnir,¡± Liana points at our Dragonkin friend.

    Fefnir smirks and to prove himself, he hits the corner of the wall. I stare in disbelief because he actually manages to crush it. And I¡¯m not the only one, the bodyguards are speechless.

    ¡°You dumbass!¡± Liana berates him. ¡°You¡¯re damaging my house!¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± he realises only now the consequences of his braggy demonstration.

    Stolen story; please report.

    But it works, the bodyguards don¡¯t doubt Liana¡¯s decision anymore and let us enter the room. There¡¯s a man sitting handcuffed to a chair, his eyes are covered. I don¡¯t like the vibes I¡¯m catching from him and I¡¯m not even touching the guy.

    Just to be sure, I don¡¯t want him to know you were even here, Liana touches me to send her thoughts. Don¡¯t talk aloud, okay?

    I re-send her thought to Erik so that he knows that he shouldn¡¯t speak either. Mrs Hana positions Liana¡¯s wheelchair in a safe distance in front of the captive and Fefnir stands next to her, posing as her bodyguard just in case.

    ¡°I¡¯m Laura Richter,¡± she starts, her voice cold.

    ¡°Hehe, the big shot,¡± the man laughs but it¡¯s not a nice sound.

    He knows that he¡¯s been drugged, tries to fight it but can¡¯t help it. His mind is cloudy and sluggish. I don¡¯t even want to know what Julia had given him. He makes me nauseous but I hesitantly touch the man¡¯s temples from behind.

    ¡°Uchm, what¡¯s that?¡± he gets nervous when he feels my touch.

    ¡°Who sent you?¡± Liana asks plainly.

    We don¡¯t really hope he¡¯ll actually answer. At least not aloud. We came up with a plan that Liana will keep asking him questions while I dig for answers in his mind. It¡¯s almost impossible not to think of the truth when inventing lies.

    Uff, it¡¯s so ugly that I shiver. His mind is really repulsive, even worse than Peter¡¯s. I¡¯m facing a real psychopath here. My stomach turns upside down but I fight the impulse to throw up. I have to get the hang of it, not run away like before.

    I look at Erik. He¡¯s pale but he smiles at me reassuringly. Liana is giving me a thumb-up while Julia is eyeing me with concern. Fefnir and Ingri are full of anticipation. I can do this, my friends support me. Erik is right, I should be proud of my special ability and try to make it useful.

    ¡°Who sent you?¡± Liana repeats.

    I close my eyes and fully delve into the man¡¯s mind. It¡¯s not as easy as it was with Julia when I could face her and she was open to me. Plus, the fact that he¡¯s sedated makes it more difficult for him to focus. But I push nonetheless, trying to filter jumbled emotions and thoughts.

    I¡¯m taken aback by the fact that this man really isn¡¯t able to feel things like remorse, fear or concern. For someone like me who is over-sensitive and feels too much, it¡¯s such a foreign concept that I can¡¯t comprehend it.

    ¡°Hehehe, I don¡¯t knoooow, bitch,¡± the man chuckles. I try to stimulate his brain but it seems he isn¡¯t lying.

    ¡°Who hired you?¡± Liana pushes.

    I go deeper and browse his recent memories. I see him and his team taking the contract from an unknown source. They paid half the price beforehand, a small fortune. I was to be kidnapped unharmed. Everything was arranged in VR, I see several people but they¡¯re in the form of avatars which doesn¡¯t tell me anything.

    ¡°Was it the government?¡± Liana starts to lose her patience.

    ¡°Doubt it,¡± the man growls. ¡°It was on the dark web.¡±

    ¡°Why Aefener and not me?¡± she clicks her tongue.

    ¡°Nooo ideaaa,¡± he prolongs mockingly. ¡°Maybe because he¡¯s the king of you freaks?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re wasting our time,¡± Fefnir hisses between his fangs. ¡°He¡¯s just a pawn.¡±

    Fefnir¡¯s right, he doesn¡¯t know anything, I say to Erik.

    Liana calls her security to take the man away and to bring another one. I connect to all six of them but with the same result. At least I¡¯m getting the hang of browsing other people¡¯s memories.

    *****

    ¡°So¡­ what will you do with them?¡± Erik asks when we get back to the study and he forces me to eat a sandwich.

    ¡°Since Aefener confirmed they really don¡¯t know anything, I can hand them to the authorities,¡± she sighs tiredly. I bet she didn¡¯t sleep much again.

    ¡°And if the EU government sent them after all?¡± he¡¯s sceptical. ¡°We¡¯d be returning them.¡±

    ¡°Are you suggesting I should kill them or what?¡± Liana frowns. ¡°Contrary to what normal people might naively think, the rich aren¡¯t with mafia, Erik. And this is my mansion, not a detention centre. I don¡¯t want them here, it¡¯s my home.¡±

    ¡°But why did they want Aefener? It makes no sense with other high-levels being already transformed and nobody knows about his telepathy,¡± Fefnir ponders.

    They keep discussing the topic further but I can¡¯t keep my eyes open any longer. I quickly finish eating my sandwich and put my head on Erik¡¯s lap. My headache worsened again and if I want to prevent another migraine, I have to rest a bit.

    The discussion develops into a heated debate. But even though my friends are very loud and their emotions flutter, their minds are soothing me. It seems that when I really get to like someone, their emotions stop hurting me, whatever their tone is.

    I close my eyes and enjoy that Erik is gently petting my wings. I¡¯m almost falling asleep when Ingri suddenly exclaims.

    ¡°The Clawfang alpha is online!¡±

    ¡°Emi?!¡± I sit up so quickly that my head spins.

    ¡°Her Vortex account is active,¡± Ingri says. ¡°She¡¯s just posted something.¡±

    She displays Emi¡¯s Vortex fanpage on the big screen for all of us to see. There are rather blurry pictures of something that looks like hospital and even blurrier short video featuring people in white who appear to be chasing the cameraperson.

    ¡°T-they did it¡­ those fucking bastards really did it,¡± the cameraperson appears briefly, panting and running. It¡¯s a woman transformed into a vulpix Clawfang. It has to be Emi, I¡¯d recognise that avatar anywhere. ¡°They killed my cousin¡­ they tried amputating her wings and she¡­¡±

    I hold my breath. The video ends immediately after that when the security shows up and Emi has to fight them to get away.

    ¡°L-Li¡­ Emi¡¯s cousin¡­,¡± my voice cracks.

    ¡°Quil,¡± Liana clenches her fists and several books from the bookcase fall down as her telekinesis activates.

    ¡°Quil was a Celestial vanguard captain,¡± I whisper to Erik and lean on him because the sadness overtakes me and the shock coming from Liana is overwhelming.

    ¡°It seems Emi was in hospital the whole time,¡± Fefnir says grimly. ¡°And evidently against her will. As was Quil which means their family forced them to go.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­ who would try amputating wings without knowing what it¡¯ll do?¡± Ingri is terrified.

    ¡°Quite a lot of doctors I¡¯m afraid,¡± Julia shivers. ¡°Some of my colleagues are contemplating whether the transformation can be reversed or at least somewhat suppressed. I can well imagine such practices in non-EU countries.¡±

    ¡°According to the lore, the mana circuit flows through our spine to our wings. In the game, losing our wings during battle meant instant death,¡± I explain to Erik and shiver just imagining it.

    ¡°I guess they thought it¡¯s just a made-up thing,¡± Julia shakes her head. ¡°Well, now it¡¯s proven.¡±

    After that hell breaks out. We¡¯re flooded by countless messages and calls from the players connected to our server and Fefnir who is monitoring reactions of the public doesn¡¯t stop frowning.

    ¡°It¡¯s not confirmed, of course, but our people are panicking nonetheless,¡± Fefnir summarises. ¡°Nobody believes hospitals anymore and Draconian patients are running away.¡±

    ¡°No wonder¡ªthe first death of one of our own and not because of the transformation itself,¡± Liana is angry, way angrier and sadder than I am. She was quite close with Quil.

    ¡°If we weren¡¯t so vulnerable right now, I can well imagine riots and protests,¡± Fefnir says.

    ¡°It¡¯s one hospital of questionable reputation outside the EU,¡± Julia tries to persuade us. ¡°Normal doctors want to help.¡±

    ¡°Do they?¡± Ingri snaps. ¡°Because it doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. My friends who went there are writing me that they aren¡¯t being treated nicely. They¡¯d leave but some of them don¡¯t have a choice because their families rejected them.¡±

    ¡°Li, we have to do something,¡± I say. ¡°Imagine people with relatives like my Grandma who have nowhere to go once they leave hospital after their transformation. Draconians will most probably lose their jobs and won¡¯t be able to pay the rent.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already been thinking about it,¡± Liana nods. ¡°But even with my wealth, I can¡¯t take care of every transformed player in the EU and not everyone will have the funds to reach my district anyway. We have to establish asylums all over the world to protect our people.¡±

    ¡°Like my Queen and King offered,¡± Ingri understands right away.

    ¡°Offered what?¡± I blink.

    ¡°When you were resting after the intrusion, they called us and mentioned that lots of the Earthborn are begging them to come to their farm,¡± Ingri explains. ¡°They are determined to take in as many people as possible.¡±

    ¡°And I will do so as well,¡± Liana seconds. ¡°But we still need everyone¡¯s cooperation. Aefener, can you make another video and beg our people who have a good family situation to take in those less fortunate for the time being?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± I sit up straight. Quil¡¯s death devastated me for a few minutes but I need to be strong to prevent others from being harmed. Erik grins at me encouragingly because he feels my newly found determination.

    This time I don¡¯t need a long preparation or a meticulous script. I just say what I feel is right and for the first time I insist that Erik appears next to me. Quil¡¯s death could spring a wave of hate towards humans which is something we can¡¯t let happen. Just can¡¯t.

    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re starting to think differently,¡± Erik tells me when we upload the video.

    ¡°In what way?¡± I¡¯m confused.

    ¡°In terms of us and them,¡± he worries. ¡°You don¡¯t include me but you¡¯ve been addressing people as humans in your mind for quite some time now.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I have? Have you noticed other changes?¡±

    ¡°Hard to say in your special case, my telepathic nerd,¡± he caresses my feathers. ¡°What about others? Do you feel something different about your friends?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love to know that as well,¡± Dr Stein speaks up. ¡°Psychologists are constantly arguing how the transformation will affect your mentality.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ Liana¡¯s, Fefnir¡¯s and Ingri¡¯s minds are very soothing to me,¡± I try to analyse it. ¡°Julia¡¯s and Mrs Hana¡¯s¡­ neutral as I¡¯m used to them. As for other people in the mansion¡­ not much pleasant I¡¯m afraid. They make me feel¡­ uneasy.¡±

    ¡°Like that time you threw up in the bathroom?¡± Erik recalls.

    ¡°What time?¡± Liana tilts her head.

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± I realise I didn¡¯t take it seriously back then. ¡°A few moments before I had an urge to cut my black hair, I walked by some bodyguards in the hall and their minds made me nauseous. They felt¡­ too human. I was almost repulsed by them.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Julia remarks and is disappointed that she can¡¯t note it down into her laptop. ¡°It seems as if Ryuuto doesn¡¯t feel comfortable around humans anymore unless he gets used to us.¡±

    ¡°Draconian minds do feel different,¡± I confirm. ¡°I¡¯m not able to tell to what extent yet but our mentality is definitely changing.¡±

    ¡°And Erik¡¯s mind?¡± Julia is curious. ¡°He¡¯s human after all.¡±

    ¡°Erik is special,¡± I frown at her. ¡°When I like someone or feel love¡­,¡± I stop myself.

    ¡°You what?¡± Julia¡¯s eyes flash.

    I¡¯m saved by my phone ringing. I look at the screen and it¡¯s an unknown number. I hesitate for a second but then I pick up.

    ¡°Aefener, is that you?¡± a female voice blurts.

    ¡°Y-yes? Who¡¯s calling?¡± I ask carefully. The voice sounds familiar but the call¡¯s quality is poor and the caller is panting.

    ¡°Thank God, it¡¯s you,¡± she¡¯s relieved. ¡°Aefener, it¡¯s me¡ªEmi.¡±

    ¡°E-Emi!¡± I exclaim and put the call aloud for everyone to hear.

    ¡°I got your number from Gin¡­ I¡­. oh, Aefener¡­ Quil really is¡­,¡± Emi is crying. ¡°Our family forced us to go to hospital and then¡­ my mother is a doctor there and she persuaded them to try¡­¡±

    ¡°Emi, where are you?¡± I have to interrupt her. As someone with personal experience, I can tell when the other person is having a panic attack.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure¡­ I ran and ran¡­ my whole body is hurting and I think I must have run several kilometres¡­ my new muscles are amazing. I¡¯m hiding in the woods behind the city and¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do¡­ where to go¡­ my family is very religious and they would¡­¡±

    ¡°Emi, it¡¯s Liana,¡± Liana grabs my phone with telekinesis and this time manages just fine to control her new power. ¡°I can help you but you need to calm down and tell me where you are.¡±

    ¡°S-somewhere outside Almaty,¡± Emi says and tries to breathe deeply.

    ¡°Kazakhstan,¡± Liana bites her lip. ¡°That complicates things.¡±

    ¡°Li, we have to save her,¡± I touch her arm and accidentally pour my anxiety into her.

    ¡°I know, I¡¯m thinking,¡± she shakes me off so that she can think clearly. ¡°I do have some contacts there but I need to find someone I can trust. How is your phone¡¯s battery, Emi?¡±

    ¡°F-forty-seven p-percent,¡± she hiccups nervously.

    ¡°Shit,¡± Liana swears. ¡°Emi, I¡¯ll send someone to rescue you but it¡¯ll take some time and you need to save your phone¡¯s battery. Turn on the power saving mode and don¡¯t use it unless we call you, okay?¡±

    ¡°O-okay.¡±

    ¡°Emi, we¡¯ll definitely rescue you,¡± I promise. ¡°Stay hidden and don¡¯t get close to humans. Your face is all over the media.¡±

    ¡°Humans,¡± she spits between sobs. ¡°I¡­ I hate them!¡±

    And with those ominous words she hangs up.

 18. Figuring Out Magic

    I know that it wasn¡¯t just a figure of speech, she really meant it. I try helping Liana with coordinating Emi¡¯s rescue but I can¡¯t focus. I keep thinking about her words and my head is full of catastrophic scenarios. What if more Draconians start to hate humans? What if¡­?

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Erik clutches my hand. ¡°I¡¯m here to make sure it won¡¯t come to that. Besides, it¡¯s been barely two weeks since it all started and people are still confused. They need time to come to terms with it. Not everyone will hate Draconians just because you¡¯re different, look at people like Mrs Hana, Dr Stein and Ingri¡¯s parents.¡±

    I try to smile back at him but then I glance at the 3D projector that¡¯s constantly showing the news on silent.

    ¡°I-it¡¯s been confirmed,¡± I gasp and quickly turn on the sound.

    Everybody stops working and we¡¯re watching the broadcast in which a reporter says that a young Celestial woman in Kazakhstan has indeed died when doctors attempted to amputate her wings. So far Draconians were mostly undecided whether to believe Emi¡¯s video or not but now we can expect real panic.

    ¡°I know that she was your friend,¡± Julia says slowly. ¡°But at the very least no one else will try something similar.¡±

    ¡°Small comfort,¡± Fefnir frowns. Liana doesn¡¯t say anything but I can feel her anger and sadness she¡¯s bottling inside.

    ¡°Oh, I was meaning to ask you, Fefnir,¡± Julia chews her lip. ¡°Do the Dragonkin die when they lose their tail?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he shakes his head. ¡°Our weak spot is our stomach where the scales aren¡¯t that hard. We can re-grow all our limbs.¡±

    Julia opens her mouth wide, speechless.

    ¡°O-ouch, dammit,¡± I massage my temples because sudden burst of pain flashes through my head.

    Dr Stein shakes off her astonishment and jumps to me.

    ¡°What is it, Ryuuto?¡± she asks with real concern which is a pleasant change.

    ¡°Too many agitated emotions in the vicinity,¡± I explain. ¡°Plus, I didn¡¯t rest much after the interrogation and it was the first time I was directly connecting to so many unknown people.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Erik clicks his tongue. ¡°Doc, Ryuuto needs some means to better control his ability, can you think of something?¡±

    ¡°Well, obviously no as he¡¯s the only confirmed telepath ever,¡± she¡¯s lost. ¡°But I can look up some meditation techniques and we can test them to see what will possibly work.¡±

    ¡°Li, you need to rest as well,¡± I say when Erik points to the door, making me get up. ¡°You¡¯re on the brink of total exhaustion. Don¡¯t think you can hide it from me.¡±

    ¡°When I¡¯m done organising Emi¡¯s rescue,¡± Liana nods tiredly. ¡°Then we should have a few hours to rest properly before my employees reach her.¡±

    ¡°Mrs Hana, please see to it that Liana really goes to bed,¡± I implore the housekeeper. ¡°My viceroy has a bad habit of over-achieving.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know,¡± Mrs Hana is well aware. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr Ryuuto.¡±

    ¡°Just Ryuuto, please.¡±

    ¡°Then just Hana, please.¡±

    *****

    Julia is watching me while the painkillers she gave me just a half an hour ago to mitigate my headache end up in a toilet bowl.

    ¡°That didn¡¯t go well,¡± Erik sighs, kindly holding my hair.

    ¡°It has almost the same composition as that brand you mentioned you¡¯ve been taking, Ryuuto,¡± Julia says, nervously stepping in one place. ¡°I thought your body is used to them.¡±

    ¡°His old body was used to them,¡± Erik says instead of me as I¡¯m too busy trying to get rid of that disgusting puking aftertaste. Water doesn¡¯t help much so I have to brush my teeth.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always had a weak stomach,¡± I say and collapse on our bed when I¡¯m done cleaning my mouth.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s probably more than that,¡± Julia is unconvinced. ¡°It¡¯s only understandable that human medicine isn¡¯t designed for¡­ new species.¡±

    ¡°Sleep helps,¡± I curl under the blankets. ¡°Erik¡¯s presence does, too. Even when I feel overwhelmed, resting in the mind I really like soothes me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear since painkillers are out of question,¡± Julia sighs. ¡°Still, there¡¯ll be times when you won¡¯t be able to nap whenever you like or your boyfriend won¡¯t be by your side. Ms Richter is right; we need to find some method how to train your telepathy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve tried basic breathing techniques but they don¡¯t work that well ever since my ability got stronger,¡± I admit.

    ¡°Got stronger? Tell me about it,¡± Julia insists because it¡¯s new information for her.

    How strange and pleasant at the same time. Just two days ago, telepathy was still my most guarded secret and I dreaded telling another soul. Now five more people know, six in total if counting Erik. And it¡¯s okay which is something I¡¯d have never thought possible. I even befriended a doctor.

    I let Erik tell her under which circumstances my telepathy levelled-up because fighting with coming sleep is no use.

    *****

    ¡°Gosh, Ryuu, you toss a lot!¡± Erik¡¯s aggravated voice wakes me up. That or the fact that I accidentally rolled on my back and painfully squeezed my wings.

    ¡°S-sorry,¡± I open my eyes. ¡°I just can¡¯t find a comfortable position and I¡¯m not able to roll over my back anymore.¡±

    ¡°I hope your body just needs to get used to that because otherwise I don¡¯t know how I¡¯d be able to get any sleep,¡± he yawns, his eyes red. ¡°Especially after your wings get really big.¡±

    ¡°After my wings get big, we won¡¯t need a blanket anymore,¡± I try to tease him. ¡°I¡¯ll cover us both. Feathers are very warm.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, looking forward to that,¡± he finally smiles and pets my left wing. ¡°How did Celestials sleep in the game?¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t,¡± I say. Erik really doesn¡¯t know anything about VR gaming. ¡°What¡¯s the point of programming virtual avatars to sleep? The system automatically logs you off when your brain is too tired to handle the dive.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± he scratches his chin. ¡°So we have to figure it out ourselves, preferably while your wings are still small since I¡¯ve literally woken up with your feathers in my mouth.¡±

    ¡°S-sorry,¡± I apologise again and turn red.

    I want to hide the fact that the thought of his mouth caressing my wings is somehow alluring but because we¡¯re still touching, he catches that. And not only my thought, he gets my sudden excitement as well.

    ¡°Being lewd at 2 A.M.?¡± he bursts laughing.

    ¡°A bit,¡± I admit, blushing. ¡°I slept well so my headache got better.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still hurting, though,¡± he becomes serious and gently strokes my hair.

    ¡°It¡¯s the intensity I¡¯m used to,¡± I shrug. ¡°Some days are better than others but I¡¯ve never had a week when I didn¡¯t have any headache. This is nothing.¡±

    ¡°For real?¡± he frowns.

    ¡°At least I don¡¯t have problems sleeping,¡± I try to be positive. ¡°I¡¯m always so exhausted from other people¡¯s thoughts and emotions that no matter what problems I¡¯m currently dealing with, it doesn¡¯t disturb my sleep. Like Emi right now¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you close with her?¡± Erik is curious.

    ¡°As close as one can be with a gaming buddy,¡± I say. ¡°We started playing when Draconia launched five years ago and went for countless quests together. We drifted apart when we became too busy with ruling our races, though. I really hope she¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°Liana is doing her best, Emi will be with us in no time,¡± Erik reassures me. ¡°Until then do you mean to go back to sleep or¡­?¡±

    ¡°Little petting, pretty please?¡± I turn my back to him and spread my wings.

    ¡°You wish,¡± he chuckles. ¡°I get your new Celestial preference but what¡¯s in it for me?¡±

    ¡°My feathers are fluffy and pleasant to touch?¡± I try but it¡¯s no use as Erik is already positioning me on my knees and gets rid of my sleeping shorts.

    ¡°You know I don¡¯t like it much from behind,¡± I murmur. ¡°I want to see your face.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t put you on your back anymore and we didn¡¯t do this position lately,¡± he says. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make it nice.¡±

    He isn¡¯t lying, he never does. Even though this isn¡¯t my favourite technique, he makes up for it when he shoves his chin between my wings.

    ¡°Not bad, huh?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not horrible,¡± I admit.

    I want to let him have as humanly normal sex as possible so that he can take a break from all those weird things happening but I can¡¯t stop the reflex and dive deep into his mind almost immediately. But he isn¡¯t bothered; his mind is welcoming just as my body is towards him.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    He reaches orgasm quickly and the telepathic loop makes me climax at the same time. I feel so blissful that it¡¯s somehow natural to release my mana a bit as well. My feathers flutter in a sudden breeze and this time Erik isn¡¯t startled.

    *****

    ¡°Let¡¯s try this exercise,¡± Julia presents me with instructions the first thing in the morning.

    ¡°Seriously? Before breakfast?¡± Erik sighs. ¡°Aren¡¯t they waiting for us?¡±

    ¡°I told them we¡¯ll be ten minutes late,¡± Julia is adamantly pushing a tablet into my hands. ¡°It¡¯s a simple breathing exercise that is recommended to do every morning. It¡¯s supposed to focus one¡¯s mind.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± I give in, take a pillow and put it under my butt like a meditation cushion. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s surprisingly a good sitting posture for Celestials,¡± I discover and relax my wings.

    ¡°I reckon because your centre of gravity has changed,¡± Julia comments. ¡°Your race might not need a backrest.¡±

    ¡°Possibly,¡± I nod. ¡°Erik, can you read the instructions? But don¡¯t touch me, I have to learn not to rely on you all the time and calm my mind myself.¡±

    Erik¡¯s stomach rumbles but Julia assures him it¡¯s really only ten minutes long so he starts reading. He reads slowly and for a few moments I¡¯m thinking about how I love his voice before I finally remember to focus on my breath. It has a different effect, though, my telepathy only grows sharper now that nothing is distracting me.

    ¡°Time out,¡± I quickly open my eyes. ¡°It seems calming down makes is worse.¡±

    ¡°Worse or stronger? That¡¯s a big difference,¡± Julia asks.

    ¡°Stronger and therefore worse,¡± I set things straight.

    ¡°That¡¯s also progress,¡± she says. ¡°You need to be able to focus your telepathy as well as blunt it in order to rest.¡±

    ¡°Now he needs the second mode,¡± Erik waves his hand. ¡°Do you have some other meditation?¡±

    ¡°I suspected it might be the case so I looked up one that¡¯s supposed to help people who are bothered by noise,¡± she says proudly and presents him with a different text.

    ¡°Another attempt, honey,¡± Erik nudges me because I¡¯m not willing to close my eyes again.

    This time it goes more smoothly. The breathing part is very short and after that I¡¯m just following Erik¡¯s voice giving me instructions on how to let noises flow through me without reacting to them. In a certain sense, loud sounds do feel similar to telepathic noise that¡¯s bothering me.

    ¡°Well?¡± Julia smiles at me when the meditation session is over.

    ¡°It might help,¡± I say hopefully.

    ¡°Great, train it twice a day and we¡¯ll see how it goes,¡± she nods.

    *****

    We meet Hana in the hall and she insists we go properly to the dining room. Everyone¡¯s already there and eating when we arrive. The atmosphere is both strangely elevated and grim.

    ¡°My people reached Emi an hour ago,¡± Liana says without any greeting. ¡°She¡¯s famished, dirty and has a few bruises but physically otherwise okay.¡±

    ¡°But mentally?¡± I¡¯m worried.

    ¡°She scratched my people when they tried to touch her so they had to use sedatives,¡± Liana sighs. ¡°They told me that she knew that she¡¯s being rescued but her instincts must have kicked in.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s highly possible she developed a trauma,¡± Julia guesses. ¡°Damn, we could really use a psychologist.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try asking in our guild,¡± Liana suggests. ¡°We have over five hundred members; one of them might be what we need.¡±

    ¡°Worth a try,¡± Fefnir approves and goes for ham.

    We sit down and dig in as well. As always, the breakfast is a little feast. And it¡¯s already mirroring our new dietary needs.

    ¡°Start with eggs, okay?¡± Erik insists because he notices I¡¯m eyeing pancakes.

    ¡°Roger,¡± I say and put scrambled eggs and a piece of wholemeal bread on my plate.

    ¡°Researchers are running early blood tests,¡± Julia informs us and she¡¯s nibbling a toast while glued to her laptop. ¡°It seems new races might process glucose differently.¡±

    ¡°So sweets may not be harmful to us?¡± Liana is curious.

    ¡°That still remains to be seen,¡± Julia shrugs. ¡°Maybe in case of Celestials¡­ possibly. But you still need to eat balanced meals, sugar is just quick empty energy.¡±

    ¡°Eating, eating,¡± I roll my eyes because Erik is giving me stares. I¡¯m allowed one pancake after a proper meal.

    ¡°Emi should arrive in the evening,¡± Liana says when we finish eating. ¡°Meanwhile, we should train our new abilities. Reports of spells that went badly or injuries caused by uncontrolled strength are increasing.¡±

    ¡°They are?¡± I¡¯m worried.

    ¡°So far only minor stuff,¡± Ingri says. ¡°Still, people are scared what might happen if, for instance, a fire spell goes out of hand in a block of flats.¡±

    ¡°You have to take it outside,¡± Hana claps her hands and even Liana has to listen to her.

    *****

    ¡°Uff, this is harder than I thought,¡± I¡¯m out of breath after just six attempts to make a fire ball in a safe distance in front of me.

    ¡°The spell does work, though,¡± Erik is supportive. ¡°You¡¯re just cautious more than usual because of your burnt hand.¡±

    ¡°Damn,¡± Liana screams because she¡¯s just set on fire a small bush. Her employees immediately put it out, ready with extinguishers.

    ¡°Ha!¡± Fefnir shouts victoriously as he manages to destroy another wall. It¡¯s part of an older garden arrangement that Liana wanted to re-design anyway so she allowed him to use it for his power training.

    Suddenly, I feel a pleasant gust of wind. Fire spells seem too volatile to master but air is somehow natural¡ªa Celestial racial element. I feel like I can make it listen to me quite easily so I spread my wings and try releasing mana.

    I get goosebumps under my feathers when I distinctively feel mana being channelled through them. My wings are still too small to properly carry my body weight but the wind gets much stronger, I feel like I¡¯m in a trance and¡­ my feet leave the ground.

    At first, everyone is excited to watch me hover but then my mana leaks too much, I lose control and I¡¯m suddenly half a metre above the ground. But I¡¯m too enthralled to feel any concern for my safety. I¡¯m floating!

    ¡°My God, Ryuuto!¡± Erik catches my wrist and pulls me down. I finally get to my senses and fall onto his chest, panting.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do things like that when you¡¯re still not in full control, Aefener. What if you fall badly and injure yourself?¡± Liana turns on her strict mode.

    ¡°Sweet, true air magic!¡± Ingri is holding her phone.

    ¡°Did you shoot it?¡± Liana frowns.

    ¡°You bet I did,¡± the girl grins. ¡°Since I can¡¯t train with you, guys, I can document it at least.¡±

    ¡°Your powers are still dormant but you¡¯re already a plant nonetheless,¡± Fefnir smirks because Ingri is sitting in the grass and looks very comfortable there.

    ¡°For the hundred¡¯s time, Fefnir, the Earthborn aren¡¯t really plants,¡± Ingri rolls her eyes.

    ¡°Says someone with their feet shoved in dirt,¡± Julia tries to joke for the first time ever while examining Ingri¡¯s legs that are beginning to sprout tiny rooty tentacles.

    ¡°Anyway, back to the important stuff,¡± Erik interrupts them. ¡°Even training outside isn¡¯t as safe as we¡¯ve hoped¡­ especially for Celestials.¡±

    ¡°I was managing just fine,¡± I oppose.

    ¡°No, you weren¡¯t,¡± Erik purses his lips at me. ¡°The moment you felt the wind, your mind went blank.¡±

    ¡°You did?¡± Liana blinks, astonished. ¡°How did it feel like? Was it weird?¡±

    ¡°Not in a bad way,¡± I assure her. ¡°I want to try again.¡±

    ¡°Are Celestials supposed to fly without their wings?¡± he¡¯s confused. ¡°Wait until your wings grow properly.¡±

    ¡°Celestial air magic was used only for flying support, we obviously need to flap our wings,¡± Liana explains to him. ¡°Erik is right, Aefener, be patient.¡±

    ¡°I just want to float a little,¡± I murmur, discontent.

    ¡°And end up with a sprained ankle or something possibly worse?¡± Erik pokes me.

    I don¡¯t want to post my flying attempt but it turns out Ingri already did. I¡¯m thinking for a while about revoking her right to temper with my social account but Fefnir tells me to let it slip.

    ¡°She¡¯s still a teenager,¡± he shrugs. ¡°Plus, we need as many followers as possible and you actually floating is a big deal.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I think I finally got the hang of it,¡± Liana announces proudly and conjures a perfect little flame a few centimetres above her palm.

    We keep training and make a few videos to tell people what to be especially careful about. As I don¡¯t have any headache today and it¡¯s becoming evident that spellcasting does take lots of calories, I eat without protest all those delicious snacks Hana is kindly bringing us outside.

    ¡°What about earth magic?¡± Erik asks me when we move to level 1 water spells.

    ¡°Nope, we can¡¯t do that one,¡± I shake my head. ¡°Earth magic is the exact opposite of air. Only the Earthborn are able to control it.¡±

    ¡°So let me sum it up,¡± Erik tries to make sense of it in his head. ¡°Celestials are pure magic casters controlling air, fire and water while air is your natural racial element. The Earthborn are genetical engineers who can control the earth. The Dragonkin are physically the strongest race, almost nothing can harm them, they can re-grow their limbs and breathe fire like dragons. And Clawfangs¡­¡±

    ¡°Right, you haven¡¯t actually met any, Emi will be your first,¡± I realise. ¡°Clawfangs are all about agility, quick attacks, stealth and martial arts. They can also tame all kinds of animals to do their bidding.¡±

    ¡°And which race is the best then?¡± he asks innocently so it surprises him twice when we all freeze. ¡°W-what? Did I say something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Not wrong¡­ just¡­ rude,¡± I cough. ¡°Races of Draconia were designed to complete each other in dungeons, that¡¯s why we¡¯re so different. Asking which is the best¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, sorry,¡± he gets it. ¡°Still, the Dragonkin seem the strongest to me. No offence, Ryuu, your magic is amazing but you¡¯re so frail.¡±

    ¡°No offence taken because you¡¯re actually spot on,¡± I admit. ¡°The Dragonkin are the strongest¡­ physically.¡±

    ¡°So who would actually win a duel?¡± he¡¯s still curious.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t really depend on the race but on the skill of a particular person,¡± Liana answers for a change. ¡°We Celestials are unparalleled in the air where we can evade easily and prepare spells. However, should a Clawfang, for instance, get us stealthily while still on the ground, we don¡¯t stand a chance.¡±

    ¡°The game was really balanced,¡± Fefnir continues explaining. ¡°Each race has their advantages and weaknesses. Mine being that the Dragonkin are rather slow. As for Clawfangs, they¡¯re the only race that doesn¡¯t have any magic at all.¡±

    After that little explanation especially for Erik and Julia, we move to basic water spells. And they turn out to be even more difficult than fire.

    ¡°It¡¯s just impossible to conjure water out of nothing!¡± Liana is furious because even after an hour practising, neither me or her get any result.

    ¡°Maybe here you need to summon it out of ground moisture?¡± Ingri suggests. ¡°Or alternatively from clouds.¡±

    ¡°Try manipulating existing water,¡± Erik hands me a glass of juice I was sipping from.

    Several more attempts and I finally form a small water ball. But it¡¯s too hard to maintain and it bursts after two seconds, splashing on my hoodie.

    ¡°Damn,¡± I swear. ¡°No more experimenting with juice.¡±

    ¡°It needs washing anyway,¡± Erik comforts me. ¡°You¡¯ve been wearing it non-stop.¡±

    ¡°I should have brought more clothes with me,¡± I sigh. ¡°Li, is it possible I go to my apartment to grab some stuff? Also¡­ I guess I should stop by my university to explain the situation to my supervisor in person and ask for an extension. A one-day trip at most, promise. If you would be so kind to lend us one of your cars¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you nuts, Aefener?¡± Liana slaps her forehead. ¡°You became the world-wide celebrity, someone wanted to kidnap you and the government is still after you. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting you out of the mansion any time soon.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­!¡±

    ¡°Ryuu, you still don¡¯t fully realise it, do you?¡± Erik pets my wings. ¡°The world outside is much different from the one we left barely two weeks ago. It¡¯s dangerous for a transformed Draconian to parade in the streets, moreover for the one everyone knows from the media.¡±

    ¡°Presidents also can¡¯t just go wherever they¡¯d like,¡± Liana offers an analogy. ¡°Danger aside, people would go crazy. Give me your key card and I¡¯ll send someone to move your things.¡±

    ¡°How bad is it outside, really?¡± I look at Fefnir, desperate for answers. I¡¯ve been so busy with my telepathy, magic and getting in touch with our gaming friends that I didn¡¯t have almost any opportunity to familiarise myself with the mundane every-day situation.

    ¡°So far only high-levels have fully transformed and most of them chose hiding,¡± Fefnir says. ¡°Majority of Draconians is still in hospitals or with their families. The government and local authorities strengthened police forces but everyone is nervous, not knowing what will actually happen when we start going outside again.¡±

    ¡°They predict violence is highly probable,¡± Ingri is tense. ¡°Fear, bullying, insults, riots¡­¡±

    I knew that it might come to that. I just hoped it wouldn¡¯t be that bad but¡­ I was na?ve. I look at Fefnir and try to see him from a normal person¡¯s perspective.

    ¡°You¡¯re too used to Fefnir from your game,¡± Erik says as he knows what I¡¯m thinking about because he keeps petting my wings. ¡°Try to see him through me.¡±

    I quickly close my eyes, take a few breaths and connect deeper with Erik. He knows that Fefnir is a good guy but he can¡¯t help it and is secretly a bit scared by his looks¡ªtwo metres of muscles, covered in scales, with horns and soon able to breathe fire. What a formidable sight.

    ¡°And I¡¯m used to him,¡± he adds when I open my eyes. ¡°Think about how normal people will probably react when they see a Dragonkin, for example, shopping for groceries.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Celestials will be better-off either,¡± Fefnir shakes his head. ¡°Sure, you don¡¯t look scary, your looks are beautiful by human standards, but people were always afraid of magic.¡±

    ¡°Miss Richter,¡± Hana suddenly interrupts us. ¡°I just got a message that your guest should arrive in fifteen minutes.¡±

    ¡°Emi,¡± I whisper and my wings tremble.

 19. She Hates Humans

    Emi is sleeping when Liana¡¯s helicopter arrives. They must have given her quite a dose of sedatives because otherwise I can¡¯t imagine anyone would be able to sleep in such deafening noise. The bodyguard carrying her has a strange expression on his face. I don¡¯t have to touch him to guess what he¡¯s probably thinking right now¡ªthat he isn¡¯t transporting a human.

    To be fair, Emi doesn¡¯t look very human anymore. Her body still has a humanoid shape but that¡¯s about it. She¡¯s covered in thick fur, has a tail and her ears have an animal shape. And I bet her skeleton keeps changing further because Clawfangs have differently built lower legs and, well, a muzzle.

    ¡°Gosh, we do need that psychologist,¡± Julia is mumbling for herself. ¡°People turning into lizards and cat creatures¡­ that must mess with one¡¯s head.¡±

    ¡°Actually, Emi is a fox,¡± Fefnir says calmly and takes the Clawfang Alpha into his arms because the bodyguard is evidently uneasy carrying her. ¡°And I¡¯m fine with my transformation, thank you for asking directly.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, sorry,¡± Julia slaps her forehead. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking aloud.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really okay with it?¡± Erik is doubtful. ¡°You do look like¡­¡±

    ¡°Like a dragon, Erik, just say it,¡± Fefnir grins, revealing his pointy teeth. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m surprised myself that I feel so good in my new body. But I do, really. And I bet Aefener does, too.¡±

    ¡°Mmm,¡± I nod and briefly touch Erik¡¯s palm to send him my feelings. After the initial shock, I began to truly like my new body to the point I can¡¯t imagine not having wings anymore. Their weight on my back is so comforting; I feel whole.

    We arrive to the guest room which was prepared by the maids beforehand and Fefnir gently lies Emi into bed. Liana then dismisses all bodyguards and closes the door so that we can speak freely. Julia immediately starts tending Emi¡¯s minor injuries while Hana washes dirty places on her fur.

    ¡°Will you tell her about your telepathy when she wakes up?¡± Liana looks at me. ¡°I mean¡­ she¡¯ll become a member of our inner circle. To keep it a secret just in front of her would be a bother.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± I say confidently. Huh, did I feel totally calm about it just now? Glad even that I can open up to another friend?

    ¡°But better take it slowly,¡± Julia suggests.

    *****

    Emi wakes up in the most dramatic way I¡¯ve ever seen. The moment she opens her eyes, she¡¯s already jumping on her legs and bares her teeth.

    ¡°Emi, it¡¯s us!¡± Liana exclaims quickly because Emi growls menacingly.

    ¡°A-Aefener?¡± the Clawfang Alpha blinks, confused by the sudden change of scenery around her, but she immediately recognises my white wings and silver hair. She wobbles which makes her sit down. She must be still feeling numb. And scared. But she¡¯s also relieved seeing us.

    ¡°Sorry, Emi, they had to sedate you,¡± Liana apologises. ¡°You were¡­ too wild to handle.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who should say sorry,¡± Emi says weakly. ¡°They wanted to help me but I couldn¡¯t think straight. I didn¡¯t hurt anyone too seriously, did I?¡±

    ¡°Just a few scratches, I paid them extra,¡± Liana waves her hand.

    ¡°Thank you¡­ for actually rescuing me,¡± Emi whispers. ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t hope anyone would really come for me. How did you even do it? Where am I?¡±

    ¡°Oho, Emi, you have no idea who she is, don¡¯t you?¡± Fefnir realises while pointing at my viceroy. ¡°I¡¯m Fefnir, by the way, if you haven¡¯t recognised my beautiful scales.¡±

    ¡°Black wings, violet hair¡­ Liana I bet,¡± she takes a guess.

    ¡°I mean in real life,¡± he specifies.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been in hospital the whole time, Emi?¡± I ask because it¡¯d explain a lot.

    ¡°Ever since I started growing fur,¡± she nods. ¡°Which was¡­ I don¡¯t know how long exactly. My mother took me and my cousin Quil to hospital immediately after we started showing first symptoms and they confiscated our phones. I had to steal it back when I was running away.¡±

    ¡°Emi, my real name is Laura Richter,¡± Liana properly introduces herself.

    Emi doesn¡¯t seem like she understands, though. But I guess my initial thought also was that it must be just a coincidental name likeness. Liana has to quickly explain the situation about Emi¡¯s rescue, mentioning her private jet and the fact that she¡¯s just smuggled a person out of a non-EU country.

    ¡°No way!¡± Emi¡¯s jaw drops and I notice two distinct fangs. ¡°You¡¯re THE Laura Richter?¡±

    ¡°Why is everyone using the definite article with my name?¡± Liana rolls her eyes. ¡°But yes, that¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯re in your super luxurious mansion,¡± Emi sighs out. ¡°In¡­ Germany. Unbelievable.¡±

    ¡°The truly unbelievable is still coming,¡± Fefnir pokes me and I have to poke him back. I don¡¯t think Emi is ready to digest it yet.

    ¡°Can I examine you, Ms Emi?¡± Julia, so far hiding behind Fefnir, steps to the front. ¡°I tended your injuries but I need to¡­¡±

    Emi flinches and bares her fangs again. While she was pretty calm when talking to us, facing a human seemed to trigger her fear and anger. Even though Julia isn¡¯t wearing a white coat, Emi is feeling burning hate towards her.

    ¡°Emi, you can trust her,¡± I say quickly. ¡°I have a phobia of doctors but I gradually got used to Dr Stein. She even helped us with our transformations.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not trusting any human doctor ever again,¡± Emi hisses angrily, her fur standing. ¡°I¡¯m not letting her touch me.¡±

    ¡°I only wanted to check your injuries to make sure there¡¯s no inflammation,¡± Julia mumbles, a bit offended.

    ¡°I got just a few bruises and scratches when I was trying to get out,¡± Emi says impatiently. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Clawfangs naturally heal fast.¡±

    ¡°Another thing I wanted to record actually,¡± Julia reveals her intention.

    She shouldn¡¯t have said that. Emi gets furious and starts screaming that she¡¯s a test subject no more and that she¡¯ll scratch anyone who tries to examine her. Julia wants to persuade her with reason but it makes Emi only madder to the point of hysteria.

    ¡°Can you somehow calm her down, Aefener?¡± Liana begs me because Emi seems to be hostile towards any human, even Hana who tries to befriend her with food. She throws the plate away and curls herself under a blanket in the bed¡¯s corner.

    ¡°I can try,¡± I say and carefully approach the trembling fox girl. She doesn¡¯t seem to react badly to me, at least something. But she¡¯s still furious and potentially dangerous so I¡¯m wary.

    ¡°Emi, you aren¡¯t afraid of me, are you? I¡¯m your friend,¡± I say slowly and try to shorten the distance between us.

    ¡°Aefener,¡± she whispers, tired now after her tantrum. She¡¯s still weakened.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s me,¡± I smile and flutter my wings to better demonstrate that I¡¯m not human anymore.

    I slowly stretch my hand towards her. She flinches but doesn¡¯t bare her fangs at me which is a good sign. My fingers find her palm and I clutch her reassuringly. She relaxes a bit.

    ¡°Cute,¡± I let out, charmed, when looking at her adorable vulpine ears.

    Emi bursts into tears which isn¡¯t a reaction I was expecting to a compliment.

    ¡°M-my mother¡­ she said¡­ that I¡¯m a monster,¡± Emi starts sobbing. ¡°In hospital¡­ the doctors called me a mutant.¡±

    I slowly turn my arms around her back and wait until she allows me to hug her. She¡¯s hesitant at first but then she grabs me herself and caresses my wings. She¡¯s just as curious about my body as I am about hers. I gently touch her mind, trying to soothe her. It¡¯s always Erik comforting me so this is a nice change. I try to tell her with my feelings that she¡¯s safe now and among her friends.

    She doesn¡¯t quite understand what¡¯s happening but her mind is welcoming so I gently push further. I don¡¯t feel any resistance so I access her recent memories. I shiver at what I see. Even though Emi wasn¡¯t tortured, she was a prisoner¡ªa test subject.

    I glimpse at Emi¡¯s mother who let that happen willingly and discover that she wasn¡¯t loving and kind towards Emi at all. She never approved of anything Emi was doing and was extremely demanding as well as fanatically religious. No wonder Emi had to rebel against her and escape into videogames.

    I always remember ingame Emi as cheerful and friendly with everyone but that person is gone now, buried under the trauma. All I can perceive right now as immediate emotions are fear, hate and disgust. She was hurt at the most intimate level of basic trust. And she lost a beloved cousin so she¡¯s also deeply grieving.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Murderers¡­ they are murderers¡­ I hate them!

    The intensity of her negative emotions makes me nauseous but at the same time I can¡¯t help falling for the wonderful person beneath. I envelop her mind into mine and shower her with soothing love. When she goes numb in my arms, it¡¯s because she relaxed so much that she fell asleep.

    ¡°That went¡­ well?¡± Fefnir says and moves her into the middle of bed because I¡¯m not able to budge her weight. I really am gradually getting weaker.

    ¡°Is she traumatised?¡± Liana asks, worried.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so,¡± I nod. ¡°Her mind is full of pain and fear. And¡­ hatred.¡±

    ¡°Damn, she must have been through a lot,¡± Ingri is saddened even though she doesn¡¯t know her from the game.

    ¡°Can I examine her now?¡± Julia asks eagerly.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t recommend it, Clawfangs have very sensitive senses,¡± Fefnir warns her. ¡°She¡¯d be probably able to tell by the residual smell that you¡¯ve been touching her again.¡±

    ¡°At least she doesn¡¯t mind us,¡± Liana comments.

    ¡°Ryuu, does she hate all humans now?¡± Erik, who wasn¡¯t participating at all in this, pulls my sleeve because I can¡¯t stop looking at sleeping Emi with remorse.

    ¡°She hates doctors with burning intensity, that¡¯s for sure,¡± I say. ¡°As for humans in general¡­ I feel she doesn¡¯t trust them anymore but I hope it¡¯s something that we might still reverse.¡±

    ¡°Did she feel you were connecting to her?¡± Julia is curious.

    ¡°She did. Let¡¯s wait until she wakes up and explain everything properly to her.¡±

    *****

    Emi must have been really exhausted because she didn¡¯t wake up that day and continued sleeping throughout the night. We take turns guarding her to make sure she isn¡¯t alone. Julia isn¡¯t happy that Liana forbade her to enter Emi¡¯s room so instead she glues to Ingri whose symptoms keep progressing. When she returns from her morning sunbathing session, I notice her skin is starting to change colour.

    ¡°Have you practiced that meditation again?¡± Julia asks me when she finishes taking photos of Ingri¡¯s palms.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ I overslept,¡± I admit and quickly add: ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m lazy b-but¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Julia benevolently waves her hand and lets it go. ¡°Your wings are growing fast, you need to rest. Just make sure you practice today and you did some training on our newcomer after all. Speaking of which¡­¡±

    She takes out her leaser measuring tape and scans my wings.

    ¡°Another two centimetres,¡± she finds out.

    ¡°So¡­ when will he be able to fly?¡± Erik asks curiously. ¡°Soon?¡±

    ¡°His wings must get much bigger,¡± she shakes her head. ¡°Even with the current speed of growth, it¡¯ll probably take at least three months. The bones have to get lighter, too.¡±

    ¡°Three months?¡± I¡¯m horrified. ¡°B-but¡­ I feel like flying now!¡±

    ¡°Well, you can¡¯t yet,¡± she says plainly. ¡°Do you even realise how difficult it must be for your body to grow something entirely new so fast? How much energy it must take? You could stuff yourself all day long and you wouldn¡¯t put on weight. By the way, do stuff yourself, please.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m overseeing that,¡± Erik pokes me. ¡°I made him eat four eggs for breakfast even though he was begging me for cereals.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m starting to get envious of Ingri¡¯s light diet,¡± I roll my eyes because I¡¯ve always hated over-eating.

    ¡°I get additional nutrients in other ways,¡± Ingri speaks up, looking up from her phone. ¡°You know¡­ from sunlight and soil.¡±

    ¡°I agree with Fefnir, she is a plant,¡± Erik chuckles.

    ¡°Guuuuuyyys!¡± Fefnir suddenly runs into the study. ¡°Emi¡¯s finally up!¡±

    We smile at each other, quickly get up and hurry to the guest room. Only Julia has to stay behind, disappointed. We find Emi sitting on the bed with a tray on her lap, ravenously eating ham and looking calm now. Liana is sitting closely next to her and Emi has no problem with that which is good to see.

    ¡°Ae-fu-ne-lu,¡± Emi mumbles with her mouth full when she sees me in the door. She makes an effort to gulp and pushes the tray aside.

    ¡°Do you feel better now?¡± I ask and sit down opposite to Liana.

    ¡°Much better,¡± she nods and narrows her eyes. ¡°What did you do to me?¡±

    ¡°Ehm¡­ what do you think I did?¡± I say carefully, not wanting to startle her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure but it felt miraculous so just spit it out,¡± she stretches her hand to pat my wing because she seemed to take a liking to my feathers. Thanks to direct touch, I¡¯m able to send her my thoughts. I feel she can take it now.

    I¡¯m a telepath, Emi.

    ¡°NO WAY!¡± she shrieks and unconsciously clutches my wing too tight.

    ¡°Ouch,¡± I whine. ¡°I have a Celestial body, Emi, so watch your strength with me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± she lets go and keeps looking at me with her mouth open wide. ¡°But how is such a thing even possible? Is it an extra Draconian mutation or something?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m a telepath since birth,¡± I explain.

    Her reaction is similar to Fefnir. She touches me again and wants me to tell her what she¡¯s thinking about. At least her imagery isn¡¯t as stupid as Fefnir¡¯s was. We give her a few moments to digest that revelation and answer her questions but she comes to terms with it quite quickly. I guess our bar for weirdness must have shifted with all those things happening.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can¡¯t read your thoughts without direct touch,¡± I assure her. ¡°And for browsing one¡¯s memories I need to connect properly and focus which means that no one is in danger of me seeing something inappropriate each time you accidentally touch me.¡±

    ¡°But still, a real telepath¡­ gosh,¡± she¡¯s wagging her tail nervously. ¡°That¡¯s potentially even more dangerous than magic.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re keeping it a secret, Emi,¡± Liana pronounces seriously. ¡°As you pointed out, magic is one thing but being actually able to read one¡¯s thoughts and even access memories is a different league.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± Emi nods. ¡°A secret.¡±

    ¡°Aefener is already considered peculiar by the EU government so we need to make double sure the information doesn¡¯t get out,¡± Ingri speaks to Emi for the first time. ¡°I¡¯m Ingri, by the way, but we don¡¯t know each other from the game. My level wasn¡¯t high enough to join veteran guilds.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Ingri,¡± Emi tries to smile. Tries. ¡°What do you mean by peculiar? It seems I missed too many things. And why do you smell like grass and dirt?¡±

    ¡°I was outside sunbathing, I¡¯m an Earthborn,¡± Ingri explains because her changing skin colour isn¡¯t that visible yet. ¡°Anyway, Aefener is patient zero¡ªthe first person who started to change.¡±

    ¡°I thought me and Quil were first,¡± Emi scratches her whiskers. ¡°They locked us as total anomalies before anything appeared in the media.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because Aefener was ignoring the symptoms for quite some time and then I was hiding him,¡± Liana continues. ¡°But it was confirmed that the speed of transformation is linked to one¡¯s VR compatibility level and, well, Aefener¡¯s was 100%.¡±

    ¡°It really was?¡± Emi is astonished. ¡°I thought it¡¯s just a far-fetched rumour because Aefener himself was distancing from that.¡±

    ¡°For obvious reasons, I couldn¡¯t afford to stand out,¡± I say. ¡°You¡¯re the seventh person to know about my telepathy, Emi. I haven¡¯t been able to open myself to anyone¡­ until recently. I guess I owe it to our transformation actually.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m honoured then,¡± she says and means it. ¡°What made you tell me so soon?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for five years,¡± I smile sincerely. ¡°I trust you. Besides, it¡¯d be a bother to keep it from you while others know.¡±

    ¡°So be extremely careful talking about Aefener when in public,¡± Liana reminds her. ¡°And that includes my own employees except for my housekeeper Hana and Dr Stein who know. We¡¯ve already had an armed intrusion and their goal was to kidnap Aefener for God knows what nasty experiments so I had to assign him personal bodyguards.¡±

    ¡°A kidnapping attempt?¡± Emi can¡¯t believe her ears. ¡°For real? That¡¯s like out of a movie!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we have to get used to the extreme,¡± Fefnir shrugs. ¡°It¡¯s only natural that the leadership of our races will focus around high-levels or influential people like Liana so we¡¯ll be facing lots of pressure and even real danger.¡±

    Emi wants to say something but a soft knocking on the door interrupts her.

    ¡°Lunch must be ready,¡± Liana claps. ¡°Emi, will you manage to get up?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± she nods confidently, gets rid of the blanket and jumps out of bed easily. I notice she¡¯s wearing clean nice pyjamas, not those hospital clothes she was brought in. I can¡¯t help staring at her. How can anyone call her a monster? She¡¯s so fucking cute!

    ¡°Ryuu, don¡¯t stare at the lady, it¡¯s rude,¡± Erik clicks his tongue which makes Emi finally notice him.

    ¡°W-who are you?¡± she flinches a bit but her fearful reaction isn¡¯t as strong as yesterday.

    ¡°Emi, this is Erik, my boyfriend,¡± I proudly introduce him. ¡°Please, don¡¯t be afraid. He stayed with me even after my transformation, we can really trust him.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s afraid?¡± she retorts.

    ¡°Well¡­ I can actually feel it, you know.¡±

    ¡°Damn,¡± she hisses, astonished again.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, guys, Hana doesn¡¯t like when we¡¯re late for meals,¡± Liana tries to make us hurry. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about wearing pyjamas, Emi.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Emi shrugs and waves her tail. It¡¯s all furry and much slimmer than Fefnir¡¯s. I have a sudden urge to touch it.

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik notices my intention and rolls his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think Emi would like that.¡±

    Emi grins at me and follows Liana. I perceive that she feels uneasy around the bodyguards so she walks very closely to us while trying to appear confident. But she felt grateful to Erik for a moment when he was berating me on her behalf which is possibly another good sign.

    At lunch I notice that her dietary preference is the same as Fefnir¡¯s. She goes primarily after meat, even though she eats chips as well. She doesn¡¯t touch any fresh vegetables, though.

    ¡°So¡­ what did I miss?¡± Emi asks when we finish eating.

    We move to our headquarters in the study and spend quite some time telling Emi everything essential that happened while she was locked up. She really appreciated that we made an effort to organise also her race that is known for being stubborn and not answering to anyone except for their Supreme Alpha and other pack alphas.

    ¡°Emi, you¡¯re safe!¡± Gin almost cries when we call him and he sees her face on the screen.

    ¡°Safe and sound,¡± she nods. ¡°How are things in the States?¡±

    ¡°Not as peaceful as in the EU I¡¯m afraid,¡± he immediately becomes serious. ¡°Clawfangs especially refuse to hide and are starting to venture outside. We¡¯ve already had some incidents with humans. The situation escalated after the information in your video was confirmed.¡±

    ¡°R-right,¡± Emi shivers but I feel she¡¯s actually glad that her video had an impact and uncovered evil hospital practices.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Gotrid?¡± I ask because I¡¯m surprised he isn¡¯t sitting next to Gin.

    ¡°Resting, his wings came out last night,¡± Gin says. ¡°I think we managed it quite well but he still lost some blood. Celestials sure have their transformation tough.¡±

    ¡°Gin, have you met other Clawfangs?¡± Emi is curious. ¡°Are our pack roles¡­?¡±

    ¡°The same as ingame,¡± he nods. ¡°I smell like Beta, Emi, which means you¡¯re still our Supreme Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Do you really want to keep our original ingame positions?¡± I doubt again. ¡°What makes us qualified to lead Draconians in the real world? Because I¡¯m definitely not qualified.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you bet I¡¯ll lead my race and I don¡¯t care about any fucking qualifications,¡± Emi says with a dark undertone. ¡°I¡¯m not letting anyone else end up like Quil.¡±

    ¡°E-Emi¡­?¡± I touch her and try to calm her down because the hate I feel from her got overwhelming. I thought I helped her overcome it a little but it seems I only helped her recover from the shock.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, Aefener,¡± she slaps my hand away. ¡°I don¡¯t need your¡­,¡± she stops herself in time as she realises we¡¯re in the middle of a videocall with Gin. ¡°I don¡¯t need your comfort,¡± she changes the sentence quickly. ¡°What I need is to make those bastards pay for what they did to Quil.¡±

    ¡°I agree with Emi on this,¡± Liana coughs. ¡°But we need to do it legally and publicly so that we create a precedent for future.¡±

    I silently stare at Emi and Liana discussing what to do and feel anxious. Emi accepted her role immediately and Liana also seems totally okay with leading our race. Am I the only one with doubts? Where does Emi take her resolve? Because of her cousin? Quil¡­ she was my friend as well and I do want to see her murderers punished but¡­ I¡¯m afraid.

    I take a deep breath to calm down and try to examine my feelings the same way I do with other people. Do I feel¡­ conflicted? I look at Erik who¡¯s watching the conversation with a serious expression and my still human part reacts strongly.

    Then I look at Liana and my Celestial part sees¡­ my viceroy. I¡¯d love to ask her again to take the leadership from me but somehow I know that Liana¡¯s mana capacity and casting skill is lower than mine even though her potential is formidable. Is there really no other way? Am I destined to become the Celestial Emperor even in the real world?

    ¡°Miss Richter!¡± the door bursts open and Hana enters the study, this time without knocking which is unusual. I can feel urgency coming from her.

    ¡°What?¡± Liana turns towards her with a frown.

    ¡°The security halted a bus that arrived in front of the main gate just now,¡± Hana is panting. ¡°It¡¯s full of Draconians and,¡± she gasps for air, ¡°they¡¯re asking for your protection.¡±

 20. Refugees

    ¡°It¡¯s Aefener!¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, please, help us!¡±

    ¡°Is that the Dragonkin viceroy?¡±

    ¡°Wow, Laura Richter, for real!¡±

    I¡¯m taken aback immediately after we step outside the mansion and are flooded with the newcomers. Liana was talking about creating safe havens for Draconians all over the world, it just never crossed my mind that they¡¯d be coming so soon and without prior notice.

    Draconians of all races are getting off the bus and we¡¯re suddenly surrounded. I clutch Erik¡¯s hand because crowds have always made me uncomfortable and he smiles at me reassuringly. Surprisingly though, I don¡¯t find their minds bothersome. The amount of excited emotions is a bit overwhelming but I don¡¯t feel nauseous or anything.

    ¡°Ehm, I¡¯m sorry, Miss Richter¡­ I mean Your Excellency,¡± a bulky Dragonkin steps out of the vehicle last and closes the door. ¡°My name is Benir, I¡¯m a bus driver. These people had nowhere to go so I¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Liana acts calm even though I feel she¡¯s nervous about the situation. ¡°You should have contacted me beforehand, though.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I know¡­ we were afraid maybe you wouldn¡¯t take us in just like that,¡± Benir looks down guiltily.

    Liana shakes her head and starts to plan with her employees where to put the newcomers. Even though her mansion is huge, it¡¯s not a hotel. The Clawfangs immediately gang around Emi who is enjoying the attention, unlike me.

    ¡°His Majesty is so beautiful,¡± a young Celestial woman with brown patterned feathers compliments me.

    All of a sudden, one of the Clawfangs curiously touches my wings without asking. I flinch and have to make an effort not to connect to him on impulse. It seems easier with Draconians than with humans so I have to be extra cautious. The culprit gets angry stares from my race so he runs to Emi instead.

    ¡°Just Aefener is fine,¡± I say because I feel inadequate that they¡¯re addressing me so politely. But it¡¯s like they aren¡¯t listening and keep addressing me royally.

    The commotion gets under control after an hour when Liana¡¯s employees give them a designated spot and maids bring sandwiches.

    ¡°Okay, I underestimated that a bit,¡± Liana scratches her chin when she can finally sit down to rest after all that running around. We¡¯re watching fifty-three people ravenously eating sandwiches in the garden gazebo from afar so we can speak freely.

    ¡°How are you coping, Aefener?¡± Ingri lands next to my viceroy. She was actively helping her the whole time and it¡¯s evident Liana is starting to really trust her even with important tasks.

    ¡°Somehow,¡± I say truthfully. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to filter so many emotions at once but Draconian minds don¡¯t exhaust me as much.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Julia remarks. I twitch because I haven¡¯t even noticed her in that commotion. ¡°Your brain might be getting attuned to minds of the transformed.¡±

    ¡°Which is¡­ a good thing?¡± Erik ponders while looking at the crowd. ¡°Gosh, am I getting stares from our newcomers?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m getting stares as well,¡± Julia shrugs indifferently. ¡°They don¡¯t trust us. Some of them look slightly injured and I had a hard time persuading them to let me treat them. Fefnir had to vouch for me, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t be able to do my job. More than half of them still isn¡¯t fully transformed yet.¡±

    ¡°Another reason why we have to lead by example, love,¡± Erik smirks and ostentatiously squeezes next to me. I enjoy it thoroughly.

    ¡°Thanks, Erik, you being here is priceless,¡± Liana appreciates and grabs a sandwich as well.

    ¡°Emi looks so natural among them,¡± I comment on the rescued Alpha who continues mingling with incoming Clawfangs, merrily chatting with them and acting very relaxed.

    I look for Fefnir and find him talking with Benir. While Fefnir¡¯s scales are dark green, Benir¡¯s are dark grey. They¡¯re both huge but Fefnir is muscular whereas Benir rather chubby. It doesn¡¯t make him look less formidable, though. However, Fefnir¡¯s horns are starting to get really big while Benir¡¯s are hardly showing. I realise that as a viceroy, Fefnir was always proud of his majestic horns.

    ¡°How old might he be?¡± Erik asks, eyeing the Dragonkin bus driver.

    ¡°Around forty-five I guess?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re able to tell?¡± Erik is genuinely surprised.

    ¡°Hmmm, yes,¡± I nod.

    ¡°Damn, Ryuu, your brain is already wired differently,¡± he playfully pokes my forehead. ¡°As for me, I¡¯m not able to tell most of them apart.¡±

    ¡°You can usually distinguish the Dragonkin by the horns. They are unique, the same as Celestial wings.¡±

    It makes me think again of how our thinking has changed. A purely physical transformation is one thing but it seems another major change has happened to our very perception. Am I able to perceive the world with still partly human eyes thanks to my connection to Erik? Is he my bridge?

    ¡°Is it just me or are they kind of¡­ grouping by race?¡± Julia observes.

    ¡°They are,¡± Liana says. ¡°It¡¯s evident Celestials especially don¡¯t feel comfortable around Clawfangs who are quite wild. And the Earthborn are in a world of their own, rather focusing on nature around them.¡±

    When the Celestials finish eating, they stand up and slowly walk to us. I guess compared to Emi, Liana and I are being too distant so they have to approach us assertively.

    ¡°Your Majesty, Your Excellency,¡± the Celestials bow to us hesitantly so I have to resist cringing. ¡°Can we sit with you?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Liana nods and doesn¡¯t let surprise show on her face. ¡°You don¡¯t have to address us so politely, really,¡± she¡¯s also uneasy about it.

    ¡°It feels strange not to,¡± a Celestial man in his thirties with dark grey wings says nervously. ¡°Your magic¡­ I mean¡­ I can¡¯t quite grasp it but¡­¡±

    ¡°I bet they can feel your magic proficiency,¡± Ingri suggests. ¡°Celestials don¡¯t live in a world of smells like other three races do but you¡¯re highly sensitive to mana, right?¡±

    ¡°No touching without asking,¡± Erik has to slap a hand of a Celestial who is stretching towards me.

    ¡°The Royal Consort is so protective, how cute!¡± The Celestials are excited, not offended.

    ¡°The Royal¡­ what?¡± Erik blinks.

    Ryuu, why do they act so strangely? he asks me in his thoughts. I know that you were their Emperor ingame and you¡¯ll most probably lead your race even here but isn¡¯t it too much? Or at least too early?

    They confuse me as well, I agree. For some reason, they feel intimidated by me and Liana. Ingri might be right, they must be subconsciously feeling our mana capacity.

    ¡°Aefener, talk to our guests,¡± Liana nudges me because I must have been staring at Erik for too long. ¡°They didn¡¯t choose my haven just because it¡¯s conveniently close. They came here because of us.¡±

    ¡°T-they did?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty,¡± one of the Celestials smiles. ¡°It was natural to come where our Emperor and Viceroy are.¡±

    ¡°Please, tell us about your family circumstances,¡± Liana asks gently. ¡°And don¡¯t mind Dr Stein, I assure you she¡¯s loyal to me.¡±

    And they do. We spend two hours listening to their personal stories, often very sad. I realise again how fortunate I am that I have Erik and Liana. If it was only me in my small apartment with my Grandma as the only relative¡­ I don¡¯t know what would have happened to me. They¡¯d have probably locked me up like they did with Emi.

    ¡°So you can imagine how my Catholic parents freaked out when I started turning into an angel,¡± one of the Celestials finishes his story and anxiously flutters his wings. They¡¯re much smaller than mine.

    ¡°Your Majesty, can you teach us some spells?¡± the woman with brown patterned feathers implores me. ¡°I mean¡­ we tried following your instruction video but it¡¯s still so hard.¡±

    ¡°S-sure,¡± I nod. I was always bad at looking for a topic for small talk but when it comes to something I really like, I usually can¡¯t shut up about it.

    ¡°Great, entertain our guests while I talk to my staff,¡± Liana appreciates, winks at me and leaves in a hurry.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ Your Majesty? Do they have to be so close?¡± the Celestials look at each other, puzzled, because Liana leaves but two bodyguards stay behind.

    ¡°They¡¯re protecting me,¡± I say slowly. ¡°Please, don¡¯t pay attention to them.¡±

    I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to explain the situation with my kidnapping attempt but they seem content with my simple answer. Some even comment that it¡¯s understandable I¡¯m to be protected. Is it really? Do they already see me as someone worthy of protection? I haven¡¯t done anything for them yet.

    Except you did, Erik tells me. You acting as a spokesperson for Draconians is a huge deal, you just don¡¯t realise it, silly.

    ¡°L-let¡¯s go training on the grass,¡± I cough and try to hide my embarrassment.

    The Celestials are more than happy to train their magic and in a few minutes I see that other races are also joining us. I guess it¡¯s a good strategy for keeping the newcomers occupied until Liana¡¯s employees prepare some sort of accommodation for them.

    ¡°Here, like this,¡± I demonstrate a level 1 flame spell with a thorough explanation.

    I watch them training and I¡¯m surprised that I¡¯m already spotting differences in their skill. Sure, me and Liana took quite some time to get a hang of it but we were able to produce a flame almost immediately. The difficult part was to control it, not so much to make it. But these people¡­ they have a problem with reaching their very mana.

    ¡°Okay, a different approach,¡± I say after half an hour with no results. ¡°We¡¯ll focus on channelling your mana first.¡±

    It¡¯s not like I¡¯m a magic instructor all of a sudden but I have to admit that it really does seem that magic comes naturally to me. And to Liana as well. Although I have no doubt that all they have to do to master magic is to train, it¡¯s evident that the initial gap between high-levels and low-levels will be huge.

    I get bored just watching so I decide to practice as well. I promised Liana to try out new spells with her so instead I consider trying something different¡ªa practical application of what I already know. I cast a little flame and try to blow it off with the air. And it does the trick, easy peasy.

    ¡°My love is so skilled,¡± Erik praises my effort even though he¡¯s much more excited about the Dragonkin power training twenty metres from us.

    I¡¯m a bit sad that he isn¡¯t enthusiastic about my stuff but I get it¡ªhe was always interested in exercise and weight-lifting. Still, I want to impress him so I try casting all three elements at once. I ignite a flame, make a water ball out of a fountain nearby and blow a slight breeze into his clothes. A wasted effort, though, he doesn¡¯t really know how proficient casting several spells altogether is. Who is totally impressed, however, are the Celestials.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°His Majesty is so good at magic!¡±

    ¡°He really is the best caster ever.¡±

    ¡°Gosh, I¡¯m still struggling even with simple telekinesis.¡±

    Erik finally understands that what I¡¯ve just performed was a little miracle and gives me his full attention again.

    ¡°That was amazing, Ryuu,¡± he grabs my hand and takes me a bit away so that we have some privacy. ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t help being enchanted by the Dragonkin strength. It was really boring watching¡­ well¡­ nothing from Celestials.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± I admit. ¡°Would you prefer to watch their training?¡±

    ¡°And leave you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, these are my people. Besides, I don¡¯t want you to be tied to me all the time. With my telepathy training and having bodyguards, I should learn to be able to handle things without you.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ I guess,¡± he¡¯s reluctant for some reason.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it tiresome to be with me all the time?¡± I caress his face. ¡°Take a break from me¡­ at least sometimes.¡±

    ¡°I know that it should be healthy but¡­ I don¡¯t know. You don¡¯t tire me or anything. I actually enjoy spending every minute with you, it is weird?¡± he¡¯s uncertain.

    It is, to be honest. Even if neither of us minds. I have to find time to fully explore our connection. The sooner the better. I was born a telepath but I still have no idea how strong my ability is and how it might potentially mess with people around me.

    ¡°I just hope I¡¯m not influencing you with my telepathy,¡± I worry. ¡°I mean¡­ I do get addicted to people I like but it¡¯s never worked both ways. But I¡¯ll be okay so go enjoy something more exciting.¡±

    Erik nods encouragingly and slowly walks away. Of course, I haven¡¯t been tied to Erik like a dead weight in the last days but now that I¡¯m thinking about it¡­ we haven¡¯t really been apart for too long and too far. We need to talk about it when things calm down a bit.

    ¡°Your Majesty, a little help?¡± the Celestials steal me back the moment my boyfriend is gone.

    It seems only Erik¡¯s presence prevented them from touching me. Everyone is evidently fascinated by my pure white wings which are considerably bigger than theirs. And six of them still don¡¯t have theirs out yet so they are only watching the training session.

    ¡°Your Majesty, are you able to tell our mana capacity?¡± they are curious.

    ¡°You can train even that, you know,¡± I remind them. ¡°Mana capacity naturally increases with one¡¯s level.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but still,¡± the Celestial woman with brown wings pulls my sleeve. ¡°Can you feel it?¡±

    ¡°I feel¡­ something,¡± I admit. ¡°I definitely sense mana in all of you but your current capacity¡­¡±

    The woman grabs my arm. It¡¯s innocent, only if it wasn¡¯t for my telepathy. I almost enter her mind but I manage to stop myself at the last millisecond. I didn¡¯t have such problems with people touching me before. It got worse after my ¡®level-up.¡¯ Or as Julia would say¡ªbetter.

    ¡°Your capacity is around level 40,¡± I blurt when her mana and emotions hit me. ¡°I guess,¡± I add quickly, not entirely sure.

    ¡°My ingame level was 41!¡± the woman exclaims excitedly and finally lets go of my hand. I didn¡¯t want to be rude shaking her off.

    Now that it¡¯s proven that I¡¯m able to tell somehow, they all want me to read them. It seems I can assess one¡¯s previous ingame level pretty precisely.

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s quite enough,¡± Erik appears behind my back and has to slap several hands petting my wings. ¡°Ryuu, tell them if you don¡¯t like it.¡±

    ¡°C-could you stop, please?¡± I stutter.

    I don¡¯t understand why it¡¯s so difficult for me to tell them off. Is it because they¡¯re my race? I doubt my plea was convincing enough but, surprisingly, they stop immediately.

    Gosh, they are looking at you as if you¡¯re a saint or something, Erik switches to telepathic communication, holding my hand, and rolls his eyes. Is your mana really that formidable? Can you show me somehow?

    I¡¯m afraid not, you¡¯re totally insensitive to it, I have to disappoint him.

    ¡°Aefener, you stupid!¡± Liana comes running to us, furious. ¡°What are you doing posting things like that?¡±

    ¡°Wha-? I haven¡¯t posted anything today!¡± I oppose.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t from your account but I thought you knew,¡± Liana frowns. ¡°Who¡¯s done it?¡±

    ¡°Done what?¡± I still don¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Posting a video of you casting three elements at once like it¡¯s nothing extra hard,¡± Liana clicks her tongue. ¡°Do you even realise, Aefener, that you shouldn¡¯t show yourself as too miraculous? The government is scared of us, and of you specifically, as it is.¡±

    ¡°We are really so sorry, Your Excellency, we¡­ we didn¡¯t realise,¡± a woman, whose wings still didn¡¯t come out so she was just watching, confesses that it was her doing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you need Ryuuto to be a bit above everyone else so that Celestials respect him even in real life?¡± Erik asks.

    ¡°A bit above isn¡¯t what he¡¯s manifesting,¡± Liana rolls her eyes. ¡°He¡¯s always going totally overboard. And you,¡± she looks sternly at our Celestial newcomers. ¡°Unless your transformation is happening in next few hours, I¡¯ll put you to work. Does anyone here have any experience we can use?¡±

    It turns out some of them do have useful skills that might be beneficial.

    ¡°Where are the Clawfangs?¡± I look around because I don¡¯t see them anywhere and we have to ask also Emi¡¯s race for help.

    ¡°They ran off but we¡¯re monitoring them, Miss Richter,¡± a bodyguard informs us.

    ¡°Wild creatures,¡± Fefnir shrugs. ¡°Not like the Earthborn,¡± he points towards Ingri¡¯s race. They¡¯re peacefully inspecting the flowers all around and can¡¯t seem to get enough. Some of them are fully transformed and trying to analyse everything with their rooty tentacles.

    ¡°We¡¯re so different,¡± I mutter, feeling uneasy. ¡°How are we going to co-exist?¡±

    ¡°That remains to be seen,¡± Liana sighs.

    *****

    We¡¯re busy for the rest of the day so when we finally get to bed, we¡¯re totally exhausted. Liana somehow managed to secure beds for everyone but even her huge mansion isn¡¯t built to host fifty-three oversleeping guests. Draconians are literally everywhere but the hustle and bustle calms down around midnight.

    ¡°Does your head hurt?¡± Erik snuggles up to me.

    ¡°A bit,¡± I say. ¡°But still much less than I would have expected. It seems Draconian minds don¡¯t exhaust me so quickly.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good, right?¡± he tries to cheer me up.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I chew my lips. ¡°It¡¯s also easier to enter a Draconian mind. I have to constantly watch myself.¡±

    ¡°Which I imagine isn¡¯t easy when they¡¯re constantly grouping around you,¡± Erik is annoyed. ¡°It¡¯s much harder to find opportunities to cuddle.¡±

    ¡°We can make up for it now,¡± I kiss him hungrily.

    We keep it up for a few minutes, both too exhausted for anything wilder.

    ¡°By the way, what did they mean by the Royal Consort?¡± he recalls.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I think it¡¯s a term that means a sovereign¡¯s partner or something,¡± I ponder.

    We look it up on the internet to be sure and find out that it indeed describes a spouse or an official companion of a reigning monarch.

    ¡°That¡¯s soooo weird,¡± Erik prolongs. ¡°But I guess it also means that I was acknowledged as your boyfriend by Celestials?¡±

    ¡°I think it does,¡± I nod.

    ¡°Not that we need anyone¡¯s acknowledgement,¡± he grins and kisses me again.

    *****

    We get a video call from Gin the next morning. Gotrid is finally up and even though he looks pale, he survived the ordeal without significant blood loss. His wings are grey with black patterns and really tiny. Were my wings so small as well when they came out? They sure grow fast.

    ¡°So the first batch of refugees arrived at your place,¡± Gotrid ponders. ¡°How are you managing? We¡¯re only five in this apartment and we already had some disputes.¡±

    ¡°Over what?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Nothing serious, basically nonsense,¡± he assures me. ¡°But it demonstrates how differently we perceive the world now.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see how it goes here,¡± I say. ¡°Can I ask you to continue your work organising our people in the USA when you recover?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty, count on me,¡± he smiles confidently. ¡°I¡¯m in contact with other high-levels from the royal guild and they all want to help. The distance is a bit problematic, though.¡±

    ¡°R-right¡­ travelling is dangerous for us,¡± I shiver.

    ¡°Another thing is that the government wants to limit our movement,¡± Gin speaks up. ¡°They¡¯re talking about registering all Draconians and not letting us pass borders for now. What about the EU?¡±

    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t have any borders anymore,¡± I shrug. It¡¯s been forty years since states became regions rather than countries.

    ¡°Lucky you,¡± Gin hisses. ¡°We could really use Emi here. It doesn¡¯t feel fair that two race rulers and two viceroys are at the same place. With Deminas in Russia and Twyla with Werden being from Brazil, we don¡¯t have anyone in the US except for me.¡±

    I try to remember what I know about the Earthborn viceroys who are also a couple. Everything is so yin-yang with their race. I think they¡¯re from Asia but I¡¯m not sure which countries. Ingri will certainly know, I have to ask her and get to know them soon.

    ¡°Aefener, be really careful in your next videos,¡± Gotrid says, his face serious. ¡°People are becoming really paranoid, especially in the States, and you doing miraculous spells isn¡¯t helping to put them at ease.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I was being filmed,¡± I say apologetically. ¡°Still, I¡¯ll be more cautious next time.¡±

    ¡°But otherwise I love watching you, My Emperor,¡± Gotrid produces a broad smile and his tone is flirty. ¡°You¡¯re so cute all the time. I mean¡­ magnificent,¡± he corrects himself even though he really meant the original word.

    Erik coughs so suddenly that I almost jump. I forgot for a minute that he was in the room with me, working on his own laptop nearby.

    ¡°Staying in touch, bye,¡± I end the call abruptly but give Gotrid and Gin space to say their goodbyes as well.

    ¡°He¡¯s openly flirting with you,¡± Erik rolls his eyes. ¡°And something tells me he¡¯s always like that. Doesn¡¯t he know you¡¯re taken?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s only teasing me,¡± I assure him. ¡°Does it bother you?¡±

    I study his face and emotions. I feel a hint of jealousy but I¡¯ve always known that he¡¯s a possessive type. Not in an unhealthy way but he has that tendency in him.

    ¡°And if I told you it does?¡± he says, trying to stay calm because he realises too well that I feel everything.

    ¡°I can tell him to stop. He¡¯s not serious but I don¡¯t want you to feel uncomfortable.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem Ryuuto,¡± he sighs and closes his laptop. ¡°He is and he¡¯s doing it in spite of me.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I blink, confused.

    Erik gets up and sits on a sofa next to me.

    ¡°My cute telepath,¡± he hugs me. ¡°You¡¯re so used to feeling other people¡¯s emotions that when you can¡¯t, you¡¯re blinded and don¡¯t know how to act.¡±

    I think about it for a moment. Erik might have a point. If Gotrid was flirting with me in person and I could perceive his intentions, I doubt I would take it so lightly.

    Damn, Erik¡¯s right, absolutely right. I rely on my telepathy too much. I¡¯ve never learnt to properly read body language and catch slight nuances in one¡¯s tone because I¡¯ve never needed it. Although my ability was blocked while gaming, social skills aren¡¯t taken so seriously in VR because avatars still have a way to go when manifesting subtle things so people are used to saying everything directly without subtext there. No such luck in the real world.

    *****

    We continue to be extremely busy the following days. I can¡¯t relax much because the moment I step out of our room, Celestials are all over me again, begging me to teach them. Emi is in a similar position but, unlike me, she seems to enjoy it. I¡¯m glad that it takes her mind off her traumatic experience. I have to admire her people skills, she¡¯s just natural. And Clawfangs love her.

    Fefnir, being the viceroy, is also respected by his race but the Dragonkin have a very reserved attitude towards showing it. One just has to appreciate their calmness when everything around is so hectic. Liana was forced to order rations for our newcomers and they were very happy to help the staff with carrying heavy boxes.

    The Earthborn are spending most of the time in the garden either sunbathing or training connecting to nature. Liana is happy that they aren¡¯t in the way but they aren¡¯t that eager to help, being too busy doing¡­ whatever the Earthborn like doing.

    When we arrive to the dining room for breakfast, we find Liana bewildered and furious. Emi tries to calm her down but it¡¯s no use.

    ¡°Four Clawfangs sneaked out during the night,¡± she tells us. ¡°I don¡¯t know what got into them but they scratched a few trees in the garden. The Earthborn can now train their plant restoration skills at least but still¡­ I kindly took them in and they damaged my property!¡±

    Her fury is righteous. Real greenery is rare and trees in Liana¡¯s garden must be over a hundred years old. No wonder the Earthborn coming from cities are so mesmerised by them. It¡¯s not common to live in the countryside these days, Ingri¡¯s family is an exception.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already scolded them,¡± Emi pleads. ¡°They were just nervous because of the new environment and had to let off some steam.¡±

    Suddenly, we hear something breaking.

    ¡°What now!¡± Liana grunts and we run to the sound¡¯s origin.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Your Excellency,¡± it¡¯s one of the Celestials and she looks like she¡¯s going to cry. There¡¯s an expensive looking vase on the ground, shattered. ¡°My telekinesis went out of control.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, I¡¯ve just cleaned that area!¡± a maid is stricken when she finds that someone, an Earthborn no doubt, left muddy footprints on the otherwise pristine floor.

    ¡°It¡¯s been only three days and I¡¯ve had enough,¡± Liana hisses. ¡°And I¡¯ve just got a message that more people are planning to come. I want to help them but they can¡¯t stay here.¡±

    ¡°What do you propose?¡± I ask.

    ¡°We need a proper building for this kind of purpose¡­ and put everyone to work,¡± she says. ¡°Part of the problem is that they¡¯re bored.¡±

    ¡°But how do we do that?¡± I¡¯m lost.

    ¡°You mean how do I do that,¡± Liana sighs. ¡°Aefener, Emi, can you keep our visitors occupied until I sort it out somehow?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± we nod.

    ¡°But still, don¡¯t you need help?¡± Erik is doubtful.

    ¡°Nah, I just have to make lots of phone calls and arrangements,¡± she shakes her head. ¡°You¡¯ll help me best if you make sure nobody comes to bother me while I¡¯m working on it.¡±

    I feel bad leaving it to Liana alone but she has a point. While I might be a celebrity, there¡¯s no way I could secure us a building.

    ¡°We¡¯re so lucky to have her,¡± Emi says when Liana disappears with Hana.

    ¡°Yes, we are,¡± I second.

    *****

    We do our best keeping everyone from bothering our benefactor by more training. After several attempts, the Earthborn did succeed in restoring Liana¡¯s trees which made a huge impression on the gardeners.

    ¡°Most transformed lost their jobs but we might find other ways,¡± Fefnir comments. ¡°For instance, if the Earthborn are able to restore nature on a bigger scale, they could reverse ecological disasters.¡±

    ¡°That would be invaluable,¡± Ingri nods enthusiastically.

    ¡°Still,¡± Fefnir scratches his scaly chin. ¡°Do we have to prove ourselves to humans by being useful to them?¡±

    ¡°For now, I¡¯m afraid the answer is yes,¡± I sigh.

    My innocent video with multi-casting was a bigger deal than everyone had anticipated. I watched a discussion this morning in which experts were analysing the footage and they were really afraid. If I can do this much with level 1 spells, what about level 80?

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik caresses my left wing. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay.¡±

    ¡°Do you read each other¡¯s minds all the time?¡± Ingri is curious.

    ¡°When we¡¯re touching,¡± I nod. ¡°Erik doesn¡¯t exhaust me. On the contrary, he sooths me. Where¡¯s Emi by the way?¡±

    ¡°She run off somewhere with her pack again,¡± Fefnir shrugs. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to keep them in line, the security is desperate. They do listen to Emi but she¡¯s as wild as the rest of them.¡±

    ¡°At least she¡¯s making herself and them occupied,¡± I say. ¡°She won¡¯t let me touch her. I think she doesn¡¯t want us to know how she¡¯s coping.¡±

    ¡°But you can feel her emotions, right?¡± Ingri nudges me.

    ¡°Well¡­ she¡¯s okay among her kind,¡± I¡¯m uncertain. ¡°But she still can¡¯t stand humans. Erik is the only one she is somehow able to tolerate.¡±

    My phone beeps. I take it out of the pocket.

    Liana (10:35)

    Come to the study, I think I found us a building.

 21. Relocation

    ¡°You own a building in Prague?¡± I¡¯m genuinely surprised. I thought she¡¯s based only in Berlin where her mansion and company¡¯s headquarters are. Is she even richer than I¡¯d have ever imagined?

    ¡°Just one skyscraper,¡± he waves her hand. ¡°I have my branch office there.¡±

    ¡°Just¡ªone¡ªfucking¡ªskyscraper,¡± Fefnir is pausing every word and shaking his head in disbelief.

    ¡°And we can have it?¡± I¡¯m astonished.

    ¡°Yes, and it¡¯s situated really well,¡± she nods. ¡°Prague is in the middle of Europe so it¡¯s easy to get there from all parts of the EU. And the Bohemian government isn¡¯t as bureaucratic as the German one.¡±

    ¡°What about the local employees?¡± Erik is concerned.

    ¡°Some of them will stay and help us, others can work from home or if they wish so, transfer to other branches,¡± Liana explains. It looks like she considered it through and through. ¡°The building has seventy-two floors so we can easily divide it among all four races.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ when are we relocating?¡± I ask.

    ¡°In four days so that everything is already prepared for us when we arrive,¡± Liana says. ¡°The employees there have until tomorrow to decide whether they want to stay or not so those who stay will really be willing to help us.¡±

    ¡°How many people do you expect to stay?¡± Fefnir is curious. ¡°What if most of them quit or work from home?¡±

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m counting on it,¡± Liana smirks. ¡°We need a few local people who know how to run things but as for the rest¡­ well, we need to give Draconians jobs.¡±

    *****

    Liana tried to keep it secret for now but the news is out in just a few hours. Some employees facing a tough choice must have babbled about it, no doubt. Liana isn¡¯t that mad about it because she expected it but she still makes a dark comment that when she finds out who breached their contract, no severance pay for them.

    In the meanwhile, several cars and one bus arrived to Liana¡¯s mansion, more Draconians asking for her protection. Some people have fled hospitals when they should have still been resting or have just a few days until their full transformation so Julia is very busy.

    Those four days fly by very quickly and suddenly we¡¯re packing. Everyone is bit nervous about it and excited at the same time. We¡¯ll have official headquarters!

    ¡°Oh, damn,¡± I grab my luggage but it¡¯s too heavy for my new body. It¡¯s still weight I should be able to carry but I can¡¯t exactly put the backpack on my back anymore.

    Erik wants to carry it for me but one of the bodyguards takes the backpack without asking. Over the last couple of days, I discovered that my protectors are named Kristoff, Uwe, Karl and Stefan. I was trying to befriend them but it¡¯s hard to make a conversation.

    I don¡¯t feel any repulsion towards Draconians from them so I guess that¡¯s just the way they are, professionals to the core. Liana must be paying them a lot. Fortunately, I gradually got used to their constant presence so their human minds don¡¯t disturb me anymore.

    ¡°So how do we actually travel to Prague?¡± I ask Liana when we meet her in the entry hall. Fefnir, Ingri, Emi and Julia are also there, surrounded by suitcases.

    ¡°By a helicopter, of course,¡± Liana says as if it¡¯s the most common means of transport. ¡°We can¡¯t go by cars, the police would certainly stop us.¡±

    Erik smiles and I know why even without touching him. He really misses flying.

    ¡°Is there any possibility I can pilot it?¡± he tries, hopeful.

    ¡°Not this time, sorry,¡± Liana shakes her head. ¡°We can¡¯t take any chances, my pilot is an ex-combat specialist so should something happen¡­¡±

    ¡°But we don¡¯t really expect the government to halt us in the air, right?¡± Ingri gulps.

    ¡°We don¡¯t but it doesn¡¯t hurt to be prepared just in case,¡± Liana acts confident but I can feel she¡¯s a bit worried. ¡°I announced that we¡¯ll do a short broadcast when we arrive.¡±

    ¡°Broadcast?¡± I don¡¯t understand. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°If we¡¯re streaming live, the whole world will be watching,¡± Liana explains. ¡°The government won¡¯t try anything funny if they know that. They can¡¯t risk a civil war should something happen to us.¡±

    ¡°C-civil war?¡± I stutter. ¡°Is that really in the cards?¡±

    ¡°Aefener,¡± Liana sighs and resists rolling her eyes. ¡°Look at us, two race rulers and two viceroys are travelling. We don¡¯t have our own government just yet but our people will still riot for us if we are hurt or abducted.¡±

    I turn pale and grab Erik¡¯s hand. I have to berate myself for being so slow. Get it together, me! Things are getting serious, this is no game. Celestials don¡¯t address me as His Majesty just for role-play anymore.

    We step outside and our ride is waiting for us on the heliport¡ªa huge helicopter that evidently isn¡¯t just for casual transport. I unexpectedly stop in front of the door and shiver.

    ¡°Ryuu?¡± Erik tils his head, confused.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯d rather not use it,¡± I say, confused myself. All my friends turn to me, only Liana is still held back, discussing last-minute details with her employees.

    ¡°But you can¡¯t be afraid of hights! I mean¡­ you¡¯ve never been and now you¡¯re a winged person,¡± Erik is shocked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of hights. I¡¯m not comfortable with¡­,¡± I¡¯m looking for the right word. With what exactly? Why do I feel dread?

    ¡°Aefener, is everything okay?¡± Liana finishes her talking and gets to me because she notices we all stopped for some reason.

    ¡°Do you feel like flying that thing?¡± I ask her and point towards the helicopter.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± she frowns and properly looks at the machine. I expect her to laugh at me but she shivers as well.

    ¡°Miss Richter, Ryuuto, can you describe the feeling?¡± Julia switches on her doctor mode immediately. ¡°If it¡¯s not hights then¡­ confined spaces?¡±

    ¡°It¡­ looks like a can,¡± I can¡¯t help it. ¡°I¡¯d rather fly there with my own wings.¡±

    ¡°Which isn¡¯t possible yet,¡± Erik encouragingly holds my hand. ¡°And please, don¡¯t call this beauty a can, you¡¯re hurting her feelings.¡±

    ¡°Actually¡­ I also don¡¯t feel like riding it,¡± Ingri speaks up, her voice trembling. ¡°It¡¯s not confined spaces in my case, I might be actually afraid of heights now. It just feels so unnatural to be high above the ground¡­ without soil.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating!¡± Julia is excited by this new discovery instead of sympathetic. ¡°And it¡¯s understandable when one thinks about it. The Earthborn would feel nervous without nature, enveloped by metal to which they can¡¯t connect while Celestials probably won¡¯t trust flying machines because they¡¯re able to fly on their own. And when their wings grow really big, they will hate small spaces.¡±

    ¡°I can still do it, just feels weird, that¡¯s all,¡± Liana puts on her brave face and confidently steps into the helicopter.

    ¡°Come, Ryuu, it¡¯s going to be okay,¡± Erik nudges me inside.

    But Ingri still nervously steps in one place. I notice her feet are bare. She hesitantly takes the first step but hisses when her feet touch the metal.

    ¡°Damn, can you carry me, Fefnir?¡± she pleads.

    Fefnir nods and kindly picks her up. I realise I haven¡¯t seen her wearing lolita shoes that fit her outfits anymore. Is it uncomfortable for her wearing high heels and thick soles now? It¡¯d make sense, the Earthborn have their main sensory tentacles in feet and palms. And some metals can even be poisonous to them.

    I stretch my hand towards her because I feel she¡¯s even more afraid than me and Liana. It¡¯s not only heights, unlike me she has never flown in a helicopter before. She grabs my hand with gratitude and we¡¯re finally all inside.

    ¡°Good morning, crew. My name¡¯s Clara and I¡¯m your pilot,¡± a woman in her thirties greets us enthusiastically. She has short blue hair and is wearing a pilot overall.

    ¡°Please fasten your seatbelts and we¡¯ll be off,¡± she smiles at us, not a hint of repulsion in her mind. ¡°The flight will take forty-six minutes and I¡¯ve taken this route many times before so no worries.¡±

    Her positive energy is contagious and we feel a bit better about the ordeal. A slight problem arises with fasting our seatbelts, though. It¡¯s obvious our new bodies just don¡¯t fit the chairs. Fefnir struggles to even sit properly with his bulky tail. And me and Liana whine that it¡¯s squeezing our wings.

    The helicopter takes off. I remember the feeling when I was lucky to get a ride with Erik but this time I don¡¯t enjoy it. It¡¯s loud, shaky¡­ not elegant at all. I get goosebumps under my feathers. I want to be able to fly so much! And now!

    However, while Liana and I are only uncomfortable but we still generally love flying, Ingri is much worse. Her skin is already light green but I notice she turns even greener¡­ and not because of her transformation. And then she pukes all of a sudden.

    ¡°Dammit,¡± she swears. ¡°The Earthborn and flying¡­ what a horrible combination.¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Fefnir comments because she almost threw up on his shoes.

    We should be safely in the air by now because the helicopter isn¡¯t shaking anymore so I unfasten my seatbelt and pass her my water bottle. She gratefully takes it and gulps, desperately trying to clean her throat.

    Ingri, do you want me to sit next to you and hold your hand? I can try make you feel better, I touch her and ask telepathically because several bodyguards are riding with us.

    P-please, I feel really nauseous, she answers.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Erik gets the gist of our unspoken communication right away and switches the seat with me. I grab her hand, hoping it doesn¡¯t look weird in front of the guards. But I think it doesn¡¯t, they must think Ingri is just nervous and needs someone to support her.

    ¡°Ryuu, the seatbelt,¡± Erik fastens me again.

    ¡°Ouch, do I have to? It squeezes my wings,¡± I protest.

    ¡°It¡¯s only forty-six minutes, deal with it, please,¡± he says.

    I focus my attention on Ingri instead. I connect to her as best as I can under these circumstances so that the bodyguards aren¡¯t suspicious. I¡¯ve never connected to her before, not deeply at least, but her mind is open to me. Her vertigo hits me, she¡¯s feeling really sick. It¡¯s as if her very Earthborn nature is fighting against being so high above the ground.

    I try to calm her mind and her stomach as well. It¡¯s no easy task because I can¡¯t exactly influence her body functions but everything comes from the brain anyway so I try to soothe that. In the end, I¡¯m half successful. Ingri is still feeling sick but not like puking anymore.

    If you want to talk to me telepathically, just focus on what you wish me to hear, I tell her because I feel she wants to communicate with me but her thoughts are too chaotic.

    D-do you hear me? she asks hesitantly. I know that you do it with Erik all the time but it¡¯s just so strange.

    Yes, I hear you. Do you feel better now? I can feel your Earthborn nature is struggling.

    Struggling is a weak word, she laughs in her head. More like totally freaking out. The Earthborn are the exact opposite of Celestials when it comes to flying and magic.

    I keep holding her hand the whole journey. She lets me explore her mind so I can compare it to Erik¡¯s. And I have to admit that Ingri really doesn¡¯t think like a human anymore¡ªthe contrast is obvious. It¡¯s not that she doesn¡¯t have common wishes and desires anymore; she just thinks about them differently and her perception of the world is influenced by new advanced senses.

    Even with me soothing her, Ingri can¡¯t help puking again when the helicopter lands with a shake. I hastily unfasten the uncomfortable seatbelt and pass her my water bottle again.

    ¡°Ugh, what happened here?¡± Clara the pilot sighs when she stops the helicopter completely and comes to check on us. ¡°We didn¡¯t hit any turbulence.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, the Earthborn and flying seem to be a terrible combination,¡± Ingri says apologetically.

    ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to clean it. Don¡¯t worry, Clara,¡± Liana waves her hand, quickly unfastens her seatbelt as well and spends a few moments stretching her wings to the sides.

    We finally get off but that doesn¡¯t make Ingri any calmer. She starts shivering when she realises how high we are. Me and Liana, on the contrary, become ecstatic. The wind is blowing into our feathers and it¡¯s blissful.

    ¡°No wind magic here,¡± Erik warns me just in case because he notices I¡¯m stretching my wings and my eyes look dreamy.

    ¡°Follow me,¡± Liana points towards the door. Ingri runs off to it while I don¡¯t feel like going inside at all so Erik has to pull me by my hand.

    There are several elevators so we divide into fours. I expect to ride with Liana but my bodyguards board the cabin instead. Am I really in danger even here? Liana takes Ingri and also two bodyguards and Fefnir goes with Emi and Julia.

    ¡°Oh,¡± I realise I¡¯m starting to feel claustrophobic the moment the door closes.

    The cabin is quite spacious but I still feel suffocated. My wings aren¡¯t that big yet but they¡¯re slowly starting to take their space. Ingame, Celestials didn¡¯t feel comfortable in rooms where we couldn¡¯t spread our wings fully. This will soon become an issue in the real world as well. Fortunately, we get off quite quickly.

    I¡¯ve never been in these hyper-modern buildings before so I¡¯m looking at everything around. Four local employees are waiting for us, evidently nervous. I can feel how strange it is for them to see their boss all changed. But she¡¯s still wearing a brand suit and has the same authoritative conduct they¡¯re used to so they relax a bit.

    ¡°Aefener, this is Thomas, he¡¯s the building manager,¡± Liana introduces the first person to me, a young-looking man with a beard. ¡°Tomas is taking care of everything that has to do with local facilities and maintenance.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± I try to smile at him and I¡¯m pleasantly surprised that he tries to smile back. I feel warm understanding from him; does he have a transformed person in the family?

    ¡°Diana is the head of security,¡± Liana continues with a tall lean woman with black shoulder-length hair. ¡°She¡¯ll be taking care of our safety.¡±

    I greet her as well and also don¡¯t feel any bad intentions from her.

    ¡°Martin is the new IT manager,¡± Liana continues.

    ¡°The previous one transferred,¡± Martin says and is the only one confidently offering his hand.

    I hesitantly shake it. The touch lasts only two seconds but it¡¯s enough for me to discover that Martin has been waiting for promotion for three years so he was actually glad that the guy before him quit. I also find out that one of his friends is the Dragonkin now.

    ¡°And last but not least, Anna,¡± Liana ends with a lady in her fifties in a perfectly tailored suit. ¡°Anna is the deputy administrator.¡±

    ¡°Miss Richter, we¡¯re honoured to have you here,¡± Anna shakes her boss¡¯s hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that it has been so sudden and pushy,¡± Liana smiles apologetically even though her tone doesn¡¯t give a hint of regret. ¡°I¡¯m really glad that you four stayed. I need people I can trust more than ever before.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s accommodate you first,¡± Thomas takes the initiative. ¡°Your apartment is ready, Miss Richter, and as you requested we had also prepared the best guest rooms for your esteemed companions. For others, we have room-sharing. Also we¡¯re ready to broadcast whenever you need. Please, follow me.¡±

    Me and Erik get an apartment right next to Liana¡¯s because she insists on having me close. Ingri gets one on the same floor as well since Liana is responsible for her. Emi takes the last one and Fefnir has to go down one floor. Liana deemed him to be the only person who doesn¡¯t need supervision.

    ¡°Oh, neat,¡± Erik is pleasantly surprised by our apartment. It¡¯s huge, sunny and luxurious. We have our own bathroom, living room and bedroom with a proper double-bed.

    ¡°Take a shower or whatever and let¡¯s meet in an hour in the main conference room,¡± Liana says. ¡°The bodyguards will show you the way, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m going to take care of the broadcast.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± we nod in unison and close the door behind us. We¡¯re finally alone.

    ¡°Is it soundproof?¡± Erik is curious.

    I look at the door and the structure of the walls. They look pretty much the same as in my old apartment.

    ¡°No doubt,¡± I confirm. ¡°The door definitely is and so must be the rest.¡±

    ¡°Neat,¡± Erik repeats enthusiastically. ¡°The view is amazing, too.¡±

    ¡°It really is,¡± I smile, use that he¡¯s absent-mindedly staring from the window and hug him from behind. I stretch my wings and envelope him.

    ¡°One can get used to that,¡± he purrs happily in my warm feathers.

    ¡°Then get used to that, my wings will only get bigger,¡± I tease him.

    We keep cuddling for a while until we decide what it would be a good idea to change clothes and take a shower. The bathroom doesn¡¯t disappoint either. It¡¯s four times larger than the one in my home and has a shower and a bath tub. I¡¯d go for a bath but we don¡¯t have that much time right now.

    ¡°Together?¡± I wink at him.

    ¡°Definitely,¡± he grins back.

    Over the last couple days, I got used to my new hygiene requirements. Shower in the way that my wings won¡¯t get soaked and use a wet washcloth to clean my feathers only if needed and exactly where needed.

    We do our best to restrain ourselves but our innocent shower eventually transforms into cuddling. I¡¯d like to examine to which extend my telepathy influences Erik in situations like these but at the same time I¡¯m not able to focus when he¡¯s making me feel so good.

    ¡°Shit, we¡¯ll be late,¡± Erik panics when he spots the time. I¡¯ve never been in a bathroom with a clock before but this apartment has everything above standard.

    We quickly dry ourselves and take clean clothes out of hand luggage. I feel a bit inadequate suddenly when I realise that the employees in the building and even Liana are dressed so smartly while I have only hoodies, t-shirts and normal pants. Liana did send someone for the rest of my things and even for Erik¡¯s but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that I don¡¯t own anything decent.

    ¡°How come you look so elegant?¡± I envy Erik because he changes into nice dark blue trousers and a shirt.

    ¡°Because I actually spend some money on clothes unlike someone here who wears only gaming clothes out of which most of them come from promotional events,¡± he laughs.

    ¡°Do I look too inappropriate?¡± I worry because I put on casual grey slim pants and an oversized hoodie.

    ¡°You look cute in everything but if it bothers you, we can buy you something new,¡± Erik says. ¡°Actually, Liana might insist on that very soon. You know¡­ to make you look presentable.¡±

    I sigh. I¡¯ve never worn a suit and I think it wouldn¡¯t look good on me anyway¡ªnot the right figure for that kind of thing. Erik would look amazing, though. He already does.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it now, let¡¯s go.¡±

    The bodyguards lead us back to the elevator and we go down three floors. We reach offices that are partly open space, partly private rooms. And one big conference room that¡¯s our destination.

    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± Liana berates us when we finally arrive.

    We apologise and sit on empty chairs. Emi is sitting in front of us, winking at me and cleaning dirt from under her claws. Fefnir is sitting a bit stiff and has a serious expression while Ingri still looks uncomfortable. Julia is whispering something to Hana.

    ¡°So,¡± Liana coughs. ¡°I hope you like your rooms because it doesn¡¯t seem like we¡¯ll be coming home any time soon. Even though protecting Aefener is our priority now, we¡¯re all public figures so I assigned bodyguards to each of you.¡±

    Emi breathes in, wanting to say something, but Liana stops her.

    ¡°Yes, I know that you don¡¯t want them, Emi,¡± Liana is understanding. ¡°But you¡¯re a race ruler. Until you can be protected by your people, you need my security. There are too many threats to us out there.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯re safe here?¡± Emi is doubtful.

    ¡°For the time being,¡± Liana nods. ¡°This building and premises are my territory, the EU can¡¯t just barge in. Of course, our goal is to be acknowledged as an embassy.¡±

    Liana sure doesn¡¯t lose any time. I was glad to take a shower and she¡¯s already thinking so much ahead. Why would she want to answer to me? She¡¯s so much better in every aspect. Except for magic, maybe.

    ¡°And how do we accomplish that?¡± Fefnir frowns.

    ¡°Lots and lots of negotiations with the United Nations, the EU and the Czech government,¡± she says. ¡°But I believe it¡¯s doable.¡±

    A knock on the door, Liana invites them in.

    ¡°Miss Richter, sorry to bother you but she insists,¡± Anna the administrator pleads her boss. ¡°There¡¯s a limit to how much I can stall her.¡±

    ¡°Stall who?¡± I ask because I feel poor Anna is really anxious.

    ¡°Bauerova,¡± Liana sighs.

    For a moment we don¡¯t understand what she means.

    ¡°W-wait a minute,¡± Erik gasps for breath. ¡°Do you mean to tell us that you¡¯ve been ignoring the Czech Prime Minister?¡±

    ¡°Not ignoring her, just postponing a bit,¡± Liana rolls her eyes. ¡°Damn, she¡¯s as persistent as ever.¡±

    ¡°What, you know her personally or something?¡± Fefnir narrows his eyes.

    ¡°We¡¯re not friends but yes, I do. We¡¯ve attended university together,¡± Liana explains. ¡°We¡¯re more like rivals, really.¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s only understandable she wants to talks to us now that we relocated into her country,¡± Emi shrugs.

    ¡°I know, it¡¯s just that I wanted to have this briefing with you guys first,¡± Liana sets things straight. ¡°Before we face her, we must be clear on how we want to proceed.¡±

    ¡°Miss, what should I tell her? She¡¯s getting angry,¡± Anna is nervously stepping in one spot.

    ¡°Arrange an official meeting with her tomorrow morning,¡± Liana decides. ¡°She can bring whoever.¡±

    ¡°She¡­ insists on meeting today,¡± Anna gulps because it¡¯s her who has to convey it.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s her problem,¡± Liana waves her hand.

    ¡°O-okay,¡± Anna nods and leaves. Damn, can Liana really dismiss the Prime Minister like that?

    Then we call the other race rulers. While they don¡¯t have Liana¡¯s resources, they¡¯re trying to do something similar to us¡ªacknowledging their safe havens as embassies for the transformed.

    ¡°Is money an issue?¡± Emi asks Twyla and Werden.

    ¡°It¡¯s surprising but not really,¡± Twyla smiles. ¡°There¡¯re some rich people among Draconia players backing us up. Of course, nowhere near Liana¡¯s level.¡±

    ¡°Earning money, another problem to think about,¡± Fefnir ponders.

    But not right now, we decide that getting our humans rights back and protecting our people is an absolute priority. Liana assures us that we don¡¯t have to feel bad about borrowing her money for the time being. She¡¯ll find some ways how to get them back eventually. Still, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to ask the EU for financial aid. It¡¯s in their own best interest to help us and prevent potential civil war.

    When we finish for the day, it¡¯s past ten already. We had some sandwiches during our meeting but we¡¯re all starving. Hana assures us that she had ordered us room service and dinner will be waiting for us in our apartments.

    ¡°Hana is amazing,¡± Erik exclaims when we return to our new home and we find two pizzas waiting for us¡ªa ham one for Erik, cheese for me. We ravenously gobble everything and fall asleep immediately after that, too exhausted to even cuddle.

    *****

    ¡°W-what?¡± I yawn, opening the door someone was urgently knocking on. ¡°What time is it?¡±

    ¡°Your meeting is at ten,¡± Uwe the bodyguard reminds us. ¡°Miss Richter told us to wake you up at nine at the latest.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nine already?¡± I¡¯m suddenly wide awake and hear Erik behind me swearing.

    ¡°Also, these were delivered this morning,¡± Uwe points at several boxes and pushes them into the entry hall together with our luggage.

    ¡°Ehm, thanks.¡±

    Uwe happily nods that he accomplished his task and closes the door, giving us space to get ready.

    ¡°What¡¯s inside?¡± I curiously inspect the boxes.

    ¡°There¡¯s a note,¡± Erik notices and grabs a hand-written card.

    I made the designs myself. Surprise! ^_^

    Ingri

    Wear them, I will hear no protests.

    Liana

    ¡°Not a suit!¡± I whine when I open the first box. ¡°I really don¡¯t have the figure for them.¡±

    ¡°I think this one is for me, it¡¯s too big for you,¡± Erik says, actually happy about the gift.

    I sigh and open another box. It¡¯s quite heavy. And I¡¯m left speechless.

    ¡°Oh, honey,¡± Erik starts chuckling when inspecting the content. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see you in this.¡±

    ¡°YOU CAN¡¯T BE SERIOUS!¡±

    There¡¯s almost the exact copy of my royal attire from the game.

 22. Diplomatic Negotiations

    Erik has to use force to get me out of my pyjamas.

    ¡°I¡¯m not wearing that!¡± I¡¯m struggling with him but he¡¯s much stronger than me. He was way stronger long before my body weakened after the transformation so now he¡¯s unstoppable for me.

    ¡°Come on, Ryuu, you¡¯ll look so cute in it,¡± he tries to persuade me and throws my sleeping t-shirt away.

    ¡°It¡¯s a cosplay!¡± I retort.

    ¡°Are cosplays usually such high quality?¡± Erik points out and wants to get me out of my sleeping shorts. ¡°It¡¯s professionally made and from the best fabric.¡±

    My phone starts ringing so we freeze for a moment and look at the screen. It¡¯s Liana.

    ¡°Don¡¯t pick it up!¡± I protest but Erik is quicker and puts the call on speaker.

    ¡°Good morning, sleepyheads, did you get my presents?¡± she asks right away.

    ¡°We did,¡± Erik confirms and is petting my wings so that I won¡¯t run away. ¡°Thanks for the suits, I love them. The problem is Ryuu, though.¡±

    ¡°Expected as much,¡± she sighs. ¡°Make sure he wears it, we can¡¯t present him to the Prime Minister in a hoodie.¡±

    ¡°Working on it,¡± he smirks.

    ¡°Li, you can¡¯t be serious,¡± I almost cry.

    ¡°I¡¯m already wearing mine,¡± she announces proudly. ¡°Ingri designed clothes for all of us. I¡¯m glad they arrived on time.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­!¡±

    ¡°Human clothes just don¡¯t suit us anymore,¡± Liana¡¯s tone gets more serious. ¡°You¡¯ve been cold all the time lately and me too.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a cosplay!¡± I repeat desperately.

    ¡°Not anymore,¡± she says. ¡°I¡¯ve been working since seven and I feel really good wearing it. People stared in the beginning but they got used to it quickly. Anyway, I have work before our meeting, bye.¡±

    She ends the call so abruptly that I don¡¯t have any time to protest more.

    ¡°Ryuu, please, I want to see you in it,¡± Erik pleads.

    I sigh and look at the boxes. Do I have no choice? Even if I rebelled against Liana and kept wearing my hoodie, she would probably just send me back to change by force. And I would look even more stupid in a suit as I absolutely don¡¯t have the figure for it. If anything, a multi-layered robe can at least hide how skinny I am. I give in.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know where to start,¡± I¡¯m lost when looking at all those layers. ¡°God, there¡¯s even Celestial underwear. And are these thermo leggings?¡±

    Everything has holes for my wings already and since kimono isn¡¯t something you pull over your head, I don¡¯t have to be afraid that it¡¯ll become useless when my wings get really big. Still, Erik has to help me to push my wings through the gaps because I¡¯m not able to do it even after several attempts. I must learn how to manage myself with telekinesis. The sooner the better.

    ¡°Ingri is really good at designing clothes,¡± Erik comments when he finds tiny buttons to close the gaps around my wings so that I¡¯m not cold on my back.

    Then we look up a photo of my ingame avatar and try to find out the order of layers. I never really paid attention to my clothes ingame. My avatar was dressed either by virtual maids in the palace or automatically by the system. No such luck here. Most importantly, we also have to look up how to tie it.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t a Japanese know that?¡± Erik teases me. I nudge him, annoyed.

    Fortunately, it turns out the ¡®cosplay¡¯ is a bit simplified and Westernized so in the end it isn¡¯t that hard to tie. Then we proceed to another layer¡­ and another¡­ and finally to the last one that is embroidered. The last binding is quite tricky because it comes with a real Japanese ¡®obi¡¯ but the Internet helps us once again.

    ¡°Is it¡­ real silk?¡± Erik is touching the fabric with fascination.

    ¡°If Liana paid for it, then no doubt,¡± I sigh because it means that I have to be extra careful not to stain it. Moreover, the robe is white so anything would immediately be visible on it.

    ¡°Gosh, Ryuu, you¡¯re so pretty,¡± Erik is astonished and enchanted.

    ¡°Now your turn,¡± I challenge him.

    While he¡¯s changing, I¡¯m trying to comb my hair. There is a hairpin in the box but my hair isn¡¯t that long for it yet since I had to cut it. I save it for later.

    ¡°Done, what do you think?¡± he turns back to me.

    I gasp for breath. He¡¯s even more handsome than I was imagining! Do I even deserve such a fine boyfriend? How can anyone look so unbelievably handsome in a three-piece suit?

    ¡°You¡¯re thinking something funny right now,¡± Erik purses his lips.

    ¡°I just can¡¯t take my eyes off you,¡± I say truthfully. ¡°It fits so perfectly, how did they know?¡±

    ¡°Ingri measured me a week ago,¡± Erik explains. ¡°I had a hunch it was probably for some formal wear she was preparing for us but it never occurred to me she would get you a Celestial robe.¡±

    ¡°And she definitely got my measurements from Julia,¡± I shake my head. ¡°Our ladies performed quite a conspiracy¡ªnot telling us anything.¡±

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t read that in their minds?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t touch them that often,¡± I say. ¡°And even if I did, if the person isn¡¯t thinking about it, a casual brief connection won¡¯t let me explore deeper.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m actually glad for that,¡± he gently pushes his forehead onto mine. ¡°I want it to be our special thing, my cute telepath.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± I admit, whispering.

    Damn, does he even realise that he¡¯s torturing me? I¡¯m this close to be aroused by both his handsome looks and our telepathic connection. Unfortunately or fortunately, we¡¯re interrupted by another knocking on the door.

    ¡°Ten minutes till ten,¡± Erik checks his watch with disappointment. ¡°We¡¯d better go.¡±

    ¡°W-wait, shoes?¡± I realise we¡¯re still wearing slippers.

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Erik rummages the boxes and finds himself an expensive looking pair of black leather shoes. ¡°These must be for you,¡± he hands me another box.

    I open it and find white boots. They look fancy but¡­

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it for ladies?¡± I doubt.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter in your case,¡± Erik laughs.

    I stick out my tongue and throw the padding at him. I reluctantly pull the shoes on my legs and have to admit they¡¯re quite comfortable and look nice even though nobody will see them really because the robe is covering me down to my feet.

    I have to brace myself before looking in the mirror. Do I look too ridiculous? Erik¡¯s opinion can¡¯t be taken into account, he¡¯s too biased. I blink, confused for a moment. I was expecting to feel weird but what I¡¯m looking at is basically my ingame avatar. And I¡¯m used to that. I nervously pull my robe when trying to walk but it¡¯s not that strange either even though I have to convince myself over and over again that it isn¡¯t technically a dress.

    ¡°I¡¯d feel hot in it immediately,¡± Erik comments. ¡°So many layers.¡±

    ¡°I feel¡­,¡± I¡¯m looking for the right word, ¡°surprisingly alright. Not cold anymore. And Celestials don¡¯t sweat much anyway.¡±

    Another knocking, this time insistent.

    We finally open the door, Erik feeling proud in his new brand suit, me feeling self-conscious. I half-expect the bodyguards to chuckle but they their expression doesn¡¯t change, only their emotions flutter a bit. Not in a bad way, though¡ªcuriously, excitedly¡­ enchantedly even?

    We¡¯re being led to the big conference room where we were yesterday and only then I realise we haven¡¯t had breakfast. My stomach rumbles but too late for that now.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope there¡¯ll be a break soon,¡± Erik is also getting hungry.

    ¡°You¡¯re late!¡± Liana berates us the moment we show up. ¡°Bauerova is already at the reception, hurry!¡±

    I sigh out in relief because she¡¯s also wearing a Celestial robe so I don¡¯t look that weird wearing it alone. Whereas my robe is pure white with silver glitter and decent embroidery, her attire is dark red with golden ornaments. It suits her really well. All of my friends are already sitting here, all of them wearing Draconia-inspired clothes.

    ¡°We¡¯re like cosplayers at some convention,¡± I can¡¯t resist a poignant comment.

    ¡°What a surprise, right?¡± Fefnir grins, apparently happy. ¡°Our ladies prepared quite a gift for us.¡±

    I curiously inspect his clothing. Ingame, the Dragonkin were usually wearing armour almost all the time but in real life that would be highly uncomfortable and simply not practical. I guess there were some casual Dragonkin clothes but they weren¡¯t used much so Ingri had to come up with her own designs. Fefnir is wearing a leather quilted vest with a tunic underneath, a metal belt and pants made from thick fabric. It makes him look like a medieval knight. The only thing that is modern are combat shoes.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Wow, Aefener, it¡¯s even better that I was imagining,¡± Ingri is staring at me with a dreamy expression.

    Her dress couldn¡¯t be further from her previous lolita style. No corset, no patterned tights, no wild makeup. She¡¯s wearing a long green dress that makes her look like a forest elf from the Lord of the Rings. Her high-heels are also gone¡­ most probably forever. I guess she would prefer to be bare-foot but as it turns out the Earthborn hate unnatural surfaces, she¡¯s wearing light gladiator shoes.

    ¡°After this I¡¯m never wearing human clothes again,¡± Emi says, content. ¡°Let¡¯s make Ingri our official fashion designer.¡±

    I switch my attention to the Clawfang Alpha. It¡¯s obvious her clothes were made with emphasis on the freedom of movement. The materials are light so that she¡¯s not feeling warm in it, the colours go well with her vulpine fur, she¡¯s wearing pants and there¡¯s no extra fabric that would get in her way. The Clawfang style couldn¡¯t be further from lavish Celestial robes. It¡¯s functional and highly practical but it still does look very fantasy-like.

    ¡°Now I feel weird,¡± Erik says because it¡¯s only him in contemporary clothes. ¡°But we look presentable enough, I hope.¡±

    I gulp, suddenly nervous. We went to bed so late yesterday that we fell asleep immediately and in the morning we were too busy getting dressed. I didn¡¯t have time to think through what I¡¯m going to face¡ªthat I¡¯m meeting my country¡¯s Prime Minister! If somebody told me that just a month ago, I would never think it possible. Yet, here we are.

    Erik, what if I make a fool of myself? I say telepathically, starting to freak out.

    I¡¯m expecting him to reassure me it¡¯s going to be fine but he¡¯s as nervous as I am. He might be much more extroverted and relaxed around people than me but that doesn¡¯t mean anything when meeting such an important person.

    Let Liana lead? he suggests. Go with her flow.

    ¡°Miss Richter, Mrs Bauerova is here,¡± Anna the administrator announces and fully opens the door.

    The Czech Prime Minister confidently walks inside. She¡¯s one of those people you only see on the news and have no chance of seeing in real life under normal circumstances. She¡¯s roughly the same age as Liana and has a similar stern expression but I¡¯m surprised that she¡¯s smaller than I was envisioning her.

    For what she lacks in height, however, she totally makes up with her dignified conduct and an authoritative aura. She brings four bodyguards and two other members of the government with her. And she doesn¡¯t show any surprise seeing us in Draconian clothes.

    ¡°Katerina, I¡¯m actually glad to see you,¡± Liana welcomes her and stretches her hand towards the former classmate.

    ¡°Laura,¡± Bauerova nods and clutches her offered palm. I can feel she¡¯s wary and a bit tense but at the same time doesn¡¯t expect we¡¯d endanger her.

    ¡°Please, call me Liana,¡± my Viceroy says. ¡°That¡¯s my Celestial name.¡±

    ¡°If you prefer so,¡± Bauerova shrugs and they¡¯re staring into each other¡¯s eyes for a while. Then she looks at me. ¡°And you¡¯re the famous Aefener,¡± she addresses me with my Celestial name after Liana showed we wish it that way.

    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± I articulate properly because Liana would kill me if I stuttered. I offer her my hand as well. I bet that if she knew I¡¯m a telepath, she would never touch me. But she doesn¡¯t know so our palms meet.

    She¡¯s similar to Liana in many aspects¡ªruthless, hard-working, ambitious, an over-achiever. But she¡¯s also so different. And moreover so¡­ human. Even though I feel she¡¯s a person we can¡¯t mess with, she¡¯s fair when it comes to holding her part of an agreement. Naturally, she lets go of my hand almost immediately so I can¡¯t get anything else.

    It turns out that those other two people, a man in his fifties with a beard and a bald man in his forties, are the Minister of Defence Brezina and the Minister of Interior Kovar. Their faces are familiar to me but I¡¯ve hardly ever watched news before the Great Evolution so I wouldn¡¯t be able to recall their names if it wasn¡¯t for their introduction. They don¡¯t offer their hands.

    The Minister of Defence is acting very confidently but I can feel he¡¯s uneasy. Fefnir¡¯s dragon appearance makes him especially uncomfortable but he¡¯s most wary of me. As if I was a ticking bomb or something. The Minister of Interior is a bit more relaxed but only a bit.

    Next to me, Aefener, Liana briefly brushes the back of my palm when she¡¯s getting to her chair so that she can instruct me because we had no time to agree on seating order.

    I have no reason not to comply so I sit next to her. The table is a perfect square because there¡¯s a 3D projector in the middle so nobody has to feel they¡¯re sitting too far or in a chair of lesser importance. I really appreciate it.

    ¡°I won¡¯t lie, Liana, you making your headquarters in Prague is a huge deal,¡± Bauerova says honestly and without unnecessary courtesies. ¡°Why not staying in your home district in Berlin?¡±

    ¡°Prague is better for our purposes,¡± Liana says, also honestly. ¡°I can¡¯t vacate my main offices so easily while this is just a subsidiary. Also, and I have to thank you personally for that, the Bohemian government isn¡¯t as stiff. No ulterior motives, just a favourable location in Central Europe.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s one thing cleared then,¡± the Prime Minister nods. ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong but I¡¯m guessing you want to obtain the status of an embassy?¡±

    ¡°That we do,¡± Liana confirms.

    ¡°And you think I¡¯ll let you do that in my country?¡± Bauerova narrows her eyes and the two ministers frown, disapprovingly.

    ¡°Actually, I do, Katerina,¡± Liana smiles slightly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t think it possible that the first European LGBT Prime Minister could support any kind of discrimination.¡±

    I stare at Bauerova. I didn¡¯t realise she¡¯s such an advocate for equal rights. I mean¡­ I knew she has a wife, every Czech citizen knows that because she won a campaign while being openly gay. It just never crossed my mind it¡¯s relevant in our situation.

    ¡°That¡­ I do,¡± Bauerova admits and glances at me and Erik.

    She¡¯s torn apart. On one hand I can feel she¡¯s happy that another influential figure, meaning me, is openly queer, on the other it¡¯s hard to compare one¡¯s sexual orientation to the appearance of four new races with potentially dangerous powers.

    ¡°It would calm the transformed,¡± Liana continues her persuasion. ¡°If Draconians knew that they have an official safe place to come for help, they wouldn¡¯t be so nervous.¡±

    ¡°You want me to create a precedent,¡± Bauerova sighs.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hiding that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the same as ever, Laura,¡± the Prime Minister shakes her head. ¡°Oh, sorry, I mean Liana,¡± she corrects herself immediately. After all, she¡¯s the last person who would deadname anybody.

    ¡°So¡­ will you at least consider it for now?¡± Liana asks her in a kind voice.

    ¡°That I can promise,¡± Bauerova hesitantly nods. ¡°I¡¯m not doing it for you, though.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m actually hurt,¡± Liana grins. ¡°Why then?¡±

    ¡°For my nephew,¡± she says matter-of-factly but I feel a burst of turbulent emotions from her. She glances at Emi.

    ¡°He¡¯s a Draconian now?¡± Liana blinks.

    ¡°Yes, he started playing that damned videogame of yours as soon as he turned fourteen and now he¡¯s a Clawfang,¡± Bauerova says, partly angry, party reconciled with the fact. ¡°I want to protect him. And kids like him. But no promises, the decision isn¡¯t only up to me,¡± she looks at her companions.

    Emi¡¯s expression is unreadable but I feel she didn¡¯t expect Bauerova to be so understanding. Is there still a chance to mend her relationship with humans?

    ¡°Of course, thank you, Katerina,¡± Liana relaxes that the hardest topic to discuss has been resolved.

    ¡°Still, Aefener remains the main problem,¡± the Minister of Defence Brezina speaks up.

    ¡°W-what about me?¡± I almost panic.

    ¡°Everything,¡± he frowns and folds his arms. ¡°The EU did a thorough check on you and didn¡¯t like what they found.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± I still don¡¯t understand. ¡°I¡¯m just a student.¡±

    ¡°Where should I start?¡± Kovar cringes his forehead. ¡°Most Draconians are still not fully transformed yet and you¡¯re already manipulating three elements at once. We were trying to predict you at level 80 and our generals were uneasy imagining what you¡¯ll potentially be able to do.¡±

    ¡°Also,¡± Brezina adds, ¡°we¡¯re afraid of your influence. Your social network currently has 352 million followers and counting. Most of them aren¡¯t even Draconians.¡±

    ¡°Then there¡¯s your family background,¡± Kovar continues.

    ¡°What about it?¡± I don¡¯t understand.

    ¡°It¡¯s basically non-existent,¡± the minister says. ¡°Someone made an effort to erase everything concerning your mother¡¯s history in Japan.¡±

    I freeze when they mention my Mom. Were they digging in my past?

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik suddenly grabs my hand. ¡°Calm down.¡±

    I blink, confused for a moment because Erik feels anxious.

    ¡°Aefener, that doesn¡¯t look good,¡± Liana grabs my other hand and hisses.

    I finally see what¡¯s happening. The water in our guests¡¯ glasses is boiling.

    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean it¡­ I¡­,¡± I¡¯m stuttering.

    ¡°See? What if he boils our blood next time by accident?¡± Kovar points out. ¡°It seems even high-levels have to train hard to do spells while Aefener is doing it totally spontaneously. He¡¯s a threat.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do anything to him!¡± Emi bursts out. ¡°You can¡¯t touch any of us. Our people will riot should we be abducted or harmed.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t happen in Bohemia,¡± Bauerova switches to defences. ¡°We won¡¯t make the same mistakes as the US. The last thing I want is a civil war, believe me.¡±

    Emi studies Bauerova¡¯s face for a moment and then calms down a bit. I guess it¡¯s because Clawfangs have an extremely sensitive sense of smell. Emi would be able to smell if Bauerova was blatantly lying, literally. Liana did a really good job when considering where to move our headquarters. She couldn¡¯t have chosen a more amicable state official. Even Fefnir seems like he trusts the Czech Prime Minister.

    ¡°Then we have a lot of to discuss,¡± Liana starts. ¡°There¡¯re many points we have to negotiate.¡±

    Liana eyes flash and she starts hard negotiations. She might be super rich but even she can¡¯t possibly offer financial support to every Draconian in the EU. Minister Kovar is hesitant at first but then he has to admit that they have to petition the EU for help, both financially and materially. Quite a high percentage of Draconians had to leave their homes so unless the Czech government (and all other government for the matter) want to soon face serious problems, they have to be actively looking for solutions.

    ¡°Part of the problem is that people are simply afraid of the new races,¡± Bauerova says and her eyes find Fefnir. I get why she thinks it¡¯s him who¡¯s the most intimidating person among us, at least based solely on the appearance.

    ¡°The Dragonkin are actually the most peaceful race, Katerina,¡± Liana sets things straight. ¡°They¡¯re generally calm and phlegmatic.¡±

    ¡°And we know that, we did our research,¡± the Prime Minister agrees. ¡°The problem is that the public won¡¯t see it that way.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re really sweet, people just have to come know us better,¡± Fefnir jokes a little.

    ¡°So how do we do that?¡± Bauerova asks.

    We continue for another hour. And then another. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m getting bored because we¡¯re discussing most important topics that might potentially influence the whole world. But I¡¯m getting progressively hungrier and hungrier. I can feel that Erik is starving as well but his hunger doesn¡¯t seem that urgent. What the hell? Is my stomach really starting to hurt?

    I¡¯m not touching Erik so that he doesn¡¯t feel my discomfort but I¡¯m begging Liana to finally end the torture. She does so after another half an hour. The meeting is adjourned to the day after tomorrow when we¡¯re supposed to come with some reasonable suggestions.

    ¡°Okay, that was long and intense,¡± Fefnir comments when Bauerova and the two ministers finally leave the conference room.

    ¡°But rather successful, no?¡± Ingri asks hopefully.

    Being just a teenager and no race ruler, she didn¡¯t participate at all in the debate but Liana still wanted her to be there to represent the Earthborn. Also, I¡¯m starting to suspect that my Viceroy is training her to become our future secretary.

    ¡°Quite so,¡± Liana nods. ¡°It might not entirely seem that way but Bauerova is supportive of us.¡±

    ¡°C-could we go for a lunch now?¡± I ask weakly. For the last part of the meeting, I wasn¡¯t talking much and all I was desperately focusing on was not letting our guests know that I¡¯m not feeling well. Liana is right, we can¡¯t afford to show any weakness.

    ¡°Sure, the restaurant is actually waiting for us,¡± Liana says and then she notices how cracked my voice sounds. ¡°Are you okay, Aefener?¡±

    ¡°To be honest¡­ I don¡¯t feel so good,¡± I admit, wrapping my arms around my stomach.

    ¡°Do you feel sick, Ryuuto? Like throwing up?¡± Erik pets my back in comfort.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to throw up,¡± I remind him.

    ¡°What did Dr Stein tell you about skipping meals?¡± Liana gets furious. ¡°Your body is still developing.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, we overslept and were in a hurry,¡± Erik explains. ¡°We didn¡¯t even know where to fetch something to eat.¡±

    ¡°In the cafeteria, where else,¡± Liana rolls her eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask your bodyguards to get you something?¡±

    ¡°Can you stand, Ryuuto?¡± Erik touches my forehead. I imagine I must be looking very pale.

    I try to smile, assure them that I¡¯m coping but the moment I stand up, my vision blurs and if Erik didn¡¯t catch me immediately, I¡¯d have probably ended up on the floor.

 23. Frail But Not Weak

    ¡°Is it really only because of hunger, doc?¡±

    ¡°Most probably, I checked him thoroughly and he¡¯s otherwise okay.¡±

    ¡°Is it a new Celestial weakness?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Ryuuto¡¯s personal weakness maybe? Damn, I was being serious when I was telling you over and over that he has to eat properly, Erik. His body is developing at astonishing speed and he was malnourished to begin with.¡±

    I slowly open my eyes. It¡¯s impossible to sleep with so many people talking loudly while their emotions keep fluttering.

    ¡°Ryuu, you¡¯re up,¡± Erik kisses me on my forehead the moment he notices I¡¯m awake. The last thing I remember is getting up after the meeting and then¡­ nothing. My stomach is hurting badly.

    ¡°W-what happened?¡± I ask, confused and still a bit dizzy.

    ¡°You fainted, love,¡± Erik explains. ¡°You had us worried.¡±

    ¡°Ouch, who put me on my back? My wings are sore,¡± I complain and try to spread them to the sides. The bed is too small for a Celestial, it¡¯s really uncomfortable.

    ¡°That was me, I needed to examine you,¡± Julia is also bending over me, frowning in concern. ¡°Can you describe how you felt before you lost consciousness?¡±

    ¡°That can wait, Ryuuto has to eat¡­ now,¡± Hana pushes Dr Stein aside while Erik helps me to sit upright.

    I get a tray on my lap with a plate full of delicious looking baked potatoes, a fried cheese and salad. My mouth starts salivating immediately. I love fried cheese, it¡¯s a Czech speciality. I grab a fork and dig in right away.

    ¡°All Draconians have to be careful about their diets but Ryuuto is an extreme case,¡± Julia sighs in a relief, happy that I¡¯m eating by myself. She knows that I often don¡¯t have any appetite due to my migraines.

    ¡°Because he¡¯s developing much more quicky than the rest of us?¡± Liana guesses and sits on my bed. Her hand finds my left wing and caresses it.

    ¡°That as well but mainly because of his telepathy and other possibly associated anomalies,¡± Julia says.

    ¡°What anomalies?¡± Liana frowns.

    I¡¯m munching wildly but I¡¯m trying to pay attention to the conversation. Erik¡¯s worries are quite distracting, though. And everyone is staring at me which isn¡¯t pleasant at all. But for once, I know that I have to eat no matter what. I feel as if my body is running on an empty tank and I could easily collapse again if I don¡¯t fill it as soon as possible.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet,¡± Julia admits. ¡°But I reckon there will be a few. His telepathy can¡¯t be the only thing. We got used to Ryuuto being a telepath but you do realise that his DNA must be different from ours? I mean¡­ even before you all transformed and your DNA mutated as well.¡±

    Emi, sitting nearby in a chair, hisses angrily.

    ¡°Sorry for the word, I know that it doesn¡¯t sound nice and you hate it,¡± Julia says apologetically. ¡°But from the genetic point of view, you are mutants.¡±

    ¡°Damn,¡± Liana is taken aback by the fact that she didn¡¯t think something through which hardly ever happens to her. But it¡¯s only understandable. We were so busy with everything that¡¯s going on in the world that we didn¡¯t have time to focus on anything else.

    ¡°Okay, I admit that I¡¯m no expert in genetics,¡± Julia says honestly. ¡°But I highly doubt that only Ryuuto¡¯s brain is different. There must be other anomalies. He told me he had always had weak digestion which might be a negative side effect of his original mutation. And then there¡¯s his overall appearance, for instance.¡±

    ¡°Hey, what about it?¡± I stop eating. ¡°I know that I¡¯m not exactly masculine but¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re totally androgynous, hon,¡± Erik nudges me to continue eating. ¡°Gosh, you don¡¯t even shave.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ you don¡¯t, Aefener?¡± Julia wrinkles her forehead. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? We agreed no more secrets. How can I work effectively as your physician if I don¡¯t know everything?¡±

    ¡°H-how did you know?¡± I put the fork down again and look at Erik, shocked.

    ¡°Did you really think I won¡¯t be able to tell that your smooth face had never touched a blade?¡± he rolls his eyes.

    ¡°My previous lovers weren¡¯t able to tell,¡± I murmur but continue eating.

    ¡°Your previous lovers weren¡¯t paying enough attention to detail then,¡± Erik shrugs.

    ¡°A hormonal disorder, doctor?¡± Liana asks.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite normal in young men these days but in Ryuuto¡¯s case it probably goes way beyond that,¡± Julia shakes her head. ¡°Anyway, I might get some actual results now that I have a suitable facility for that.¡±

    A facility? What is she talking about? I properly look around and only now I realise that I¡¯m sitting on what looks like a hospital bed. My first reaction is to panic but Liana surely wouldn¡¯t send me to hospital just because of little fainting, right?

    ¡°Relax, it¡¯s our infirmary,¡± Liana explains quickly when noticing my horrified reaction. ¡°We¡¯re still in my skyscraper. One of my employee benefits is a private GP. The previous doctor quit so Julia could take their place.¡±

    ¡°Eat,¡± Erik nudges me again. I do but I¡¯m munching much more slowly.

    ¡°You knew the whole time? Why didn¡¯t you say something?¡± I ask with my mouth full.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to push you, I was waiting for you to tell me on your own but circumstances have changed,¡± he says softly. ¡°Still, why hiding something so trivial compared to your telepathy?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± I say truthfully. ¡°I guess¡­ I didn¡¯t want to seem even weirder. And less manly.¡±

    ¡°Silly,¡± he pets my wings exactly as I like it to relax me.

    ¡°So¡­,¡± Ingri, who¡¯s been silent so far, finally speaks up. ¡°We transformed into Draconians from humans but Ryuuto was never quite human in the first place. How different from us does it make him?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have no answer for that yet,¡± Julia admits and feels anxious. If it was up to her, she¡¯d happily run all sorts of experiments on me.

    ¡°Ryuu, don¡¯t you want to know?¡± Liana clutches my hand and sends me her urgency. ¡°We were too busy with everything else until now but I think we should start investigating your family background soon.¡±

    ¡°I¡­,¡± I¡¯m considering it for a while.

    Of course, I¡¯d love to know more about my Mom, her research and why she left my father. I¡¯m dying of curiosity but at the same time I¡¯m scared. What if I find out something devastating? What if I find out¡­ that I was some illegal genetic experiment from the very beginning?

    I¡¯ve never doubted that my Mom loved me. I don¡¯t have that many memories of her as I was too small to remember but I never forget what a person feels like. It¡¯s like a telepathic imprint. Everyone feels different and totally unique to me. And I¡¯ve always associated my Mom with warmth and unconditional love. I want to stay it that way. A fond memory.

    ¡°I have to think about it,¡± I whisper.

    ¡°We don¡¯t want to push you, Aefener,¡± Liana chews her lip, ¡°but there¡¯s a danger that someone might discover the truth about your past whether you want it or now. Especially if they¡¯re actively digging in your mother¡¯s history and have the resources like the EU. To be honest, I wanted to start my own investigation but we were too busy.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I know,¡± I lower my eyes.

    ¡°Give him a few more days to process it, Li,¡± Erik pleads. ¡°And you finish your lunch, Ryuu.¡±

    I nod and resume eating but I¡¯ve lost all appetite. I know painfully well that I have to address my family history one day but I never thought it would be so soon. I don¡¯t feel ready to face the past¡­ and my present. The truth about me. What if I really am a freak after all? Even among Draconians?

    *****

    Julia insists I rest for the rest of the day because I developed a headache after that. In addition, I was still quite dizzy so Erik had to carry me. But I don¡¯t like doing nothing when my friends are working. It makes me anxious. I hate my stupid body for being so weak.

    ¡°You¡¯re thinking something funny,¡± Erik pokes me right between my frowning eyebrows. ¡°You¡¯re not weak, just¡­ frail.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the same thing,¡± I roll my eyes.

    ¡°There¡¯s a huge difference, love,¡± he pulls his arms around my back and under my wings. ¡°Magic-wise, you¡¯ll probably become miraculously strong. That¡¯s why the governments are so afraid of you already. It¡¯s just your body we must carefully watch out for. See, you¡¯re not weak.¡±

    ¡°All Celestials have weaker bodies compared to other races but it seems as if I got that racial penalty three times worse,¡± I mumble, discontent. ¡°Whatever in my DNA made telepathy possible also messed some other things.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re you,¡± he leans ever closer. ¡°And I love you as you are. Besides, what a nice mess,¡± he pinches my face gently. ¡°You know I love your androgynous looks.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ I do know,¡± I admit and finally smile.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide yourself anymore, Ryuu,¡± he kisses me on my cheek. ¡°Be proud of who you are and how you look like. Don¡¯t pretend to be something you¡¯re not. Me and your friends accept you unconditionally. You don¡¯t need anyone else¡¯s approval.¡±

    ¡°Erik,¡± I whisper and kiss him back.

    I push him on his back and climb onto him. My wings fall to the sides, trembling and excited. I start unbuttoning his shirt between feverish kisses while he tries to undo my robe. I heard some people are turned on by having sex in cosplays and it seems that might be Erik¡¯s new quirk. I can feel that he absolutely adores me in the Celestial attire.

    ¡°Too many layers,¡± he laments a bit because undressing me is hard work.

    When our bodies connect, I establish the deepest telepathic connection. And once again I¡¯m not able to examine how it influences my boyfriend. I¡¯m just not able to think reasonably when he¡¯s in me. Our mutual attachment is strong. Probably too strong. It might become a problem in future, I know that, but at the same time I¡¯m not able to do anything about it.

    ¡°W-wings,¡± I let out.

    He moves his palms from my hips and touches me there. I immediately get goosebumps when he runs his fingers through my feathers. It¡¯s pleasant when my friends are petting me but only Erik¡¯s hands are miraculous and bring me the highest joy.

    I don¡¯t care about anything else in moments like these. I even forget that bugging shadow of a feeling that I might be making him addicted to me even more when I envelop him into my wings and my mind.

    *****

    We went to sleep very early last night so we wake up early the next day. We cuddle for a few minutes and then spend another few minutes just lying in each other¡¯s embrace and feeling ourselves through my telepathy. I don¡¯t want to ruin the moment by examining our connection but I know I have to do it at some point. The sooner the better.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°Oh, I forgot to ask you,¡± Erik scratches me gently on my left wing because he feels my itching. ¡°Would you rather I call you Aefener?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Why?¡± I don¡¯t understand where it¡¯s coming from.

    ¡°Liana seemed to insists on that pretty intensely during our meeting with the officials,¡± he explains. ¡°And now that I¡¯m thinking about it, I don¡¯t even know Fefnir¡¯s, Ingri¡¯s and Emi¡¯s real names.¡±

    ¡°I actually like my human name,¡± I say. ¡°And I especially love hearing it from you. So keep using it because nobody else does anymore. Even Julia and Hana are slowly switching to my gaming name lately.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, is it another change in Draconian mentality?¡± he ponders. ¡°It¡¯s as if the transformed are gradually getting rid of everything that used to make them human. Names¡­ clothes¡­ manners¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not human anymore,¡± I remind him and softly poke his face with my left wing to better demonstrate my point. ¡°And I might not have been quite human from the beginning,¡± I whisper the sentence.

    ¡°How many times do I have to repeat that it doesn¡¯t bother me?¡± he holds my chin and kisses me. His love washes over me like a wave. ¡°If anything, it only makes you more special.¡±

    I smile faintly. Erik is so kind and non-judging. When I¡¯m thinking ¡®freak¡¯, he thinks ¡®special.¡¯ When I¡¯m thinking ¡®unnatural¡¯, he thinks ¡®fascinating¡¯.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go for a proper breakfast,¡± he suggests to distract me.

    We get up and try to collect our clothes from yesterday that are all over the floor. We probably shouldn¡¯t have treated my robe as ordinary clothes, it¡¯s quite crumpled. And I doubt there¡¯s an iron in our apartment. And even if there was, I wouldn¡¯t know how to use it anyway.

    ¡°Leave it to the room service,¡± Erik waves his hand. ¡°There¡¯s a bin for laundry in our bathroom. I bet they¡¯ll wash our clothes if we leave them there.¡±

    I nod, take the robe to the bathroom and leave a note that asks for ironing. There¡¯s no reason to wash it just yet, Celestials don¡¯t really sweat much. We brush our teeth and return to our living room where our luggage should be, still unpacked.

    ¡°It¡¯s gone?¡± Erik raises his eyebrows because we don¡¯t find his suitcases, nor my backpacks.

    I look around and find that our laptops and my Nintendo console are on the coffee table. A few of my books are displayed on the shelves. We go back to the bedroom and find our wardrobe is stuffed. So someone unpacked for us, huh?

    ¡°Is it normal for the rich that employees do everything for them?¡± I scratch my chin. ¡°Don¡¯t they mind that someone else is touching their things?¡±

    ¡°Liana definitely doesn¡¯t have time for mundane things,¡± Erik shrugs. ¡°And it seems she doesn¡¯t want us to waste ours either.¡±

    ¡°Ehm¡­ where are my clothes?¡± I rummage the huge built-in wardrobe again and again but I fail to find the things I packed when we left the mansion. Instead, I find only more Celestial robes.

    ¡°My clothes are here,¡± Erik says. ¡°Oh, sweet, I got another set of suits. They must have get delivered when we had the meeting. Liana is so generous, they must have cost a fortune.¡±

    ¡°Erik, my clothes are all gone!¡± I¡¯m starting to panic.

    ¡°Well¡­ they are,¡± he bites his lip when looking at my side of the wardrobe.

    ¡°Did some of my luggage get lost during transport?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve lost it,¡± Erik says slowly. ¡°See this jumper of mine? I couldn¡¯t squeeze it into my suitcase so I pushed it to your backpack with the rest of your clothes, remember? And the jumper is here while your clothes aren¡¯t. Your regular clothes I mean.¡±

    ¡°She can¡¯t be serious!¡± I¡¯m finally starting to understand what happened. ¡°Did Liana order someone to take my clothes and plant these cosplays instead?¡±

    ¡°It would seem so,¡± Erik nods carefully. ¡°She must have suspected you¡¯ll never stop wearing your gaming clothes unless she confiscates them completely.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, she won¡¯t!¡± I suddenly get so furious that the furniture starts shaking. ¡°She might be the Laura Richter and my Viceroy but she can¡¯t just¡­¡±

    ¡°Ryuu, calm down!¡± Erik is alarmed and has to hug me in an attempt to soothe me. ¡°Your telekinesis is going berserk again!¡±

    She can¡¯t do that! I switch to telepathy.

    And I agree with you but you need to calm down, he caresses my wings. Your anger is understandable but you can¡¯t let your abilities go loose like that.

    He forces me to recall yesterday¡¯s incident. The government officials were really scared of me at that time. That makes me finally calm down and the tremors stop.

    You know, Erik tries to cheer me up. Others have to train in order to do magic. It seems you¡¯ll have to train in order not to do magic.

    ¡°Pchm, not helping,¡± I say aloud, grab my phone and dial Liana. I let it ring for quite some time but she isn¡¯t picking up. I think she¡¯s ignoring me on purpose, expecting me to complain about my wardrobe situation.

    ¡°She¡¯s probably too busy again,¡± Erik shrugs. ¡°And we should help her. I feel bad sleeping in when she must be waking up awfully early. Let¡¯s go for breakfast and then find her office.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going out in this,¡± I oppose, pointing into the wardrobe full of Celestial robes.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not as if you have a choice and I can¡¯t exactly lend my clothes to a winged person,¡± Erik chuckles and I feel he¡¯s actually glad about it. Did he seriously develop a quirk for cosplays?

    I¡¯m still mad but he¡¯s right. I sigh resignedly and take another Celestial attire. Liana¡¯s employees were kind enough to sort out my new clothes according to sets so all layers that belong together are on one hanger and already in the right order.

    Erik helps me again and this time I try to levitate the fabric and pull my wings through the holes myself. Such delicate use of telekinesis is quite difficult but it seems a few more attempts and I should manage somehow myself.

    ¡°Are you wearing a suit again?¡± I¡¯m surprised that he goes for another three-piece even though his casual clothes are very decent, unlike mine.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to look shabby next to you,¡± he smiles and looks at himself in the mirror. I feel he likes what he sees. ¡°I actually don¡¯t mind making this my new dress code. I loved wearing well-fitted suits before but the brand Liana chose is a totally different league. How do I look?¡±

    I kiss him instead of answering so that he gets the full dosage of my admiration. He blushes and returns his feelings.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not be late again,¡± he pulls away after a few kisses, showing his discipline. ¡°Liana might not have given us any exact time when to show up but considering she¡¯s paying us now so¡­ well, it¡¯d be nice to answer to her at nine.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, we¡¯re technically her employees now,¡± I slap my forehead.

    I signed a job contract several days ago but everything was so hectic with Draconians asking for refuge that I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. I took it as a formality since it seems I might be perfectly able to support myself through fan donations. We signed it mainly for her corporate protection.

    ¡°Okay, ready to go,¡± Erik takes my hand and opens the door.

    Two bodyguards are standing in front of our apartment, this time it¡¯s Kristoff and Stefan on duty. I feel they¡¯re a bit nervous today but I don¡¯t catch anything serious. We ask where the cafeteria is and they lead us there.

    We have to get into the elevator, of course, and I¡¯m doing my best not to show any discomfort. Only Erik is aware of my developing claustrophobia because I¡¯m almost crushing his hand. Almost, just a figure of speech. I don¡¯t think I have the strength to seriously hurt anybody with my new body. I feel lighter and lighter each day. My bones keep changing.

    It doesn¡¯t hurt, does it? Erik asks because he catches what I¡¯m pondering about. I don¡¯t close my thinking process to him anymore because that wouldn¡¯t be fair towards him as I can hear everything when we¡¯re touching.

    My bones getting hollow? I sigh in my mind. Surprisingly not but I can feel my strength diminishing each day. It would probably hurt a lot but I think my mana circuit is compensating for that. Ingame, each race had slow passive healing of their own.

    How did that work? he¡¯s curious.

    Well, in case of Celestials it¡¯s restorative magic, I start explaining. The Earthborn can make body cells regenerate at astonishing speed. The Dragonkin are just resilient against almost anything and Clawfangs simply heal faster.

    Erik wants me to elaborate on the topic but the elevator stops and we have to get off. I¡¯m trying not to run out too obviously, even though talking to Erik did mitigate my discomfort.

    ¡°What the¡­?!¡± we¡¯re shocked because the corridor is full of Draconians.

    At first, nothing happens but then we¡¯re noticed and get surrounded immediately. So that¡¯s what my bodyguards were nervous about. They¡¯re desperately trying to make some space but Draconians are pushy. Especially the Celestials.

    ¡°Your Majesty, could you give me your autograph?¡±

    ¡°Will we resume training sessions again?¡±

    ¡°Your robe is so beautiful, where can we order one as well?¡±

    I recognise a few faces from the mansion but most of them are unknown to me. It seems new refugees must have arrived straight here. It¡¯s crowded and local human employees who decided to stay don¡¯t know what to do.

    ¡°Hey, no touching!¡± Erik mercilessly slaps a hand that¡¯s after my wings.

    ¡°That¡¯s quite enough!¡± Fefnir shows up to save us.

    Newcomers and even those I got to know step aside. Fefnir¡¯s Dragonkin presence is really something when he puts his mind into it. But it might be more than that?! He¡¯s truly¡­ intimidating somehow. I can feel Erik is scared all of a sudden. And others as well.

    ¡°Fefnir, did you learn the intimidation skill?¡± I¡¯m astonished. I¡¯m not affected because it doesn¡¯t work on high-levels but Erik next to me freezes.

    ¡°Oh, actually¡­ not sure,¡± he scratches his scaly chin, uncertain. He¡¯s also wearing new Draconian clothes I observe. He didn¡¯t switch back. ¡°How does it feel?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay but others are¡­,¡± I stop myself. I can¡¯t tell him in public what I feel from them, of course. ¡°Just look at them.¡±

    ¡°Damn, you¡¯re right,¡± he clicks his tongue. ¡°I just thought they¡¯re intimidated by how big and handsome I am.¡±

    Erik is still in mild shock so I deepen our connection and try to slap him out of it telepathically. It works. He blinks several times, totally confused but normal again.

    ¡°W-what was that?¡± he gasps for breath.

    ¡°Sorry, it seems I¡¯ve just executed my racial skill by accident,¡± Fefnir apologises but he¡¯s, in fact, quite proud of his achievement. ¡°It¡¯s call Daunt and in the game we were using it to intimidate monsters to run away.¡±

    ¡°But here it intimidated also Draconians and humans,¡± I remark because I could feel fear also from my bodyguards who started sweating.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t possible before?¡± Erik asks.

    ¡°Of course not, we knew it¡¯s just a game,¡± I say.

    ¡°Well, now it isn¡¯t a game anymore,¡± Erik points out. ¡°It felt really weird, Ryuu. How come you weren¡¯t affected?¡±

    ¡°Daunt works only on levels lower than yourself,¡± Fefnir explains and is seized by people of his race who demand to be shown how he did it.

    ¡°More newcomers?¡± Erik whispers to me.

    ¡°Some of them.¡±

    ¡°Damn, I don¡¯t recognise anyone except for Fefnir,¡± Erik hisses nervously. ¡°My brain can¡¯t tell them apart. At least Celestials have human faces.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t distinguish ourselves by faces alone, though,¡± I inform him.

    ¡°N-no? How?¡± Erik is confused again.

    ¡°Wings,¡± I say as if it¡¯s the most obvious thing. ¡°Sure, faces as well but we¡¯re able to tell who the person is even from behind. I think I told you already that our wings are unique?¡±

    ¡°I thought that applies only to you and Liana,¡± Erik narrows his eyes.

    ¡°Well, colour-wise¡­ yeah,¡± I admit. ¡°We¡¯re the only ones with pure colours¡ªwhite and black. But others have unique wings as well. Shades, patterns, how one carries their wings¡­ the difference is very subtle and probably unrecognisable for humans but we¡¯re able to tell.¡±

    ¡°When did you find out?¡± he¡¯s curious.

    ¡°When I met other Celestials I guess?¡± I start walking again now that Fefnir secured us a free passage. ¡°It was so natural that I forgot to mention it, sorry.¡±

    Damn, Ryuu, it¡¯s so strange, he switches to telepathy because there¡¯re still plenty people around us. And everyone is staring.

    Are you coping? I ask, concerned.

    I¡¯m used to weirdness by now¡­ it¡¯s the little details that make me more nervous. Things that are obvious to you but not to me.

    Let¡¯s talk about it in the evening, okay? I need to finally explore our telepathic connection anyway. We have an apartment that can be locked now so I don¡¯t have to be afraid of anyone walking in on us and interrupting.

    Exploring what exactly? he¡¯s a bit startled.

    What about the fact that we¡¯re together practically non-stop and it doesn¡¯t seem to bother any of us?

    Is that a problem? I don¡¯t mind, Erik frowns.

    Huh? He doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s a problem? I mean¡­ I don¡¯t mind either but that¡¯s exactly why it¡¯s strange, right? I get it that people in love want to spend as much time as possible together but we¡¯ve been literally inseparable since it all started.

    Erik wants to oppose something but we arrive in the cafeteria at that moment and what awaits us is utter chaos. The room is full of Draconians and human employees are running among them, not sure what to do.

    ¡°Aefener, can you do something, please?¡± Thomas the site manager runs towards me when he spots us, all desperate. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be the Celestial Emperor, right? They don¡¯t listen to us at all. Miss Richter told us to assign them jobs and places to stay but they ignore our instructions.¡±

    I study the situation for a while. It¡¯s evident that everyone tries to group by their race even if they don¡¯t know each other. The Earthborn are in one corner and it seems they gathered all plants they could find nearby to feel better. The Dragonkin are in the other corner and they look a bit grumpy that the place is so noisy.

    The Celestials are sitting neatly by the windows and seem detached until they see me. Then their faces brighten and they surround us completely. It¡¯s the Clawfangs who are problematic, though. They took the middle of the room, made quite a mess around and are grouping around one table for some reason while being overly noisy and even standing on the chairs.

    There¡¯s no other way, hon, you have to act all regal to solve this, Erik tells me. Exercise your royal influence. You can do it! he cheers me up.

    I breathe in deeply. I¡¯m not good at this but I guess I can take it as role-play. Also, it¡¯s a chance to test if they¡¯ll really listen to me.

    ¡°Did they give you jobs already?¡± I ask the Celestials around me.

    They all nod.

    ¡°So why aren¡¯t you doing what you¡¯re supposed to be doing?¡± I continue and I¡¯m hoping my voice isn¡¯t shaking. I¡¯m trying hard to sound strict. Trying.

    ¡°Y-Your Majesty, we¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re sorry, but¡­ the humans weren¡¯t¡­¡±

    Oh, did I really do it? They do feel intimidated by me. And embarrassed. Celestials don¡¯t have any Daunt skills like the Dragonkin so it seems they consider me a natural authority like the Clawfangs do with Emi. I¡¯m surprised that I had the intended effect but I don¡¯t let it show on my face.

    ¡°Please, go help where you¡¯re needed,¡± I say politely but I¡¯m aiming to sound non-compromising.

    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty,¡± they agree enthusiastically.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we came here in the first place.¡±

    Most of them leave the cafeteria while two go to the caf¨¦ staff to ask if they can be helpful. I¡¯m still a bit dazed that they listened to me so readily but I don¡¯t have time to ponder right now. I notice that Fefnir finally arrived as well so I wave at him to take care of the Dragonkin. Erik phones Ingri who turns out to be on her way for breakfast anyway and should be here in a few minutes so I guess I can leave the Earthborn to her.

    The problem that remains are the Clawfangs who took almost all tables in the middle of the room and made it impossible to approach them. They¡¯re standing or sitting tightly close to each other and seem to be totally mesmerised by something at the centre. They¡¯re noisily talking over each other and wagging their still tiny tails.

    ¡°What do we with them?¡± Erik sighs. ¡°I doubt they¡¯ll listen to you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t kn-¡­ wait a sec,¡± I realise something. ¡°I can feel Emi there,¡± I whisper to him.

    ¡°Then she¡¯s not doing a very good job keeping them in line, is she?¡± Erik sighs.

    ¡°EMIIIII,¡± I have to shout but I¡¯m afraid the room is too noisy for her to hear me.

    Or¡­ it would be too noisy for human ears. I sense that she did hear me. The commotion suddenly calms down, the Clawfangs finally break their formation and the Alpha steps outside.

    ¡°Oh, hello, Aefener,¡± she greets me and is all smiles. ¡°Look what I¡¯ve found when I was out for my morning jog.¡±

    I stare at her arms. She¡¯s holding four adorable kittens.

 24. Not Coming Back

    ¡°Since when do we have kittens?¡± Liana asks calmly but I can feel she¡¯s furious inside. And not because of the fluffy litter. We¡¯re sitting in her office where she summoned us just a few minutes after Emi proudly showed me her discovery in the cafeteria.

    I wanted to complain about her confiscating all my casual clothes as soon as I saw her but now is definitely not the right time. Liana is royally pissed and there¡¯s no messing with my Viceroy when she¡¯s like that.

    ¡°Since today morning,¡± Emi answers plainly and is piercing Liana with her bright brown vulpine eyes while petting the little kittens on her lap. She¡¯s challenging Liana to berate her. Emi might be several years younger but they¡¯re both adults so she thinks my Viceroy has no right to act all high and mighty towards her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not angry because of your new pets, Emi,¡± Liana¡¯s voice is ice. ¡°I¡¯m angry because you breached my security.¡±

    Oh, so that¡¯s what it¡¯s all about. I didn¡¯t realise that Emi¡¯s morning jog means she went outside.

    ¡°So am I your prisoner now?¡± Emi hisses through her teeth. ¡°Li, I¡¯m really grateful that you saved me. You have no idea how much. But I¡¯m a free person and won¡¯t be¡­¡±

    ¡°You could have been apprehended!¡± Liana bursts out and hits the table. ¡°You, among all people, should know that the government doesn¡¯t see us as humans with human rights until we claim them back. Moreover, you¡¯re a race ruler, Emi, and thus have responsibility towards your people.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I know that,¡± Emi retorts but not as strongly as she originally intended. Liana hit her weak spot. If anything, Emi seems to take her being the Clawfang leader even in the real world seriously. ¡°But I took my pack so I was safe.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you took your pack,¡± Liana snorts and passes us her tablet. ¡°And you made quite an impression.¡±

    Erik and I glance at the screen that shows a video of Emi and other Clawfangs running wildly in a nearby park. And also¡­ ehm¡­ damaging some fences in their way.

    ¡°Okay, I admit that doesn¡¯t look good,¡± Emi scratches one of the kittens. ¡°But we needed to let off some steam, Li. My race just can¡¯t sit in one place, we¡¯d go crazy. We¡¯re born to run just as your race is born to fly. Only in your case the difference is that you still can¡¯t do it. I bet if Aefener could fly right now, no power in the world would stop him.¡±

    Liana sighs. Emi definitely wasn¡¯t right when breaching the tight security Liana established for our safety but there¡¯s no denying the Clawfang nature. Or ours for the matter.

    ¡°Then we have to agree on some things for the future and find a compromise,¡± Liana leans into the chair and whines because she forgot about her wings for a second. ¡°Damn, I need to order new seats.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, but can we go now?¡± Erik asks impatiently. ¡°Ryuuto still didn¡¯t have his breakfast.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right¡­ of course,¡± Liana dismisses the two of us. ¡°I summoned you only because I was afraid Emi wouldn¡¯t come without you. Return immediately after you¡¯ve eaten, okay? There¡¯s a lot of work to be done. Oh, I noticed that I have a missed call from you, Aefener. What did you need?¡±

    ¡°I¡­,¡± I look at her while analysing her current mental state.

    She doesn¡¯t seem open to any arguments about trivialities. Besides, she¡¯s wearing her own Celestial robe with the attitude like it¡¯s the most common type of clothing for us from now on. And Emi does hers too.

    ¡°Never mind,¡± I sigh resignedly.

    ¡°Okay, eat a lot, would you?¡± she nods, content that I swallowed my complaints.

    We quickly leave the office. It¡¯s obvious Emi is in for more scolding about her behaviour and we don¡¯t have to witness that.

    ¡°Are we sure she really wants you to become the Emperor?¡± Erik shakes his head when we reach the stairs. Liana¡¯s office is just two floors above the cafeteria so we can walk. I¡¯m glad that I can use the stairs instead of the elevator and avoid another episode of claustrophobic attack.

    ¡°It was similar ingame so I¡¯m used to it,¡± I shrug. ¡°And it¡¯s also part of our lore, actually. I don¡¯t want to comply to some fictional cultural thing but it was spot on in our case.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± he doesn¡¯t understand. ¡°The Emperor is supposed to be the absolute monarch, right? I read some extracts of Celestial lore in the book Ingri lent me. No time to read it properly, though.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but not exactly,¡± I bite my lip. ¡°In case of Celestials, the Emperor is always the best magic caster and flier and that¡¯s without a debate. However, it¡¯s the appointed Viceroy who deals with the everyday agenda and runs the empire on a practical level. The Emperor is considered to be¡­ ehm¡­ it¡¯s embarrassing to say.¡±

    ¡°Go on,¡± Erik nudges me, curious now.

    ¡°The Emperor is considered to be the godly incarnate of magic itself,¡± I say and turn red. ¡°According to the stupid made-up lore,¡± I add quickly. ¡°However, as such¡­ well, the Emperor basically deals with magical stuff and decides only the most important matters while the Viceroy takes care of the mundane rest.¡±

    Erik burst laughing.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯re such a good duo with her,¡± he pokes me, amused. ¡°She did all the paperwork and politics while you could happily fly around and conquer dungeons. That¡¯s so like you, my cute airhead. And like her. You¡¯re a remarkable match, you two.¡±

    ¡°We seem to continue in it even here,¡± I admit reluctantly.

    Erik keeps chuckling the whole way back. When we return to the cafeteria, we find out that the place has finally quieted down. Most of the people are gone and only those eating their breakfast stayed. I¡¯m pleasantly surprised that I see two Celestials and one Dragonkin helping the staff.

    ¡°What would you like, Your Majesty?¡± a Celestial man beams at me from behind the counter. He has brown wings with a yellow pattern and is probably the same age as me. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯m seeing him which means he must have come with a recent batch of newcomers.

    ¡°Did you do this kind of job before?¡± I ask because he seems natural at it.

    At this point I pretty much gave up on telling Draconians, especially Celestials, that they can address me casually. They just won¡¯t do it for some reason. It¡¯s either a strong role-play habit from when Draconia was still a game or something in our changing mentality. Possibly both. I asked some of them about it before and the answer was that when they look at me, they simply see their Emperor and can¡¯t help it. The same with Liana.

    ¡°Yes, I was a part-timer in a campus caf¨¦,¡± he nods. ¡°I¡¯m glad they took it into consideration when assigning jobs here.¡±

    ¡°So they are registering Draconians downstairs?¡± I ask because I have no idea what arrangements Liana made. I was out for most of the day yesterday because of my fainting.

    ¡°At the reception in the entrance hall. I was given quite a questionnaire, our Viceroy is very thorough,¡± he says but he doesn¡¯t mind. Actually, I feel from him that he¡¯s glad about that. Another Celestial quirk kicking in? We¡¯re known to be meticulous.

    ¡°Ryuu, pick something,¡± Erik nudges me to remind me why we¡¯re here but the main reason he¡¯s rushing me is because the Celestial is staring at me a little bit too much.

    ¡°I¡¯d like a cheese sandwich, a latte and a chocolate cookie,¡± I order. Julia wouldn¡¯t be happy if I went for an entirely sweet breakfast but I still crave sugary things.

    ¡°A chicken sandwich for me and an espresso,¡± Erik seconds. He was never keen on sweets. One bite of whatever I order and he¡¯s content.

    We take our trays and look for a place to sit. Erik wants to sit at the back but I pull his sleeve and point towards an empty table by the windows.

    ¡°Celestial preferences,¡± he shrugs and follows me there.

    I put my tray on the table and can¡¯t resist to admire what I see for a few moments. We¡¯re on the 46th floor so the view of Prague is magnificent. I can see all the way to the famous botanical gardens at Troja. My wings tremble with anticipation. Emi was right; if I could fly right now, I would and no security protocol would stop me. But I can¡¯t so I sit down and unpack my sandwich.

    ¡°The guy was staring at you too obviously,¡± Erik grunts silently.

    ¡°Not everyone is gay, Erik,¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°He¡¯s staring only because he knows me from the media. He¡¯s probably my fan on Vortex. Almost all Celestials are.¡±

    ¡°Can you feel when someone is queer?¡± he¡¯s suddenly bursting with curiosity and bites into his sandwich. Nobody is sitting too close to us and we¡¯re whispering so we don¡¯t have to be afraid of being overheard.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Quite easily,¡± I admit. ¡°I mean¡­ not with everyone and at every occasion but it¡¯s easy for me to feel if there¡¯s sexual attraction. And there was none in this case so chill.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± he sighs and sips his coffee. ¡°I know that I can be¡­ a bit possessive. Do you hate it?¡±

    I finally bite into my sandwich which gives me time to think.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t hate anything about you,¡± I confess. ¡°My telepathy,¡± I lower my voice even more, ¡°might be influencing you, though, and you don¡¯t have to be aware of it.¡±

    ¡°Do you feel like I¡¯ve changed?¡± he worries. ¡°Because I don¡¯t feel any different. I always wanted to keep you close. Only before you were too evasive.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure,¡± I say truthfully. ¡°Considering what has happened¡­ it should be me changing mentally, right?¡±

    ¡°So many questions and no answers,¡± he looks out of the window, pondering. ¡°The world looks normal from up here. Yet, here we are. And you are stirring your latte with telekinesis and spilling it, love.¡±

    ¡°Oh, damn,¡± I realise only now that the spoon is moving by itself and I¡¯m making quite a mess.

    ¡°It¡¯s really effortless for you, isn¡¯t it?¡± he¡¯s thinking frantically but since we¡¯re not touching, I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking about.

    And for once, I feel he¡¯s actually glad I don¡¯t know because I feel an almost unrecognisable hint of¡­ jealousy? Longing? But I might be wrong. It¡¯s too subtle to tell when the person isn¡¯t even aware of it yet. Anyway, nothing so far has indicated that Erik is uncomfortable when I do magic around him.

    We finish eating and Erik makes me buy a croissant as a snack for later. Then we head back to Liana¡¯s office. I expected Emi to be long gone but she¡¯s still there, sitting in front of her laptop and typing something. The kittens are playing around her feet and look happy. I can feel Emi is sulking a bit but otherwise it seems the ladies reached some kind of compromise.

    ¡°Great, you¡¯re back,¡± Liana waves at us from her table without looking away from the screen. ¡°From now on, we start at 8 o¡¯clock, okay?¡±

    I look at Erik with horror. As someone who used to stream until late at night, I was never an early bird. I was hoping that Liana would go for traditional office hours but no such luck. I have a boss who is a workaholic.

    ¡°We¡¯ll finish work earlier and go sleep earlier,¡± Erik, who is perfectly used to irregular work hours that often include getting up inhumanely early, tries to comfort me.

    ¡°That actually depends on our workload,¡± Liana has to disappoint us. ¡°This isn¡¯t one of those jobs with fixed hours.¡±

    I gulp but I should have known. It¡¯s not like any of us, not even Liana, can anticipate what we will be dealing with in near future. Damn, we have another meeting with the Czech government tomorrow, right? I¡¯m not ready at all!

    ¡°L-Li?¡± I ask carefully. ¡°What kind of job division did you come up with for incoming Draconians?¡±

    ¡°Jobs will be given ideally based on one¡¯s education and previous work experience, of course,¡± she says and narrows her eyes at me. ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°So¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be better if I was helping with something else? I can continue doing videos and¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ become a magic instructor perhaps?¡±

    Liana isn¡¯t even trying to resist rolling her eyes. She does so ostentatiously. Erik chuckles and shakes his head, amused that I¡¯m still trying to get out of ruling my race.

    ¡°Sit,¡± she points towards another table that is opposite to Emi¡¯s. ¡°And work, no excuses. I¡¯ve already set today¡¯s tasks for you and Erik.¡±

    I don¡¯t have the courage to oppose her when she¡¯s like that¡ªuncompromising. I sit behind the table, Erik next to me, and we switch on the computers. The moments the screen is on, I can see virtual sticky notes of my tasks:

    <ol>

    <li>Contact university and finally discontinue your studies. - Okay, I admit I was postponing that because I still don¡¯t feel like doing it even if I have to. But I know that I can¡¯t return to school and I wouldn¡¯t have time for virtual lessons. Still, I¡¯m impressed Liana keeps track of my personal stuff.</li>

    <li>Call Deminas (with Fefnir).</li>

    <li>Training magic. ¨C Oh, looking forward to that.</li>

    <li>Brainstorming ideas for tomorrow¡¯s meeting. ¨C Dreading it.</li>

    <li>Call Werden and Twyla (with Ingri).</li>

    <li>Call Gotrid and Gin (with Emi).</li>

    </ol>

    I glimpse at Erik¡¯s list and except for task 4, it¡¯s very different from mine. Wait! Does it mean we won¡¯t be together that much today? I doubt I¡¯ll be calling other race rulers from Liana¡¯s office as I would be distracting them. It¡¯s evident Erik just realised the same thing because he got irritated inside. Are we really too attached to each other? Well, at least I¡¯ll finally have the opportunity to test it out.

    ¡°Lunch together,¡± I nudge him reassuringly. He nods but keeps frowning. Still, he starts working right away.

    I reluctantly open my student¡¯s dashboard. The process is as simple as putting a request to the student affairs office but it still breaks my heart to do it when I recall how hard it was to get in.

    ¡°Erik, I don¡¯t want to,¡± my hand freezes over the submit button. ¡°My studies¡­ it means a lot to me. When I got that scholarship¡­¡±

    ¡°You could finally leave your grumpy grandmother, right?¡± he guesses and clutches my hand in comfort. It¡¯s a sore topic I¡¯ve never talked about even with him but he¡¯s good at guessing.

    ¡°I thought you started earning lots of money as a streamer while still at high school,¡± Emi stops typing and looks at me, confused.

    ¡°I did but the loan company was taking most of my earnings,¡± I confess. ¡°The only money they couldn¡¯t touch was my scholarship.¡±

    Liana sighs, gets up and pulls her chair next to me.

    ¡°Sorry, Aefener, I had no idea it means that much to you,¡± she apologises. ¡°I thought you¡¯re just procrastinating it.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you ask for a postponement?¡± Erik suggests.

    ¡°Not at Charles University,¡± I shake my head. ¡°There¡¯re usually dozens of students on the wait list. They don¡¯t treat drop-outs kindly.¡±

    ¡°Maybe they would take your special circumstances into account?¡± Erik remains hopeful. ¡°Write a personal letter to the dean.¡±

    ¡°Erik, that would propose Aefener is certainly coming back in near future,¡± Liana disagrees. ¡°He can¡¯t guarantee such a thing.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­,¡± I¡¯m desperately coming up with options, ¡°when things calm down and we secure our human rights, Draconians should be able to finish their studies, right? It would be discrimination if they wouldn¡¯t let us into schools.¡±

    ¡°Sure, common Draconians,¡± Liana nods. ¡°Not you. The EU will most probably never stop chasing you as your powers will only grow. I¡¯m sorry, Aefener, but it is how it is.¡±

    ¡°What would the Celestial Emperor need a degree for anyway?¡± Emi shrugs. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll be looking for a conventional employment.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not set in stone that I¡¯m to become the Emperor for real,¡± I oppose, frowning. ¡°We should have proper elections as soon as possible. This isn¡¯t a game where the strongest one rules.¡±

    I suddenly perceive a steep change in Emi¡¯s and Liana¡¯s overall mental attitudes. The contrast is even sharper when I compare it to how Erik feels like to me. It¡¯s as if they don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m talking about. I mean¡­ they do understand the words but my reasoning eludes them.

    ¡°Elections?¡± Emi bursts laughing. ¡°I¡¯m the Alpha! Anyone who would like to question my authority is free to challenge me to a duel.¡±

    There¡¯s no hesitation in her voice, nor in her mind. She completely switched to the Clawfang way of thinking the moment I suggested something that wasn¡¯t in our nature.

    ¡°L-Li?¡± I look at my Viceroy but I can feel she¡¯s in agreement with Emi. Moreover, she¡¯s mildly annoyed that I¡¯m even suggesting such a thing.

    ¡°Elections are for humans,¡± she says matter-of-factly. ¡°I would never answer to anyone else than you. You¡¯re the strongest Celestial. Period. Stop being silly, Aefener.¡±

    ¡°E-Erik,¡± I look at my boyfriend, panicked. Am I the only Draconian with human thinking?

    ¡°Well,¡± Erik chews his lip. ¡°It¡¯s quite ironic that as a telepath, you¡¯re overlooking something so obvious. Ryuu, they stopped behaving like humans ages ago. How couldn¡¯t you notice that?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ really?¡± I¡¯m confused. ¡°But their minds are so soothing to me. Sure, they changed slightly but¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and human minds make you nauseous,¡± he remarks. ¡°That actually says a lot. I see it clearly and I thought you see it as well¡­ at least through me. Or are you maybe subconsciously refusing to see it?¡±

    ¡°Li, Emi, do you realise that your thinking had changed? Because¡­ I think mine didn¡¯t,¡± I look into their eyes, searching for answers.

    ¡°I do feel different,¡± Liana admits after a short consideration. ¡°I realise that I think differently about things now but I¡¯m not concerned. It feels totally natural.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind either,¡± Emi seconds. ¡°In fact, my previous thinking process seems strange to me now. Also¡­ I can¡¯t imagine losing my new sense of super smell. Do you have any idea how thrilling the world is to Clawfangs? There¡¯s so much information all around. You Celestials have no idea.¡±

    ¡°What information are you getting? Right now I mean,¡± Erik asks curiously.

    ¡°For instance, I can feel that Liana had muffins, grapefruit juice and coffee for breakfast. It¡¯s still in the air,¡± Emi sniffs. ¡°And you two had sex recently.¡±

    I gasp for breath and turn red. Liana makes no comment.

    ¡°Damn, Emi, spot on!¡± Erik isn¡¯t embarrassed and chuckles. ¡°There¡¯s no hiding anything from your sensitive nose.¡±

    ¡°To be honest, I have no idea how I could live without it,¡± she says. ¡°You claim that you don¡¯t feel any mental change, Aefener, but what about your wings?¡±

    ¡°What about them?¡± I don¡¯t understand her question.

    ¡°Can you imagine losing them? Would you give them up to become human again?¡±

    ¡°L-losing my wings?¡± I shudder at the mere thought of that.

    ¡°You have your answer,¡± she grins victoriously.

    ¡°Your thinking probably didn¡¯t change as dramatically because it wasn¡¯t quite human from the beginning,¡± Liana reminds me. ¡°Julia was right. We transformed from the human basis. You transformed¡­ from something a bit else. Only time will tell how it¡¯ll affect you and how different you are from the rest of Draconians. Which is another reason you especially can never go back to your previous life.¡±

    She gives me a while to digest it. Erik keeps holding my hand, assuring me that it¡¯s going to be okay and he¡¯ll support me no matter what. But I know that it¡¯s something I have to accept myself and come to terms with eventually. I¡¯m not coming back to my previous life.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this much more exciting?¡± Emi tilts her head and her vulpine ears twitch. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t want to go back. Definitely not back to my bigoted family that killed my cousin. Besides, I enjoy having a pack and being respected. And I love my new body. I really do.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re extroverted, Emi, a people person,¡± Liana points out. ¡°Aefener isn¡¯t and he¡¯s been hiding because of the telepathy his whole life. That¡¯s why it¡¯s hard for him to be the centre of attention all of a sudden.¡±

    ¡°I think¡­ I can do it,¡± I hesitate for a few seconds but then I finally hit that submit button.

    And it¡¯s done. My application has been sent. I think the university must have been waiting for it anyway. I decide to write a short email to my supervisor, thanking for her support. I can¡¯t help pondering: Will the professor be relieved that she got rid of me? After all, I imagine the media and possibly even the government must have been bugging her with questions about me. Still, I feel as if the last thing connecting me to my human life is gone now.

    ¡°Oh, by the way,¡± Liana speaks up after a few minutes of silence when she returned behind her desk. ¡°We¡¯ve finally found a psychologist among the transformed.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? When are they coming?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Tomorrow, I couldn¡¯t buy him a plane ticket so I had to send a car for him,¡± she says. ¡°He¡¯s from Sweden.¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t buy a plane ticket? Why?¡± I don¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Draconians currently aren¡¯t accepted on planes,¡± Liana sighs disapprovingly.

    ¡°Is that legal?¡± I frown.

    ¡°No, but they argue that they can¡¯t guarantee our safety in the air because our bodies are too different and seats are designed for humans,¡± she clicks her tongue. ¡°Which is true, sure, but also an excuse. I suspect the EU asked airlines to do so. They can¡¯t close the borders because they aren¡¯t any anymore in the Union but they can limit air transport at least.¡±

    I want to answer something but my phone starts ringing. I look at the screen and freeze. It¡¯s my grandma. I was so busy that I forgot about her. Oh, so there is still one thing binding me to my previous human life. And not a pleasant one.

 25. What Remains Human

    ¡°Sorry, I have to take it,¡± I stand up, suddenly pale. I was wondering if she¡¯s going to call again. I¡¯ve set my account to send her money every week for groceries, hoping she¡¯d be content with that and leave me alone.

    ¡°Everything okay, Aefener?¡± Emi is worried.

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ it¡¯s just my grandma,¡± I say.

    ¡°If it¡¯s okay than why is your heart racing?¡± Emi narrows her eyes and touches her vulpine ears. ¡°Super hearing as well, remember?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not¡­ exactly getting on well,¡± I say quickly and rush towards to door. If I kept her waiting for too long, she¡¯d be twice as furious. Liana and Emi are looking at me with concern. I smile at them faintly, assuring them that I¡¯m okay before I disappear from their sight. Erik follows me, of course.

    We get into an empty briefing room next to Liana¡¯s office, Erik closes the door and I can finally pick it up.

    ¡°Ryuuto, dear,¡± she starts unbelievably sweet which is even scarier than her usual shouting.

    ¡°H-hello,¡± I greet her cautiously. She¡¯s much more unpredictable in her mania periods.

    I¡¯m surprised that she turns on her phone¡¯s camera. She¡¯s wearing a nice dress that looks quite expensive and light make-up. When she makes an effort, I can see the resemblance to my Mom in her but it only makes me even more anxious when dealing with her. She¡¯s nothing like my kind Mom.

    ¡°So I¡¯ve just had an interview¡­ another one,¡± she says cheerfully.

    ¡°An interview?¡± I blink.

    ¡°This time for this online media press¡­ I forgot the name, there¡¯re so many recently,¡± she continues. ¡°They¡¯re so courteous, not like the EU. It was more like an interrogation than a conversation when they came to ask about you.¡±

    My heart starts beating even faster. Liana actually expected the EU would try to contact my grandma to ask about me but gran doesn¡¯t know about my telepathy, nor has any idea what my Mom was doing in Japan, so we decided to do nothing about it.

    ¡°They weren¡¯t forceful or anything, were they?¡± I ask. I can¡¯t help being worried about her safety. We might not have the best relationship but she¡¯s still my only family.

    ¡°Oh, no, just pushy,¡± she shrugs. ¡°Ryuuto, dear, why don¡¯t you switch on your camera as well?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you want to see me? Last time you called me¡­¡±

    ¡°I was in shock, that¡¯s all,¡± she waves her hand. A bit too theatrically. ¡°I¡¯ve digested it already so let me see my grandson¡¯s face.¡±

    I look at Erik. He shrugs, also not sure what her intentions might be. I reluctantly switch on my phone¡¯s camera and make sure it doesn¡¯t show my boyfriend. Better keep him out of this.

    ¡°Oh,¡± grandma freezes for a moment. Her lips curve, I can tell she¡¯s disgusted by my appearance. Celestials are closest to humans in body shape but we still look pretty alien. I think it¡¯s especially our golden eyes that unnerve humans the most.

    ¡°Well, look at you,¡± she clenches her teeth, trying hard to play amicable.

    ¡°What do you want, gran?¡± I breathe in deeply. She never calls just like that.

    ¡°Are you coming home anytime soon? I need to fix a few things,¡± she says as if she doesn¡¯t get what kind of situations the world is in right now. And especially me.

    ¡°Are you serious?!¡± I can¡¯t believe my ears. Did she lose it after all? Maybe she stopped taking her medicine again.

    She looks sideways for some reason before continuing.

    ¡°Look, I know that our relationship isn¡¯t the greatest but¡­¡±

    Erik can¡¯t take it anymore and steps into the camera¡¯s frame.

    ¡°Who¡¯s with you?¡± he blurts at her which confuses me. What is he talking about?

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re Ryuuto¡¯s friend, right?¡± grandma coughs nervously. ¡°You¡¯re all over the media as well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not just a friend, I¡¯m his boyfriend and you know it,¡± he clicks his tongue. ¡°You¡¯re not alone, are you, Mrs Rehak? Who makes you say these things?¡±

    Grandma grimaces and abruptly ends the phone call.

    ¡°Y-you think she wasn¡¯t alone?¡± I gasp for breath.

    ¡°Obviously, Ryuu,¡± he rolls his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re too benevolent when it comes to her, excusing everything because of her bipolarity. I think either the EU or some media company is trying to lure you out of Liana¡¯s skyscraper.¡±

    ¡°B-but if that¡¯s true, isn¡¯t she in danger?¡± I worry.

    ¡°Gosh, Ryuu, how kind are you?¡± Erik performs an exemplary facepalm. ¡°Did she look in danger? It seems to me that she¡¯s getting paid handsomely for those interviews. Stop sending her money, silly. You owe her nothing for all those years of neglect.¡±

    I don¡¯t say anything to that and just lower my head.

    ¡°You know¡­,¡± Erik says extremely slowly. ¡°When that psychologist arrives, maybe you should go see him. To resolve your¡­ ehm¡­¡±

    ¡°Low self-esteem?¡± I finish the sentence and sigh because I know perfectly well what he¡¯s hinting at. ¡°I know. Maybe I should.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Ryuu,¡± he hugs me. ¡°I get it that you lack confidence after growing up with such a hag but we have to finally start working on it, okay? We can¡¯t have an Emperor who doesn¡¯t believe in himself.¡±

    I kiss him to deepen our connection and try to see myself through his eyes. He could always boost my confidence, at least temporarily. I know that I shouldn¡¯t depend on him that much. I realise it painfully well. Erik¡¯s right, I should seriously go see that psychologist when he gets here. I think I might gradually open up to him if he¡¯s a Draconian.

    But that¡¯s for the future. Right now, I¡¯m not able to do any of these things so I delve into the mind of my loved one to find refuge once again. Am I addicted to him because of my telepathy or because of my insecurities? Hopefully, I can work on my insecurities but if the telepathic craving is natural to my mutated brain¡­ what will I do when Erik gets tired of me?

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®when¡¯?¡± Erik pinches the soft skin under my feathers because he gets annoyed with what I was thinking right now. ¡°Even if you rephrased it with IF, I would be offended.¡±

    ¡°Ouch,¡± I whine. ¡°Pinching a Celestial under feathers, that¡¯s nasty, you!¡±

    ¡°Well, you kind of deserved it,¡± he caressed my feathers, tenderly now. ¡°You were thinking something funny again.¡±

    ¡°Because my telepathy might¡­¡±

    He doesn¡¯t give me a chance to finish that sentence, though. He silences me with a kiss and doesn¡¯t let go easily. He tries to patch my sadness with his love and it seems to be working. His mind is so stable, unlike mine. I can lean into him and trust that he will hold me.

    ¡°I love you,¡± I whisper between kisses.

    I know that he can feel it from me but I promised myself during my transformation that I won¡¯t be afraid to say it aloud. My first step to complete openness. I¡¯m willing to work on myself. For me and for him.

    ¡°Ehm¡­¡±

    A cough takes us both to reality. Fefnir is standing in the door with an amused expression. I turn red because I realise Erik has managed to seat me on the table and his hand is under my robe, between my wings. And for a Celestial that¡¯s pretty much as if he was reaching into my trousers.

    ¡°We have work to do, boys,¡± he says matter-of-factly, not at all bashful about the position he found us in.

    ¡°R-right,¡± I push Erik away and straighten my crooked robe.

    Erik grins at me and leaves the briefing room. Fefnir plugs in his laptop, I switch on the 3D projector and we start calling the Dragonkin ruler Deminas in Russia. He picks up almost immediately, expecting us.

    ¡°My liege,¡± Fefnir greets him and I feel deep respect coming from him. It¡¯s not an entirely human emotion because it goes way beyond casual respect to one¡¯s superior.

    ¡°Fefnir, Aefener,¡± Deminas nods.

    His transformation progressed again. Fefnir¡¯s did too, of course, but it¡¯s harder to notice when I see him every day. Deminas¡¯s horns are almost twenty centimetres long now and his head is starting to look really dragon-like.

    I glance at Fefnir to compare them. He¡¯s only a few days behind the Dragonkin Patriarch. And damn, he¡¯s big when I really pay attention to our differences. Fefnir¡¯s hands are three times my size, he must be struggling typing on keyboards. He could break my fragile bones with a single move. I look tiny sitting next to him.

    ¡°How are things in Russia?¡± Fefnir asks, oblivious to my inner monologue.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving my hideout in a few days,¡± Deminas informs us. ¡°I offered my place as a temporal refuge to a few people from my guild but it¡¯s just a family cottage. I can¡¯t possibly accommodate more Dragonkin here. The neighbours are starting to get suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Should we ask Liana to transport you here?¡± Fefnir suggests.

    ¡°That¡¯s not wise,¡± Deminas shakes his head. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t concentrate all rulers at one place. Firstly, we would potentially be easy targets. Secondly, we have our people all over the world and most of them can¡¯t reach the EU. Moreover, those with supportive families have no reason to.¡±

    ¡°Where will you go?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I was offered a better suited place by a guy from another guild,¡± he says. ¡°Funny, ingame we were rivals, now we¡¯re more than happy to cooperate. He even calls me his Patriarch even though we used to be exemplary frenemies before.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have the luxury to quarrel among ourselves about nonsense,¡± Fefnir shrugs. ¡°We have to unite no matter what. Our personal differences aside.¡±

    ¡°Exactly, my Viceroy,¡± Deminas agrees and looks back at me. ¡°Do you know what they are saying about Celestials in Russia, Aefener? Religious people, I mean.¡±

    ¡°Ehm¡­ no?¡± I say and don¡¯t like the vibe I¡¯m getting from him. ¡°It¡¯s Ingri and Fefnir who are analysing public opinions.¡±

    ¡°That you¡¯re real angels and apocalypse is upon us,¡± he says darkly. ¡°It sounds ridiculous, I know, but lots of people are starting to incline towards it. You doing miraculous magic isn¡¯t helping.¡±

    ¡°That video five days ago was an accident, I didn¡¯t know I was being filmed,¡± I explain quickly. ¡°It won¡¯t happen again, I promise.¡±

    ¡°Be careful, Aefener,¡± he grunts. ¡°You Celestials are the only race with a religious reference whether you like it or not. We Dragonkin might look like humanoid dragons which is intimidating but that¡¯s pure fantasy. Your race, on the other hand, even if looking most human, won¡¯t have it that easy when persuading common people that you aren¡¯t what they take you for.¡±

    Deminas then starts to discuss with Fefnir their developing Dragonkin abilities, training methods and possibilities for creating a friendly reputation with humans. I¡¯m trying to pay attention, yet I find myself pondering.

    Erik was happy that I transformed into a Celestial who indeed are the closest to humans in outer appearance. What he still doesn¡¯t realise is that if one was comparing mentalities of new races, we would come out as the most alien ones.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    The Dragonkin are phlegmatic and a friendly bunch when you get under their thick skin; Clawfangs seem too wild but they generally like people and are very extroverted; the Earthborn kind of live in a world of their own and wouldn¡¯t hurt a fly. It¡¯s actually my race I¡¯m concerned about.

    It was evident in the morning in the cafeteria. They were totally detached from the other three races and were feeling¡­ a bit above them I guess? What if our darker racial urges wake up as well? How do I handle a race of magic-wielding winged people hungry for conquest?

    ¡°Are you listening, Aefener?¡± Fefnir pokes me. I can tell he¡¯s carefully controlling his strength when he¡¯s around others.

    ¡°S-sorry, what was the last sentence?¡± I apologise.

    ¡°Training the Dragonkin and Clawfangs as our own security force,¡± Deminas repeats. ¡°I know that Liana has a private company guarding all of you at the moment but we shouldn¡¯t depend on humans if we don¡¯t have to.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a great idea,¡± Fefnir agrees. ¡°You can¡¯t have Clawfangs doing paperwork, they¡¯d go crazy. They¡¯re too hyperactive to sit in one place for too long. As for my race¡­ we might not be as restless but we do love using our muscles. Vice versa, the Earthborn and Celestials are too frail to become bodyguards. Your magic is amazing but it requires time to prepare.¡±

    ¡°Sounds reasonable,¡± I nod. ¡°Divide jobs among ourselves should be easy enough considering how different and mutually balanced we are.¡±

    We finish in half an hour and then return to Liana¡¯s office. I¡¯m surprised that Erik isn¡¯t there. I could have noticed that I don¡¯t feel him near but I was too absorbed in dealing with the Dragonkin Patriarch. Still, I feel he¡¯s still somewhere in the building so I relax. I have to stop being so dependent on him all the time and I can start right now with that.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go training,¡± Liana gets up energetically. ¡°It¡¯s too early to call our friends in the US and Brazil anyway.¡±

    ¡°Can we actually go outside?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Nope,¡± she shakes her head. ¡°I allowed Emi her morning jogs if she takes my security and behaves but I don¡¯t want anyone recording our training again. We¡¯ll use the gym on the fifth floor.¡±

    ¡°What doesn¡¯t this building have?¡± I wonder.

    ¡°A pool,¡± Liana shrugs, not catching that I was being ironic.

    She acts confidently but I notice she freezes for a second before getting into the elevator. I hesitate for a few seconds, contemplating if it would be inappropriate if I caught her hand. But there¡¯re only our bodyguards inside as Fefnir and Emi stayed behind and I bet they¡¯re sworn to secrecy. I clutch her palm and she looks at me with gratefulness.

    Do you want to try my telepathic communication? I tell her softly, not wanting to startle her. We¡¯ve never actually had a proper dialogue without spoken words before.

    She sends me a mix of jumbled emotions and sentences so I have to spend a few seconds trying to show her how to do it.

    It is better? she asks after several attempts. She got the hang of it very quickly.

    Much better. Gosh, claustrophobia is the worst, right?

    You tell me about it, I¡¯ve never had a phobia before. It¡¯s as if my very Celestial nature is struggling against being confined in a metal box.

    The same as when Ingri couldn¡¯t stand flying.

    How did the meeting with Deminas go? she asks.

    He proposed that we should employ the Dragonkin and Clawfangs as our new security in near future. What do you think?

    That¡¯s actually a great idea. It¡¯s been barely a day since Draconians arrived and I¡¯ve already received several complains from human employees. Our people are restless.

    I want to ask what her thoughts on Celestial behaviour are but the elevator stops at that moment and we can finally get off. I let go of her hand. We can¡¯t be publicly seen like that even if everyone knows my sexual orientation.

    ¡°Oh, wow!¡± I¡¯m nicely surprised when we get to the gym.

    ¡°They adjusted it to our needs,¡± Liana smiles and lets me inspect the room.

    It¡¯s evident that it used to be a fitness suite full of equipment but everything has been removed so we got quite a spacious area. There¡¯s nothing easily inflammable here and one side of the room is even covered in flame-proof material. The only things left behind are several weights, no doubt for training our telekinesis.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± Julia enters the room just a minute after us. ¡°Please, don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯m here to document everything and tend to your injuries should there be any. Don¡¯t let there be any, please.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Julia, it¡¯s actually reassuring to have you with us,¡± Liana appreciates her presence as she must have arranged for it.

    ¡°Always ready,¡± Dr Stein proudly shows us her medical suitcase. ¡°Still, don¡¯t burn yourself again, okay? Even if you do heal faster.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I totally forgot about your burnt hand, Aefener,¡± Liana slaps her forehead. ¡°And¡­ also about those bruises I caused you during my transformation.¡±

    ¡°That healed ages ago, don¡¯t worry,¡± I wave my hand. ¡°And it wasn¡¯t that horrible to begin with. Only¡­ it seems we Celestials aren¡¯t good at enduring pain.¡±

    We start with revising basic level 1 spells and it turns out we pretty much mastered them. Liana and me can confidently cast all elements, except for the earth, of course. Only when it comes to water, we can¡¯t make it out of nothing in the real world but instead control existing liquid.

    ¡°Niiice,¡± Liana produces three water bubbles and plays with them in the air.

    ¡°So is the incantation necessary or not?¡± Julia asks, watching us from some distance.

    ¡°When you¡¯re learning the spell, it seems to help a lot,¡± I say. ¡°When you master it and can concentrate properly, you don¡¯t need to speak it anymore. But it might be necessary for high-level spells that require a long preparation. We¡¯ll see.¡±

    ¡°Are you moving the bubbles with water magic or telekinesis?¡± Julia continues her interrogation.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ hard to say actually,¡± Liana says, loses her concentration for a second and water splashes onto the ground. No harm done, the place was adjusted for this kind of purpose.

    ¡°Maybe all magic is just an application of our telekinesis?¡± I suggest. ¡°It¡¯s still difficult for me to accept that such a fairy-tale concept as magic.¡±

    ¡°You do have mana, though,¡± Julia remarks.

    ¡°Mana¡­ pure energy¡­ call it whatever,¡± I shrug. ¡°It can have a scientific explanation, right? Just as my telepathy is simply an advanced ability of my mutated brain.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call it simple, Aefener,¡± Julia rolls her eyes. ¡°There¡¯s nothing simple about it.¡±

    ¡°Heya!¡± Liana tries pulling one of the weights up. ¡°Damn, that¡¯s hard!¡± she whines and the weight falls down with a loud thump. ¡°How much is it?¡±

    ¡°Ten kilos,¡± I look at the weight.

    ¡°I could hold it only for three seconds,¡± Liana laments. ¡°It felts like it was resisting me.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯ll probably be a limit to how much you can lift off with your telekinesis,¡± Julia ponders.

    I try lifting it as well but I manage only three seconds as well before it falls down.

    ¡°At least something is normal for me,¡± I¡¯m actually glad I wasn¡¯t able to do it.

    ¡°You¡¯re far better at delicate manipulation like lifting several objects as once,¡± Liana says. ¡°How many things can you levitate at the same time?¡±

    I focus on light objects like Julia¡¯s laptop, her medical suitcase and a few others things and I manage to levitate seven of them.

    ¡°Damn, I can do three at maximum,¡± Liana laments.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s something you can train,¡± I try to encourage her. ¡°Come on, you¡¯re the second-best caster. You can do it! You¡¯re already way better than the rest of Celestials.¡±

    ¡°And I have to stay that way if I want to remain the Viceroy,¡± she sighs. ¡°Working hard and training hard.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ so if someone else surpasses me I don¡¯t have to become the actual Emperor?¡±

    ¡°You already are one, stupid,¡± she shakes her head, annoyed. ¡°Ask Ingri who¡¯s monitoring not only the social media but also the current mood of our people. No one, I repeat NO ONE, doubts that you should be our Emperor even in the real world.¡±

    ¡°And they have no idea about his telepathy,¡± Julia points out.

    ¡°It better never get out or the EU government won¡¯t think twice about using brutal force just to get you,¡± Liana says darkly. ¡°It¡¯s the public that protects us, Aefener, not my security.¡±

    ¡°N-no?¡± I¡¯m taken aback. ¡°But I thought that¡­¡±

    ¡°My security is making sure no one gets inside to sabotage us,¡± Liana¡¯s tone is dead serious. ¡°Or try luck, looking for loopholes. But do you think I could resist the army if they really decided to storm the place?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ I didn¡¯t think of that,¡± I admit and shiver.

    ¡°The EU is afraid of riots, we¡¯re kept safe by the current fragile peace,¡± Liana continues to lecture me. ¡°They know that should any of us be harmed, they can expect civil war.¡±

    We don¡¯t pursue the topic any further because there¡¯s nothing we can do about it at the moment. Instead, we go back to training as everyone is waiting for our progress and more instructional videos on spellcasting. Preventing magical accidents is also essential.

    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s difficult,¡± Liana¡¯s level 2 ice spell keeps boiling the water instead of freezing it.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re changing the water¡¯s state, it¡¯s bound to be advanced,¡± I say. I managed to produce a few snowflakes but I¡¯m struggling as well.

    ¡°Shit, I can¡¯t go on,¡± Liana is panting in the end. ¡°Too hungry.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± I second after I accidentally break one of the glasses.

    ¡°It has been pretty much confirmed that Celestials refill their mana through calories from food,¡± Julia speaks up. ¡°And rest, of course. Do you feel like totally out of mana?¡±

    ¡°Not totally, but at the same time I feel like continuing wouldn¡¯t be pleasant,¡± Liana says. ¡°We didn¡¯t do that many spells, though. I hope our mana capacity will grow because this is pathetic.¡±

    ¡°Actually¡­,¡± I¡¯m trying to analyse our training session, ¡°I think we¡¯re just clumsy channelling our mana. Remember when we were training our basic flame spells? If we gave out too much mana, the spell exploded. When we gave out too little, nothing happened. I guess mastering new spells is tricky because we never know how much energy is needed.¡±

    ¡°Can you describe how having mana feels like?¡± Julia is ready with her fingers above the keyboard.

    ¡°It¡¯s like an omnipresent vibrating sensation I feel in my whole body,¡± Liana says after a short consideration. ¡°It¡¯s strongest in my spine and wings.¡±

    ¡°Which reminds me to measure your wings again, Miss Richter,¡± Julia realises and takes her laser measuring tape out of the medical suitcase. ¡°I measured Aefener¡¯s when he was at my infirmary but I have yet to examine you properly.¡±

    ¡°I prefer Liana, doctor,¡± she reminds her and obediently spreads her black wings.

    ¡°Right, sorry,¡± Julia nods and scans Liana¡¯s wings. She puts the number into her laptop and spends a while studying the data.

    ¡°As I thought!¡± Dr Stein exclaims.

    ¡°Though what?¡± we lean towards her to see the screen.

    ¡°The growth rate of your wings is gradually getting faster,¡± Julia explains, pointing her finger at the statistics only she seems to understand.

    ¡°Faster? How come?¡± I¡¯m confused.

    ¡°I reckon because your inner transformation is almost over so your bodies can accelerate the rest,¡± she guesses. ¡°It¡¯s actually similar to the Dragonkin whose horns are starting to grow much more quickly now. And high-level Earthborn are reporting being able to change colours.¡±

    ¡°What about Emi and Clawfangs in general?¡± Liana asks.

    ¡°Emi has been avoiding me like the plague,¡± Julia sighs. ¡°And the second-ranking Clawfang Gin is still in hiding. But I bet their outer transformation is also accelerating.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± I spread my wings and look at them lovingly. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to be able to fly.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± Liana agrees. ¡°Dr Stein, can eating nutritious food help speed up the process?¡±

    ¡°I would imagine so,¡± the doctor nods and looks at me sternly.

    ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯m doing my best,¡± I want to assure her but then I realise that I left my croissant in the office. There goes my snack, Erik will certainly notice and will be pissed.

    ¡°It¡¯s half past twelve, let¡¯s go for lunch,¡± Liana suggests. ¡°We can have our brainstorming after that. To be honest, normally I¡¯d push myself but it¡¯s in my own interest now to eat and rest properly.¡±

    I take my phone out of the robe. Ingri thought of everything when she was designing our clothes and all our robes have a practical pocket in the binding.

    Ryuuto (12:32)

    Lunch, yay! Let¡¯s meet in the restaurant.

    Erik (12:33)

    You forgot your snack, dummy. *rolling eyes emoji*

    Julia excuses herself, telling us that she has a packed sandwich in her office and still needs to analyse the results she got from the newcomers. We leave the gym and four bodyguards that were waiting outside re-join us.

    ¡°Do we really need four?¡± I whisper to Liana. ¡°I totally don¡¯t underestimate the possible danger but we¡¯re inside your skyscraper.¡±

    ¡°I was actually thinking we might need more soon,¡± Liana shakes her head. ¡°And not because of danger but because our own people can¡¯t seem to leave us alone.¡±

    I can¡¯t oppose that, the morning cafeteria is still fresh in my memory. Are they so crazy about us because we¡¯re celebrities or because we¡¯re their rulers?

    We get into the elevator and use this opportunity to train our connection again. It¡¯s much different than with Erik since Liana¡¯s mind is Celestial.

    Can I maybe later¡­ connect to you more deeply to explore in which aspects your mind is different from Erik¡¯s? I ask carefully. No pressure if you don¡¯t feel like it.

    It¡¯s okay, I want to do it. It might say a lot about our transformation. Besides, I trust you won¡¯t look where I don¡¯t want you to.

    I¡¯m honoured that she trusts me so much but at the same time I¡¯m a little bit unsettled. Sure, we¡¯ve known each other for over five years but does ingame friendship have the same value?

    It does for us, Liana answers in her thoughts. It was the only place we could be ourselves, remember? I could forget about my everyday worries with leading the company and you could¡­ do whatever craziness crossed your mind. Like going solo to the hardest dungeons.

    I realise I might be one of the lucky few who get to know the real Liana¡ªnot Laura Richter. She let her true self be expressed in our game. Can it be another contributing factor why our bodies started changing? That we believed so much in it that Draconia became reality?

    Which reminds me that I have to ask Julia if she knows whether all players changed. What about those that just barely started the game? Or stopped playing months ago? I doubt that brains of those people were convinced enough to initiate the mutation.

    We get off the elevator on the twelfth floor where the restaurant is. It¡¯s my first time being here but Liana sure knows her way around her huge property. We¡¯re both a bit nervous about what awaits us and it turns out our worries were justified. Even though the dining hall is huge, it¡¯s cramped with Draconians.

    ¡°We couldn¡¯t stand out more, right?¡± Liana remarks because our monochromatic wings are instantly recognisable. In addition, we¡¯re the only ones wearing Celestial robes.

    We¡¯re spotted immediately and especially Celestials flock around us. We¡¯re trying to smile and greet everyone but it¡¯s cringy. Not even Liana, who must be used to social occasions, feels comfortable. Our bodyguards are trying to keep Draconians from touching us at least but still too many hands reach our wings.

    Damn, this is definitely not normal behaviour, I use the commotion to brush Liana¡¯s hand. This is beyond crazy, Li. Did Celestials go nuts?

    They might be influenced by our mana capacity, she suggests. And our status perhaps? We¡¯re the Emperor and the Viceroy to them after all. Can you imagine meeting the president of your country just like that in a restaurant?

    Good points but still¡­

    ¡°Sorry, but can you let us through? We¡¯d like to have our lunch,¡± Liana says aloud and tries to sound both kind and urgent.

    Fortunately, they do listen to her. The crowd starts to make us a narrow passage but just as we think that we can finally pass, I feel a new hand on my left wing. The mind of that stranger flows into me and I recognise that it¡¯s an Earthborn. I sigh, mildly annoyed. I don¡¯t feel any bad intentions, just pure curiosity, but that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not rude.

    But I decide to let it slip and twitch my wings to fold them closer to my back so that they¡¯re not so tempting. However, as I do so, I suddenly feel sharp pain and an ominous sound of something tearing. It lasts only a second but the shock is enough to water my eyes. The painful sensation is like nothing I¡¯ve ever experienced before.

    I get goosebumps under my feathers and for the first time get really angry at someone. Wrathful even¡­? I can feel something awakening in me. I violently turn around and see a bluish Earthborn staring at me with one of my white feathers in his palm.

    THAT JERK DARED TO RIP OUT MY PRECIOUS FEATHER?

    I hit him hard with telekinesis and send him flying across the room.

 26. Not to Trifle With

    The telekinetic wave sends the Earthborn flying and pushes everyone in its way aside. The man hits the fall and screams in pain but the room grows otherwise absolutely silent. Everyone is staring and gasping for breath. Only Liana is sensible enough to call for the doctor right away.

    I¡¯m standing, frozen, and still royally pissed. My feathers are puffy with anger which probably makes my wings look fluffy but I don¡¯t care. I can feel my mana pouring uncontrollably out of my pores, creating breeze around me.

    ¡°Snap out of it, Aefener,¡± Liana shakes me but her Celestial mind isn¡¯t making me any calmer.

    Fortunately, Erik appears. We did agree to go for lunch together after all. For a while he¡¯s totally confused, trying to make sense of what he¡¯s seeing: an injured Earthborn, scared Draconians, oppressive silence and for a change no one in my vicinity.

    ¡°Erik, do something, Aefener isn¡¯t in his right mind!¡± Liana begs him.

    He still doesn¡¯t quite grasp what happened but he always goes for a comforting hug as default. I connect to him on reflex, finding refuge in his welcoming presence. He¡¯s so familiar¡­ so¡­ human. I calm down and finally realise what I¡¯ve done.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m s-so s-sorry,¡± I stutter. ¡°I didn¡¯t m-mean to¡­ is he okay?¡±

    I¡¯d feel if the man was dying, of course, but horrified emotions all around me aren¡¯t exactly reassuring. Several Draconian jumped to the Earthborn while Erik was calming me down and they feel really worried. I gently push Erik aside and hurry to the poor guy. The Earthborn are nowhere near Dragonkin resilience or Clawfang agility but they should have the power of absolute regeneration, right? Right?!

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I¡­ I wasn¡¯t in control¡­,¡± I collapse on my knees next to him.

    I look at his palm and my feather is still there but it doesn¡¯t make me angry anymore. I notice that his hand looks¡­ quite sticky? I didn¡¯t feel any bad intentions from him, he couldn¡¯t have planned for it. His palm probably got stuck to my wing by accident as he discovered a new ability.

    ¡°J-just like i-ingame¡ªno trifling with Celestial wings,¡± the man coughs with difficulties. He¡¯s in serious pain, I imagine some of his bones must be broken but the way he¡¯s looking at me¡­ almost apologetically. He doesn¡¯t blame me. Which makes me feel even guiltier.

    ¡°This is not a game, I could have killed you,¡± I whisper and shiver. ¡°Hold still, I¡­ I can try¡­¡±

    I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing exactly, to be honest, but I put my hands above his chest and desperately try channelling as much mana as possible. How did healing spells feel like ingame? Warm, soothing¡­ comforting. Just like Erik. I close my eyes and try to put as much tenderness into the spell as I can muster towards a stranger.

    I can tell the spell is way higher than my current abilities and my mana was already quite depleted from the training with Liana. Under normal circumstances I most probably wouldn¡¯t be able to do it. But the adrenaline, the guilt¡­ it pushes me to my limits.

    I recall the transfiguration symbol associated with healing spells, my hands lighten up bright and the symbol actually materialises under my palms as a floating hologram. The onlookers gasp for breath again but I don¡¯t let myself be distracted. I continue casting and the world around me disappears. This close I can feel the man¡¯s pain almost as if it was my own so I know exactly where to apply the healing magic.

    ¡°Ryuu, that¡¯s enough!¡± Erik shakes me urgently.

    I blink, suddenly disbalanced, and the spell gets interrupted. I perceive my surroundings once again and most importantly feel my own body. My hands are shaking and I¡¯m almost completely out of mana.

    ¡°He¡¯s going to be okay, you did your best, Aefener,¡± Dr Stein praises me.

    I didn¡¯t notice her arrival at all, I was too absorbed in the spell. Fefnir takes the Earthborn off the ground and together with another Dragonkin puts him carefully on a stretcher. The bodyguards are trying to make some space because the hall got clogged again because everyone was pushing to watch me casting.

    I try to get up but I wobble. I feel drained¡­ so drained.

    ¡°No fainting, Ryuu, you do that way too often already,¡± Erik takes me into his arms. ¡°You did well, love,¡± he whispers into my ear.

    ¡°I¡­ I just need to rest a bit,¡± I say weakly. ¡°Is he going to be okay? I don¡¯t know how much I managed to heal. If anything.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s going to be okay,¡± Julia assures me. ¡°Erik, see to it that Aefener eats a lot, will you?¡±

    ¡°To your apartment,¡± Liana orders us because the crowd starts to get restless. ¡°Send someone to bring us food, please,¡± she tells one of the human employees.

    Only now I notice Emi and Ingri as well. Did they see the incident or did they come a bit later together with Erik? I turn red and stretch one of my wings to hide my face. Everyone keeps staring and whispering to each other.

    ¡°He budged me with that wave¡­ and I have over a hundred kilo now.¡±

    ¡°Was that really a transfiguration symbol? Can we actually materialise them here?¡±

    ¡°It was harsh but that Earthborn was asking for it.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no touching Celestial wings without permission, that¡¯s for sure!¡±

    I sigh out in relief when the elevator door closes. For once, I¡¯m grateful to that metal box which causes my claustrophobia. Emi, Ingri and Fefnir have to take another elevator because ours is already full with the bodyguards. Liana starts caressing my wings because she knows that I¡¯ll want to talk with Erik telepathically.

    So¡­ what happened? Erik asks me right away.

    I don¡¯t know how to describe it properly so I decide for something a bit different instead. I try sending him images and how I felt during the incident. It¡¯s like a video memory with an emotional subtext.

    Damn, Ryuu, that¡¯s super scary, he trembles.

    What¡¯s scarier? The fact I hurt that person over something quite petty or that I stopped thinking like a human? I ask, afraid of his answer.

    Aefener, I¡¯d probably react in the same way, Liana tries to comfort me. Why are you so scared of your new nature? I¡¯m also a Celestial and I¡¯m perfectly reasonable even if I think about stuff a bit differently now.

    I¡­ I guess I¡¯m afraid of losing control over my abilities¡­ which is exactly what just happened, I say truthfully.

    Well, it¡¯s true that if someone like you loses control, it can have catastrophic consequences, Liana admits. But if you fight your new nature, you¡¯ll never get used to it. I think the key here is to come to terms with it.

    Am I holding you back? Erik asks. You lost control after we were separated for a few hours. Maybe it¡¯s me who is still binding you to your previous human self.

    I was never quite human from the beginning, I remind him.

    You know what I mean.

    The elevator stops and we get off. The rest of the gang arrives just a few seconds after us. I¡¯m relieved that the hall is totally empty but then I realise that one has to enter a password to stop at this floor. It¡¯s only private apartments here. Still, we don¡¯t feel quite safe until we¡¯re behind the closed sound-proof door so that we can speak freely.

    ¡°Did you see it, guys?¡± I ask wearily.

    Fefnir, Ingri and Emi shake their heads in unison.

    ¡°Nope, but the bodyguards told us in the elevator,¡± Emi says. ¡°We have a pretty good picture.¡±

    ¡°So¡­,¡± Erik bites his lips when he seats me on the couch.

    ¡°So,¡± I lower my head and fold my wings, ¡°it seems I have the Celestial nature after all. It¡¯s probably been lurking in the corner in my mind for quite some time. I guess connecting to you was keeping it suppressed.¡±

    ¡°I have the Celestial nature as well and I¡¯m coping just fine,¡± Liana opposes. ¡°Why are you so afraid of it, Aefener?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious after what just happened?¡± I say with difficulties.

    ¡°It was a reflex, nothing more,¡± she shrugs.

    ¡°A reflex doesn¡¯t almost kill people,¡± I whisper. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m dangerous.¡±

    ¡°All new races have potentially dangerous abilities. That¡¯s why humans are so scared of us. Besides, everyone expects your magic will be the strongest,¡± Emi says.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be dangerous,¡± I lean onto Erik¡¯s chest. I can¡¯t help it, my eyes water a bit. ¡°I don¡¯t want people to be afraid of me.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re all dangerous now,¡± Liana pokes me. ¡°Gosh, Fefnir could crush anyone¡¯s bones if he wanted.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t happen¡­ never ever,¡± Fefnir grits his teeth, offended. ¡°The Dragonkin are strong but we¡¯re not brutes.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Fefnir, it was just an example,¡± Liana apologises quickly.

    ¡°Uhm, dizzy,¡± my head spins. ¡°I¡¯m totally out of mana.¡±

    I¡¯m saved as someone knocks at the door, bringing us our lunches. Emi and Fefnir take it and close the door again. We don¡¯t talk for a while. I really have to eat right now and the others might not be as hungry but they welcome some thinking time. Erik opens our shares¡ªa beef steak with dumplings for him and fried rice with vegetables for me. My hand is shaking when I grab a fork.

    ¡°Still in shock?¡± Ingri catches it. She¡¯s always been very observant.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I shake my head. ¡°More like low glucose. I used up all my mana on healing.¡±

    For a few minutes there¡¯s only the sound of munching and cutlery hitting plastic boxes. I can feel everyone is quite anxious and thinking frantically. The atmosphere is tense. What I did will have consequences, whatever their form might be.

    ¡°So¡­ am I going to jail or something?¡± I voice my biggest concern when my stomach stops rumbling.

    ¡°Is that the first thing that comes to your mind?¡± Liana rolls her eyes.

    ¡°B-but¡­ I did hurt him.¡±

    ¡°It was self-defence,¡± she insists. ¡°He hurt you.¡±

    ¡°It was an accident, he didn¡¯t want to rip off my feather on purpose. His hand was sticky with¡­ whatever the Earthborn can produce,¡± I defend the poor guy. ¡°My reaction was totally inadequate.¡±

    ¡°Bioglen,¡± Ingri sets the record straight and her tension transforms into annoyance. ¡°Gosh, what is it with other races not remembering anything about us?¡±

    ¡°Because you use difficult terminology,¡± Fefnir says.

    ¡°At least make an effort, we¡¯re not so impossible to understand,¡± Ingri is even more pissed now. ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re mysterious Celestials.¡±

    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s nothing mysterious about us,¡± Liana protests.

    ¡°Yeah? So why could no one ever enter your flying city ingame?¡± she purses her lips.

    ¡°The air was too thin there, other races wouldn¡¯t be able to breathe,¡± Liana explains.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t want foreigners, that¡¯s the main reason,¡± Ingri insists and mumbles more for herself: ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to see it and now I can¡¯t anymore.¡±

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    There¡¯s pressing silence for a while. Emi is nervously waggling her tail, Fefnir is cleaning imaginary dirt from under his claws and Ingri feels genuinely offended by our lack of knowledge concerning her race. Not even Liana knows what to say.

    ¡°Did you just have a totally Draconian quarrel?¡± Erik breaks the silence.

    ¡°I guess we did,¡± Emi scratches her left ear.

    ¡°It felt like our tension developed into open frustration,¡± I say slowly.

    ¡°No wonder, we¡¯re under tremendous pressure,¡± Liana sighs. ¡°We¡¯re starting to rub against our differences which might¡­¡±

    Another knocking at the door. Fefnir goes to answer and it turns out to be Julia. She doesn¡¯t feel as worried as I was anticipating but I can tell she¡¯s edgy.

    ¡°How is he?¡± I almost jump.

    ¡°The patient is resting,¡± Julia manages a smile and sits in an empty chair. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you did, Aefener, but your spell was miraculous. Heidan, that¡¯s his name, has three broken ribs and a concussion but he¡¯s healing astonishingly fast. At this rate, he should be fine in just one week. He doesn¡¯t even need to go to hospital.¡±

    ¡°Thank god,¡± I feel relieved and my wings finally stop trembling.

    ¡°He¡¯s not holding it against you,¡± Dr Stein adds. ¡°He asked me to tell you that. It was an accident on both parts.¡±

    ¡°My reaction was still totally overboard,¡± I lower my head.

    ¡°Your reaction was probably naturally Celestial,¡± Julia comments. ¡°If the game lore comes true and I reckon it will¡­ well, you Celestials don¡¯t lose feathers just like we lose hair, right?¡±

    ¡°No, our feathers are being sustained by the mana circuit so there¡¯s no need to renew them,¡± I explain. ¡°They hold very firmly and it¡¯s extremely painful for us when someone rips them off. Can I have my feather back? It might sound weird but it feels wrong somehow to just toss it.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I was hoping I could keep it,¡± Julia looks at me, almost begging. ¡°I¡¯d like to examine it under a microscope and then¡­ make it a keepsake? It¡¯s so pretty after all.¡±

    ¡°Ehm¡­ okay,¡± I allow after a short consideration. It¡¯s a bit strange to imagine that a piece of me will be hidden in a drawer somewhere but it¡¯s better than a trash can.

    ¡°Pchm, I wanted one as well,¡± Erik is fuming.

    ¡°You can pet my wings whenever you can, Erik,¡± I roll my eyes and look at the doctor sternly. ¡°I trust you won¡¯t turn my feather into an old-fashioned writing tool, Julia?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± Dr Stein bursts laughing and the atmosphere finally brightens.

    ¡°Anyway, we still have a lot of work to do,¡± Liana claps and stands up. ¡°I have to admit I¡¯m a bit worried about the public opinion because I bet the incident got out already but there¡¯s nothing we can do about rumours.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, Aefener¡¯s telekinesis was super strong,¡± Fefnir realises. ¡°And then he did that healing spell while actually materialising a transfiguration symbol.¡±

    ¡°Ehm¡­ guys?¡± Ingri turns pale while checking her phone. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought I¡¯d say this but¡­ damn people and their phone addiction.¡±

    ¡°Did someone manage to record it?¡± Liana gets horrified. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°It seems they had the camera on when Aefener was passing through the crowd,¡± Ingri gulps. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s trending¡­ but not in a good way this time.¡±

    ¡°As expected,¡± I murmur and my wings start trembling again.

    ¡°Scheisse, so we can¡¯t play that rumour card,¡± Liana bites her lip. ¡°I was hoping that¡­ damn.¡±

    We sit around Ingri and anxiously watch as the number of views on the video skyrockets. I don¡¯t want to watch it but I have to see how it looks like from the other person¡¯s perspective. And it¡¯s even worse than I thought. I came out as totally alien¡­ and super scary.

    ¡°No shit, Aefener,¡± Fefnir doesn¡¯t hold back. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know you, I¡¯d think¡­¡±

    ¡°Not helping, Fefnir,¡± Emi nudges him.

    My phone starts ringing. I¡¯m almost afraid to look at the screen but it¡¯s Gotrid and most probably Gin, too. Just a few seconds after, Fefnir¡¯s phone follows.

    ¡°It¡¯s Deminas,¡± he says. ¡°I bet he¡¯s also calling because of the video.¡±

    We pick up at the same time and put our phones on the table. Deminas¡¯s reaction doesn¡¯t surprise me at all.

    ¡°What did I tell you about being careful when seen in public, Aefener!¡± he¡¯s doing his best not to blatantly yell at me. ¡°Do you even realise what you have done? This can cause hysteria!¡±

    Gotrid¡¯s reaction isn¡¯t as outspoken, he¡¯s more scared than angry.

    ¡°My Emperor, this might shift the votes in favour of chipping us in the US,¡± he exclaims.

    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re really considering it here,¡± Gin, sitting next to him, seconds.

    ¡°It¡¯s not his fault, he was kind of¡­ assaulted in a way,¡± Ingri tries to help me. ¡°It was a Celestial self-defence reflex.¡±

    ¡°Seriously, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s worse,¡± Deminas hisses through his pointy teeth. ¡°Aefener showing miraculous abilities all the time or the fact that he isn¡¯t properly protected so random people can rip off his feathers.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Liana admits reluctantly. ¡°We underestimated the situation. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be too hard on yourselves,¡± Dr Stein speaks up in an attempt to comfort us. ¡°You¡¯re totally new to this. No one in the world is able to anticipate what happens next. There¡¯re bound to be many mistakes. We¡¯re all learning on the go.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s really thoughtful of you, doc,¡± Erik appreciates.

    ¡°I¡¯d go crazy without adopting this attitude,¡± Julia remarks. ¡°Do you have any idea how hard it is to work with new races? Especially because I¡¯m human so they don¡¯t trust me,¡± she glances at Emi.

    The Clawfang Alpha looks guiltily sideways but her emotional response isn¡¯t as strong as it used to be. I still hope Julia can win her over eventually.

    ¡°Oh, my King and Queen are calling as well,¡± Ingri announces and connects another phone call.

    Their reaction is pretty much similar to Deminas¡¯s, they¡¯re mainly concerned about the Draconian reputation and how the incident might influence the public opinion and overall mood in the society.

    ¡°At least you didn¡¯t hurt a human,¡± Werden says, frowning. ¡°That would look seriously bad.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d have made a difference in that kind of situation,¡± I say slowly.

    ¡°Which means we have to be twice as grateful it was one of ours,¡± the Earthborn King nods.

    ¡°And that he won¡¯t press charges,¡± Julia adds.

    ¡°Still, another problem is that you manifested miraculous powers¡­ again, Aefener,¡± Twyla continues. ¡°We¡¯ll all probably become miraculously strong in future but your abilities are too spontaneous. Too¡­ effortless.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I know,¡± I clutch my fists. ¡°But I¡¯m not doing it on purpose.¡±

    ¡°We know you¡¯re not,¡± Deminas says more amicably now. ¡°But if the Celestial lore comes true even here, you might become an equivalent to an atomic bomb. And that¡¯s something that will scare the EU shitless.¡±

    ¡°Which part?¡± Erik pulls my sleeve, a bit lost.

    ¡°The part about the Celestial Emperor being the incarnate of magic itself,¡± I quickly explain.

    ¡°Oh, so I was right,¡± Erik scratches his chin. ¡°Others will have to train how to do magic, you¡¯ll have to train in order not to do magic.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re all rulers,¡± Werden speaks again. ¡°Why is Aefener so ahead of us?¡±

    ¡°It has to do with one¡¯s previous VR compatibility level,¡± Julia says. ¡°Aefener¡¯s was indeed 100% so his transformation is the fastest.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so it wasn¡¯t just a rumour,¡± the rulers are surprised.

    ¡°That would explain a lot but not everything,¡± Gin narrows his eyes. ¡°How did you even attain such perfect compatibility in the first place? It was thought to be impossible and the scientific research pretty much proved it.¡±

    ¡°I¡­.,¡± I hesitate for a moment. ¡°Is this channel really safe, Li?¡±

    ¡°My company¡¯s network has the best encryption protocols and all our devices have been checked,¡± my Viceroy assures me. ¡°Are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking?¡±

    ¡°Guys, can you give us a few minutes?¡± I look at the screens. ¡°We need to discuss something first.¡±

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have secrets among ourselves,¡± Deminas frowns.

    ¡°Exactly, but¡­ it¡¯s actually personal so I¡­ I need¡­,¡± I¡¯m looking for the right words.

    ¡°Okay, Aefener, discuss what you must,¡± Twyla waves her hand and hangs up. Others shrug and do the same.

    ¡°Ryuu, are you seriously considering telling them about your Mom?¡± Erik clutches my hand. ¡°What if they aren¡¯t careful enough and it leaks out?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m actually considering telling them everything,¡± I say slowly. ¡°About my telepathy, too.¡±

    Liana clicks her tongue and looks at me disapprovingly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not only your secret anymore, Aefener,¡± she says with a serious expression. ¡°You being a telepath is both a huge asset and danger to us.¡±

    ¡°I know but these are our friends, Li. I feel bad hiding it from them. Besides, how can our communication be effective when they don¡¯t know everything?¡±

    ¡°Aefener¡¯s right,¡± Emi agrees. ¡°Deminas, Twyla, Werden, Gin and Gotrid should be all part of our inner circle. Besides, if Deminas knows about Aefener¡¯s telepathy, he might help us convincing other Dragonkin to join our security forces.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for ages,¡± Fefnir seconds. ¡°I know that not everyone had been as close as, for instance, me and Aefener but they¡¯re still our friends¡­ and allies.¡±

    ¡°Ryuu, do you feel okay?¡± Erik notices my anxiety that is growing stronger.

    ¡°To be completely honest,¡± I take a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m tired of hiding, guys. I¡¯ve been afraid of telling anyone about my special ability for years but now that you know¡­ well, it¡¯s liberating. I haven¡¯t felt this relaxed around people¡­ well, never. I want all my closest friends to know. I don¡¯t want to lie to them.¡±

    Erik is assuring me in his mind that it¡¯s totally okay to keep it secret just among us and that I shouldn¡¯t feel pressured by circumstances. But I think I¡¯ve progressed at least a little it in my quest to openness. I¡¯m actually surprised myself that I want to tell more people. No, not just any people. My friends.

    ¡°I think it would be beneficial if all rulers and viceroys knew,¡± Liana admits after a thorough consideration. ¡°But what about Gotrid? He became a seraph just a few days before it all started so we don¡¯t know him that well.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s one of us and it would be unfair to tell Gin but not him,¡± I say. ¡°I should learn how to trust people so I might as well start with it now.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Aefener, the decision is yours to make after all,¡± Liana concedes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s tell them,¡± I nod and try to smile confidently.

    In the meanwhile, Ingri put everyone onto the laptop so we can have a proper conference call now. We sit closer to each other and call everyone again.

    ¡°So¡­,¡± I say slowly. ¡°I put my trust in you guys. Make sure you¡¯re really alone and listen¡­¡±

    I start by telling them about my Mom¡¯s research, me being her test subject as a child and then¡­ about my telepathy. They are astonished, of course, but they keep absorbing everything until I finish talking and give them space to react.

    ¡°Our Emperor is truly miraculous!¡± Gotrid is genuinely excited.

    ¡°Which is still a problem,¡± Deminas is frowning. ¡°Even bigger than we thought we had before.¡±

    ¡°So Aefener¡¯s effortless magic might be connected to that,¡± Gin is pondering. ¡°His brain wasn¡¯t quite human from the beginning.¡±

    ¡°Aefener, dear, thank you for telling us,¡± Twyla is grateful. ¡°I imagine it must have been hard.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re taking it well,¡± Emi nudges me, content. ¡°I knew they would.¡±

    ¡°Considering we¡¯re all new species now, telepathy isn¡¯t so hard to digest I guess,¡± Werden shrugs. ¡°But I agree with Deminas, you have to be extremely careful, Aefener. We¡¯re all rulers but you¡¯re the most visible figure¡ªthe face of Draconia. Literally all eyes are on you.¡±

    ¡°Okay, since we¡¯re all here anyway, let¡¯s have that meeting together,¡± Liana decides after I finally answer all curious questions.

    I¡¯m relieved that the topic shifts away from me so I can finally relax a bit. I¡¯m glad that they took it so well. It feels like coming out in a sense. And maybe it is for a telepath.

    It felt good to tell them, right? Erik speaks to me in his thoughts while Ingri is discussing new Earthborn abilities with Twyla and Werden.

    It did, I admit. My quest for openness is going surprisingly well.

    You really call it a quest? Nerd! he laughs in his head.

    ¡°So you can see what it looks like when Aefener isn¡¯t truly listening and is rather talking telepathically with his boyfriend,¡± Liana pokes me, annoyed. ¡°No spacing out during an important meeting, you two!¡±

    Twyla giggles while Deminas shares my Viceroy¡¯s annoyance.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I mumble, embarrassed.

    The meeting continues and it actually saves us time to discuss things together. However, I can¡¯t miss how differently we think about various issues. And it goes way beyond just differences in opinions. Each race has a totally opposite view on things.

    Twyla and Werden bring up ecology for some reason, irrelevantly to the topic, Deminas and Fefnir put way too much emphasis on training our new abilities, Emi and Gin can¡¯t shut up about our freedom of movement and Liana and Gotrid are mostly concerned about politics.

    We end the phone call when we realise it¡¯s 4 P.M. already and we still have to brainstorm our arguments for tomorrow.

    ¡°We should establish regular meetings from now on,¡± Werden suggests. ¡°I know that it might be problematic because of different time zones but we should be able to find a reasonable slot.¡±

    ¡°Staying in touch then,¡± Liana says goodbye and hangs up. ¡°Let¡¯s continue in the briefing room, we need a proper table. Do you feel better, Aefener? Can you walk?¡±

    ¡°I think so. The food is certainly doing its job,¡± I pat my stomach.

    We leave the apartment and Liana spends a while telling the bodyguards that they have to really watch over who¡¯s touching me. All of us for that matter.

    ¡°Right, anyone stupid enough to pull my tail will get it,¡± Emi proudly shows off her claws.

    ¡°I think everyone got the message,¡± Fefnir grins. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone would rip off Aefener¡¯s feather ever again after what happened to that poor guy.¡±

    ¡°Heidan,¡± Julia repeats his name.

    ¡°Can I visit him later?¡± I ask. ¡°I¡¯d like to apologise again.¡±

    ¡°Sure, tomorrow. He¡¯s sleeping now, I gave him some pills,¡± Dr Stein nods. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ll go check up on him. I have two Earthborn helpers now but they¡¯re just medical students,¡± she says goodbye and leaves.

    I¡¯m a bit afraid to step out of the elevator when we arrive at the floor where Liana¡¯s office is situated. What if everyone becomes scared of me? I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to filter such an avalanche of fear and possibly even hatred.

    But the hall is unexpectedly calm. We meet several Draconians who got their job assignments here but they respectfully go out of our way without a flinch in their emotional state when seeing me. We also meet a few human employees and they¡¯re quite wary but nothing too overwhelming fortunately.

    I almost think we¡¯ll make it without an incident but when we turn around the corner, we spot at least two dozen Celestials stepping nervously in front of Liana¡¯s office. They beam at us and immediately flock all around. Our bodyguards have to work really hard to keep them off our wings at least.

    ¡°They¡¯re finally back!¡±

    ¡°Are you okay, Your Majesty? Didn¡¯t that jerk hurt you too badly?¡±

    ¡°He was sooo asking for it!¡±

    ¡°Your magic is as proficient as ever.¡±

    They push a little bit too much and I can feel Liana is getting seriously pissed. I bet she ordered that nobody without a proper clearance should enter this floor and these Celestials don¡¯t look like office types at all.

    ¡°Li, something¡¯s not right here,¡± Fefnir pulls her sleeve in all that commotion. ¡°Where¡¯s your security?¡±

    For a few seconds, I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s talking about. Our bodyguards are standing next to us, right? Then I notice that I don¡¯t see those regular lower-tier security guards that should be patrolling every corridor, especially the CEO¡¯s office.

    I try to calm my mind down as I was learning during my meditation sessions with Julia and filter that excessive Celestial excitement that is preventing me from feeling pretty much anything else. And then I feel it¡ªthree humans behind the crowd, scared shitless. I touch my Viceroy to quickly convey it to her.

    ¡°Silence!¡± Liana loses her cool and shouts.

    The Celestials go silent which isn¡¯t that surprising really. Liana¡¯s authority is undeniable. She orders them to step aside so that we can reach the other side. And there they are¡ªthree security guards crouching and shivering, almost on the verge of tears. I can¡¯t imagine our bodyguards in a similar position but these poor men are nowhere near their level, that¡¯s for sure. They¡¯re just regular employees with tasers and walkie-talkies.

    ¡°W-what the¡­?¡± Liana widens her eyes, not quite sure what the hell she¡¯s looking at. ¡°What are you doing? Why did you let so many people in?¡±

    ¡°M-Madam Richter,¡± a bald man in a security uniform is stuttering and sweating a lot. ¡°T-they¡­ insisted and¡­ t-they¡­ t-took our equipment,¡± he gulps.

    ¡°You serious?¡± Liana is getting angry. ¡°Are you total amateurs or what?!¡±

    ¡°T-they¡­ used telekinesis¡­ we couldn¡¯t do anything,¡± another security guy says and he¡¯s at the point of mental breakdown.

    Liana looks at the crowd of Celestials in disbelief. Did they really use their abilities to disarm and intimidate the security? Just like that? And why?

    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± she swears. ¡°Did you go completely nuts, people?¡± she shouts at the Draconians. ¡°These men are helping us, morons! They¡¯re my employees.¡±

    ¡°Your Excellency, we shouldn¡¯t rely on humans,¡± one of the Celestials says confidently. I recognise him. He came to the mansion in the first batch of refugees. I recall his level was quite high.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± not even Liana knows how to react to that. The situation is too surreal.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple really,¡± he smiles. ¡°We¡¯re volunteering for the Imperial Guard.¡±

 27. We Canâ€™t Rely on Humans

    ¡°The incident with that Eartborn was eye-opening. Our rulers have to be protected and we shouldn¡¯t rely on humans,¡± the Celestial says calmly. ¡°Their loyalty is¡­ questionable.¡±

    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re hired professionals bound by contract while you¡¯re just a bunch of ex-gamers,¡± Karl the bodyguard speaks up, pissed. I rarely ever hear him talk but the Celestial offended him deeply. It seems he really takes pride in his job.

    ¡°Is this toy yours, human?¡± the Celestial purses his lips in provocation and, for a reason I can¡¯t understand, he¡¯s holding a gun in his hand.

    ¡°W-what the¡­?¡± Karl reaches for his belt but the weapon case is empty. Did that Celestial take it using telekinesis?!

    Karl widens his eyes in surprise but his training immediately kicks in. However miraculous our magic is, Celestials are hopeless at anything physical and the bodyguard is well aware of that. His movement is too quick for a fragile winged person so the Celestial is suddenly lying on the ground with Karl easily overpowering him and claiming his gun back.

    I get goosebumps under my feathers because all the Celestials around us activate their mana and are about to hit Karl with telekinesis while remaining bodyguards pull out their guns. I¡¯m prepared to protect Karl with my own telekinesis if it comes to the worst but my Viceroy readily steps in.

    ¡°Stop it this instant!¡± Liana shouts, seriously furious now. The anger I can feel from her isn¡¯t human emotion, it¡¯s genuine Celestial wrath. Just like when we caught that leaker in her mansion, only this time it doesn¡¯t astonish me as much. It feels to me somehow more natural than human anger.

    ¡°B-but Your Excellency, that human¡­,¡± the Celestial lying on the ground gasps for breath.

    ¡°That man is my employee and I will hear no more, do you understand?¡± she hisses through her teeth and lets her mana leak.

    Thanks to her intervention, I can analyse the situation more as a bystander and better focus on details. It seems leaking one¡¯s mana will really become a Celestial equivalent of the Dragonkin intimidation technique and it¡¯s something we started doing naturally without thinking.

    ¡°As you wish, Viceroy,¡± the Celestial stops struggling and the others stand back. The bodyguards put their guns back to the cases and Karl slowly releases the Celestial. But irritation is still in the air.

    ¡°D-damn,¡± Erik sighs out, clutches my hand and switches to telepathy. That was seriously crazy, Ryuu. What the hell just happened?

    It was as if the Celestial nature clashed with the human one, I answer, unsure.

    ¡°Everyone into the briefing room,¡± Liana clicks her tongue and her tone doesn¡¯t allow any disobedience.

    The briefing room is on this floor so we find ourselves sitting in the conference chairs just a few moments later. Except for my friends, the place is full of Celestials which is an unusual sight. I got used to our gang consisting of all races.

    ¡°So first of all, incidents like this can never happen again, is that clear?¡± Liana starts sharply and is eyeing the Celestials sternly. ¡°The humans who stayed in my skyscraper do want to help us, don¡¯t forget that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Viceroy,¡± the group mumbles obediently.

    ¡°Secondly,¡± she continues. ¡°Were you serious about that preposition?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± the Celestial man who disarmed Karl nods and the others follow. I feel great resolution coming from them.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Vermiel, Your Majesty,¡± the man smiles. ¡°I used to be the guild master of Crossed Spells but it probably doesn¡¯t ring a bell to you, we were just a medium-sized guild for casual players. Still, my ingame level was 68.¡±

    ¡°What gave you that idea, Vermiel?¡± I¡¯m curious.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± he frowns. ¡°This isn¡¯t a game anymore. That incident with the Earthborn was fortunately just an accident but it showed how easy it is to hurt you, Your Majesty. Your bodyguards were useless, you were hurt in front of dozens of witnesses.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t decided that I¡¯ll become the Celestial Emperor even here,¡± I say quickly.

    Liana kicks me under the table. Not strongly but I still have to do my best to conceal the pain and keep my face straight.

    Stupid, don¡¯t diminish yourself in front of others! she berates me, sending her thoughts as she inconspicuously touches my left wing with her right one.

    ¡°What is to decide?¡± Vermiel doesn¡¯t understand. ¡°You are our Emperor.¡±

    I have to analyse the situation for a moment because I don¡¯t feel any doubts in his mind which confuses me. Does he really mean it? And the others? How do they feel about it? I look at the Celestials and they seem to agree with Vermiel to the point it¡¯s them who are confused about my hesitation.

    ¡°Are you okay, Your Majesty? Are you still shaken that he ripped off your feather?¡± a Celestial woman with brown wings is genuinely worried because I don¡¯t say anything.

    Aefener, they look at you and see their Emperor, Liana tells me in her thoughts. We¡¯ve changed more than you want to admit to yourself.

    But you still act normal around me, I oppose.

    Because I have to, you need it. But have I ever questioned that I¡¯m anything else to you than your Viceroy? she says and I don¡¯t feel any doubts from her either.

    ¡°Of course, he¡¯s your Emperor,¡± Emi remarks rather impatiently. ¡°Why are we even discussing it? We don¡¯t have time to waste.¡±

    I look at the Clawfang Alpha. Emi had no problem accepting her role from the very beginning. How brave and strange when she¡¯s basically the same age as me. But now that I think about it¡­ did Fefnir and Liana have any doubts? Because I can¡¯t seem to recall any. Twyla and Werden were a bit hesitant I think but only during their transformation. After that they¡¯ve readily accepted their roles.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to meddle in the Celestial business but I agree,¡± Fefnir speaks up. ¡°My liege Deminas actually proposed the same thing today. We should still cooperate with humans but we can¡¯t rely solely on them.¡±

    Ingri stays silent, feeling not quite qualified to join but I can tell she agrees as well.

    ¡°Cooperation,¡± Liana articulates carefully. ¡°The human security is still essential¡­ at least until we get full control over our abilities. But I do agree that we should strengthen the defences with our own people as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°The races of Draconia were designed to complement each other,¡± Fefnir reminds everyone. ¡°We Dragonkin are indispensable when it comes to direct combat while Celestials are much better suited for more delicate tasks that require precision and elemental magic.¡±

    ¡°The Dragonkin are slow, though,¡± Emi says. ¡°No offence, Fefnir, I¡¯m just stating a fact.¡±

    ¡°None taken,¡± he waves his massive scaly hand. ¡°I was actually about to say that Clawfangs are perfect for things that require agility and stealth.¡±

    ¡°Hey, what about us?¡± Ingri frowns because she feels left out.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think the Earthborn are keen on joining our security forces, Ingri,¡± Liana shrugs. ¡°Or are you?¡±

    ¡°Ehm¡­ n-nope,¡± Ingri shakes her head violently and I notice something profoundly green sprouting in her hair. ¡°But we do want to help, of course.¡±

    ¡°Well, who are the best biologists, chemists and healers?¡± Emi grins at her. ¡°Liana can give your people resources to start experimenting for real.¡±

    ¡°We also desperately need someone who would be able to uncover possible threats in advance,¡± Liana adds. ¡°I¡¯m talking about things like poisoned rations but also drugs specially designed to pacify us should there be any in future.¡±

    ¡°My people can certainly do that,¡± Ingri says proudly.

    We keep discussing smart allocation of our people for another half an hour until Liana realises, to our horror, that we still have to formulate our arguments for the tomorrow¡¯s meeting with the Prime Minister.

    ¡°Thank you for your feedback, everyone, you¡¯re dismissed,¡± she says when we close up the topic for today.

    ¡°Your Excellency,¡± the Celestial woman with brown wings stands up and seems a bit nervous. ¡°Sorry to be so outspoken but we have to start guarding you and Your Majesty immediately, not later. The danger is real and losing you two would be catastrophic.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Liana asks. ¡°And it¡¯s okay to speak up, we welcome anyone¡¯s ideas. Draconia Online had a rather medieval governing system but we won¡¯t adapt things that aren¡¯t beneficial to us. We¡¯re still people of the 22<sup>nd</sup> century.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Muriel,¡± she introduces herself. ¡°I might not have been part of the royal guild but I did participate in official role-play events and my guild set up many dungeon records.¡±

    ¡°Oh, are you possibly from Slender Crescent?¡± Liana guesses. Slender Crescent was our rival guild who stole quite a few records from us.

    ¡°I am,¡± Muriel smiles. ¡°One of their best combat mages. And I hope you¡¯ll hear me out when I say that we have to starts guarding you right away.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Liana agrees. ¡°I usually prefer to think things through and double-check everything and everyone involved but we don¡¯t have the luxury of time. We have to trust each other, there¡¯s no other way.¡±

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    The Celestials victoriously grin and it takes them just a minute to decide who joins our human bodyguards right now to take the first guarding shift.

    ¡°What about Emi and Fefnir?¡± I bring up because we didn¡¯t speak about their protection at all. ¡°And Ingri might not be a ruler but she¡¯s become a public figure as well.¡±

    ¡°Ingri stays with us so she gets our protection, I¡¯m training her to become my secretary,¡± Liana officially announces what I suspected some while ago.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Aefener,¡± Emi laughs. ¡°My pack will protect me and I¡¯m not a fragile Celestial anyway.¡±

    ¡°No worries here either,¡± Fefnir seconds. ¡°You know how hard it is to harm a Dragonkin and my people won¡¯t leave me alone either. They¡¯re just not as obviously clingy as yours.¡±

    ¡°Miss Ingri, it was you who designed His Majesty¡¯s and Her Excellency¡¯s robes, right?¡± Vermiel asks and is looking at our robes in envy.

    ¡°Uchm, drop that Miss thingy,¡± Ingri is horrified. ¡°Yeah, I did. Why?¡±

    ¡°Would you possibly find time to design Celestial uniforms for the Imperial Guard?¡± he pleads. ¡°Human clothes don¡¯t fit us, we feel ridiculous. And cold.¡±

    ¡°Oh, o-of course,¡± Ingri blushes. ¡°It would be my pleasure.¡±

    ¡°The Dragonkin will probably want the same,¡± Fefnir coughs.

    ¡°And Clawfangs,¡± Emi nudges her.

    ¡°You still have your online schooling, Ingri,¡± Liana reminds her. ¡°We should ask other artistically talented people among us to help out. You can be in charge of coordinating them, though.¡±

    ¡°O-okay,¡± Ingri blushes again that she¡¯s been given such an important task.

    Most of the Celestials leave but Muriel and three others stay and join the bodyguards. But they at least go outside to give us privacy. Fefnir carefully closes the door behind them and checks that the room is sound-proof so that we can speak freely again.

    ¡°It makes a huge difference when I don¡¯t have to hide my telepathy,¡± I appreciate.

    ¡°What did you feel from them, Aefener? Are they up for the job? I have to admit I was quite taken aback by them disarming my human security as if it was nothing,¡± Liana sighs tiredly.

    ¡°They do feel confident about it,¡± I shrug.

    ¡°Can they be trusted?¡± Fefnir frowns.

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t doubt our own people,¡± Emi says resolutely. ¡°I don¡¯t think a Draconian would betray another Draconian¡­ at least not in favour of humans.¡±

    They switched completely, Ruu, do you realise it? Erik talks to me in his mind and I feel he¡¯s a bit panicky about Emi¡¯s remark. They¡¯re thinking in terms of Draconians versus humans.

    That¡¯s not true. It¡¯s not versus, I try to oppose.

    Are you sure or do you want to believe that?

    ¡°Aefener, Erik,¡± Liana clicks her tongue in annoyance. ¡°You¡¯re doing it again. And it¡¯s really rude. Pay attention.¡±

    ¡°S-sorry,¡± we apologise in unison but I know it¡¯s bothering Erik and we¡¯ll have to come back to it soon.

    ¡°Anyway, so what do you think about these points?¡± Liana shows us her rough plan.

    And we spent forever discussing every detail and adding new things that come to our minds. It¡¯s not only about reclaiming our basic rights, it¡¯s about profound changes that will influence the whole society. Emi might feel confident about her being the Alpha of Clawfangs but she¡¯s no politician. Fefnir can stay calm in almost every situation but he¡¯s not better off either. Liana is the most qualified among us, not doubt about that, but she¡¯s no human rights activist. She¡¯s a businessperson. And I¡¯m¡­ just me.

    But we continue doing our best for the good of our people. Hopefully. At half past eight, we¡¯re totally exhausted and starving but mostly done.

    ¡°Is this enough? We didn¡¯t go through everything,¡± Emi sighs.

    ¡°Establishing our own embassy will take much more than one meeting,¡± Liana shakes her head. ¡°We have enough material for tomorrow at least.¡±

    ¡°Can we actually visit the restaurant after what happened at lunch?¡± Erik is worried.

    ¡°We have to test out our new bodyguards and authority,¡± Liana shrugs. ¡°Besides, the place shouldn¡¯t be that crowded, it¡¯s quite late.¡±

    We step outside and our bodyguards and newly also four Celestials including Muriel join us. I¡¯m a bit nervous being around Celestials I have to get used to first but their minds aren¡¯t as tiresome as human ones.

    ¡°That¡¯s way too many people for one elevator,¡± Karl says and looks at our Celestial escort with badly hidden dislike. ¡°We have to divide.¡±

    ¡°Your Excellency,¡± one of the Celestials points towards another elevator.

    I end up riding with Muriel, one other Celestial and two human bodyguards while Karl goes with Liana and the rest. I bet Karl feels more comfortable around his employer than me which is only understandable.

    Do I also get Celestial bodyguards when we¡¯re not working together? Erik asks, holding my hand firmly. I¡¯m perfectly fine with just humans.

    I want you better protected, I say truthfully. Now that these Celestials volunteered and I digested it, I think it isn¡¯t a such bad idea after all. Their telekinesis is handy.

    You think the government might come after me if they can¡¯t get to you, he¡¯s saddened.

    It¡­ might come to that, I admit and shiver at the thought. I have to start taking things deadly serious from now on. I should have before but I was na?ve. There¡¯s no coming back to the mundane life for me. There¡¯s no¡­

    No way of you getting out of becoming the Celestial Emperor? Erik finishes for me.

    I don¡¯t answer and hug him instead. I¡¯d feel embarrassed doing it in front of my bodyguards just a few days ago but I¡¯m afraid I have to get used to being surrounded by people all the time. I decide to make every moment count with Erik because who knows how much alone time we¡¯ll get in future.

    I kiss him to get some teaser for later. It¡¯s a very light kiss but my mind still connects to his immediately. I have to make an effort to pull out because I get extremely aroused. Is it because we were separated for a few hours today? Just a month ago before all this I¡¯d get hard but now it¡¯s my wings that react first. Thankfully, it¡¯s not that recognisable.

    The elevator stops, we¡¯re here. And this time we get to the restaurant without any problems. It¡¯s still quite busy but much emptier than during lunch. And Draconians don¡¯t dare to bother which is a nice change. I still feel guilty about hurting Heidan but it seems I had to demonstrate that there¡¯s no trifling with me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go sit with my pack, see you tomorrow,¡± Emi says goodbye and joins other Clawfangs.

    ¡°I should probably do the same¡­ to do some networking and shit,¡± Fefnir shrugs and goes to several Dragonkin who are waving at him.

    ¡°Do you want to sit with your people as well, Ingri?¡± Liana asks kindly because Ingi seems torn between staying with us and eyeing a group of Earthborn.

    ¡°Can I?¡± she chews her lip. ¡°Won¡¯t you need me? I¡¯m your secretary.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not at work now so go,¡± Liana encourages her and Ingri happily runs off as well.

    Since there¡¯s no commotion, I can finally explore the place. It¡¯s actually quite cosy here, not so corporate-looking at all. Sure, you have to go fetch your food yourself, it¡¯s basically a school dining hall style, but the decorations are nice, tables and chairs seem very comfortable and the staff is smiling.

    I look at their offer and find out it¡¯s one of those buffet places where you grab a plate yourself, put however much you like and they weight it for you at the counter. I stretch towards the neatly arranged plates but I¡¯m stopped by Miruel for some reason.

    ¡°Go sit, Your Majesty, we¡¯ll pick up for you,¡± she says matter-of-factly. ¡°Her Excellency as well.¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± I don¡¯t quite understand her intentions. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not dignified for our Emperor and Viceroy,¡± she explains in a tone indicating it¡¯s obvious.

    ¡°No, thank you, I¡¯m okay,¡± I frown.

    Don¡¯t be a child, Aefener, Liana brushes my wing to send me her thoughts and goes to sit.

    Is she serious? How is me picking my own food even remotely childish? I look at Erik but he only shrugs, grabs my hand again and pulls me towards the tables.

    B-but, Erik¡­ it¡¯s absurd, I protest silently.

    Don¡¯t ask me to judge Celestial behaviour, he sighs in his mind. I guess your people are concerned that the dining hall isn¡¯t posh enough for their Emperor and Viceroy so they want to make it more agreeable like that.

    I want to at least pick our table somewhere a bit private but Liana assertively sits down to join a group Celestials so it would look rude if I didn¡¯t do the same.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± the Celestials greet me enthusiastically with a bow. Seriously, a real bow?

    Erik tries to act relaxed but I can feel his tension. He sits very closely to me, moving his chair ostentatiously. He feels suddenly unsure. I gently touch his mind to survey his point of view. And then I finally get it. Erik is the only human at the table, no wonder he feels uneasy. He¡¯s facing six Celestials he doesn¡¯t know and they¡¯re piercing him with their golden eyes.

    ¡°Enjoy your food, Your Majesty,¡± Miruel puts a plate in front of me with a broad smile. Another Celestial serves Liana and Erik.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I mumble and stare at the mountain of spaghetti.

    I can¡¯t possibly eat all of that! I nudge Erik in panic.

    Do your best, hon, he laughs. You have to put on some weight, skinny.

    I hesitantly dig in and I try to pay attention as well because Liana starts small talk with the Celestials around our table. I briefly got to know three of them back at Liana¡¯s mansion but the rest came recently straight to the skyscraper.

    ¡°It was a shock for my family but they were actually supportive,¡± a Celestial woman with blue hair and grey wings says. ¡°But I decided to come because I want to help.¡±

    I¡¯m slowly gulping my spaghetti and I¡¯m glad that not everyone was forced to come because their relatives threw them out. Erik seems to be enjoying his meatballs but he¡¯s still feeling tense so I stretch my right wing and hug his back.

    He smiles at me, grateful. Only a second later I realise it¡¯s not because I was meaning to comfort him. He likes that I¡¯m cuddly with him in public and especially in front of the Celestials. I resist rolling my eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re so cutely lovey-dovey with the Royal Consort, Your Majesty,¡± the Celestial woman is moved. ¡°It¡¯s heart-warming to see that we can still be like that with humans.¡±

    ¡°O-of course, we can,¡± I say and stuff my mouth so that I don¡¯t have to talk for a while.

    I¡¯m grateful that Liana doesn¡¯t seem to have problems with casual small talk because it¡¯s definitely not my forte. But, surprisingly, I find the company of other Celestials comfortable. Sure, they¡¯re a bit too clingy and have a totally unrealistic opinion of me but otherwise I like their minds. They feel so¡­ familiar.

    Are they more comforting than me? Erik asks, a bit saddened.

    Of course not, I answer quickly. And they aren¡¯t comforting. You¡¯re comforting. They¡¯re just familiar. I bet because they¡¯re my race.

    I notice Erik has finished eating so I speed up chewing. We had no free time today so I have to make use of that remaining hour before we go to sleep. I¡¯m still aroused from that kiss and I¡¯m undressing my boyfriend in my imagination. Erik catches my intention and becomes excited as well. But he still insists I eat as much as possible.

    ¡°So¡­ we¡¯re going to our apartment,¡± I say when I finally conquer the spaghetti mountain.

    ¡°Okay, good night, boys,¡± Liana waves at us and continues chatting with the Celestials.

    I¡¯m surprised that I actually managed to eat everything. I do feel over-stuffed but at the same time I somehow know that all those calories will be used overnight for my growing wings and it doesn¡¯t make me any less excited. If Julia is right about our growth-spur being connected to nutrition, I have a good motivation to start eating properly.

    We get to our apartment and Erik sighs, relieved that we finally leave our escort behind the closed door.

    ¡°So do you want to try that telepathic analysis¡­?¡± Erik opens his mouth but he doesn¡¯t finish that sentence because I push him against the wall and start kissing him hungrily.

    I was quite okay suppressing my desire when around people but now that we¡¯re FINALLY alone, I can¡¯t help myself. There¡¯s a saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder and it couldn¡¯t have been truer in my case. It turns out Erik was experiencing the same craving, he was just being polite with his question.

    I know that I really should examine our telepathic connection but when I get the taste of Erik¡¯s mind, there¡¯s no going back. I really am a telepathic addict and it became even worse after my transformation. I don¡¯t feel comfortable among humans anymore but for some reason Erik¡¯s mind is fascinating beyond belief. He¡¯s a total opposite of me and it drives me crazy.

    We somehow get into the bedroom and Erik uses the last shreds of sanity to carefully undress me so that my robe isn¡¯t damaged in the process. I don¡¯t feel like letting him dominate this time so I playfully push him on the bed and sit on him.

    I lean down for a kiss and Erik hugs me around my back, his hands finding my wings. When his fingers start caressing my feathers, I moan and let out my mana. The room fills with breeze and we both get goosebumps. I dive into his mind and the world disappears.

    *****

    I wake up because my sleeping mind subconsciously catches that my boyfriend is in distress. I reluctantly open my eyes, yearning to sleep some more but Erik is indeed feeling anxious so I rub my eyes and with a long yawn slowly sit up.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ask, confused and still not fully woken up. But I go for a morning kiss.

    ¡°I am okay,¡± Erik catches my chin before I can land that kiss and turns my head. ¡°But our room isn¡¯t.¡±

    I blink, not quite sure what I¡¯m looking at. It looks like a bomb exploded in our condo. Our things are all over the place and the lamp is broken. It¡¯s as if a tornado stormed through.

    ¡°Except this tornado was you,¡± Erik sighs.

    ¡°B-but¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ not on purpose¡­ it was just light breeze and then¡­,¡± I can¡¯t find the words.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, honey, but it seems the problem is even bigger than we have thought,¡± Erik says slowly. ¡°Your abilities are getting out of control.¡±

 28. Out of Control

    ¡°It¡¯s not such a big deal, right?¡± I¡¯m desperately trying to make light of it. ¡°It was just a bit more windy than usual. Nothing some tidying can¡¯t fix.¡±

    ¡°The lamp is broken, Ryuu,¡± Erik stays patient. ¡°That was no mere gust of breeze.¡±

    I sigh and I bury my face in my hands. My wings start shivering which seems to be a Celestial way of showing anxiety. My wings always mirror how I feel which is becoming impractical. I can never hide my feelings from Erik, even if I choose not to use my telepathy.

    ¡°It might be the same for every Celestial during sex?¡± I bring up, hoping I¡¯m not the only weirdo as usual.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably natural for Celestials to leak their mana when excited,¡± Erik ponders. ¡°But I think you¡¯re losing control because you get absorbed in my mind too deeply, forgetting about your surroundings.¡±

    He¡¯s right, I know he is. The world disappears for me when I fully dive into him. But what can I do about it? That¡¯s how my telepathy works during our full connection.

    ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out, love,¡± Erik hugs me and caresses my wings in a way that won¡¯t arouse me again. ¡°That psychologist is coming today, right? He might be able to help.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he will have a specialisation in paranormal abilities,¡± I have to disappoint him. ¡°I thought we wanted to talk to him about my¡­ ehm¡­ insecurities. I¡¯m not telling him that I¡¯m a telepath. At least not anytime soon.¡±

    ¡°You might open up to him eventually,¡± Erik is hopeful. ¡°But for now¡­ let¡¯s go for breakfast.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t leave the room like this,¡± I¡¯m surprised he isn¡¯t tidying up already considering how he likes his things to be orderly.

    ¡°Leave that to the room service?¡± he smirks.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a jerk,¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°Did you get used to living in luxury so quickly?¡±

    ¡°One might get used to it,¡± he admits. ¡°Just kidding, let¡¯s tidy this mess.¡±

    We start putting things back to their places and I find out that I can speed up the process by using telekinesis. I still have to see where to deliver the levitating objects but it helps a lot.

    ¡°That¡¯s surprisingly handy,¡± Erik comments.

    ¡°What, you didn¡¯t consider magic handy before?¡± I ask while folding our clothes.

    ¡°Not really, sorry,¡± he shrugs. ¡°I mean¡­ when will Celestials actually use it in real life? Where will you be allowed to use it?¡±

    ¡°A-allowed?¡± that word takes me aback. It sounds really unpleasant.

    ¡°Well, I doubt magic will become an everyday activity,¡± he says. ¡°Firstly, it scares humans. Secondly, it takes your precious mana and you have to eat a lot afterwards. Thirdly, it¡¯s dangerous and for what purpose would you even use it? We have technology for everything, it¡¯s the 22<sup>nd</sup> century.¡±

    I have to think about it for a while. I continue tidying but I¡¯m, in fact, thinking frantically. My boyfriend is probably right again. Where will we use magic in everyday situations? Even when Draconia was still a game, we didn¡¯t cast spells just for the fun of it. That would be pointless and a waste of mana. Except for training, we used it only in dungeons and during questing or levelling.

    ¡°The government might propose limiting magic usage to protect citizens and prevent possible abuse of power,¡± Erik continues and is choosing his words carefully.

    ¡°What about the Dragonkin and Clawfangs?¡± I remind him. ¡°Their abilities are just as dangerous as ours. It only doesn¡¯t seem that way because they¡¯re not as flashy and hard to understand.¡±

    ¡°Something similar I guess,¡± he says. ¡°I think the Prime Minister will most probably propose some kind of non-aggression agreement today.¡±

    ¡°I suppose,¡± I mutter, not wanting to pursue the topic further, and finish folding all our clothes. ¡°Do we have time for a quick shower?¡±

    ¡°We do, it¡¯s only seven,¡± he nods.

    ¡°Great, let¡¯s go then.¡± I don¡¯t really have anything to take off as we usually go to sleep naked. ¡°Can I bother you with washing my back around the wings?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no bother,¡± he smirks.

    A quick shower is hardly quick for a Celestial. I¡¯m afraid to wet my feathers unnecessarily and as my wings grow bigger and bigger each day, it¡¯s getting progressively harder to shower in such a narrow space.

    ¡°S-sorry,¡± I apologise because I accidentally shove my feathers into his face when turning around. Fortunately, Erik is more amused than annoyed.

    ¡°If only there was a spell to hide them,¡± he says. ¡°You know¡­ like angels in fiction. They can somehow magically conjure them away when they don¡¯t need them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s stupid, our wings are normal limbs just as your hands and legs are,¡± I puff. ¡°And even if there was a spell for that, I wouldn¡¯t use it.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t?¡± he¡¯s surprised. ¡°Not even in situations like these?¡±

    ¡°No way,¡± I shake my head. ¡°Would you spell your legs away when sitting in front of a computer just because you don¡¯t need them at the moment?¡±

    ¡°I guess not,¡± he catches my drift and finished washing me. ¡°Okay, done.¡±

    I thank him with a light kiss as I dare nothing more intimate. I can¡¯t get lost in him again, at least not now.

    We go back to the bedroom to dress up and this time I decide to try a new robe since the previous one needs washing. I decline Erik¡¯s help and try to put on all the layers using only my hands, telekinesis and the mirror. It takes me longer than I¡¯ve anticipated but, in the end, I manage!

    ¡°Nifty,¡± Erik praises my effort. He put on a new three-piece suit and he¡¯s irresistible in it, of course, but I have to resist. We don¡¯t have time to mess around.

    ¡°Good morning, Your Majesty,¡± Vermiel greets me enthusiastically the moment we step outside our apartment. ¡°Do you wish to dine in the cafeteria or should we bring your breakfast to the office?¡±

    ¡°In the cafeteria. I believe there won¡¯t be any trouble this time?¡± Erik narrows his eyes.

    ¡°Of course not, Royal Consort,¡± Vermiel assures him. ¡°We¡¯ve talked to the residents and they promised to behave. Besides, you have us as your guards now.¡±

    We step into the elevator and I expect Erik will want to talk to me telepathically but his thoughts are too jumbled. The only thing I catch is that he¡¯s still upset about our wrecked apartment and afraid that we might have to absent from having sex until I get the hang of it. That prospect worries me as well.

    The cafeteria is even busier than yesterday but people mostly go out of our way. But they still dig out their phones to take a photo of us or shoot a short video for their social media profiles which is kind of unsettling, to be honest. I¡¯ve always dreaded this sort of publicity. I mean¡­ one wrong move and my telepathy can be out.

    So far I¡¯ve been pretty good at concealing it but that was mainly because I was keeping contact with other people to absolute minimum. With my levelled-up telepathy and Draconians constantly all over me, there¡¯s a danger I might connect to someone on reflex.

    Fortunately, my new guards are menacingly frowning at anyone who would like to touch me without permission. Maybe it¡¯s not so bad to have Celestials guarding me after all. At least they seem to have much greater respect than my human bodyguards. What they lack in training, they make up by simply being Draconians.

    ¡°I want to choose myself,¡± I say adamantly in case Vermiel gets the same funny idea as Miruel yesterday. I approach the counter before they can stop me.

    ¡°Hello,¡± I greet the staff politely and notice that, except for one man who is supervising them, it¡¯s all Draconians. I¡¯m glad Liana¡¯s job division works.

    ¡°Good morning, Your Majesty,¡± the Draconians beam at me. Huh? Isn¡¯t it a bit overboard? Never mind, I don¡¯t want to keep the line so I study the menu.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have eggs with bacon and toast,¡± Erik orders first, giving me more time to choose. ¡°And an espresso.¡±

    ¡°Pancakes for me then¡­ blueberry, please,¡± I finally order as well. ¡°And latte.¡±

    ¡°Please, go to sit down, Your Majesty, we¡¯ll bring it to you,¡± the staff tells me because the guards are gesticulating wildly at them that there¡¯s no way I¡¯m waiting at the counter.

    I look across the cafeteria only to find out that all tables are full. Forced socialising again? Who should we join? My race does seem eager I go sit with them. Then I notice Emi who¡¯s waving at me. Her table is full as well but she¡¯s throwing out some of her pack members to make space for us.

    A slight dislike overcomes me. It¡¯s so subtle but at the same time intense that I have to stop for a second. Do I feel¡­ reluctant to sit next to Clawfangs? It seems absurd but what if it¡¯s true? Ever since that incident with my ripped feather I don¡¯t feel quite the same. Is it my Celestial nature finally fully awakening?

    No, that¡¯s nonsense. There¡¯s no reason why I shouldn¡¯t sit with Clawfangs for a change. Sure, they¡¯re quite unruly compared Celestials but that¡¯s just a superficial thing. I have to get to know other races better. Common people I mean, not just rulers.

    ¡°Hi, Emi,¡± I approach her table and try to sound relaxed even though I¡¯m not. Her pack is staring at me. They don¡¯t even make an effort to hide that they¡¯re sniffing me, Erik and my escort.

    ¡°Come, come,¡± she pats two empty chairs next to her. ¡°God knows I need some other people around since these guys won¡¯t leave me alone.¡±

    Emi isn¡¯t complaining, not really. I can tell she loves having other Clawfangs around. But I guess even that can be tiresome sometimes. And even a super-extroverted Alpha wants some alone time.

    ¡°How are the kittens?¡± Erik pushes some small talk and he¡¯s also uneasy. He doesn¡¯t feel nervous around Celestials that much because we look quite innocent and meek. But Clawfangs are¡­ well, all claws and fangs, obviously. And fur.

    ¡°You mean these adorable fluffs?¡± Emi grins and one kitten pokes from under her blouse. The others are in care of her pack members. ¡°We¡¯ve pretty much proven that certain animals are drawn to us. Call it pheromones or whatever.¡±

    ¡°Certain?¡± Erik is curious.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°Predators,¡± Emi specifies. ¡°Naturally, prey animals flee. Riel here has a pet rabbit and it¡¯s now absolutely scared of her.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± a wolfish Clawfang woman sitting next to Emi¡¯s left sighs sadly. ¡°I had to give him to my sister. The poor critter can¡¯t stand my presence.¡±

    ¡°We are carnivores,¡± Emi shrugs. ¡°Humans can choose to go vegan, we can¡¯t. Scientists are still studying our physiology but that much is proven already.¡±

    ¡°Your breakfast, Your Majesty,¡± one of the staff, an Earthborn woman, puts a tray in front of me. Eriks gets his share, too.

    I catch unpleasant feelings coming from the tables occupied by Celestials. It seems they hate the fact that I didn¡¯t go sit with them. Overall, Draconians react towards their rulers very strongly, I observe. Emi is obviously adored by her kind and she already calls them a pack, even though they originally belonged to different guilds. Fefnir walks into the cafeteria just a few minutes after us and he¡¯s also surrounded by his race. So, is this behaviour normal to us? Are Draconians naturally drawn to their rulers?

    ¡°Ryuu, your telekinesis!¡± Erik warns me all of a sudden.

    ¡°Oh, damn,¡± only now I notice that my napkin is levitating. I was thinking that it was a bit in my way but I didn¡¯t intend to use my ability!

    ¡°Problems controlling new powers?¡± Riel is surprised.

    It can¡¯t become public knowledge that you¡¯re struggling. Talk yourself out of it, Erik tells me hastily.

    ¡°I¡¯m just amazed how natural it feels,¡± I quickly come up with something. ¡°It doesn¡¯t take much to levitate things when you get the hang of it.¡±

    ¡°Telekinesis is a Celestial racial ability, it should feel natural,¡± Emi helps me out. ¡°Just as it feels natural for us to be around animals.¡±

    Everyone seems to be happy with my answer. I sigh out, relieved. That was close.

    *****

    We get to Liana¡¯s office slightly after eight and find her and Ingri already hard at work. They¡¯re preparing notes for our meeting that is taking place in just an hour.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ should we have come even earlier?¡± Fefnir, who joined us on the way, asks. And he¡¯s not the only one feeling embarrassed¡ªwe all are.

    ¡°Don¡¯t turn workaholic like me,¡± Liana shakes her head. ¡°And Ingri was doing her school assignment until now actually. I wouldn¡¯t use a minor like that.¡±

    Shouldn¡¯t you tell them about your abilities getting out of control? Erik nudges me.

    Right now? No way, they¡¯re too stressed out already, I refuse.

    We go through our notes from yesterday and our anxiety rises. I think our arguments are valid enough but it¡¯s not like we know how to establish an ambassy. Liana was discussing the issue with some specialists but nobody really knows how it turns out. There¡¯s no precedent for our case, we have to be the ones who establish it.

    *****

    ¡°She¡¯s here,¡± I say before anyone comes to inform us that the Prime Minister and her entourage entered the building. I nervously straighten my robe to make sure I look presentable.

    ¡°Gosh, you can feel her from such distance?¡± Fefnir scratches his chin.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that far, it just seems so because of all those floors dividing us,¡± I explain. ¡°My telepathy isn¡¯t effected by materials in the way.¡±

    ¡°Did you actually measure how far you can reach?¡± Liana asks, tapping her digital pen against the table.

    ¡°Hard to measure it exactly,¡± I shrug. ¡°I guess¡­ a hundred meters? It used to be much less before, though. Fortunately, I¡¯m fully aware only of those I know. The rest is just ambient noise to me really.¡±

    Liana chews her lip. I feel she¡¯s worried about me¡ªworried that my telepathy will keep developing and causing me more trouble. To be honest, it scares me as well. Even if Draconian minds aren¡¯t such a strain for me, I¡¯m bound to meet and be around a lot of humans. As expected of a future leader. How will I manage that?

    ¡°Miss Liana, the Prime Minister and her escort is here,¡± Anna the administrator opens the door and Bauerova enters the conference room. It gets pretty crowded with all those bodyguards from both sides.

    We immediately notice that she brings two new officials with her, a man and a woman. They look quite young but I feel great resolution coming from them. And also fear. But their ambition and a wish to be present at such a possibly historic occasion is stronger. They don¡¯t try to hide their stares and carefully study all of us.

    ¡°Mr Bodin and Ms Ortega will be here to represent the international law,¡± Bauerova introduces them right away. I don¡¯t feel bad intentions coming from them but at the same time they aren¡¯t as open as the Czech Prime Minister. It¡¯ll be hard to persuade them.

    ¡°Are they from the EU government?¡± Liana purses her lips disapprovingly.

    ¡°Sorry, Li, I couldn¡¯t refuse them,¡± the Prime Minister sighs. ¡°We¡¯re part of the EU after all. And your future embassy needs to be accepted by the EU as well even if Bohemia has the majority for voting in this case.¡±

    ¡°Very well then,¡± Liana concedes and we sit down.

    ¡°Our first and naturally the biggest concern is hostility between Draconians and humans,¡± Bauerova starts the meeting without beating around the bush.

    ¡°You mean newly emerging racism,¡± Liana doesn¡¯t sugar-coat it. ¡°We¡¯re trying to prevent that.¡±

    ¡°Wait a sec,¡± Emi speaks up. ¡°Do you mean Draconians being racist towards humans or humans being racist towards us? Because it¡¯s clearly the second case.¡±

    ¡°Both,¡± the Prime Minister answers calmly. ¡°But, actually, what we¡¯re most concerned about is that when Draconians try to defend themselves, it can end up badly for humans. It became evident after yesterday.¡±

    I sigh. She saw the video. Of course, she did.

    ¡°So you¡¯re worried about inadequate defence,¡± Fefnir quickly takes the lead because he can tell Emi is about to say something passively aggressive.

    ¡°We are,¡± Bauerova doesn¡¯t hide her intention. ¡°We can¡¯t have Draconians harming people for trivialities, not even as self-defence.¡±

    ¡°Are you telling us to patiently take the shit humans will most probably throw at us?¡± Emi is getting pissed off and her claws scratch the table in front of her.

    ¡°I¡¯m simply appealing to you not to overreact when someone verbally insults you or pulls your tail, for example,¡± Bauerova says. ¡°Or, in case of Celestials,¡± she looks at me sternly, ¡°throws people mercilessly away because of one feather.¡±

    ¡°It was a reflex, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose,¡± I defend myself.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s even worse if you can¡¯t control your impulses,¡± the Prime Minister folds her arms. ¡°In addition, your telekinesis isn¡¯t supposed to be this strong, right? We studied your ingame lore.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t be sure about that,¡± Liana answers instead of me. ¡°It just wasn¡¯t used in combat when Draconia was still a game. Throwing stuff at players and monsters didn¡¯t do much damage so we were mainly using it for support and everyday convenience. Obviously, the application is much broader here.¡±

    ¡°Still, things like yesterday¡¯s incident simply can¡¯t happen,¡± Mr Bodin speaks up for the first time. He tries to act all confident but he¡¯s quite panicky inside. He¡¯s staring at me, well aware of what I can do.

    ¡°You can¡¯t forbid us to defend ourselves,¡± Emi states resolutely. ¡°There might be people who would like to hurt us. Seriously hurt us. When Draconians start going outside as normal occurrence, there might be hate-attacks against us.¡±

    And we spend two hours just arguing about that. I admit feeling guilty that my self-defence yesterday was totally inadequate to the situation but at the same time we need to have a chance to legally protect ourselves. The EU officials have many counterarguments, saying our abilities are too strong for humans to handle so it¡¯ll never be adequate self-defence if we use them.

    At least Bauerova seems to be on our side. Although she doesn¡¯t go directly against the arguments of the EU officials, she¡¯s trying us to find reasonable solutions that would make both sides happy. What an excellent politician, no wonder Liana respects her.

    ¡°So we can all agree on strict mandatory training for the Draconians,¡± Ms Ortega sums up and makes a note into her laptop. ¡°Your abilities simply can¡¯t go berserk. And that also includes your¡­ ehm¡­ King,¡± she looks at me, unsure how to address me. I guess it¡¯s hard to call someone like me a Mister.

    ¡°Especially him,¡± Bodin seconds.

    ¡°Aefener is actually the Celestial Emperor and you¡¯ll address him as such,¡± Liana is offended for me and leaks her mana. Even though humans are insensitive towards magic, even they can feel something and get goosebumps.

    ¡°Li, we can¡¯t use royal titles unless you¡¯re acknowledged as a nation,¡± Bauerova tries to smooth the situation. ¡°Which is something we¡¯re trying to accomplish right now.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Liana forces herself to calm down. She¡¯s no expert in the international law and it would be no use trying to hide the fact. But it doesn¡¯t make her any less confident.

    ¡°So anyone against mandatory training?¡± Ortega calls for a vote. And, surprisingly, everyone unanimously agrees. Even Emi is nodding approvingly.

    ¡°We¡¯re not giving away our right of self-defence, though,¡± the Clawfang Alpha makes it clear. ¡°If anyone attacks us, we¡¯ll protect ourselves. With adequate force, hopefully.¡±

    ¡°Noted,¡± Ortega finally concedes.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be such a bad thing, Ms Ortega,¡± Bauerova stays positive. ¡°If people know that they can¡¯t mess with Draconians, they will think twice before aggravating them, right?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± the EU official sighs. ¡°Okay, another point we have to discuss is¡­¡±

    And we go on for another hour. Humans seem quite okay with that but it becomes evident that my gang desperately needs a snack. Our bodies are still developing at astonishing speed which requires a tremendous amount of calories.

    ¡°What about a short coffee break?¡± Liana claps her hands when Emi¡¯s stomach rumbles loudly. ¡°My catering had prepared something small for us to eat. Please, accept my hospitability.¡±

    ¡°God, yeah, and the bathroom¡± Bauerova breaks the protocol and grunts. I¡¯m really grateful for her informal behaviour. I¡¯d have never guessed that a politician can act as¡­ well¡­ a normal person. But she can. And I like her even more for that.

    We move to another room where several tables full of food await us. Is this what Liana calls small? Not that I¡¯m complaining, those canapes look out of this world. And is that sushi? Wait, I can¡¯t eat it anymore, can I? But it¡¯s so inviting. Maybe I will manage to digest just a piece? I¡¯m half-Japanese after all. Fish can¡¯t hurt me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea, Ryuu,¡± Erik warns me when he notices what I¡¯m hungrily staring at.

    ¡°Just one,¡± I grab a roll before he can stop me.

    But as I¡¯m about to put it into my mouth, the smell of fish hits my nose. Did raw fish always stink so bad? Uhm, it smells¡­ dead. My stomach almost turns upside down and I quickly put the roll on Erik¡¯s plate.

    ¡°See?¡± he shakes his head and eats the sushi for me.

    ¡°Not fair,¡± I huff.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ there¡¯s vegetarian sushi for us,¡± Liana pulls my sleeve and points towards another table.

    Only then I notice that these three tables aren¡¯t random at all. There¡¯s a table for meat-eaters, vegetarians and for vegans, separately.

    And do try to socialise with our guests, Aefener, she lightly brushes my wing to send me her thought.

    Bauerova returns from the bathroom so Liana leaves us to join her over coffee. I spot Fefnir trying to chat with Ms Ortega who is totally scared of him but is doing her best not to show it on her face. Emi is blatantly eating all ham from the meat table and pretty much ignoring the humans now that she doesn¡¯t have to force herself.

    Which leaves me with¡­ Mr Bodin. Who appears to be a vegetarian because he carefully analyses the food on our table. Lucky for Ingri, she seems to have everything to herself.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t hold back,¡± I step aside a little because he¡¯s evidently careful not to touch my wings accidentally.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he appreciates, grabs a plate and puts a few canapes for himself.

    I¡¯m desperately trying to find any topic for small topic but I realise that I probably just glare stupidly at him. Fortunately, Erik saves me.

    ¡°So how big of a problem is my cute boyfriend for the EU?¡± Erik asks jokingly as if it was a nonchalant question you can just blurt at someone over canapes.

    Bodin blinks, not sure if he should take it as a joke or a serious answer is expected. To be honest, I don¡¯t know either.

    ¡°How big of a problem is dating the Celestial Emperor for a human?¡± Bodin decides to answer with a question. Clever.

    ¡°Challenging and fun. Surprisingly no problem at all,¡± Erik laughs a little. ¡°Don¡¯t you find Celestials beautiful? Most people do.¡±

    ¡°Sure, they¡¯re¡­ aesthetically pleasing,¡± Bodin says evasively. ¡°But, to be honest and I mean no offence, I could never imagine dating a Draconian.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Erik narrows his eyes and pulls his arm around my waist. A little too ostentatiously.

    ¡°Which,¡± Bodin adds quickly, ¡°makes you an excellent mediator, Mr Anderle. The EU is actually grateful that people like you exist. It makes Draconians seem more¡­ human.¡±

    I¡¯m so not used to hearing Erik¡¯s surname. But wait, what¡¯s that last sentence supposed to mean? And why do I get the feeling that these two are totally omitting me from their conversation? I try to keep my cool but I can¡¯t help getting pissed. Especially because I perceive that Bodin is feeling quite contemptuous towards me.

    Until now I was able to filter away all nasty insults thrown at me. I never reacted to any of them and I considered it my forte. Being called a freak by my grandma didn¡¯t hurt me. Being called a genderless fag by random strangers was laughable. But now¡­ something deep inside me was offended. My Celestial part I mean.

    I know that I have to stay calm in order not to jeopardise the meeting so I desperately search for my human part. That part that can take any shit with a straight face. But I just¡­ I can¡¯t seem to find it. Is it too suppressed by my rising Celestial anger? And then I realise the reason why. I can¡¯t find something that simply isn¡¯t there. I naively thought that I can retain both but I was only borrowing it from Erik. He indeed was my bridge to humanity¡­ all this time.

    ¡°But we¡¯re not human anymore,¡± I say with a hiss. ¡°Why should be pretend to be more human?¡±

    Bodin finally meets my eyes but only for a second. Then he averts his gaze back to Erik. Wh--? Is he afraid to face me because of my powers or does he just find my appearance unnerving? Which is it? And which is worse?

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Mr Bodin didn¡¯t mean it that way,¡± Erik says quickly because he catches the sudden dark change in my mood and it makes him panicky.

    ¡°How did you mean it then?¡± I ask again, this time much more sharply.

    ¡°W-we just thought that a positive public imagine might help,¡± Bodin stutters a bit because I¡¯m piercing him with my golden eyes. ¡°You having a boyfriend who stayed human is showing people hope.¡±

    ¡°What kind of hope? Do enlighten me,¡± I clench my fists.

    ¡°That you¡¯re still human inside,¡± Bodin gulps but at this point he knows painfully well that he shouldn¡¯t have said that. He made a huge misassumption.

    I don¡¯t know what it does to me exactly. A few days ago, I¡¯d probably not mind such a statement at all. I might have been glad for it. I¡¯d have even wished to be called human from the inside. Maybe. Or maybe not even then. I know only one thing for certain now. That being called human insults me to the deepest levels of my very existence.

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± I whisper and the room gets unnaturally cold all of a sudden.

    Erik doesn¡¯t manage to react that quickly but Liana does. She must have felt a surge of my mana long before I subconsciously activated the spell. She jumps towards me but it¡¯s too late. Because I unleash my Celestial wrath and it feels good.

 29. Celestial Inside Out

    ¡°Is this how you¡¯re going to treat us?¡± I whisper menacingly and my voice is ice.

    The air in the room gets to the almost freezing temperature but I¡¯m surprisingly fine. It¡¯s actually not so hard to envelop myself in a protective bubble of warm air and I do so automatically out of pure Celestial instinct. Of course, I don¡¯t forget to protect my boyfriend.

    ¡°R-Ryuu,¡± Erik clutches my hand desperately but I close my mind to him.

    I don¡¯t need him to calm me down because I don¡¯t want to calm down. My Celestial nature is fully awake and it feels good. I finally feel at peace with myself and I don¡¯t want to suppress it because nothing is clashing within me anymore. I¡¯m still me but at the same time I¡¯m different. And for the first time ever I know it¡¯s okay.

    ¡°N-no, I m-mean¡­,¡± Bodin gasps for breath and starts shivering from both the cold and my intimidating leaking mana. He drops his plate and the sound of breaking chinaware resonates through the room. Tensed and frightened, people present almost forget to breathe and all eyes are on me but for once I just don¡¯t care.

    ¡°You don¡¯t really want to cooperate with us, do you?¡± I hiss and all glasses in the room start to tremble with my telekinesis. ¡°You¡¯re here to make sure we¡¯re under control. Manageable.¡±

    ¡°Aefener, don¡¯t¡ª!¡± Liana finally reaches me and tries to calm me down because it¡¯s evident that Erik¡¯s efforts aren¡¯t working.

    But it¡¯s no use. Instead, I send her a full dosage of my irritation and convey to her how Bodin feels about Draconians and what he said to me. Liana¡¯s eyes widen and she instantly understands. But in order to keep my telepathy secret, she asks Bodin for an explanation.

    ¡°So, what exactly did you say to our Emperor?¡± she also expresses her anger openly but much more controllably than me.

    ¡°C-cold¡­ I¡­,¡± Bodin¡¯s shivering worsens and he falls onto his knees. ¡°H-help!¡±

    I don¡¯t have to turn around to be able to tell that his bodyguards are pulling out their guns. And I don¡¯t have to turn around either to know that they will find their holsters empty. My Celestial guards performed splendidly and are proud of themselves. I¡¯m proud of them. And for a second I think of them as my loyal subjects.

    ¡°Your Majesty, please!¡± the Prime Minister shouts, all panicky, and uses my official title. Probably in order not to antagonise us even more. ¡°Don¡¯t let it become an international incident that would ruin our diplomatic efforts!¡±

    I face her and consciously calm down a bit. For a second, I felt angry at humans in general¡ªlike Emi does. I guess now I at least know what it feels like. I was furious that a person such as Bodin, who is clearly looking down on us, represents the EU. But Bauerova is honest. And she doesn¡¯t feel any disgust when she looks at me. She¡¯s not even really scared of me which is really brave and admirable. She¡¯s just afraid of what this incident might entail. There¡¯re humans on our side. I should never forget that.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want him here, escort him out!¡± I order my guards who pull shivering Bodin up and are obviously happy to do so. ¡°But gently, he¡¯s still our guest,¡± I add to make sure he won¡¯t be treated roughly. Bauerova is right, we can¡¯t turn it into an incident that would jeopardise our work.

    ¡°What about her, Your Majesty?¡± Vermiel points towards Ortega.

    I pierce my golden eyes into her. She looks away immediately, also shivering and scared, but she doesn¡¯t despise us the way her colleague does. It even seems she managed to open up to Fefnir a bit which is quite hopeful.

    ¡°She can stay, we still need someone to represent the EU,¡± I allow and turn back to face Bodin. ¡°Tell your superiors that we¡¯re more than willing to cooperate but only on an equal footing. And now out!¡±

    Bodin doesn¡¯t struggle. In fact, he seems relieved to be as far away from me as possible. I realise that I¡¯ve just made an enemy out of him but I don¡¯t care at this point. I wouldn¡¯t want someone like him as an ally anyway.

    ¡°Aefener, I support you completely but do you think you could do something about the temperature? I¡¯m freezing and I have fur,¡± Emi pulls my sleeve.

    ¡°Right, sorry,¡± I sigh and stop leaking my mana.

    It seems as if everyone can breathe freely again and the tense atmosphere lightens. I even open my mind to Erik again. I¡¯m a bit afraid it won¡¯t feel the same as before but it does. Thank God, it does. I might have lost the last shreds of my humanity just now but I¡¯m not giving up on my human boyfriend. And not because I need him. Because I simply love him.

    I¡¯m sorry if I scared you, I send him a tender thought. And I¡¯m sorry that I closed myself to you. But I have to stop kidding myself. I¡¯m not human.

    I know you¡¯re not, he says slowly and I feel he¡¯s quite shaken by what he¡¯s just witnessed. But, thankfully, his feelings towards me weren¡¯t affected.

    We¡¯ll talk about it later. Promise.

    ¡°I just hope Bodin won¡¯t say you went berserk on him,¡± Liana bites her lips. ¡°And that our abilities are out of control again.¡±

    ¡°Well, to be honest, he was being an ass even in my office,¡± Bauerova discloses. ¡°He appeared yesterday, together with Ms Ortega, and had lots of demands.¡±

    ¡°On the contrary, I was in perfect control this time,¡± I say with a newly found confidence that surprises me. ¡°Can we resume our meeting now?¡±

    ¡°You should actually eat something, hon,¡± Erik nudges me, regaining his composure. ¡°You had hardly one vegetarian sushi roll.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± I don¡¯t have to force a smile this time. I love how he dotes on me. I didn¡¯t fully appreciate it before but I will from now on. And I¡¯ll dote on him in return.

    Everyone tries to continue with their small talk and act as if nothing happened. But I feel my friends are still shocked. I bet they didn¡¯t expect something like this from me. Not even Emi who is mainly thrilled by how I dealt with that asshole. I try not to think about it and nibble some more sushi rolls. I lost quite a lot of mana with my little power demonstration.

    ¡°Try these as well, Katerina,¡± Liana invites the Prime Minister to our vegetarian table and points towards canapes with cheese spread.

    ¡°Excuse me then,¡± Bauerova stretches and puts a few canapes on her plate. She¡¯s also careful not to touch my wings but compared to Bodin, she does so out of respect. Not because she¡¯d be repulsed by touching a Celestial. Actually, it¡¯s the opposite¡ªshe¡¯s dying to caress our wings.

    ¡°You¡¯ve never touched Celestial feathers before, Mrs Bauerova?¡± I ask softly, totally calm now. And maybe a bit high, actually. It just feels so good to be myself.

    ¡°W-what?¡± she flinches a bit. ¡°Of course not. You hate it, don¡¯t you? Why are you asking that?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re staring quite intensely at our wings, hard not to notice,¡± I say, even though the main reason is that I felt it from her, of course.

    ¡°I do? Damn,¡± the Prime Minister sighs. ¡°Caught then. I hope I wasn¡¯t being rude?¡±

    ¡°Not at all, it¡¯s only natural,¡± Liana waves her hand. ¡°And we actually love being petted. Just not by unknown people and without asking first. If you want, you can touch my wings. Better not touch our Emperor¡¯s, the Royal Consort hates it,¡± Liana jokes and grins as Erik mischievously.

    Erik shrugs, not denying the fact. And the atmosphere is brightened a bit more again. I hear Ms Ortega chatting with Fefnir about something and Emi surprisingly joins them. It seems the Clawfang Alpha slowly tries to open up to humans I approve of. I¡¯m glad for that. Little steps.

    ¡°I won¡¯t hold back then,¡± Bauerova quickly puts down her plate and touches Liana¡¯s right wing.

    When my Viceroy doesn¡¯t protest, she thoroughly caresses her feathers while closely studying them. That sight warms my heart. This is how it should be. Curiosity and respect, not disgust and hate.

    ¡°Look, Ryuu,¡± Erik pokes me.

    I glance at Ms Ortega who turned out to be brave enough to touch Fefnir¡¯s scales. I can feel her fear diminishing as they keep chatting. She doesn¡¯t seem that much affected by her colleague leaving. In fact, she¡¯s feeling rather relieved. Was he being an ass to her as well?

    We continue with our meeting and it flows much more smoothly than before our break. It¡¯s evident having official meetings isn¡¯t as effective as casual socialising. Ms Ortega is much less tense and more open to our arguments now and Bauerova is blatantly satisfied that she had a chance to caress Celestial wings.

    ¡°There obviously will be consequences to what happened with Bodin,¡± Ortega says. ¡°My superiors won¡¯t be happy that you refused to deal with him and probably will take the incident as aggression from your side.¡±

    ¡°Obviously,¡± Liana sighs. ¡°But when you show them what we agreed on, they can¡¯t say that we¡¯re not willing to cooperate. I think we made some really good compromises today.¡±

    ¡°And I think so, too,¡± Ortega agrees. ¡°I was sceptical before but now I understand why Draconians need the right to defend themselves with their abilities. The problem is that a lot of my superiors are similar to Bodin.¡±

    ¡°But they can¡¯t dismiss our agreement, can they?¡± Emi points out. ¡°Bodin aside, you¡¯re their representative as well and Mrs Bauerova represents the Bohemian government. And you both agree.¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, they can¡¯t really. They¡¯re too afraid of riots, to be frank,¡± Ortega admits. ¡°Draconians are scattered all over the planet and since your game was one of the most populated, every developed country now has a very powerful minority they simply can¡¯t ignore.¡±

    ¡°Riiight,¡± Emi is pleased by the fact.

    ¡°But they¡¯ll remember it,¡± Ortega warns us. ¡°It¡¯s not diplomatic to expel officials like that. And Bodin¡¯s position was quite high despite his age. He¡¯ll make formal complaints.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll remember it as well,¡± Liana clicks her tongue.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    The meeting is adjourned after that. We seal what we agreed on with our digital signatures and Ms Ortega leaves with our first official diplomatic agreement. Liana wants to invite Bauerova for late lunch but the Prime Minister excuses herself, stating she can¡¯t be seen too informally friendly with us since the public might think she became biased. Fair enough.

    *****

    ¡°Are you okay, Ryuu?¡± Erik is worried. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I made you feel awkward during that conversation with Bodin.¡±

    I feel perfectly calm now. But still not human. And I never will feel that way ever again, I just know it. I can still relate to Erik¡¯s human emotions and thinking processes but only to make me understand how he sees things. He¡¯s still my bridge. Only now I¡¯m not walking over that bridge anymore. I¡¯m using a telescope to see the other side.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, you were just trying to help me out with some small talk,¡± I assure him that I¡¯m not mad. I was a bit pissed at that moment but not anymore.

    ¡°Eat your potatoes then,¡± he nudges me.

    ¡°Would you like some more salad, Your Majesty?¡± an Earthborn waiter comes to check up on me.

    ¡°I¡¯m full,¡± I shake my head and force the last piece of baked potatoes into my mouth. ¡°Ingri, is the incident out yet?¡± I ask our future secretary because she¡¯s staring into her phone, frowning.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem so,¡± she says pensively, chewing vegan falafel balls.

    ¡°Bodin won¡¯t boast about such a thing and our guards are under confidentiality contract,¡± Liana says while ordering a second helping.

    ¡°Another steak, please,¡± Fefnir puts up his hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s your third already, you glutton,¡± Emi rolls her eyes.

    ¡°So what, I¡¯m a growing Dragonkin,¡± he¡¯s not ashamed by his appetite.

    ¡°If only Ryuu ate as much,¡± Erik sighs.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m doing my best,¡± I proudly show him an empty plate.

    ¡°Yeah, your first and last one,¡± Erik shakes his head with a resigned sigh.

    ¡°Maybe Aefener has anorexia,¡± Ingri mutters without looking up from the screen. Only a second later she realises what she¡¯s just said.

    ¡°I certainly do not!¡± I oppose her accusation and glasses on the table start shaking.

    ¡°Sorry, I wasn¡¯t thinking really,¡± Ingri apologises and looks at trembling glasses. ¡°But why does it make you anxious if it¡¯s simply not true?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ ehm¡­,¡± she caught me off-guard. My Celestial nature might have fully awakened but it doesn¡¯t mean that it miraculously dealt with my mental issues.

    ¡°Ryuu?¡± Erik caresses my left wing. ¡°You¡¯ve had problems with eating ever since I¡¯ve known you. Do you finally feel like talking about it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not anorexia,¡± I purse my lips. ¡°I spoke with Julia, she was bugging me about it until I gave in. And she eventually confirmed that I¡¯m not anorectic. Even though, admittedly, I might be a bit anorexia-inclined in stressful situations.¡±

    ¡°Which is it then?¡± Liana urges me. ¡°Sorry, Aefener, but the health of the Celestial Emperor is our concern as well. We should know.¡±

    I carefully look around but the restaurant is quite noisy, no waiters are nearby and our guards are keeping everyone at safe distance. Even Clawfangs with their keen hearing.

    ¡°Julia has a theory that it¡¯s connected to my telepathy,¡± I lower my voice just in case. ¡°Remember how she was telling you that my transformation progresses differently probably because I didn¡¯t change from a purely human base? Well, she also said that the mutation responsible for my telepathy might have messed up some other things. Like my digestion.¡±

    ¡°So you literally can¡¯t eat more?¡± Ingri summarises.

    ¡°Nope, unless I want to upset my stomach,¡± I say. ¡°And I¡¯m already eating much more than before, actually. I could have never finished a soup, a main dish and a dessert in one sitting. I can now and it¡¯s a big achievement for me.¡±

    ¡°So you still have some room for a dessert,¡± Erik pokes me playfully.

    ¡°That¡¯s different,¡± I poke him back. ¡°I can¡¯t explain it properly but I just somehow feel that sugar is instant energy for my mana circuit. I¡¯ll probably digest that cake in half an hour.¡±

    ¡°There you go then,¡± he moves the dessert plate and puts it in front of me.

    ¡°And how are you feeling overall?¡± Liana pushes another question when I dig into my chocolate mousse. ¡°I mean mentally. You quite insisted on your humanity before.¡±

    ¡°Surprisingly normal,¡± I say truthfully. ¡°I was afraid to let my Celestial nature take control but I feel basically the same. Sure, I do react differently now and some things I see from a new perspective I guess but I feel like¡­ well¡­ me.¡±

    ¡°Do you still want to see that psychologist then?¡± Ingri asks. ¡°I made you an appointment for tomorrow after lunch.¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± I say firmly. ¡°I want to talk about¡­ other issues.¡±

    I look at my boyfriend and he nods reassuringly. I promised that I would work on myself and I mean to fulfil that promise. But I¡¯m not doing it for him. I¡¯m doing it for me. I feel nervous about tomorrow¡¯s therapy but at the same time I¡¯m strangely excited.

    *****

    We work for three more hours after lunch and I¡¯m getting progressively more nervous. I eye Erik every few minutes and sometimes he catches me and smiles. But I can tell that he¡¯s uneasy. Nothing eludes a telepath. I don¡¯t feel his love for me wavering but seeing me in full Celestial wrath mode shocked him. I guess he was still considering me human from the inside.

    We¡¯ll finally have that super important conversation today but not only about our mutual telepathic addition. I have to make sure how he¡¯s copying with my Celestial-ness if I can call it like that. And how he really feels about being almost the only human among so many Draconians.

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± he catches me staring at him again and kicks me under the table. ¡°Finish your work already so that we can call it a day.¡±

    ¡°Oi!¡± I let out because a kitten suddenly lands on my lap. It¡¯s pure white except for black dots around its spine.

    Liana was benevolent enough to allow Emi bring her new pets into the office when the meeting ended. They¡¯re mostly all over the Clawfang Alpha but sometimes they go exploring and this time one critter ended up on me.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t I think of that sooner!¡± Emi exclaims out of the blue and looks at me with a wild expression on her face. ¡°Do you feel emotions also from animals?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± I nod and pet the kitten. ¡°This one is really happy.¡±

    ¡°How is it?¡± Emi is mega curious. ¡°Is it different?¡±

    ¡°A lot different,¡± I nod. ¡°Their emotions are strong but not as complex. They can usually feel only one emotion at the time.¡±

    ¡°Can you connect to them?¡± she asks eagerly.

    ¡°Not really,¡± I have to disappoint her. ¡°Animal minds aren¡¯t as conscious as ours. I could probably calm an animal by sending it comforting feelings but that¡¯s about it. I think your scents work much better on animals.¡±

    ¡°You know, let¡¯s call it a day,¡± Liana surprises us by resolutely switching off her computer. ¡°I can hardly keep my eyes open, you¡¯re not paying attention anyway and Ingri is sleeping already.¡±

    ¡°Right, she is,¡± Fefnir pokes Ingri who fell asleep over an opened textbook. For a moment it looks like he¡¯s about to wake her up but then he flexes his muscles and takes the sleeping Earthborn girl into his arms. ¡°Good night, guys.¡±

    ¡°Good night, Fefnir,¡± Liana stands up, stretches and yawns.

    ¡°You can finish it tomorrow,¡± Erik puts my computer into the sleep mode for me because he suspects why I¡¯m stalling¡ªI¡¯m afraid of our upcoming conversation. But it must happen. I know it must.

    ¡°Let¡¯s goooo, little ones,¡± Emi sings and seizes the kittens in shorter time that I¡¯d ever think possible considering they¡¯re all over the room. But it¡¯s as if she calls them with her scent and they obediently come. Clawfangs might not have magic but their abilities are no less amazing.

    *****

    ¡°I¡¯m okay with your mental change,¡± Erik blurts the moment the sound-proof door of our apartment closes behind us. ¡°You¡¯ve been worrying that it scared me, right? Well, it didn¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t afraid of you at that time, just surprised by the sudden change.¡±

    ¡°Celestial wrath,¡± I say slowly and manoeuvre him into the living room. ¡°A character flaw my race shares.¡±

    ¡°I finally get it when you were telling me that Celestials are the least peaceful race,¡± he tries to joke and we sit on the sofa. ¡°I couldn¡¯t quite imagine it before but at that moment you were much more intimidating than Fefnir.¡±

    ¡°And I also told you that the Dragonkin are actually the most peaceful race,¡± I remind him, spread my wings and hug him with them. ¡°Despite their formidable appearance. And despite our innocent visage.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± he scratches my left wing and enjoys being enwrapped by me. ¡°So Celestials are really war-like? But you¡¯re so pretty. Beautiful angels.¡±

    ¡°Looks can be deceiving.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you feel like conquering, my cutie,¡± he laughs and scratches my other wing. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t believe you. You¡¯re one of the kindest people I know.¡±

    ¡°So let¡¯s hope I stay that way,¡± I say. ¡°And that I can persuade other Celestials.¡±

    ¡°All Draconians are still basically just ex-gamers, right?¡± he says, hopeful.

    ¡°Which is potentially even worse,¡± I ponder. ¡°Imagine millions of people dreaming about coming into powers¡­ and then they actually do.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t think about it like that,¡± he admits.

    ¡°Take my new Celestials guards, for instance,¡± I pinpoint. ¡°They don¡¯t have any real training but they were able to disarm Bodin¡¯s bodyguards easily. And they felt good about it. Really good. Powerful. Invincible.¡±

    ¡°Damn, Ryuu,¡± Erik clicks his tongue.

    ¡°And I¡¯m the same as them,¡± I whisper. ¡°I¡¯m Celestial¡­ inside out.¡±

    ¡°I know that,¡± he nods.

    ¡°Do you really?¡± I sigh. ¡°When I was connecting to you before, I think I have been subconsciously mirroring your humanity.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not the telepath here but you never felt exactly human even before the transformation,¡± Erik says slowly.

    ¡°W-what?¡± I blink, not sure what he means by it.

    ¡°That day when you connected to me fully for the first time and told me your secret,¡± he reminiscences. ¡°I knew right away that you¡¯re not quite human. Your consciousness just felt different. But I fell for you nonetheless.¡±

    I¡¯m overcome with joy¡ªwhat a confession, especially for a non-human. I hug him tighter, my feathers all over him. I¡¯m surprised to catch a hint of worry. Uncertainty.

    ¡°W-what is it?¡± I want to release the feathered cocoon to give him some space but he doesn¡¯t let me.

    ¡°There is one thing I¡¯m afraid of, though,¡± he doesn¡¯t feel easy telling me but he does anyway. I love his directness. I don¡¯t want to dig it out of his mind so I wait for him to say it.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid,¡± he takes a deep breath, ¡°that one day you¡¯ll want to be with another Celestial.¡±

    I open my mouth, absolutely astonished, and forget to close it.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid,¡± he continues before I can think of any response, ¡°that the day will come when I won¡¯t be enough for you. That I¡¯ll be¡­ only human.¡±

    I have no idea how to answer him so I climb onto his lap instead and pull my wings even closer. I kiss him and put into that kiss all love I have for him. And also my own uncertainty. If he¡¯s afraid that I will prefer a Celestial in future, then I¡¯m afraid that he¡¯ll leave me for a human. I really am. What if he gets tired of me eventually? It must be draining to be dating both a telepath and the Celestial Emperor.

    ¡°Honestly, why are we like this?¡± he bursts laughing the moment I release his lips to take a breath. ¡°We¡¯re madly in love with each other but still full of worries. Are we stupid or what?¡±

    ¡°Probably,¡± I smile faintly but there¡¯s once more concern we have to clear. ¡°But it might be that my telepathy is affecting you.¡±

    ¡°What, can you make people love you?¡± he raises his eyebrows.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± I shake my head violently. ¡°But my telepathy might be a double-edged weapon. You realise that I¡¯m a telepath addict, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep, addicted to me,¡± he says proudly.

    ¡°I say double-edged,¡± I poke him. ¡°My telepathy might make you addicted to me whether you want it or not.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m your zombie in love then,¡± he chuckles.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious, Erik,¡± I poke him harder. ¡°I might be influencing you without you knowing.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re referring to my free will, I assure you that I still have mine,¡± he¡¯s pretty confident about it. ¡°And don¡¯t forget that I loved you before your telepathy levelled up. I just became clingier because you finally let me. If your Celestial character flaw is wrath and desire for conquest, then mine is possessiveness.¡±

    I have to smile, this time sincerely. I keep examining his feelings and thinking processes and I must come to a conclusion that he¡¯s not under my spell after all. I probably do influence him to a certain level of basic desire and longing but if he can retain his free will, it should be okay.

    ¡°Besides, I¡¯m the dominant one in bed so there¡¯s no way you¡¯re controlling me,¡± he smirks, takes me into his arms and stands up. ¡°Who would ever guess that the Celestial Emperor is a total bottom, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh, shut up,¡± I blush and let him carry me to the bedroom.

    I¡¯m a Celestial¡­ inside out. I know it now. But I don¡¯t feel like conquering anything right now. Instead, Erik gently puts me into our bed and I allow him to conquer me. There¡¯s something comforting in surrendering to him. Now more than ever because out there, I have to be a leader.

    Erik¡¯s words resonate within me and give me hope: You¡¯re the kindest person I know. How could I be anything else when I literally know what other people feel? Maybe it¡¯s a good thing that I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor after all. Because I won¡¯t allow my race to succumb to their character flaw. I¡¯m Celestial but also an empath. And that can become my strength.

    A shiver goes down my spine and spreads into my wings¡ªErik is kissing my feathers. He¡¯s becoming devilishly good at pleasuring my new body.

    ¡°Ah,¡± I moan when he prepares me enough to enter me.

    I connect to his mind fully but I don¡¯t get lost this time. My mind doesn¡¯t absorb his human mind in the same insatiable way as before. Because I¡¯m at peace with myself so I don¡¯t need it anymore. Erik is still my bridge to understand humanity but I don¡¯t have to cross it. There¡¯s no need to because it doesn¡¯t have to mean separation. We can be different and still in love and understanding towards one another.

    I don¡¯t wreck our apartment when I climax. I still naturally leak some mana and create air currents but I have it completely under control. Erik¡¯s eyes close and he falls asleep before me. I touch his forehead with mine, hug him with my wing and my eyes close, too. And this time I¡¯m dreaming only about Celestial things. Vastness of the blue sky, the wind and the horizon that stretches infinitely.

 30. Wings Catching Up

    I have the sweetest of the sweetest dreams. At least for a Celestial. In the dream, my wings are fully grown already and I¡¯m flying across the country. It does resemble Japan a bit but since I don¡¯t really remember it from my childhood, it looks more like an idealised image from some movie. But I don¡¯t care about the terrain below me, I own the sky!

    The wings listen to my every whim and I¡¯m doing pirouettes. After one such acrobatic performance, however, I notice that the sky behind me is getting darker. That freaks me out and I¡¯m desperately trying to fly away but it¡¯s getting closer and closer by each second and not even my super speed can measure up.

    I start coughing when the dark cloud swallows me as it¡¯s suddenly very difficult to breathe. My wings stop listening to me and I¡¯m falling. Down¡­ down¡­ into the darkness.

    *****

    I fall into the blankets, still unable to breathe properly. My wings are pulsating with sharp pain and I have no idea what the hell is going on. Erik is towering over me with a scared expression on his face and is trying to calm me down. I clutch him around his neck and he pulls me up onto his lap. I scream when my wings change position and drop uncontrollably behind my back which gives me another blow of excruciating pain.

    ¡°Erik, my w-wings¡­ I¡­,¡± my eyes water. ¡°It hurts! W-what¡¯s h-happening?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Ryuu,¡± he¡¯s this close to panicking. ¡°I woke up and found you levitating half a metre above the bed. I was trying to wake you up but then you screamed in pain and fell.¡±

    Another throbbing sensation goes through my feathered limbs.

    ¡°Ouch ouch ouch,¡± I¡¯m properly crying now. The pain is too much, not even my migraines can compare. I clutch him even firmer, like a tick-bug.

    Erik stretches for his phone and quickly dials someone. He¡¯s cursing himself that he didn¡¯t ask our bodyguards for a phone number but he does have Julia¡¯s.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what?¡± I can hear Julia yawning. It¡¯s the middle of the night after all.

    ¡°It¡¯s Ryuu, something¡¯s wrong with him,¡± he blurts out. ¡°He was levitating in his sleep and then he woke up with immense pain in his wings. Come quickly!¡±

    ¡°Shit, shit, shit,¡± Julia is swearing on the other side and is apparently getting up. ¡°Call your guards, get him to my infirmary.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have their number and Ryuu won¡¯t let go of me,¡± Erik cries hysterically.

    ¡°Okay, keep calm, coming!¡± she says and ends the call abruptly.

    You¡¯re going to be okay, you¡¯re going to be okay, he keeps repeating in his mind, sending me tons of love.

    I want to believe him but the pain is maddening. It¡¯s pure torture. I literally feel my wings expanding, bones growing and new feathers being formed in a hurry. And it¡¯s taking all my mana, all my energy. Preferably, it would probably take my fat but as I don¡¯t have any, the process is probably eating my very muscles.

    And then the door finally bursts open and Julia with our bodyguards storm the bedroom. I would have never guessed that the time will come when I¡¯ll be glad to see a doctor come for me.

    To my embarrassment, I realise that I¡¯m totally naked under the blanket. We always fall asleep with Erik in the middle of our deepest telepathic connection, making it impossible for us to put on pyjamas.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen something like Celestial nightwear in the wardrobe,¡± Erik says quickly.

    Someone rummages our closet and three pairs of hands are trying to dress me. It¡¯s extremely uncomfortable, especially when they¡¯re pushing my wings through the holes but, in the end, they manage to dress me into a simple two-layered kimono.

    Erik then takes me into his arms, Vermiel and Julia carefully grab my wings, one each, and they start transporting me. Every time my wings move more than a few centimetres, I whine in pain. And it¡¯s especially torturous when they have to fold them in order to fit into the elevator. Because of me, only four of us can squeeze inside and the rest of the guards has to take another one.

    I look in the mirror and, to my astonishment, find out that my wings are clearly bigger than a few hours ago; the contrast being even more apparent when compared to Vermiel¡¯s wings.

    Erik, what if my body can¡¯t keep us with all these changes? I send my boyfriend a panicked thought.

    It will, don¡¯t worry, love, he tries to comfort me but he¡¯s not calm himself so it doesn¡¯t have the intended effect.

    ¡°W-WHAT?!¡± Vermiel flinches and drops my left wing he was holding.

    ¡°Ouuuuch,¡± I cry as my wing falls to the ground.

    ¡°What was THAT?¡± Vermiel¡¯s eyes widen and he steps away from us in fear as far as the narrow cabin allows him.

    ¡°Did¡­,¡± Julia opens her mouth, ¡°did he hear you?¡±

    ¡°B-but I wasn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t send the thought to him¡­ I¡­,¡± I start coughing. Agitating myself further seems to only worsen my breathing difficulties. Is this how asthmatic people feel?

    ¡°I heard it as well,¡± Julia says, biting her lip. ¡°I think you¡¯re too hurting to control yourself.¡±

    ¡°WHAT WAS THAT?¡± Vermiel repeats, hysterically now.

    ¡°Damnit, literally the worst time for such a revelation,¡± Erik hisses. ¡°But there¡¯s no way around it I¡¯m afraid. Vermiel, your Emperor is a telepath.¡±

    ¡°A t-t-te¡­,¡± Vermiel hangs out there, unable to finish the sentence. I feel he refuses to believe it even though he experienced the proof first-hand.

    ¡°Ouch,¡± I whine again. Julia is doing her best but she can¡¯t possibly carry both of my wings.

    ¡°Deal with it later, Vermiel, help me!¡± Julia yells at him.

    That wakes him up from the shock and he grabs my left wing again. His hands are shaking when he has to touch me again, though.

    I¡¯m sorry, Vermiel. Please, don¡¯t be scared of me, I send him an urgent thought and try to put all my sincerity into it.

    ¡°We¡¯ll explain everything to you, okay?¡± Erik implores him. ¡°And don¡¯t forget about your confidentiality contract.¡±

    That calms him down a bit. He¡¯s still freaking out in his mind but at least he decides to focus on the task that¡¯s before his nose. Also, he seems to take the confidentiality contract deadly serious. How much is Liana paying him for this job? Or is he doing it out of pure loyalty?

    The elevator door finally opens and they carry me out. The corridor is totally empty and the lights are switched off. Is he late at night? Or early in the morning?

    ¡°Careful, careful,¡± Erik mumbles when they¡¯re putting me through the last door. How cumbersome we Celestials are when we can¡¯t move.

    ¡°Not on my back!¡± I say, alarmed, when they put me on the hospital bed.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even think of that,¡± Julia assures me. ¡°On his stomach, please.¡±

    Erik and Vermiel turn me around and the idea of being lied down on my ribs isn¡¯t appealing either considering I can hardly breathe. But I calm down when I find out that the bed is soft and Julia quickly turns on heating, telling me that I¡¯ll be warm in no time.

    I push my chin into the pillow to silence another lament when she stretches my wings to the sides. I expect to be uncomfortable because regular beds are too small for Celestials but then I hear a noise of something being pulled out from under the bed and my wings are suddenly resting on padded mini tables.

    ¡°I had this custom-made, the maintenance installed it only yesterday,¡± Julia announces proudly. ¡°It¡¯s a bed with wing-rests for Celestials. I¡¯d have never guessed it comes in handy so soon. Let¡¯s get to work then,¡± she says with a determined tone and starts with thoroughly inspecting my wings with her bare hands. ¡°Hmm, no inflammation, that¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Erik murmurs after her in a trance and is clutching my hand.

    ¡°X-rays then, step aside, please,¡± she manoeuvres my boyfriend and Vermiel to the side and pushes a huge globe-like thing above me.

    Everyone is totally silent while the reading is being taken. I¡¯m shaking and hope that it won¡¯t influence the scan much but modern technology wins, I guess.

    ¡°Uff, Aefener¡¯s wings are eight centimetres bigger since last measuring three days ago,¡± Julia announced, dumbfounded. ¡°No wonder he¡¯s in so much pain, not even a miraculous mana circuit can compensate for that.¡±

    ¡°A growth spur?¡± Erik guesses. ¡°Why now? Why so out of the blue?¡±

    ¡°No idea,¡± Julia shakes her head.

    Suddenly, my stomach rumbles loudly. I also complain about the position so Erik slowly lies me on my right side, Vermiel helping with my wings.

    ¡°As I thought, he desperately needs nutrients,¡± Dr Stein says. ¡°Hey, you, go to the cafeteria and bring the biggest smoothie you can find,¡± she turns towards one of my guards who steps nervously in one place near the door. ¡°I don¡¯t care you¡¯re not a cafeteria staff, just go! Your Emperor needs to eat.¡±

    The Celestial runs off while Julia starts rummaging her medical closets, looking for something.

    ¡°Great, got it,¡± she takes out a huge container, open in and puts five spoons of yellow powder into a cup. Then she pours water and stirs it. ¡°It¡¯s a protein drink, plant-based,¡± she explains. ¡°Erik, Vermiel, pull Aefener up, he has to drink it.¡±

    Another forced movement of my body, struggle, but I successfully end up leaning against my boyfriend¡¯s chest. Vermiel is helping to hold my wings in one position while Julia puts the cup to my lips. I don¡¯t feel any appetite, to be honest, but I know that I have to eat. I slowly sip, surprised that it actually doesn¡¯t taste bad at all so I start gulping more willingly.

    ¡°Vanilla flavour,¡± the doctor smiles. ¡°I ordered it specially for Celestials and the Earthborn. Thanks to Liana, I don¡¯t have to be careful about the budget so I order only the best quality stuff. You wouldn¡¯t believe how many malnourished Earthborn I had here over the last few days.¡±

    I¡¯m gulping slowly, savouring each mouthful. I instinctively feel that I really need this. My appetite returns and I¡¯m actually looking forward to that smoothie. Fortunately, it arrives shortly after I finish my protein drink. It¡¯s not fresh, the guard probably just grabbed the first bottle he could find on the counter but when I start swallowing hungrily, it¡¯s like I¡¯ve never had anything better in my entire life.

    I over-stuff myself but this time I¡¯m not afraid that it¡¯ll give me a stomach ache. I already feel that the food is being digested as my body needs all that energy for the wings. I get awfully drowsy right after that and I fall asleep while still leaning against Erik.

    *****

    I sleep so deeply that I don¡¯t have any dreams. Or I don¡¯t remember then. Maybe it¡¯s for the best, I¡¯m still shaken by that dark nightmarish cloud swallowing me. At first, I think that it¡¯s hunger that woke me up but it turns out there¡¯re too many turbulent emotions around me.

    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s finally up!¡± Emi exclaims excitedly.

    ¡°You had us worried, Aefener,¡± Liana is sitting next to my bed, caressing my wings that are lying quite comfortably on the padded side table.

    ¡°Worried?¡± I mumble, still very sleepy.

    ¡°You were sleeping for twelve hours straight, we couldn¡¯t wake you up,¡± she explains. ¡°Julia was even considering calling an ambulance at one point.¡±

    I force myself to fully open my eyes and I blink several times. It¡¯s too damn bright. Celestial eyes can handle even the brightest sunlight but it¡¯s still uncomfortable to wake up into the artificial hospital light.

    ¡°How do you feel, hon?¡± Erik kisses me on my forehead.

    ¡°Better,¡± I say hoarsely and realise that there¡¯re two tubes on my face, leading into my nostrils.

    ¡°You had difficulties breathing so Dr Stein put you on oxygen,¡± Erik catches what I¡¯m thinking about.

    ¡°Thanks, I really feel better now,¡± I answer and I¡¯m not lying, I do feel better. I¡¯m still extremely weak and my wings are hurting but it¡¯s not so excruciating anymore.

    ¡°I reckon your mana circuit finally caught up with the sudden acceleration and continues compensating to a certain point,¡± Julia ponders.

    ¡°Snack time,¡± Erik pulls me up carefully, Liana helping with my wings.

    I look around, the whole gang is here. Fefnir is standing in the back with folded hands and looks grim. Emi is sitting next to him, her tail nervously waggling to the sides. Ingri was probably crying for me because her eyes are puffy but now that I¡¯m awake, she¡¯s relieved.

    I notice Vermiel at the door and he¡¯s whispering something to Miruel who¡¯s standing closely next to him. He looks tired and I feel guilty that he couldn¡¯t have gone to sleep because of me. He knows¡­ he knows about me. Another person¡­ and it happened by accident which is scary. What if I do it again? Can I trust him? I barely know him.

    My eyes meet with Miruel¡¯s and she timidly averts her gaze. Don¡¯t tell me she knows as well? She feels way to strongly when looking at me. I want to ask Liana about it telepathically as she¡¯s still touching me but Erik suddenly stuffs a sandwich into my mouth so I have to focus on chewing.

    ¡°So¡­,¡± Emi stands up and steps closer but not too close to Dr Stein as she¡¯s still far from overcoming her fear of doctors. ¡°When will our Aefener be able to fly?¡±

    ¡°Obviously much sooner than we originally predicted,¡± Julia says. ¡°The most optimistic prognoses for Celestials estimated at least half a year and that¡¯s for high-levels whose transformation is faster. But now¡­ at least in case of Aefener¡­ a month maybe?¡±

    I¡¯m actually shocked. A month? For real? I¡¯ve been looking forward to flying, of course, I was never so thrilled for anything as much before in my life, but isn¡¯t it too soon? It seems so close now, maybe too close.

    ¡°Hm? I thought you would be happier about it,¡± Erik is confused and caresses my feathers to comfort me.

    ¡°I¡­ I am,¡± I gulp a piece of sandwich. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I realised it¡¯s almost here and it¡¯s a bit frightening, to be honest.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll find a way how to make it safe, don¡¯t worry,¡± he assures me. ¡°Are you afraid of falling when testing it out? We can put out some nets or soft mattresses.¡±

    ¡°Not really, no,¡± I shake my head. ¡°It¡¯s just that flying probably won¡¯t be as carefree and fun as it was ingame when the world out there wants to get me and everyone has a smartphone to document my every move.¡±

    ¡°Right, forgot about that,¡± Erik slaps his forehead.

    ¡°Are you able to tell if my wings are starting to grow more quickly as well?¡± Liana asks Julia rather impatiently. ¡°I sometimes feel strange tingling in them.¡±

    ¡°The speed of your growth is definitely getting faster,¡± Julia nods. ¡°We should see in upcoming days.¡±

    ¡°Is it out?¡± I¡¯m afraid to ask but I have to.

    ¡°Not confirmed yet,¡± Ingri speaks up since she acts as our public opinion monitor. ¡°But you¡¯ve been locked here for twelve hours, Aefener. We tried to come up with some cover story but the residents noticed that we¡¯ve cut out the entire part of this floor. Your guards are patrolling in front of the infirmary and no one is allowed inside so it¡¯s kind of obvious that something¡¯s wrong with you.¡±

    ¡°Now what? Is Ryuu indisposed for the time being?¡± Erik asks when I finish the sandwich. ¡°How do we cover that? We have another meeting with the officials tomorrow, right? There¡¯s no way he¡¯ll be fit enough to attend.¡±

    ¡°I feel much better after I ate,¡± I pull his sleeve.

    ¡°But you¡¯re still not strong enough to even walk, are you?¡± he raises his eyebrows.

    ¡°We have too much work, I can¡¯t lazy around,¡± I shake my head. ¡°If you would be so kind to carry me, I can work at least on my computer.¡±

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik sighs.

    ¡°Your boyfriend is right, you should rest,¡± Julia agrees. ¡°Do you even realise how fast your wings are growing right now? It should be physically impossible.¡±

    ¡°Just as magic was thought to be impossible,¡± Emi comments.

    ¡°Anyway, Aefener stays here under my constant supervision,¡± Julia says strictly. ¡°I¡¯ll monitor also all of you. Should you start experiencing any abrupt changes in your transformation, call me immediately. Immediately, do you understand?¡± she looks sternly at Liana. ¡°I understand that you have lots of work but overworking in your fragile condition could have bad consequences.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± Liana surprises me by nodding obediently. It seems Julia has earned her trust and my Viceroy now believes her judgment. ¡°Your condition might not be as dangerous as Aefener¡¯s considering his special genetic pre-requisite but don¡¯t overestimate how much you can manage. Your body is still developing.

    ¡°Li, do they¡­?¡± I pull Liana¡¯s robe to make sure how much Vermiel and Miruel know. I mean¡­ Julia did mention that my genetics is special in front of them.

    ¡°We told them while you were passed out,¡± my Viceroy confirms. ¡°Sorry, Aefener, we didn¡¯t have a choice. And it¡¯s better if they know anyway, it¡¯s bothersome not being able to speak freely when they are around and they will be around a lot from now on.¡±

    I look at my Celestial guards again. This time Miruel doesn¡¯t avert her eyes. She even tries to smile at me. So they¡¯re fine with me being a telepath? Really? Did they come to terms with it so quickly?

    Julia gives me another protein shake and I¡¯m starting to feel drowsy again after I gulp everything. But we still have that meeting tomorrow, I need to help out. I need to¡­

    ¡°Silly, don¡¯t fight with it, sleep heals,¡± Erik berates me dotingly and carefully lies me back on my side.

    I listen to him and my eyes close. This time I dream about the blue sky again. Only now I know that it will become reality very soon. And my Celestial nature is overjoyed.

 31. Royal Quarters

    Despite my vehement protests, Julia forced me to stay in the infirmary for observation. Normally, I¡¯d hate every minute of it but because I¡¯m sleeping 80% of the time anyway, it¡¯s passing quickly. My breathing got better as my lungs keep adjusting so after three days, I don¡¯t need the oxygen mask anymore. I¡¯m still hurting a lot and feel weak, though.

    Of course, my absence didn¡¯t go unnoticed. Firstly, I¡¯m not seen in public. Secondly, Julia¡¯s infirmary is currently off-limits so another place had to be designated as a medical room. Thirdly, the Royal Guards are patrolling in front so it¡¯s obvious who¡¯s inside. We had to shoot a video in which I was explaining my medical condition, imploring all Draconians to be careful about their progressing transformation.

    Erik stays by my side the whole time except for showering or going to stretch his legs briefly. I¡¯m telling him that I¡¯m fine with Julia and my guards around but he still refuses to leave me for too long. He argues that he can work on his computer from the infirmary. To be honest, I feel guilty to sleep all the time while everyone else is working so hard.

    ¡°You¡¯re not lazy, you¡¯re recuperating,¡± Erik is assuring me but I still feel useless.

    Obviously, I missed another super important meeting with the Prime Minister and the EU officials. Liana briefed me afterwards and tried to sound like it wasn¡¯t a big deal but I could sense from her that my absence was felt. Ingri told me later that Celestials were really nervous that their Emperor wasn¡¯t present.

    I don¡¯t know what to make out of it. While I¡¯m now fully accepting my Celestial nature, reasoning of other Celestials is sometimes eluding me. I feel completely Celestial now, slowly coming to terms with all those new emotions and perception, but I still don¡¯t see myself as the Emperor. I can tell that everyone¡¯s mana capacity and magic proficiency is much lower than mine but I see no objective reason why it should be me leading our race.

    ¡°I looked it up, it¡¯s actually in our lore as well,¡± Liana says after I proposed again that she should become the ruler instead of me and she refused without even thinking about it for a second.

    ¡°What is?¡± I hiss in pain because Julia is stretching my wings again in order to scan them and make sure my bones are growing how they should.

    ¡°Why you might be so reluctant about it,¡± she explains. ¡°The position of the Celestial Emperor automatically goes to the strongest magic caster, who is therefore considered to be the incarnate of magic itself, but it doesn¡¯t have to necessarily mean that person has to be good at politics and running the country on the practical level.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think our ingame lore influenced my thinking that much,¡± I oppose.

    ¡°Yet, you were always behaving like the true Celestial Emperor,¡± Liana points out. ¡°Leaving all mundane work to me and rather focusing all your energy on conquering dungeons and going on the craziest and longest quests. Always with your head in the clouds. Exactly like our lore says¡ªit¡¯s the Viceroy who takes care of the practical stuff.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ guess,¡± I have to second that whether I want to or not.

    *****

    I¡¯m finally discharged after five long days. While my sped-up transformation is still weakening me considerably, Julia eventually confirmed that I¡¯m in no danger and can be released into home care.

    ¡°You should look after Liana now,¡± I say to Dr Stein while the guards are taking all my stuff Erik brought to the infirmary back to our apartment. ¡°She¡¯s not feeling good today and just puts up a brave front as always.¡±

    ¡°You feel that?¡± Julia asks openly because Erik made sure it¡¯s only Vermiel and Miruel inside helping us. ¡°But she¡¯s so far away.¡±

    ¡°I told you already that walls don¡¯t block my ability,¡± I remind her and look at my new Celestial guards who eagerly gobble every bit of new information about me.

    Since yesterday, they also started wearing Celestial robes. I¡¯m surprised they got theirs so quickly, considering the crazy current demand for special custom clothes as all Draconians wish to wear something that would really suit them. Liana must be overpaying freelance manufacturers.

    Ingri did an excellent job as always coming up with a design that is both in a distinctive Celestial style, yet practical¡ªat least in terms of highly impractical Celestial fashion. While it looks like a typical Celestial long dress, the skirt is cut at the sides, it¡¯s a bit shorter and has pants underneath.

    However, when I asked for similar garments, Liana told me that it simply won¡¯t do for the Emperor and that was the end of discussion. I think it¡¯ll never cease to amaze me how much our mentality has changed. The big changes are obvious, it¡¯s the little things that astonish me the most.

    It¡¯s clear that others completely forgot how they were thinking before but somehow I can still relate to my previous human thinking even though I don¡¯t think like that anymore. I hope that it¡¯s only thanks to my connection with Erik but I suspect it¡¯s because I wasn¡¯t quite human from the beginning.

    ¡°Ready to go, Your Majesty,¡± Muriel announces and interrupts my pondering. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t meet anyone.¡±

    I frown a little. I didn¡¯t ask them to vacate all corridors for me, even though, admittedly, I¡¯d feel embarrassed being seen carried by Erik in public. But Liana insisted it wouldn¡¯t do us any good if the Celestial Emperor was seen in a weakened state.

    ¡°Off we go then,¡± Erik takes me into his arms.

    I quickly fold my wings as I¡¯d literally drag them over the floor at this point. It¡¯s strange how much they¡¯ve grown in such a short period of time. And it¡¯s even weirder that it feels natural and I do enjoy their new size. To be completely honest, my Celestial nature is craving huge wings. The bigger, the better. Is it going to be a Celestial quirk?

    I also like your wings big, Erik catches what I¡¯m thinking about and sends me a passionate emotion together with a dreamy vision of two of us in bed.

    I can¡¯t help blushing. Erik developing a fetish for my wings is a dream come true. At first, he thought of them as simply being cute but lately he¡¯s really beginning to see them in an erotic way. As a Celestial would. Just how lucky I am to get such a fine boyfriend?

    The best boyfriend out there, he smirks in his thoughts and adjusts his hands because he can feel through me that he¡¯s squeezing my wings a bit.

    There¡¯re more guards when we step outside the infirmary waiting for us. I spot two Celestials whose names I can¡¯t recall, both of them wearing the same robes as Vermiel and Miruel. And also a Clawfang and a Dragonkin. No humans. Wait a sec, six? Why do I need that many inside Liana¡¯s skyscraper?

    Erik catches my thought again and gets anxious. He desperately tries to think about something else in order to distract me. I decide to push him when we step into the elevator.

    ¡°Did something happen to get me so many guards?¡± I ask openly and direct my question also to Vermiel and Miruel.

    They both chew their lips, apparently nervous. I stretch my hand and touch Miruel who¡¯s standing just a few centimetres away from me since the elevator is quite full because of my wings. Only a second later I realise, to my stupidity, that I¡¯ve never connected to her before as my sudden attempt scares her shitless. She flinches and looks horrified.

    ¡°Oh, sorry, Miruel,¡± I apologise quickly. I also realise that I did something totally rude, imposing on her privacy like that. ¡°Really really sorry,¡± I say again. ¡°I sometimes forget because it¡¯s so automatic with Erik. Please, do tell me what¡¯s wrong.¡±

    She takes a deep breath, calming herself down. I wonder¡­ would people feel violated when I read their minds without permission? I have to be more careful. More considerate. I can¡¯t help catching their emotions but I can prevent reading their thoughts.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting worse and worse each day,¡± she finally answers.

    ¡°What is?¡±

    ¡°Cyber attacks on the skyscraper¡¯s network¡­ and attempts to get into the building without a clearance,¡± she says. ¡°Just this morning our security prevented another intrusion.¡±

    ¡°Another? They were more? Why don¡¯t I know anything about it?¡± I¡¯m super confused now.

    ¡°Liana didn¡¯t want to stress you,¡± Erik explains. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s Fefnir¡¯s job now. He became the head of our security.¡±

    ¡°When did that happen?¡± I widen my eyes.

    ¡°Just two days ago,¡± he says. ¡°I mean¡­ we¡¯re still cooperating with human guards, of course, but Draconians were too hard to handle by human staff. They seem to work side by side with them quite fine but they just weren¡¯t listening to orders if made by a human.¡±

    ¡°Did a lot of things change while I was out?¡± I ask, a bit apprehensively now. Normally, it¡¯d only be five days but a lot can happen when everything¡¯s so turbulent.

    ¡°Nothing dramatic I think,¡± he says and we reach our apartment.

    ¡°You call that nothing dramatic?¡± I don¡¯t believe my eyes because our flat is full of boxes and several Draconians are unpacking them.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s the stuff from our previous apartments, I had it moved here,¡± Erik explains and puts me on the sofa in the living room. ¡°It¡¯s not like we can ever come back, right?¡±

    I want to oppose something but I¡¯m distracted by the softness of the sofa. I give it a closer look to discover that the sofa is brand new. It¡¯s much larger so I can fit even with my wings. And it seems the back-rest can be put down. Neat.

    ¡°You like it? I ordered it, anticipating you won¡¯t fit onto the old one,¡± Erik grins.

    ¡°I do,¡± I admit and curiously look around.

    Too many unknown people in our apartment! There¡¯s a Dragonkin bringing even more boxes and three Celestial unpacking. I see one taking out my favourite figure from Dragon Age and putting it on a shelf. Was that shelf even there before? Did they redo the apartment while I was lying in the infirmary?

    ¡°Erik, what the hell?¡± I can¡¯t wrap my head around it.

    ¡°Well,¡± he smiles but it¡¯s cringy. He¡¯s afraid of my reaction. ¡°It was supposed to be a surprise but we couldn¡¯t finish on time.¡±

    ¡°Finish what?¡±

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik says slowly, ¡°we have to stop treating it as a hotel suite. This is our home now.¡±

    I¡¯m left speechless. Of course, I knew that there¡¯s no chance I¡¯m coming back into my old cosy apartment but because of all those things happening, I had no actual time to think about how we¡¯re going to live from now on. I didn¡¯t realise that¡­ I¡¯ve moved together with Erik. For real.

    ¡°You hate it,¡± Erik gets pale when noticing my confused expression.

    ¡°N-not hate,¡± I shake my head violently. ¡°It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t give it a thought before. But we kind of are living together now, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Forced by circumstances. Do you dislike it?¡± Erik gets saddened.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± I shake my head again to dispel his doubts and take his hand. ¡°But everything¡¯s happening so quickly.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, where do you want to put this?¡± a Celestial woman suddenly asks, holding my VR headset.

    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t use it anymore, can I? It¡¯s made for a human brain,¡± I realise. ¡°Do you want it, Erik?¡±

    ¡°Nope, I hate VR,¡± he says flatly. ¡°Maybe we should do some decluttering? We need to squeeze two apartments into more, after all.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± I nod. ¡°I¡¯m not giving up my retro games, though.¡±

    ¡°Nerd,¡± Erik teases me. ¡°Thank you, Luviael, leave the stuff you¡¯re not sure about in the boxes, we¡¯ll go through it later.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, Royal Consort,¡± the Celestial woman, Luviael, gives me a long inspecting look. How did Erik make friends with her? When? Who is she anyway? And why is she looking at me like that?

    ¡°Ehm¡­ is something wrong with my face?¡± I get flustered.

    ¡°I¡¯m just astonished you look exactly the same except for the colour of your hair and eyes, Your Majesty,¡± she says.

    ¡°Eh?¡± I¡¯m lost.

    ¡°You don¡¯t recognise me, do you?¡± she sighs. ¡°Thought so.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, should I?¡± I study her face properly. Now that she¡¯s talking about it, her features do seem familiar.

    ¡°We had Introduction to Contemporary Literature together,¡± she helps me, disappointed that I have no idea. ¡°I was sitting two rows in front of you.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± I do recall her now.

    I still don¡¯t know her name because, knowing my social anxiety, I probably never asked but I can at least tell she was my classmate at university. Her original black locks are dark blue now and she has grey patterned wings but she retained her brown skin and curly hair. She¡¯s also wearing a Celestial robe, a very pretty one with flowers.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    ¡°Who would have thought that my classmate was my Emperor,¡± she laughs. ¡°What a small world, right?¡±

    ¡°Really,¡± I try to smile back. ¡°So your name is Luviael?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± she grins. ¡°It¡¯s a bit strange considering I know you from school but I¡¯m honoured to serve you nonetheless, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Serve?¡± I tilt my head, confused.

    ¡°Her Excellency named me your adjutant,¡± Luviael announces proudly.

    ¡°Ehhh¡­,¡± I¡¯m dumbfounded. ¡°What does it even mean?¡±

    ¡°Your personal assistant?¡± Luviael offers an explanation. ¡°Lady Liana has Ingri, you also need someone to take care of your agenda and quarters.¡±

    I have to try hard to not to burst laughing. Did she just call our apartment quarters? But wait, is Liana deciding things concerning me without me again? It seems I need to have a serious chat with my Viceroy.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Luviael coughs. ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate to come to me with any request, okay? The budget is really generous, it¡¯s no problem to order anything for your new home.¡±

    ¡°Right, let¡¯s make it cosy here,¡± Erik is enthusiastic while I stay confused.

    ¡°What budget?¡± I narrow my eyes.

    How many things have changed during those five days while I was indisposed? It¡¯s like I¡¯ve come back into a different reality in which Celestials act as if the skyscraper is the Royal Palace or something. And I¡¯m the only one who doesn¡¯t know how to play this game.

    ¡°The Royal budget,¡± Luviael answers in a tone indicating it should be obvious. ¡°Money to finance your home, personal guards, servants, clothing and everything else needed for perfect representation.¡±

    My wings drop on the sofa. Is she serious?! I was half-joking thinking that but it turns out I might be right? They really are considering our apartment to be Royal quarters? My old classmate really wants to become my adjutant?

    I analyse her feelings and find no doubt in her mind. I quickly focus on the others in the room, my bodyguards and people unpacking. And I find out, to my bewilderment, that none of them is taking it just as a temporary job they¡¯re forced to do for the time being. It¡¯s as if they naturally assumed their roles and they even feel proud about it. Role-playing in real life. Except it isn¡¯t role-play anymore.

    ¡°Ah, your lunch is here,¡± Luviael waves at an Earthborn who arrives with a food cart.

    I don¡¯t feel like eating right now but Erik doesn¡¯t take no for an answer and puts a tray on my lap. As I watch the hustle and bustle around me, slowly munching, my anxiety rises. The guards are plugging some devices above all doors, two Dragonkin keep renovating the apartment in front of my eyes and Celestials are frantically tidying up.

    Erik, let¡¯s hide in the bedroom, I say and don¡¯t have to touch my boyfriend because he¡¯s leaning against my wings.

    I¡¯m afraid they¡¯re still putting together our new bed, he has to disappoint me.

    You ordered that as well?

    Well, obviously, he pokes my wings that are becoming really big at this point. How else would you fit there? I don¡¯t want you waking me up in the middle of the night, whining that your wings are uncomfortable or having your feathers in my mouth.

    I force myself to eat another dumpling because Luviael is watching me with an expression saying that she¡¯s going to report to Dr Stein. Because I¡¯m chewing, it doesn¡¯t look suspicious that I¡¯m not talking. I have to be careful, I don¡¯t want to reveal my secret to another person I don¡¯t know. We were lucky that Miruel and Vermiel turned out to be loyal and reliable but we don¡¯t have to be as lucky next time. The more people more, the bigger the danger someone won¡¯t keep it secret.

    ¡°Great, I¡¯ve been waiting for that,¡± Luviael beams at a Clawfang who brings two more boxes. Only this time they don¡¯t look like moving boxes but regular post. The wolfish Clawfang stares at me intensely until Luviael notices, rolls her eyes and throws him out after thanking him.

    ¡°These go into the wardrobe,¡± she orders a rather young Celestial woman who¡¯s been sorting my books.

    I realise it feels strange that someone is touching my stuff like that. As if I¡¯m not able to tidy myself. Well, to be honest, right now I¡¯m still rather indisposed but who says it has to be finished in one day?

    ¡°Luviael, that¡¯s enough,¡± I speak up. ¡°Put the boxes into one corner, we¡¯ll go through them when I feel better.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t have time when you recover, Your Majesty,¡± she replies without even looking at me and disappears into our bedroom.

    ¡°If she¡¯s my adjutant, why won¡¯t she listen to me?¡± I complain to Erik.

    ¡°Not sure how it works with Celestials,¡± he shrugs and passes me another dumpling. ¡°Does the Celestial Emperor hold absolute power?¡±

    I have to think about it for a minute. I left everyday mundane agenda to Liana but when it came to important things, my decision was necessary because the system was set like that. However, concerning things like running the Royal Quarters and official representation, even I was bound by merciless court etiquette. And I hated it, to be frank. Shit, so that got transferred to real life as well?

    I can tell your thinking has changed but it seems you retained a certain level of detachment when compared to other Draconians, Erik switches to telepathy again. Just watch them¡ªthey¡¯re desperately trying to change everything around them to suit their current mentality. In this case, it means to provide for their Emperor.

    Just how intricate is our transformation? Will it effect all aspects of life? We¡¯re becoming Draconians through and through, even importing our fictional culture, and nobody thinks twice about it anymore.

    *****

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Erik puts me down on our new bed.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s one of those,¡± I suspiciously squeeze the mattress. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it only in movies.¡±

    It turns out that Erik ordered a huge round bed. I¡¯ve always considered it highly impractical and only for a show but now that I think about it, the shape might be ideal for Celestials. I try various positions and even spread my wings to both sides while lying on my stomach. It¡¯s very comfortable, I have to admit that.

    I sit up again to inspect the rest of the room. The previous regular wardrobe is gone, now two whole walls were re-designed for storing our clothes. The huge bed takes most of them room, making is a bit cramped, but because of its unusual shape, there¡¯s still room for two bedside tables.

    ¡°Thank you, everyone, but can you go now? We want some privacy,¡± Erik says with gratitude but also impatience. Luviael tells us again to call her if we need something before finally closing the door behind her.

    ¡°I can feel them in our living room,¡± I frown. ¡°Didn¡¯t you mean out out?¡±

    ¡°They have to finish their work,¡± Erik says and throws an extremely soft blanket at me. ¡°So do you like it or not?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± I smile, this time sincerely, and wrap myself in it. It smells brand new.

    ¡°And you do realise that we really live together? As partners I mean, not flat-mates,¡± he continues, more uncertain now. ¡°Oh, Ryuu, I¡¯m so sorry. I wanted to do it properly. Date for real for a while, then asking you to move in together. And all those other things like going to Ikea together to pick our new furniture, argue about what colour to paint our walls and¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a such romantic,¡± he amuses me and my heart melts. ¡°Yes, I do realise that we live together as partners. I might be a bit slow in these things but I love living with you. I love¡­ you.¡±

    He surprises me because he blushes. And he¡¯s not the type to blush. He must feel my love for him all the time when we¡¯re touching but I guess it¡¯s still ultimately magical to say these words aloud.

    ¡°I adore you,¡± he pushes me onto our new bed and enjoys that he doesn¡¯t have to be careful with my wings falling over the edges anymore when I fold them a bit.

    My first reaction is to resist him because I don¡¯t like being on my back for obvious reasons so I¡¯m twice as astonished that I don¡¯t mind. The mattress is really soft and even though my growing wings are still highly sensitive, it seems lying on them for shorter periods of time won¡¯t be impossible anymore. They got stronger. Much stronger and sturdier.

    Realising one problem disappeared, Erik grins victoriously and leans over me. He was missing having me like that. I gladly give in and let him make up for those five days of abstinence.

    *****

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I have to say it. Liana, you dumb!¡± I berate my Viceroy.

    ¡°Uhm,¡± she whines, not able to defend herself and not even wanting to because she knows that my anger is justified.

    She¡¯s lying in her bed, curled underneath a blanket, her black wings poking out.

    ¡°Passed out!¡± I continue berating her. ¡°What were you thinking coming to work when you weren¡¯t feeling well?¡±

    ¡°I thought that I can manage somehow,¡± she mumbles and whines again because I pull one of her feathers.

    I shake my head and look at Julia. She just shrugs and sighs theatrically. There¡¯s no fixing our always overworking Liana.

    ¡°It¡¯s because the others are still working,¡± she finally manages to come up with an excuse.

    ¡°The others aren¡¯t Celestials,¡± I remind her.

    It¡¯s been six days after the growth of my wings started accelerating and the transformation of the rest of Draconians began to speed up as well. People whose previous VR compatibility was high have it very turbulent again while those with lower levels more gradual. But overall most people are, fortunately, copying quite well. It¡¯s only high-level Celestials who are really struggling and have to be taken care of.

    ¡°How come she doesn¡¯t have to in the infirmary?¡± I realise that Dr Stein didn¡¯t insist on that in Liana¡¯s case.

    ¡°Because she doesn¡¯t have any difficulties breathing,¡± Julia says.

    I frown. Why do I always have it worst? Fefnir seems totally fine, Emi just complains a bit that her feet are hurting and she can¡¯t run as fast and Ingri is totally fine.

    ¡°Soo sleepy,¡± Liana suddenly yawns.

    ¡°Right, let her rest, Ryuu,¡± Erik nods. ¡°Mrs Hana will take care of her.¡±

    ¡°N-no, don¡¯t go,¡± Liana surprises me by catching my sleeve. It seems she¡¯s done with being brave, at least in front of us. We¡¯re the lucky few who see her vulnerable part. The part she¡¯s hiding from the world for which she¡¯s the Laura Richter there¡¯s no messing with.

    I don¡¯t want to stay with humans only, she sends me a desperate thought. I know that it¡¯s irrational¡ªHana is my trustworthy housekeeper¡ªbut¡­ I just¡­

    I know. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll stay then, I assure her, honoured that she trusts me so much.

    ¡°Erik, let¡¯s stay a little longer,¡± I say aloud. ¡°Liana doesn¡¯t have an amazing boyfriend who would stay with her no matter what. Hana is great but she won¡¯t¡­ you know¡­ she¡¯s not Celestial.¡±

    Erik sighs because he was hoping to have me for himself today but he understands. Besides, he knows perfectly well that there¡¯s no ulterior motive between us. Liana is my best friend and my Viceroy.

    She¡¯s might not be my lover but I realise my love for her isn¡¯t any smaller than for Erik. My bond with her was growing stronger and stronger without me noticing until it got to the point it¡¯s become unbreakable. A bond of friendship so strong I¡¯d have never thought it possible. A bond of Celestial friendship that goes beyond any human emotion.

    ¡°Ouch,¡± Liana cries and her wings cringe in a spasm.

    I don¡¯t have to think about what is the right thing to do. I lie down beside her, cover her with my right wing and hug her tight. I try to alleviate her pain and I¡¯m surprised how easy it is. I connect to her fully, the way I do with Erik. A bit differently, of course, but fully for the first time.

    Her mind is open and she willingly lets me in. And I finally discover how it feels like to rest in a mind of another Celestial. A mind that¡¯s like my own.

    *****

    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s gone?¡±

    ¡°Just gone¡­ missing¡­¡±

    ¡°From your drawer that was supposed to be locked?¡±

    I reluctantly open my eyes. Fortunately, Liana is sleeping deeply due to my attempts to soothe her so she hasn¡¯t woken up.

    ¡°You¡¯re too loud!¡± I complain. ¡°Take it outside!¡±

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik caresses my left wing. ¡°Your feather is missing.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°I locked it in the drawer in my office,¡± Julia leans over Liana and takes her temperature. ¡°But it¡¯s gone since this morning and the lock is broken.¡±

    ¡°Why would someone steal my feather?¡± I frown and finally sit up. ¡°Didn¡¯t the security see anything?¡±

    ¡°Most of the security is focused to this floor now that both you Liana are here,¡± Erik says. ¡°But they¡¯re looking into the security footage as we speak. Hopefully, we should know something soon.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, is it such a huge deal?¡± I ask because I can feel that both Erik and Julia are too aggravated. ¡°It¡¯s just one feather and every Celestial has thousands of them.¡±

    ¡°It means that someone actually managed to breach our security,¡± Erik answers rather irritably.

    ¡°And potentially take it for DNA testing,¡± Julia adds darkly and finishes checking on sleeping Liana. ¡°The base of Celestial feathers, calamus, does provide enough for a DNA sample.¡±

    That takes me aback. I haven¡¯t realised that my feather would contain my DNA or I would never give it away.

    ¡°Can they discover that my DNA is different somehow¡­?¡± I gulp.

    ¡°Hard to say,¡± Julia shrugs. ¡°The scientists have yet to fully sequence the DNA of new races.¡±

    ¡°EXCUSE ME!¡± Fefnir bursts into the bedroom and he¡¯s so noisy while doing so that I have to try hard to keep Liana sleeping with my telepathy. She needs rest, desperately.

    My first reaction is to scold him but I¡¯m shocked by the change he¡¯s gone through in that past week I haven¡¯t really seen him. His skin was completely covered with scales before but they seem even tougher now, like nothing could ever harm him. Could he be bulletproof now?

    His horns are growing rapidly and make Fefnir look truly formidable but the biggest and the most noticeable change are his legs. These just aren¡¯t human legs anymore. And he isn¡¯t wearing any shoes as he probably doesn¡¯t need them anymore and none would fit his enormous clawed feet anyway.

    Fefnir catches that I¡¯m staring at him but this time he doesn¡¯t offer a cheeky grin. He looks dead tired, probably both from overworking and exhausted by the speed his body is changing. But he¡¯s holding up fine¡ªexemplary Dragonkin resilience.

    ¡°Sorry, Aefener, but can you work now?¡± he says without any greeting. Even his voice is a bit different. Lower. Inhumanely hoarse. ¡°We could really use your help. We just can¡¯t be missing two Celestial rulers, your race is in total disarray and the EU delegates don¡¯t want to start another diplomatic session without at least one of you present.¡±

    ¡°I think I can¡­ with Erik¡¯s help,¡± I say quickly because I can tell Julia disapproves and is about to voice her opinion.

    ¡°Great, let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Ten minutes, Esteemed Viceroy,¡± Luviael, my new adjutant, has to forcefully squeeze to the front because Fefnir is taking a lot of space. ¡°His Majesty isn¡¯t dressed properly.¡±

    ¡°What are you waiting for then?¡± he clicks his tongue and even that sounds completely dragon-like.

    Erik looks at me and I look at him. He doesn¡¯t have to be a telepath to be able to guess that when our phlegmatic friend is nervous, something must be seriously wrong.

    I want to try walking on my own, I do feel quite good after the nap, but the moment I step on the carpet and want to stand up, I¡¯m surprised by the sudden increased weight of my much bigger wings and wobble. Erik catches me immediately so I don¡¯t end up on the ground but I don¡¯t manage to fold my wings on time so my feathers are everywhere.

    ¡°Uh, s-sorry,¡± I mumble because I brush everyone in my vicinity. ¡°I still can¡¯t get used to how big they are now.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be, I was rushing you too much,¡± Fefnir forces himself to calm down and gently pulls my wings up while Erik is trying to somehow get me into his arms. I can¡¯t help admiring how the Dragonkin are able to control their emotions like that.

    ¡°Celestials¡­ totally cumbersome,¡± Erik jokes when he finally manages to collect me.

    ¡°Julia, will you¡­?¡± I look at the doctor.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Dr Stein nods. ¡°I won¡¯t leave Her Excellency¡¯s side. Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty.¡±

    The sudden change in how she¡¯s addressing us feels unnatural but I¡¯m the only one who feels that way. Erik doesn¡¯t even notice it because he¡¯s too busy holding me and the others think it¡¯s normal. I guess Julia has to call Liana politely like that because my Viceroy hates being addressed by her human name but why did she switch it with me as well? I thought we¡¯re on familiar speaking terms.

    But I don¡¯t have time to ponder, it takes just a minute to transport me from Liana¡¯s apartment to ours and before I even manage to open my mouth, Luviael and one other Celestial woman I saw arranging things around the apartment are suddenly dressing me. Erik is shocked as well because he¡¯s pushed aside. Fefnir nods at him, tells him something I can¡¯t hear and they disappear behind the door.

    ¡°S-stop, I-can-do-it-myself!¡± I protest, cutting every word.

    But they don¡¯t listen and keep stretching my limbs as they need them for the robe. It¡¯s impossible to ignore how eagerly they¡¯re touching my huge wings¡ªcaressing them, thinking I won¡¯t notice their hands linger there for far too long. They even do my hair, carefully arranging a hairpin. Oh, so my hair is long enough for it now?

    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful, Your Majesty,¡± they flatter my when their work is done. ¡°Ready to rule.¡±

    I puff but that¡¯s pretty much all I can do. When Erik comes back, it¡¯s evident that he¡¯s still irritated that some strangers were touching me but he has to admit that he¡¯d be never able to dress me so quickly and do my hair on top.

    I fold my wings properly, adjusting for a minute to their new weight. I catch my reflection in the mirror that¡¯s attached to the wardrobe and they look even bigger than they feel. For such a thin person, I¡¯m starting to take a lot of space.

    ¡°Can you just hold me steady?¡± I ask Erik. ¡°I think I can walk by myself if you support me. I don¡¯t want to vacate the halls again because I¡¯m coming through. I really do feel much stronger today and I need some exercise.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± he nods and offers me his arm. With the help, I¡¯m able to slowly walk just fine.

    However, we don¡¯t even reach the end of the corridor when Fefnir stops us and is frantically talking to someone on the phone. He¡¯s getting more and more anxious by each passing second and just as I¡¯m about to ask him what¡¯s wrong, the elevator opens and Emi jumps out.

    She¡¯s also undergone a significant change, especially her legs that are becoming truly animal-like. She¡¯s not wearing shoes either.

    ¡°Emi, what¡­?¡± Erik frowns because the Clawfang Alpha is hissing angrily.

    ¡°Intruders got in!¡± she exclaims and her fur is standing. ¡°Some bastards pretended that they¡¯re the catering service, forged the clearance and all. We noticed too late, let them in and now we have no idea where they are!¡±

    ¡°You think they¡¯re here to hurt us?¡± my heart skips a beat.

    ¡°What else,¡± Emi grunts. ¡°Aefener, we need your¡­,¡± she stops herself in time. There¡¯re too many people around us who don¡¯t know my secret.

    ¡°R-right,¡± I nod tensely.

    Of course, they need a telepath. Luckily, they have one. I can finally be useful.

 32. Acknowledged

    We lock ourselves in the conference room. To be honest, I¡¯d have preferred to do it in our apartment but that might be too suspicious. Here, we can pretend that we¡¯re communicating with the security department and planning things. Miruel and Vermiel stand guard in front of the door, making sure no one interrupts us.

    ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it, Ryuu,¡± Erik warns me. ¡°You¡¯re still recuperating.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever is necessary to get them,¡± I say resolutely. ¡°But just in case I faint, don¡¯t call Julia and just let me rest. I should be fine.¡±

    My boyfriend sighs and looks at the gang. Only Liana is missing, sleeping in her bedroom. It¡¯s for the best, she deserves rest more than anybody and I should finally prove to her that she can count on me. If I have to become the Celestial Emperor, I should start acting like one. And being reliable is part of the job.

    ¡°Will you be able to tell us right away when you find something?¡± Fefnir asks and is clutching his phone.

    ¡°It¡¯s long-distance telepathy, not astral projection, Fefnir,¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll be perfectly aware of everything around me so don¡¯t distract me.¡±

    ¡°Like that, Aefener?¡± Ingri puts several pillows and a blanket she took from the lounge on the floor.

    ¡°Perfect, thanks,¡± I nod. ¡°Much better than a chair,¡± I eye the seats in the conference room. Definitely not made for Celestials.

    ¡°You look like you¡¯re about to meditate,¡± Erik chuckles to relieve the tension and helps me sit down on the cushions while putting the blanket under my knees.

    ¡°That¡¯s actually exactly what I¡¯m going to do,¡± I say. ¡°We¡¯ve been training it with Julia, remember?¡±

    I envelop myself into my wings, cross my legs and naturally straighten my back. Perfect, most comfortable. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I used my ability like this before in Liana¡¯s mansion, of course, but I didn¡¯t control it that well. But now I feel that I am in control. Is it thanks to my training? Or because I don¡¯t struggle with my Celestial nature?

    ¡°Erik, stop it, please,¡± I say without opening my eyes. ¡°I love it but I feel you too strongly when you¡¯re touching me.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± he lets go of my wings he started caressing. He¡¯s been doing it almost automatically lately. Whenever there¡¯s an opportunity, his hands find my feathers. A lovely new quirk. But not now.

    I breathe in deeply once again and try to calm down my frantic thinking. I count ten breaths until it works and I become a bit more detached from my own thoughts. The emotions I perceive all around me sharpen and I can sense perfectly well what my friends are feeling right now. Anxiety. Fear. Distress. Uncertainly about our future.

    But I don¡¯t go for their feelings, I need to find people who aren¡¯t supposed to be here¡ª the intruders who stole my feather. I filter all Draconians but I¡¯m still left with a few dozen humans. I¡¯m searching for emotions like hatred that are always strongest and easiest to spot but all I get is just slight disgust coming from several sources which is probably normal.

    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t get anything,¡± I open my eyes and chew my lip.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t do it?¡± Erik clutches my hand in comfort. ¡°That¡¯s okay, Ryuu, you¡¯re still training it after all.¡±

    ¡°No, I could do it,¡± I shake my head because I feel my friends are really confused by the outcome. ¡°I perceived everyone in the skyscraper but there¡¯s no one who would want to hurt us.¡±

    ¡°So they either fled already,¡± Fefnir narrows his eyes, ¡°or they don¡¯t want to sabotage us.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean to tell me they were satisfied with just taking Aefener¡¯s feather?¡± Emi stays sceptical and impatiently thumbs her right foot (o rather a paw?) against the floor.

    ¡°Can¡¯t it be connected to the intrusion in Liana¡¯s mansion?¡± Ingri is thinking aloud. ¡°We never found out who hired them but we do know that they wanted to abduct our Aefener.¡±

    ¡°Could be,¡± Emi agrees. ¡°It¡¯s evident someone is seriously after him. If they really went only after the feather and fled immediately when they got it, knowing they can¡¯t get Aefener himself, they might want it for DNA testing as Julia suggested.¡±

    ¡°But who? For what purpose?¡± I¡¯m lost. ¡°I was no one before. Just a student. A gamer.¡±

    ¡°You call being a telepath no one?¡± Emi nudges me and exemplary rolls her eyes. ¡°Is there someone who might suspect you have this ability?¡±

    ¡°Only my Mom knew and she¡¯s dead,¡± I claim.

    ¡°But you were just four at that time,¡± Erik says. ¡°She might have told someone without you knowing. Or you don¡¯t remember it.¡±

    ¡°What about your father? You never mentioned him. Is he dead too?¡± Fefnir asks. A rather too directly to my liking so I frown and purse my lips.

    ¡°Some subtlety, Fefnir?¡± Ingri pokes him hard but I doubt he felt that through his scaly skin.

    ¡°I won¡¯t apologise, it¡¯s high time Aefener starts to ask right questions about his origins,¡± Fefnir stands his ground. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m shocked he¡¯s so uninterested in it.¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s dangerous!¡± I exclaim and get extremely flustered for some reason.

    ¡°Ryuu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Erik hugs me right away. ¡°You¡¯re shaking.¡±

    ¡°I¡­. I¡¯m not sure,¡± my lips tremble. For a moment, a sense of dread overcame me when I started thinking about my father. ¡°I never knew him, my Mom left him before I was born.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? Because it seems you¡¯re afraid of him,¡± Ingri suggests carefully. ¡°Maybe you forgot? I mean¡­ come on, who actually remembers things that happened when they were four?¡±

    ¡°I remember some things, Mom made sure of that because she wanted to protect me,¡± I insist. ¡°Don¡¯t touch people carelessly. Don¡¯t react to things that aren¡¯t said aloud. Don¡¯t you ever tell anyone about your ability. Don¡¯t¡­¡±

    I freeze for a second. Don¡¯t¡­ what was the fourth rule again?

    ¡°Ryuu?¡± Erik stops the petting. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­?¡±

    ¡°There was something¡­,¡± I mumble, dumbfounded.

    ¡°Something about your father perhaps?¡± Fefnir helps me.

    I feel that dread again. Why? Why is even thinking about a person I¡¯ve never met so unpleasant? Did he hurt me? But I¡¯m sure my Mom wasn¡¯t lying. It¡¯s very hard to lie to me after all. Mom, what¡¯s the fourth rule? What had you been telling me? Don¡¯t¡­

    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever look for your father,¡± I say dreamily. The words just slip out of my lips.

    My friends look at each other with raised eyebrows, confused at first, then worried. Erik, doting as he is, doesn¡¯t say anything and works on calming me down because I¡¯m still shaken. I couldn¡¯t love him more for that.

    ¡°Is it possible you¡¯ve been conditioned by your mother not to look into your family background?¡± Emi voices what others are probably thinking. ¡°If you feel scared just thinking about your father¡­ I mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Conditioned? Well, my Mom supposedly studied both IT and behavioural psychology,¡± I say faintly. ¡°Or at least that¡¯s what my Gran told me. I believe she had no reason to lie about that.¡±

    ¡°No shit!¡± Fefnir clicks his tongue in a dragon-like manners with a hiss.

    Only it doesn¡¯t end with a simple hiss. He suddenly looks like he¡¯s about to puke, panics and starts coughing furiously.

    ¡°UGHAAAAA!¡± he wheezes and¡­ a flame comes out of his mouth!

    We¡¯re staring at him for ten long seconds when he struggles to take a breath. He coughs again and sparks come out, burning the carpet under him. Emi reacts immediately and uses the water in her glass to put it out.

    ¡°D-damn,¡± Fefnir finally manages to take control.

    ¡°Fire breath confirmed!¡± Ingri exclaims excitedly, more thrilled than scared.

    ¡°He really is a dragon,¡± Erik gasps as if this is the first time he¡¯s acknowledging it.

    ¡°Duh!¡± Emi shrugs. ¡°I can¡¯t wait when I get my full were-transformation.¡±

    ¡°You what?¡± Erik widens his eyes, astonished again. He did try to study Draconia¡¯s lore and gameplay but we were too busy so he couldn¡¯t go deep. There¡¯re a lot of things he doesn¡¯t know about and will probably come true.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Celestials have nothing like that,¡± I assure him because I feel he¡¯s starting to panic in his mind. ¡°Our bodies are eternally frozen at a certain ideal age and we¡¯re not able to do any physical transformation of any kind.¡±

    ¡°WHAT?!¡± now he shouts, horrified.

    Only now I realise the gravity of what I¡¯ve said. Celestials aren¡¯t immortal, of course, but according to our lore, when we reach certain age which slightly differs for everybody, our bodies get frozen and we don¡¯t age anymore. At least not externally¡­ and definitely not as fast as humans.

    ¡°B-but¡­,¡± he looks at me desperately and clutches my hand. Too tight but I don¡¯t flinch. I know exactly what he¡¯s afraid of¡ªthat we won¡¯t grow old together.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to come true here,¡± I say quickly to calm him down.

    But when I focus on my mana circuit, I can feel the mana repairing my cells, giving them miraculous longevity. And I know that part of lore got transferred as well. Do other Celestials feel it as well? I guess not, they¡¯re still quite behind me in their development and mana sensitivity.

    Erik, still touching me, knows what I¡¯m thinking about because I hardly ever close my mind to him. He looks into my golden eyes, scared by what it¡¯ll eventually mean to us in the future. Surprisingly, I¡¯m not as shocked by this revelation.

    Am I gradually stopping to treat anything Draconian as unusual? Just like the rest of my people? I know it should be astonishing. I should be shocked. I want to be shocked. But I don¡¯t feel anything particularly wrong with that prospect. On the contrary, it feels just right. My only worry right now is how it¡¯ll effect our relationship.

    ¡°Erik?¡± I carefully address my boyfriend because I feel something snapping inside of him.

    He¡¯s usually so sensible and collected that it takes me aback. It was always him comforting me, telling me everything¡¯s going to be okay. But now, for the first time, he¡¯s starting to think that things might now work out according to his wishes¡ªthe vision he has in mind for us.

    Before I can reach deeper into him, he jerks away and his hand slips from mine. He can¡¯t close his mind to me so the only way how to interrupt our direct connection is to stop touching me. He stands up, his expression unreadable.

    ¡°I need some time to think,¡± he whispers. ¡°Sorry, Ryuu¡­ I have to think it through.¡±

    ¡°E-Erik?¡± I stutter.

    The emotions I¡¯m catching coming from him aren¡¯t dark but they aren¡¯t positive either. So far he was accepting everything about me but could this be the one thing he won¡¯t be able to digest?

    ¡°Sorry,¡± he apologises again because he doesn¡¯t know what else to say and hurries to the door.

    I want to go after him but before I even manage to fold my wings, he¡¯s gone. It happened so fast that it takes me a while to process. I was so convinced that Erik can take anything weird I throw at him that I forgot to consider his feelings. His human feelings. Am I a terrible boyfriend? When did I ever stopped to think about Erik¡¯s needs? Was I selfish again?

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Are you okay, Aefener?¡± Emi puts her hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I feel my eyes watering but I push the tears in.

    ¡°He¡¯ll come around,¡± Fefnir says. ¡°He¡¯s really resilient¡­ for a human.¡±

    I know that he doesn¡¯t mean it in a bad way but I sense a hint of contempt. Not for Erik, of course, but for humans in general. This whole time I was afraid of newly emerging racism towards Draconians but it turns out it¡¯s we who might become the racist ones. Humans are simply afraid of us so the source of their hatred is fear. But in our case¡­ we could start to see them as inferior to us which is potentially much worse.

    ¡°Up you go,¡± Emi kindly helps me stand up. She¡¯s my dear friend but it¡¯s so different from when Erik is handling me.

    ¡°So what should we tell the security? I sense no danger,¡± I say, seated in a chair which is really uncomfortable for Celestials.

    ¡°We have to let them keep searching until they find nothing,¡± Fefnir thumbs against the table. ¡°We can¡¯t exactly call off the search out of the blue.¡±

    ¡°You really became the chief of security? What about¡­ what was her name,¡± I¡¯m trying to remember the name of Liana¡¯s human employee I was introduced to the first day we relocated here.

    ¡°Diana,¡± Fefnir answers. ¡°We¡¯re actually working side by side. I¡¯m pleasantly surprised how easy she feels in my presence. It gives me hope that humans like her, Erik and Mrs Hana exist.¡±

    Soft knocking on the door.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb you but the Prime Minister is on the phone,¡± Anna the administrator says softly but urgently. ¡°She wants to speak with Mr Aefener.¡±

    ¡°His Majesty,¡± Emi corrects her a little bit too sharply because the poor lady flinches.

    ¡°Of course, with His Majesty,¡± Anna corrects herself quickly and her voice trembles. She¡¯s not truly afraid of us but I bet that seeing a room full of Draconians must be an intimidating sight.

    ¡°Thanks, we¡¯ll take it here,¡± Ingri tries to smile to put her at ease. I notice that her eyes are starting to look unnaturally green. She catches that I¡¯m staring at her face.

    ¡°Oh, did you finally notice?¡± she grins. ¡°I¡¯m trying to manipulate the colour of my irises. My King and Queen told me to start with that before I attempt to change other things.¡±

    I want to ask what other things but Anna coughs to remind us there¡¯re pressing matters at hand we must deal with. Ingri knows what to do and quickly reconnects the call to the conference room. The Prime Minister Bauerova appears as a hologram in the middle of the table.

    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± she blurts out, not bothering with a greeting. ¡°Thank God you¡¯re feeling better, we need your help.¡± Her face is flustered which is so unlike her. I guess it must be really urgent.

    ¡°Of course, what¡¯s the matter?¡± I ask apprehensively.

    ¡°It happened in Italy,¡± she gulps. ¡°Two Celestials were attacked by a group of fanatical believers. They were just trying to shop for groceries.¡±

    My heart skips a beat. Two of my people were assaulted? Million things go through my head at once. Are they okay? Did they defend themselves? And¡­ were those bastards who did it punished? Celestial wrath wakes up within me and I suddenly feel responsible for the safety of my subjects. W-wait a minute! Did I just call them ¡®subjects¡¯ in my head?

    ¡°Are they okay?¡± Emi asks instead of me because I stayed silent for too long.

    Bauerova bites her lip. ¡°One of them had their wing broken. But he should recover!¡±

    My stomach turns upside down. I can¡¯t even imagine something like that happening to my precious feathered limbs.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Bauerova continues slowly. ¡°It didn¡¯t end with that. They tried to defend themselves and almost killed the aggressors. When the police tried to apprehend them, several police officers were injured before they finally managed to stun them. There were lots of witnesses so you can imagine what comes next.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right, it¡¯s on all broadcasting channels,¡± Ingri confirms, checking on her laptop.

    Another knocking on the door, this time not gentle at all.

    ¡°Your Majesty!!!¡± Luviael, my new adjutant, bursts the door open and is absolutely furious.

    ¡°I know,¡± I nod grimly.

    ¡°This is civil war!¡± Luviael screams, mad with Celestial wrath.

    Her feathers are all puffy and her mana is leaking uncontrollably. Miruel and Vermiel are right behind her and they aren¡¯t any calmer.

    ¡°Your Majesty, civil war is exactly what we must prevent at all costs!¡± Bauerova implores me. ¡°The EU government is calling for an emergency meeting as we speak. They asked me to tell you to join. It¡¯ll start in an hour.¡±

    *****

    I sense Erik in the building so I don¡¯t panic entirely but his absence unnerves me. I know I became too reliant on him but I can¡¯t help it. I have no idea how normal love without telepathy works and I never will. Funny how superheroes in comic books sometimes magically lose their abilities. How does someone lose something that¡¯s in their very DNA?

    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, Aefener,¡± Emi nudges me and I know that she doesn¡¯t mean the international conference that¡¯s about to start in just three minutes. Despite her persisting trauma, she became quite fond of Erik.

    ¡°Just a second, Your Majesty,¡± Luviael appears behind me with a comb and an intention to fix my hair. I sigh but let her do it.

    How come Clawfangs, the Dragonkin and the Earthborn act rather normally around their rulers? I ask Emi in the meanwhile, inconspicuously touching her with my right wing.

    Define normally, Emi resists chuckling aloud and is surprisingly good at making her thoughts clear. Every race has a different mentality. My people are annoying clingy towards me but when I order them that I want to be left alone, they let me. I guess they both admire and fear me.

    Fear you? I don¡¯t understand. But you¡¯re such a good and friendly person.

    My pheromones are quite menacing, she explains. And I¡¯ve already badly scratched some Clawfangs who tried to disobey me.

    You did?!

    Well, I had to. I won¡¯t let anyone question my authority as the Supreme Alpha. Fefnir also had to subdue some misbehaving Dragonkin. Only in their case there¡¯s no actual fighting but the battle of wills using their Intimidation skill. You Celestials have it easy, everyone just feels your mana and you¡¯re done. But your people are so overprotective and doting of you, I¡¯d go crazy in your place. I¡¯m glad that I¡¯m Clawfang and we don¡¯t have all that ¡®our Emperor is godly¡¯ culture.

    There¡¯s nothing godly about me, I frown.

    Yeah, right, except there probably is.

    I want to sharply oppose to that but Luviael finishes styling my hair and Ingri announces that we go live in thirty seconds. I take a deep breath but, frankly, I feel more nervous about Erik not being by my side than the conference itself, even though, it¡¯s probably of historic significance.

    The 3D projector materialises a table for a current speaker while Ingri displays the EU parliament hall on the screens of our laptops. That way we can see the overall mood in the parliament and individual speakers as well.

    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m glad you feel better so you can be present,¡± a man in his sixties with white hair and an athletic body steps in front of the lectern.

    I¡¯ve never spoken to him directly, Liana did, but it¡¯s impossible not to know the face of the president of the European Commission¡ªone of the most powerful people in the EU. That¡¯s why I¡¯m twice as shocked that he uses my Draconian title.

    ¡°I see that you¡¯re confused,¡± the EU President Dwayne Bennett smiles. It seems pretentious but he somehow pulls it off. ¡°That¡¯s because we¡¯ve already voted and recognised Draconian races as distinctive nations. You have your embassy.¡±

    ¡°Internationally?¡± Emi speaks up.

    ¡°In the EU for the time being,¡± Bennett specifies. ¡°The UN has yet to take a vote.¡±

    We should celebrate, it¡¯s a great victory. Yet, I doubt the EU is giving us this status just because they¡¯re generous. It was too quick. They¡¯re up to something.

    ¡°The EU legislation starts applying to you at this very moment,¡± Bennett doesn¡¯t beat around the bush. ¡°We¡¯re transporting the offenders to your embassy as we speak.¡±

    ¡°The offenders?¡± I blink.

    ¡°Those two Celestials who used disproportionate defence,¡± Bennet explains patiently. ¡°I believe you¡¯ll discipline them as your culture sees fit and ensure similar incidents won¡¯t keep happening.¡±

    Oh, so that¡¯s what it¡¯s all about. They don¡¯t know how to deal with our people breaking the law so they would rather give the executive power to us than to be accused of racism and possibly agitate more Draconians against them.

    ¡°We¡¯re also transferring two dozen Clawfangs who were caught doing various minor offences,¡± the President looks at Emi. ¡°I believe you¡¯ll discipline them yourself, Supreme Alpha. After all, it¡¯s in your lore, we studied it.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, I will,¡± Emi says dryly but politely. I can feel she hates being ordered by a human but she has to keep her act together.

    ¡°Mrs Bauerova,¡± Bennett summons the Bohemian Prime Minister whose face appears next to his holographic image. ¡°You have the EU¡¯s full support to cooperate with Draconians. After all, their first embassy is in your country.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Mr President,¡± Bauerova nods and only a slight frown on her forehead gives away that she¡¯s worried.

    ¡°Our delegates are on their way,¡± he continues and his tone is unnaturally even. I¡¯d give everything to feel his emotions right now. ¡°I trust you¡¯ll find suitable apartments in your skyscraper to accommodate them?¡±

    Eh¡­ what? Are we going to be under EU¡¯s close supervision? Can they even do that in our own embassy? I look at my friends and they¡¯re just as shocked about it as me.

    ¡°Of course, Mr President,¡± Luviael surprises me because it¡¯s her who answers.

    ¡°I also want to personally apologise for Mr Bodin¡¯s inappropriate behaviour,¡± Bennett says with another forced smile that is supposed to convey his sincerity. ¡°We¡¯re sending Ms Ortega you took liking to and we¡¯re appointing Mr Dubois as her new colleague. I hope you¡¯ll find him more agreeable.¡±

    Then we continue for another hour, discussing particular details and planning what needs to be done in the immediate future. We got our embassy, much sooner than we expected, but at the cost of enormous responsibilities that come with it. Basically, the EU doesn¡¯t want to be held solely responsible for what happens in their territory so they¡¯re trying to throw everything on us¡ªthe new official government.

    ¡°Uff, that was intense,¡± Ingri sighs tiredly when the conference is finally over and we log off.

    ¡°Luvi, you seem to know a lot about international law,¡± I turn to my new adjutant with admiration. I didn¡¯t expect her to be so knowledgeable and skilful, she saved me multiple times during the talks because I had no idea how to answer.

    ¡°Luvi?¡± she chuckles.

    ¡°Oh, sorry, you don¡¯t like it? Luviael then,¡± I apologise for shortening her name.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s okay, it sounds cute,¡± she allows it and even sounds glad that I gave her a playful nickname. ¡°I studied international law and political sciences. I was actually in the middle of my internship at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Switzerland when the Great Evolution started.¡±

    ¡°How did you get here? Family problems?¡± Emi asks curiously.

    ¡°Oh no, my family is actually very supportive,¡± she says with pride. ¡°I answered Her Excellency¡¯s call for experts in law and was lucky to be chosen.¡±

    ¡°I thought you studied literature like me?¡± I tilt my head.

    ¡°Not at all, I just needed some extra credits so I signed for a few interdisciplinary subjects that seemed interesting,¡± she sets things straight. ¡°I guess that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t recognise me, we had just one series of lectures together a semester ago.¡±

    I feel relieved to hear that. If she was my classmates, I¡¯d feel embarrassed for not remembering her face and not bothering to ask for her name. I might be socially clumsy but I¡¯m not that hopeless.

    ¡°So,¡± Fefnir coughs. ¡°Our titles are officially recognised and our races are now distinctive nations. At least in the EU.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope the UN reaches the same conclusion,¡± Ingri says. ¡°The situation is particularly bad in the States.¡±

    Oh, I forgot about Gotrid. Things have been put on hold when I couldn¡¯t work. I guess Ingri didn¡¯t want to bother me and took all the calls herself.

    ¡°Are Gotrid and Gin okay?¡± I ask.

    ¡°They relocated while you were indisposed,¡± Ingri informs me. ¡°Some rich kid who transformed as well offered them refuge in his family¡¯s mansion in Washington. The US government isn¡¯t as amicable as ours and Draconians can¡¯t travel outside the States. They¡¯re this close to voting for mandatory registrations of all our people.¡±

    I want to call Gotrid and Gin right away but it¡¯s too early in the morning for them. I just hope they¡¯re okay. The USA has much different political climate from the EU, much more conservative.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Luviael addresses me and enjoys that she can use my title now truly officially. ¡°It¡¯s time for lunch.¡±

    ¡°Gosh, I¡¯m starving,¡± Emi whines, finally breaking the stifling atmosphere.

    *****

    I try to focus on work but I keep thinking about Erik. He doesn¡¯t show up at lunch, he doesn¡¯t show up when he¡¯s supposed to be doing his own tasks. His chair next to me stays empty as a dark reminder that I took his presence for granted. But would it help if I appreciated him even more and was telling him every hour how much I love him?

    ¡°Aefener, you¡¯re driving me crazy,¡± Emi sighs and stops my hand.

    I look at her, confused, but thank to direct touch, I can read the source of her irritation¡ªI¡¯ve been hitting the table with my digital pen for several minutes already.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I murmur.

    I¡¯ve been trying to bury myself in work but anxiety always finds some way how to manifest itself. I know that distracting oneself helps most people but it never worked for me. I blame it on my telepathy. I¡¯m used to it, of course, but I do realise that my brain functions abnormally.

    I always think in two different regimes: the usual thinking processes and my telepathy I can¡¯t switch off. It¡¯s impossible for me not to feel everyone around me. The best I can do is to make it ambient. But right now everyone¡¯s nervous and that only makes my anxiety stronger.

    *****

    I look forward to the end of the day, hoping I¡¯d find Erik in our apartment. But when I arrive, I only find several Draconians still re-designing. They smile at me and¡­ bow. Honestly, it sends shivers down my spine. Is this going to become a new norm? Luviael sits on the sofa as if she¡¯s at home here and continues working on her laptop, murmuring that she must go through my tomorrow¡¯s agenda.

    I stare blankly at all those people invading my private space and my heart sinks. I can¡¯t do this. Not without Erik. He was always the extroverted one opening me. He might have stopped being my bridge to humanity but he was still my anchor, helping me deal with my social anxiety.

    ¡°Are you okay, Your Majesty?¡± Miruel gently touches my left wing because she¡¯s supporting me instead of my boyfriend. ¡°Dinner should be here in ten minutes.¡±

    ¡°Not hungry,¡± I shake my head and before anyone can react, I gently push Miruel aside and disappear in the bedroom. Sound-proof apartments are bliss, I can¡¯t hear anyone when I close the door. I can still feel them, though.

    I collapse on the bed because I overstrained myself with those few steps on my own¡ªthe bed that Erik chose for me. Our whole apartment is being remade to suit my new special needs. Was my boyfriend even taken into consideration? And did Erik consider himself when he was trying to surprise me with these adjustments? I¡¯m so selfish while he¡¯s so selfless. I don¡¯t deserve him.

    I snuggle, enveloping myself in my wings like a security blanket. Despite wearing a four-layered robe, I suddenly feel cold. I try manipulating the air to raise the temperature and it¡¯s surprisingly easy to do. My mana is flowing out of my body, warming the room. How magical. How miraculous. But I can¡¯t get excited about it without Erik by my side. Being able to do magic just for my sake seems pointless.

    Telepathically checking the skyscraper again, I assure myself that Erik is indeed still inside but he¡¯s too far for me to find out how he really feels. This might be the last straw and he might be thinking about leaving. That prospect scares me shitless and I start shaking. I¡¯ve always been an overthinker but it doesn¡¯t sound too improbable, right?

    My eyes water and I hate myself for being so weak and dependent on him. I don¡¯t understand why dealing with the prominent EU officials did almost nothing to me but thinking about losing my boyfriend brings me on the verge of a panic attack. Which reminds me that I didn¡¯t have one in almost forever. Well, here it is now¡­ in full force.

    Trying to breathe deeply in and out is harder than it sounds when one¡¯s heart is beating wildly. I snuggle even tighter, making myself a feathered cocoon. This isn¡¯t the worst episode I¡¯ve ever had but I feel strangely alone even with all those people just a few metres away in the living room.

    I¡¯d always been alone but when I discovered how it feels like to have someone, having it taken away is twice as devastating. My consciousness fades away eventually but it doesn¡¯t give me any rest because I¡¯m still frantically searching for Erik in my dreams.

 Extra chapter: Draconian Christmas

    ¡°You think you can send it like that?¡± Erik chuckles, spying over my shoulder and pushing away a few feathers to see better.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡± I shrug. ¡°I have the name, the address¡­¡±

    ¡°The company will either think it¡¯s a prank or get a heart attack when they see who ordered with them,¡± he grins. ¡°What are you buying anyway?¡±

    ¡°Christmas presents, what else. Don¡¯t look!¡± I poke him and shut the laptop close.

    ¡°You still have to change the delivery information, though,¡± he pokes me back. ¡°I don¡¯t think ¡®His Imperial Majesty Aefener¡¯ and ¡®The Celestial Tower¡¯ will do.¡±

    I sigh and irritably flutter my wings.

    ¡°Opps, careful, honey,¡± Erik catches a stack of papers that would get shoved away. ¡°You still have to sign these.¡±

    ¡°Gosh, I want out!¡± I put the laptop aside and take an advantage of the fact that we¡¯re in our bed to push my boyfriend on his back.

    ¡°You returned from your flight just an hour ago,¡± Erik reminds me and I feel his emotions change to delight when I envelop him into my feathers. He loves when I¡¯m doing that.

    ¡°I mean out as if¡­ you know¡­ proper Christmas shopping,¡± I mutter, discontent.

    ¡°Riiiight,¡± he finally understands.

    I don¡¯t do it on purpose but all those reasons why I want our first Christmas together to be perfect leak out of me. Erik¡¯s eyes widen because he gets too much information at once but then his face brightens and shows tenderness.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll make it memorable,¡± he assures me. ¡°A big tree, all Christmas decorations you could possibly want¡­ we can even bake some cookies.¡±

    ¡°Ohh¡­ I¡¯ll rather pass on baking,¡± I shake my head but I¡¯m otherwise overjoyed that he shares my enthusiasm. My first real Christmas¡­ with the person I love. It almost gets tears into my eyes.

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik catches my turbulent emotions and leans in for a kiss. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t realise it¡¯s so important to you. You never had proper Christmas with your Grandma, did you?¡±

    ¡°She pretty much ignored it,¡± I admit and I¡¯m surprised that it still hurts after all those years.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make our Christmas spectacular then!¡± Erik promises me.

    *****

    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty, we actually wanted ask you about that in the upcoming days,¡± Luviael surprises me. ¡°How would you like to celebrate it? In a Japanese way? Czech? Internationally?¡±

    ¡°Czech, please,¡± I say.

    ¡°So the Christmas Day on the 24<sup>th</sup> of December then,¡± Luviael nods. ¡°How many guests? We were thinking to make it rather private¡­ definitely no more than two hundred.¡±

    ¡°T-two hundred?¡± I get panic-stricken. ¡°I was thinking like¡­ two? You know¡­ just Erik and me. Oh, and Liana. Three then.¡±

    But Luviael isn¡¯t listening to me and is already drawing a guest list on her tablet. Erik is upset too but I can tell he wasn¡¯t as na?ve as me, thinking it can be only the two of us.

    The night will be ours, don¡¯t worry, he sends me a calming thought.

    *****

    ¡°What did you expect, Aefener,¡± Liana is shaking her head when she hears about my humble plan. ¡°It¡¯s natural that we have to invite all our ministers and other significant seraphs. Most of them didn¡¯t see their Emperor in person for months and will finally be coming home for the holidays.¡±

    ¡°So there¡¯s nothing I can do about it?¡± I sigh.

    ¡°Nope, I¡¯m afraid not,¡± she has to disappoint me. ¡°By the way, do I get a present from you?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± I¡¯m surprised she would ask that. ¡°And I¡¯d definitely invite you even if it was only Erik and me. Ideally, I¡¯d like to invite our old gang as well but¡­¡±

    ¡°But,¡± Liana says sadly, ¡°not likely. Everyone is either too busy or too far away. It could also cause power imbalance if we invited all rulers here.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± I sigh.

    ¡°No time to get sad over it,¡± Erik caresses my left wing. ¡°We have lots of planning and shopping to do.¡±

    *****

    Luviael tells me how to order things online safely via a proxy that isn¡¯t connected to the Celestial Tower and is untraceable. I¡¯m glad for that because I can finally buy something. Christmas is approaching and I don¡¯t want to risk buying presents too late.

    One would probably say that it must be easy for a telepath to know what other people want and under normal circumstances it would be true but what to buy someone who is so rich that they can have anything they want? Liana is just impossible!

    ¡°Give her something personal then,¡± Erik helps me, looking for presents in his own laptop just a few inches away from me and enjoying the warmth of my wings covering him instead of a blanket.

    ¡°Personal¡­ I¡¯m not good at handicraft,¡± I cry.

    ¡°Why do you keep forgetting that you have magic?¡± he nudges me enviously. ¡°Can¡¯t do you something with those crystal thingies you discovered recently? They sure are pretty.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess I could experiment with them to create something new,¡± I ponder. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell Luvi to get me ten of them and I¡¯ll try something.¡±

    ¡°Ten,¡± Erik chews his lip. ¡°We completely forgot the value of money, didn¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t that expensive,¡± I oppose. ¡°And I¡¯ll probably destroy most of them when experimenting.¡±

    ¡°You do realise one of them costs more than a car, don¡¯t you?¡± he raises his eyebrows on me.

    ¡°Damn, it does?¡± he takes me aback because I had no idea. I don¡¯t manage our finances. ¡°But if I tell Luvi that I¡¯ll be also doing research¡­¡±

    ¡°Do what you will,¡± he waves his hand. ¡°Just don¡¯t expect me to buy you anything remotely that expensive. I¡¯ve already bought you lots of smaller presents. Things you mentioned during the year that you want.¡±

    ¡°Huh? But I don¡¯t need anything really. Not from you anyway,¡± I look at him, dumbfounded.

    ¡°Do you mean to tell me that I¡¯m the best Christmas presents you could ask for?¡± he grins at me cheekily.

    ¡°Pretty much¡­ yes,¡± I admit and don¡¯t think it¡¯s a big deal. But it is. For him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say something like that aloud¡­ I¡­ I was just kidding, you know!¡± he turns completely red. ¡°Dammit, Ryuu, how romantically cheesy can you be? Y-you!¡±

    I totally destroyed his concentration and our buying presents session transforms into cuddling.

    *****

    ¡°I want to help,¡± I insist when Luviael and other servants bring several boxes with Christmas decorations into our apartment.

    ¡°Using your hands or telekinesis?¡± she asks.

    ¡°Both,¡± I say and open the nearest box. It¡¯s full of shiny ornaments.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we didn¡¯t buy any tasteless little angels,¡± Luviael assures me. ¡°Can I help you, Your Majesty?¡±

    She¡¯s all eager to decorate as well. I understand her sentiment¡ªit¡¯s our first Draconian Christmas after all.

    ¡°Sure,¡± I nod and take out an extremely long glittery garland. ¡°Let¡¯s make it really Christmassy here.¡±

    I decide to use my hands where can I reach and only apply telekinesis for high places. It¡¯s really fun this way.

    ¡°Someone has been working hard,¡± Erik praises our work, returning after two hours of his absence.

    ¡°So did you,¡± I look at the plate full of Christmas cookies and my mouth waters. ¡°Sorry that I didn¡¯t join you but¡­ you know¡­¡±

    ¡°Right, Celestials and kitchens don¡¯t go well together,¡± he finishes for me and stuffs one cookie into my already opened mouth.

    ¡°Iss too narrrouww ann hoot theer,¡± I mumble, savouring each bite.

    ¡°I know, too many hazards for your huge wings,¡± he says understandingly because he was only teasing me. He knows how clumsy Celestials tend to be on the ground.

    ¡°Delicious,¡± I finally gulp.

    ¡°Well, I had help,¡± he admits reluctantly. There¡¯re no lies between us. Not even little ones. ¡°Some Clawfang cooks showed me a few tricks. Don¡¯t eat all of it!¡±

    ¡°Just one more,¡± I steal another one and quickly bite into it before he snatches it from me.

    ¡°If only you ate proper food that eagerly,¡± he berates me but everything is forgiven before Christmas.

    *****

    ¡°Shit,¡± I swear because I¡¯ve just managed to destroy another crystal.

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re putting too much power into it, Your Majesty?¡± Taranah, the head of our magic research department, is trying to be helpful. ¡°In some cases, applying too much mana is counterproductive.¡±

    ¡°Probably, you¡¯re the expert here,¡± I sign but I can¡¯t afford to resign just yet.

    I finally decided what to give Liana and I asked Fefnir to forge me a silver bracelet. I was meaning to embed several crystals into it to create a replica of the mana capacitator from the game but so far I¡¯ve been unsuccessful.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re the real expert, Your Imperial Majesty,¡± Taranah shakes his head violently. ¡°There¡¯s no one who would be more magically gifted than you. You are magic itself¡­ you are go---¡±

    ¡°Stop it right there,¡± I interrupt him because I don¡¯t want to hear it. ¡°Thanks for your advice, I think I¡¯ll work on it in my study.¡±

    *****

    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s really freezing today,¡± I shiver even though I¡¯m wearing five layers of protective thermo materials my robe for flying is made of.

    ¡°Do you have to go?¡± Erik is snuggling into his sweater.

    ¡°I have to stretch my wings,¡± I say.

    Thankfully, my guards are starting to apply heating spells all around us. It doesn¡¯t eliminate the cold entirely but it does help a lot. Celestials hate cold.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not waiting for you today,¡± Erik waves me goodbye and disappears back inside, no doubt to fetch himself a cup of hot cocoa.

    ¡°We¡¯re good to go, Your Majesty, all protective shields are up,¡± Vermiel announces. ¡°Please, don¡¯t go too high this time, okay?¡±

    ¡°I make no promises,¡± I smirk, spread my wings and flap them like there¡¯s no tomorrow.

    I¡¯m always like that when I finally have the chance to fly. My guards and companions have to be extremely vigilant when they let me out because I¡¯m not able to control myself when I feel the wind in my wings. They say I¡¯m the embodiment of magic itself, at least according to the Celestial lore. But it seems to me that I¡¯m rather the embodiment of air. There¡¯s no greater pleasure for me than flying. Except maybe¡­ making love with Erik, of course.

    My protectors are shouting at me to slow down but I don¡¯t listen. I never do. They have to keep up if they want to fly with their Emperor so I take only the best fliers with me. It¡¯s a bother not being able to fly beyond the shield but that¡¯s the only rule I have to abide to so I try not to pay attention to it even if it¡¯s quite limiting.

    I¡¯m performing air acrobatics, pirouettes that would be physically impossible without the use of air magic and feel truly alive. My wings are listening to my every whim and the wind cooperates. This is my natural environments, not the Council Hall or the Royal Office. Celestials suffer when we can¡¯t fly for too long, yet I have to endure it more often than I¡¯d like. But I don¡¯t care about that now, I own the sky!

    I suddenly feel something cold dropping on my wings. I flutter them violently, only to discover that snow started falling. I¡¯d love to explore the cloud above me that¡¯s the source of it but there¡¯s no chance my overprotective guardians will let me.

    I play in the snowfall like crazy but when it gets too heavy, my guards insist we return. I throw several snowballs at them but nothing distracts them. The formation pushes me down and soon we land back.

    ¡°You¡¯re soaked, Your Majesty!¡± Vermiel berates me. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use any repulsive spells?¡±

    ¡°Because that¡¯s no fun,¡± I frown.

    *****

    ¡°There¡¯s no helping you, Ryuu,¡± Erik sighs resignedly and is patiently drying my soaked wings with a hairdryer.

    I¡¯m shivering and only now I¡¯m slowly starting to admit that it wasn¡¯t my brightest idea. Three maids are helping with heating spells, otherwise I¡¯d catch cold.

    ¡°Stupid,¡± Erik shakes his head and ignores the fact that the maids disapprove of him using such a word with me.

    ¡°But it¡¯s showing, Erik, what can be more Christmassy?¡± I oppose.

    ¡°My cookies, for instance,¡± he purses his lips. ¡°And all those excessive decorations that are all over our apartment.¡±

    *****

    ¡°Eureka!!!¡±

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    I finally succeed with the spell that is supposed to slowly absorb the wearer¡¯s mana into the crystal so that it can be used later when the need arises. The silver bracelet that Fefnir kindly made for me arrived yesterday and it¡¯s a great craftsmanship, I¡¯d expect nothing less from him.

    ¡°How does it work?¡± Erik asks curiously. ¡°It took you almost three weeks.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a five-configuration spell, that¡¯s why,¡± I explain. ¡°Unless the configuration symbols connect perfectly into one another, it breaks the crystal.¡±

    ¡°So basically it¡¯s a huge deal?¡± he summarises.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± I shrug. ¡°It was fun researching it, though.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s a huge deal,¡± he comments. ¡°Everything magical you make is. Especially if it takes you that long and nobody before you managed it. Show me, try it again.¡±

    I take another crystal (in the end, I had to ask Luvi for five more because I broke too many), take a deep breath and start with the first part of the process. The transfiguration symbol materialises as a hologram in front of me which is eery to behold for anyone who isn¡¯t Celestial. Then I materialise another one with a different function with utmost precision and lock it into the first one. And then another¡­ and another¡­ and one more.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, Ryuu,¡± Erik is astonished but nothing genuinely surprises him anymore. He got used to weird stuff happening around him on a daily basis.

    I levitate the crystal and embed the complex transfiguration into it. Done, it should do the trick.

    ¡°Uff,¡± I have to take a rest.

    ¡°How difficult is it?¡± Erik asks.

    ¡°Not as much for mana as for concentration,¡± I say. ¡°Calorie-wise¡­ three big chocolates I guess?¡±

    ¡°No wonder you can never put on any weight!¡± Erik laments. ¡°You¡¯re flying like crazy or doing godly magic all the time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m doing paperwork and politics most of the time, Erik,¡± I correct him.

    ¡°So Liana¡¯s present is finished? What about mine?¡± he winks at me.

    ¡°It arrived yesterday but I¡¯m saying no more!¡± I refuse to give even a hint.

    *****

    ¡°So¡­ how do I wrap something like that?¡± I look desperately at Erik¡¯s gift.

    ¡°You don¡¯t,¡± Liana shrugs. ¡°I hope you¡¯re giving me something smaller.¡±

    ¡°As small as it gets,¡± I assure her. ¡°So small I worry I¡¯ll offend you.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t offend me, Aefener,¡± Liana rolls her eyes. ¡°Anything you give me will be considered an honour.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be dramatic over trinkets,¡± it¡¯s me rolling my eyes now.

    ¡°Trinkets don¡¯t cost our whole monthly research budget,¡± she clicks her tongue. ¡°You thought I won¡¯t notice you transferring valuable resources? I¡¯m your Viceroy, everything goes through me.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, am I in trouble or something?¡± I gulp.

    ¡°Nah, of course not,¡± she waves her hand and looks again at Erik¡¯s gift. ¡°Maybe you can find a giant ribbon at least?¡±

    *****

    ¡°So much for the silent night,¡± I say while my maids are dressing me into a celebratory royal attire.

    ¡°Luviael invited fifty people less to get into your good graces,¡± Erik reminds me and for once let¡¯s the maids dress him as well.

    ¡°Do I have to?¡± I plead them when one of the maids brings my tiara.

    ¡°You do, Your Majesty, the protocol dictates it,¡± she says uncompromisingly and carefully puts the tiara into my hair.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it!¡± I scold Erik in advance.

    ¡°You look like a princess,¡± he says it anyway, chuckling under his breath.

    ¡°The Royal Consort is just teasing you, Your Imperial Majesty, you look godly,¡± the maid flatters me but it¡¯s not making me feel any more self-assured.

    Emi was constantly making fun of my tiara and my dresses. Oh, but she isn¡¯t coming, is she? The last time she called me, she was somewhere in South Asia. Unlike me, she¡¯s allowed to travel. And she was also constantly making fun of how my own people are locking me up in the Celestial skyscraper like some¡­ well¡­ a sheltered princess.

    ¡°You look lovely,¡± Erik finally gives me a compliment because he catches a fleeting feeling of sadness within me.

    *****

    The hall is full of people. Or Draconians to be precise. I catch a few other races but it¡¯s mostly Celestials so the room is quite crowded with so many wings. The only humans present are Erik, Mrs Hana and Julia. They must feel out of place but if they do, they don¡¯t let it show on their faces.

    ¡°You Majesty, it¡¯s an honour to see you after so many months!¡±

    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll like my gift, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Can we maybe talk over a glass of wine later?¡±

    I¡¯m giving everyone a bright smile and hope they won¡¯t notice that I¡¯m clutching my boyfriend¡¯s hand too needily. My psychological sessions with Zetraya are progressing nicely but I¡¯m still far from overcoming my social anxiety. And even if I eventually do, I¡¯ll still have my telepathy that becomes overwhelming with so many people in close vicinity.

    Don¡¯t think about it now, Erik nudges me.

    He¡¯s right, I won¡¯t let anything destroy our first Christmas together. I continue giving smiles and this time I try to put real sincerity into it. These are my people, I should be happy to see every single one of them.

    Liana appears fashionably late, also wearing an expensive royal attire. She chose a silver dress which creates a perfect contrast with her huge black wings. Naturally, she also gets a lot of attention but she¡¯s much better at handling it than me.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± she teasingly addresses me with my title when she finally gets to us.

    ¡°Your Excellency,¡± I address her likewise and we both burst laughing.

    ¡°Gosh, I¡¯m starving,¡± she whines. ¡°Is the dinner ready yet?¡±

    ¡°What, you tried our Bohemian tradition of fasting before the Christmas Eve¡¯s feast?¡± I raise my eyebrow.

    ¡°Of course not and protect you all the gods if you did,¡± she shakes her head. ¡°That¡¯s unthinkable for Celestials with our quick metabolism.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t,¡± Erik reports. ¡°He was considering it because he wanted to have everything traditional but Julia scolded him so thoroughly that he¡¯s still traumatised.¡±

    I get slightly blushing and glance Julia¡¯s way. She¡¯s merrily discussing something with Zetraya. How can she appear so friendly when she¡¯s so uncompromising in reality?

    We mingle with the guests and I finally relax a bit. Everyone¡¯s is feeling really happy so their emotions don¡¯t exhaust me as much. And I have to admit that it¡¯s pleasant to meet people I haven¡¯t seen for so long or I¡¯ve known only through a screen. I was hopeful Gotrid could arrive as well but the situation in the States doesn¡¯t allow him to leave his post.

    But there¡¯s one surprise Christmas visitor after all.

    ¡°Guess who!¡± two palms smelling like flowers cover my eyes. My guards wouldn¡¯t let anyone suspicious come near me so I¡¯m not startled. Besides, her telepathic imprint gives her identity away.

    ¡°Ingri,¡± my forced smile transforms into a genuine one. ¡°When did you arrive?¡±

    ¡°Just an hour ago, I was afraid I wouldn¡¯t manage,¡± she says, stepping in front of me.

    I haven¡¯t seen her for five weeks because Liana sent her as our ambassador to Twyla and Werden. I didn¡¯t hope she would come back for the holidays but it seems my Viceroy was planning to surprise me.

    ¡°You look¡­ different,¡± I study her newest Earthborn augmentations. I can still tell it¡¯s her but judging by Erik¡¯s reaction, he had no idea who she was. No wonder, her skin is dark blue now and her hair doesn¡¯t even resemble hair anymore because it¡¯s all rooty tentacles.

    ¡°Thanks, Twyla was teaching me,¡± she says proudly. ¡°And Werden claims I¡¯m a natural at full body transformations.¡±

    I¡¯m so glad you always look the same, Erik sends me a relieved thought.

    He still hasn¡¯t come to terms with the Earthborn changing their form on a whim. Well, he has nothing against it, of course, but it confuses him. I know it¡¯s not easy for him to tell some Draconians apart and it unnerves him when he can¡¯t remember who is who, especially when it comes the Dragonkin and Clawfangs. The Earhborn are quite distinctive, unless they keep changing their forms.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ sorry, Ingri, but I¡­ kind of sent your present to Werden¡¯s and Twyla¡¯s mansion,¡± I admit.

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. I told your servants beforehand that Ingri is coming and they just pretended to send that post,¡± Liana reveals. ¡°It¡¯s under the Christmas tree with the rest of our presents.¡±

    I look at my Viceroy, endlessly grateful for her thoughtfulness. I¡¯m a bit sad that Emi and Fefnir couldn¡¯t come but Emi is dealing with the uprising of her people and Fefnir is with Deminas in Russia. It¡¯s a small miracle that at least Ingri arrived and that¡¯s only because she swore her allegiance to Liana and me so the Earthborn King and Queen had to let her go.

    ¡°The dinner is ready, Your Majesty, Your Excellency,¡± Luviael announces.

    ¡°Finally!¡± Liana celebrates, her stomach rumbling loudly at this point. ¡°I skipped my snack for this!¡±

    The seating order was decided beforehand so there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. I tried to insist that Mrs Hana and Julia sit close to us but Luviael positioned our ministers right in front of us. I don¡¯t like the fact that my chair is bigger and more expensive than Erik¡¯s but it was made specially for the Celestial Emperor while Erik¡¯s chair is a regular one, though still good quality and expensive.

    To rebel the etiquette at least somehow, I push my chair as close to Erik as possible and hug my partner with my left wing. Erik¡¯s smile transforms into a smirk and he proudly gazes at all my ministers, especially those who don¡¯t quite approve of our interspecies relationship. But it¡¯s Christmas so they, for once, don¡¯t look at us too sternly and are soon too occupied with all that delicious food servants start bringing us.

    ¡°I envy your fried fish,¡± I whisper to Erik.

    ¡°Do you still crave it?¡± he laughs and puts his fork with a piece of fish under my nose.

    ¡°Until I smell it,¡± I jerk away and gladly return to my deep-fried cauliflower.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fool around, Aefener, everyone is watching,¡± Liana kicks me under the table, sitting next to my right hand. Because she is my right hand. Ingri was seated next to her but otherwise it¡¯s only Celestials around our table.

    ¡°It¡¯s Christmas, Li, don¡¯t be so stiff,¡± Erik laughs again and steals one cauliflower from me to taste it which is totally against formal Celestial dining manners.

    ¡°I¡¯ll overlook it just this once, Royal Consort,¡± Luviael comments, fortunately too busy with her own plate.

    I eat quickly, too excited for the presents like some small child. It doesn¡¯t help me at all, though, as I have to wait for everyone to finish their dinner. What torture! I can¡¯t wait what Erik chose for me. And will he like mine?

    ¡°Let¡¯s get to it then,¡± Liana stands up first and proposes a celebratory toast. Celestials normally don¡¯t drink alcohol at all because a drunk caster is a bad caster but one cup once in a while is okay. ¡°For the future of Draconians!¡±

    ¡°For love that doesn¡¯t distinguish,¡± I add and, despite my social anxiety, kiss Erik in front of everyone. I have to be ostentatious with my ministers sometimes to show them they can¡¯t mess with my relationship.

    Theatrics aren¡¯t your forte, Ryuu, Erik tells me when our lips connect, both amused and a bit embarrassed.

    That may be but it¡¯s Christmas.

    After that we finally get to unwrap the presents. There¡¯s a huge Christmas tree in the middle of the ball room with countless boxes underneath. Shit, I haven¡¯t thought about that¡ªhow do I find Erik¡¯s presents in this avalanche?

    ¡°Your personal presents are under a smaller tree in the private room, Your Majesty,¡± Luviael tells me because she notices my distress. ¡°These are the presents from the ministers and other seraphs to you and Her Excellency.¡±

    ¡°You serious?¡± my eyes widen.

    ¡°Ryuu, there¡¯s no way we¡¯ll fit all that stuff into our apartment,¡± Erik pulls my sleeve, also startled.

    ¡°I told them I don¡¯t need anything!¡± I cry. The ministers were bugging me about what I¡¯d like for Christmas for a month and I kept telling them that there¡¯s no need to get me anything but it seems their ears were deaf.

    ¡°It¡¯s their way to thank you for everything you¡¯re doing for our race,¡± Luviael says and hands me the first present. ¡°Come one, unwrap it. Minister Heindal is watching and looks nervous so I bet it¡¯s from him.¡±

    I sit on my knees in front of the tree, hoping it¡¯s not against the protocol or something. There¡¯s a fluffy carpet around and Luviael doesn¡¯t say anything so I guess it¡¯s acceptable for the Emperor to sit like this on the Christmas Eve.

    ¡°Make some room, hon,¡± Erik pushes one of my wings away and sits next to me. ¡°Oh, there¡¯re even some gifts for me, sweet!¡±

    I slowly unwrap the first present and realise that I¡¯ve actually never received a proper gift before. Grandma never bothered to give me one and I never was that close to anyone before so that it would call for a present exchange. That wrapping paper is so pretty, can I really just tear it?

    ¡°Sure you tear it!¡± Erik nudges me. ¡°Come on, go for it!¡±

    I tear the paper like I saw in old Christmas movies from the twentieth century and there¡¯s something deeply satisfying about that. I expect to find a practical thing like a new robe so I¡¯m twice as surprised when I¡¯m looking at the box with the collector¡¯s edition of the game I was desperately trying to buy for years.

    ¡°B-but how¡­?¡± I stare at Minister Heindal, perfectly confused.

    ¡°The Royal Consort helped,¡± Heindal smiles. ¡°He kindly provided the court with your Christmas wishlist. To be honest, he was a life-saver. Everyone was thinking about robes and jewellery which, I presume, wouldn¡¯t make our Emperor that happy.¡±

    ¡°T-thank you, I love it!¡± I hug the box gratefully, not yet quite believing I finally got my hands on it.

    ¡°The only thing we couldn¡¯t give you were the tickets for Comic-Con,¡± Erik says. ¡°For obvious reasons.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, I put that on the list, too,¡± I recall now. ¡°Wishful thinking.¡±

    We keep unwrapping the presents and I find more collector¡¯s figures, antique games and other merchandise. Even Erik gets his share of presents from the ministers but more practical ones like new suits and a brand watch. I eye Liana unwrapping hers and have to laugh because while most of her presents are robes and jewellery, she also got some merch. They know us too well.

    I¡¯m so overjoyed that I hug all my subjects one by one. They turn red and bloat with pride that they got that honour. They realise that their Emperor never touches anyone carelessly, even though just a lucky few know the real reason behind that.

    After that we¡¯re finally released for a more private Christmas Eve and Luviael leads us into one of the smaller rooms nearby.

    ¡°This one is from me, Li,¡± I hand her the present myself. ¡°See, it¡¯s the smallest one here, I wasn¡¯t kidding.¡±

    Liana unwraps it eagerly, much more eagerly than the other presents.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s¡­,¡± she blinks, staring at the bracelet.

    ¡°A trinket, just as I said,¡± I say, afraid now that it isn¡¯t much and Liana will be disappointed.

    ¡°It¡¯s a mana capacitator!!!¡± she exclaims when she recognises it and find is hard to believe. ¡°So that¡¯s what you¡¯ve been experimenting on? And you succeeded?¡±

    ¡°At the cost of seven broken crystals,¡± I admit reluctantly. ¡°Sorry, I realise I overdrew the budget but¡­¡±

    ¡°Aefener, you silly, don¡¯t apologise!¡± she hugs me tight. ¡°How can you not realise how precious this thing it? It¡¯ll change our combat system when we put it into production! Our researchers haven¡¯t been able to crack the configuration needed for that for three months and you do it during your free time as a petty side project?¡±

    ¡°Sooo¡­ you like it?¡± I finally take a breath when she pulls away.

    ¡°I LOVE IT!¡± she¡¯s all smiles and immediately puts it on her wrist. ¡°Gosh, Aefener, everyone will go crazy when they see it on me. I just hope it¡¯s not another magic only you¡¯re able to do. Or else prepare to become a full-time magic jeweller.¡±

    ¡°Nope, it just requires utmost precision,¡± I say, relieved myself.

    ¡°Oh, Aefener, when did you get that?¡± Ingri is shocked when she opens my present for her. ¡°I hope¡­ it wasn¡¯t illegal to get it here?¡±

    ¡°Nope, I asked some countries for a favour¡­ in name of research,¡± I say, happy that she likes hers as well.

    She was always fantasising about analysing some exotic and almost extinct flowers that normally can¡¯t be shipped out of their homeland. But if she and other Earthborn succeed in their mission to revitalise the nature, they might be able to restore these rare plants so local governments were actually quite cooperative and gave me a special permit.

    ¡°What did you give to Emi and Fefnir?¡± she asks, touching the plants gently with her rooty tentacles.

    ¡°Emi will receive today a very special¡­ ehm¡­ cat,¡± I say slowly. ¡°Wait for her to send you some pictures.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t!¡± Ingri opens her mouth. ¡°You got her a cheetah? She¡¯s always wanted one.¡±

    ¡°A cub saved from poachers,¡± I nod. ¡°It had its leg injured so it couldn¡¯t have been released back to the wild but I¡¯m sure Emi will nurse it to full health with some help from the Earthborn healers.¡±

    ¡°And Fefnir?¡±

    ¡°Well, he wanted special materials to work on so¡­,¡± I look at Liana apprehensively, afraid of her reaction because I kind of stole some from our resource bank.

    ¡°I know, you send him the chitin from those arthropods,¡± she sighs but luckily for me, I don¡¯t catch any anger from her. ¡°Actually, I send some more as a present from me. Under the condition that he will share his creations with us, of course.¡±

    ¡°Now I¡¯m quite uncomfortable,¡± Erik speaks up, saddened for some reason. ¡°My presents seem plain when compared to what you gave to the others.¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t be true!¡± I oppose and use telekinesis to get all the presents with my name tag.

    I sit down and slowly unwrap everything, finding more collector¡¯s items, books I wanted to read that came out recently and even an antique gaming system that is considered to be impossible to buy these days¡ªa museum piece almost.

    Sure, it might seem a bit plain compared to new magical inventions, alien chitin and exotic plants and animals but he was listening to what I long for almost the whole year and was taking notes. He even gave my wishlist to the ministers to make sure I won¡¯t get things that won¡¯t make me happy. And he was decorating our apartment, baking cookies and participating in all Christmas preparations.

    ¡°You¡¯re the best present I could wish for,¡± I clutch his hand. ¡°Thanks to you, I enjoyed the Christmas season to the fullest despite politics, despite the constant threat of civil war, despite the monsters attacking our cities, despite my father, despite¡­ everything bad that¡¯s been happening.¡±

    He takes my hand and tenderly kisses it. ¡°So¡­ where¡¯s my main present? Don¡¯t tell me all I get from you is an endless supply of new suits when everyone else gets magical artefacts and exotic animals from you. I know you¡¯ve been cooking something behind my back.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s on the roof, actually, so put on your coat,¡± I grin mysteriously.

    *****

    ¡°YOU ARE KIDDING!¡± Erik is left speechless when he sees the present I got for him.

    ¡°Is the ribbon doing its trick?¡± I laugh. ¡°I had to use telekinesis to wrap it, you know.¡±

    ¡°YOU GOT ME A FUCKING HELICOPTER!¡± he looks at me, his mouth still wide open.

    ¡°I know that you don¡¯t like spending money excessively,¡± I say quickly. ¡°But you deserve to have your own. Besides, if it makes you any calmer, it wasn¡¯t more expensive than that bracelet I created for Liana.¡±

    It¡¯s not only about the machine, never was. What I had in mind when buying it for Erik was also more freedom. He¡¯s been locked in the Celestial Tower with me for several months now, not even able to go on regular flying session with me. He borrowed Liana¡¯s helicopter a few times but I knew that he longs for his own machine.

    ¡°Whenever you want to clear your hand, go for a flight,¡± I say. ¡°Just take some of my guards with you, okay? I¡¯d die of worry otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Ryuu, that¡¯s the best present ever!¡± he hugs me and showers me with kisses. ¡°Even though¡­ I have another secret gift still waiting for our night.¡±

    He becomes excited and channels some of that to me. I get goosebumps under my feathers and it¡¯s not because of the chilly weather.

    ¡°You can be excused if you want,¡± Liana says benevolently. ¡°Me and Ingri will return to the ball room to mingle a bit more but you two lovebirds enjoy the rest of the evening privately.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Li,¡± Erik looks at her gratefully.

    *****

    ¡°Oooh, when did that happen?¡± I freeze in the door.

    The bedroom is full of lit candles, sweet fragrance is in the air, there¡¯re rose petals on the bed and one smaller present is still waiting for me.

    ¡°I asked Luviael to prepare it as a surprise,¡± Erik explains. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that I¡¯m the best present you could wish for? Well, I¡¯m all yours for the night then. Whatever you want me to do with your wings I will do, my Emperor.¡±

    ¡°And this?¡± I hold the last present. It¡¯s soft.

    ¡°Some fan service for me,¡± he chuckles.

    I unwrap and find¡­ a Celestial version of erotic underwear.

    ¡°Y-you!¡± I turn completely red.

    ¡°Come on, put it on, love,¡± he encourages me and because I¡¯m not willing to cooperate, he pushes me on the bed and starts to undress me himself.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it for ladies?¡± I oppose when he tries to put a black lacy nightgown on me.

    ¡°Definitely not, do you see any bra?¡± he just laughs my concern off and struggles with me to get the dress around my wings.

    I don¡¯t know what arouses him more¡ªthe gown or me struggling with him and him winning in the end. Out there I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor but behind this closed door, I¡¯m simply his partner. And he is mine. The best Christmas present ever.

 33. Reality of Being the Emperor

    ¡°Ryuu¡­¡±

    I wake up with familiar hands caressing my wings. And there¡¯s only one person whose touch brings me so much pleasure. Am I still dreaming? But then Erik¡¯s mind hits me and I gobble it like an addict. Which I am.

    ¡°Coming out of your cute cocoon anytime soon?¡± he tickles me under my feathers.

    I open myself but only to envelop him as well and clutch him tight.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I murmur apologetically and aloud because it feels more real than using telepathy. ¡°I¡¯m selfish and never consider your feelings. I¡¯ll understand if you want to leave.¡±

    ¡°Stupid!¡± Erik pokes my ribs. ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that so easily. I just needed some time to think out of your influence, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°A-and?¡± I¡¯m afraid to ask.

    ¡°I talked to Zetraya,¡± he says as if I should know that name.

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°That psychologist Liana hired,¡± he explains. ¡°I had a long session with him in the evening and that¡¯s why I came so late.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± I¡¯m still afraid of his answer even though I feel that he¡¯s regained his balance.

    ¡°Well, we just talked,¡± he wraps his free arm around my back and finds my sweet spot between the wings. He starts rubbing it gently to relax me, not arouse.

    ¡°Did he help you?¡± I moan because his touch gives me pleasure nonetheless.

    ¡°He¡¯s also Celestial so he provided me with his point of view. While I do have your point of view all the time, you have to admit that you¡¯re not a typical representative of your species.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± I reluctantly second that. ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°At first, he was taken aback that Celestials will most probably live as long as your lore states but he came to terms with it quickly. Then we talked about my human feelings concerning that my boyfriend is almost immortal while I¡¯ll age and die normally. For a Celestial, he was very understanding. I guess he developed some level of detachment thanks to his profession.¡±

    ¡°I should definitely make an appointment if he¡¯s so good,¡± I nod.

    ¡°I already made one for you actually. Tomorrow at five,¡± Erik announced nonchalantly. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to do it without you but now I¡¯m glad I did. You had another panic attack episode while I was away, right?¡±

    ¡°Ehm¡­,¡± I don¡¯t want to admit it but since we¡¯re connected, he just knows.

    ¡°We seriously have to do something about it,¡± he says softly. ¡°We can¡¯t have the Emperor panicking when his Royal Consort isn¡¯t by his side, can we?¡±

    ¡°Y-you!¡± now I poke him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not joking, though,¡± he objects. ¡°You do fully realise that all races have been acknowledged as nations, right? I wasn¡¯t present at the conference but everyone I met today was overly eager to tell me the happy news. Which means that you officially are the Celestial Emperor. Which also means that I officially am the Royal Consort.¡±

    ¡°Do you hate it?¡± my voice fails me because I catch several conflicting emotions within him.

    ¡°Well¡­ not really,¡± he shakes his head. ¡°It¡¯s obviously a game changer to date royalty and I won¡¯t say that I¡¯m all confident about it but my love for you isn¡¯t any different because of that.¡±

    I answer him with a kiss. He answers back by caressing the spot between my wings harder so we¡¯re both really annoyed when someone urgently knocks on the door.

    ¡°Come in,¡± Erik allows with a sigh but isn¡¯t willing to change his position into a more decent one. He only slips his hand out of my robe.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb you,¡± Luviael peeks inside and turns red when she sees us cuddling. ¡°But His Majesty didn¡¯t eat his dinner. I¡¯m afraid we have to insist he does.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡± Erik raises his eyebrow at me. ¡°It¡¯s nine already.¡±

    ¡°Not hungry,¡± I look sideways.

    ¡°We reheated the food for you,¡± Luviael presses on. ¡°Please?¡±

    Erik tickles me under my feathers so I sit up with a growl. Part of the reason why I¡¯m not hungry is because I lose appetite when stressed and the prospect of losing my boyfriend stressed me to astronomical heights. I relaxed a bit when he turned up but I still don¡¯t feel like eating. Should I talk about this with that psychologist as well?

    In the end, Erik persuades me to eat at least half of my dinner but I can tell that Luviael isn¡¯t happy about it and will probably report it to Julia. Will they terrorise me with it from now on? I guess keeping their Emperor healthy should be a state priority or something. I¡¯m not looking forward to that. We don¡¯t feel like having sex tonight so we just cuddle a bit and fall asleep under my wings.

    *****

    ¡°Why the hell are they here?¡± I say immediately after I open my eyes in the morning.

    ¡°Whooo?¡± Erik yawns.

    ¡°There¡¯re people in our living room,¡± I say, irritated. ¡°I feel Vermiel, Luviael and two others. What the hell?¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Erik frowns, fully awake now and also annoyed.

    I quickly put on a light kimono over my nightrobe and discover that I feel strong enough to finally walk without support. I slowly move all my weight on my feet and devote a few moments getting used to my wings which got bigger again overnight.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Erik asks because he can see I¡¯m struggling a bit.

    My wings now reach all the way to my knees and they aren¡¯t as light as they might seem. There¡¯re strong bones, muscles, arteries and skin under all those fluffy feathers.

    ¡°I think my back will hurt if I don¡¯t exercise daily,¡± I say with a worry. ¡°And by exercise, I mean flying.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense,¡± he nods and is also worried. ¡°How will we ensure your safety in the air?¡±

    ¡°No idea,¡± I sigh and finally open the door. There¡¯s Vermiel and one other Celestial I know only by his face standing in front.

    ¡°Good morning Your Majesty, Royal Consort,¡± they beam at us which is too much energy so early in the morning.

    ¡°Did something happen? Why aren¡¯t you standing in front of our apartment?¡± Erik asks, maddened that we don¡¯t have any privacy in our own living room.

    ¡°Lord Fefnir was concerned for your safety after that incident with intrusion so he had us posted closer,¡± Vermiel explains. ¡°Should we call for breakfast right away?¡±

    I stare at him for a moment. He¡¯s behaving exactly as the Celestial royal guard should in the game but this isn¡¯t our game anymore and he isn¡¯t role-playing. I analyse his feelings and he isn¡¯t pushing himself either¡ªthis is simply natural behaviour of someone who takes pride in his job.

    ¡°Maybe you would like to visit Her Excellency first? I got a message that she woke up an hour ago and is feeling much better,¡± Luviael speaks up, sitting on our sofa with a laptop open. ¡°We can go through your today¡¯s agenda a bit later. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re concerned about our Viceroy¡¯s health.¡±

    ¡°That I am,¡± I admit, uneasy about everything that¡¯s unfolding in front of me. It seems everyone is really comfortable with their new roles and they don¡¯t question the new order of things. Or maybe they do but they don¡¯t care as much as me.

    ¡°You can go right away then,¡± Luviael says and nods at a Celestial woman I¡¯ve seen before helping moving our stuff. She comes to us and puts an ornamented cloak on me and a light housecoat on Erik. We also get warm slippers.

    I frown because we¡¯re both capable of doing that ourselves but nobody else seems to think it¡¯s weird that we got a personal maid. But I let it go for now because I do feel worried about Liana. I can tell she¡¯s okay but her mental state is quite disarrayed.

    We leave our apartment only to find more guards patrolling the corridor. Fefnir did tighten the security. The guards standing in front of Liana¡¯s door bow to us and let us in. I expect to find Liana in her bedroom but she¡¯s sitting on the sofa, discussing something with Ingri.

    ¡°Li, you should be resting,¡± I berate her instead of greeting because no one else has the courage to do so. Not even Julia.

    ¡°Oh, Aefener, good morning,¡± she waves at me. ¡°Good to see you walking on your own. I still can¡¯t but otherwise I feel okay today.¡±

    She nervously flutters her so much bigger black wings as if she doesn¡¯t know what to do with them all of a sudden. I can relate¡ªour feathered limbs tend to be cumbersome on the ground and their size is problematic, especially when it comes to human furniture.

    ¡°I overslept establishing our embassy!¡± she cries. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t have been there to support you. Bennett is a nasty politician even if one knows how to deal with him and you have no experience. He toyed with you, didn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid he did,¡± I sigh and sit down on a stool. There¡¯re several armchairs but I wouldn¡¯t fit into them.

    ¡°But we got our embassy,¡± Ingri says positively. ¡°We¡¯re officially nations.¡±

    ¡°Which means even more work awaits us,¡± Liana cools down her enthusiasm. ¡°And not only paperwork and organisation, we¡¯ll be making laws for our people from now on.¡±

    My heart sinks. Making laws. Draconian governments aren¡¯t democratic, the rulers hold all powers: legislative, executive and judicial. We can transfer some of that power to officials we appoint, of course, but something tells me that even if we made a referendum, Draconians wouldn¡¯t want to establish real democracy. It simply isn¡¯t in our nature. We don¡¯t think human anymore to want human things.

    ¡°Thank God the Draconian rulers are reasonable people then,¡± Erik stands behind me and starts massaging my shoulders.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s weird? We live in the 22<sup>nd</sup> century,¡± I mumble but enjoy his handiwork. It seems my back will become stiff easily, the wings are quite heavy.

    ¡°I do but those are my human standards,¡± he says. ¡°You¡¯re not human and the world has to get used to that.¡±

    Breakfast for all of us arrives so we eat it in Liana¡¯s apartment. Julia comes to check up on her and I¡¯m glad that she forbids my Viceroy to work. It means more tasks for me but I don¡¯t mind. She was doing my work when I was indisposed so now¡¯s my turn.

    ¡°Oh, you think we will?¡± she¡¯s genuinely astonished when I tell her about the possible longevity of Draconian races.

    ¡°Only time will tell for sure but I can feel mana repairing my body,¡± I say and look at my boyfriend. He somehow came to terms with this new discovery but that doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s happy about it.

    ¡°Which will be problematic for intermixed couples, I see,¡± Liana catches why I¡¯m staring at Erik.

    ¡°One breaking news after another,¡± Julia says, packing her medical suitcase after Liana¡¯s examination. ¡°It doesn¡¯t surprise me as much, though, considering how different your bodies are now.¡±

    Because it¡¯s only our gang present, I also tell Liana about my Mom conditioning me not to inquire about my father. And the dread just thinking about him is causing me.

    ¡°Damn, Aefener,¡± Liana bites her lip. ¡°It seems your mother was desperately trying to hide you from him. She must have had a very good reason.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s an evil scientist who wouldn¡¯t think twice about dissecting his own son,¡± Erik thinks out loud. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s part of the equation why you¡¯re a telepath in the first place.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ should we look for him?¡± Ingri asks carefully.

    ¡°N-no!¡± I cry out, acting on pure instinct.

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik hugs me from behind. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Liana can protect you.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I wanted to say yes but¡­,¡± I mumble and my wings shiver.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Instilling such strong fear in a small child had to be done with a very good reason,¡± Liana repeats. ¡°But we have to crack it, Aefener, your origin might be somehow connected to the Great Evolution.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± I admit, ¡°but how do we go about it without everyone finding out?¡±

    ¡°Simple, we do the investigation ourselves,¡± Liana says self-assuredly. ¡°Vermiel and Miruel can help as well. And you¡¯d be surprised how resourceful Hana is. Calling her a housekeeper isn¡¯t doing her justice, she¡¯s literally my Alfred.¡±

    A knocking at the door and Luviael emerges, looking nervous.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb you, Your Majesty, but you should have been in your office twenty minutes ago,¡± she says. ¡°We wanted to give you a bit more time to talk to the Viceroy and eat breakfast in peace but several people are waiting for you and we can¡¯t proceed without you.¡±

    It¡¯s funny how one can get used to crazy stuff happening. Just a few weeks ago I would be scared shitless that something so important is depending on me¡ªand we¡¯re talking about global politics here¡ªbut while I still feel nervous because I don¡¯t have any experience, I¡¯m managing. This is my reality now and there¡¯s nothing I can do to change that so I might as well just accept it.

    *****

    Two Celestial women, who are introduced to me as my personal maids, dress me when we return to our apartment to get out of our pyjamas. It¡¯s strange to think of them as servants and not employees. And it¡¯s even stranger that they don¡¯t think that there¡¯s anything wrong with that. Just as Vermiel, they take pride in their newly assigned jobs.

    ¡°It seems to me,¡± Erik tells me on the way to the conference room, ¡°that they don¡¯t listen to you much, even though you¡¯re their Emperor and they clearly adore you.¡±

    ¡°The Celestial Emperor decides matters concerning the state and magic,¡± I say with a deep sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t influence things that concern my care and safety.¡±

    ¡°So they can dictate anything to you?¡± Erik raises his eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t think I like that.¡±

    ¡°Everything we do is to protect our Emperor,¡± Luviael answers because she can hear us, walking just a few steps behind. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, Royal Consort, His Majesty¡¯s wellbeing is the official state concern. Naturally, that includes you as well.¡±

    I don¡¯t know if I should be relieved or not, Erik switches to telepathy because he¡¯s holding my hand.

    We probably changed more than you think¡­ more than anyone presumes, I say. They don¡¯t pretend, Erik, it¡¯s no role-play. They believe every word they¡¯re saying.

    Which is even scarier. Is Liana like that as well? She seems rather normal to me.

    She¡¯s just more subtle about it. And her position allows her to be informal with me, I explain.

    They really do respect you deeply, huh? he nudges me teasingly. They do treat you royally.

    Yeah, and it¡¯s unnerving, to be honest.

    Emi, Fefnir and Liana don¡¯t mind, though, he ponders. Is it only you retaining somehow a detached perspective? Because you¡¯re a telepath I guess?

    I guess.

    We arrive to the conference room. Fefnir and Emi are already here and already in a full debate with Ms Ortega and an unknown man. Is that the other EU delegate Bennett mentioned? They sure didn¡¯t lose any time.

    ¡°Great, Aefener¡¯s here,¡± Emi is relieved and I notice the table in front of her is slightly scratched. She¡¯s not feeling angry so I bet her claws were scratching the table out of nervousness without her even realising it. Fefnir appears calm and collected but he¡¯s also nervous inside.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± the new EU delegate ceremonially bows.

    Unexpectedly, there¡¯s no cringe. He¡¯s really good at it, does he have experience with European royalty? When he straightens again, I can finally study his face. He¡¯s surprisingly handsome with his well-kept beard and could be in his late thirties. While his suit isn¡¯t more expensive than Erik¡¯s, he¡¯s wearing it so confidently that he could have been born in it.

    He¡¯s definitely gay, Erik says dryly and clutches my hand more tightly. And he¡¯s right. Sometimes it¡¯s easy for me to tell one¡¯s sexuality and in this case it¡¯s super easy. It¡¯s blatantly obvious from the way he¡¯s looking at me.

    ¡°You¡¯re even more beautiful than in the videos,¡± the delegate cleverly uses the fact that Erik is holding my left hand and takes my right one to kiss it before I can even react.

    And it¡¯s not just an air kiss, his lips do touch the back of my palm! I turn red and his emotions hit me. I don¡¯t have to go deep to discover that Bennett chose him especially to soften me¡ªmake me more susceptible to their suggestions.

    Seriously, what kind of dinosaur is he? Thinking he can just send me a handsome man and I¡¯ll fall for him just because we¡¯re both gay. Bennett might be a ruthless politician but he must have a very low opinion of queer people. I hope Bauerova knows about it and hates Bennett¡¯s guts so that we can unite against him.

    ¡°My name is Claude Debois,¡± the delegate introduces himself and almost unrecognisably smirks at Erik who¡¯s killing him with his gaze and would go to wash my hand immediately if he could.

    I hate the guy! Erik¡¯s shouting in his mind. He¡¯s doing it on purpose, Ryuu.

    I know, I assure him.

    We finally sit down and I devote a whole minute finding a comfortable position for my wings. Debois is watching me with an amused expression. I don¡¯t feel anything particularly bad from him but it¡¯s clear that his intentions are far from being innocent. He might act like a flirt but I don¡¯t doubt he¡¯s really good at politics and will report everything to his superiors.

    ¡°So,¡± Miss Ortega coughs when I stop fluttering my wings. ¡°The EU decided that our first priority should be setting up a strict training programme for Draconians. We can¡¯t let such dangerous abilities go unchecked. We also have to agree on penalties when those abilities are used against humans and it¡¯s not self-defence.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I agree,¡± I say, trying to sound confident.

    ¡°Starting with you, Your Majesty,¡± Ms Ortega coughs again, evidently nervous. ¡°Your abilities seem to be potentially the most dangerous. And most spontaneous.¡±

    ¡°S-sure?¡± I say, less confident now. ¡°I mean¡­ we have to train, obviously. And I should lead by example.¡±

    Dubois grins, no doubt enjoying the fact that I barely know what I¡¯m doing. But when I look him in the eye, he doesn¡¯t withstand my golden eyes and averts his gaze. I sense a hint of embarrassment. It¡¯s really subtle, though, so I bet he doesn¡¯t realise it himself. Maybe I can yet to gain an upper hand with him.

    ¡°Thankfully,¡± Ortega continues, ¡°while Draconians are delighted with their new abilities, they got used to them miraculously quickly.¡±

    ¡°Meaning?¡± Fefnir asks, not quite sure what¡¯s her point.

    ¡°Meaning that Draconians don¡¯t walk the streets doing magic just because they can,¡± she explains.

    ¡°Our abilities aren¡¯t as effortless as they might seem,¡± Fefnir shrugs. ¡°Mana or stamina aren¡¯t just indicators here but real energy that comes from food and rest.¡±

    ¡°Especially for Celestials,¡± I second. ¡°While our bodies do produce mana, it gets created out of food. We can say that spells cost calories in real life. The governments can be at ease, we literally can¡¯t go out casting like crazy for hours on end.¡±

    ¡°Not even you?¡± Dubois narrows his eyes.

    ¡°Not even me,¡± I say firmly. ¡°Sure, my mana capacity and spell casting are probably superior to others, I won¡¯t deny that, but I¡¯m limited by my own body.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still special, though,¡± Dubois won¡¯t let it go.

    ¡°All race rulers are,¡± I say.

    ¡°You know what I mean, Your Majesty,¡± he thumbs against the table. ¡°Your transformation progresses much more quickly, even when compared to other rulers. Your abilities also surpass everyone else. And you were the first to change. Do I have to continue?¡±

    ¡°I will train,¡± I insist. ¡°I¡¯m going to prove that I¡¯m no threat.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that, actually. Is there any way we could convince you to participate in the research?¡± he asks nonchalantly. ¡°Our scientists think your case could shed some light on why the Great Evolution happened in the first place. Examining patient zero is¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re NOT seriously suggesting that!¡± Emi scratches the table in front of her, now voluntarily and with full realisation how unpleasant the sound is.

    ¡°I¡¯m simply imploring His Majesty to consider it,¡± Dubois isn¡¯t backing off. ¡°It can happen here if we bring some equipment and His Majesty will be treated with utmost care. If you really want to help¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re sorry but we can¡¯t help in this area,¡± Erik clicks his tongue. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever bring it up again.¡±

    ¡°It would be just a few blood tests, DNA sampling and¡­,¡± Dubois murmurs under his breath.

    Oh, so the EU probably didn¡¯t steal my feather or they would have already claimed a sample for DNA analysis. But who did then? Some independent pharmaceutical company? A third party? I look straight at Dubois to better assess his emotions. He does have ulterior motives but I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s not involved in the theft of my feather.

    ¡°The answer is no, Mr Dubois,¡± I say because I can tell he¡¯s frantically thinking of other arguments to persuade me.

    I decide to be a bit theatrical and pass myself a glass of water using telekinesis just to impress him. The demonstration does the trick, he¡¯s astonished. He knows what Celestials can do but it¡¯s evidently his first time seeing our abilities so up close.

    ¡°Let¡¯s proceed then,¡± Luviael takes the initiative and I¡¯m really grateful for her being my adjutant. ¡°We need to decide on training regimen and laws restricting usage of Draconian abilities among humans. We also have to¡­¡±

    She skilfully stirs the meeting in the right direction which I truly appreciate. Liana couldn¡¯t have chosen me a better adjutant. Luvi is my age so I¡¯m not shy around her and she really knows her stuff.

    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s first official training session is after lunch,¡± Luviael assures Dubois after she describes to the delegates how levelling worked in Draconia and how it¡¯ll work probably even here.

    ¡°It is?¡± I blink.

    Damn, is my timetable totally out of my hands? As I was trying to explain to Erik earlier, being the Celestial Emperor isn¡¯t as cool as it sounds. I¡¯m not a master of my own time anymore, my subjects have seemingly more power over me than I have over them. I don¡¯t even want to think about the life that awaits me. But then I look at Erik and think that it might not be all bad.

    *****

    ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s good to be finally here,¡± a Celestial with grey wings and black pattern greets me when I appear in the fitness suite just as Luviael promised the delegates. Erik went to the Royal Office to work on his own tasks so that we can also train to be separate from each other.

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­,¡± I study his wings. The face is also familiar because I was talking to a lot of my former guild mates through video calls. ¡°Taranah?!¡±

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s me,¡± he smiles and happily flutters his wings. They¡¯re much smaller than mine but he was level 80 in the game and his VR combability must have been high so I guess it¡¯s only a matter of time before his growing spur comes.

    He¡¯s not wearing a Celestial robe and I realise how strange it is to see a winged person in casual clothes. Did my perception of fashion change without me knowing again? As much as I was initially against wearing ¡®cosplay,¡¯ I think I wouldn¡¯t be able to switch back to human clothes again.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to address me so politely, you know,¡± I say quickly because we were quite close ingame. Not as close as with the gang but we frequently played together and went for countless raids. Besides, he looks at least ten years older than me.

    ¡°I know but it just feels weird not to,¡± he shrugs. ¡°This isn¡¯t a game anymore and you¡¯re our Emperor. And I can feel your mana which makes it super hard to address you casually, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Is it that defining?¡± I doubt. I try focusing on my mana circuit but I don¡¯t feel anything especially formidable. I feel completely normal, to be honest.

    ¡°You have no idea,¡± he laughs. ¡°Anyway, I hope you have nothing against me reassuming my former position of the magic development head?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ I¡­ of course not,¡± I nod. Right, training spellcasting in the real world also means researching it while doing so because we still don¡¯t know how everything¡¯s going to work.

    ¡°We lost the system¡¯s assistance, obviously,¡± Taranah says. ¡°Which means that we¡¯ll have to learn everything by heart and seriously train mana channelling. I think spellcasting in real life is so much easier for you because you never relied on the system¡¯s assist.¡±

    ¡°I think so, too,¡± I confirm, not wanting to admit to myself that it might be connected to my weird telepathic brain.

    ¡°Which spells have to tried so far?¡±

    ¡°With Liana, we managed spells up to level 3 so far,¡± I reveal.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t sound like much if the rest of us weren¡¯t still struggling with level 1 spells,¡± Taranah sighs. ¡°But you also did that healing spell, right? I saw the video. And that¡¯s level 10.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to recreate it anytime soon, though,¡± I shake my head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯ve managed it in the first place, to be honest. It must have been adrenalin or something.¡±

    ¡°Noted,¡± Taranah nods. ¡°It could have been adrenaline combined with pure luck but it still shows that you¡¯re certainly our Emperor.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ how do we go about it?¡± I¡¯m curious because it¡¯s clear Taranah has a plan in mind.

    ¡°We¡¯ll train spellcasting for two hours each day,¡± he says. ¡°Every time we make a breakthrough, we¡¯ll post it for all Celestials. Hopefully, people experimenting on their own will be also eager to share their discoveries. The IT team is already working on a platform where we could safely share our knowledge. Of course, safeguarding comes first.¡±

    ¡°That should make the EU and the rest of the world happy,¡± I¡¯m glad. ¡°Still, don¡¯t you think it odd that we¡¯re not as eager to use magic all the time? Even if mana equals calories here.¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± he shrugs. ¡°I was eager in the beginning, trying out all sorts of level 1 spells. After I ended hypoglycaemic and my family found me collapsed on the floor, I reconsidered and became much more careful. Besides, we have modern technology which wasn¡¯t in the game so we don¡¯t have to rely on our abilities that much.¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s a serious thing to watch out for,¡± I agree. ¡°Aren¡¯t two hours a day too much then?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be training mana channelling and focus in the beginning so we should be fine,¡± he assures me. ¡°It often takes many attempts to even do the spell unsuccessfully. You, Her Excellency and me will be training every day from three to five. Do I have your permission to create other teams and assign them time slots here?¡±

    ¡°Sure, go ahead,¡± I allow, wondering if Celestials will be asking me about every little thing from now on. I hope not.

    ¡°Levelling in real life will be rather tricky without system windows and charts,¡± Taranah recalls nostalgically. ¡°But I guess we can safely claim that whoever mastered spells of a certain level attained that level. Can you show me some level 2 spells, Your Majesty? I¡¯d really appreciate your guidance.¡±

    I show him three basic elemental spells we¡¯ve mastered together with Liana and he should work on. As one of the best players, Taranah has no problem gasping concepts that come with spellcasting but he struggles with mana channelling which is something that was done automatically in the game. Basically, you did a spell and it took some mana points. No such luck here in real life.

    ¡°Can you tell how much mana I have?¡± Taranah asks me resignedly after half an hour without any results.

    ¡°Lots, trust me,¡± I assure him. ¡°You¡¯re just struggling with getting it out of your body.¡±

    ¡°Ehm!¡±

    Somebody coughing makes me flinch. I was so absorbed in teaching Taranah that I didn¡¯t notice that the guards let a person in. I turn around and spot Dubois standing at the door. What the hell is he doing here?

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind me,¡± he says in a honeyed voice. ¡°I¡¯m here to just watch your progress.¡±

    ¡°And report it to the EU no doubt,¡± Taranah mutters with badly hidden aversion.

    ¡°Naturally,¡± Dubois doesn¡¯t deny it and sits on the bench in the corner, in a safe distance away from us.

    What should I do? Pretend I¡¯m struggling or impress him? I decide to do nothing for now and continue instructing Taranah who seems to be set on impressing the EU delegate. Because we¡¯ve already covered preparatory mana channelling exercises before Dubois showed up, Taranah manages to cast a level 2 flame after five more attempts.

    ¡°Oh, dammit!¡± he cries because he made the same mistake as me the first time¡ªforgetting that he can¡¯t produce it on his skin even though I did warn him beforehand.

    I don¡¯t have time to think about how it¡¯ll look and instinctively put out the flame with the water from the nearby containers that was meant for our water magic practice. Then I quickly freeze some of that water to relieve the pain in Taranah¡¯s burnt hand.

    ¡°No way!¡± Dubois finally loses his confidence and almost drops the tablet he¡¯s holding for taking notes. ¡°You¡¯re that far ahead?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re posting everything online. It was no secret,¡± I set the record straight.

    ¡°But seeing it with my own eyes¡­,¡± Dubois is still taken aback and forgets his overly pleasant conduct. ¡°And that¡¯s only around level three? What kind of monster are you going to become?¡±

    A monster? He calls me a monster? I feel my anger rising and there¡¯s nothing I can do to stop it. I was concerned about my humanity before, thinking that my telepathy makes me a freak, but I¡¯m no monster. And now I don¡¯t even consider myself a freak anymore either.

    I step closer to Dubois to properly face him. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s Erik¡¯s absence or the fact that I¡¯ve managed to impress this pompous douche but for once I feel confident. Powerful even. And for once I don¡¯t want to be toyed with or offended¡ªthat¡¯s unbecoming for the Celestial Emperor.

    I¡¯m a bit smaller and much thinner than him but when I fluff my huge wings that are getting bigger and bigger by each passing day, I can sense from him that he sees me as truly impressive. I pierce him with my golden eyes and this time I don¡¯t hide my aversion towards him. I leak my mana and even though he can¡¯t perceive it directly, it gives him goosebumps nonetheless.

    ¡°Well, good for you that I want peace then?¡± I say darkly and it¡¯s my pure Celestial nature speaking, looking down at him. This puny human.

    Something within me curls when I say those words. I really meant them and I didn¡¯t at the same time. Because for a second I feel that conquest would be much more fun than this political bullshit.

 34. Emperorâ€™s Nature

    ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Taranah pulls my sleeve, scared. He doesn¡¯t have to be a telepath to read the atmosphere around me. Neither does Dubois who steps back instinctively and gasps for breath.

    ¡°Be my guest and watch our magic training. Just be careful what the EU wishes for,¡± I hiss. ¡°Mandatory training will only make us stronger. Limitations, if made too discriminatory, will only incite the civil war, not prevent it. We¡¯re millions, you can¡¯t lock us all up.¡±

    I turn my back to give him a full show of my magnificent wings. Then I nod at Taranah and want to continue our training as if nothing happened. But something did happen, I feel it inside me. It doesn¡¯t want to be ignored anymore¡ªmy Celestial warlike nature. And it¡¯s terrifying and exciting at the same time.

    Dubois has to try hard to make it look like he¡¯s not running away but I don¡¯t even bother to watch him leave. When his telepathic imprint, which I¡¯ve already memorised, fades away, I finally calm down. Taranah is staring at me with genuine respect and feeling proud of what I did.

    I also feel quite proud but when I realise that I¡¯ve basically threatened the EU delegate, I don¡¯t feel that good about it anymore. What will Dubois report to his superiors? What if it negatively influences our reputation? But at the same time, I can¡¯t help thinking that maybe¡­ just maybe¡­ the EU should be afraid of us.

    ¡°Let¡¯s continue our training,¡± I say, trying to sound normal again even though I can¡¯t shake off that feeling of acting as the real Celestial Emperor.

    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty,¡± Taranah nods furiously and I can tell that the idea of not listening to me wouldn¡¯t even cross his mind at this point.

    How much did our mentality transform? Did we go all the way? And how is it possible in the first place? The game lore was fictitious, right? Although, admittedly, the players did choose their race according to a detailed psychological profile which was unheard of in videogames before. So many questions and no answers. Should I just go with it like the rest of Draconians?

    While Taranah keeps practicing his level 2 flame spell, I decide to occupy my mind and try out some level 4 spells. It seems that basic control of elements doesn¡¯t require transfiguration symbols but I feel it in my Celestial bones that higher level magic will.

    I close my eyes, recalling some simple symbols. I wasn¡¯t called the biggest Draconia nerd for nothing, I still remember them even though such low-tier magic was hardly ever used in dungeons and raids. My hard work levelling without the system assist is paying off in ways I wouldn¡¯t even dream of.

    ¡°Oh, Your Majesty, it¡¯s so beautiful!¡± Taranah¡¯s praise makes me open my eyes again.

    It turns out my effort did materialise a transfiguration symbol I was focusing on¡ªthere¡¯s a sign hanging in the air in front of me like a hologram. I stretch my hands and try touching it. My fingers go straight through it but I can feel slight vibration which means that the symbol is there, made out of pure condensed mana.

    ¡°What kind of spell are you trying?¡± Taranah asks curiously.

    ¡°A shield,¡± I say, a bit disappointed that he doesn¡¯t recognise it. I¡¯ll have to make him memorise everything by heart. It would be shameful if the head of our magic research didn¡¯t know. Someone else more knowledgeable could come to claim his post.

    I freeze for a moment and the symbol disintegrates. Make him memorise? Shameful? It must be my Celestial nature speaking again. I try to shake that feeling but when I look at Taranah, I can¡¯t help but see him as my subject, not a gaming friend. That scares me.

    ¡°That¡¯s it for today, I need rest,¡± I say quickly and hastily walk out of the fitness suite, leaving confused Taranah behind me.

    ¡°Are you okay, Your Majesty?¡± Miruel asks me, concerned because she can see I¡¯m bewildered.

    ¡°Where¡¯s my partner?¡± I inquiry her. She should know, the guards know everything when it comes to our inner circle.

    ¡°In the briefing room 3,¡± she tells me, checking her phone.

    I glance at it to discover that Miruel can see all patrolling guards in some app that shows the building floor by floor. Neat. I bet it was Fefnir¡¯s or Diana¡¯s idea and they forgot to mention that. Or they thought it isn¡¯t of interest to me. I guess it isn¡¯t really, I¡¯m not the head of security after all and there¡¯s no way around it than to divide our overwhelming workload.

    ¡°Ryuu, is something wrong?¡± Erik looks up from the laptop when I barge into the briefing room.

    ¡°Can we have some privacy?¡± I ask because there¡¯s Ms Ortega in the room, going through some paperwork, and an Earthborn I don¡¯t recognise helping them.

    Shit, was my tone too rough? I guess it didn¡¯t sound like a genuine request but an order. Ms Ortega is afraid to meet my eyes when she stands up and that Earthborn is literally fleeing.

    ¡°Ryuu, tell me what¡¯s wrong,¡± Erik goes for a hug the moment we¡¯re alone. How I love him for that. His default is always to go for a comforting hug first, inquire later.

    I connect to him and rest in his mind until I find my balance again. But I don¡¯t let go. I envelop him into my wings and clutch him even tighter.

    Do you see? I ask because I always keep my own mind open to him. Even though he¡¯s not a telepath, if I allow it so, he can browse my memories and thoughts as well.

    I do, he answers slowly. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s your Celestial nature, Ryuu. You¡¯re not struggling with it anymore. I think it¡¯s rather your Emperor nature that¡¯s awakening now.

    How can it be a nature? I don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s a job.

    Except it isn¡¯t. Not in case of Draconians, he shakes his head. You don¡¯t want that position but it seems to me more and more that you won¡¯t have any choice in the matter. Other Celestials already recognise you as their Emperor and you¡¯re gradually starting to behave like one.

    But I don¡¯t want to!

    Ryuu, Erik kisses me into my hair to calm me down. I don¡¯t want to admit it but I suspect you wouldn¡¯t be having such a hard time with your mental transition if it wasn¡¯t for me. You¡¯re still attuned to me more than you think.

    You¡¯re saying that you¡¯re holding me back, I whisper even in my thoughts and my wings start shivering.

    Maybe in a good way? he kisses me in my hair again. If being the Emperor is your second nature and you let it go free, what would it mean for humanity?

    There weren¡¯t any humans in Draconia Online, I remind him. I have no way of knowing.

    What is the Celestial Emperor like then? According to your lore I mean, he asks.

    Not so far from me, actually, I start thinking about it. The best caster, unsurpassed flier¡­ it also states that I¡¯m supposed to be magic itself but we might disregard that here.

    These are rather job descriptive, what about the character? Erik nudges me on.

    Celestial to the core? I guess and finally understand what he¡¯s hinting at. Oh, Erik, what if it comes true to the letter? Celestials have many good features but also a lot of bad ones. We¡¯re intelligent but arrogant. Devoted but focused only on our interests. Loving towards our kind but also looking down on other races. And we¡¯re definitely the least peaceful race of Draconia. We never fight among ourselves but we¡¯re hungry for conquest.

    Erik doesn¡¯t say anything for a while. He just keeps holding me tight, letting me rest in his mind. Do I crave his mind because it¡¯s so different from mine? Or because he loves me back unconditionally? Or because he¡¯s so stable, unlike me?

    ¡°You won¡¯t become that,¡± he finally speaks again and aloud. ¡°I¡¯m absolutely sure of that.¡±

    ¡°How can you know?¡±

    ¡°Because first, I know you more than you realise. And second, you¡¯re an empath,¡± he says and caresses my wings. ¡°I think it¡¯s virtually impossible for you wanting to hurt others.¡±

    ¡°I hurt that poor Earthborn who plucked my feather,¡± I remind him and shiver goes down my spine when I recall the incident.

    ¡°That was an accident, you acted on reflex,¡± he insists. ¡°And right after that you healed him and were really worried if he¡¯s okay because you felt his pain. So we can pretty surely deduce that it¡¯s impossible for an empath to turn evil, even with Celestial nature and being the Emperor.¡±

    I think about it and have to admit that he might be right. Becoming a Celestial made my telepathy and empathy only stronger, it didn¡¯t dull it in any way. I think about the world differently now but I keep perceiving everyone¡¯s emotions around me all the same. I would never hurt another thinking and feeling being. At least not voluntarily in the name of some stupid conquest.

    ¡°Do you have any idea how lucky humanity is that it¡¯s you?¡± Erik plays with my feathers. ¡°Imagine anyone else becoming the Celestial Emperor¡ªthey most probably wouldn¡¯t fight against their inner urges. I think we¡¯d already have a civil war. The EU doesn¡¯t know what they have in you.¡±

    ¡°Liana isn¡¯t a bad choice either,¡± I mutter, embarrassed that he¡¯s praising me so much.

    Erik gets serious again all of a sudden.

    ¡°Liana is great because she¡¯s your Viceroy,¡± he says. ¡°You two make the best ruler duo ever. But she being the Empress¡­ I would be afraid, to be honest. I suspect she¡¯s so kind only because you¡¯re kind. Not saying that she isn¡¯t kind enough for a Celestials¡­ it¡¯s just¡­ she can be pretty rough and uncompromising.¡±

    ¡°So you think I¡¯m not entirely hopeless at this whole Emperor business?¡± I sigh, relieved a bit.

    ¡°On the contrary. You¡¯re exactly what the world needs,¡± Erik smiles and scratches me between my wings. ¡°And the EU will be kissing your legs when they finally get it.¡±

    ¡°You!¡± I purse my lips. ¡°Stop with the blatant flattery and kiss me.¡±

    ¡°As my Emperor commands,¡± he smirks and fulfils my wish.

    *****

    It totally slipped my mind that I have that appointment with the psychologist Liana invited. I don¡¯t feel like going, not after what happened with Dubois, but Erik is deaf to my lame excuses.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°What will I talk about with him when I can¡¯t mention my telepathy?¡± I voice my biggest concern.

    ¡°You can start with the conflict within you about becoming the Celestial Emperor,¡± Erik helps me on the way. There¡¯s only Miruel and Vermiel in the elevator so we can speak freely.

    ¡°Conflict?¡± they both look at me, alarmed. ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t we serve you well?¡±

    ¡°Erik meant the burden of responsibility, stuff like that,¡± I murmur, embarrassed because they¡¯re looking at me strangely, almost panicky.

    ¡°B-but you have us!¡± Miruel exclaims. ¡°You have Her Excellency¡­ the Royal Consort¡­ and every Celestial will be eager to help. You¡¯re not alone in it.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I smile at her faintly for those encouraging words. ¡°I¡¯ll surely need every guidance I can get. I just hope you won¡¯t regret your decision making me the Emperor.¡±

    ¡°Decision?¡± Vermiel tilts his head and I can feel that I confused him. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we could possibly decide. You¡¯re the strongest Celestial so it¡¯s natural you rightfully claimed the throne. I¡¯d never answer to anyone else. Or do you think I¡¯d serve just anybody?¡±

    I study his determined expression as well as emotional resolution. He¡¯s not kidding. He¡¯s not role-playing. Just as Taranah, he means every word he says. And neither he, nor Miruel understand why I lack confidence when they both have absolute trust in me.

    Reinforcements are already waiting for us when we step outside the elevator and join Miruel and Vermiel. Just a few weeks ago I¡¯d frown at such arrangement¡ªwhy do I need so many guards inside Liana¡¯s skyscraper?¡ªbut Draconians don¡¯t act exactly normal around their rulers. I don¡¯t want to repeat that incident with my ripped feather so I¡¯m grateful for their presence.

    In the end we don¡¯t pass that many people, I guess it¡¯s dinner time for most of them, but I still get too many stares and there¡¯re too many attempts to stop me on my way. Other races aren¡¯t that crazy but passing Celestials are just impossibly eager to stir a conversation with me or simply touch my wings.

    It proves useful again that Miruel and Vermiel know my secret. They realise why I don¡¯t like being touched by strangers and try their hardest to divert everyone away. I try smiling at everyone but it must be totally cringy. Their emotions are too fluttered, too turbulent when they see me. It doesn¡¯t make me nauseous only because they¡¯re my fellow Draconians.

    ¡°Come in!¡± an enthusiastic voice invites us when we stand in front of the office that was transformed into the psychologist¡¯s new place and Vermiel knocks.

    ¡°H-hello,¡± I say cautiously and step inside between Vermiel and Erik. The door is of regular size so I wouldn¡¯t fit in if I didn¡¯t fold my wings straight behind my back.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± a man in his forties with sandy wings and graying short hair stands up and greets me with a sincere smile. He¡¯s wearing old-fashioned glasses which give him a really trustworthy look. ¡°I¡¯m honoured to have you as my patient. Please, sit down. Your partner can sit next to you if he takes the chair over there.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯ll take that one,¡± I go for the other chair which is much simpler and doesn¡¯t have a back rest.

    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± he realises that I must be struggling with my wings when it comes to common human furniture because his wings are still quite small. He couldn¡¯t have been a high-level, even the mana capacity I feel from him is much smaller than, for instance, Taranah¡¯s.

    I was half-expecting he would have one of those sofas one can see in any movie featuring a psychologist but I guess he didn¡¯t have time to order new furniture yet. Vermiel and Miruel go stand guard outside to give us privacy so we end up alone with the doctor.

    ¡°My name is Zetraya but I¡¯m sure Erik already mentioned that?¡± the doctor starts and the vibe I¡¯m catching from his so far is really pleasant.

    ¡°He did,¡± I nod, anxious what to expect. I¡¯ve never been to a psychologist, real ones are hellishly expensive. All my knowledge comes from movies and some free self-help apps I¡¯ve been trying out in order to find ways how to battle my anxiety.

    ¡°I see that you¡¯re nervous, Your Majesty,¡± Zetraya says kindly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be, everything is strictly confidential.¡±

    I nod again and hug Erik with my left wing. Zetraya is looking at me analytically, trying to read my body language no doubt. Erik is encouraging me, sending me tons of love and support. I take a deep breath and make a conscious choice to open up to him as much as I find possible at the moment.

    ¡°I¡­ I have some issues with¡­ ehm¡­ self-confidence,¡± I say, almost whispering. ¡°I also think¡­ that I might have¡­ ehm¡­ anxiety disorder¡­ and I suffer from occasional panic attacks.¡±

    Did you say anything to him? I quickly ask Erik telepathically.

    Of course not, we only talked about me accepting your longevity yesterday, he assures me.

    ¡°Your Majesty, are you extremely anxious right now?¡± the doctor leans forward.

    ¡°Y-yes,¡± I look at my knees timidly.

    ¡°I¡¯m asking because it seems your anxiety can manifest magically,¡± he chews his lip and points around us.

    I turn my head and notice that several objects in the room are levitating. I have to try hard to put them down because they resist me.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve actually noticed that before,¡± Erik agrees. ¡°Ryuu is using telekinesis spontaneously without thinking. It usually reacts to his unspoken wishes but he also does it when he¡¯s very nervous. Or when he¡¯s in pain. Like that time when you were levitating in your sleep, hon.¡±

    ¡°Levitating in his sleep?¡± Zetrays pushes his glasses up to his nose. It¡¯s rare to see someone wearing glasses these days when laser operations are so quick and painless but they suit him. And right now he¡¯s endlessly curious about what he¡¯s just heard.

    ¡°I guess we never talked about it with anybody,¡± Erik realises. ¡°I vaguely recall I might have mentioned it to Julia when I was calling her for help but she must have forgot with all that was happening at that time.¡±

    ¡°Spontaneous telekinesis and spontaneous levitation¡­ fascinating!¡± Zetrays takes a note into his pad. ¡°The rumours about you aren¡¯t exaggerating, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°What does it have to do with my mental health?¡± I don¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Directly nothing, indirectly it¡¯s a great indicator of your mental state,¡± the psychologist explains. ¡°It seems rather harmless and cute right now but I¡¯m afraid that when your abilities grow, so can these indicators.¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to say I might become dangerous?¡± I¡¯m taken aback and clutch Erik¡¯s hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m just speculating at this point,¡± he shakes his head. ¡°Still, it just won¡¯t do to have our Emperor anxious. We have to do something about it and I think that¡¯s the reason why you came to find me.¡±

    ¡°R-right,¡± I carefully second that.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start by you telling me about your childhood,¡± he leans back to his chair since his quite small wings still allow him to do so.

    ¡°What a classic thing to say,¡± Erik can¡¯t help chuckling so I kick his leg.

    A bit reluctantly at first, I start telling him my life story. I do omit that my Mom was a VR developer, I just say she was a programmer, and I don¡¯t mention my telepathy, of course, but otherwise I tell everything pretty accurately.

    ¡°It pains me to her that our Emperor was neglected as a child,¡± Zetrays says sadly when I finish. ¡°Thank you for entrusting me with this, Your Majesty. I won¡¯t disappoint your trust.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ do I get some exercise or something?¡± I ask with anticipation.

    ¡°Take a few deep breaths, your wings are shaking, Your Majesty,¡± Zetraya points out.

    ¡°Oh, r-right,¡± I notice only now that re-telling my life had a toll on me. I thought I was pretty detached but it¡¯s obvious that I wasn¡¯t at all.

    Erik hugs me and keeps caressing my wings until they stop shaking.

    ¡°Your partner has evidently a very good influence on you,¡± the psychologist observes.

    ¡°Too good,¡± I add. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m totally dependent on him.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I determined as much when Erik visited me yesterday,¡± Zetraya agrees and tries not to make it sound too abnormal. ¡°You¡¯re a typical case of co-dependency.¡±

    ¡°And¡­ how bad is that?¡± I swallow.

    ¡°I have to get to know you better to assess that,¡± he says undecidedly. ¡°But you don¡¯t seem to have all destructive sides of it. Couples who suffer from it often turn abusive but what I can see in your case is only obsessive love and separation anxiety.¡±

    Separation anxiety is most probably connected to your telepathy, Erik mentions in his thought. Too bad we can¡¯t tell him that.

    Later¡­ maybe¡­

    ¡°Your Majesty, we certainly can work on it,¡± Zetraya is trying to give me some courage because I stayed silent. ¡°Anyway, in our current situation, Erik is the best Royal Consort you could get. You¡¯ll need all the support and having and over-doting partner is a plus in your very specific case.¡±

    ¡°H-huh,¡± I¡¯m not sure how to react to that so I simply nod.

    It¡¯s hurtful to hear confirmed by an expert that our relationship isn¡¯t exactly healthy because I didn¡¯t want to admit it for a long time. But Erik indeed is the best partner I could wish for. And we can work on the rest, nobody¡¯s perfect.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave it at that for today,¡± Zetraya concludes. ¡°You need to calm down, Your Majesty. Sharing your life story with me was already a big step in trust, considering I¡¯m a stranger to you. I¡¯ve already talked to your adjutant and Luviael is willing to give me two time slots a week.¡±

    ¡°Willing?¡± Erik frows at that word. ¡°And you find nothing fundamentally wrong with that as a psychologist?¡±

    Zetraya ponders for a moment.

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re hinting at,¡± he says slowly after long consideration. ¡°The problem is that I¡¯m trying to understand your human perspective, Erik, but I don¡¯t think like a human anymore. The Celestial Emperor belongs to his subjects. It¡¯s how it should be.¡±

    ¡°Was the mental shift really that great?¡± Erik tilts his head.

    ¡°You have no idea, Royal Consort,¡± Zetraya looks at me with a painful expression. ¡°You have no idea how much I have to push myself right now to understand that our Emperor, the embodiment of magic itself, suffers from anxiety and low self-esteem. It¡¯s almost unthinkable for me. But the transformation didn¡¯t make me forget anything from my experience or education. I¡¯m perfectly qualified to take care of His Majesty¡¯s mental health.¡±

    I¡¯m relieved to hear that. I know for sure that I wouldn¡¯t be able to open up to any human psychologist. It¡¯s a small miracle for me that I¡¯m able to withstand Julia¡¯s regular medical check-ups. I think it¡¯s because she helped me to get my wings out. Something like that bonds people for life.

    I thank the doctor and leave his office, mentally totally drained.

    *****

    ¡°So,¡± Erik pokes me after he let me rest in our bed for half an hour. I literally collapsed on it when we got home.

    ¡°So?¡± I mutter into the pillow, lying on my stomach, my wings fully spread to the sides and falling over the edge of our huge bed.

    ¡°A co-dependent relationship, huh?¡± he sighs.

    ¡°The biggest part of it must be my telepathy,¡± I murmur. ¡°You know I¡¯m a telepathic addict. And I don¡¯t know if I can work on that. Probably can¡¯t. Telepathy and empathy sound miraculous only in fiction. In reality, there are many drawbacks.¡±

    ¡°And you know that I¡¯m a doting jealous type,¡± he sighs again.

    ¡°We¡¯re a match made in heaven. Yet, I wouldn¡¯t exchange it for anything.¡±

    ¡°Me neither,¡± he scratches my right wing. ¡°Are you calmer now? What about I give you a massage?¡±

    ¡°A massage?¡± I turn my head so that I¡¯m not muttering into the pillow all the time. ¡°That would be great. My back is sore.¡±

    ¡°Get out of your robe then,¡± Erik smirks and doesn¡¯t wait for my answer. He starts undressing me right away.

    ¡°You just want me naked!¡± I accuse him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not denying that,¡± he laughs and undoes the kimono belt holding my robe together.

    ¡°Don¡¯t we need a lotion or something?¡± I decide to cooperate with his effort.

    ¡°Right, I think there¡¯s some coconut oil in the bathroom,¡± he nods and jump out of bed to fetch it.

    Fortunately, the door to the bathroom leads right out of our bedroom. I¡¯m really glad for that. Half-naked Erik going through the living room with patrolling guards would be mortifying.

    ¡°Got it!¡± it takes him only a few seconds to return. ¡°Lay on your stomach again.¡±

    ¡°Be gentle okay?¡± I say, a bit alarmed when he cracks his knuckles. ¡°It¡¯s your first time massaging a Celestial. We¡¯re frail.¡±

    ¡°I know that better than anybody, love,¡± he says and pushes me back into the pillow. ¡°Try to relax and enjoy it.¡±

    I trust Erik with my life and I¡¯ve had several massages from my previous lovers. But that was before my body transformed into this almost ethereal being.

    ¡°Bones in my back are different from humans,¡± I remind him, totally unnecessarily because it¡¯s obvious.

    ¡°Relaaaaax,¡± he prolongs and takes a palmful of coconut oil.

    I hiss instinctively when he puts pressure against my back but it doesn¡¯t hurt. I try to relax as he was telling me and close my eyes. Erik¡¯s hands are gentle and he¡¯s testing the amount of pressure he can afford with me. He¡¯s able to tell right away through our telepathic connection when it¡¯s too much so I stop being wary.

    Just around two minutes into the massage, I start to thoroughly enjoy it. My back really is sore from the weight of my wings I have to carry all the time and those uncomfortable chairs I¡¯m forced to sit on. Erik¡¯s hands are pure bliss.

    ¡°Not nooooow!¡± Erik cries when someone knocks on the door after just twenty minutes.

    ¡°It must be our dinner,¡± I whine, also annoyed.

    ¡°Right, you can¡¯t skip any meals,¡± he realises and hastily throws my kimono pyjamas at me. I still don¡¯t feel dressed enough to be seen by our maid so I also put on an embroidered cloak on top.

    ¡°Come in then!¡± Erik finally allows.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb you, Your Majestry, Royal Consort, but you know that¡­,¡± one of the maids arrives with a food cart.

    ¡°Yes, we know, the Emperor has to eat. Thank you, Cien,¡± Erik waves at her impatiently.

    The maid, Cien, bows and leaves.

    ¡°Seriously, no privacy here,¡± Erik rolls his eyes.

    ¡°You heard Zetraya, Celestials find nothing wrong with that,¡± I say. ¡°The Emperor belongs to his people. I¡¯m afraid we have to prepare that it¡¯s only going to get worse. What¡¯s on the menu?¡±

    ¡°A steak for me, hummus for you,¡± Erik takes off the lid to find out.

    ¡°Oh, I love hummus!¡± I grab my plate with telekinesis and realise that I¡¯m quite hungry after all.

    But I don¡¯t manage to swallow even one bite because I suddenly feel that something is wrong. Very, very wrong. I let go of the spoon and it falls into the sheets. Erik looks at me, confused, but I don¡¯t have time to explain.

    I close my eyes, take a deep breath and let my telepathy grow sharper. All those leaking emotions around me get stronger and I quickly scan the whole skyscraper, looking for the source of disturbance.

    And there it is, such strong negative emotions aren¡¯t hard to find¡ªsix human minds filled with hatred so burning it makes me nauseous. I open my eyes, use my telekinesis to slip into the shoes and start running.

 35. Urge to Protect

    ¡°Is something wrong, Your Majesty?¡± Vermiel flinches when I burst the door open.

    I don¡¯t have time to explain. We could have only minutes before something really bad happens if we don¡¯t prevent it in time. That prospect scares me shitless but I can¡¯t afford to freeze right now. I can¡¯t afford to have another panic attack when everything depends on me.

    ¡°Brace yourself,¡± I say but I don¡¯t actually have the luxury to give him even a second before I clutch his hand and establish a full telepathic connection.

    I don¡¯t even have the luxury to think about all those other Celestials in the room watching us¡ªmy adjutant Luviael, the maid Cien who kindly brought us dinner just a few minutes ago when it all seemed so peaceful and one other guard whose name I don¡¯t recall.

    Vermiel¡¯s mind is very different from Erik¡¯s. Colder, more goal-oriented¡­ totally Celestial. And since he¡¯s not prepared at all, it¡¯s not as inviting. But I can¡¯t be gentle right now so I force myself in. I push all the necessary information into his brain at once, hoping he won¡¯t faint. Fortunately, he doesn¡¯t. He blinks a few times but recovers quickly. Is a Celestial mind more attuned to withstand my telepathy?

    ¡°All available guards in the vicinity to floor five, immediately!¡± Vermiel shouts into his phone, his wings shivering with both fear and excitement.

    ¡°Ryuu, w-what¡¯s¡­?¡± Erik finally catches up, not understanding a thing.

    I look at him and my heart aches with overwhelming love. I realise I have to protect him at all costs, even if it¡¯s against his will. He¡¯s both my strength¡­ and my weakness. I can¡¯t afford to lose him. I can¡¯t let him get hurt just because he decided to stay by my side.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whisper and push Erik back inside our bedroom with telekinesis.

    It pains me to see his shocked expression before the door closes and I lock it but I don¡¯t berate myself for it. He¡¯ll be definitely angry with me later but all that matters now is that I keep him from harm. Then I voluntarily cut off our emotional telepathic connection which is providing me with his human perspective. As much as I cherish it, that would be a burden for what¡¯s to come.

    ¡°My partner is forbidden to leave the room until it¡¯s safe again,¡± I order Luviael who is just as confused as Erik and has no idea what happened between me and Vermiel.

    Dammit, I didn¡¯t plan to reveal my ability in front of her like this. I was meaning to tell Luvi myself when I¡¯m confident that I can really trust her. I wanted to sit with her, have a proper conversation. Why am I always exposed by circumstances? Can¡¯t I decide when I feel comfortable sharing my secret with someone else? It feels too much like a forced coming out.

    Erik starts pounding on the door but I¡¯m long gone, running through the corridor with all the floor guards joining me, leaving just a few to protect Erik and Liana who is resting in her apartment. It¡¯s up to me now. I have to protect her as well.

    ¡°Six humans¡­ yes, floor 5¡­ probably dressed as the maintenance or something,¡± Vermiel keeps shouting into his phone, giving more precise instructions. ¡°Potentially armed and dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Do not startle them or they might try something sooner. Unless you know exactly who they are, don¡¯t act and just observe,¡± I add quickly when we get into the elevator.

    ¡°Aefener, is that you?!¡±

    Thank God, it¡¯s Fefnir. How glad I am it¡¯s him! Right, he became the head of security after all.

    ¡°Did you¡­ you know,¡± he¡¯s carefully hinting at my telepathy.

    ¡°Yeah, I did,¡± I confirm. ¡°Are you close? Let¡¯s meet there.¡±

    I use the time while we¡¯re descending to quickly analyse the guards accompanying me. Their mana capacity is very high, they were no doubt level 70 or 80 in the game but their current casting can¡¯t be better than level 2. I just hope it¡¯ll be enough.

    They¡¯ve joined the Imperial Guard but they¡¯re no battle mages yet. Will they be even able to help me? Gosh, just two months ago they were still human, worrying about their mundane lives. One of them looks around the same age as me, the others slightly older. What if I¡¯m leading them to their deaths? Can I be responsible for that?

    They¡¯re staring at me, bewildered, but not questioning me. They know we¡¯re going to face danger and they follow me anyway. To minimalize the risk of them or anyone else getting hurt, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t rely on slow verbal communication. I might have to use my telepathy with them. I bet Liana has them under the strict confidentiality contract so they shouldn¡¯t leak anything but still.

    ¡°Whatever weird happens around me, you¡¯re not to talk about it, understand?¡± I click my tongue and leak my mana on purpose. They all gulp and nod silently. Good. I can tell they won¡¯t. I¡¯d prefer to be kinder about it but that wouldn¡¯t have the same effect. I need to play the Emperor.

    We finally reach the fifth floor and Fefnir is already there. I sigh with a relief. Having an all-Celestial squad is the worst choice for cramped places but Fefnir as our tank should help a lot. I could really use Emi¡¯s agility and speed right now but it¡¯s too late to call her now. Come to think of it, I don¡¯t feel her in the skyscraper.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°We can¡¯t let them be alarmed too soon,¡± I touch Fefnir¡¯s arm to transfer to him what I¡¯ve discovered. The intruders feel confident and to even breach the security like that must mean they¡¯re professionals.

    Fefnir¡¯s mind is just as resistant as his body is. We¡¯ve had a few brief telepathic connections before because he was curious but never anything too deep. He got much sturdier since that, both physically and mentally. I¡¯m surprised how different his mind feels when compared to Celestials. Foreign, not homely at all. I doesn¡¯t make me nauseous the way human minds do but I don¡¯t feel exactly comfortable.

    ¡°We cut off the entire floor, no one left or came since Vermiel called,¡± Fefnir assures me. ¡°Where are those bastards, Aefener?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s twenty meters to the left?¡± I ask instead. ¡°Why do I feel so many Draconians there?¡±

    It¡¯s too late to keep appearances in front of the guards or trying to explain now. I just have to hope they¡¯ll cope somehow.

    ¡°The dining room for the lower floors. Kurva!¡± Fefnir swears in Czech. ¡°The worst place ever!¡±

    ¡°When Fefnir opens the door, touch my wings,¡± I turn to the Celestial guards who are only starting to grasp what I might be. ¡°We can¡¯t hurt our people or innocent humans so I¡¯ll tell you exactly who they are. Hit them hard with telekinesis!¡±

    We run to the dining room and Fefnir pushes me behind him. The brief touch conveys that his scales should be bulletproof now. Should. He wants to test that if it comes to the worst. I¡¯m worried for his safety, of course, but at the same time I can¡¯t help feeling proud of my brave friend.

    ¡°Touch me now!¡± I order the guards and spread my wings.

    The Celestials don¡¯t even think about disobeying me. I have their hands on me and it¡¯s anything if not disorienting to connect to so many at once. Thankfully, the adrenalin suppresses any kind of possible nausea. Fefnir opens the door and we barge in¡ªinto the room full of merry Draconians eating and chatting.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s His Majesty!¡±

    ¡°What is he doing here?¡±

    ¡°Lord Fefnir as well, awesome!¡±

    Shit, really the worst place ever! The moment Draconians spot us, they start making a ruckus and flood to us. I hate having to use my powers against them but there¡¯s no other way. I¡¯ve never done such a feat before but I somehow manage to create a telekinetic wave strong enough to push everyone away from us while making sure I¡¯m not hurting anyone.

    There¡¯s a second of absolute silence, shocked confusion and a bit more space so I can finally identify the specific humans whose minds emit absolute hate and destructive intent. As expected, they¡¯re wearing either maintenance of diner uniforms. I send that information to the guards and I¡¯m pleased they¡¯re holding quite fine considering they had no idea I¡¯m a telepath just a few minutes ago. Well, they do now.

    For a second, those six intruders are confused by my sudden appearance but, being professionals, they realise in an instant that they¡¯ve been found out. And they immediately reach under their staff uniforms.

    ¡°NOW!¡± I shout.

    The air gets heavy with our released mana. Too much mana for simple telekinesis. Some of the guards are not good at mana channelling yet. But telekinesis is a basic racial skill for Celestials so all of them are able to make it work at least. Disappointingly, not everyone is able to hit their target or make the wave strong enough to render the intruders unconscious from such distance. I do with my targeted intruder but, sadly, I¡¯m the only one.

    At this point, genuine panic breaks out. Draconians and humans alike start screaming and trying to get out. I lose sight of the five remaining intruders in the crowd and shiver goes down my spine when I perceive their rising anger and hatred. Fefnir tries to subdue panicking people with his intimidation skill but with little effect. This is no honorary battle of wills, it¡¯s pure chaos.

    And then the sound of a gunshot echoes ominously through the room and makes everyone even more panicky. Then another gunshot¡­ and a cry of pain I feel too vividly to my own benefit. More gunshots follow¡­ more tortured cries. The suffering and distress all around almost makes me lose my mind. My Celestial nature takes over completely. Not, that¡¯s not precise. My Emperor¡¯s nature¡ªthe burning urge to protect my people.

    I¡¯ll smash those bastards to bits. Destroy them! I just have to see them!

    I look up and the ceiling seems high enough so I decide to try levitation. I was able to do it once in my sleep and once when I was outside in Liana¡¯s mansion. But that time there was the wind to help me and in my sleep I wasn¡¯t exactly conscious to control that. I feel a repulsive power around me forming but it¡¯s not enough to lift me. Okay, wings, I know that you still need to grow some more but please cooperate with me here!

    ¡°Aefener, don¡¯t¡­!¡± Fefnir¡¯s eyes widen when he realises what I¡¯m about to do and tries to stop me.

    But he¡¯s too slow. I spread my wings, flap them mightily to create a thrust and push myself with the levitation spell. Momentarily, I suck all the air around me which makes everyone gasp. I am flying!!! Joy overcomes me but I can¡¯t lose myself in it right now. I keep flapping my wings so that I don¡¯t fall down, supporting myself with levitation while making sure I won¡¯t hit the ceiling. I quickly look around.

    There they are, those motherfuckers! They managed to hurt four of my people! I hit the one closest to my left first and throw him against the wall. I don¡¯t bother controlling my strength and there¡¯s something satisfactory about that. The second one is hiding behind the counter so I drop the counter onto him. Damn, that was hard! I wasn¡¯t able to lift anything even remotely that heavy during my training.

    I can feel my mana being depleted but I¡¯m not done yet. Another gunshot is fired directly at me but, fortunately, the intruder misses. Close, that was too close! But I can¡¯t afford to waver. My instinct to protect is stronger than fear. The shot gives the intruder¡¯s position away so I use that to smash him. Why don¡¯t I feel any remorse?

    Another one is standing by the sinks, apparently reloading. Oh, that¡¯s almost too easy. I feel thrill when I telekinetically tamper with the pipes, let the water burst out and lead it right onto her. And then I freeze it instantly. Will I get points for being inventive?

    One more gunshot, no less ominous. Did someone get hurt again? Will I be able to heal them in time when the fight is over? Then I see peripherally that my pristine white feathers on my right wing are becoming red. For a second, I think it¡¯s rather funny¡ªred isn¡¯t really my colour¡ªuntil my brain finally decodes what happened.

    The adrenalin rush fails me, my levitation fails me. Only the pain doesn¡¯t. My wings stop moving and I hit the ground. Too hard. Breathing is somehow difficult, did I break a few ribs? But I protected everyone, right? I have no regrets. I can feel Fefnir going berserk and taking care of the last intruder, we should be safe now. Erik should be safe.

    And then I don¡¯t feel anything. The darkness is comforting at least.

 36. Hurt

    Numb.

    I feel¡­ numb.

    Weak.

    Sore all over.

    My right wing is hurting as if thousands of needles are piercing into the wound and it¡¯s maddening. My mana is leaking through the injury, making me dizzy. I try stopping it but it¡¯s no use. I can¡¯t focus. I can hardly lift a finger.

    According to the lore, our mana circuit is most complex in the spine and wings. Other races would probably guess it¡¯s our hands because most casters prefer to hold their palms stretched out and make a transfiguration symbol right in front. But that¡¯s totally unnecessary. It¡¯s not our hands, those are actually not important at all during spellcasting. It¡¯s our wings. Mana gets out of our body through them when we channel.

    And right now that most important part of my body is injured. Not only it hurts like hell since Celestial wings are unbelievably sensitive, I can feel that it also disrupts mana energies in my whole body. If I tried to cast, I¡¯d probably make it only worse. Not that I¡¯d be able to cast anything in my current state.

    I feel that some of my ribs are broken and it makes breathing difficult but they don¡¯t bother me that much really. All I can think about are my feathered limbs. Just how important are wings to Celestials? Are we really going to die instantly if the injury is too severe? It¡¯s not just a penalty like it was ingame. It¡¯s a literal game over here in real life. Even if our heart is still beating and all organs stay intact, we would just die. And considering how huge our wings are¡­ they¡¯re a pretty easy target to hit.

    ¡°YOU SHOULD HAVE NEVER LET HIM GO THERE!¡±

    Oh, it¡¯s Liana. How nice to hear her voice, even when she¡¯s raging. I focus on shallow breathing and snuggle under the blanket. It¡¯s heated, how nice. Let¡¯s just listen for now, I¡¯m too tired for anything else anyway.

    ¡°Everything was happening too fast, Your Excellency,¡± Vermiel isn¡¯t opposing, only feebly explaining. ¡°It was pure chaos and then suddenly our Emperor is floating in the air. We were shocked, too. Nobody expected His Majesty would be able to fly so soon.¡±

    ¡°I was shielding Aefener with my own body the whole time but nothing could prepare us for him trying to fly,¡± Fefnir supports poor Vermiel.

    ¡°YOU-SHOULD-HAVE-NEVER-LET-HIM-GO-THERE-IN-THE-FIRST-PLACE!¡± Liana is dramatically pausing after every single word. ¡°You were supposed to protect him, Vermiel, not let him lead a damn SWAT team! We can¡¯t lose our Emperor! He¡¯s irreplaceable, for fuck¡¯s sake!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think I know that?¡± Vermiel loses it. ¡°But you weren¡¯t there, Viceroy! If it wasn¡¯t for His Majesty, we wouldn¡¯t even be here right now.¡±

    With Liana finally calming down, the room grows silent which means that everyone hears my quiet whine when I try to move.

    ¡°Is he awake?¡± Liana gets startled. ¡°You told us he¡¯ll be sleeping for at least ten hours straight.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be so soon,¡± Julia is astonished. Of course, I must be in her infirmary, where else. ¡°But that sedative is made for humans so it¡¯s apparently not as effective for Draconians.¡±

    Liana jumps to me and clutches my hand. I connect to her immediately. I¡¯m too weak to resist right now. She was expecting it so she doesn¡¯t flinch and lets me in. Oh, what comfort. What familiarity. I love her Celestial mind. I love her. I¡¯m glad I could save her. Save everyone.

    ¡°Aefener, you silly, why did you do such a dangerous thing?¡± she berates me but her mind is overflowing with kindness.

    I want to reply something but Julia flashes an injection above my arm and the world goes dark again.

    *****

    This time I must have been sleeping properly because I feel tiny bit better. I yawn and I¡¯m not even fully awakened yet when someone¡¯s arms carefully pull me up and there¡¯s suddenly a bottle under my lips. With anyone else I¡¯d probably struggle as I don¡¯t feel like eating anything but there¡¯s one person I¡¯d never resist¡ªErik.

    Before I even get the chance to pronounce his name, the bottle is shoved into my mouth and I have to gulp one of Julia¡¯s protein drinks. This one tastes like chocolate. Okay, I can deal with that. Erik is very patient with me, I can take my time, but he insists I have to finish it whole.

    Ryuu, you stupid¡­ I love you¡­ I hate you! He keeps repeating in his mind while he¡¯s feeding me, showering me with his concerned affection.

    I finally finish every last drop and slowly open my eyes. Erik kisses me on my forehead and gently puts me down on my left side. Still feeling quite numb, I¡¯m trying to recall what exactly happened before I lost consciousness but my memory is a bit hazy. We did win, didn¡¯t we?

    ¡°Erik, m-my wing¡­?¡± I whisper, almost afraid to ask. I¡¯m too weak to even turn my head. ¡°There was b-blood?¡±

    ¡°You got shot close to the bone,¡± Erik¡¯s expression is so tender and painful at the same time. ¡°The bone is intact, thank God, but the bullet hit your wing muscle. Julia had to stitch you and you lost some feathers. As for your ribs¡ªthree are broken. Don¡¯t excite yourself or it¡¯ll hurt more.¡±

    ¡°I need to see it!¡±

    Erik sighs but he takes a photo with his phone and shows me the injured part. It¡¯s not as bad as it feels, presumably because it¡¯s covered in bandages right now. Except for the pain, I can feel a strange sensation of being totally bare there. Wait, did Julia pluck my feathers that were in the way?!

    ¡°Well, she had to,¡± Erik answers my unspoken question. ¡°Most of them were too damaged anyway and it seems new ones will regrow only if they have space.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Your Majesty, but it had to be done,¡± Julia apologises, standing just a few inches away from my wings. ¡°I couldn¡¯t operate on you with those obstructing me and as your partner said, they were too damaged anyway. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get new feathers in no time!¡±

    ¡°Ohh, that¡¯s so¡­ embarrassing,¡± I whine.

    For some reason, I feel really ashamed that a part of my wing is without feathers and my skin exposed. I¡¯m not a particularly shy person when it comes to nudity so I¡¯m twice as surprised about it.

    ¡°Is that what worries you the most? Really?¡± Erik rolls his eyes but he¡¯s happy that I¡¯m obviously better if I have space to worry about unimportant stuff.

    ¡°A Celestial quirk?¡± Julia guesses. ¡°Celestials are so proud of their wings I wouldn¡¯t be surprised that it¡¯s embarrassing for them.¡±

    I feel an enormous wave of worries coming from the chair in the corner. I manage to move my head a little and Liana gets into my field of vision. And she looks dreadful. She has bags under her eyes, her haircut is messy and, overall, she¡¯s just dead exhausted. She¡¯s holding her majestic black wings only partly folded as if it¡¯s too tiring for her.

    ¡°Thanks for your positive attitude, Julia,¡± my Viceroy says wearily, ¡°especially when you did something you don¡¯t even have an expertise for and you managed so admirably. Not every GP would be able to take out a bullet and stitch a person. A generous bonus to your salary is in order.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Julia blushes, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to take out a bullet if it hit an organ but that one was shallow. Plucking His Majesty¡¯s feathers was actually worse. They hold so extremely firmly that I had to use pliers.¡±

    A shiver goes down my spine upon that mention. Pliers?! Never ever such a disgusting thing comes close to my wings again!

    ¡°Right, because we don¡¯t lose them naturally the way birds do,¡± Liana nods. ¡°Ours are being restored by mana over time unless they¡¯re damaged too much.¡±

    ¡°Ohh!¡± the last scene before I lost consciousness is finally coming back to me vividly now that I¡¯ve relaxed a bit. ¡°W-what happened after I was shot? Did you manage to help everyone who was injured? Where are they anyway? Why am I the only one in the infirmary?¡±

    The atmosphere goes dark in an instant. Julia averts her gaze entirely, Erik trembles just being reminded of that while Liana¡¯s rage gets reignited. At first, they probably consider not telling me right away in order not to excite me unnecessarily but they know I can feel their turbulent emotions anyway.

    ¡°Three of our people are dead, Aefener,¡± Liana whispers and her hands form into fists. ¡°Four more had to be transported into hospital, their injuries were too severe. We were thinking about transporting you as well but it would be too risky considering your special condition and status. Luckily, Julia managed somehow.¡±

    I hold my breath, my eyes water and million things go through my head at once. What did I do wrong? Did we startle the intruders? Would it be better if I went alone? Was my magic not good enough? Not fast enough? Not effective enough? I wasn¡¯t able to¡­ I couldn¡¯t¡­

    ¡°DON¡¯T!¡± Erik clutches my hand so tight that it almost hurts. ¡°You protected everyone, Ryuu, how can you feel guilty?¡±

    ¡°He feels guilty?!¡± Liana jumps from her chair but she lands back right away with a moan. She¡¯s too weak to stand up on her own, being in the middle of her growth spur.

    Tears are pouring down my face like rivers at this point. Dead¡­ four Draconians are dead and I could have prevented it¡­ I could have saved them¡­ done something¡­

    ¡°THOSE BASTARDS WANTED TO PLANT A FUCKING BOMB, AEFENER!¡± Liana is both extremely rageful and sad at the same time. ¡°IF IT WASN¡¯T FOR YOU, WE¡¯D ALL BE DEAD BY NOW!¡±

    I kind of suspected a bomb. The way the intruders were confident¡ªI pretty much guessed their goal was to get in, plant a bomb or sabotage something and flee. Still, I can¡¯t help feeling miserable that I couldn¡¯t save everyone.

    ¡°Don¡¯t, just don¡¯t!¡± Erik dries my tears with his shirt and hugs me. He lets me stay in his comforting arms until I calm down a bit.

    ¡°And the intruders? Have you interrogated them yet?¡± I ask faintly. ¡°Who are they? Why¡­?¡±

    ¡°The one that survived we handed over to Europol for questioning,¡± Liana says. ¡°We don¡¯t have the means to keep such a dangerous criminal here and we can¡¯t burden you with another telepathic interrogation. Nothing from the EU so far.¡±

    I freeze and my breathing gets wild again.

    ¡°W-what d-do you m-mean the one t-that s-survived?¡± I gasp for breath even though I know the answer. All the details are coming to me now. All those horrid things I did. I didn¡¯t just render the intruders unconscious as I originally wanted¡­ I¡­

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Aefener, you killed four of them and Fefnir took care of the last one,¡± Liana summarises in a tone indicating there¡¯s nothing wrong with that. On the contrary, she feels proud of me.

    ¡°Li, not helping!¡± Erik scolds her for being too Celestials about it because he feels that I¡¯m developing a panic attack.

    But it¡¯s too late. I start trembling uncontrollably which makes the pain in my right wing only worse. My heart suddenly feels too tight and it¡¯s suffocating. I¡¯M A MURDERER?! And the worst thing about it is that in that moment I felt powerful. I felt good. Superior. Maybe humans were right all along. Maybe we are monsters. And if that¡¯s true, I¡¯m the biggest monsters of us all!

    Erik is doing his best to calm me down but I close my mind do him completely. I don¡¯t deserve him. And he doesn¡¯t deserve to have a monster for a partner. My mana starts leaking out, reacting to my distorted mental state just as the psychologist predicted. I depleted most of it during the battle but it¡¯s enough to make all objects in the room shake.

    As the mana leaks out through my feathers, it damages the stitches on my right wing. I scream in pain because I start bleeding again but I can¡¯t stop my mana from pouring out. I¡¯m a murderer. A murderer¡­ a monster¡­ What a joke. I was a freak from the beginning. How could I start thinking otherwise?

    Something breaks¡­ something else falls on the ground and shatters. Julia is screaming, Liana probably tries to hold things with her own telekinesis and Erik keeps shouting my name but I push him away with a telekinetic wave. Then four Celestial guards burst into the infirmary and finally manage to get to me. A feel a sting in my arm and my consciousness fades.

    *****

    I wake up in our comfy round bed, snuggled under two blankets. Maybe it was all just a dream? I try moving and the pain in my right wing reminds me that it wasn¡¯t a dream. Everything really happened.

    ¡°Ryuu?¡±

    Erik is lying next to me, hugging me tight and petting me gently between my wings. He¡¯s worried sick about me. And he still loves me, however unbelievably that sounds.

    ¡°Please, open your mind to me again,¡± he kisses me on my forehead.

    I slowly open my eyes instead but close them again quickly. The world is spinning. I feel dizzy.

    ¡°Julia had you sedated with some strong meds,¡± Erik says slowly. ¡°Sorry, but we had to, your telekinesis went crazy, reacting to your panic attack. She said you¡¯ll probably feel weird for a couple of hours but it should keep you calm. I insisted we carry you here. You feel much better at home, right?¡±

    Home. I¡¯m supposed to take for home an apartment which was forced upon me by circumstances. But if Erik is here with me, I guess it passes.

    I start thinking about the battle again. Those people I mercilessly killed even though they were bad guys. But my body doesn¡¯t release any stress hormones this time. Whatever Julia gave me must be a hellishly strong drug if it¡¯s able to numb my emotions like that. I hate that feeling of not being in control¡ªthe feeling of some chemicals dulling me. But I guess I need it right now.

    I realise we¡¯re not alone in the room. Miruel and one other guard stand by the door from the inside and the door is open. Are they protecting me or are they afraid I might start wreaking chaos again? Which is it?

    ¡°Is he awake?! Oh, Aefener!¡±

    I reluctantly open my eyes again and I¡¯m astonished that it¡¯s Emi who appears in the door. She¡¯s the last person I¡¯d expect here and now. She jumps to our bed and if Erik wasn¡¯t with me, she would definitely go for a crushing hug.

    ¡°I feel so bad that I wasn¡¯t here when you needed me the most,¡± she¡¯s angry with herself and her foxy tails is waggling wildly. ¡°I could have helped a lot. I could have made a difference!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± I say faintly.

    ¡°No,¡± she admits and looks at me sternly. ¡°So why do you think it¡¯s yours?¡±

    Oh. Now that I¡¯m finally calm¡­ I guess that makes sense.

    ¡°And I would have done the same¡ªkilling those bastards! Actually, I regret I didn¡¯t get that chance,¡± she pushes her claws into the mattress and Erik has to slap her hands so that she doesn¡¯t rip our nice bedsheets. Scratching things when she¡¯s nervous seems to be a bad habit of hers.

    ¡°You were too merciful, Aefener,¡± her animal eyes are gazing at me intensely. ¡°You gave them a quick clean death. I¡¯d be much messier.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb you, Supreme Alpha, but His Majesty has to eat. Now,¡± Luviael appears in the door short after Emi with a tray in her hands.

    The way she¡¯s looking at me¡­ she knows. There¡¯s no suspicion in her mind, she knows everything. Liana or someone else must have told her. At first, I worry she¡¯s afraid of me now. Or maybe offended that I didn¡¯t tell her sooner when she¡¯s supposed to be my adjutant. But I don¡¯t perceive anything like that from her. She¡¯s looking at me kindly and a bit timidly.

    ¡°Luvi, I¡­,¡± I try to say something but I let out a cough which irritates my broken ribs.

    ¡°No excitement whatsoever, Ryuu,¡± Erik reminds me patiently.

    ¡°That¡¯s okay, Your Majesty, I understand. I really do,¡± Luvi manages a sincere smile and puts the tray on the bedside table.

    It looks like she wants to leave right away to give us some privacy but she reconsiders and turns to me. Then she kneels down, gently takes my hand and¡­ kisses it?! W-why? Her emotions hit me with full force. Love. Gratitude. Absolute trust. Admiration.

    ¡°We just want to thank you, Your Majesty, for saving our lives,¡± Luviael says tenderly.

    ¡°Who¡¯s we?¡± I don¡¯t understand. There¡¯s so much going on in her head right now that it¡¯s hard to pinpoint one specific information.

    ¡°Well, everyone in the skyscraper, of course,¡± she laughs, amused by my ignorance. ¡°If Her Excellency didn¡¯t forbid anyone unauthorized to enter this floor, you¡¯d be flooded with gifts and people taking turns thanking you.¡±

    ¡°Ohh,¡± I blush and the tight feeling around my heart gets lifted a bit. I killed people but I also saved a lot. I know that. I¡¯d probably do it again but that doesn¡¯t make it any easier. The guilt. The fact that I¡¯m a murd-¡­

    ¡°No!¡± Luviael gets startled. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever think that!¡±

    Damn, did I accidentally send her that? I¡¯m too weak to control myself properly.

    ¡°Nobody thinks that, not even humans,¡± she says adamantly. ¡°It¡¯s true that you look formidable in that video and some percentage of humans are even more scared now but everybody understands that you didn¡¯t have a choice. It was self-defence.¡±

    Oh, so someone was shooting it and the video leaked out. Obviously. Why wouldn¡¯t it. If there¡¯s something modern society isn¡¯t good at, it¡¯s keeping things to ourselves. I bet more than one person started recording the moment I showed up in the dining hall. And I bet at least one of them put it on live stream because, again, why not.

    ¡°Aefener,¡± Emi speaks up again. ¡°How do you suppose regular security would have handled the situation? They¡¯d certainly be forced to shoot and there¡¯s no saying how efficient they would be with all those innocent people in the way. We¡¯d have many more casualties than just four.¡±

    I nod slightly. Still not fully convinced but willing to be convinced. All those horrible things I think about myself¡­ I have to keep repeating that they aren¡¯t true. I should never believe anything my overthinking mind comes up with during panic attacks. I¡¯m no monster. I did it to save my people and even humans for that matter.

    ¡°And you flew¡­ you really did!¡± Luvi tries to cheer me up. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just your wings, wasn¡¯t it? They¡¯re huge but they still have to grow a bit more. How did you do it?¡±

    ¡°Levitation and some air magic,¡± I reveal. ¡°Very mana demanding, probably not worth it any other time than in crisis.¡±

    ¡°Mana demanding!¡± Luvi slaps her forehead. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you and forgot about your lunch! That human doctor told us you absolutely HAVE TO EAT! Mana equals calories and you lost a ton of mana.¡±

    ¡°Right, up you go,¡± Erik pulls me onto his lap and Emi helps him to reposition my wings so that the right one doesn¡¯t hurt that much.

    I¡¯m expecting some healthy food Julia ordered but I¡¯m pleasantly surprised to find a cheese pizza under the lid. Erik smirks when he notices I¡¯m actually excited for food and stuffs the first piece into my mouth. I ravenously eat it whole, admittedly feeling better, and fall asleep in his arms.

    *****

    ¡°So¡­ how angry are you with me?¡±

    These are my first words when I wake up and find that the door is closed and we¡¯re actually alone. I guess they finally assessed that I won¡¯t do anything funny or have another panic attack that could shatter the building.

    ¡°Well,¡± Erik is sitting next to me, working on his laptop and pretending that he¡¯s so angry he won¡¯t even look at me.

    ¡°Eriiiik,¡± I prolong and nudge him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you open up to me again,¡± he states his requirement and puts the laptop away. Then he stares at me, scornfully.

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ my mind is ugly,¡± now it¡¯s me who looks away.

    ¡°Not, it¡¯s not,¡± he clicks his tongue impatiently and lies down next to me. ¡°What part of ¡®you¡¯re the hero who saved everyone¡¯ didn¡¯t get into your thick skull?¡±

    ¡°The whole part I guess,¡± I mumble, embarrassed. I¡¯m no hero. Heroes don¡¯t kill even villains, they bring them to justice.

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik whispers into my ear, puts his hand between my wings and starts rubbing.

    I moan, stop guarding myself and connect to him. It¡¯s automatic at this point, Erik conditioned me to react in this way when we cuddle.

    My silly angel, your mind is just as beautiful as before, he pushes his love into me. You saved everyone in the skyscraper and as a result you feel bad? What the heck?

    B-but what if I¡¯m gradually turning into some angel of wrath? I worry. Erik, it felt good. I felt powerful.

    Are you still under the impression that I don¡¯t know what Celestials are? he shakes his head. I might tease you with that name but I know quite well by now that you¡¯re no angels. But you¡¯re no demons either.

    O-okay¡­ so¡­ how angry are you with me? Please, answer me properly, I don¡¯t want to dig in your mind.

    ¡°Very, very angry,¡± he says aloud and grips the feathers between my wings a little bit too forcefully. ¡°So angry that if you weren¡¯t injured and unable to move right now, I¡¯d punish you severely. But I can wait.¡±

    His tone is menacing but his desire betrays him.

    ¡°So¡­ basically¡­ when I recover,¡± I¡¯m trying to summarise it, ¡°you¡¯ll fuck me senseless?¡±

    ¡°Basically,¡± he smirks. ¡°I looked up some new positions I¡¯d like to try with you to see if they¡¯re possible with Celestials. Call it research.¡±

    ¡°Ohhh,¡± I turn red and chuckle. When did he become so sexually adventurous?

    ¡°Perfect, I¡¯ve finally made you laugh,¡± he grins, content. ¡°Now for the serious part. I am angry. I¡¯m angry that you left me behind like some deadweight.¡±

    ¡°S-sorry about that,¡± I bury my head under his chin. ¡°I just wanted to protect you.¡±

    ¡°And don¡¯t you think that I want to protect you as well?¡± he pinches me lightly under my feathers. ¡°I was locked here for five hours, dammit. Luviael was deaf to my pleas, claiming she was under strict orders from you.¡±

    ¡°She was,¡± I confirm. ¡°Please, don¡¯t be mad at her.¡±

    ¡°And when Liana finally let me out,¡± he continues, ¡°you were already after the operation. You were lying there, breathing so shallow and looking so vulnerable. How was I supposed to feel? You left me in order to protect me and then it¡¯s you who gets hurt. Of course, I¡¯m angry.¡±

    ¡°Soouurryy,¡± I mumble into his chest.

    ¡°You know,¡± he sighs and plays with my hair. ¡°For someone who doesn¡¯t want to become the Emperor you surely have a bad habit of taking all the responsibility on your frail shoulders.¡±

    He makes me think for a moment. Do I really? I guess¡­ I kind of feel responsible for everyone in the skyscraper. Not only Celestials. Everyone. Do Emi, Deminas, Twyla and Werden also feel that way? Is it something we can¡¯t escape as race rulers?

    ¡°To be honest, I think others consider only their own race,¡± Erik answers, reading my thoughts I no longer hide from him. ¡°I suspect you¡¯re different because you¡¯re a telepath so you can¡¯t avoid having compassion with everybody. Therefore, I presume,¡± he says rather formally, ¡°it¡¯s virtually impossible for you to become an angel of wrath or whatever catastrophic scenarios are going through your pretty head.¡±

    ¡°But I killed those people¡­,¡± I oppose.

    ¡°You did it to protect,¡± Erik smells my hair and showers me with kisses. ¡°You didn¡¯t have a choice. You¡¯re afraid because you felt powerful and good while doing so but that¡¯s your Celestial warriorlike nature. You¡¯d never hurt the innocent, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± I shake my head violently. ¡°Even for the conquest-hungry Celestials, there¡¯s no glory in that. On the contrary, it¡¯s shameful.¡±

    ¡°You have your answer then,¡± he concludes the topic and our lips connect.

    We cuddle for a few minutes but there¡¯s not much we can actually do when my ribs are still broken and I can hardly sit up without my head spinning. Because it¡¯s almost midnight anyway, we decide to call it a night. Erik didn¡¯t sleep much and I can sleep anytime now that I¡¯m recovering.

    ¡°Julia left you this, I was supposed to force it down your throat when you wake up,¡± Erik remembers and takes a bottle of another protein drink from the bedside table.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we just say I drank it?¡± I plead. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad but I can¡¯t stand it anymore, she¡¯s been feeding it to me nonstop.¡±

    ¡°And flush it down the toilet? I don¡¯t think so,¡± Erik narrows his eyes and is watching sternly that I¡¯m swallowing. ¡°Julia says that your wings didn¡¯t stop growing just because you¡¯re injured. You need energy for both your wings and healing now. You probably lost some weight again, skinny.¡±

    He¡¯s right, I probably did. Maybe I feel so weak for that exact reason. At first, players transforming into Celestials were losing weight rapidly. Our bodies needed to develop hollow bones and get rid of excessive fat that would obstruct future flight. But at later stages that should stop and we¡¯re supposed to regain some weight as our wings are growing bigger and bigger. Putting on weight part avoided me entirely, though.

    ¡°Let me just brush my teeth, okay?¡± Erik tells me when he carefully lies me down on my left side after I finish the bottle. He puts a blanket on me as I can¡¯t use my wings. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you a container with water in a sec.¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± I yawn, hoping I won¡¯t fall asleep before he returns so that I can finally brush my teeth as well. I haven¡¯t done so since my injury, yuck.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s a break for us for now. I hope they won¡¯t force me to go to work,¡± he says from the bathroom over the sound of running water.

    ¡°I surely hope so, too. I would go crazy without you when I can hardly move,¡± I shout back at him.

    Suddenly, Erik appears in the door, his expression bewildered and eyes widened, the toothbrush still in his mouth. He starts choking on it and runs off quickly to spit the toothpaste.

    ¡°Hm? You¡¯re that afraid Liana would let me stay here just with the guards and send you to work without me?¡± I don¡¯t understand his reaction.

    Erik reappears in the door, his expression just as wild as a few seconds ago.

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± he looks at me with alarm in his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything. At least not aloud.¡±

    ¡°WHAT?!¡±

 37. Betrayed Trust

    ¡°N-no! That can¡¯t be right! My telepathy isn¡¯t¡­,¡± I¡¯m shaking my head violently, not willing to believe it.

    This is just a nightmare, right? My telepathy can¡¯t be growing stronger again. I don¡¯t want to read everyone¡¯s thoughts! As if their emotions weren¡¯t enough to give me migraines! Why? Why now? Why at all? Things in the bedroom start trembling menacingly as my mana leaks out, reacting to my disturbed mental state.

    ¡°Ryuu, calm down!¡± Erik jumps to me, hugs me tight and immediately begins rubbing feathers between my wings to relax me. ¡°You can¡¯t use mana right now, you¡¯ll reopen your wound again!¡±

    ¡°B-but, Erik¡­,¡± my eyes water.

    ¡°Shh, don¡¯t talk, just breathe,¡± he kisses me and our deep telepathic connection kicks in automatically.

    He¡¯s thinking frantically about what it will mean if my telepathy did get stronger again but he¡¯s also sending me tons of love. I decide to focus on that and steady my breathing. It must take me more than ten minutes to overcome the shock and it¡¯s only thanks to him. The psychologist was right, I¡¯m totally dependent on my partner.

    ¡°Never mind that now,¡± Erik catches what goes through my head and waves it away. ¡°Tell me, are you perceiving thoughts of anyone from the other room?¡±

    I take a deep breath and focus on the people in our living room. I can feel Miruel and one other guard but nothing more than their emotions¡ªthe same as usual.

    ¡°You don¡¯t, that¡¯s good news,¡± he smiles at me encouragingly. ¡°Maybe you can hear only me because we became so synchronised?¡±

    ¡°M-maybe,¡± I say weakly. That would certainly be the better alternative.

    ¡°Let¡¯s test that,¡± he says and slowly lets go of me. ¡°Can you hear my thoughts now?¡±

    ¡°N-not really,¡± I dry my tears with the hem of my sleeping kimono.

    Erik isn¡¯t satisfied with my answer, though, so he makes another attempt.

    What about now? I¡¯m really trying to concentrate on a single thing.

    ¡°I¡­ I do?!¡± I flinch and whine because I accidentally moved my right wing.

    Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

    ¡°I can hear you just fine, stop with the tongue twisters!¡± I clutch him again and regret that I can¡¯t use both of my wings to envelop us into a comforting cocoon.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s really just the two of us,¡± he says and continues rubbing my feathers. ¡°Probably because we¡¯re so attuned to each other?¡±

    ¡°I hope so,¡± I shiver. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone else in my head. And I don¡¯t want anyone to know for now. Not even Liana. She would make a big deal out of it for sure.¡±

    ¡°Okay, it can be our sweet little secret,¡± he¡¯s actually excited about it, unlike me. ¡°Something only for us to know and enjoy.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re thinking about practical implications already,¡± I accuse him and poke his stomach.

    ¡°Well, of course, love,¡± he chuckles. ¡°Imagine what we can do with it. We don¡¯t have to be touching anymore to hear each other¡¯s thoughts.¡±

    ¡°Can you hear mine, though?¡± I doubt. ¡°You¡¯re not a telepath.¡±

    ¡°Nope, but you can hopefully channel your thoughts to me?¡± he speculates and lets go of me again even though I don¡¯t want to. ¡°Try, please.¡±

    Gosh, he¡¯s so eager. He seems genuinely thrilled about new possibilities of my levelled-up telepathy. He¡¯s like a high schooler who just discovered another means how to send a message to their crush behind the teacher¡¯s back. His enthusiasm is catchy, though. I feel much better about my prospects. Maybe it won¡¯t be that bad if it stays just between us.

    I make several failed attempts to send my throughs to him before his face brightens.

    ¡°Oh, I heard that,¡± he laughs and kisses me as a reward. ¡°Do you need mana to do that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so?¡± I shrug. ¡°It¡¯s not Celestial magic after all, it¡¯s my inborn ability. I don¡¯t feel my mana circuit reacting when I use telepathy.¡±

    ¡°Right, because it¡¯s not a spell, it¡¯s your extra sense,¡± he gets it.

    ¡°Always has been,¡± I nod. ¡°Still, what is magic anyway? We know so little. There might be some scientific explanation.¡±

    ¡°Since we don¡¯t know, it stays mystical. Now, let¡¯s experiment some more. I want you to be able to use it freely with me. That way we can avoid situations like that unpleasant thing with you locking me up to protect me.¡±

    ¡°Will you keep reminding me of that from now on?¡± I frown.

    ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t miss an opportunity,¡± he says partly amused, partly still pissed about it.

    We keep experimenting for another hour before I exhaust myself completely and we fall asleep in each other¡¯s embrace.

    *****

    My out of the blue level up frightened me, I won¡¯t deny that, but I slowly start to enjoy our strengthened telepathic connection. Liana and the gang know everything about me so it¡¯s nice to have something just between me and Erik. Our sweet little secret as he called it.

    At first, I feel a bit bad that I¡¯m intruding Erik¡¯s privacy which is almost non-existent at this point but he assures me that he has to focus really hard to make a specific thought stand out enough for me to perceive without touching. I guess we should be fine for now.

    That ass, I make a remark to myself while watching Erik dressing up in the morning. Facing the wardrobe, he¡¯s standing with his back to me, giving me a very nice view.

    ¡°I heard that, you know,¡± he turns to me with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°I wanted you to,¡± I smirk and try to slowly sit up.

    I manage somehow but, damn, I still feel dizzy. I fold my left wing and leave my right one stretched out. I feel much better today but having a wing injured is indeed paralyzing for a Celestial. It¡¯s like the healing process is sucking all energy out of me.

    ¡°I need to use the bathroom, please,¡± I sigh.

    I¡¯m really glad that I don¡¯t have to go nearly as often as humans do. Erik isn¡¯t fussy about helping me out but it¡¯s embarrassing. And my wings are so cumbersome when I can¡¯t fold both of them properly.

    When we return, the door leading to our living room is open and Julia is waiting for me, sitting on a chair she positioned next to our bed and ready with her equipment. She¡¯s watching me analytically as Erik is putting me back on our bed. I guess it¡¯s evident I¡¯m suffering from dizziness.

    ¡°Humans have their centre of balance in the ear,¡± she tells me while changing my bandages. ¡°We need more concrete evidence but it might be that Celestials have it in their wings now. You¡¯re not dizzy because of the meds since they should be out of your system by now. I think you¡¯re dizzy because your centre of balance is disrupted.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s plausible,¡± I agree and let her do the job. ¡°When will I recover?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be impatient, you¡¯re still healing much quicker than humans,¡± Julia rolls her eyes and Erik does the same. ¡°Give it a few more days and you should be okay.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s Liana? She looked dreadful last time I saw her,¡± I ask next, worried about my Viceroy. ¡°I don¡¯t feel her in her apartment. Isn¡¯t she supposed to be resting considering her condition?¡±

    ¡°Nothing eludes the telepath,¡± Julia says admirably and tells me to untie my kimono so that she can scan my ribs. ¡°Healing nicely, Your Majesty. We need a much bigger specimen but researchers roughly estimated that new races heal 50% quicker than humans. And that¡¯s naturally, without any magic or special skills.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s Liana?¡± I repeat my question because she didn¡¯t answer it.

    ¡°If I¡¯m to be frank,¡± Julia sighs resignedly. ¡°She totally disregards my medical advice and keeps working when she should be resting.¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m indisposed,¡± I chew my lip. ¡°Celestials won¡¯t listen to anyone else than one of us. Still, how come she¡¯s allowed to go out but I couldn¡¯t when my wings went into the growth spur? Is Fefnir carrying her around?¡±

    ¡°Her condition isn¡¯t nearly as bad as yours was,¡± Julia shrugs, notes something down and starts quickly packing her things. Is she trying to avoid answering me properly?

    ¡°Julia,¡± I frown. ¡°Is something going on?¡±

    I try reaching for her but she flinches. Okay, that¡¯s weird. She used to be eager to experiment with my telepathy before.

    ¡°That¡¯s rude, Your Majesty,¡± she purses her lips at me. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t use your telepathy just because people aren¡¯t willing to say something.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s your private business, I respect that. But somehow I just know it concerns me,¡± I push on. ¡°Julia, please. I was asking about the current situation at breakfast but the guards and maids don¡¯t want to tell me anything.¡±

    ¡°Because Her Excellency ordered absolute rest until you fully recover,¡± she says unwillingly. ¡°It frightened her that you could have died. Honestly, it frightened everybody, especially Celestials. And human governments.¡±

    ¡°Why humans?¡± I frown. ¡°I thought they¡¯d be quite happy to see me gone as they consider me such a threat.¡±

    Julia looks at me as if I¡¯m utterly stupid. I¡¯m starting to feel stupid.

    ¡°Gosh, Ryuu, you¡¯re so slow sometimes,¡± Erik puffs but at least he doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m stupid.

    ¡°About what?¡± I demand an explanation.

    ¡°About how important you are,¡± he hugs me preventively.

    ¡°Well, His Majesty doesn¡¯t have any time to actually watch social media,¡± Julia shrugs and her glare softens. ¡°I guess we¡¯re pretty much keeping him in a bubble.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?!¡± my confusion transforms into frustration.

    ¡°Your Majesty, those hours you spent unconscious after the operation,¡± Julia says slowly, ¡°Celestials were prepared to riot in your name. The only thing that stopped them was Her Excellency imploring them that you wouldn¡¯t wish for it. If you were killed¡­ I have no doubt we¡¯d already have a global civil war.¡±

    I sigh out and realise only after ten long seconds that I forgot to close my mouth. I remember Luviael telling me that Liana ordered to cut off the entire floor. I just didn¡¯t think it was to keep me isolated so that I don¡¯t excite myself. I naively thought¡­ what did I think exactly? Did I even think about it? Do I ever question anything Liana says and does?

    ¡°Did you know about it?¡± I look up to Erik.

    ¡°No, but I¡­ guessed,¡± he meets my eyes. His expression is both tender and painful. ¡°Ryuu, what do you think that would happen if someone assassinated, for instance, the American President? Or the Queen of the UK? That country would go crazy for sure.¡±

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°I¡¯m nowhere near as important as those people,¡± I murmur.

    ¡°And that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, dummy,¡± he¡¯s trying to make it sound soft even though he¡¯s serving me the harsh truth. ¡°Your people are scattered all over the world, possessing dangerous abilities while having nonhuman mentality that¡¯s hard to understand and therefore hard to reason with conventionally. If their Emperor had died, they¡¯d go berserk.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t die,¡± I say defiantly.

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. But you were close¡­ too close,¡± Julia insists. ¡°That terrorist attack and your injury made your people realise how fragile the position of their new government is and that their Emperor isn¡¯t safe. And they¡¯re not the only one who is scared. The EU and the UN finally realised that should something bad happen to the race rulers, there¡¯s no telling what Draconians would do.¡±

    ¡°Which is a good thing actually,¡± Erik tries to see something positive in this mess. ¡°It should be also their priority now to protect the race rulers and not to antagonise Draconians.¡±

    I ponder for a moment. They¡¯re right and it all sounds very logical. If only it wasn¡¯t me in the epicentre of everything. For a moment, my old habitual thinking emerges and I think that I¡¯m totally inadequate. But it¡¯s weak and gets overwhelmed by my Celestial thinking. Then it gets overrun completely and I can¡¯t help feeling like the Emperor. I feel like that even in Erik¡¯s presence now. Am I losing my human perspective for good?

    ¡°Anyway, better to hear it from the Viceroy directly,¡± Julia stands up. ¡°Sorry, I have another work to do.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Jul, for helping everyone,¡± I appreciate. ¡°Do you have a lot of patients? Are you managing?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t run the clinic for the whole skyscraper anymore,¡± she sets the record straight. ¡°Her Excellency made me a personal physician of your inner circle and a researcher. Right now I¡¯m busy analysing your samples.¡±

    ¡°Samples? You mean my feathers?¡± I tilt my head.

    ¡°I have much more to work on because of your injury¡ªnot only your feathers but also blood and muscle tissues. Of course, my infirmary is better guarded now so nothing should get stolen again.¡±

    ¡°Do you have some results already?¡± I swallow, expecting something not pleasant.

    ¡°I¡¯m no biologist, let¡¯s be clear on that,¡± she highlights. ¡°First of all, I need help to even understand what I¡¯m looking at. Ingri found me one Earthborn who is a geneticist PhD student. We¡¯re working closely together now and you¡¯ll get to know him soon. Naturally, he¡¯s under a strict confidentiality contract.¡±

    ¡°W-wait a second,¡± I gasp for breath. ¡°Did you tell him about my telepathy?¡±

    ¡°We did, Her Excellency okayed it. She didn¡¯t tell you?¡± Julia is genuinely surprised. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t be able to work properly on your samples if he didn¡¯t know.¡±

    It takes me a moment to digest what I¡¯ve just heard. Liana told my secret without my consent, acting behind my wings just because I¡¯m indisposed. Does she take me for incompetent? Or does she naturally act as the Celestial Viceroy would? Which is it? Which is worse? I¡¯ve never been so disappointed by someone in my life. And it¡¯s hundred times more painful because I love her and consider her my closest friend.

    ¡°Unbelievable,¡± I shake my head, broken-hearted. ¡°It¡¯s not Liana¡¯s secret to share!¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, pardon me, but how many people do you think know right now?¡± Julia looks at me with a tense expression and also glances at Erik who¡¯s also getting angry.

    ¡°How many?¡± I¡¯m trying to recall the faces of those guards who went with me into the dining hall. ¡°Our gang, Luviael, Miruel, Vermiel and¡­ six guards?¡±

    Julia flinches uncomfortably.

    ¡°M-more? How many more, Julia?¡± I shiver.

    ¡°For the convenience, Her Excellency told all your personal guards and your maids as well,¡± she says feebly. ¡°B-but to be honest, they suspected something was off about you anyway. You¡¯re not as careful as you think when you communicate with Erik and one has a chance to watch you for some time.¡±

    I stare at her, dumbfounded. I expected the worst but it¡¯s even worse than that. Liana¡­ she¡­ basically told everyone who¡¯s taking care of me! How could she? She knows how fiercely I protect my secret. She knows about my trust issues. I feel¡­ betrayed.

    ¡°My phone,¡± I say quietly.

    ¡°Ryuu, I bet Liana had a very good reason why she¡­,¡± Erik tries to calm me down because he senses my distress.

    ¡°Hand me my phone, Erik, please,¡± I repeat. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t use telekinesis while my wing still isn¡¯t healed.¡±

    Erik doesn¡¯t oppose anymore and passes me my phone. Liana is the second contact on my priority list, right under Erik¡¯s number. She doesn¡¯t let it ring for long.

    ¡°Aefener?¡± she picks up almost immediately. ¡°Do you feel better? Don¡¯t worry about work and rest properly, we¡¯re managing.¡±

    ¡°Did you tell my guards and maids that I¡¯m a telepath?¡± I ask directly, my voice icy cold. I need to hear it confirmed from her mouth. I need to hear her reasoning and it¡¯s better to be good.

    There¡¯re a few seconds of silence.

    ¡°I did,¡± she admits finally.

    ¡°Why?¡± I say plainly. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your secret to share.¡±

    ¡°I needed them to know why we have to protect you at all costs,¡± she answers extremely slowly. ¡°I needed them to know how to react when you feel overwhelmed again. I needed them to know because we can¡¯t be pushing them behind the closed door every time when we have to discuss something. I needed them to know so that it¡¯s easier for you to be around them. And they¡¯ll be around you all the time from now on.¡±

    ¡°Did you need it or did I need it?¡± I clutch my fists. ¡°Whose convenience is it? I was hiding it my whole life, Liana, I don¡¯t mind continuing to do so.¡±

    ¡°They won¡¯t tell anyone,¡± she assures me. ¡°I spoke separately to every one of them. They are our people. Trust them, please. These goes beyond some measly confidentiality contracts. They¡¯re your subjects, Aefener. They want to serve you best to their abilities and for that reason it¡¯s better they know. Think about it¡ªnow they know why you don¡¯t like it when strangers touch you so they can prevent it.¡±

    Liana¡¯s arguments do make sense. As expected of my reasonable and calculating businesslike Viceroy. But this isn¡¯t some business deal. This is my most guarded secret. This is about our mutual trust¡­ and she betrayed it. Simple as that. I feel my Celestial Emperor¡¯s nature raging and I have to try hard to push it back a bit.

    ¡°You had no right, Liana,¡± I hiss between my teeth and end the call abruptly so that I don¡¯t say something I might regret later.

    ¡°Your Majesty¡­,¡± Julia isn¡¯t sure what to do.

    ¡°I want to be alone. Please, go away,¡± I say feebly and feel my eyes getting watery. But I won¡¯t cry. Just won¡¯t.

    Julia bites her lip but takes her medical bag and hastily leaves the bedroom.

    ¡°Everything okay, Your Majesty?¡± two guards peek into the bedroom. ¡°The doctor looked quite shaken when she was leaving.¡±

    They know. I don¡¯t even remember their names and they know my secret. They¡¯re looking at me kindly but also apprehensively, knowing that I¡¯m reading their emotions. Guessing how much I can feel from them.

    ¡°Some privacy here?¡± I click my tongue, forget that I shouldn¡¯t use my powers and close the door with telekinesis. ¡°Ouch,¡± I whine because the wound stings when my mana goes out through it.

    ¡°Oh, Ryuu,¡± Erik is doing his best comforting me but it¡¯s no use.

    I¡¯m raging. I¡¯m deeply disappointed. I¡­ dammit! I shouldn¡¯t have thrown Julia out like that, she did nothing wrong. It was my Viceroy who okayed it, not the poor doctor who was just doing her job. And much more. She might be deceiving everyone else that she¡¯s staying with us for her own benefit but she¡¯s way past that. She¡¯s staying for the same reason Erik is¡ªto make a difference.

    ¡°I don¡¯t approve of any sorts,¡± Erik says gently. ¡°Liana should definitely consult you first. But try to look at it from the bright side. We don¡¯t have to be sneaky around our guards and maids anymore.¡±

    ¡°Always seeing the positive. Not working right now, sorry,¡± I retort venomously but regret it immediately. Erik was just trying to make me feel better. I apologise in my mind and he kindly nods that my apology was accepted.

    ¡°I get it you¡¯re angry with Liana, Ryuu, I really do,¡± he caresses my long silver hair and measures it with his fingers. It now goes all the way down, reaching to the half of my back. ¡°It certainly wasn¡¯t Liana¡¯s secret to tell but as I know her, she was thinking about what¡¯s the best for you.¡±

    ¡°The best for me or the best for the Emperor?¡± I sulk.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid Celestials don¡¯t see any difference,¡± he doesn¡¯t dare to sugar-coat it.

    ¡°Why?¡± I rest my chin on his shoulder. ¡°Why every time I think it¡¯s going to be okay and I¡¯ll get used to it somehow, it becomes much worse? Oh, Erik, I don¡¯t want to pull you into this mess. As the Royal Consort, you won¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Too late for that, don¡¯t you think?¡± he switches to playing with the feathers between my wings. ¡°Not like I can return to my mundane life now when the whole world knows my face. Not that I even want to. I know what I signed up for, Ryuuto. It was my decision, never think otherwise.¡±

    I rest both in his embrace and his mind. I ponder what the psychologist Zetraya told me about our relationship. Co-dependency. I see how unhealthily I depend on Erik but what about his side? What does he get out of it? He seems so perfect, unlike me. So stable.

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding right now, aren¡¯t you?¡± Erik pulls my feathers. ¡°Me? Perfect?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± I raise my head and all I can see is my loving perfect boyfriend.

    ¡°Having an unrealistic image of one¡¯s partner is among the signs of a co-dependent relationship. I looked it up,¡± he pokes my chin sadly. ¡°As for my vices, I don¡¯t understand how you couldn¡¯t have noticed how jealous and possessive I act.¡±

    ¡°Jealous of what? Whom I mean?¡± I¡¯m a bit lost. I¡¯ve always known he¡¯s a jealous type but it never seemed to manifest really.

    ¡°What about every perspective man around you? Mainly Celestials if I should be specific,¡± he says and he has to make an effort to admit it. ¡°Why do you think you got Luviael as your adjutant?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± I have no idea what he means by that.

    ¡°Capable as she might be, she hasn¡¯t even finished her master¡¯s,¡± Erik chews his lips and I can tell he¡¯s carefully considering every single word. ¡°Actually, there was one much better Celestial candidate for that position. Liana seriously wanted that person because they had ten-year experience as a consultant and a personal assistant to the director. Any idea why it was Luvi who got the job in the end?¡±

    I look at him, analysing his feelings. He¡¯s afraid¡ªafraid that I might start looking at him differently when he reveals it. But takes the leap of faith and does it anyway.

    ¡°Luvi was chosen because I told Liana I just won¡¯t stand it to have a perspective Celestial man in your proximity all the time,¡± he says extremely slowly. ¡°I saw his profile. He was really handsome and just eight years older than you. And he was openly bi, single and well¡­ he has wings, obviously. I was scared, to be honest. I¡¯m scared that one day, I won¡¯t be enough for you. That you will exchange me for your own kind.¡±

    I must be staring at him for too long because he gets flustered.

    ¡°W-well¡­?¡± he nudges me nervously. ¡°Say something, please. Say that I¡¯m a possessive bastard who thinks that can own you.¡±

    But I don¡¯t mind really. Am I that messed up and in need of a psychologist? Is our telepathic connection interfering? I can¡¯t be angry that he did something behind my wings when he did it out of fear of losing me. Besides, I¡¯m glad that I got Luvi in the end¡ªsomeone who is close to me in both age and life experience.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point, Ryuu,¡± Erik nudges me again, reading my thoughts, because he still didn¡¯t get my answer. And he wants to hear it aloud.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I take a breath. ¡°First, you¡¯re stupid if you think I¡¯ll stop loving you just because you¡¯re not a Celestial. Second, you¡¯re stupid if you think that I don¡¯t love and appreciate you even more for being human and giving me exactly what I need right now. And thirdly, you¡¯re stupid if you think that I might not enjoy being owned by you.¡±

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik blushes. ¡°That¡¯s arousing of you to say but we should find some healthy balance.¡±

    ¡°We can start looking for it now,¡± I kiss him and gobble his mind. We might both be messed up but, in my eyes, he¡¯s perfect.

    We begin to cuddle but just as we think that we¡¯ll actually manage to have a very careful sex if we watch for my injured wing, there¡¯s an urgent knocking on the door. Who¡¯s bothering us now?!

    ¡°Oh, I feel Liana and Fefnir,¡± I lean back from Erik¡¯s chest and my annoyance disappears.

    ¡°Probably came to apologise?¡± Erik remarks. ¡°Do come in!¡±

    The door slowly opens and Fefnir appears, carrying Liana in his arms. It¡¯s evident that her weight is nothing to him, did he get bigger again? How many hours a day does he exercise to get muscles like that? Liana looks so tiny compared to him even if her black huge wings make her look larger.

    I¡¯m angry at her. I should be angry at her. Yet, I can¡¯t muster real anger when I see her face to face. She¡¯s my Viceroy. She¡¯s doing the best she can, I have no doubt. But I feel betrayed and it hurts. I want my absolute trust in her back. Is that even possible?

    ¡°Aefener,¡± she looks at me with a guilty expression and doesn¡¯t know how to starts so she blurts out the most generic phrase: ¡°Do you feel better?¡±

    ¡°Obviously,¡± I say coldly on purpose. ¡°Do you have a reason why you¡¯re interrupting me cuddling with my partner? I have nothing to say to you.¡±

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t be like that,¡± she surprises me because her voice gets teary. And I¡¯ve never seen her truly emotionally teary, not even when her wings were coming out. It makes me soften a bit.

    ¡°Just hear her out,¡± Fefnir sighs and seats Liana on our bed. ¡°For the record, I disagreed but I think it wasn¡¯t such a bad thing to do.¡±

    Liana devotes a few seconds to stretching her wings. They¡¯re really huge now and it appears she¡¯s struggling with their new size. And she¡¯s stalling. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen her this anxious. The Emperor who lost trust in his Viceroy¡­ she just won¡¯t have it. I don¡¯t want to have it either. We need to heal our relationship and there¡¯s something purely Celestial about it¡ªas if we¡¯re not doing it for ourselves but for the good of our race.

    ¡°Okay¡­ so,¡± she finally starts and tries looking straight into my eyes. ¡°I stand by my decision but I should have consulted you before I did it.¡±

    ¡°That you should,¡± I say grumpily, waiting for her to continue. I can feel she earnestly wants to apologise but at the same time she¡¯s convinced about her truth.

    ¡°Most of the guards closest to you, apart from those you connected to during the attack, half-suspected already,¡± she clutches her robe nervously because she knows that her argument isn¡¯t exactly satisfactory to me. ¡°Vermiel told me that his colleagues were constantly asking him about it.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t as careful as you thought,¡± Fefnir repeats what Julia mentioned. ¡°It¡¯s almost impossible to try hiding something from a person whose job is to literally watch over you. The guards were starting to notice that you and Erik behave strangely around each other. You didn¡¯t talk enough, yet you always knew everything about the other. And your expressions kept changing without an apparent reason. I recall that¡¯s how Ingri found out first, right?¡±

    ¡°But the guards kept their suspicion to themselves, they didn¡¯t gossip about it to anyone else,¡± Liana adds. ¡°I assessed that proved their loyalty enough so I decided to tell them. Now you don¡¯t have to hide anything in front of them and we can speak freely even with them around.¡±

    ¡°And the maids?¡± I¡¯m still not convinced I want to forgive her so easily. ¡°They¡¯re new¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, I assumed,¡± she feels most guilty about this part, ¡°that it¡¯ll be simply easier for you if they know. They¡¯re taking care of your apartment, they¡¯ll be around a lot. I didn¡¯t want you having to hide it at your home but at the same time I knew that you¡¯d probably hesitate to tell them for a long time. So¡­ I took the liberty. I know that I shouldn¡¯t have but I did it and I don¡¯t regret it.¡±

    ¡°So are you sorry or not, Liana?¡± I want to hear it clearly because I feel two conflicting emotions inside of her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I acted behind your wings and disappointed your trust in me,¡± she declares and tries to sound firm. Tries. ¡°But at the same time I think I had to do it. For you.¡±

    ¡°Did you do it for me, your friend, or for me, the Emperor?¡± I decide to ask a trick question because I¡¯m really interested in the answer.

    So far, Liana seemed closest to me in thinking. She didn¡¯t appear as effected by mental changes as the rest of Draconians. Or so I thought at least before she blinks and looks at me, confused.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see any difference,¡± she says without a trace of doubt in her mind.

 38. Uncomfortable

    I¡¯m lying in our bed, thinking about what Liana said and how na?ve I was. Everyone around me has changed more than I realised. My naivety is even more mortifying because I¡¯m a telepath. I should have known better. Explored the minds of my friends properly. Was I too focused on Erik that I couldn¡¯t see it? Too hooked on his humanity I now lack?

    Humans are mostly scared of us because we look totally alien to them but they¡¯re scared for the wrong reason. They should be scared because of how differently we think now. We¡¯re not monsters but there¡¯s nothing human in us left.

    I slowly stretch my wings to relieve the soreness. Not even our new huge bed is enough to fit me anymore and the bedroom feels cramped to me. I don¡¯t feel claustrophobic only because the windows are big enough to give me a sense of space. I realise how desperately I want out. No, not just out. I long for the sky.

    ¡°The bath is ready, hon,¡± Erik returns to the bedroom, already half-naked and a total eye-candy.

    ¡°You¡¯re the best,¡± I smile at him even though I don¡¯t feel like smiling. But I do because he¡¯s here and he¡¯s the reason I¡¯m able to smile like that at least for him.

    I carefully fold my wings and bravely suppress hissing when I try to fold my injured wing as well. I shouldn¡¯t be in any danger of reopening the wound now but it still hurts like hell whenever I do any movement. It¡¯s really crippling for a Celestial to have a wing injured.

    Erik kindly offers his support and for a while we¡¯re struggling to push my partly folded wings through the door. The bath is another struggle. While it¡¯s big enough for two people and I¡¯m as skinny as it gets, it¡¯s impossible to get my wings inside to wash them properly. I have to leave them hanging out which means that I can¡¯t even lie down to relax.

    ¡°Luvi said our new bath should arrive soon,¡± Erik catches what I¡¯m thinking about while frowning in dissatisfaction and hops in after me. ¡°They ordered the biggest jacuzzi possible which means we¡¯ll lose the shower but it should be worth it.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I know you prefer showering,¡± I mumble apologetically. All those adjustments are being made because of me, my servants don¡¯t consider Erik¡¯s needs at all when it comes to our apartment.

    ¡°They¡¯ll install the shower tube and everything, we¡¯ll just lose the shower stall,¡± he waves his hand, gesturing that he doesn¡¯t mind, and pours a bubble bath product into the water.

    I change my position and hug him. My wings clumsily fall to the sides over the bath¡¯s edge and water splashes onto the ground. I don¡¯t want to give the maids more work cleaning after us but I¡¯m just not able to manoeuvre my huge wings in such a small space.

    ¡°What is it, Ryuu? Do you feel uncomfortable?¡± Erik caresses my hair.

    I don¡¯t say anything and just keep hugging his naked body¡ªhis human body that¡¯s so different from mine. Regardless of how we originally started, we have an interspecies relationship now. I don¡¯t think Erik would be capable to handle it if I changed into any other race so I¡¯m lucky he¡¯s okay with my wings. Gosh, he even developed a fetish for them, how lucky I am!

    I guess Celestials stayed aesthetically pleasing to humans because humans fail to recognise how different apart from our wings and eyes we really are. I don¡¯t think Erik fully realises it either. He¡¯s excitedly touching my body that didn¡¯t change that much from the outside if I don¡¯t count the total loss of body hair (not that I had much of that from the beginning) and still considers me rather human.

    Yet, my bones are hollow now. My metabolism is super-fast and every calorie taken transforms into mana. I don¡¯t need to use the toilet that often either. My lungs are able to take more oxygen from the air than a trained Himalayan sherpa. My mana is repairing my cells all the time, granting me miraculous longevity. I have an entirely new system in my body, a mana circuit, and nobody knows how it works. There¡¯s nothing human in me left. I even stopped thinking like a human.

    ¡°Shush, you¡¯re still you and that¡¯s what I love,¡± Erik feels my emotional state and kisses me in comfort. And I kiss him back.

    *****

    ¡°My Emperor, I was so scared when I heard,¡± Gotrid is overjoyed that we finally have a chance to speak again. I still don¡¯t feel strong enough to work properly but I can at least talk to people online and encourage those who are far away and not in a good environment.

    I haven¡¯t seen Gotrid for quite some time. While we¡¯re communicating with Celestial communities all over the world every day, there¡¯re so many that it¡¯s impossible to speak to everyone via a videocall on a regular basis. But I always find time for people I personally know from the game and ask how they¡¯re doing.

    The only problem is that they stopped seeing me as their friend and completely switched to treating me as their Emperor. Gotrid was using my title ingame to teasingly flirt with me but there¡¯s not even a hint of tease when he calls me ¡®my Emperor¡¯ now. This is my new reality, I should probably just get used to it.

    ¡°You look good,¡± I give him a smile and study his wings. They¡¯re growing slower than mine and Liana¡¯s but still getting bigger at a steady speed.

    ¡°Thanks, I just love them,¡± Gotrid happily flutters his feathered limbs and proudly presents them in their current size.

    A shiver goes down my spine. Something within me reacts wildly and I¡¯m really grateful that Erik left to stretch his legs because whether I want to admit it or not, it inevitably arouses me. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because Gotrid is my type or because I just love the sight of nice wings, most probably the combination of both, but I can¡¯t help it. My Celestial libido is at fault here.

    ¡°How are things in the States?¡± I have to try hard to suppress that feeling and calm down, not letting anything show on my face.

    ¡°Well, turbulent,¡± he shrugs. ¡°Our first European embassy getting attacked made the situation even worse.¡±

    ¡°How worse?¡± I¡¯m almost afraid to ask.

    ¡°Her Excellency didn¡¯t tell you?¡± he tilts his head. I don¡¯t want to say that I¡¯m still pissed at my Viceroy and haven¡¯t spoken to her since, but Gotrid immediately continues. ¡°Naturally, Draconians were raging when it appeared in the news. Oh, Your Majesty, you were so godly in that video! You saved everyone!¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I blush. ¡°And the public opinion? Sorry, I don¡¯t know much, Julia ordered absolute rest so the gang doesn¡¯t want to tell me anything solid.¡±

    He becomes serious in an instant.

    ¡°Thankfully, not many people approve of such brutal attack. Not even those who are totally against us,¡± he says. ¡°They know that it takes just a spark and there could be a civil war. For instance, if one of the rulers was killed. Even you just getting hurt is a big deal. Celestials are angry, seriously angry. And other races also aren¡¯t indifferent.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­ they aren¡¯t doing anything?¡± I swallow. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want it.¡±

    ¡°I know and they know as well so they stand by,¡± Gotrid doesn¡¯t dare to lie. ¡°And they¡¯re training like crazy these days, including me. Look,¡± he conjures a level 2 flame with ease.

    ¡°Oh, nice!¡± I praise him.

    ¡°We want to be able to protect ourselves,¡± he says and lets the flame dissolve. ¡°And we also want to be ready when you¡¯ll need us, Your Majesty.¡±

    That takes me aback. Need? For what?

    ¡°Most of us in the US are just waiting for the government to lift the ban on Draconians travelling,¡± he continues, not noticing my bewilderment. ¡°The truth is, we long to be where our Emperor is. How can you not know, Your Majesty? It¡¯s our Celestial instinct to flock to our ruler, the embodiment of magic.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m no embodiment of anything,¡± I blurt out. ¡°And I had no idea about it.¡±

    ¡°I think the Viceroy wants to protect you from that for as long as possible,¡± he ponders. ¡°She¡¯s not telling you everything, especially now that you¡¯re recovering after such a serious injury. How does it feel to have¡­?¡±

    ¡°Horrible,¡± I say and slowly pull my right wing closer to the camera. ¡°It¡¯s totally crippling for a Celestial. Be careful, okay? Don¡¯t let anyone to hurt your precious wings.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± he says confidently. ¡°I can protect myself now.¡±

    The door opens and Erik appears, his hands full of snacks. I refused to see it before but his jealousy is really obvious every time I¡¯m talking with Gotrid, I can see it clearly now. I think he suspects Gotrid is my type. Well, he¡¯s right about actually that but that doesn¡¯t mean anything. I love Erik. Only him. I say goodbye to Gotrid and end the call.

    ¡°Is he okay? The situation isn¡¯t good in the States,¡± Erik says with a rather fake interest in his apparent rival and tosses the snacks on the bed in front of me.

    ¡°Holding somehow¡­ training,¡± I answer vaguely on purpose and look at what he brought.

    While he was trying to fetch some healthy sweets, they¡¯re still sweets. Not that I¡¯m afraid of diabetes, Celestials burn sugar into mana without any side effects. I take a banana protein bar and bite into it. My dizziness wore off this morning when I woke up which also raised my appetite.

    ¡°The situation is crazy out there,¡± Erik says while watching me nibbling, content that he doesn¡¯t have to force me. ¡°More and more Draconians are flooding, trying to find a job and shelter here. Every Celestial I met was asking about you so I had a hard time to even get to the cafeteria. People were taking photos all the time and the guards were busy just keeping them off me.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re my partner,¡± I swallow and slowly bite again. ¡°The Royal Consort.¡±

    ¡°I know and I was prepared for a lot of attention. But I¡¯m still surprised how crazy it is,¡± he sighs. ¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining,¡± he adds quickly. ¡°I signed up for this.¡±

    His phone starts ringing when I¡¯m reaching for an oat bar.

    ¡°My parents,¡± he prolongs his face when he glances at the screen. ¡°They¡¯ve been texting me nonstop, especially after that attack.¡±

    ¡°Take it,¡± I nudge him. ¡°Your parents are cool and they love you. They deserve to know what¡¯s happening with their son face to face, not just via texts.¡±

    ¡°I know they are¡­ it¡¯s just¡­,¡± he looks at me, a request reflecting in his eyes. ¡°Would you mind if we talked to them together?¡±

    I stop eating, the bar halfway to my mouth. Wait a second! T-talk together? As if¡­?! Does that mean I¡¯m about to officially meet them for the first time? Is that what it is? I¡¯m suddenly so nervous! What if they hate me for taking their son? What if they disapprove of our relationship? Blame me that their son is all over the media, becoming a world-class celebrity basically overnight?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you look beautiful even in your sleeping kimono,¡± he kisses me on my cheek, misinterpreting my worries, and without actually waiting for my decision, he picks up.

    ¡°ERIK, YOU FINALLY PICKED UP! ARE YOU¡­?¡±

    Erik¡¯s parents appear on the screen and freeze when they realise that their son isn¡¯t alone.

    ¡°The Celestial Emperor!¡± Erik¡¯s mother gasps for breath. She has the same eyes as him, how cute.

    ¡°Hello, it¡¯s really nice to meet you,¡± I greet them timidly and look at Erik¡¯s father. Oh, so now I know from whom Erik inherited his adorable unruly hair. ¡°You can call me Ryuuto or Aefener, whichever you prefer. I know that Draconians refuse using their human names but I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Mom, Dad, I¡¯m okay as you can see,¡± Erik says eagerly. ¡°But Ryuuto was injured while protecting me¡­ protecting everyone. But I guess you know about that from the news.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty,¡± Erik¡¯s mom says extremely politely, evidently not wanting to offend me in any way.

    ¡°Just my name is fine, really, Mrs Anderle,¡± I try to give her my best smile but I see how my golden eyes unnerve her. It doesn¡¯t help that I¡¯m hugging Erik with my left wing either.

    ¡°How are you?¡± Erik tries to divert their attention. ¡°Is the press and the EU still giving you trouble?¡±

    ¡°It calmed down a bit but it¡¯s still crazy,¡± Erik¡¯s dad sighs. ¡°Thanks for those bodyguards you hired us.¡±

    Oh, so Erik had to get bodyguards for his parents? He never mentioned that. I was na?ve again and I didn¡¯t realise how inconvenient our relationship must be for them. My Grandma seems to enjoy the attention but she isn¡¯t exactly sane.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s easy,¡± Erik says honestly. ¡°But I don¡¯t regret anything. I¡¯m serious about Ryuuto and he is about me. It doesn¡¯t matter to me who or what he is now.¡±

    ¡°I can see that, hon,¡± Erik¡¯s mom nods understandingly. ¡°I guess more parents are going through the same¡ªtheir kids suddenly dating another species.¡±

    ¡°Only you had to choose to date the Celestial Emperor himself,¡± Erik¡¯s dad sighs but plays it into a joke.

    Erik¡¯s parents are genuinely good people, I can see that clearly. They¡¯re concerned for their son¡¯s happiness but at the same time they give him freedom to make his own choices. Naturally, they¡¯re worried sick but they aren¡¯t questioning him or our relationship.

    ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t exchange it for anything,¡± Erik says confidently and clutches my hand.

    ¡°Well, His Majesty is definitely your type,¡± Mrs Anderle grins, breaking the tense atmosphere.

    ¡°Most beautiful, right?¡± Erik smirks and kisses me on my cheek. ¡°Universal androgynous beauty.¡±

    ¡°Y-you,¡± I turn red and now it¡¯s me who decides to divert his parent¡¯s attention. ¡°Mr and Mrs Anderle, if you need anything, please don¡¯t hesitate to contact me, okay? I can give you money and protection.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s really kind, Your Majesty, but we¡¯re fine,¡± Mr Anderle says confidently. ¡°We¡¯d welcome to finally meet the person our son is crazy about, though.¡±

    I think my heart just skipped a beat. Oh my God, it¡¯s here! They want to meet for real! And it doesn¡¯t seem they say it out of being polite, they genuinely want to get to know me. Come on, don¡¯t look rude, me! Invite them!

    ¡°That can be easily arranged,¡± I nod eagerly. ¡°Just say when you¡¯re free and my people will come to fetch you.¡±

    Are you sure, Ryuu? Erik asks me in his thoughts, a bit panicky all of a sudden. It¡¯s a big step, you¡¯ll get to know my family. I promised you that we¡¯ll take it slow and I mean to keep that promise.

    I am sure, I answer quickly and I¡¯m surprised myself that I wish for it so much. Erik¡¯s parents seem so nice, unlike my Gran. I can only guess how pleasant it must be to have a functional family.

    ¡°We¡¯ll text to Erik then,¡± Mrs Anderle agrees and looks both nervous and excited about meeting me.

    We end the call short after that and I suddenly get anxious. I¡¯m really going to meet my boyfriend¡¯s family, it¡¯s official! This is what couples who are serious about each other should eventually do, right? It¡¯s completely normal, right? I shouldn¡¯t be freaking out, right? Or should I?

    ¡°What if they¡¯re going to hate me?¡± I voice my biggest worry.

    ¡°Oh, they¡¯ll love you,¡± Erik assures me. ¡°My parents are neither homophobic nor racists. They¡¯ll come to term with you being a different species. I think that if you were literally anyone else than the Emperor, they wouldn¡¯t see any issue. By the way, am I royalty now as well or do I have to marry you for that?¡±

    I forget to breathe for several antagonising seconds of total astonishment. Did I hear right? Did Erik just casually mention marriage just now? In connection to me? Are wonders not going to end today?

    ¡°Oh, I guess I did,¡± he scratches his freshly shaven chin. ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t scare you. I¡¯m fine taking things slow. I really am. And we know each other only for a year so there¡¯s no rush.¡±

    ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not it,¡± I shake my head violently. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ are you really thinking¡­?¡±

    ¡°Well, one day?¡± he takes my hand and kisses it. And then he smirks because he can tell that I¡¯m panicking and feeling embarrassed. But I¡¯m exceedingly joyful as the same time.

    ¡°When the situation calms down and we have more time for each other,¡± he continues because I¡¯m still not able to put together a coherent sentence.

    My imagination runs wild and I try to imagine that. Me and Erik truly living together, buying a house somewhere remote so that I can go flying without worries. Having a proper household, maybe even adopting a pet. Spending days together, happy about the most mundane things. Growing o---

    Erik¡¯s eyes widen because he catches what I¡¯m thinking about.

    ¡°Oh, Ryuu, that¡¯s a really sweet dream, but¡­,¡± he bites his lips and his initial enthusiasm gets colder.

    ¡°But,¡± I lower my head. ¡°Not happening, right? We won¡¯t grow old together. My own race won¡¯t give me up so that I can live in peace somewhere just with you. The government won¡¯t stop being interested in me and the media won¡¯t stop chasing me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± he gently caresses my hair. ¡°But we can be happy wherever if we decide it so.¡±

    And then we start kissing and there¡¯s no more room for talking or being sad.

    *****

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I say to Julia when she comes again to check up on me. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have thrown you out. You¡¯re taking care of me and I was¡­¡±

    ¡°Nah, that¡¯s okay,¡± she waves her hand and opens her medical suitcase. ¡°And I should have asked for a permission to be experimenting with your samples anyway. I guess I just couldn¡¯t resist.¡±

    ¡°Still trying to become famous through Draconians?¡± Erik asks a little bit too bluntly and venomously. He¡¯s quite fond of the doctor but he has no illusions about her motivation.

    ¡°I already am famous, Erik,¡± she looks at him, not offended at all. ¡°I¡¯m His Majesty¡¯s private physician. A lot of doctors would sell their soul if they could have my post and the salary. And the publicity. I attained it all and I don¡¯t desire more. Now I just want to be useful to you.¡±

    By all standards, she should feel content and proud of herself but I don¡¯t feel anything like that coming from her. On the contrary, I perceive deep sadness and frustration.

    ¡°Julia,¡± I say softly. ¡°Why do I feel that you¡¯re not as happy as you should be considering you got everything you¡¯ve ever wished for?¡±

    She looks at me and her expression grows darker. At first, she¡¯s hesitant to tell us the real reason but then she sighs and decides to open up.

    ¡°Because I can¡¯t make that one person happy with me and I never will,¡± she drops her usual confident attitude and suddenly there¡¯s a heartbroken woman sitting in front of us. ¡°My father told me that I¡¯m playing friends with freaks and that he¡¯s ashamed of me. His idea of researching Draconians is dissecting you, not helping you.¡±

    My heart aches for her in that moment of sincerity. I want to console her somehow and express my endless gratitude. I decide to try Erik¡¯s strategy that always seems to work with me and I hug her. I hope I¡¯m not too stiff and that she¡¯s not against connecting to me right now but she hugs me back and is really grateful for that.

    I gently touch her mind and try sending her comfort while enveloping her in my wings. I can¡¯t really send her love the way I do with Erik but I like her a lot so I send her that. Oh, I realise that actually befriended a doctor! Not bad for a person with phobia of doctors and hospitals, huh?

    ¡°I understand why Erik is so addicted to it,¡± she whispers after a while in my feathery embrace. ¡°It¡¯s really pleasant. Okay, I feel much better now, let¡¯s take those stitches out, yes?¡±

    I¡¯m certainly not looking forward to that but I bravely stretch my right wing towards her. Julia carefully takes of the bandages and gasps in surprise.

    ¡°W-what is it? Something bad?¡± I¡¯m startled.

    ¡°N-no, not bad,¡± she shakes her head. ¡°But it seems your body has already expelled the threat on its own. Look!¡±

    She shows me the bandage and there¡¯s the threat in several pieces sticked to it.

    ¡°And your calamus is regrowing nicely,¡± she carefully massages the injured spot. ¡°It¡¯s healed but the muscle will be sore for a few more days. Try stretching your wings fully for me, please.¡±

    I do but as I do so, I accidentally hit the glass on Erik¡¯s end table. Before I manage to react, it shatters against the ground. At least there wasn¡¯t any water in it.

    ¡°It¡¯s soooo cramped in here!¡± I complain grumpily and stretch my wings even more. Now I hit the wardrobes.

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s¡­ well,¡± Julia is staring at my huge wings. ¡°Even bigger than I thought? Well, maybe not by inches but seeing them like that in reality¡­ mind-blowing.¡±

    ¡°He feels uncomfortable lately, doc,¡± Erik mentions.

    ¡°I would imagine so,¡± she nods. ¡°His wing muscles need exercise and it¡¯s too small for him here to stretch properly. Does your back hurt, Your Majesty?¡±

    ¡°Quite often lately,¡± I complain. ¡°The wings are heavy. I should keep them moving.¡±

    ¡°But you certainly didn¡¯t fly all the time ingame?¡± Julia asks, concerned that I don¡¯t get nearly enough exercise.

    ¡°Not all the time, of course, but a lot,¡± I say. ¡°And Celestial building ingame were much more spacious. The architecture mirrored our needs.¡±

    ¡°The Dragonkin have similar problems,¡± she notes. ¡°Their bodies are big and bulky so they don¡¯t fit human furniture as well. Celestial bodies are tiny and slender compared to them but your wings certainly make up for it.¡±

    ¡°Clawfangs and the Earthborn seem rather fine,¡± Erik comments.

    ¡°Only seemingly,¡± Julia shakes her head. ¡°Clawfangs often feel too hot because of their fur and get restless when they have to stay still for too long. The Earthborn need to connect to the nature on daily basis or they don¡¯t feel well. You don¡¯t have it easy, neither of you.¡±

    Then she scans my chest and announces that my ribs are almost fully healed.

    ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯ll allow you to start working lightly,¡± she says. ¡°Please, give it one more day and stay in bed.¡±

    ¡°Liana isn¡¯t resting at all,¡± I frown. ¡°Her wings are also growing rapidly.¡±

    ¡°Her Excellency¡¯s wings are still growing slower than yours, she isn¡¯t so tragically underweight and wasn¡¯t shot recently,¡± Julia switches into her strict doctor mode. ¡°Actually, it was her who insisted I order you absolute rest. I get it that you¡¯re still angry with her for telling your secret without consent but she always has only your best interest in mind. She really does.¡±

    I know that. I can feel it from her, of course. I can¡¯t help feeling disappointed, but, strangely, I still trust Liana immensely. She¡¯s my Viceroy and it somehow resonates with my Celestial Emperor¡¯s nature. I can¡¯t explain it. It¡¯s like a bond that¡¯s impossible to severe. Different from the one I have with Erik, but not less valuable.

    ¡°Rest a lot and eat a lot today,¡± Julia concludes. ¡°If you feel energised in the morning, you can go to work but don¡¯t overexert yourself and take regular breaks, okay?¡±

    ¡°Roger,¡± I nod obediently. I might be the Emperor but there¡¯s no opposing my doctor.

    *****

    ¡°Are you sure you feel strong enough?¡± Erik asks me for the sixth time already this morning.

    The feathers around the injury aren¡¯t fully grown yet but at least there¡¯s white fluff covering the spot so I don¡¯t feel self-conscious by showing up in public with my wing skin bare which turns out to be really embarrassing for Celestials.

    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± I answer patiently and let the maids dress me in the royal attire.

    I notice that it¡¯s a new model and looks even more expensive than my current robes. I get that my Viceroy is ultra-rich but should we waste money like that? The maids have to touch my wings when they¡¯re gently pushing them through the holes in the dress. Their hands are trembling when they do so, being aware now that I can read their thoughts.

    Cien, a Celestial woman with brown wings and long blond hair, can¡¯t be much older than me. Yet, I can feel the rift between us. She doesn¡¯t see me as her peer; she sees me as her Emperor and nothing else. Even if I wanted to be familiar with her, she wouldn¡¯t allow it.

    Ayala, a Celestial woman with sandy wings and short blue hair, is around the same age as Liana. I wonder what she was doing before the Great Evolution and whether she doesn¡¯t mind becoming my maid. While I doubt Liana would assign me anyone whose profession could have been more useful elsewhere, Ayala doesn¡¯t look like someone not interested in career. Her visage is perfect and expression serious.

    This hairpin or that one that¡¯s brand new? Ayala is pondering in her mind. The older one looks better with His Majesty¡¯s violet robe but this one has such a nice semiprecious stone.

    Cien is also thinking frantically: Did his Majesty lose some weight again? Does the doctor know about it? Should I report it?

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t,¡± I answer her aloud. ¡°I¡¯ll eat more, promise.¡±

    Cien flinches and lets go of my feathers she was carefully pushing under the fabric. Ayla also stops working and stares at me, panic-stricken.

    ¡°S-sorry,¡± I cough. ¡°But Liana did tell you that I can hear your thoughts upon direct touch, right?¡±

    They both nod but that doesn¡¯t make them any calmer. I guess actually experiencing my telepathy is shocking even if one knows about it.

    ¡°I won¡¯t intrude your privacy,¡± I assure them. ¡°But you have to know that I can perceive your strongest current thoughts when you¡¯re touching me.¡±

    They nod again, tiny bit calmer now, and resume their work. I glance at Erik who is dressing by himself. He was also offered assistance in the beginning but he refused resolutely and the maids respect that. No such luck in my case.

    It¡¯s quite ironic, to be honest. They want me to decide things that can influence the whole political and social scene, yet I¡¯m not allowed any personal freedom. The maids basically overtook our apartment, the Royal Guards won¡¯t let anyone enter this floor and my timetable is in Luviael¡¯s hands.

    You look lovely, hon.

    I almost jerk when Erik suddenly sends his thought to me, testing our new strengthened telepathic connection.

    Don¡¯t startle me like that, moron, or we¡¯ll leak our secret, I berate him, trying hard to keep my face emotionless and letting Ayla style my hair.

    Sorry, but I¡¯m too excited. We can do so many things with it! And how far can we reach I wonder? Let¡¯s test that asap!

    I resist sighing. Yep, he¡¯s too excited. I would be too, if only I wasn¡¯t afraid of more migraines. Not that I¡¯m thinking about it¡ªI haven¡¯t had one for almost a month now. Either I¡¯m getting better at controlling my ability or it¡¯s because Draconian minds aren¡¯t hurting me and I¡¯m mostly surrounded by them.

    ¡°Done, you look so regal, Your Majesty,¡± Ayala compliments me and steps away.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I appreciate and look at myself in the mirror.

    I see me. Just me. Me in a fancy dress with a fancy hairstyle and a golden hairpin. It seems as if I¡¯ve always looked like this. But I know I didn¡¯t. I remember my old self¡ªblack hair, black eyes, no wings. It¡¯s like a very distant memory, though. I can¡¯t imagine life without my wings anymore. Even if they weight quite heavily on my back and I¡¯m clumsy and cumbersome because of them, I wouldn¡¯t give them up for anything. I¡¯d rather die.

    I guess that may be part of the reason why Celestials die instantly when our wings are injured beyond healing. We just give up on life. There¡¯s no point in living for us if we can¡¯t roam the sky ever again.

    ¡°Enthusiastic to go back to work?¡± Erik clutches my hand, interrupting my pondering.

    ¡°Enthusiastic or not, they need me,¡± I say. ¡°I can feel their nervousness all the way up here. I think something¡¯s going on.¡±

    I side-glance at my maids who are gobbling every word. I¡¯m still pissed at Liana for telling them my secret but I have to admit that it¡¯s pleasant not having to hide it all the time. At least in our apartment we can speak freely. And I like their minds.

    ¡°Thank you, Cien, Ayla,¡± I say when they see us off to the hall. ¡°I¡¯d like to get to know you better when there¡¯s time.¡±

    They beam at me, happy that I¡¯m interested in them. For a moment, a warm sensation overcomes me. Is that¡­ love that I¡¯m feeling? It¡¯s much different from my affection towards Erik, of course, but I realise that I do love them. In a different way, naturally, but I do. And I don¡¯t even know them that well. I love them because they¡¯re Celestials. My race I¡¯m supposed to protect.

    Erik catches what goes through my head and his grip tightens. Am I thinking too alien in this moment? Too Celestial? I have feelings I can¡¯t explain. I touch his mind to absorb some humanity from him but it does nothing. I still like that feeling but it doesn¡¯t influence me anymore. Should I panic?

    ¡°No reason to,¡± he shakes his head. ¡°I love you as you are, nothing essential has changed for me. Besides, you weren¡¯t completely human from the beginning, right? And I still fell in love with you.¡±

    He¡¯s hinting at my telepathy aloud even when they¡¯re six guards joining us outside the apartment. I take a deep breath, having to digest that we can really speak freely. My anger at Liana lessens a bit. She was probably right. If it was up to me, I wouldn¡¯t be brave enough to tell them for quite some time and all that secrecy was becoming bothersome.

    ¡°We¡¯re not going down there, Your Majesty,¡± Miruel gently stops my hand as I¡¯m about to hit the button for the 37<sup>th</sup> floor.

    ¡°I just was to grab some sandwich,¡± I tilt my head, confused.

    ¡°Your breakfast will be served in the office,¡± she says. ¡°We can¡¯t go to the cafeteria, people would go crazy if they saw you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± I murmur and try not showing on my face that I¡¯m annoyed.

    So now I can¡¯t even visit cafeteria without making a ruckus, is that it? How far will this go? Do they even realise that they¡¯re literally putting me in a cage in their efforts to protect me? Can I even get used to such life? I don¡¯t want to drag Erik into the cage with me.

    The door closes and the elevator feels even more cramped than usual. My wings are almost their full size now and the others are also slowly entering their growth spur. We¡¯re all touching whether we want to or not and the tiny space is full of feathers. I twitch my wings, feeling totally uncomfortable, and accidentally hit the wall behind me.

    ¡°Calm down, Ryuu,¡± Erik pushes me to his chest in order to make the gap between me and the two guards wider. It doesn¡¯t help much.

    My head spins and I feel nauseous all of a sudden. Did the elevator shrink? Aren¡¯t the walls a little bit too close? I get chills and my wings start trembling. My heart begins to beat faster, resembling a panic attack. But I know that¡¯s not the case. It¡¯s one of my racial weaknesses that hits me full force.

    Claustrophobia.

 39. Political Relations

    ¡°We¡¯re here, love,¡± Erik says encouragingly. I¡¯m holding him tight, not willing to let go just yet.

    I slowly open my eyes and because the elevator isn¡¯t moving anymore and the door opens, my head stops spinning. I sigh out, relieved. I¡¯m used to feeling dread during my panic attacks but there¡¯s usually some trigger I can identify and logically assess later. This time, however, was different. I got hit by claustrophobia just because I¡¯m a Celestial and that¡¯s supposed to be our racial weakness.

    But a rather understandable weakness, hm? Erik caresses my feathers. Considering how huge your wings are, it¡¯s no wonder you don¡¯t feel comfortable in narrow spaces. It sounds logical to me.

    I want to reply something but I¡¯m interrupted by an overly cheerful and annoying voice of a person standing in front of the elevator.

    ¡°Good morning, Your Majesty! I was told you¡¯re coming so I¡¯m waiting for you. Oh, are you okay? You look pale.¡±

    It¡¯s the EU ambassador Dubois, literally the worst person to see me in such a vulnerable state. He¡¯s staring at me while I¡¯m still desperately clutching Erik and there¡¯s a spark of recognition in his eyes. He must have studied everything about Draconian races so he put two and two together quickly. While I can¡¯t read his thoughts without touching, I can tell that he¡¯s making a mental note that I became claustrophobic.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I try to sound confident but I know that I¡¯m failing. At least I finally let go of Erik and grab his hand the normal casual way.

    We step out of the elevator, me making an effort of not obviously running away from the confined space.

    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Luviael appears from behind the door and hurries towards us, her wings fluttering behind her. ¡°My apologies that I wasn¡¯t waiting for you in the morning but we¡¯ve been so busy! The conference starts in half an hour!¡±

    ¡°What conference?¡± I freeze.

    ¡°The world political leaders are meeting today,¡± Luvi explains and chews her lip. ¡°Sorry that I didn¡¯t tell you beforehand but¡­ well¡­ you wouldn¡¯t be able to prepare for it anyway and it would only stress you unnecessarily. Her Excellency wanted you to have a goodnight¡¯s sleep at least.¡±

    ¡°It stresses him now,¡± Erik rolls his eyes.

    ¡°Your Majesty, can I join you for breakfast?¡± Dubois is suddenly standing next to me.

    So close that his arm is touching my wing. He¡¯s doing it on purpose, he wants to make me feel uncomfortable. Luckily, I can¡¯t read his thoughts because the layers of fabric that make his suit are in the way of direct touch but it still gives me goosebumps when his emotions intensify. I don¡¯t think Dubois means us harm, I can feel he¡¯s here to keep peace between humans and Draconians, but that¡¯s where his kindness ends.

    There¡¯s an egoistic person behind that fake smile. If I didn¡¯t demonstrate my powers, he¡¯d be definitely looking down at me. But I did, twice, so he¡¯s wary. My Celestial Emperor¡¯s nature reacts wildly. I can¡¯t let him play with me!

    ¡°Personal space,¡± I hiss and my guards step between us.

    I have no doubt that they were meaning to do so even without me saying it. Can it be a good thing that they know about my telepathy after all?

    ¡°No touching His Majesty without permission,¡± one of the guards says and her golden eyes are piercing the ambassador.

    ¡°Oops, I sincerely apologise,¡± Dubois bows but there¡¯s a hint of smirk revealing that he did it to test our reaction.

    Ryuu, your feathers are all puffy, Erik points out. Don¡¯t give that bastard any satisfaction seeing you flustered.

    I force myself to calm down and my feathers flatten. Celestial wings mirror our emotional state, especially anger and irritation. It¡¯s wrong to consider them simply as our additional limbs. They mean so much more to us.

    I catch Dubois studying my right wing¡ªespecially the part where my feathers are clearly missing and there¡¯s only soft white fluff covering my skin for now. Can he tell I¡¯m bashful about that? I do try to keep my right wing protectively a bit more out of the way than the left one.

    ¡°Aefener!¡±

    Out of the blue, Ingri lands on my chest but very lightly, aware of my barely healed ribs. I¡¯m glad for that distraction and I¡¯m really happy to see her after so many days. I hug her back and momentarily connect to her mind. I don¡¯t go deep or for any specific information because I value my friends¡¯ privacy but I just peek a little to make sure she¡¯s okay.

    She smiles because my concern moves her and she leans back. She looks more than okay, she¡¯s literally beaming. She¡¯s changed the colour of her eyes again, now they¡¯re unnaturally violet. Her skin colour is a different shade of green and the backs of her hands poking out of her dress are covered in something resembling tiny scales but much softer than Fefnir¡¯s.

    ¡°Can I?¡± she asks and shows me her fingers which begin to sprout tiny roots on her command.

    I nod and let her connect to me the Earthborn way. Her race are no telepaths, of course, but they can connect to living organisms in order to assess one¡¯s health and genetics. The sensation is much different from my telepathic connection. I can feel her analysing my body but I don¡¯t feel her inside my consciousness.

    ¡°You should still rest more and eat a lot but you¡¯re mostly fine now,¡± she evaluates skilfully. ¡°I was practicing my healing skills but Julia didn¡¯t want to let me try it on you.¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re still not in perfect control,¡± Fefnir also makes an appearance, probably because he could hear the ruckus from the hall. ¡°That last guy you practiced on puked after one of your attempts to heal him. That¡¯s why Julia didn¡¯t let you anywhere near Aefener.¡±

    ¡°You could still come just to talk?¡± I wonder because I didn¡¯t see her at all during my recovery which I thought weird.

    ¡°It turns out I can¡¯t help it,¡± Ingri blushes which creates a nice pinkish colour on her otherwise green cheeks. ¡°When I smell someone seriously hurt, I want to connect to them and try healing them. It¡¯s an instinct. I visited you in the infirmary, of course, and Fefnir had to tear me away from you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, your rooty tentacles were all over him,¡± Fefnir laughs.

    ¡°But I¡¯m starting to get the hang of it,¡± she announces proudly. ¡°I¡¯m training hard every day on minor injuries and I¡¯m successful more often than not.¡±

    ¡°Still, there¡¯s no way we¡¯re letting you train using our Emperor,¡± Liana emerges as the last one. She¡¯s wearing a more ceremonial-looking robe and her black wings are bigger again. She approaches us slowly, reluctant to face me.

    ¡°Words can¡¯t express how glad everyone is that you¡¯ve finally recovered, Your Majesty,¡± she says so extremely politely that it¡¯s unnatural.

    I widen my eyes. Did she just call me by my official title? I quickly analyse her feelings. While she still adamantly stands by her decision, she feels guilty about it at the same time. She¡¯s really afraid that I don¡¯t trust her anymore. I¡¯ve never seen her this anxious over a personal matter before. Liana, my exceedingly competent Viceroy and a dreaded multibillionaire businesswoman, lost all her confidence when facing me.

    Well, maybe she should have. She did betray my trust after all. But for some reason, I just can¡¯t stay angry with her when she¡¯s looking at me like that¡ªwhen she¡¯s feeling like that. She did what she did because her thinking process is Celestial now. Because I¡¯m the Emperor and she¡¯s the Viceroy. I stretch my wing and touch hers.

    Please, use my name, I say. Not many people do these days.

    She can¡¯t nod because Dubois is watching us but she blinks slightly and asks me to join everyone for breakfast. We enter a smaller area that¡¯s situated next to the meeting room and it turns out it was transformed into a refreshment place. There¡¯re several tables with delicious-looking treats and Ms Ortega is here already, pouring herself coffee.

    She greets me with a bow and a smile. I¡¯m relieved when Dubois joins her but he¡¯s still watching me intently.

    ¡°Some cheese canapes?¡± I suggest because the table holding them is on the opposite side of the room. Erik lets go of my hand, knowing that I need to talk to my Viceroy.

    Liana nods timidly which is totally out of character for her. She¡¯s supposed to be the one person who¡¯s not afraid to blatantly berate me, despite my status.

    We approach the buffet table, turn our backs to the EU ambassadors and I spread my left wing to hug her. That creates a very handy enclosure since Dubois can¡¯t see our expressions through all those feathers.

    ¡°Oh, I love Roquefort cheese,¡± I say loudly and stretch for one of the canapes.

    ¡°Me too,¡± Liana plays along and quickly stuffs one canape into her mouth as well.

    We keep eating as part of our breakfast and disguise while, in reality, the most important thing is happening in our minds.

    Aefener, I¡­ I¡¯m really sorry, she blurts at me. I realise why you¡¯re angry with me but at the same time I couldn¡¯t help myself. I did was I thought was best for you and our species. I¡¯m not able to differentiate between the two anymore. You¡¯re our Emperor and that means everything.

    I know, I sigh, trying to send her some comfort because I¡¯m not angry at her anymore. Telling my closest servants was a good decision, I see that now. Only, next time, consult me first, will you?

    Sorry again, I really am, she says and her wings shiver. I¡¯m trying but I can¡¯t think human anymore. Do you still trust me?

    With my life, I say simply and convey the rest through my feelings.

    She finally relaxes.

    We¡¯re not even remotely human anymore, are we? she ponders. Our relationship isn¡¯t ordinary friendship. I¡¯m your Viceroy, you¡¯re my Emperor. It goes beyond anything I¡¯ve experienced before. We love each other but there¡¯s nothing human about it.

    I realised it this morning, I say slowly, surprised myself how calm I feel about it.

    Realised what?

    I love all Celestials unconditionally, Li,¡± I smile and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever smiled so sincerely. Is this how I¡¯m supposed to feel as their Emperor? I want to protect all Draconians, of course, but when I think of my race in particular¡­ my chest gets warm.

    I think that¡¯s how it should be, she agrees and also manages a sincere smile.

    Then we don¡¯t talk anymore and focus on eating because we¡¯re super hungry. We¡¯ve conveyed to each other everything that was necessary and things between us healed. Now we both feel a surge of joy and inner peace which stirs our appetite.

    ¡°What about leaving something to me?¡± Erik grins, noticing that we¡¯re fine again.

    He pushes himself around my right wing and we ravenously decimate all remaining canapes. We don¡¯t have to be afraid that we won¡¯t leave anything to the others because meat and vegan canapes are on different tables.

    ¡°Your Majesty, Your Excellency, the meeting starts in five minutes,¡± Luviael informs us urgently, barging into the room because she disappeared for a few minutes after she greeted me, probably arranging some things. ¡°The EU and the UN are connected already, waiting just for our participation.¡±

    My hand holding a doughnut I planned for a dessert freezes halfway to my mouth. Did she just say both the EU and the UN? No wonder everyone felt so nervous whether I¡¯ll be able to work today. Naturally, I get anxious but not as much as I¡¯d expect. My relationship with Liana is mended and I have her full support. With her by my side, I¡¯m not afraid of anything.

    ¡°Eat it, love, you¡¯ll need energy,¡± Erik forces me to finish that doughnut.

    ¡°Please, prepare our coffee and bring it inside,¡± Liana says to a Clawfang I¡¯ve barely noticed and who is standing behind the tables.

    He¡¯s wearing his racial fashion but with an apron on top. Is he a waiter? Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t really see any humans around if I don¡¯t count my partner and the EU ambassadors. I get it that we have to give as many jobs to our people as possible but is it wise cutting humans out? I don¡¯t have time to ask Liana about it, though, because Luviael hurries us again.

    ¡°Oh, is that¡­?¡± I¡¯m nicely surprised when we enter the conference room and there¡¯re different chairs. And it¡¯s obvious they¡¯re adjusted for beings with wings because they have gaps between the arms and the backrest.

    ¡°Got delivered yesterday,¡± Liana is just as happy about it. ¡°These are for Clawfangs and the Dragonkin,¡± she points towards slightly different variants that take into account people with tails.

    ¡°They¡¯re starting to manufacture them?¡± Erik is also impressed. ¡°So soon?¡±

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°Barely starting,¡± Liana shakes her head. ¡°We got them as prototypes from the company my AstraTech is on friendly terms with. We¡¯re supposed to test them and give feedback.¡±

    ¡°Sweet,¡± I enthusiastically sit down right away. I toss a little to find the most comfortable position and carefully push my wings into the backrest. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s more than okay!¡±

    ¡°A regular chair is fine for me,¡± Erik comments because both chairs next to me are made for Celestials.

    ¡°Ehm, Erik,¡± Liana chews her lip. ¡°Would you mind sitting there?¡±

    Erik looks at his designated spot and frowns. It¡¯s two seats away.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯d mind that actually,¡± he retorts.

    ¡°The thing is,¡± Liana sighs, ¡°we need Aefener to sit next to me and Luviael so that¡­ you know¡­ we can advise him,¡± she can¡¯t say anything aloud because Dubois is following us like a shadow.

    ¡°Oh,¡± he finally understands and I do as well.

    They want to be touching me during the meeting, advising me telepathically so that the delegates won¡¯t notice my lack of knowledge and experience.

    ¡°Okay then,¡± Erik sits in his chair obediently but I can tell he¡¯s grumpy. Moreover, Dubois sits right next to him which makes Erik wrinkle his nose. Dubois gives him a smirk, gleefully realizing that my partner has been deemed a mere bystander for the duration of the conference.

    We¡¯re all gradually sitting down, filling the seats. One remains empty, though.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Emi?¡± I realise only now that she¡¯s not here. I quickly focus my mind but I don¡¯t feel her in the skyscraper.

    ¡°Resolving some Clawfang issue in Vienna,¡± Liana says as if it¡¯s not a big deal even though her emotions betray her. It is a big deal apparently. ¡°She had to leave yesterday evening.¡±

    ¡°Nobody told me about it,¡± I murmur, irritated. ¡°How come she can leave but I can¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Starting in ten seconds!¡± Luviael announces so I don¡¯t get my answer.

    How come she can leave but I can¡¯t? I repeat my question telepathically. There¡¯s not that much space around the table so I¡¯m touching Luvi¡¯s and Liana¡¯s wings whether I want to or not and it doesn¡¯t look suspicious.

    Not now, Aefener, Liana shushes me.

    The holographic projector switches on and we¡¯re connected to both the European Parliament and the United Nations General Assembly. The overall view of the halls appears on our screens while speakers will be projected as a hologram in the middle of our table. It¡¯s the EU President Dwayne Bennett who starts the meeting and whose bearded face appears as the first speaker.

    ¡°Your Imperial Majesty, Your Excellency, Your Dominance,¡± he addresses me, Liana and Fefnir. ¡°Thank you for accepting our invitation on such a short notice. It¡¯s a pity that Supreme Alpha can¡¯t be present but we understand that she¡¯s needed elsewhere. The Austrian Chancellor is also absent, trying to resolve the current situation with her assistance. And sadly, the US President couldn¡¯t make it either but, fortunately, he gave us his vote beforehand.¡±

    What situation? I ask Liana urgently, really upset about. They should have informed me, not to keep me in the dark so that I could be resting peacefully. Now¡¯s not the time for resting.

    Two packs of Clawfangs started to fight against each other over the supremacy Vienna, she explains quickly. Don¡¯t let anything show on your face, Aefener, we¡¯re streaming live. The whole world is watching.

    ¡°And we¡¯re honoured that His Supreme Dominance, Her Majesty and His Majesty joined us as well despite different time zones in Russia and Brazil,¡± Bennett welcomes Deminas, Twyla and Werden who just got connected.

    I realise how hard it must be to organise such an event globally. For some people, it¡¯s dead of the night. We¡¯re lucky that it¡¯s morning for us in Bohemia. Did Bennett organise it at the time favourable for us on purpose, hoping I¡¯ll be able to attend? The whole world knows that I was injured and that I was out of the picture for a while because of my recovery.

    I devote a few moments analysing how my foreign friends have changed when they appear on our screens. I haven¡¯t seen them since my injury. While I was allowed to work lightly after I got better, it was just Celestial networking I was allowed to do. Deminas looks truly formidable, really like a humanoid dragon. His head horns are huge and I bet he can spit fire without any problems.

    Twyla and Werden kept experimenting with their body augmentations but they¡¯re still recognisable. I guess they aren¡¯t changing their faces on purpose so that people can still easily recognise them. The Earthborn navigate mostly through smells so face features mean nothing to them, similarly to Clawfangs, but no such luck online.

    ¡°It seems we¡¯re all present now so we can start,¡± Bennetts clears his throat. ¡°First of all, I¡¯ll give word to the Secretary-General of the UN,¡± he steps away from the lectern and his place is taken by a woman in her fifties with short black hair, brown skin and piercing eyes.

    Her name¡¯s Myren Duke, Liana tells me because she can feel that I have no idea who I¡¯m looking at. I was never interested in politics before.

    ¡°The Security Council took a vote and decided that races of Draconia will be acknowledged as distinctive nations globally,¡± Mrs Duke says dryly without any ceremony, reading from the datapad in front of her. ¡°This gives them no right to claim a land but they can establish their embassies after they negotiate with a host country. These embassies will be then considered their soil within that country.¡±

    Yes!!! Luviael shouts in her mind but on the outside her expression is unreadable. Liana doesn¡¯t react at all and keeps listening. It¡¯s too early to celebrate.

    ¡°Race rulers, their deputies and other recognised representatives will attain diplomatic immunity,¡± the Secretary-General continues, no less dryly. ¡°Also, local governments are encouraged to help protecting race rulers they¡¯re hosting in their country. While Draconians are allowed to protect themselves in danger using their new powers, they are still susceptible to the law of the country they reside in. However, the country may choose to hand potential offenders over for the custody at Draconian embassies.¡±

    That¡¯s good, isn¡¯t it? Erik¡¯s voice echoes in my mind. I almost twitch. I was so absorbed in the speech that I forgot we don¡¯t have to be touching anymore.

    I hope so? I answer him, making sure I don¡¯t send that to Liana and Luvi. Diplomatic immunity basically means that I won¡¯t be prosecuted for killing those intruders, right?

    You wouldn¡¯t either way, hon. Is it still bothering you? You did what you had to and everyone knows that.

    ¡°Thank you, Mrs Duke,¡± Bennett takes over again. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all eager to hear what we¡¯ve found out about that terrorist who survived. The Europol finally finished interrogating him. Sorry for the delay but he was beaten up pretty badly and couldn¡¯t talk for a few days. We also had to investigate if what he said is true.¡±

    Everyone gets tense, waiting for the answer. Luvi holds her breath, Liana appears calm but that¡¯s only from the outside. Fefnir clutches his fists.

    ¡°We uncovered that he¡¯s part of the organisation that calls itself the Devotees of Apostles,¡± Bennett says slowly with emphasis on perfect articulation. ¡°They¡¯re a Christian sect that has been gaining many followers recently, mainly in Europe, North America and parts of South America.¡±

    Do you know them, Li? I have to admit it doesn¡¯t ring a bell, I ask my Viceroy for advice.

    Nope, I¡¯m in the dark here as well, she answers.

    ¡°How could some sect manage to breach our security?¡± Liana asks aloud. ¡°I have the best encryption protocols and the best people on the job.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing their follower was secretly working for you,¡± Bennett suggests. ¡°Run a thorough check on everyone¡¯s background. The collaborators is probably out already but we might be able to trace them if we know their identity.¡±

    ¡°I never ask about my employee¡¯s beliefs, that¡¯s personal,¡± Liana murmurs. ¡°It¡¯s my company¡¯s policy not to mix work with spirituality. But it¡¯s still weird. We haven¡¯t accepted any new human employees since we relocated.¡±

    ¡°They could have been a follower way before that, keeping it to themselves,¡± Luvi says. ¡°Normally, they would have no reason to reveal it or act violently. But imagine when you¡¯re a devoted believer and then your boss literally changes into an angel-resembling creature and brings a bunch of non-humans with her.¡±

    ¡°We think that might be the case,¡± Bennett nods. ¡°We¡¯re currently investigating the Devotees of Apostles but so far they¡¯re refusing responsibility, claiming it was an action of one independent branch. However, we¡¯ve traced some suspicious funding transactions so we¡¯ll look into that.¡±

    ¡°Are there more groups like that?¡± Twyla asks, her voice trembling. ¡°People who seriously want to hurt us just because we¡¯re abominations in their eyes?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so,¡± the EU President says and doesn¡¯t look so smug today. I guess he finally realised that antagonising us isn¡¯t a good idea and that he has to start taking new Draconian governments seriously.

    ¡°We¡¯re still working on organising our people so we kindly ask for your help and protection,¡± Liana makes an official request because now seems to be the right time for it.

    ¡°Of course, and we kindly ask for your cooperation,¡± Bennett also makes a request. ¡°It seems the new races really listen to their rulers. Nobody wants public unrest and civil war. We¡¯ll do anything in our power to prevent that.¡±

    ¡°I assure you Emi won¡¯t let her people wreak havoc for much longer,¡± Liana claims confidently. ¡°They have to listen to their Supreme Alpha. The only problem is that Clawfangs want their ruler to be close and so do Celestials. The current fragmentation of our people isn¡¯t helping the case.¡±

    ¡°What are you suggesting then?¡± Bennet frowns.

    Say it, Aefener, they need to hear it from you, Liana nudges me under the table.

    ¡°We want complete freedom of movement again,¡± I blurt out and can only pray that¡¯s what Liana had on mind because she didn¡¯t have time to elaborate.

    ¡°You have it¡­ within the EU,¡± Bennet says carefully.

    ¡°We want it internationally,¡± Deminas specifies sharply and I¡¯m glad we¡¯re not the only ones talking. ¡°Allow Draconians to form communities. That way we rulers can control them better and they won¡¯t be as nervous when living alone among humans.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s something we have to discuss in more detail and can¡¯t decide immediately,¡± Bennett refuses. ¡°The US President couldn¡¯t attend the meeting and we need him for that kind of decision because I suspect you¡¯re mostly talking about the freedom of movement in the USA.¡±

    Deminas opens my mouth again but Bennett continues.

    ¡°We actually wanted to arrange a face-to-face international conference,¡± he says. ¡°It would take place in the UN headquarters in¡­ let¡¯s say¡­ a month?¡±

    ¡°You expect us to travel to New York?¡± Liana doesn¡¯t like the sound of that.

    ¡°Whatever place we pick, the delegates will have to travel,¡± Werden speaks up and sounds a bit grumpy. ¡°Don¡¯t presume everything moves to Prague just because you two are there, Liana. Or would you rather arrange the meeting in my home country? Or in Deminas¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll take care of your safety during travel,¡± Bennett tries to persuade us. ¡°You¡¯ll all be treated royally, given utmost importance and the best security in the world.¡±

    ¡°I agree with Mr Bennett¡¯s proposition,¡± Deminas says. ¡°We should get to know each other personally, not only via screens. I get it that you¡¯re afraid to travel, Liana, I really do, but we don¡¯t have a choice. Some matters can¡¯t be decided online and call me old-fashioned if you will.¡±

    Liana still looks somewhat unconvinced but she nods in the end. Deminas is right, there¡¯re certain things that can¡¯t be conveyed via screens and if we¡¯re officially acknowledged as nations, we should visit the organisation which granted us that right.

    Of course, I¡¯m scared shitless about meeting the most prominent political figures of the current world in person but I realise there¡¯s no avoiding it. Because we became those as well. I look at Erik, pondering whether I should take him with me or keep him safe here.

    Of course, I¡¯m going, Erik says and it¡¯s only a hint of his slightly raised eyebrow that gives away his irritation that I¡¯m even considering leaving him behind.

    Bennett takes for granted that we¡¯re coming which starts the overall discussion in both the EU Parliament and the UN General Assembly. Delegates are taking turns, commenting on the situation in their countries and raising issues that need to be addressed. Then Werden speaks up and it¡¯s almost a ten-minute monologue.

    I didn¡¯t know the situation is so bad in Brazil, I tell Liana. Why did no one mention it?

    I¡¯m making sure Erik can hear our inner conversation as well.

    Because everyone is too busy with their own country, she replies. At least there¡¯s no ban on travelling for Draconians in South America.

    Is it especially bad for our race? Because we resemble angels too much?

    I¡¯m afraid so, Your Majesty. Now it¡¯s Luviael who answers me, happy to test my telepathy. While the Dragonkin are definitely the most monstruous-looking and the Earthborn the most alien, the public is mostly unnerved by us. Celestials carry that religious reference stigma. People look at us and see angels whether they want to or not. And we can do magic on top.

    ¡°Our needs must be acknowledged,¡± Twyla demands sharply. ¡°The Earthborn have to connect to the soil and have proper sunlight every day. Yet, humans disregard that and torture us by long hours inside.¡±

    ¡°That certainly needs addressing,¡± the Director-General of the World Health Organisation agrees (thank God for name tags) and the delegates go into a lengthy debate about that.

    So many faces and names. So many highly accomplished politicians I¡¯ve seen only on the news not so long time ago. Will I fit in? What if I make a fool of myself in that conference? Won¡¯t it damage our reputation?

    Me and Luvi will teach you all the basics until then, Liana assures me. Don¡¯t fret, you¡¯re actually expected to make blunders. Everyone knows you were just a student before so it¡¯d be weird if you were too perfect right from the start. We just have to make sure they won¡¯t eat you alive that¡¯s all.

    I¡¯m still nervous about it. I¡¯m anxious. I¡­ shouldn¡¯t I be scared shitless and panicking right now? I do feel really worried but, surprisingly, I¡¯m not that scared. Is it because I can rely on Liana? And also Erik and Luvi. Or is it something else? I feel miserably underqualified for the job but at the same time¡­ I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor. I feel like the Celestial Emperor.

    I willingly embrace that feeling and my wildly beating heart slows down. I look at all those delegates on the screen in their fancy suits and catch myself thinking that they¡¯re only humans. What can they actually do to me? Nothing. They act high and mighty but they¡¯re scared of us. They won¡¯t dare to touch me or my friends or they will antagonise millions of Draconians all over the world.

    I glance at Erik and he winks at me. I shiver when I realise what I¡¯ve been thinking just a second ago. Only humans? If I really meant it, would it include my boyfriend as well? Do other Celestials also think like that about humans? I suppress that feeling. Being confident and proud of my race is one thing but belittling others is something I¡¯ll never do.

    ¡°Let¡¯s end here for today,¡± Benett concludes the meeting after three hours that passed in a blink of an eye. ¡°After lunch, we¡¯ll have our separate work groups either online or in person. I believe everyone should have got their assignment beforehand.¡±

    Liana and Luvi nod so I guess they know everything. They¡¯ve been working really hard during my absence, Liana despite her ongoing growth spur that might not be as turbulent as in my case but it still takes a lot of energy. And I guess Luvi¡¯s growth spur is starting as well, her wings seem much bigger.

    ¡°That went surprisingly peacefully,¡± Luvi breathes out, relieved, when the streaming is turned off.

    ¡°No, that was as careful as it gets,¡± Liana shakes her head. ¡°They were afraid of any potential misstep so they gave us something to make us happy but at the same time they refused to go deeper until they think it through and bend conditions to their advantage.¡±

    ¡°The President is extremely cooperative, Your Excellency,¡± Dubois stands up from the table. ¡°But you can¡¯t expect to arrange everything through the screen as His Supreme Dominance pointed out. It might work in AstraTech which relies heavily on VR meetings, as I was told, but no such luck with the EU and the UN. We prefer to keep things more traditional and nurture personal contacts.¡±

    Oh, I completely forgot that Liana, or Laura Richter as is her human name, was quite a hermit. AstraTech was indeed famous for dealing with most of the things online and their owner and CEO wasn¡¯t seen much in public. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t even recognise her when we first met. She was considered one of the most eccentric rich people in Europe.

    ¡°I know,¡± Liana coughs, not showing any embarrassment. ¡°We can¡¯t connect to the VR anyway, it¡¯s made for human brain.¡±

    Dubois wants to reply something but Ms Ortega reminds him that they¡¯re supposed to talk to the EU in private. No doubt to give their full report. They leave even if it¡¯s evident that Dubois doesn¡¯t want to and his college has to force him. If only everyone was as amicable as Ms Ortega. She still has the best interest of humans in mind but it doesn¡¯t mean she has to see us as monsters.

    ¡°So what¡¯s on our schedule now?¡± I ask my adjutant when it¡¯s just us in the room. Erik stands up and starts massaging my shoulders. I love him for that. He always notices when my back is becoming sore.

    ¡°Meeting the Czech Prime Minister for lunch,¡± Luvi says as if she¡¯s telling me what¡¯s on the menu. Absolutely unperturbed.

    Is this going to become a completely normal occurrence from now on? I didn¡¯t only become a Celestial, that would actually be fine. No, I had to become the Celestial Emperor and get all those responsibilities that come with it.

    ¡°Oh, and Mrs Bauerova mentioned that she¡¯s bringing her nephew,¡± Luviael adds.

    ¡°Her nephew?¡± I tilt my head, not quite understanding why she would do that.

    ¡°You forgot?¡± Liana sighs. ¡°He¡¯s also a Draconian now. A Clawfang.¡±

    ¡°I thought his family was supportive? Bauerova certainly is,¡± I say. ¡°Why does he need to come?¡±

    ¡°Oh, he doesn¡¯t need a refuge, Aefener,¡± Liana corrects me. ¡°Everything is about politics and influence. Bauerova, however friendly she might be, means to plant him into our government to gain influence. I have no doubt about that.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯ll let her?¡± I frown. Shouldn¡¯t we stand strong or something? Not let them play with us?

    Fefnir starts laughing and it¡¯s croaky. Then he stares at Erik, probably thinking my boyfriend is influencing me too much because it should be obvious to me.

    ¡°Aefener, Bauerova is making a huge misassumption,¡± Fefnir reveals his spiky teeth. ¡°She thinks she¡¯s planting a spy while, in reality, it¡¯s us who will benefit from it.¡±

    ¡°How come?¡± I¡¯m still lost.

    Fefnir grins.

    ¡°Because he¡¯s a Draconian so there¡¯s no way he will stay loyal to humans. As simple as that.¡±

 40. Restless

    I¡¯m studying that young man¡¯s features, trying to guess his age. Erik isn¡¯t even trying, he gave up guessing ages of Draconians weeks ago. Generally, I can roughly tell that the boy Bauerova brought with her can¡¯t be more than twenty-five but it¡¯s tricky even for me because he¡¯s a Clawfang. A wolfish Clawfang to be precise, with snow-white fur and blue eyes. That¡¯s pretty rare.

    He¡¯s not looking at us, he¡¯s literally staring. Then he looks at his aunt¡ªa little bit too sheepishly for such an impressive appearance. He¡¯s still wearing human clothes and I have to admit that it just looks weird on a Draconian. My perception of fashion has changed a lot over the last few weeks. I¡¯d never go back to human clothes even if I was struggling with robes in the beginning, calling them cosplays.

    ¡°That¡¯s David, my nephew,¡± Bauerova introduces him plainly but her voice is warm and proud.

    ¡°It¡¯s Rien now, auntie,¡± the boy finally shows some defiance. He¡¯s really anxious so he sounds more frustrated about it than he intended.

    ¡°Oh, sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to misname you,¡± the Prime Minister apologises quickly. ¡°But you¡¯ve been David for twenty-two years so, please, bear with me until I break that habit.¡±

    So he¡¯s twenty-two, I was pretty close. I feel Erik sighing in his mind. For him Rien could be twenty-two as well as forty-two and he wouldn¡¯t know the difference.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Rien,¡± Liana assertively puts her hand forward. Rien hesitantly takes it.

    ¡°No reason to be nervous around us,¡± Fefnir shakes his hand so enthusiastically that poor Rien almost bounces.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t meet many Draconians so far,¡± Bauerova coughs nervously. ¡°Please, be gentle with him.¡±

    ¡°Sorry for that brute, I¡¯m Ingri,¡± Ingri introduces herself to the newcomer and manages a very sincere smile. Rien relaxes a bit but then he inevitably faces me.

    Should I shake his hand? I don¡¯t feel like connecting to him right away but I don¡¯t want to seem rude so I put my hand forward. Rien, however, widens his wolfish eyes and hastily bows instead of a handshake. Should I be relieved or worried that I¡¯m apparently that scary?

    ¡°Rien,¡± Bauerova says, careful to get his gaming name right this time, ¡°is studying economy, second year. It might not seem that impressive but he¡¯s been around all major political events since he was a teenager and knows a lot. He should be useful to you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Katerina, but why are you giving him to us now?¡± Liana asks bluntly. ¡°Isn¡¯t his family supportive? You certainly are.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Bauerova bites her lip. ¡°He can¡¯t go back to school. He¡¯s been home since his transformation and he was starting to go a bit crazy there, to be frank.¡±

    ¡°Naturally, Clawfangs are pack creatures,¡± Fefnir shrugs and pats Rien on his back. Rien flinches, obviously afraid of the huge Dragonkin. Fefnir is extremely friendly with basically everybody but his attempts of friendliness can be easily misunderstood considering his formidable appearance.

    ¡°And we can¡¯t let him out freely, everyone knows whose nephew he is,¡± Bauerova adds. ¡°He made his avatar too recognisable.¡±

    ¡°Paid ingame modifications, huh?¡± Fefnir ponders. ¡°That snow-white fur must have cost a fortune.¡±

    ¡°He spent all his savings on it some years ago, his parents were furious when they found out,¡± Bauerova rolls her eyes. ¡°I still remember it vividly. My dear brother was really angry when he found out that Rien was playing some VR game instead of studying.¡±

    ¡°Was he angry when Rien started transforming?¡± Liana asks.

    ¡°Shocked, not angry,¡± Bauerova assures her. ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s Rien¡¯s fault weird shit happened to Draconia.¡±

    ¡°Weird shit,¡± Erik taps his chin. ¡°We still don¡¯t know anything, do we? Any progress on those missing Draconia¡¯s developers?¡±

    ¡°None,¡± Bauerova has to disappoint us. ¡°Still investigating.¡±

    I study Rien again, trying to decode his feelings. Bauerova claims that he hasn¡¯t met many Draconians so far but it seems to me he didn¡¯t meet any at all. He¡¯s staring at all of us and it¡¯s obvious it¡¯s his first time meeting fellow Draconians face-to-face. Did his parents lock him up at home? I don¡¯t catch any bad feelings from him so they must have done it out of fear, desperate to protect him. Unlike Emi¡¯s parents who did it out of hate.

    ¡°Rien, you don¡¯t have to be so wary, we¡¯re not that scary,¡± I try smiling at him and instinctively stretch my left wing and pat his arm.

    It¡¯s a totally Celestial way of comforting someone so I¡¯m surprised when Rien doesn¡¯t jerk away. Instead, he curiously caresses my feathers with his fingers. I didn¡¯t expect our bare bodies to touch so I can¡¯t help it and connect to him. Rien is so hungry to touch another Draconian that it¡¯s almost painful to watch.

    His thoughts and emotions hit me but not in a bad way. He¡¯s a Draconian so his mind doesn¡¯t overwhelm me. I discover that however supportive his parents were during his transformation, they completely isolated him. And when he became too restless and it was no longer possible to keep him contained, Bauerova stepped in. We really are the first Draconians he¡¯s meeting.

    ¡°Ehm,¡± Erik clears his throat because Rien¡¯s innocent petting transforms into cuddling my feathers.

    ¡°S-sorry,¡± he finally lets go of my wing and he¡¯s probably blushing under that fur. ¡°Celestial feathers are so pleasant to touch.¡±

    Erik keeps frowning at the boy so I have to poke him.

    Rien is just curious, stupid, I say to him, amused by his illogical jealousy. There was nothing erotic about it. Besides, the boy is straight.

    And you¡¯re androgynous, Erik isn¡¯t convinced. Unless one looks under your robe, they can be enchanted by your pretty face nonetheless.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Liana narrows her eyes because she can usually tell when we¡¯re talking telepathically. She¡¯s developed a strange sensitivity to it even if we¡¯re extremely careful not to let anything show on our faces. ¡°You want Rien to live here? Commuting is also an option.¡±

    ¡°Please, Your Excellency,¡± Bauerova pleads. ¡°He can¡¯t stay at home and he can¡¯t go out freely either. I¡¯m not saying he¡¯s in danger because he isn¡¯t a race ruler but the paparazzi wouldn¡¯t let him be.¡±

    ¡°Just Liana is enough, Katerina,¡± my Viceroy says, cringing when the Prime Minister pronounces her title. ¡°We¡¯re former classmates after all.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a bit disappointed that you don¡¯t consider me your friend,¡± Bauerova says sadly and does look genuinely disappointed. I resist grinning. Liana considers her more like a frenemy, really.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking your nephew in, am I not?¡± Liana says quickly and tries to hide her blushing. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do it just for anybody, you know.¡±

    Bauerova beams at her, knowing perfectly well that Liana isn¡¯t good at expressing her emotions in front of people. Again, I realise how lucky I am to know the real Liana.

    ¡°He might be young but Da¡­ Rien I mean¡­ is an aspiring economist,¡± the Prime Minister boasts. ¡°He should be useful to you once he gains some hands-on experience. He was regularly attending his parents¡¯ business meetings since he was seventeen so he isn¡¯t a complete newbie.¡±

    ¡°By which you¡¯re trying to suggest I shouldn¡¯t employ him in the kitchens. Got it,¡± Liana smirks.

    ¡°I¡¯d really appreciate if you kept a close eye on him,¡± Bauerova urges but not because she only means to plant him as her spy close to us. She¡¯s really concerned for her beloved nephew. And should he become an influential Draconian in future, that¡¯s simply a plus for her government and Rien¡¯s family.

    ¡°Me? I¡¯m giving him to Emi as soon as she returns,¡± Liana raises her eyebrows. ¡°She can make him part of her pack to better protect him.¡±

    The Prime Minister chews her lip. She was evidently hoping Rien would be protected by Liana herself.

    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t feel comfortable among Celestials anyway, Katerina,¡± Liana says. ¡°Trust me on this, Draconian races are mentally very different from each other.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask Rien what he wants?¡± I speak up, irritated that Rien doesn¡¯t get to say anything in the matter. Do I feel especially touched by it because that¡¯s how my subjects are treating me sometimes? Deciding things for me because they think it¡¯s for their Emperor¡¯s protection and well-being.

    Rien looks at me with such gratitude that I feel sorry for him again. Is he used to his parents arranging things for him? I guess it often happens in rich families in which parents have a certain career in mind for their heir.

    ¡°I want to be with my Supreme Alpha,¡± Rien blurts out and his tail start to tremble when his aunt gives him a disapproving stare.

    ¡°It¡¯s decided then,¡± my Viceroy claps her hands and concludes the matter.

    *****

    ¡°No, it¡¯s this little fork,¡± Liana lightly slaps my hand and sighs. ¡°How come magic comes so naturally to you but you can¡¯t remember a few pieces of cutlery?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a few,¡± I cry over my lunch. A highly formal lunch with the Prime Minister. Bauerova is watching us, amused. Liana wouldn¡¯t be teaching me table manners in front of other state officials but it seems she does consider the Czech Prime Minister to be her friend even if she doesn¡¯t admit it openly.

    ¡°This should make it easier,¡± Erik passes me his phone with a diagram picture of the formal dinnerware setting.

    My chin drops. This is easier? What the hell is an oyster fork? Celestials can¡¯t even eat seafood to begin with. And a butter knife? I don¡¯t see any butter in front of me.

    I look at our newbie, Rien, who is sitting just two seats away from me. He¡¯s skilfully cutting his steak with the right tool and has a napkin on his lap. At first, I feel envious because he looks so good at it but then I realise that he feels anything but that. His clawed hands are too big for that tiny cutlery, he¡¯s forcing himself to nibble salad and doesn¡¯t feel happy at all.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t natural for Clawfangs,¡± I mumble.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Bauerova looks up from her plate.

    Oh, I didn¡¯t mean for her to hear me. But then I decide to say it properly because I get upset that Rien is struggling against his Clawfang nature just to please his aunt and meet certain rigid expectations.

    ¡°At least don¡¯t force him to eat salat, you¡¯re torturing him,¡± I say aloud.

    ¡°Rien, is it that unpleasant?¡± Bauerova asks, startled. It seems she didn¡¯t realise.

    He twitches his whiskers and hesitantly nods.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she apologises readily. ¡°I thought you just prefer meat now, not that you started to hate all vegetables.¡±

    ¡°We should act more according to our natures,¡± Fefnir approves and doesn¡¯t bother with anything besides his own giant steak and some chips that used to be potatoes ages ago so he doesn¡¯t mind.

    ¡°Which has nothing to do with our Emperor refusing to learn proper table manners,¡± Liana resumes her lesson.

    Celestials like acting all dignified, hm? Erik comments, sending me his thought distantly. Clawfangs might get away with bad manners but not you.

    More or less, I answer and resist sighing.

    It¡¯s so strange. I don¡¯t struggle with my Celestial nature anymore and I¡¯m gradually starting to feel as the Emperor but it doesn¡¯t make things any easier. Endless meetings, formal lunches, making decisions that can influence the whole world¡­ this new reality scares me.

    ¡°No telekinesis at the table,¡± Liana clicks her tongue when she notices I¡¯m trying to get a bowl of fried onion that¡¯s too far from me using levitation. ¡°You either politely ask someone to pass you things or tell your servants.¡±

    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t like formal eating either,¡± Bauerova winks at me, trying to ease my pain and awkwardness. ¡°Don¡¯t believe that¡¯s what the rich and royalty do all the time, Your Majesty. It¡¯s for appearances only. Most of the time I just get takeaway and eat it in front of my computer or on my sofa watching TV shows just as any other normal person.¡±

    I smile at her, grateful for that calming remark, and relax a little. Right, Liana is teaching me for representative purposes only, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be doing it every day.

    After lunch, we form those work groups Bennett was talking about earlier. Me, Luvi, Erik, Rien and Ms Ortega make one group that¡¯s supposed to discuss social and cultural differences of new races while Liana, Fefnir, Ingri, Bauerova and Dubois make another that will focus on security. We take a smaller briefing room and connect to delegates that were assigned to us. I¡¯m pleasantly surprised that Twyla and Werden also participate. So Deminas will be with Liana I assume?

    This time Erik can sit next to me because Liana isn¡¯t present and Luvi takes the seat to my left. Our wings touch again so that she can keep advising me in secret. Still, from time to time I do ask about something aloud so that I don¡¯t arouse suspicion that I suddenly know too much.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Erik is gobbling every word and he¡¯s even taking notes. Did he decide to study politics from now on? I just hope he isn¡¯t doing it just for me but because it¡¯s something he wants to. He became the Royal Consort and that can mean many different things.

    He can be simply my spouse and accompany me to official events and that¡¯s it. Or he can learn about politics and make it his proper job. That would certainly be very helpful but I don¡¯t want to force him. But as I know him, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do nothing. He¡¯s not material for a stay at home husband.

    We work until five with just one short break for snack and coffee. Luviael is a great advisor, Ms Ortega is also more than willing to explain things to me and the delegates we¡¯re talking to aren¡¯t as scary as I originally thought. While they¡¯re quite adamant in their views, they can be reasoned with if presented with proper arguments.

    ¡°Let¡¯s end here for today,¡± Ms Ortega finally says at ten past five. ¡°Some of you had to wake up awfully early and we can continue tomorrow. It¡¯s not like we¡¯ll be able to solve everything after one meeting.¡±

    The projector goes off and I stretch with a relieved sigh. Despite the new chairs that are finally comfortable for Celestials, I feel sore after sitting the whole day. I glance at our newcomer who¡¯s been quiet during the whole meeting, sitting in the corner and also taking notes. I feel Rien¡¯s coping well and he¡¯s really content to be surrounded by Draconians.

    I slowly stand up, careful not to bump into stuff or people with my wings. Luviael, Rien and Ms Ortega stand up quickly as well. Is this some protocol thing towards royalty I don¡¯t get? I look at Erik but he shrugs.

    ¡°Act normal, Jeeesus,¡± I prolong. ¡°We¡¯re not streaming.¡±

    Nobody smiles, they all look dead serious.

    ¡°The meeting was longer than I¡¯ve anticipated,¡± Luviael says, ignoring my comment. ¡°You still have the magic training session, Your Majesty. We can shorten it but I¡¯m afraid cancelling is out of question. Unless you¡¯re not feeling well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I assure her. ¡°And I could use some exercise.¡±

    Erik grabs my hand and we¡¯re about to leave when I notice that Rien is nervously stepping in one place. Am I supposed to take care of him or something?

    ¡°So¡­ ehm¡­ you will live in the skyscraper I guess?¡± I say uncertainly. ¡°Luvi, do we know when Emi should return?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t,¡± my adjutant shakes her dead. ¡°But Rien has already been assigned a room. I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be a private apartment, we¡¯re too full for that.¡±

    ¡°Flat-sharing?¡± Rien widens his eyes.

    I expect him to be offended because he¡¯s a rich kid after all but he gets excited. Well, at least he¡¯s looking forward to new experience. Luvi offers to show him into his room so we can get moving, saying goodbye to Ms Ortega. And then I face that damned tiny elevator again.

    ¡°Stairs?¡± I say hopefully.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, love, it¡¯s twelve floors,¡± Erik shakes his head, pushes me gently inside but he hugs me immediately.

    It¡¯s not as horrible the second time. The claustrophobia hits me again but now I expect it. I brief steadily, focusing on Erik¡¯s comforting emotions. And I survive. It wasn¡¯t pleasant but I managed. Still, I flee the metal box as soon as the door opens.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to watch me training,¡± I tell him when we stand in front of the fitness suite.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± he smiles. How I love that smile! But I can¡¯t drag him with me wherever I go. He needs some free time. He needs a break from me.

    ¡°I know you don¡¯t but it¡¯s a waste of time for you,¡± I argue. ¡°You should rest or do something fun for a change. When was even the last time we did something just for fun?¡±

    ¡°Since the Great Evolution¡­ never I guess?¡± he starts thinking. ¡°Okay, point taken but don¡¯t be late, okay?¡±

    Then he turns to my guards. ¡°At seven, I want my partner back home, understood?¡±

    Surprisingly, the guards nod. I¡¯m really glad they listen to him. I was afraid that they¡¯d never take an order from a human. Well, maybe they wouldn¡¯t but they have to obey the Royal Consort at least.

    ¡°At seven,¡± Erik repeats, kisses me and boards the elevator again. ¡°Will you be okay on your way back¡­?¡±

    ¡°I should survive,¡± I sigh. I can¡¯t rely on Erik riding the elevator with me every time I need to move. Claustrophobic or not, I have to learn how to deal with it myself.

    ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re here!¡± Taranah greets me enthusiastically the moment I appear in the fitness suite and bows. ¡°Her Excellency also promised to show up but she¡¯s running late. Shall we start without her? Do you feel strong enough to cast? You have no idea how glad everyone is that you¡¯ve recovered so quickly and can rule again.¡±

    ¡°How have you progressed while I was indisposed?¡± I ask and try to ignore the fact that bowing is slowly transforming into something I¡¯ll have to face daily. And that everyone is acting so crazy when I show up.

    ¡°Marvellously,¡± he boasts and shows me three elemental level 3 spells in a quick succession. ¡°I think I¡¯m finally getting the hang of releasing my mana. All the guards are training hard as well. We can¡¯t let the incident with your injury repeat ever again.¡±

    ¡°Have you got into your growth spur?¡± I study his wings. They look significantly bigger than when I last saw him.

    ¡°I have,¡± he grins proudly. ¡°Oh, Your Majesty, I can¡¯t wait to be finally able to fly. Too bad we¡¯re several weeks behind you. You¡¯ll have to wait for us I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    ¡°Wait?¡± I tilt my head, confused.

    ¡°Of course, you can¡¯t go flying without us,¡± he says as if it should be obvious to me. ¡°We¡¯re already coming up with plans how to make our flying sessions safe. That terrorist attack only proved that we¡¯re in serious danger. When we go out, there¡¯s no telling what we¡¯re going to face. Therefore, we should focus on conjuring protective shields from now on.¡±

    I already attempted that before my injury but I didn¡¯t get far. Still, something he¡¯s just said bugs me. I¡¯ll have to wait for their wings to grow full size? Are they kidding? It¡¯s torture for me already not being able to exercise my new limbs and they want to keep me inside for weeks even after I become able to fly?

    ¡°I¡¯ve succeeded in materialising the transfiguration symbol needed for the spell yesterday but I can¡¯t make it solid,¡± Taranah casts Minor Shield in front of him, not noticing my annoyance. ¡°Do you maybe have some suggestions, Your Majesty?¡±

    I sigh and decide not to pursue the thing for now. It¡¯s something I have to discuss with Liana anyway. I take a deep breath to focus better and also try casting Minor Shield. The symbol does manifest but when I try touching it, my hand goes through.

    We spent half an hour making the shield solid but we keep failing. When we apply too much mana, the symbol breaks. When too little, nothing happens. To be honest, I¡¯m partly glad for it. I hope that if other Celestials finally catch up on me, they might stop treating me as the embodiment of magic.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m late,¡± Liana shows up quarter past six and looks really tired.

    Because our relationship is mended, I don¡¯t hesitate to go for a hug. Our wings touch and there¡¯s something really pleasant about our feathers brushing against each other. I discover that Liana is ever more tired that she lets show on her face.

    ¡°Go straight to bed, Li,¡± I scold her. ¡°You¡¯re in no condition to waste mana.¡±

    ¡°But I have to train, we promised,¡± she insists but her voice lacks her usual drive.

    ¡°Not if we¡¯re not feeling well, I¡¯m sure,¡± I shake my head and look at her guards. ¡°Take the Viceroy to her apartment, she needs to rest.¡±

    Liana wants to protest but I can tell she¡¯s secretly glad for my intervention. I hope I wasn¡¯t acting weird in front of Taranah but it seems even he could tell that Liana is exhausted by just looking at her so he isn¡¯t suspecting anything.

    ¡°It¡¯s heart-warming to see how concerned you are for your subjects, Your Majesty,¡± Taranah smiles and feels genuinely moved.

    ¡°Not a subject, Liana is my close friend,¡± I correct him with a frown. ¡°And I consider you my friend as well. Did you forget how many times we went for raids together when Draconia was still a game?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t but this isn¡¯t just a game anymore,¡± he objects. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being so blunt but it¡¯s evident you don¡¯t realise how crushing your presence is, Your Majesty. I can¡¯t be familiar with you, it¡¯s simply impossible.¡±

    ¡°C-crushing?¡± I¡¯m confused by that word. Liana never mentioned anything.

    Taranah stretches his wing and gently touches mine.

    ¡°I can feel your mana leaking, Your Majesty,¡± he says and his golden eyes mirror both admiration and slight apprehension. ¡°You¡¯re like a blinding sun. So full of magic. The Viceroy, despite being the second highest-ranked Celestial, doesn¡¯t come even close. Why are you holding back during our training?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not holding back,¡± I gasp at that accusation. ¡°I¡¯m struggling with this spell¡­ just as you.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± he narrows his eyes. ¡°So you¡¯re sabotaging yourself subconsciously?¡±

    I stare at him. What the hell is he talking about?

    ¡°Your mana channelling is so delicate I can¡¯t even comprehend it,¡± he says. ¡°Yet, with this spell today¡­ I noticed your hesitation each time the symbol gets more solid.¡±

    ¡°I was recovering for more than a week, I¡¯m just out of practice,¡± I try to defend myself. ¡°Our levels should be approximately the same now.¡±

    ¡°Except you managed a level 10 healing spell that one time,¡± Taranah says calmly.

    He¡¯s still touching my wing so I carefully connect to his mind. I don¡¯t want to intrude his privacy but I need to know what he¡¯s thinking right now. I need to know how he sees me. His mind is totally Celestial, he doesn¡¯t even try to understand human thinking anymore. He gave up humanity completely.

    And in his eyes, it¡¯s an unquestionable truth that I¡¯m the Emperor.

    *****

    I somehow manage to ride the elevator without Erik. Miruel offers to comfort me instead of him because it¡¯s only mildly uncomfortable for her so far but I refuse. I need to become stronger on my own. When did I become so reliant on others anyway? I was always so independent.

    I left Grandma¡¯s apartment as soon as I started earning money from streaming which was in my third year of secondary school. Since then, I¡¯ve lived on my own. My telepathy made it hard for me, especially when I started dating and became addicted to the minds of my lovers but I¡¯d always managed to get by without any help.

    Everything is different now. Never would I ever have thought that the time comes when being alone becomes something unattainable. That I¡¯d have people who depend on me and I¡¯d depend on them. But I guess there¡¯re also good things in all this mess. I have true friends who accept me even with my telepathy. And I have Erik. I don¡¯t mind depending on them and I want to become someone they can rely on as well.

    I stop by Liana¡¯s apartment, wanting to check up on her. Maybe even invite her for dinner to our place. But I realise that she¡¯s sleeping. It¡¯s easy to tell, a sleeping mind is not conscious and feels veiled. She must have been even more tired than I thought.

    ¡°Should we wake Her Excellency up for you, Your Majesty?¡± the guard standing in front of the door asks me. ¡°Do you need to discuss something with her?¡±

    ¡°W-what? Of course not!¡± I shake my head wildly. ¡°I just wanted to make sure she¡¯s okay.¡±

    I frown at him, angry that he¡¯d seriously do that if I commanded it. I was out for ten days when I was recovering and it seems a lot of things have changed during my absence. Our bodies have kept adjusting, everyone¡¯s wings are much bigger now. But it¡¯s mainly subtle things that make me nervous. The way Draconians behave and it¡¯s becoming more and more prominent. How differently they think. How I think.

    I head to our apartment. I promised Erik I won¡¯t be late and it¡¯s already ten past seven. I¡¯m not in a particularly good mood but my worries dissolve immediately when I reach our living room. Erik is waiting for me with a huge bowl of popcorn and a grin on his face.

    ¡°I was thinking we could have a movie night,¡± he says. He¡¯s changed into comfortable homely clothes I haven¡¯t seen on him for a long time.

    ¡°Oh,¡± I¡¯m pleasantly taken aback. ¡°Okay?¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t done this since it all started,¡± he pulls me close and kisses me. ¡°Let¡¯s celebrate your recovery and today¡¯s successful meeting.¡±

    ¡°Alone?¡± I whisper and I look around because Cien the maid is bringing some blankets for us and my guards are standing at the door.

    ¡°Alone, they¡¯ll leave soon,¡± he assures me. ¡°Let¡¯s get you changed into something more comfortable too.¡±

    I¡¯m glad for that. While I got perfectly used to Celestial fashion by now, this ceremonial robe is rather hard to move in and I don¡¯t want to stain it accidentally. Erik helps me change into my sleeping kimono and puts a light robe on me so that I¡¯m not cold. My shoes are exchanged for warm slippers that match Erik¡¯s. At least something we can have the same.

    When we return to the living room, Cien is putting two pizzas on the coffee table and the guards are slowly leaving.

    ¡°Enjoy your evening, Your Majesty, Royal Consort,¡± she smiles at us and closes the door behind her.

    ¡°Finally alone!¡± I celebrate. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going nuts by so many people being around us all the time?¡±

    ¡°A bit,¡± he admits and we spend a few moments cuddling.

    ¡°Our pizza will go cold,¡± Erik realises and has to gently push me aside because I¡¯m not willing to let go. ¡°We have the whole evening free, love. There¡¯ll be time and place for more cuddling. I¡¯m afraid I have to agree with the doctor that you have to eat.¡±

    I puff but obediently sit down on the sofa. Erik fiddles with the screen¡¯s remote, turns off the lights and sits down beside me. I hug him with my left wing and envelop him in my feathers instead of a blanket. He winks at me gratefully because he loves when I do that.

    Because there¡¯s no one who would control my table manners, I use telekinesis to pass us the first slice of pizza¡ªveggie for me, ham for Erik. The film starts but I don¡¯t really care about that. I¡¯m enjoying the fact that I have this rare moment of calm relaxation with my boyfriend. Now more than ever I wish that I was just an ordinary Celestial.

    Five minutes into the film I finally realise that Erik picked up a superhero movie that was recently in cinemas. I guess I mentioned once or twice that I¡¯d like to go see it with him. But that was before the Great Evolution, it feels ages ago. But he remembered. My thoughtful perfect boyfriend remembered for me.

    ¡°What, are you not a geek anymore?¡± he teases me because he notices I¡¯m watching him instead of the screen.

    ¡°I certainly still am,¡± I poke him and pass us another slice of pizza.

    I decide to focus on the movie more. I haven¡¯t seen a movie or played a videogame since it all started. I was either sick, working or injured. It¡¯s easy to forget one¡¯s hobbies when overwhelmed. But If I can have these evenings with my boyfriend, maybe life won¡¯t be as bad even if I¡¯m the Emperor.

    The pizzas disappear soon so we switch to crunching popcorn. Cien left us cola and mango juice so there¡¯s plenty to drink too. I¡¯m pleasantly surprised that I¡¯m still able to enjoy such a movie even though one appeal of it is gone. The world is full of people with superpowers now.

    As the movie progresses, we both relax completely in each other¡¯s embrace but we don¡¯t get sleepy. On the contrary, we¡¯re excited for what¡¯s to come. The moment final credits appear on the screen, I¡¯m already pushing Erik on his back, my wings trembling with anticipation. It¡¯s a miracle I managed to hold for so long but the movie was very good and it¡¯s been ages since I could do something geeky.

    I¡¯m almost choking Erik with hungry kisses and my feathers are everywhere. We had careful sex a few times when my recovery was almost done but nothing wild. I feel like we need to make up for it now.

    ¡°B-bedroom,¡± Erik gasps for breath and tries to sit up.

    I don¡¯t want to split even for a second so I grab him around his neck and wrap my legs around his waist. He has to hug me between my wings with one hand and support my weight under my bottom with the other in order to stand up. My wings get in the way of him walking so I twist them around his body.

    ¡°Love,¡± he wheezes but bravely carries me even though he can¡¯t see much through my feathers.

    At least Celestials are very light so he somehow manages to transport me into our bedroom. I want to push him on his back again the moment I touch the mattress but he smirks and doesn¡¯t let me. Although it¡¯d never sleep like that, I don¡¯t mind lying on my wings if it¡¯s not for too long and it¡¯s soft beneath me.

    Erik is happy for that, he likes to dominate me. If only my subjects knew that I¡¯m totally submissive in bed. Maybe I would hopefully lose some of their respect if they found out? Well, let¡¯s not test that, we don¡¯t have enough privacy as it is.

    I fully connect to Erik and my sensations intensify. I create a telepathic loop and now we both know what the other feels. Can there be higher pleasure? As a telepath since birth, I have no idea how normal sex feels like. It is too plain compared to this? Or more exciting because you don¡¯t know what the other person wants so you have to experiment?

    ¡°Erik, I love you,¡± I whisper between moans and my surroundings blur.

    There¡¯s only him in the whole world in moments like these.

    *****

    I wake up and for a few seconds I¡¯m confused because it¡¯s the middle of the night. I¡¯m usually so exhausted that my sleep is hardly ever interrupted. But something woke me up. I look at Erik sleeping soundly under my left wing.

    I take a deep breath and go into light meditation. My telepathy sharpens and I quickly scan the building. Most people are asleep, only the security guarding the skyscraper is awake. Dead quiet. No negative emotions whatsoever. We should be safe.

    I open my eyes again and realise that this strange unrest is coming from me. What is it? I feel at peace but at the same time so uncomfortable. I caress Erik¡¯s face, trying to fall asleep again while connecting to his mind. It should be like a lullaby of sorts. But no such luck, I¡¯m too restless.

    I quietly stretch my wings. It seems restlessness is mainly in my feathered limbs. I slowly sit up, then stand up from our bed and try to stretch my wings fully to relieve soreness. The room isn¡¯t big enough, though. What is my current wingspan right now? Seven meters?

    I almost let out a cry when it finally hits me. I feel at peace because I¡¯m finally complete. And I feel restless¡­ because I desperate wish to fly. My body is done adjusting. I¡¯m purely Celestial now. I¡¯m ready to hit the sky!

    Erik suddenly snores. It¡¯s rather cute but it startles me and my wings hit the window. Fortunately, it does nothing to the fortified glass. I turn around and look longingly outside. Windows in a skyscraper can¡¯t be opened, of course, due to security reasons. I shudder at the thought what I¡¯d do if I could open it. I don¡¯t think anything in the world could stop me from just flying away.

    I sit down and keep staring. The sky is so near and at the same time so far. Do they really mean to keep me inside until more Celestials are able to accompany me? What torture! I have to speak to Liana the first thing in the morning about it. I have to¡­

    My eyes finally close. I fall asleep enveloped in my warm feathers, squeezing to the glass.

 41. (Un)Bound

    ¡°Ehm¡­ what are you doing, hon?¡±

    Erik shakes me gently. I reluctantly open my eyes, still very sleepy. For a few moments, I feel disoriented and don¡¯t know why I¡¯m snuggling into my wings while lying on the floor.

    ¡°I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn¡¯t fall asleep again,¡± I recall and rub my eyes. ¡°I guess I finally dozed off when staring out of the window.¡±

    ¡°Silly, you should have woken me up. Up you go,¡± he pulls me onto my feet. ¡°Aren¡¯t you sore?¡±

    ¡°A bit,¡± I admit and stretch, careful not to hit anything with my wings.

    And then the realisation hits me. I couldn¡¯t fall asleep because I was too excited that my transformation has finished. My body is fully prepared to fly! I want to share the happy news with Erik immediately but something stops me. Erik is looking at me with concern. He¡¯s analysing my huge wings which I can¡¯t even stretch properly in our bedroom.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be able to fly soon,¡± he says, not knowing that I already can. ¡°I¡¯m worried, Ryuu. How do we make it safe for you? What if some lunatic tries to shoot at you?¡±

    Shiver goes down my spine. Okay, I haven¡¯t thought about that. Erik did and he feels really anxious as a result. He¡¯s afraid to let me out.

    ¡°I¡¯m training to be able to cast shields,¡± I assure him.

    Do I tell him now? But I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to help me persuade Liana that I¡¯ll be fine on my own. He will most probably take her side instead. I have to approach it differently like trying hard at today¡¯s training session. Did I really hold back last time? Was Taranah right? Well, I have a new motivation now!

    ¡°Hopefully, we should still have some time and Liana will come up with something,¡± Erik says, oblivious to my inner turmoil as I hide my thinking from him. I don¡¯t feel good about it because I don¡¯t want any secrets between us but, at the same time, I don¡¯t want to worry him unnecessarily.

    Erik opens the door and lets my maids in. While we were given some privacy in the evening, morning is evidently a different chapter. I quickly go to wash my face, brush my teeth and then obediently stand up, allowing Cien and Ayala to put a royal attire on me. I think I¡¯d manage just fine if I used telekinesis but they¡¯re definitely much faster and know how to tie every layer properly without crumpling the fabric.

    ¡°Do we have a hairdresser in the skyscraper?¡± I ask when they proceed to style my hair. ¡°I need a haircut. My hair is too long and gets in the way.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way we¡¯re cutting your beautiful silver hair, Your Majesty,¡± Ayala rejects the idea without even thinking about it for a second. ¡°If you feel it gets in the way, we can braid it.¡±

    I frown. It¡¯s my hair, don¡¯t I have any say in the matter or what? It seems I don¡¯t. The maids start arguing about a hairpin and totally ignore my request.

    So are you their Emperor or not? Erik is confused about it but pretends that he¡¯s busy dressing up so that we don¡¯t leak our sweet little secret.

    Draconia Online was a fantasy game set in a fictitious historical era with magic but Celestial culture was actually based on ancient China, I answer him, pondering myself.

    No shit. I don¡¯t know much about it but I suspect ancient Chinese Emperors didn¡¯t have it exactly easy, right? Endless political meetings, strict court procedures and keeping appearances?

    Well, let¡¯s hope not everything got transferred here to the letter, I say. Besides, Celestial culture is still a bit different, it was only inspired by it.

    But still¡­ damn, Ryuu.

    ¡°We¡¯re done, Your Majesty,¡± Cien informs me.

    I check myself in the mirror. She tried to tie my hair so that it doesn¡¯t get in the way so much but she still left most of it loose. I resist sighing and stand up. Erik looks so modern and smart compared to me. Do we look weird together? But I simply don¡¯t care about that, smile at my boyfriend and we leave our apartment as a proud couple.

    I meet Liana in the hall which is rare. She usually wakes up much earlier than me and Erik. She looks rested and energised. For a second, I can¡¯t help wondering. Did she take it as friendly advice (which was my intention) or an order from her Emperor? Would she even listen to me like that? I¡¯m afraid to find out.

    ¡°Thanks for yesterday,¡± she tells me instead of good morning. ¡°Sometimes I don¡¯t know when to stop.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t,¡± I chuckle but then I get serious.

    How do I tell her? Will she listen to me? I used to think she at least partially kept her human perspective but ever since she disclosed my secret to other people without consulting with me first, I know for sure that she didn¡¯t. She¡¯s just relaxed around me, unlike others, so it might seem that way. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll let me out on my own no matter how much I plead.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Ingri?¡± I ask instead. ¡°I feel her but she¡¯s quite far away.¡±

    ¡°She wakes up very early and goes out every morning,¡± Liana says. ¡°Apparently, the Earthborn don¡¯t need to sleep so many hours but they need the sun and fresh air to recharge.¡±

    Okay, now we¡¯re back to my yesterday¡¯s question.

    ¡°Li? Why do I feel everyone can get out but me?¡± I ask and look straight into her eyes.

    My Viceroy sighs but withstands my stare.

    ¡°Because that¡¯s exactly how it is right now, Aefener,¡± she answers honestly. ¡°We¡¯re just one skyscraper surrounded by other skyscrapers and countless smaller buildings in this business area. Our security guards the perimeter fiercely but the fluctuation of people around us is very high. It simply isn¡¯t safe out there.¡±

    ¡°Ingri can get out, though,¡± I remark enviously.

    ¡°I hate to say it but Ingri is nobody,¡± Liana bites her lip. ¡°Sure, she¡¯s quite famous for being seen next to us all the time so I assigned her some bodyguards when she goes out, of course, but she¡¯s just a glorified secretary. By the way, I can¡¯t go out either.¡±

    ¡°But Emi can,¡± I narrow my eyes.

    ¡°Emi is a race ruler, I have no authority over her,¡± she rolls her eyes because Emi really doesn¡¯t listen to anyone. ¡°She takes her whole pack for her morning jogs so she should be safe enough. Besides, Clawfangs think differently about their ruler.¡±

    ¡°Differently how?¡± Erik pulls my sleeve. ¡°I thought you¡¯re all rulers for life¡ªmedieval style.¡±

    ¡°Actually, that¡¯s true only for Celestials,¡± Liana explains to him patiently. ¡°When it comes to Clawfangs, anyone can challenge the Supreme Alpha and if they win the duel, they become the new ruler. It¡¯s the same for the Dragonkin. As for the Earthborn ruling duo, they lose the post if their harmonic relationship breaks.¡±

    ¡°So Ryuu can¡¯t abdicate?¡± Erik is taken aback. I guess he was hoping that if things get too unbearable for me, I could just resign or something.

    ¡°That word doesn¡¯t exist in the Celestial lore,¡± Liana shakes her head and takes out her phone that starts vibrating.

    ¡°If that was ever an option, I¡¯d do it already,¡± I confirm with a sorrowful sigh.

    ¡°That¡¯s so¡­ alien,¡± Erik scratches his chin.

    ¡°It¡¯s Luvi, we¡¯re late,¡± Liana says and that means the end of the topic for now. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work, boys.¡±

    *****

    I want to somehow turn the conversation to my finished transformation during the day but I don¡¯t get any favourable chance. We¡¯re so busy that we have just a sandwich for breakfast while already dealing with more meetings. As for lunch, Bauerova invited some members of her government to discuss how Bohemia should continue supporting us.

    In order not to embarrass myself, Liana sits right next to me, our wings touching, and gives me hints which cutlery to use and when. I have no idea how one can enjoy formal lunches. I¡¯d like to focus on my meal but, instead, the invited ministers just go on discussing work, not bothering with any actual break.

    ¡°Ryuu, finish that,¡± Erik nudges me because I don¡¯t feel like eating everything on my plate when I can¡¯t properly enjoy it. ¡°Luvi told me you have a medical check-up at four and I don¡¯t want to hear from Julia that you lost weight again.¡±

    I resist rolling my eyes but I eat the rest. Liana looks at me approvingly.

    You don¡¯t have to be special in everything, you know? She tells me in her thoughts, half-jokingly. We Celestials should naturally have a great appetite because of our fast metabolism and calories being converted into mana. Yet, for some reason, our Emperor is an exception again and we have to constantly force you to eat properly.

    I¡¯m trying, I sigh in my mind.

    In the afternoon, we call our Celestial communities all over the world. After that, Liana makes me record another official statement. She doesn¡¯t say so explicitly but I have no doubt it¡¯ll appear on the main news. I decide not to confirm that, choosing blissful ignorance.

    ¡°Medical check-up, then training,¡± Luvi reminds us when political work is finally over.

    I haven¡¯t been nervous about visiting the infirmary ever since I befriended the doctor but I get a bit nervous now. Julia is working on analysing my DNA, right? Will she have some early results? Will she find out that my transformation is over?

    The infirmary has changed rooms it seems, the guards lead us just two floors under the main offices. I meet countless Draconians hard at work and minding their business until I show up. While they behave much more orderly because they apparently got important jobs within our headquarters, my appearance still causes a stir.

    ¡°Have you fully recovered, Your Majesty?¡±

    ¡°Oh, your right wing is still missing some feathers!¡±

    ¡°You protected all of us!¡±

    I¡¯m trying to smile at everyone while my guards make some space so that we can pass. Fortunately, my guards are evidently well-respected so nobody dares to bother me too much. Erik¡¯s influence is also helping a lot. He¡¯s menacingly frowning at anyone who comes too close and is hugging me behind my back protectively.

    I¡¯m comforting myself that they just have to get used to me, that¡¯s all. I¡¯ll be better when I finally get to know everyone in our administration personally. So far, they mainly know me from the media, no wonder they make a fuss. Whether I like it or not, I became the face of Draconia. It¡¯s creepy to think that I probably come up in every internet search with connection to the Great Evolution and new races.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Your Majesty,¡± Julia opens the door because she must have heard the commotion coming from the corridor. ¡°You¡¯re just twenty minutes late, that¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Just?¡± I sigh. ¡°Sorry for being late, Julia, we had an important online meeting with the Asian Celestial community.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re late on purpose,¡± she waves her hand and shows us inside.

    ¡°Oh, neat!¡± Erik comments enthusiastically and looks around.

    I also scan the room. The space is half infirmary, half laboratory. Everything is brand new and super modern. Julia isn¡¯t here alone, I notice her Earthborn assistant she was mentioning. So that¡¯s the guy who knows my secret and I haven¡¯t even met him until now? That¡¯s sooo weird!

    ¡°Your Majesty, my name¡¯s Noage,¡± the Earthborn bows to me deeply and I notice the roots in his hands poke out. ¡°Oops, sorry, that¡¯s embarrassing. But I can¡¯t help it, I¡¯m just too excited to finally meet you.¡±

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Is he that eager to examine me? The Earthborn are genetic engineers by trade after all. Even Ingri said she couldn¡¯t help herself when I was injured and wanted to start healing me right away. Noage looks very different from my friend, though. His skin is dark blue, his eyes orange and his hair doesn¡¯t resemble hair anymore, more like countless tiny leaves. He¡¯s also very tall, even taller than Erik. If I didn¡¯t have my huge wings, I¡¯d look tiny next to him.

    ¡°As I already assured you, Your Majesty, Noage¡¯s background has been thoroughly checked by the Viceroy herself and he has signed the strictest confidentiality contract possible,¡± Julia says quickly.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Draconian, I need no contract for that,¡± Noage puffs and looks offended. ¡°I¡¯m honoured that her Excellency chose me among so many candidates and I promise to do my best.¡±

    It makes me ponder. Is Draconian loyalty really that unquestionable? Noage is an Earthborn so I have no authority over him, he¡¯s Twyla and Werden¡¯s subject. Still, I study his feeling and it doesn¡¯t seem probable he would betray us. Not to humans anyway.

    Julia then tells me to sit on the bed and starts by examining my ribs and my right wing.

    ¡°Perfectly healed,¡± she assures me. ¡°Is the wing muscle still a bit sore?¡±

    ¡°No really,¡± I shake my head.

    ¡°Good,¡± she smiles, content. ¡°Would you let Noage work his magic? We¡¯re analysing your samples but we didn¡¯t get too far, I¡¯m afraid. Genetic research is very time-consuming. Maybe the Earthborn special power will tell us something.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m training every day and I don¡¯t want to boast but I should be among the best Earthborn healers,¡± Noage says and wants to sound humble but he¡¯s anything but that. He¡¯s too proud of his abilities. Well, at least someone is confident if I¡¯m not.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I allow, curious what a full Earthborn connection is like. I¡¯ve experienced it with Ingri before but Noage seems to be a much higher level with actual medical knowledge.

    Noage grins happily, pushes a chair next to me and asks me to roll my sleeve. Then he gently grabs my hand and attaches his rooty tentacles all over my forearm. Erik sits on the bed behind me and starts caressing my feathers to make himself busy.

    As expected, Noage¡¯s connection is much more confident than Ingri¡¯s. I bet he¡¯s been training on many patients. While Ingri does it intuitively, Noage seems to be perfectly aware of what he¡¯s doing and goes after specific things with utmost precision. Earthborn doctors will be truly impressive once they gain enough experience and level up.

    I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯ll be seeing a few things in your mind whether I want to or not, I tell him telepathically. I can¡¯t help it when someone is touching me.

    I know, Your Majesty, he doesn¡¯t even flinch which is admirable. Her Excellency told me everything. Please, relax and let me examine you.

    I close my eyes and focus on Erik caressing my wings. If I was in a better seating position, I might have dozed off. Gosh, I¡¯m so tired after today.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy to inform you that your transformation is complete, Your Majesty,¡± Noage says solemnly after several minutes of total concentration. ¡°You¡¯re purely Celestial now.¡±

    Dammit! He¡¯s that good at reading my body?

    ¡°Oho!¡± Julia claps her hands happily. ¡°That¡¯s great news!¡±

    I chew my lip.

    ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t you happy about it, love?¡± Erik kisses me on my cheek, also more than happy.

    ¡°I¡­ I knew already,¡± I admit and avoid his gaze. ¡°That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t sleep tonight. I was too restless.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us then?¡± he grabs my chin so that I look at him properly. ¡°Silly, you could have told me at least. Are you that nervous about it?¡±

    ¡°Because they won¡¯t let me fly anytime soon anyway and everyone would make a big deal out of it,¡± I mumble. ¡°Can¡¯t it stay just between us for the time being?¡±

    But Julia is holding her phone, frantically typing something.

    ¡°Medical privacy, doc?¡± Erik frowns.

    ¡°What?¡± she finally looks up but her finger sends the message. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not in my contract. Her Excellency needs to be informed about His Majesty¡¯s health condition.¡±

    ¡°Is that even legal?¡± Erik gets angry while I was half-expecting something like that. And, to be honest, I don¡¯t have the energy to get angry about it anymore. It is what it is. It¡¯d be na?ve to assume that Celestials are democratic.

    ¡°You mean legal in the EU or according to the Celestial lore?¡± Julia says calmly. ¡°That¡¯s two very different things, Erik. And we¡¯re in the Draconian embassy.¡±

    ¡°Could you stretch your wings for me, Your Majesty? Let¡¯s measure your final wingspan,¡± Noage asks me politely and also doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s weird in any way. I¡¯m the Emperor so my closest subjects have all the right to know everything about me.

    I carefully stretch my wings while Erik quickly moves things in my immediate vicinity away. I still can¡¯t unfold them fully because of the furniture but the laser measuring tape doesn¡¯t require that, fortunately.

    ¡°Oh, 7.2 meters!¡± Noage is taken aback. ¡°I guess a few centimetres might differ slightly from Celestial to Celestial, taking into account the person¡¯s height and body structure.¡±

    I sigh and fold my wings back, accidentally smashing Erik¡¯s face but he doesn¡¯t complain. My poor boyfriend is kind of used to it by now. Celestials are very clumsy on the ground and especially in small spaces.

    ¡°Why are you sad, Ryuu?¡± Erik kisses my feathers that smacked him just a second ago. ¡°Your wings are beautiful and magnificent.¡±

    ¡°Because I want to fly right now!¡± I whine.

    Suddenly, the door bursts open and Liana barges in.

    ¡°I¡¯VE JUST HEARD! IS IT REALLY TRUE?¡±

    ¡°True,¡± Noage confirms proudly. ¡°His Majesty¡¯s wingspan is 7.2 metres.¡±

    ¡°Oh, measure me! Come on!¡± Liana presses the young Earthborn medic. ¡°So? How much do I still need to grow them?¡±

    ¡°Your current wingspan is 5.7 metres, Your Excellency,¡± Noage informs her. ¡°You still have at least three weeks in front of you.¡±

    Three weeks!?

    ¡°Li, I can¡¯t possibly wait that long,¡± I implore her.

    ¡°It¡¯ll pass by quickly, we¡¯re extremely busy,¡± she waves her hand, oblivious to my turmoil. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aefener, but we really can¡¯t let you out alone. At least you¡¯ll be more motivated to train. Taranah told me you¡¯re not trying hard enough.¡±

    Okay, that actually offends me. Not trying hard enough? Just because I¡¯m not meeting their ridiculous expectations of me? My feathers get all puffy with irritation.

    ¡°That came out wrong,¡± Liana apologises readily, noticing my fluster. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Aefener, but we¡¯re too afraid something bad might happen to you if you go alone. Could wait for us, please? And practice the Minor Shield in the meanwhile?¡±

    I slowly nod. But I know deep down that I¡¯m possibly promising something I won¡¯t be able to keep.

    *****

    ¡°Your Majesty, be care---!¡±

    Eager to master the shield, I put in my everything. However, the spell not only breaks its symbol, it goes berserk. The telekinetic wave throws me, Taranah, Liana and four guards away while shattering the mirrors on the wall.

    I gasp but, fortunately, I land quite safely on my butt. I quickly look around but it doesn¡¯t seem we have any injuries except for a few bruises. Glass shards are all over the floor but we weren¡¯t standing near the mirrors.

    ¡°Li, are you okay?¡± I get up as soon as possible and hurry to my friend who is swearing loudly because she sat on her wings which is extremely uncomfortable for a Celestial.

    ¡°S-somehow,¡± she wheezes and lets me help her back on her feet. ¡°Damn, Aefener, now you¡¯re overdoing it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry,¡± I apologise profoundly. ¡°Everyone okay?¡±

    Taranah gives me a thump up but it seems he hit his elbow. The guards are mostly without a scratch because they managed to brace themselves against the impact. I guess Fefnir chose only those more physically fit and sharp for the position.

    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day,¡± Liana shakes her head and tries to fix her robe. ¡°Our Emperor is obviously too excited for casting right now.¡±

    *****

    ¡°Don¡¯t be grumpy,¡± Erik pokes my forehead and squeezes next to me on the sofa.

    I got home but I still have to process a few emails so I¡¯m sitting with my laptop on, replying to our Celestial community in Thailand. I¡¯m trying to give them some encouragement while thinking hard how to answer their question on how they should manage themselves without me being there.

    ¡°Every country would need their representative,¡± I¡¯m thinking aloud. ¡°We can¡¯t possibly communicate with every group, it¡¯s too time-consuming and simply not effective. I¡¯m afraid I need to appoint officials who would carry out our directives in my stead.¡±

    ¡°How many Celestials are there anyway?¡± Erik gets curious.

    ¡°Well, Draconia Offline had over 15 million players world-wide,¡± I say. ¡°Celestials should make at least one tenth of that.¡±

    ¡°What? Not a quarter?¡± Erik doesn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Not that many gamers played as Celestials,¡± I explain. ¡°While it¡¯s surely attractive to be able to fly, a great majority of people are afraid of heights even in VR and get vertigo. In addition, a high percentage couldn¡¯t persuade their brain to control non-existent additional limbs to a functional level. A tail doesn¡¯t seem to be such a problem apparently.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, so there aren¡¯t that many of your race,¡± Erik ponders.

    ¡°Clawfangs were the most popular choice followed by the Dragonkin. The Earthborn were also not as numerous since their skill system is very difficult to comprehend,¡± I say.

    ¡°Emi certainly has a lot of people to manage then.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t envy her that,¡± I nod and have to slap Erik¡¯s hand because he¡¯s touching where he¡¯s not supposed to. ¡°I¡¯m still working if you can¡¯t see that.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be, it¡¯s already half past eight,¡± Erik purses his lips.

    He¡¯s totally right about that, of course. But I have to finish it, they¡¯re waiting for my response. Erik wants to pet my wings while waiting but I have to reject him. I wouldn¡¯t be able to focus if I was getting his thoughts.

    ¡°Will you shower today?¡± he asks, standing up after he finally gave up his advances.

    ¡°Nope,¡± I shake my head. It¡¯s a big advantage that Celestials don¡¯t sweat much because it¡¯s a bother to shower with my huge wings.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get an early start then,¡± he kisses me and goes to the bathroom.

    I¡¯m so focused that I notice only when Luviael sits next to me that the guards let my adjutant in. So much for the privacy in my own apartment. But she stopped by because she means to help me so I appreciate her assistance.

    ¡°Do we have some free funds to send them immediately?¡± I ask her. ¡°They want to establish their own embassy but they don¡¯t have much money to rent a house big enough for that kind of thing. Most of them lost their jobs.¡±

    ¡°The budget is tight,¡± Luvi sighs. ¡°Her Excellency¡¯s company is still making a huge profit but she can¡¯t spend it all overseas.¡±

    I frown and log into my personal account. I almost faint when I see the amount of money that accumulated there while I wasn¡¯t checking. My followers keep sending me donations and I also get a generous salary from Liana because, on the paper, I¡¯m technically the employee of AstraTech. With my Mom¡¯s loan already paid in full, it feels weird to become so rich out of the blue.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need my salary, Liana is wasting money on me,¡± I shake my head. ¡°Why the hell do I even earn as much as some renowned CEO anyway?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re working as hard as one? No, even harder,¡± she points out. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re the Emperor, not some common director.¡±

    But I don¡¯t care. I have no use for that kind of money. I don¡¯t even pay the rent for this apartment or for clothes and food. So I send a decent sum to the Thailand community.

    ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re so generous,¡± Luviael is moved.

    I don¡¯t feel generous. I feel responsible. And privileged. I live protected in Liana¡¯s skyscraper while my people out there have to struggle every day. We might have been acknowledged as nations but racism towards Draconians didn¡¯t cease at all. I get reports everyday saying that employers refuse Draconians and not many landowners are willing to rent them places to live.

    ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do,¡± I murmur.

    As I¡¯m about to finally shut the laptop close, there¡¯s a call. Is the work never ending? I pick up and it¡¯s one of Thai Celestials that was temporarily chosen to represent them. I don¡¯t know her from the game, she was from some guild that wasn¡¯t that high in the charts. She¡¯s thanking me on behalf of all Celestials living in Thailand. But it¡¯s actually me who feels truly grateful. She¡¯s trying to hold things together over there without any resources.

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik returns, smelling after his favourite soap, and gets seriously annoyed that I¡¯m still working and my adjutant is here.

    ¡°Done,¡± I finally close everything and put my laptop on the table. I quickly get up and kiss him. ¡°You smell nice.¡±

    ¡°Good night, Your Majesty, Royal Consort,¡± Luvi flees because Erik is giving her very strong signals that she¡¯s not supposed to be here at this hour.

    ¡°Sorry, are you angry?¡± I hug my boyfriend because I feel uneasiness coming from him.

    ¡°Not at you. I¡¯m angry at people stealing your attention after work hours.¡±

    ¡°Erik, this isn¡¯t exactly a job with a fixed timetable,¡± I remind him.

    ¡°And I know that,¡± he sighs. ¡°But I can be still pissed about it, right?¡±

    ¡°You have my full attention now,¡± I kiss him again and make it into an avalanche of tender kisses. His mood finally brightens and I take him whole.

    *****

    Once again, I wake up in the middle of the night. My back hurts, my wings are sore and I shiver with restlessness. I feel like crying. My Celestial nature longs for the sky and the realisation that I can¡¯t reach it anytime soon is maddening. Will lying next to the windows help? Or will it make it even worse to stare at something I can¡¯t have?

    I try sitting up but Erik¡¯s strong arms capture me. I was so focused on my discomfort that I didn¡¯t notice he woke up. His peaceful sleep was probably disrupted by my jarred emotions.

    ¡°Don¡¯t suffer it alone, silly,¡± he tells me softly.

    ¡°It hurts, Erik,¡± I complain.

    ¡°Lie down on your stomach, love, I¡¯ll give you a massage,¡± he kisses me on my forehead and helps me change position.

    His hands always give me pleasure and this time is no different. My wings strop trembling a few minutes into the massage when my poor muscles finally relax. I don¡¯t know when I finally dozed off.

    *****

    Erik¡¯s massage last night helped me a lot but when I wake up, I feel sore again. I have to force myself to smile at him and pretend that the relief he gave me didn¡¯t last only for a couple of hours. I don¡¯t want to worry him more than he already is.

    I feel awful. I¡¯m groggy and everything I perceive is kind of veiled. The maids dress me up but I don¡¯t bother looking at myself in the mirror. Not even Erik being really handsome in his suit excites me. Luviael waits for us in front of our apartment and tells me something but I don¡¯t really pay attention and answer something generic.

    ¡°Are you okay, Your Majesty?¡± Luvi tils her head, noticing the change in me.

    ¡°Just tired,¡± I lie and yawn.

    ¡°He couldn¡¯t sleep well, his wings were sore,¡± Erik sighs.

    ¡°I can arrange a professional wellness massage for you,¡± she offers readily. ¡°Today after your magic training?¡±

    ¡°That would be great,¡± I answer but I doubt it¡¯ll provide any long-term relief.

    We get to the office and someone puts a fresh sandwich and a smoothie into my hands. I chew and sip mechanically, not really feeling any particular taste. Everything is in a haze. There¡¯s a meeting and, fortunately, Liana does most of the talking. I say something from time to time, probably not anything clever.

    There¡¯s lunch. Oh, did four hours pass already? When did the meeting end? I can¡¯t focus. My back hurts. I feel my mana strangely disarrayed. I think I might be to developing a migraine but not because of too many emotions around me¡ªbecause of my back killing me. I close my mind to Erik just in case.

    ¡°Sorry, what did you say?¡± I ask again, wondering how I got to the main briefing room because I can¡¯t remember walking in here.

    ¡°I was asking whether you wish to look at the candidates for our officials now,¡± Luviael repeats and hands me a tablet.

    I take it and realise that I can¡¯t decipher any words on the screen. My head is pounding at this point but I don¡¯t want to take a break because the workload would be crazy tomorrow. I step aside from the table to stretch a bit, hoping it¡¯ll help.

    Thoughtlessly, I walk to the window while trying to read the names. A few are familiar but not many. I longingly look out. It¡¯s so bright out there, just a few clouds in the sky. So blue. So inviting. So close I can almost touch it but my fingers meet the glass.

    It feels almost funny. Is this fragile thing stopping me? Or am I stopping myself? Suddenly, the glass under my fingers cracks. Subconsciously, I must have poured my mana into it. I drop the tablet and it meets the group with a loud thud.

    ¡°R-Ryuu?¡± Erik stands up from the desk, startled. Liana looks up in panic.

    I turn back and look at them. Even my beloved boyfriend is in a haze. Erik¡¯s eyes widen in a sudden realisation of what¡¯s about to happen. But he¡¯s too late. He can never reach me in time. Nobody can stop me now.

    The glass shatters into pieces and it¡¯s beautiful. I carefully steer the shards with telekinesis so that no one gets hurt when the gust of wind hits the room. Then I unfold my wings and jump. I¡¯m free.

 42. The First Flight

    It¡¯s pure instinct¡ªI just know how to fly. My wings listen to my every whim, the wind cooperates and I get a dopamine rush. I¡¯ve never felt so joyful in my life, so free. All my worries disappear and my perception clears.

    The world around me becomes exceedingly colourful and sharp when my Celestial eyes adjust to the bright sunlight. I see everything in full detail and my eyesight reaches to exceptional distances. No other race has a better vision than Celestials and I feel proud about that.

    I¡¯m flying full speed while trying various air acrobatics. I¡¯m not afraid of blunders. I trust my body and the air. I thank the game for being overly realistic because I know exactly what I¡¯m doing. My wing muscles are new but my brain knows how to make them do what I want.

    I feel high. Intoxicated. Just like during the deepest telepathic connection with my beloved. Maybe even more so. I play with the air and it listens. Whatever my body isn¡¯t capable of I can compensate with my racial element. It¡¯s so easy, so obvious. I¡¯m a pure Celestial now and the sky belongs to me.

    My impractical formal robe gets in a way but I can¡¯t drop even a single layer, afraid I might be cold. Why didn¡¯t we think of it sooner? We need to start designing robes for flying right away! For now, I just try to hold the fabric with telekinesis.

    I don¡¯t know how long I play, experiment and just enjoy being in the moment but my body gets tired eventually. My rational thinking finally kicks back and I recall what I¡¯ve done. I broke the glass and run away. Or flew away to be precise. Damn, Liana must be furious and Erik worried sick about me. I have to return.

    I stop myself and hover while looking around. Dread overcomes me when I realise that I have no idea where I am. Sure, I¡¯m still somewhere above Prague but I don¡¯t recognise this district. And now that I think about it¡­ where is Liana¡¯s skyscraper anyway? We were transported there by a helicopter and it didn¡¯t even cross my mind to find out in which part of Prague it is. Google is my friend then.

    I slip my hand into the robe and find the inner pocket¡­ empty. Shit shit shit! I must have left my phone on the desk! What now? There must be hundreds of skyscrapers in Prague and I¡¯m too exhausted at this point to check them one by one. I just need the Internet for a minute and google AstraTech¡¯s properties.

    But what should I do? Should I just land and ask someone nicely if I can borrow their phone? Or find the nearest tourist centre? Would it be safe? What if people go crazy? But I have no choice, my wings are too tired. I have to rest. Where would the best spot be? I look below and the streets are full of people. They¡¯re tiny but with my keen eyesight I can tell they¡¯re staring up and pointing their phones at me.

    I push myself for a bit longer and fly into a less populated area. Oh, a park! Ideal. I¡¯m a bit nervous about safe landing so grass is perfect for that. I steer myself downward, carefully slowing down and measuring the distance. And then I land, my feet meet the ground. It was a bit clumsy but that¡¯s to be expected for my first time.

    Only know I fully realise how much I overdid it. I¡¯m panting, my muscles are sore and I feel like after running a marathon. I might know how to make my wings listen to my every command but my body needs training. I don¡¯t have much stamina yet.

    ¡°Oh my God! Is that¡­?¡±

    I turn around and there¡¯s a young couple just a few metres away from me. They¡¯re staring, of course, and taking out their phones. Phones!

    ¡°Hello,¡± I address them in a friendly way and try to smile. ¡°Could I borrow your phone for a minute, please? I have no idea where I am, to be honest.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really him¡ªthe Celestial Emperor!¡±

    ¡°Record it, we¡¯ll be famous!¡±

    The couple is staring at me in disbelief, a bit afraid but mostly curious. It¡¯s strange to feel humans and no Draconians for a change. They mean me no harm but I¡¯m still wary. Because they look at me and see a non-human spectacle. They see someone very distant they know only from the media and who doesn¡¯t seem like a living feeling being to them. And that¡¯s potentially dangerous.

    ¡°Could you tell me where I am, please?¡± I repeat my question politely and patiently.

    ¡°S-Stromovka,¡± the woman finally blurts out.

    Okay, quite a city centre. Still, what I need to know is where to find AstraTech¡¯s skyscraper.

    ¡°Would you be so kind and lend me your phone for a minute? Or google something for me? I flew a bit irresponsibly and now I have no idea how to return,¡± I say as nicely as possible.

    ¡°Flew¡­ for real,¡± the couple is gaping at my wings, the woman taking countless photos of me as if it¡¯s not rude at all.

    Naturally, I¡¯m starting to attract attention of every passer-by and in just a few moments I¡¯m facing a crowd of people. Their turbulent human emotions freak me out. I can handle a few of them without problems but not dozens. The remains of dopamine rush fades away and the migraine returns. Even more people are coming from all directions. Running towards me. Taking photos, shooting videos.

    These people won¡¯t help me and I¡¯m this close to developing a panic attack so I decide to flee. I stretch my wings to fly away but I wobble because my head starts spinning. I haven¡¯t had a migraine since I moved to the skyscraper so now I get one super strong to make up for that.

    The humans are suddenly everywhere around me and some of them are brave enough to come really close. They¡¯re stretching their hands, hoping to touch my wings. I jerk away but there¡¯s nowhere to retreat. I¡¯m surrounded and flying is out of question with my worsening nausea and wings totally exhausted.

    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s really beautiful!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but he¡¯s the king of those freaks!¡±

    ¡°What is he doing here anyway? No matter, I need a selfie with him!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s really androgynous, isn¡¯t he? Are we sure he¡¯s male under all those layers of fabric?¡±

    ¡°An angel!¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t real angels, you know.¡±

    ¡°Hey, try to fetch one of his feathers! It¡¯ll auction for a fortune!¡±

    A first hand touches my wings. Then another. And another. My head explodes with pain and I almost puke. My instinct screams to throw them away with telekinesis but what if I hurt someone? I¡¯m the guarantor of the fragile peace between humans and Draconians. I have to set an example. Should I just endure it?

    I whine when a hand pulls one of my feathers in an attempt to rip it out. My eyes water and I stagger. I reconsider, prepared to defend myself at this point but the migraine is preventing me from concentrating my mana into a spell. The world is spinning too much and I can¡¯t focus properly. I¡­ I¡¯m completely defenceless.

    ¡°P-please¡­ let me¡­ don¡¯t¡­¡±

    A panic attack overcomes me and numbs my legs. Desperate, I go down on my knees and envelope myself in my wings. I have no idea what to do. Are they going to hurt me? The couple was harmless but in numbers and anonymity people can do the craziest things. Their emotions are tearing my brain apart and excitement transforms into something more sinister.

    And then someone manages to rip the first feather. I scream in pain but that doesn¡¯t stop another person from ripping the second one and giving me a full dose of their hateful feelings towards Draconians. The curiosity is gone entirely. My stomach turns upside down and I puke.

    Was Emi right this whole time? Is it impossible for us to coexist with humans? People like Erik and Julia might be just a rare exception. I don¡¯t want to hate humans the way Emi does but I might develop a trauma all the same when I lose the third feather.

    But then I hear humans shrieking and the crowd starts to disperse in panic. Was someone kind enough to call the police? Am I saved? But something¡¯s wrong. This is no police force. Humans are being thrown away from me mercilessly by both magic and raw strength. The minds of my saviours are Draconian.

    I don¡¯t get to analyse the situation more, though. The emotions all around me intensify to intolerable levels and my brain shuts down.

    *****

    I wake up lying quite comfortably under a warm blanket but I know immediately that it¡¯s not my bed. The minds in my vicinity are all Draconian but I don¡¯t recognise any of them. At least my migraine mitigated so I can think clearly again. But where am I? Definitely not in Liana¡¯s skyscraper. I try to move a little. I lost three feathers but it seems I¡¯m otherwise unhurt.

    ¡°Are you awake, Your Majesty?¡±

    Someone gently pats my shoulder because I¡¯m all snuggled under the blanket. Reluctantly, I peek out. There¡¯s an Earthborn woman with dark green skin and red hair I¡¯ve never seen before. She smiles at me encouragingly and touches my arm. Her rooty tentacles curl around my wrist.

    ¡°I tried to heal your migraine but with no result,¡± she says sadly. ¡°I can¡¯t find the source of it. I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty, I¡¯m still so unskilled.¡±

    ¡°W-where am I?¡± I rub my eyes.

    ¡°In a safe hideout,¡± another voice speaks up. A bulky Dragonkin is standing next to the Earthborn lady. ¡°We had to get you away from the riot, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°A riot?¡± my heart skips a beat. ¡°How long was I out?¡±

    ¡°Two hours,¡± the Earthborn woman says. ¡°Long enough for the videos to go viral across the globe. More than ten people were filming what happened to you. Those idiotic humans had no idea what they were doing when they ripped your feathers.¡±

    ¡°But it was bound to happen sooner or later,¡± the Dragonkin shrugs resignedly.

    ¡°What to happen?¡± I don¡¯t understand and try slowly sitting up. ¡°Ohh,¡± my head is still spinning.

    ¡°For humans to finally show their true colours,¡± he says with an ominous grin while the Earthborn lady helps me sit up.

    ¡°Who are you? How did you know where to find me?¡± I ask and fold my wings close to my back.

    ¡°Fortunately, we were in the vicinity when the first messages of your sudden appearance started trending on social media,¡± the Earthborn woman explains. ¡°We hurried immediately to your rescue. We¡¯re one of many local communities of Draconians that decided to stick together for safety reasons. My name¡¯s Iyapa.¡±

    ¡°Zirand,¡± the Dragonkin seconds.

    ¡°Thank you for saving me,¡± I whisper, not wanting to imagine what might have happened to me if they didn¡¯t show up. ¡°I need to go back or it might develop into a political catastrophe. Did you contact the AstraTech¡¯s skyscraper already? Are they on their way to fetch me?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Zirand shakes his head and is looking at me strangely. ¡°Not until you learn what¡¯s really going on.¡±

    ¡°W-what? What are you talking about?¡± I blink, confused. ¡°You want to keep me here? I order you to release me at once!¡± I try my Emperor¡¯s influence but I know my voice is too weak for that because of my migraine. ¡°Ouch,¡± I massage my temples.

    ¡°We won¡¯t hurt you, Your Majesty, calm down,¡± Iyapa tries to envelop me into her roots again but I jerk away.

    ¡°Did you save me just to abduct me?¡± I accuse them even though I don¡¯t feel bad intentions from them. I can feel lots of hate towards humans, though.

    ¡°We¡¯d never hurt you, Your Majesty!¡± Iyapa repeats urgently. I relax a bit but not because of her words¡ªbecause I can feel her sincerity behind them.

    ¡°We just want to show you a few things before we contact the embassy,¡± Zirand says and hands me a tablet. ¡°Play the video, please.¡±

    I frown at him but take the tablet and push the play button. At first, I have no idea what I¡¯m watching but when it finally comes to me, shiver goes down my spine. It¡¯s a compilation of various videos showing how Draconian are being cruelly mistreated by humans all over the world.

    ¡°B-but¡­,¡± my voice trembles. ¡°I¡­ we¡­ we were trying so hard to prevent that!¡±

    ¡°I know you were,¡± Iyapa says, broken-hearted. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your influence, Your Majesty, it would be much worse than that. We suspect human governments are censoring the Internet and the media, meticulously deleting all evidence. But it¡¯s impossible to filter everything with the sheer amount of information being posted online.¡±

    ¡°How could we not know? How do you know?¡± I ask and wipe a tear that escaped my eyes.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re not dealing with politics 24/7 so we have time for other things,¡± Zirand explains. ¡°And we¡¯re in contact with common Draconians who have to go out at least sometimes and are struggling with money because they lost their jobs. It¡¯s hard to imagine how the little folk live when you¡¯re meeting only rich influential Draconians who are forming governments all over the world.¡±

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    He¡¯s right. Absolutely right. We got too isolated in our skyscraper, especially me. They isolated me. Maybe not for this purpose but the result is the same. I lost a healthy contact with common Draconians. Geez, they won¡¯t even let me go to the cafeteria anymore. I have to do something about that as soon as I return.

    ¡°We want to show you around the building if you¡¯d be so kind and cooperate,¡± Iyapa asks me gently. ¡°Are you well enough to walk?¡±

    ¡°Hopefully,¡± I nod and try slowly standing up. My head spins but sleep helped a lot and I¡¯m able to walk slowly. ¡°What is this place?¡± I look around, realising only now it¡¯s not really an apartment. It¡¯s too battered, old and badly equipped.

    ¡°A squat,¡± Zirand sighs. ¡°We¡¯re sorry to bring Your Imperial Majesty to such a place but you need to see how most of us who were disowned from our families live.¡±

    He opens the door leading into a spacious hall. It turns out to be an old office building or something like that. My eyes widen because it¡¯s full of Draconians¡ªall ages and races. Their eyes fixate on me the moment I show up and the hall gets unnaturally quiet before an uproar erupts.

    ¡°His Majesty is awake!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really him!¡±

    ¡°Is he okay? He doesn¡¯t look okay.¡±

    ¡°Thank God Zirand and the gang rescued him in time!¡±

    I¡¯m taken aback but Iyapa puts her hand on my shoulder. ¡°Your Majesty, could you talk to them? They need encouragement more than anything.¡±

    Before I manage to answer, I¡¯m seated on a stool and the Draconians flock around me. I have no idea what to do because everyone starts pushing and for a second it resembles the human crowd that scared me so much.

    But then I calm down. There¡¯s no malice in their minds. They¡¯re pushing to get closer but not a single person here wants to hurt me. It¡¯s pure curiosity. And hope. They look at me and see hope. I study every single one of them and my eyes water. These people lost their homes, families and jobs. They¡¯re homeless.

    Their clothes are still human with adjustments as they don¡¯t have any money for expensive Draconian fashion on demand. They left with just a backpack and found others in the same situation. Strong in numbers but hiding. How many hidden communities like these are there all over the world? Do we have any connection with them? Does Liana know? Did we possibly neglect a huge part of our population?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I¡¯m crying at this point. ¡°I¡­ I had no idea it¡¯s that bad.¡±

    But nobody¡¯s blaming me, they¡¯re genuinely overjoyed to see me even though I was living in safety and luxury, oblivious to what¡¯s really happening to common Draconians. I nod that it¡¯s okay to touch me and suddenly there¡¯re countless hands on my wings. But I don¡¯t mind. Their touch is gentle and something like ripping my feather as a memento doesn¡¯t even cross their minds.

    Surprisingly, my migraine gets much better after just a few minutes. I¡¯m surrounded by more than three dozen people but it doesn¡¯t hurt my telepathic brain. On the contrary, it relaxes me. These are my people, everything¡¯s okay. My head stops spinning and my mana harmonises. I¡¯m able to cast spells again.

    ¡°Anyone need healing?¡± I offer. There¡¯re around ten Earthborn within the crowd but they don¡¯t look like high-levels.

    ¡°Opal was assaulted when trying to get some money out of ATM yesterday,¡± someone shouts because the person in question seems too shy to approach me on their own. The crowd pushes them to the front.

    It¡¯s a Dragonkin female, quite small for her race. Is she still a teenager? She can¡¯t be more than seventeen and the Dragonkin mature slowly according to the lore. Humans see her as a monster, I guess that¡¯s why she was assaulted, but she¡¯s actually really cute by the Dragonkin standards. Fefnir would certainly go crazy about her.

    She hesitantly puts her right hand forward¡ªher wrist is sprained badly. I didn¡¯t train healing, I managed only once before, but somehow I know that my wish to help these people is enough. I gently take her scaly hand into mine and form an intricate transfiguration pattern around her wrist. I release my mana and the pattern locks onto her skin.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be slowly healing your hand for twelve hours,¡± I say. ¡°Sorry, a level 15 spell is the best I can do so far but your wrist should be okay when the symbol disappears.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty,¡± Opal bows to me, full of admiration and gratitude.

    ¡°Anyone else?¡± I look around.

    Three more people are pushed in front of me with injuries inflicted by humans. I put a healing spell on all of them, hoping I¡¯m easing their suffering at least a bit.

    ¡°You can¡¯t go to hospital?¡± I ask, quite tired now after four spells that are significantly higher than what my untrained body would by normally able to handle.

    ¡°Not without valid health insurance,¡± Zirand shakes his head. ¡°Which we lost with our jobs. And we¡¯re also afraid to go there. Some of those videos we showed you were from hospitals.¡±

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t!¡± I notice Iyapa was holding her phone the whole time, recording my deeds.

    ¡°The world deserves to know how kind you are,¡± she says with a smile and hits post.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t any humanitarian help reach you?¡± I sigh out. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask for asylum in the skyscraper?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not as unfortunate to ask for charity,¡± Zirand says proudly. ¡°Besides, the embassy is employing only those who can be most useful these days.¡±

    ¡°Most useful?¡± I clutch my hands. ¡°Who decides that?¡±

    ¡°We get it, Your Majesty, we really do,¡± Iyapa says understandingly. ¡°The embassy can¡¯t go over a certain capacity and none of us here has qualifications relevant to running the new government. All manual jobs were taken weeks ago. Don¡¯t blame the Viceroy, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s doing her best.¡±

    I¡¯m sure she is but is it enough? Nothing we¡¯ve accomplished so far seems enough. Not when people like Iyapa and Zirand have to hide. I decide to talk to these people and get to know their circumstances. I shiver when I realise that if I wasn¡¯t the Emperor or didn¡¯t have Erik, I could end up here with them. Or die when my wings were coming out.

    I carefully listen to every single one of them and I¡¯m putting together a picture in my head. Such diverse life stories. They all come from very different backgrounds, education and even faiths. Yet, they¡¯re here now together, scared but united.

    ¡°Are you hungry, Your Majesty? You must have spent a lot of mana on healing,¡± Iyapa asks me, concerned, after the fourth group I talk to. I¡¯ve lost a track of time completely. How long have I been here anyway? Damn, Erik must be worried sick!

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, don¡¯t waste your rations on me,¡± I shake my head and take a hand of a young Clawfang woman who comes in front of me as part of the fifth group. She¡¯s a fox, the same as Emi, but with differently coloured fur.

    I connect to her just as I did with the others but this time I freeze. I feel two minds inside of her?! One that is her own and the second one¡­ still unconscious and tiny. Wait a minute! Does that mean¡­? NO WAY!

    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant!¡± I blurt out in shock before I realise I can¡¯t justify my claim without revealing my telepathy to them.

    The woman opens her mouth and stares at me.

    ¡°I¡­ I missed my period this month but I thought it¡¯s just stress¡­,¡± she¡¯s looking at me in disbelief. ¡°Am I really¡­? How do you know?¡±

    I slowly slip my hand onto her stomach. There¡¯s no doubt. She¡¯s carrying a baby. And it¡¯s a Draconian. I notice a Clawfang vulpine male stepping nervously behind her. I bet he must be her partner. They look like a nice couple.

    ¡°Your Majesty, if it¡¯s true,¡± Iyapa gulps excitedly and connects to the Clawfang woman the Earthborn way to confirm it. ¡°Our races have future! We¡¯re fertile! How did you know, though? Celestials don¡¯t have any skills for medical assessment.¡±

    ¡°She can¡¯t stay here. She needs better accommodation, proper nutrition and medical attention,¡± I say, ignoring her question. ¡°I¡¯m taking her with me to the embassy. Her partner can come as well, of course. As for the rest of you¡­¡±

    But I don¡¯t get a chance to finish that sentence. The door bursts open and the Royal Guards storm the place. Draconians standing all around me are pushed away with a telekinetic wave and just a second later I find myself being held firmly by Vermiel.

    ¡°W-wait!!! They didn¡¯t hurt me or anything,¡± I gasp for breath. ¡°They saved me from humans.¡±

    ¡°Saved you just to abduct you, Your Majesty!¡± Vermiel is furious with anger and commands the guards to apprehend everyone. He looks furious and is leaking his mana menacingly. When did he learn how to do that? Fortunately, the locals don¡¯t struggle so there¡¯s no fight whatsoever.

    ¡°How did you even find me?¡± I¡¯m trying to shake him off but his grip on my arm is iron.

    ¡°We¡¯ve tracked the source of the last video featuring you. Her Excellency hired the most expensive hackers from God knows where,¡± he says impatiently. ¡°Hey, who¡¯s the leader here? Explain yourselves! Why didn¡¯t you contact us immediately if you claim to have saved our Emperor?¡±

    ¡°We have no leader,¡± Zirand wheezes, behind held down on the ground by one of the guards. It¡¯s not like Celestials have physical power to hold a Dragonkin like that so I bet the guard must be pressing him with telekinesis instead. Besides, Zirand isn¡¯t struggling.

    ¡°We protected His Majesty,¡± Iyapa adds quickly. ¡°And we were meaning to contact you after we show him what he needed to see. You¡¯ve locked him up away from common people. Ordinary Draconians have no means to speak to their rulers directly.¡±

    ¡°RYUU!!!¡±

    Erik appears in the door and hurries to me. Vermiel finally lets go of me and I hug my boyfriend tight. His emotions and thoughts pour into me and make me feel extremely guilty. I ran away, there¡¯s no other word for what I did. I ran away and left him behind.

    Never do that again! Erik is berating me in his mind, totally mad at me. Do you have any idea how scared I was?

    I actually have a very good idea because he shows me his memories of the last couple of hours and his overall emotional state. I watch my escape from his perspective. The way I didn¡¯t even look back when I shattered that glass¡ªthat was especially heart-breaking for him because I forgot to consider him.

    I also browse the memories of first minutes of absolute panic with everyone going crazy and frantically trying to find me. Then horrified Erik seeing that video of humans ripping my feathers followed by several hours of not knowing where I am. Harrowing experience.

    I¡¯m so sorry, I couldn¡¯t think straight, I apologise feebly. I couldn¡¯t help myself, everything was in a haze since this morning and when I saw an opportunity¡­ I¡­ just had to do it. I¡¯m a creature that belongs to the sky, Erik.

    I know, love, I know, Erik kisses me deeply in front of everyone. We were torturing you, weren¡¯t we?

    ¡°Your Majesty, what do we do with these people?¡± Vermiel asks, suspecting I¡¯m talking with my partner telepathically.

    ¡°Release them this instant,¡± I frown. ¡°That¡¯s an order.¡±

    The guards listen to me and let the Draconians stand up. The situation calms down and everything becomes almost tranquil. I grab Erik¡¯s palm and lead him to Iyapa and Zirand. I won¡¯t hide that those humans in the park traumatized me but I need to show the Draconians here that not all humans are bad.

    ¡°I¡¯ll never start hating humans,¡± I say to them. ¡°My boyfriend is human and he¡¯s the most brilliant person in the whole world.¡±

    ¡°I bet he is if he won the Celestial Emperor¡¯s heart,¡± Iyapa surprises me by smiling kindly. ¡°We just wanted you to see the everyday situation of common Draconians. It¡¯s up to you how our rulers will deal with it. We trust your judgment.¡±

    ¡°And I promise you to do something about that,¡± I nod. ¡°I¡¯ll work even harder for your sake.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re already working hard,¡± Erik nudges me.

    Then I hug Iyapa, Zirand and everyone who¡¯s brave enough to approach me. I can¡¯t take all of them with me because it¡¯s not just this one group. It wouldn¡¯t solve anything and they¡¯re too proud for charity anyway. How many groups like these are in Prague? Across the world? We need to address the issue globally.

    ¡°Those two come with us, the lady is pregnant,¡± I say to Vermiel, pointing at the Clawfang couple.

    ¡°Pregnant?!¡± Vermiel opens his mouth, shocked. ¡°And the baby is¡­?¡±

    ¡°Also a Clawfang,¡± I confirm. ¡°It¡¯s the first Draconian pregnancy, Julia and Noage have to see it and take good care of her.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Iyapa calls after me when we¡¯re ready to leave. ¡°How did you know she¡¯s pregnant?¡±

    I turn to her.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Emperor¡¯s job to know certain things,¡± I smile mysteriously.

    *****

    ¡°Nope, absolutely not! Give me a phone with GPS and I¡¯ll fly back,¡± I refuse to get in the car. There¡¯re are six SUVs parked in front of the squat.

    ¡°That¡¯s out of question,¡± Vermiel hisses through his teeth. ¡°We¡¯re not letting you out of our sight ever again.¡±

    ¡°Love, it¡¯s almost dark already,¡± Erik points out. ¡°However miraculous your eyesight might be, you don¡¯t have night vision, do you?¡±

    I¡¯m puffing when Erik pushes my wings inside. I have to sit in the middle and squeeze my wings to the sides and it¡¯s still almost impossible to close the door. In the end, Erik has to sit next to the driver while Vermiel and the rest take another car. The windows are blackened so we don¡¯t have to be afraid someone will see I¡¯m inside even though six luxurious SUVs are hardly inconspicuous.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s uncomfortable but bear with it,¡± Erik takes a tip of my right wing onto his lap because my feathers are everywhere. He starts petting to calm me down.

    The journey back gives me a good opportunity to finally see the streets. A spot a few Draconians from time to time but it seems most of us still don¡¯t go out unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary. Police cars are patrolling but they don¡¯t exactly go to side streets for pedestrians where bullying can happen.

    I enjoy Erik touching me and I apologise to him again and again. How would I feel if Erik suddenly disappeared on me? Awful, scared, worried sick. And I made him feel like this for several hours. I couldn¡¯t help myself, I just had to spread my wings, but it isn¡¯t an excuse I can give to him.

    As expected, uproar breaks out when we finally reach the skyscraper. Liana, Ingri, Fefnir and Julia are waiting for me at the reception and I get a scolding of my life. Liana is shouting at me, furious, but she¡¯s also hugging me tight, crying and feeling relieved.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for running, ehm flying, away,¡± I say. ¡°But you can¡¯t keep me locked inside, Li, I¡¯d go crazy. You¡¯ll see yourself when your wings are fully grown.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± I feel her tears on my face. ¡°We should have gone differently about it instead of torturing you. But never do that again, understood? My heart wouldn¡¯t take it second time.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll need to fly very soon,¡± I say carefully. ¡°Once my wings get unbearably restless, it might cloud my judgment again. I don¡¯t want to promise you something I won¡¯t be able to keep.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already preparing observatory drones for you,¡± Fefnir pats my left wing, grinning that I¡¯m back safe and sound.

    ¡°And you seriously need to master that shield spell,¡± Ingri reminds me and has to push Liana away so that she can hug me as well.

    I¡¯m scolded a bit more but otherwise everyone settles on simply being happy that I¡¯m back.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, really,¡± I say because Julia wants me to go to her new infirmary. ¡°I lost three feathers but I¡¯m otherwise unharmed.¡±

    ¡°Once someone stupid enough puts them on auction, we arrest them,¡± Liana says darkly. ¡°And ripping Celestial feathers should be classified as harming us, Aefener.¡±

    ¡°By the way, who are these people?¡± Liana asks, looking curiously at the Clawfang couple stepping nervously a few metres behind us.

    ¡°Oh¡­ what are your names again?¡± I realise I didn¡¯t even ask.

    ¡°I¡¯m Brina,¡± the woman introduces herself and is looking around her with astonishment. AstraTech¡¯s skyscraper is very luxurious and super modern.

    ¡°Tai,¡± the man seconds. ¡°Thank you for taking us in, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°When Emi returns, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll make you part of her personal pack,¡± I assure them. ¡°Julia, can you take care of Brina? She¡¯s pregnant.¡±

    As expected, everyone widens their eyes. Julia, no doubt thinking she¡¯ll drag me into her office to check up on me just in case, loses all interest in me and hurries to Brina instead.

    ¡°Which month? Are you sure? Is this the father? Oh my God, that changes everything!¡± Julia hurls a crazy amount of questions in just a few seconds and grabs Brina¡¯s hand.

    Brina almost jerks away. She evidently doesn¡¯t like to be touched by a human. She¡¯s not exactly hateful towards them but she¡¯s reluctant to trust any which is only understandable.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know, His Imperial Majesty told me,¡± she says shyly. ¡°Seven weeks I guess? I missed my period.¡±

    ¡°His Majesty told you,¡± Julia eyes me, realising I must have discovered it thanks to my telepathy.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brina, the doctor is my friend,¡± I try to encourage her because she looks at Julia with doubts. ¡°She¡¯s taking care of me so you¡¯ll be in good hands.¡±

    Brina finally nods and lets Julia take her away. Tai follows, of course.

    ¡°Aefener,¡± Liana surprises me by hugging me again. She¡¯s also progressing with her quest for more openness, at least towards me and the gang. I¡¯m glad for that.

    I can¡¯t do it without you, she finishes in her thoughts. I felt unfocused and lost without you by my side.

    But you¡¯re the Viceroy, should something happen to me¡­

    Don¡¯t be ridiculous, she clutches a few of my feathers. I¡¯m not fit to become the Empress. Firstly, I don¡¯t want it. Secondly, it could end up catastrophically for humans¡ªI¡¯m not as kind as you. Thirdly, I¡¯m not strong enough to assume the position of the embodiment of magic.

    The third point is disputable, I object.

    Only you think that. It¡¯s quite ironic.

    Suddenly, I feel Liana¡¯s phone vibrating in her robe.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± she sighs and digs into her kimono belt. ¡°It¡¯s Luvi, I bet she¡¯s dying to know if you¡¯re unhurt. I let her take care of the Royal Office while we were waiting for your arrival downstairs.¡±

    She picks it up and puts the call aloud so that I can hear as well.

    ¡°Our Emperor is okay, Luvi, relax,¡± she tells my adjutant. ¡°He¡¯s standing next to me.¡±

    ¡°Thank God,¡± Luvi breathes out in relief. ¡°Come to the office quickly!¡±

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I notice the urgency in her voice.

    ¡°Very very wrong,¡± she says anxiously. ¡°The reactions of Draconians are ten times worse than we¡¯ve anticipated even in our wildest speculations. Almost everyone has seen that video in which you¡¯re surrounded by humans and they¡¯re ripping your feathers and pushing at you while you¡¯re not even defending yourself. Draconians of all races are furious. Crazy mad.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± I freeze and my wings starts to tremble. I suspect. But I don¡¯t want to even suspect such a thing.

    Luviael says just two words but it¡¯s enough to freak everyone out.

    ¡°Civil war.¡±

 43. Consequences

    ¡°Is it because of me?¡± my heart skips a beat.

    ¡°Because of those humans who attacked you,¡± Liana corrects me and clutches my hand. She wants to send me comfort but it¡¯s no use. I¡¯m too anxious.

    ¡°B-but if I didn¡¯t run away¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop victim blaming,¡± she gets angry but not at me¡ªat those humans who made me feel this way. ¡°You¡¯re too kind for your own sake.¡±

    I can¡¯t help it. I do feel responsible. If I just could control myself back there and didn¡¯t fly away, it wouldn¡¯t have happened in the first place. How can it not be my fault?

    ¡°Don¡¯t, just don¡¯t,¡± Erik pushes me gently into the elevator where he goes for a comforting hug. Liana and Vermiel get in with us while Ingri and Fefnir have to take another one because Celestials take too much space.

    Erik is trying to send me some positivity but even he can¡¯t muster much in such a situation. Civil war. The conflict we were so desperately trying to prevent from the very beginning. I want to believe that it¡¯s not my fault but I was the trigger, no doubt about that.

    ¡°We might still do something about it,¡± Erik kisses me into my hair and starts to caress my wings that are trembling. Liana touches my wings as well and joins Erik in petting me.

    ¡°How was it? Flying I mean,¡± she asks in an attempt to distract me but she¡¯s also genuinely curious. Naturally, Vermiel is dying to know as well.

    ¡°To describe it as amazing isn¡¯t doing it any justice,¡± I say weakly, gobbling Erik¡¯s generous love.

    ¡°I thought we¡¯d have to train first,¡± Vermiel ponders.

    ¡°It¡¯s pure instinct,¡± I answer, grateful they¡¯re forcing me to talk so that I¡¯m not focusing on self-blaming. ¡°Some might be better at it than others in the beginning but I think every Celestial should be able to fly right away. We¡¯ll have to train our wing muscles and overall stamina, though.¡±

    ¡°At least some good news,¡± Liana tries to smile and notices that I¡¯m massaging my temples. ¡°A migraine?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve faced too many humans,¡± I say tiredly. ¡°It should get better, the skyscraper is mostly Draconian.¡±

    ¡°You should rest,¡± Liana chews her lip.

    ¡°But I can¡¯t, can I?¡± I sigh. ¡°Not with civil war erupting while I might be the only one who can stop it.¡±

    We get off and the first thing that catches my attention is even more guards patrolling the floor and watching over us. Vermiel is following me like a shadow, paranoid I might fly away again and feeling responsible because it happened during his watch.

    I quickly tell Erik to stop petting me because I have to look confident in front of my people. They need to see a strong leader, not someone who¡¯s barely recovered from a panic attack. I¡¯m not good at pretending, never been, but Draconians need hope more than anything now. My smile is cringy but at least I somehow manage not to look half-crying.

    ¡°His Majesty is back!¡±

    ¡°Is he okay? That video was terrifying!¡±

    ¡°Only monsters could rip his feathers like that!¡±

    The corridor is full of people who work on this floor and who left their offices to greet me. I¡¯m assuring them that I¡¯m fine when I pass them and I realise that I really enjoy being surrounded by Draconians again. I¡¯ve come to love feeling Draconian minds all around me and I needed its absence to fully appreciate it. Did I gradually become addicted to the ambience of Draconian emotions? What if it becomes a problem in future?

    ¡°Ehm, sorry about that window,¡± I apologise because we have to move to a different office since I broke the glass in Liana¡¯s.

    ¡°Should be fixed by tomorrow,¡± my Viceroy waves her hand and leads us to the conference room next to it.

    Luviael is already sitting there and the table is covered with laptops and various documents that were moved from the main office. The EU delegates Miss Ortega and Dubois are also present. They look and feel the same¡ªscared and tense. Not even Dubois, who is undoubtedly a jerk, wishes for civil war.

    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Luvi stands up quickly.

    She¡¯s teary but otherwise relieved that I returned safe. She wants to bow or something stupid like that but I don¡¯t let her and go for a hug. I think Erik¡¯s habit is rubbing off on me. Besides, I find that I really like hugging someone I consider my friend and who also knows about my telepathy so I can truly relax around them.

    ¡°You scared us,¡± Luviael whispers. ¡°I have Bauerova, Duke, Bennett and even the President of the United States on hold, waiting for you.¡±

    I gulp. Did she just say the President of the United States? Waiting for me? Once again, I realise how my life has completely changed and I don¡¯t mean just my physical transformation.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never talked to him before,¡± I say, worried. What kind of person is he I wonder? ¡°It¡¯s almost as if he¡¯s been avoiding me.¡±

    I sit down and Erik hurries to get the seat right next to me so that nobody dismisses him again. I¡¯m grateful to have him by my side. Luviael is definitely a better counsel because of her knowledge but what I need right now more is emotional support.

    ¡°Because he has been,¡± Liana sets the record straight. ¡°The States were in an active opposition to acknowledge us as nations and they agreed only when the whole UN kept pressing them. They were refusing to talk to us because they didn¡¯t see us as the official Draconian government. Well, now they have to¡­ finally.¡±

    She doesn¡¯t manage to go into more detail because the call gets connected and we¡¯re suddenly facing the Bohemian Prime Minister, the American President, the EU President and the UN Secretary-General. Not counting Bauerova, those three are the most influential people in the world! Will they take me seriously? What are they thinking when they look at me?

    Calm down, you¡¯re the Celestial Emperor, Liana touches my wing with hers. Antagonising us is the last thing they¡¯d do in this situation.

    ¡°Your Majesty, thank God you¡¯re okay,¡± Bauerova blurts out, probably out of the protocol because the participants raise their eyebrows.

    Besides Erik and Julia, I think she¡¯s ranked as one of my favourite humans. But sadly, she doesn¡¯t hold that much political power. She¡¯s just a chief representative of a small Central European country. The man on a separate screen next to her, however¡­

    I carefully study the US President. I don¡¯t know much about him, just that his name¡¯s Pablo Delgado and he¡¯s the youngest American President ever elected¡ªhe can¡¯t be over 40 yet. I can¡¯t say he¡¯s naturally handsome but he has a certain unquestionable charm about him. And he certainly knows how to dress to impress. His brown eyes are looking at me sternly but he doesn¡¯t let anything else show on his face.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Delgado starts, his tone perfectly even. ¡°I trust you¡¯ll do everything in your power to calm your people down? There¡¯re spontaneous riots all over the States in reaction to that video of yours.¡±

    I stare at him in disbelief. My video? I¡¯m IN the video but it¡¯s hardly mine. He sounds as if he¡¯s openly accusing me that I let myself be attacked. Is this how one is supposed to open a diplomatic talk? Just how arrogant is he? I can feel everyone in the room getting pissed off. Definitely not a good beginning.

    I¡¯m almost crushing Erik¡¯s hand under the table but my Celestial strength isn¡¯t much so he doesn¡¯t mind. He gets anxious, however, when he feels anger awakening in me. Celestial wrath. I suppress it with sheer willpower because I need stay calm and collected but thanks to it, I see one thing clearly now.

    I was stupid to blame myself and, ironically, I needed Delgado¡¯s arrogance to see it. It wasn¡¯t my fault. Not in the slightest. If humans had acted civilised, they¡¯d simply lend me their phone for a minute, I¡¯d look at the map, thank them and be on my way.

    I take a deep breath and look at Erik. His eyes are widened, he senses the change within me. He¡¯s experienced my Celestial Emperor¡¯s nature once before when that Earthborn accidentally ripped my feather but I wasn¡¯t in full control back then. I am now. I finally feel like a true ruler and it scares my beloved.

    ¡°Our Emperor was attacked by humans without any kind of provocation,¡± Liana hisses through her teeth.

    ¡°Mob mentality, nothing else,¡± Delgado opposes. ¡°Any normal person would go crazy is they saw the Celestial Emperor loitering in a park. What were you even thinking letting him out, Miss Richter?¡±

    My wrath gets stronger again, I can¡¯t believe my ears. Did he just call Liana by her human name even though he must know how it triggers Draconians? And did he just address her instead of me? I focus on my friends¡¯ emotions as every single one of them gets gravely offended. I sense catastrophe.

    ¡°Mr President,¡± Bennett interferes, sensing imminent danger as well. He might not be on our side but he¡¯s at least trying to keep things peaceful. ¡°I have to remind you that Draconian races have been acknowledged as nations and their forming governments are official now. We have to use their preferred names and titles.¡±

    ¡°My bad, it¡¯s still very fresh to me,¡± Delgado apologises but not with much sincerity.

    ¡°Are you blaming the victim, Mr President?¡± I ask coldly, barely keeping my Celestial wrath in check.

    My friends shiver. Was my tone too harsh? Or did I release some of my mana accidentally? The room does feel colder.

    Delgado is studying me. It seems hard for him to accept me as his equal because I used to be just a student who was earning money by gaming. But he can¡¯t find anything from my old self in my new appearance. I must seem totally alien to him and that unnerves him because he can¡¯t read me.

    ¡°His Majesty is right,¡± Myren Duke, the UN Secretary-General, coughs. ¡°Maybe he shouldn¡¯t have appeared in front of humans but it would be an exemplary victim blaming if that¡¯s your main argument, Mr President.¡±

    Delago frowns. He still wants to put all the blame on me but if he did, he would come out as a bigoted dinosaur despite his young age.

    ¡°I agree,¡± Bennett surprisingly seconds. ¡°Still, His Majesty seriously needs to be more careful from now on and be mindful of his behaviour. While there¡¯re four more race rulers, he¡¯s the face of Draconia whether he likes it or not. And the fact that he looks so divine isn¡¯t helping.¡±

    There¡¯s nothing wrong with the utterance itself, it seems like Bennett is trying to help us a bit, but the way he¡¯s saying it makes me mad. He¡¯s not even addressing me directly¡ªhis speech belongs to Liana whom he considers to be my caretaker.

    My remaining hesitation disappears instantly. It¡¯s not like he hurt my ego, I don¡¯t care about something petty like that, but because he thinks that if I¡¯m politically weak, the whole Celestial race can be manipulated.

    I simply can¡¯t have that. I have to protect my people and if it means becoming sharper, so be it. The weight of responsibility is overwhelming but I feel strangely excited at the same time. I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor and I finally feel like one now. It is how it should be.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Aefener, don¡¯t say anything stupid that you won¡¯t be able to take back! Liana screams in her head, startled, because she feels my emotional state through our connection.

    I keep eyeing the EU President but, in reality, I pay more attention to Liana now. She¡¯s my trusted Viceroy. I love her immensely and I¡¯m endlessly grateful for taking care of me and Erik but she¡¯s overstepped the boundary just now.

    Don¡¯t call me stupid, Liana, it¡¯s unbecoming towards your Emperor, I say plainly on purpose.

    I don¡¯t even send any dark emotion to her but she flinches so wildly that it makes everyone notice her weird behaviour. Hopefully, they won¡¯t make anything out of it.

    ¡°Mr Bennett,¡± I address the EU President coldly, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re brave enough to talk to me directly. Liana is indeed my Viceroy but if you studied Celestial lore, you must now that she¡¯s simply my most trusted advisor. She¡¯s authorised to take care of things in my absence but when I¡¯m present, you talk to me.¡±

    Bennett blinks a few times, shocked by the change of my conduct. And he¡¯s not the only one, my friends are looking at each other, taken aback. Erik is genuinely scared but I shower him with my affection that is the same as always so he relaxes.

    The only people in the room who aren¡¯t surprised are the EU delegates. Miss Ortega has been timid around me from the very beginning and Dubois experienced my rage in full already and he¡¯s been wary ever since.

    ¡°Please, accept my apology, Your Majesty,¡± Bennett says after a moment of consideration. ¡°We simply implore you to be careful. Your position is very different from elected representatives and even human monarchs. Your people adore you and are willing to follow you without a question. We¡¯re talking about people with unmapped magical abilities that could potentially become very dangerous.¡±

    ¡°I think I proved enough that I wish for peace,¡± I purse my lips. ¡°I didn¡¯t defend myself even if it was my right in that kind of situation.¡±

    ¡°The outcome is the same, though, Draconians are rioting,¡± Delgado remarks. His voice didn¡¯t lose its venomous aftertaste but it seems I earned some of his respect at least.

    ¡°What kind of riot? Were any innocent civilians hurt?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Fortunately not,¡± the UN General-Secretary clarifies. ¡°But Draconians are protesting in front of government buildings all over the world and they¡¯re also rioting in front of companies that fired them.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re protesting because you bully us,¡± my voice is a whip. ¡°But they¡¯re still doing it peacefully exactly because I didn¡¯t defend myself. Because I showed that I want no bloodshed.¡±

    My implication couldn¡¯t have been clearer. Bauerova flinches a bit while Delgado wrinkles his nose. They fully realise now that I have the power. I also fully realise it and I guess it was about time. I¡¯m not powerless. They¡¯re right to call me a threat.

    ¡°What do you propose then?¡± Delgado asks and has to force those words out of his mouth.

    ¡°Zero tolerance towards racist behaviour and financial support for those who lost their jobs,¡± I say resolutely. ¡°That would be a nice start. As for the rest, I believe the UN is preparing an international conference in a few weeks?¡±

    ¡°We indeed are,¡± Myren Duke confirms.

    ¡°Can you guarantee that Draconians will stay put until we reach an official agreement, Your Majesty?¡± Bennett asks openly but politely.

    ¡°I can ask them not to ignite unnecessary violence,¡± I shrug theatrically. ¡°I can also implore Draconians to be careful not to kill any humans in self-defence but I won¡¯t tell them to turn the other cheek when they¡¯re being bullied. Not anymore. I experienced first-hand that it just doesn¡¯t work.¡±

    The world leaders look at each other.

    ¡°Can we have a few minutes to discuss the matter in private?¡± Delgado asks and doesn¡¯t look happy at all. He suspects he¡¯s not going to win this round.

    ¡°Sure,¡± I say and signal Luvi to disconnect us for now.

    When the holographic projection disappears, the tense atmosphere brightens tiny bit as we sigh out in unison. I don¡¯t care about appearances in front of the EU delegates and kiss Erik. He was holding up so well.

    Sorry you had to see me like this, I tell him. But this is also me.

    He doesn¡¯t answer. Instead, he¡¯s thinking frantically. I don¡¯t pressure him for now, he needs time to process it. But at least he kissed me back which is a good sign.

    ¡°God, that was intense!¡± Fefnir grunts loudly. ¡°I had no idea you had it in you, Aefener.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor, it¡¯s my job,¡± I look at Liana who looks most shocked by my behaviour. I touch her wing with mine.

    Sorry, did I sound too harsh towards you? I send her my thoughts.

    No, I needed to hear that, she says humbly. I can¡¯t keep treating you as an incompetent youth, you¡¯re the Emperor¡­ my Emperor. You might not know certain things because of your lack of experience but it was foolish of me to think that I¡¯m above you. I¡¯m really not.

    Hey, talk aloud, the EU delegates are watching, Erik finally speaks up to warn us. He¡¯s right, they are. Especially Dubois.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a coffee break,¡± Liana claps her hands to distract them.

    We move to the room next door where someone prepared refreshments for us. I notice an Earthborn lady wearing an apron standing behind the tables next to a coffee machine. I haven¡¯t given much attention to common Draconian before, I realise that now. I have to thank Iyapa and Zirand for opening my eyes. To my defence, I didn¡¯t ignore anyone on purpose, I was just too busy and simply overwhelmed. But that¡¯s no excuse.

    ¡°Could I have a latte, please?¡± I ask the Earthborn nicely. ¡°Almond milk, one sugar.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty,¡± she¡¯s all smiles despite the tense situation. I feel she¡¯s just as scared as everyone else but she makes an effort to smile for me.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I ask while I¡¯m watching her brewing my coffee. I think I spotted her several times before when I was passing the corridors.

    ¡°Tateena, Your Majesty,¡± she smiles again. ¡°I prepare your snacks.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I put my palm in front of my mouth. Of course, I knew that someone has to be making our snacks but it never occurred to me to stick a concrete face to it. I should be ashamed.

    ¡°They are really tasty!¡± I blurt out.

    ¡°Thank you for saying that, you¡¯re really as kind as they say,¡± Tateena finishes my latte and hands me the cup. It has a beautiful latter art on the foam. ¡°And the Royal Consort would like¡­?¡±

    ¡°Espresso, please,¡± Erik orders mechanically, his mind still jumbled and in a full thinking mode.

    ¡°Did you work in a caf¨¦ before, Tateena?¡± I¡¯m curious.

    ¡°I did,¡± she nods and I notice that she uses her roots to hold stuff. ¡°I loved it so I¡¯m glad I can continue doing it. Naturally, I lost my job when my employer found out that I started transforming.¡±

    I clutch Erik¡¯s hand more firmly. I get it that humans are afraid of us, humanity has always been afraid of anything new and strange, but it just proves that I have to pressure the UN into making fair laws that will prevent that.

    ¡°Cappuccino,¡± Liana orders after us and is happy that I¡¯m making an attempt to get to know the people she assigned to work for our inner government.

    ¡°Let¡¯s grab something, hon,¡± Erik points towards buffet tables. ¡°I couldn¡¯t eat anything while you were missing so I¡¯m starving.¡±

    I turn around. Fefnir is already ravaging the selection of ham and other salami while the EU delegates are standing in the corner, whispering. There¡¯s no Clawfang nearby so they don¡¯t have to be afraid they¡¯ll be overheard. I bet they have to discuss their opinion on the matter.

    Now that Erik mentions it, I realise how hungry I am. I was flying like crazy and then I spent a lot of mana healing those Draconians. Still, I don¡¯t feel like eating¡ªI¡¯m too anxious. Erik might be relieved that I returned safe and sound but Draconians all over the world are rioting.

    Even if we manage to somehow overcome the worst, I doubt our people will go back into hiding. The time when we were afraid of humans is over. Our transformation is nearing its end and further bullying will only lead to civil disobedience.

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik takes one canape and wants to deliver it straight into my mouth.

    ¡°Later,¡± I shake my head and sip my coffee instead. ¡°I¡¯ll eat dinner with you when the meeting is over.¡±

    As expected, my boyfriend isn¡¯t satisfied with such an answer and frowns.

    ¡°Li, the Emperor refuses to eat,¡± he tells on me without a second thought. I give him a horrified look but he just shrugs.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, love, but if you won¡¯t take it from me, your Viceroy should have every right to just command you,¡± he says. ¡°Don¡¯t you think I didn¡¯t do my homework. While you hold absolute political power, your subjects have power over your protection and well-being.¡±

    ¡°Eat something, Aefener,¡± Liana rolls her eyes and joins us since her coffee is done. ¡°You were flying like crazy and how many healing spells did you do in that squat?¡±

    I sigh. There are two kinds of people. Those who eat when stressed and those who can¡¯t eat anything. I¡¯m the latter case, sadly. I take a few canapes but I don¡¯t enjoy them much. Liana and Erik are right, though. I need energy and I feel that my body starts to digest the food right away, converting calories into mana so I force myself to eat a few more.

    Suddenly, I feel a change in telepathic imprints in my vicinity. One very familiar that I¡¯m very fond of is back.

    ¡°Emi has returned!¡± I announce cheerfully.

    ¡°Ryuu!¡± Erik scolds me and looks around in panic.

    ¡°Oh,¡± I realise that I said it in front of everyone.

    Fortunately, Miss Ortega and Dubois are standing far from us and Tateena is too busy making coffee for Fefnir. Only Ingri heard me. But still, what a blunder.

    ¡°Ryuu, you have to be more careful,¡± Erik whispers and makes it look like he¡¯s just hugging me.

    ¡°I¡­ I guess I became too relaxed,¡± I admit, dumbfounded by my stupid mistake.

    It¡¯d have never happened just a few weeks ago. When did I stop fiercely guarding my secret? Did I relax too much around Draconians who serve and protect me? I wanted to stay tiny bit pissed at Liana for telling the others but can I really? In the end, I thoroughly enjoy not being so wary all the time.

    ¡°Emi is back!¡± I say again aloud, this time pretending that I¡¯m reading her message on my phone.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Erik pulls my sleeve because I make a step towards the door.

    ¡°To meet her halfway?¡±

    ¡°The talk can resume any time,¡± Liana shakes her head. ¡°I¡¯m sure Emi is on her way here as we speak. Normally, she¡¯d go to take a shower and rest but the situation is too dire and she knows it. Also, I¡¯m pretty sure she wants to suffocate you with hugs.¡±

    As always, my Viceroy is right. Fortunately, the world leaders aren¡¯t done discussing yet and Emi arrives shortly. And goes for a crushing hug the moment she sees me.

    ¡°You idiot, why did you do such a stunt? I almost got a heart attack when I saw that video,¡± she also berates me but not as emotionally strongly as Erik and Liana. Unlike them, she appreciates freedom above everything.

    You know why, I answer telepathically.

    They locked you in a gilded cage, she sighs and caresses my feathers.

    I¡¯d caress her soft fur in return but Clawfangs hate it from other people, claiming they¡¯re no pets. Truth be told, they do love petting but only from their lovers according to the lore whereas Celestials don¡¯t appreciate it only from other races and strangers. I¡¯ve seen more than once when crossing the halls that friends were caressing each other¡¯s wings. I certainly love it from my friends.

    ¡°The meeting is resuming!¡± Luviael calls us back just as I¡¯m about to ask Emi how it went in Vienna.

    I¡¯m really glad that Emi is here to represent her race and when we return, it turns out that Deminas and Twyla with Werden managed to connect as well, despite different time zones and the meeting being organised on such a short notice. I feel our position is much stronger with all of us present.

    The human world leaders appear on the screen as well and their expressions aren¡¯t happy at all when they see all of us gathered. Unlike them, we¡¯re united and they know it.

    ¡°We¡¯re ready to push through anti-discriminatory laws,¡± Delgado announces with an obvious aversion in his voice. ¡°In return, we expect you to do everything in your power to calm your people down and stop the riots.¡±

    ¡°Empty promises won¡¯t do,¡± Emi assertively speaks up. She was a leader from the beginning, I admire her. ¡°Clawfangs don¡¯t give a shit about grand gestures and Celestials have all the right to rage since it was their ruler who was attacked by humans for no reason. What do you propose specifically and when are you going to implement it?¡±

    Human rulers take turns talking and it seems we¡¯re past empty promises. Mrs Duke presents us with a plan of action which is just a draft at this point but it¡¯s something. At last, they came to the understanding that we might be inexperienced as politicians but we won¡¯t let ourselves to be bullied. We¡¯re strong and getting stronger by each passing day.

    ¡°We want to coexist peacefully but you have to let us,¡± Werden says emotionally. ¡°We can help humanity, especially my race. The Earthborn might be able to reverse ecological catastrophes. Have you even seen what we can do already? We have first results manipulating genetic structures of plants, making them grow faster and be more resistant and that¡¯s just a beginning.¡±

    ¡°But we won¡¯t become your subordinates,¡± Twyla adds strongly.

    ¡°We get it that you¡¯re afraid of us,¡± Deminas points towards his head that doesn¡¯t resemble human anymore, ¡°but looks can be deceiving. The Dragonkin are actually the most peaceful Draconian race. We have to learn how to overcome prejudices¡­ once again.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we did study your lore that seems to be coming true almost to the letter,¡± Delgado clears his throat. ¡°I can see that the Earthborn can become potentially very useful for the environment, Clawfangs are quite wild but generally friendly and the Dragonkin, despite their formidable appearance, phlegmatic. Celestials, on the other hand, are clearly described as ambitious conquerors with a god complex. Please, enlighten me, Your Majesty, why shouldn¡¯t we be afraid of you specifically.¡±

    I frown. Why the hell is everyone so unnerved by my race? We didn¡¯t have a bad reputation ingame, did we? Also, we look most human. Seemingly.

    Except we did have quite a bad reputation ingame, Aefener, you just ignored it, Liana resists clicking her tongue and does an equivalent of that in her mind. We were known as being arrogant and conceited. It¡¯s not as evident yet since we¡¯re still transforming but I¡¯m afraid that after we level up¡­

    ¡°Because I won¡¯t allow it,¡± I proclaim. ¡°My partner is human if you haven¡¯t noticed. I¡¯ll never start hating all humanity and innocent people are in no danger because we¡¯re not like you.¡±

    Delgado blinks, confused.

    ¡°We¡¯re not humans who kill indiscriminately,¡± I continue, not letting him interrupt me. ¡°Despite what you might think, your human idea of conquest is totally misleading and can¡¯t be applied to us. When we say we won¡¯t do something because it¡¯s not in our nature, we just won¡¯t. You can count on that.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve had several incidents of Draconians attacking humans, though,¡± Delgado remarks, unconvinced.

    ¡°Attacking or defending themselves?¡± I hiss. ¡°I experienced it first-hand just a few hours ago, Mr President. I didn¡¯t defend myself and it didn¡¯t help at all. Next time I won¡¯t be as stupid. I learnt my lesson the hard way. Should humans keep attacking us, we will answer accordingly.¡±

    ¡°Is that a threat, Your Majesty?¡± he pronounces my title with the same disgust but this time without any mockery.

    ¡°I¡¯m just clarifying how things are,¡± I answer calmly. ¡°If war erupts between our species, it will be your doing. We won¡¯t attack without provocation, you have my word.¡±

    ¡°What guarantee do we have from you?¡± Delgado narrows his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but just your word isn¡¯t enough.¡±

    ¡°Except it is,¡± I claim and flutter my wings. I quickly glance at Erik, hoping the rest of my speech won¡¯t hurt him. But I have to say it.

    ¡°My word is enough exactly because I¡¯m not human,¡± I finish.

 44. The Emperor Within Me

    Erik stayed unnaturally quiet for the rest of the meeting. He didn¡¯t touch me after that and kept his thoughts to himself. I¡¯m afraid I did hurt him even if it wasn¡¯t my intention. Well, maybe not him specifically but his humanity. I think that for the first time ever, he hates the fact that I can read his emotions all the time.

    The meeting was extremely tense but went rather well. Draconians all over the world seemed to calm down when I recorded our official statement and announced what we agreed on but I didn¡¯t ask them to be passive. Not this time. Not anymore. I hope that if humans know that we will fight back should the need arise, they won¡¯t bully us as much.

    We get home at half past nine, the day seemed endless. We¡¯re both dead tired and Erik hardly spoken to me. He refused to hold hands on the way back and a lot of people noticed because normally we¡¯re inseparable and touch each other all the time.

    He finally speaks to me again when the guards and the maids leave and the door closes behind them. They sense that the Royal couple will have a serious debate so they¡¯re quick about it this time.

    ¡°Do you see me that way?¡± Erik whispers, heartbroken. He takes off his tie and collapses on the sofa. ¡°As a human who can¡¯t keep promises?¡±

    ¡°Erik, I¡­,¡± I start and want to hug him but he jerks away.

    I freeze. His love for me didn¡¯t diminish but I can feel him wavering. He finally sees me as completely non-human. He was convinced that he always did so it surprises him even more. He realises that he was kidding himself the whole time. Despite claiming that he came to terms with me being a totally different race, he was projecting his own concept of humanity on me.

    But it was also partly my fault because I was mirroring it back. I clung so desperately to Erik that I wanted to stay human enough for him. I was afraid he wouldn¡¯t accept me if I was too alien. And I was right because he¡¯s shaken right now to the point of a mental breakdown.

    I don¡¯t blame him. He¡¯s been doing his best for so long, hanging there against all the adversities. This time it might be just too much for him. He has every right to crumble. To change his mind. To back off. To stop loving me and run away.

    ¡°Would it be different if you weren¡¯t a telepath?¡± he asks me, his voice cracked. He avoids looking into my eyes and studies his fingers instead.

    Oh, right. I¡¯m not just the Celestial Emperor. I¡¯m also¡­ that. I¡¯m a Celestial and something else. I wasn¡¯t quite human from the beginning and I tend to forget about it lately because I¡¯m surrounded by people who don¡¯t mind. I have no idea how normal people think and perceive the world. I never did.

    Erik buries his face in his hands and sobs. I¡¯d love to envelop him in my wings and comfort him but that wouldn¡¯t help anything. We¡¯re way beyond simple comforting and nice encouraging words to heal the rift widening between us. Dread overcomes me when I realise how fragile our relationship is despite our love being so strong.

    What if my telepathy influences him after all? What if he doesn¡¯t really want to be with me anymore but our telepathic connection makes him unable to see that? What if me being a telepath is a much bigger problem than me being a Celestial?

    Draconians have all kinds of crazy abilities that will seem miraculous and dangerous to humans once we properly level up. Yet, it¡¯s my inborn telepathy that would make people, especially politicians, go crazy should they find out about it. Invading one¡¯s very mind is a thousand times more threatening than any flashy fire spell or being able to lift a car.

    I slowly sit next to Erik but I don¡¯t hug him with my wings. I don¡¯t want to remind him of my inhuman parts when his emotional state is delicate. I¡¯m watching him hopelessly when his sobbing transforms into crying. His emotions spike and flood over me like a wave. They¡¯re human emotions but nothing coming from my beloved could ever make me sick.

    He needs more humans around he could talk to. The only other human who¡¯s still sticking with us is Julia and Erik isn¡¯t exactly fond of her. There¡¯s also Hana, Liana¡¯s housekeeper, but now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t seen her around recently. Did Liana send her back to Germany? I bet Hana must have a family there.

    Suddenly, Erik looks up, gently grabs my left wing and snuggles in my feathers. I take it as a signal that I can lean closer and hug him. His mind doesn¡¯t resist me anymore which means that Erik doesn¡¯t want to keep me out. Still, I don¡¯t push and just send him my love.

    He¡¯s crying into my feathers, his mind full of worries about our future. The idea of the future in which we¡¯re not together never came to him before but it does now. He doesn¡¯t want to even think about it. I don¡¯t want to think about it either. But it¡¯s there, bugging in the corner of our minds and it¡¯ll probably never leave no matter how much we¡¯ll try to ignore it.

    I¡¯m comforting him so skilfully that he eventually falls asleep leaning against my shoulder. After a while, the door opens and Cien carefully pries inside to see if we¡¯re still talking. When she notices that my partner is sleeping, she comes inside very quietly, bringing us a late dinner. I thank her and dismiss her. I wait a few minutes if the smell of food will wake Erik up but he¡¯s sleeping deeply. It was an exhausting day.

    I don¡¯t want to disturb his peaceful sleep so I decide to try moving him into our bed. I don¡¯t have the physical strength necessary to carry him, of course, so I resort to levitation. When Erik¡¯s body lightens, I pull him into my arms. It pains me to see him so vulnerable and I¡¯m burning with desire to protect him.

    When I was facing those terrorists and locked Erik inside our bedroom, he was furious and hated it. I promised that I won¡¯t do anything similar ever again but I have to admit that I blatantly lied. I¡¯d do anything to keep him safe. He¡¯s my beloved. My treasure.

    Celestials are anxiously protecting me, their Emperor. Naturally, they also protect Erik but I suspect not as fiercely when he¡¯s not with me. I have to do something about that. It seems they fail to fully realise that should something happen to my partner¡ªshould humans of anyone else hurt him¡ªI¡¯d wage war against them and have no mercy.

    I kiss Erik on his forehead to get a taste of his humanity. I can still experience it but it does nothing to me. I don¡¯t mind, though. I¡¯m not afraid of myself anymore. I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor which comes with certain tendencies but I¡¯m no monster. I still have my conscience so I would never hurt the innocent. I can still love deeply and have all kinds of emotions. I just think about things differently now.

    ¡°I love you and that will never change,¡± I whisper and kiss Erik on his lips when I gently put him on the bed.

    I keep calming his mind so that he doesn¡¯t wake up when I take off his clothes. I quickly undress myself, throwing the layers of my expensive royal attire on the floor without care. Then I pull Erik to my chest and envelop us both into my wings instead of a blanket. I keep caressing his hair until I fall asleep as well.

    *****

    ¡°Sorry,¡± he tells me the first thing in the morning. He always wakes up before me. I have no idea how he does it. Or do Celestials simply need to sleep more than humans?

    ¡°What for?¡± I blink a few times, my eyes still sleepy and unfocused. I stretch all my limbs including wings and yawn.

    ¡°I had a breakdown and then fell asleep on you,¡± he sighs and kisses me on my forehead.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry for something like that,¡± I shake my head. ¡°Do you feel better now? What about talking to that psychologist?¡± I check that the sleep helped him and he does feel better. But still far from his usual calm state.

    ¡°Zetraya is a Celestial, he wouldn¡¯t understand,¡± Erik refuses. ¡°And I think it¡¯s something I should come to terms with on my own anyway.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the time? Are we free to cuddle a bit?¡± I ask hopefully because I feel he¡¯s not against the idea.

    Erik moves my feathers out of the way and looks at the alarm clock.

    ¡°Shit, it¡¯s 8:30 already?!¡±

    We¡¯re both wide awake all of a sudden, trying to get out of my feathers which are everywhere.

    ¡°How come nobody woke us up?¡± I don¡¯t understand and collect my robe from the floor. It¡¯s badly wrinkled, though. I need a new one.

    ¡°It was an exhausting day, maybe they wanted us to have a good rest?¡± Erik shrugs and puts on his pants.

    I quickly fasten one layer of my robe so that I¡¯m not completely naked in front of the maids but just when I¡¯m about to stand up, my head spins and I end up on my knees. Thankfully, there¡¯s a fluffy carpet around the bed so it doesn¡¯t hurt much.

    ¡°Ryuu?!¡± Erik jumps to me. ¡°What happened? Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Just a bit¡­ dizzy,¡± I admit.

    Erik puts his hand on my forehead but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m running a fever. I don¡¯t feel sick, just out of energy even after I slept really well.

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik repeats my name, this time menacingly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t eat anything after I fell asleep?¡±

    ¡°W-well,¡± I bite my lip guiltily and let him help me onto the bed. ¡°I transported you here and then¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay, that does it,¡± he hisses. ¡°If you¡¯re not mature enough to watch over your diet, we¡¯ll have to terrorise you from now on. I was hoping your Celestials metabolism would make you finally eat normally but no such luck it seems.¡±

    I don¡¯t oppose him because he¡¯s right. I feel totally drained and for a Celestial it means no mana. And no mana means no magic. Well, I should still be able to cast but on expense of my body mass which is dangerous. Especially in my unfortunate case.

    ¡°I just can¡¯t enjoy food when I¡¯m anxious,¡± I pat my stomach which is rumbling loudly and hurts quite a bit.

    ¡°Then you won¡¯t enjoy it, you¡¯ll just chew to give your body nutrients,¡± he purses his lips. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ryuu, but I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to be strict with you.¡±

    He helps me reach the living room with hope to eat our last night¡¯s dinner even if it¡¯s cold but instead, we find both of our maids already inside and looking really pissed. When they notice that Erik has to support me, they get even angrier.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky that doctor Julia is too preoccupied with the research and her newest patient, Your Majesty,¡± Cien berates me. ¡°Or we¡¯d make you go visit her infirmary to weight you again. Are you sabotaging your meals on purpose?¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± I assure the maids hastily. ¡°I¡¯m just not able to eat when stressed.¡±

    ¡°So sit and relax now,¡± Ayala says uncompromisingly. ¡°Because your breakfast should arrive in a few minutes.¡±

    ¡°Do we have time for that?¡± I doubt. ¡°We overslept.¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, the first meeting today starts at ten and Her Excellency told us to let you rest after yesterday,¡± she explains.

    Erik seats me on the sofa, grateful that we don¡¯t have to hurry today. We know that a lot of work awaits us but ever since coming to the skyscraper, we never had a day off if I don¡¯t count my recovery after being shot. A morning off is the best we can get for now so let¡¯s just enjoy it.

    ¡°Are you restless?¡± Erik asks when he notices that my wings are trembling. ¡°You won¡¯t repeat your yesterday¡¯s escape, will you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I promise. ¡°I¡¯d gladly fly if I could but it¡¯s not urgent. Don¡¯t worry, my mind is perfectly clear.¡±

    We cuddle as much as we feel comfortable around our maids and guards until our breakfast arrives. This time I don¡¯t resist. My mouth waters at the sight of fried eggs and freshly baked bread which is a very good sign. Cien serves me a mountain of scrambled eggs, Erik gets sausages on top.

    ¡°That¡¯s how it should be from now on,¡± Erik comments happily, watching me chewing my food ravenously.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± I say but I know I¡¯m not able to promise anything regarding my diet. I¡¯m just too inconsistent in these things.

    Ryuu, Erik switches to telepathy and gets serious. I don¡¯t want to be too hard on you but are you sure you don¡¯t have anorex---

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t, I stop him before he can finish that word. Look up its definition, it doesn¡¯t apply to me at all. People suffering from it want to lose weight and even when tragically underweight, they still see themselves fat. Not my case. I know I¡¯m too skinny and I¡¯d like to put on a few kilos. I just have problems eating sometimes, that¡¯s all.

    So why do you feel so sensitive about it every time I bring it up? he nudges me and passes me butter.

    Because people were assuming that about it for years and I¡¯m just fed up with it, I say. And because there¡¯s not much I can do about it. I was born with weak digestion and lesser appetite and my transformation didn¡¯t change that. In fact, it made it even worse because I can¡¯t eat meat anymore.

    ¡°More bread, Your Majesty?¡± Cien offers because we emptied the tray quickly. It¡¯s a question but I can tell she hopes I¡¯ll say yes.

    ¡°Please,¡± I nod. I¡¯m pretty full at this point but one more crunchy bun I can manage.

    We¡¯d love to relax and cuddle a bit more but everyone else is hard at work already so I¡¯d feel bad lazing around.

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re strong enough?¡± Erik wants to support me again but I decline.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine now. I can literally feel that food is being processed into mana as we speak.¡±

    ¡°Super fast metabolism,¡± Erik says enviously. ¡°Which reminds me that I should seriously start hitting the gym or my muscles you love so much will disappear.¡±

    ¡°You know I love you with or without them,¡± I land him a kiss. Erik was always a bit too self-conscious about his looks. A well-kept partner is definitely a plus but I didn¡¯t fall in love with him only because of his handsome appearance. I hope he knows that.

    ¡°Well, I have to look my best so that you¡¯re not ashamed to have me be your side during official events,¡± Eriks smirks and we return to our bedroom.

    It¡¯s a routine now. We brush our teeth and Erik does his usual grooming while the maids are dressing me. I wasn¡¯t comfortable with it for a long time but today I don¡¯t feel weird about it at all. They¡¯re my maids and it¡¯s their job. Besides, these expensive royal attires Liana is commissioning for me would be a nightmare to put on by myself.

    ¡°I¡¯ll need a robe for flying,¡± I remark. ¡°It¡¯s too difficult to fly in so many layers.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty, Ingri is already working on the designs,¡± Cien says with a smile. ¡°Actually, we started to commission mostly Draconians recently in order to give our people who don¡¯t live in the skyscraper jobs.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s neat,¡± I appreciate.

    I don¡¯t want to cut off humans entirely but at the same time if it¡¯s about deciding whether to employ Draconians or them, our people are a priority, naturally.

    Ayala turns around to switch with Cien and her wings accidentally bump into the wardrobe. She swears silently.

    ¡°We¡¯re arranging for a bigger apartment,¡± she says, caressing her wing. ¡°This one isn¡¯t good enough for Your Majesty and the Royal Consort. It¡¯s too cramped with us and the guards. The reconstruction will take place during your New York visit, it¡¯s scheduled.¡±

    ¡°Sweet, looking forward to it,¡± Erik returns, his chin perfectly shaved.

    I roll my eyes. If anything, Erik got used to luxury a bit too much. He¡¯s not a vain person but it brings him pleasure to wear expensive brand suits, leather shoes and trendy watches. And if his salary from AstraTech is as big as mine, he¡¯s loaded and has no problem to enjoy it.

    I ponder for a moment how I feel about it. I got rid of my Mom¡¯s debts and became rich almost overnight. Not anywhere near Liana¡¯s level, of course, but rich nonetheless. But I don¡¯t particularly enjoy it. I¡¯m more concerned about what good my money could bring and how to help people like Zirand and Iyapa who are struggling every day with just basic groceries.

    When I think about my people, I feel burning desire to protect them. I¡¯d do anything to secure our future. The survival of Celestials is my absolute priority now.

    ¡°Is it okay like this, Your Majesty?¡± Cien asks, interrupting my thinking process.

    I look at her and can¡¯t help seeing her as my subject. I want to protect her but at the same time I realise that I have a problem seeing her as my equal. I try to get shake it off but not even delving in her mind does the trick.

    In panic, I focus on Erik and thankfully, my Celestial Emperor¡¯s instinct doesn¡¯t kick in. Is it because he¡¯s human?! Humans didn¡¯t exist in Draconia Online so I have no response built in. I¡¯m glad for that.

    ¡°There, Your Majesty,¡± Cien nudges me so that I look in the mirror, not at my partner. ¡°Do you like it?¡±

    I finally pay attention to my reflection and notice that Cien braided my hair. It looks a bit too girlish but at least it won¡¯t get in the way as much. If only she did it yesterday, my hair was in my face during the whole flight.

    ¡°It¡¯s so cute,¡± Erik is moved and plays with the braid.

    ¡°The Emperor is not supposed to look cute,¡± I sigh. ¡°How can I impress people now?¡±

    ¡°Just like always,¡± Erik laughs. ¡°Come, love, we don¡¯t have to be that late.¡±

    *****

    I don¡¯t feel that much different but at the same time everything is different. I¡¯m not forcing myself to think human anymore and I¡¯m not forcing myself to think as a common Celestial either. Every Celestial I meet on my way to the office I see as a precious subject I have to protect. Have to¡­ but also want to. It¡¯s both an obligation and my genuine wish.

    As I¡¯m walking the corridors, I¡¯m making eye contact with as many Celestials as I can and try to remember their faces. I feel concerned about every single one of them and my heart aches when I¡¯m thinking about Celestials who are out there in hiding and possibly in danger.

    With other races, it gets more complicated. I don¡¯t feel the same burning desire because they don¡¯t belong to me but I don¡¯t feel indifferent. Celestials are my utmost priority but I wish to protect all Draconians. As for humans, though¡­ to be honest, the only human I really care about is Erik.

    Unexpectedly, we encounter Dubois standing in front of a vending machine near Liana¡¯s office. His emotional state isn¡¯t stable today and he¡¯s irritated for some reason.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± I greet him casually, curious for his reaction.

    He flinches and his eyes widen when he looks at me. After yesterday, he finally learnt that he can¡¯t mess with me. He can hear that my tone is much firmer now and that I don¡¯t experience any discomfort when dealing with him anymore.

    ¡°Good morning, Your Majesty¡­ Mr Anderle,¡± he greets us both and even bows because that¡¯s what the protocol dictates.

    ¡°Trouble with the machine?¡± I tilt my head and notice that a chocolate bar he paid for got stuck. I decide that I¡¯m feeling generous today even towards him and push the bar with my telekinesis. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±

    He opens his mouth to reply something but I¡¯m already passing him. Erik smirks.

    ¡°The window is fixed, we can go to the main office,¡± Miruel, who¡¯s the captain of today¡¯s shift, informs us. ¡°Please, don¡¯t break another, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± I assure her because I feel she¡¯s nervous about it. ¡°My wings are still resting after yesterday¡¯s strain. But tomorrow¡­ ehm¡­ not sure about that.¡±

    ¡°His Dominance is working on securing your flying sessions,¡± she says. ¡°He mentioned observatory drones.¡±

    It¡¯s a bit weird to hear Fefnir¡¯s official title but it¡¯s just a fragment of how I¡¯d feel about it before. Everything clicked for me finally, it¡¯s how it should be. Funny that I was probably the last one to become fully Draconian mentally, especially considering that my physical transformation was the fastest.

    I think it¡¯s because of me, Erik says, catching my thoughts I keep channelling to him upon touch. I was holding you back. I made you cling to humanity.

    Even if it was true, I don¡¯t mind. I think I¡¯ll be a better ruler exactly because I have you by my side.

    ¡°Oh, Your Majesty, good that you¡¯re here,¡± I¡¯m apprehended by Taranah the moment we show up in Liana¡¯s office. He bows to me as if it¡¯s the most natural thing to do. ¡°Can you look at this training plan and authorise it? And just a reminder that our training is today at four.¡±

    ¡°Good morning to you too,¡± I reply sarcastically but assure him that I certainly will.

    ¡°Good morning, did you sleep well?¡± Liana greets me enthusiastically but unlike Luviael and other people, she doesn¡¯t bother standing up to bow to me.

    I¡¯m really happy about it. I feel like the Emperor through and through now but that doesn¡¯t mean I require that kind of highly formal behaviour from my closest friends. Liana knows that, of course.

    ¡°Really well,¡± I thank her. ¡°Where¡¯s Fefnir and Emi?¡±

    ¡°Fefnir is working on the ways how to secure your flights and Emi is bonding with her pack,¡± Liana says. ¡°It¡¯s apparently super important to Clawfangs. As for today¡¯s agenda, we have a ton of things to take care of so let¡¯s start working on it right away. Switch.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± I don¡¯t understand what she means until she stands up.

    ¡°I¡¯m not taking your place, Liana, there¡¯s no reason to,¡± I frown. ¡°I¡¯m quite happy with¡­¡±

    But my Viceroy doesn¡¯t listen to me and ostentatiously sits behind the desk that used to be mine and which probably belonged to her human assistant. Was I too harsh towards her yesterday? I was just annoyed that she called me stupid but it seems that the side effect was that I also put her to her place. I didn¡¯t mean to.

    Was I too strict with her? I ask Erik with worries.

    I don¡¯t think so, she needed to hear that. Go rule, my Emperor, he kisses me and then claims the chair next to Liana.

    I sit down reluctantly. Liana¡¯s desk is super spacious, real wood, with many drawers and built-in tech. I almost feel like I could rule the world from here. Well, maybe not the world but definitely a huge company. Is government a kind of company?

    I look at the screen and sigh when I see a long list of tasks that await me. I decide to start with appointing our new officials which is something that I was supposed to authorise yesterday before I flew away. I hope that if I give more Celestials privileges to act in my stead, not everything will have to go through me and my workload will become lighter.

    If you need help, just call me, Erik sends me his thought long-distance. I inconspicuously look at him and have to smile that he¡¯s mastered to act as if nothing extraordinary is happening. I also need to train my poker face. Being so playful, I hope that he¡¯s mostly recovered from the yesterday¡¯s shock. But I know that he didn¡¯t. He¡¯s just a good actor.

    I go through the candidates and have to thank Luviael that she¡¯d already filtered only the best ones. Still, how am I supposed to choose between people with such good qualifications? And will they come to AstraTech¡¯s skyscraper once I choose them?

    It¡¯s rather funny and it¡¯s actually me who has the worst qualification with an unfinished degree that isn¡¯t useful at all. Not that it matters. Nothing matters when one is proclaimed to be the embodiment of Celestial magic.

    ¡°Luvi, can you arrange short interviews with the candidates?¡± I give a task to my adjutant. ¡°We should talk to them before we choose.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty,¡± she nods. ¡°Should I put them into both your and Her Excellency¡¯s schedules?¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± I say. I need Liana to be present.

    I finally feel and think like the Celestial Emperor but it doesn¡¯t mean that I suddenly miraculously know everything. A Celestial character flaw is arrogance so I have to be wary. I¡¯ve always had a problem with the opposite¡ªlacking self-confidence¡ªbut that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t develop arrogance gradually now that I don¡¯t suppress my nature anymore. I really don¡¯t want to.

    At ten, we move to the main conference room. The Czech Prime Minister Bauerova is already waiting for us and she brought two ministers with her. One of them I do recognise, it¡¯s the Minister of the Interior Kovar I¡¯ve met before. The other person is new to me.

    ¡°Your Majesty, this is Mrs Hanzelova, the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs,¡± Bauerova introduces her.

    Mrs Hanzelova is a lady in her late forties but she¡¯s one of those people who could be ten years older and you wouldn¡¯t know. She¡¯s wearing an expensive business suit, her brown hair is tied into a perfect know and I feel from her that she¡¯s a practical person who doesn¡¯t beat around the bush.

    ¡°Your Majesty, Your Excellency,¡± she bows to us.

    Her expression doesn¡¯t show anything but I can tell she¡¯s glad that she doesn¡¯t have to shake our hands. She¡¯s scared of us. Minister Kovar is braver but, unlike Bauerova, he doesn¡¯t feel relaxed in our presence either. But they calm down a bit when they look at Erik. A perk of having a human boyfriend. Erik is an excellent mediator.

    The meeting starts and I¡¯m secretly communicating with Liana the whole time. We¡¯re supposed to discuss financial aid, work opportunities and security but I¡¯m barely keeping with all those professional terms they throw at me. From time to time, I ask Liana aloud because I don¡¯t want to seem unnaturally knowledgeable. Erik is openly taking notes, bless him, I¡¯ll need to study those later.

    The meeting ends at with a formal lunch. I finally manage to choose the right cutlery without Liana¡¯s hints and Erik is making sure that I finish everything on my plate. It¡¯s strange to eat in a presence of someone who is scared of you but I should get used to it. I don¡¯t know what scares them more¡ªthat I look so alien or the power I¡¯m holding.

    *****

    ¡°Ryuu? What is it?¡± Erik asks because I close my eyes when sipping my afternoon coffee. The Czech representation left so we can relax for a few minutes.

    ¡°Just checking everyone,¡± I say and quickly scan the whole building with my telepathy.

    I have to smile because I can feel the Clawfangs being totally euphoric that their Supreme Alpha is back. Close to Emi, I feel Brina and her partner. I open my eyes again and flinch because Erik is staring at me just a few centimetres in front of my face.

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t do it in public,¡± he forbids me. ¡°You don¡¯t pay enough attention to your surrounding when your mind wanders like that.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t. It¡¯s only us here.¡±

    ¡°Us,¡± he clicks his tongue. ¡°Not just the two of us, though.¡±

    He¡¯s right. While Liana offered to escort our guests out, we¡¯re still left with six guards and Ayala the maid. I don¡¯t find anything wrong with that anymore but Erik does.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind them,¡± I poke him, put away my coffee and since we¡¯re sitting on a sofa, I move to his lap. I want to kiss him but he catches my chin.

    ¡°In front of them?¡± he rolls his eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind them,¡± I repeat and enclose us into my wings. ¡°We have to use every possible opportunity.¡±

    With my wings blocking the view, he finally relaxes a bit and is willing to cuddle. But he¡¯s not particularly content with it. He longs for real privacy.

    ¡°Oh,¡± I have to pull away when I feel strong irritated emotions all of a sudden.

    They aren¡¯t dangerous and they belong to Draconians so I don¡¯t worry but something is definitely happening.

    ¡°Miruel,¡± I open my wings and address the guard captain. ¡°Two Dragonkin and three Earthborn are arguing. They should be somewhere around floor 22. They¡¯re becoming hostile towards each other. I guess they strongly disagreed on something. Racially different points of view.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Your Majesty,¡± Miruel steps closer, takes out her phone and calls the security. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll take care of it and calm them down. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just a misunderstanding.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I appreciate and want to return to cuddling my partner.

    Erik¡¯s emotions flutter.

    What is it? I ask softly.

    It¡¯s still you but at the same time¡­ I¡¯m having the Celestial Emperor on my lap, he says and plays with my hair, saddened. In times like these, I truly realise the difference between us. The way you acted just now¡­

    Just now? What do you mean? I blink.

    Ryuu, you miraculously perceived a problem happening dozens of metres away from us and gave an order to resolve it as if it was nothing special, he explains.

    Because it was nothing special, just a minor quarrel that could grow into something bigger if not stopped, I still don¡¯t understand what he¡¯s hinting at.

    My beautiful angel, Erik shakes his head. You really have no idea how normal things work anymore, do you? Or maybe you never did. Have you even shown me everything? he asks bluntly all of a sudden and clutches my feathers. Have you ever shown me yourself fully? Or were you afraid that I wouldn¡¯t be able to take it?

    Erik, I¡­

    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m afraid your break is over,¡± Miruel interrupts us. I get tiny bit angry at her but she can¡¯t know that we¡¯re talking telepathically about such an important topic.

    ¡°There you go,¡± Erik gently lifts me and put me on my feet. It comes to him as a painful realisation that overpowering me physically is the only advantage he has over me.

    ¡°Erik, I¡­,¡± I repeat, this time aloud.

    His phone vibrates. He takes it out of his pocket and glances at the screen. It¡¯d be rude if only we didn¡¯t have to be available all the time and when every message can be of grave importance.

    ¡°Oh,¡± his eyes widen. ¡°It¡¯s not work, it¡¯s¡­ my parents.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s also super important,¡± I nudge him. ¡°Are they okay?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re texting me if we¡¯re free this Saturday afternoon,¡± he says. ¡°You know¡­ to officially meet you.¡±

    ¡°Riiiight,¡± I smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure we have work because it¡¯s not like we have free weekends but I¡¯ll beg Luviael to clear our schedules for them.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± he nods and writes them back to confirm the date.

    I expected him to feel more joyful about me finally meeting his parents but somehow Erik isn¡¯t as excited as when they first proposed it. He doesn¡¯t want to admit it consciously even to himself but he¡¯s worried.

    He¡¯s worried that his parents will be afraid of me.

 45. Celestial Desires

    ¡°She¡¯s okay, Your Majesty, don¡¯t worry,¡± Julia reports. ¡°A bit malnourished but Clawfangs are resilient enough to overcome longer periods of discomfort. Unlike Celestials,¡± she narrows her eyes.

    I sigh. Did my maids tell on me that I don¡¯t eat properly? I came to the infirmary to check on Brina, the pregnant Clawfang lady I brought with me yesterday, not to get a scolding. The woman in question looks fine and healthy, I¡¯m glad. Her partner Tai is with her and looks devoted. It¡¯s heart-warming to see a Draconian couple in love.

    Will Draconians date only other Draconians in future? I¡¯m a living example that interspecies love is possible but it¡¯s not like we¡¯re planning to have children with Erik. But even with heterosexual couples, I doubt Draconians can have children with humans. Or with other races. That makes things tough, especially for straight couples who would like to start a family.

    ¡°Brina is my concern now, Aefener,¡± Emi assures me. ¡°Stop worrying about everyone and focus on your race, okay? You have too much work as it is.¡±

    I nod. She¡¯s right, I should focus entirely on Celestials but I guess I feel responsible for Brina because I brought her here. I study the young Clawfang female. Like Emi, she¡¯s a fox but with a differently coloured fur. My nose isn¡¯t sensitive enough to catch those special smells but even I can tell that Emi just looks like the Alpha whereas Brina and Tai are not even betas. Are they sigmas? Deltas? I have to ask Emi later about their pack roles.

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty, for bringing us here,¡± Brina speaks up and is hugging her stomach. ¡°But I can¡¯t stop thinking about my friends back in the squat. I feel guilty about leaving them.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll help them soon,¡± Emi pats her shoulder. ¡°Once the right laws are pushed through, all Draconians who lost their jobs will get a financial aid. We¡¯ll also press employers to start giving us jobs again. Once they realise how proficient we are in certain areas, I¡¯m sure we won¡¯t have a problem to find employment.¡±

    I hope so, too. Since yesterday when I faced the harsh reality, I don¡¯t feel good about living in luxury when so many Draconians suffer. My subjects are trying to spoil me but I won¡¯t let them. I¡¯m the Emperor and it¡¯s my duty to think about others first.

    ¡°Are you okay, Your Majesty?¡± Miruel suddenly approaches me and clutches my arm. She¡¯s afraid because I nervously fluttered my wings just now and looked longingly outside the window. ¡°You don¡¯t feel like¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I shake her off. ¡°How¡¯s Fefnir progressing with those drones? Will they be ready tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Hopefully,¡± she chews her lip. ¡°You think tomorrow¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely need to fly,¡± I nod. ¡°Regardless of whether I¡¯ll master the shield today or not.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty,¡± she gulps. ¡°We¡¯ll do our best to make it safe for you.¡±

    ¡°Your regular medical check-up is this Friday morning before breakfast, Your Majesty,¡± Julia¡¯s new assistant Noage reminds me.

    ¡°My transformation is finished, do I have to?¡± I frown.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be once a month from now on,¡± he says. ¡°Just to make sure you stay healthy.¡±

    I sigh but I know that there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. It¡¯s in our lore that the Celestial Emperor can¡¯t decide anything regarding his protection and well-being.

    What is Erik doing right now I wonder? We were divided after lunch. I went to check on our newest inhabitants while he had to deal with two representatives of the Prague City Hall in order to agree on material help. Liana assumed it¡¯d be better if Erik handled these lower officials who might have been too nervous around me.

    I miss him already but I could use some time without him, to be honest. I was really looking forward to meet his parents but after yesterday, Erik is convinced that they will be afraid of me. I want to make a good first impression but there¡¯s nothing I can do about my looks. And I can¡¯t go back to act seemingly more human either. I don¡¯t want to even if I could. I won¡¯t twist my nature just to make humans like me more easily. Not anymore.

    I say goodbye to Julia and the rest because I have a magic training next. Surprisingly, Emi joins me. I never noticed it before because she¡¯s usually alone in the office but outside it, wherever she goes, there¡¯s always a bunch of Clawfangs tailing her.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t had many opportunities to speak privately,¡± she smiles at me, revealing her vulpine teeth. I smile back. She¡¯s so cute. How could anyone see her as a monster?

    That sentence makes me think, though. Private is a very vague term when it comes to race rulers. No wonder it makes Erik mad. I¡¯ve always been an introvert but I got used to the fact that I¡¯m surrendered by people all the time astonishingly quickly. Naturally, that applies to Draconians only. Their minds don¡¯t hurt me. On the contrary, I enjoy feeling their telepathic imprints.

    ¡°Is Rien doing okay?¡± I ask and curiously eye Emi¡¯s guards.

    You can¡¯t even tell they¡¯re guards. Unlike mine, they don¡¯t wear uniforms and they aren¡¯t as stiff and serious about the job. I guess Emi just brings random people from her pack who take turns which is unthinkable for me. Clawfang mentality can¡¯t be further from the Celestial one. But they¡¯re still fellow Draconians so I don¡¯t mind their company.

    ¡°Rien¡¯s adapting fine considering that his family was keeping his from other Draconians,¡± Emi says. ¡°He¡¯s meeting his aunt, Bauerova, right now.¡±

    I¡¯m happy to see that Draconians still want to keep their previous family relations. Would it be different for me if I had an understanding family? I haven¡¯t spoken to my grandmother for weeks now, Erik blocked her number on my phone so that she won¡¯t exploit me again.

    But I still felt some kind of connection to her, my only living family, so I sent her some money. She should be able to live comfortably with it till the end of her days and I won¡¯t feel guilty about never talking to her again.

    She was horrible to me but it was still a better alternative to an orphanage where someone would have found out about my telepathy sooner or later for sure. So I¡¯m actually grateful that I could live with her even if it wasn¡¯t ideal.

    ¡°Rien will make an excellent beta warrior,¡± Emi remarks, interrupting my pondering. ¡°But I can¡¯t wait to finally get my Supreme Beta when we visit New York. He should get his diplomatic immunity by then so I¡¯ll take him with me.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± I realise that her deputy Rin is stuck in New York.

    But we¡¯re coming there soon. Oh, and Gotrid is also there. I look forward to meeting him in person but I¡¯m a bit worried at the same time. It¡¯s obvious that Erik is super jealous whenever I talk to him. It¡¯s not just silly petty jealousy I could ignore. I have to admit that in this particular instance, Erik is apprehensive for a good reason.

    Gotrid is my type and a Celestial which is a dangerous combination. While I truly love only Erik right now, I do have quite a rich history of polyamorous relationships due to my telepathic addiction. No wonder Erik is twice as nervous.

    I¡¯m absolutely sure about my love for him but now that my Celestial nature is fully awake, I can¡¯t guarantee that seeing Gotrid in person won¡¯t trigger something. While I do love Erik¡¯s human body, I have to keep making a conscious effort lately not to turn around when I see a pair of really nice wings on a man who¡¯s my type.

    ¡°Are you okay, Aefener?¡± Emi sniffs me all of a sudden. ¡°You¡¯ve just smelled Celestial funny.¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± I flinch. ¡°Celestials don¡¯t sweat much so I don¡¯t bathe as often. Am I starting to stink or something?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it,¡± she shakes her head. ¡°But you faintly smelled of pheromones. Were you thinking about something dirty? Gosh, Erik isn¡¯t with you for two hours and your imagination runs wild. Does it ever get old for you two?¡±

    I turn completely red. Thankfully, Emi thinks that she guessed right when in reality I got aroused when thinking about Gotrid and his wings. Does that count as mental cheating? Can I even resist feeling this way about Celestial men?

    I quickly recall Erik¡¯s handsome muscular body and it excites me all the same but when I try to remember my old lovers or human men in general, I get no reaction. Can it be that I stopped being attracted to humans and Erik is an exception because I love him? Will he feel flattered when he finds out or threatened?

    I¡¯d like to test our newly discovered long-distance telepathic connection to see how far I can reach with sending my thoughts but I don¡¯t want to startle him when he¡¯s at an important meeting.

    ¡°Are you listening, Aefener?¡± Emi pulls my sleeve. ¡°I was asking if I can watch your training session today.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry. Sure, why not,¡± I nod.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to see how you do it because I also have to come up with a training regime for my race,¡± she elaborates. ¡°I have to admit that I¡¯m not good at organising things. Being a Clawfang is more about spontaneity. All that administration is killing me.¡±

    Oh, does she really hate it so much and the reason is mainly because she¡¯s a Clawfang? I realise that I don¡¯t mind my new job actually and it¡¯s totally unexpected. I rarely watched news before. I wouldn¡¯t even know the name of our current Czech Prime Minister is she wasn¡¯t queer. But Celestials like things to be orderly and neatly organised. Unlike Clawfangs, we don¡¯t like chaos.

    ¡°Your Majesty, welcome,¡± Taranah greets me when we reach the training suite. ¡°Oh, Supreme Alpha is with you?¡±

    ¡°She wants to watch me train,¡± I nod. ¡°Is that okay?¡±

    ¡°If you say it¡¯s okay, then it is,¡± he says. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid her numerous escort has to wait outside. For safety reasons in case some spell goes berserk again. We can¡¯t possibly watch for so many people.¡±

    ¡°No problem,¡± Emi instructs her pack to wait in the corridor and goes inside alone.

    ¡°You can do that outside your apartment?¡± I¡¯m astonished. We¡¯re both race rulers, yet we¡¯re treated so differently by our people.

    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m the Supreme Alpha, they have to listen to my every command,¡± she claims proudly.

    I frown and look at Miruel. She shakes her head which means that I shouldn¡¯t expect the same treatment. Even if I fully identify as the Celestial Emperor now, there¡¯re still some things that go against my feathers and I have to tolerate. Like being anxiously guarded all the time.

    ¡°Different race, different customs,¡± Emi shrugs. ¡°To be frank, I¡¯d be nervous to leave you all alone as well. Celestials are extremely weak towards surprise attacks and you have no resistance.¡±

    I sigh. She¡¯s right.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m late,¡± Liana appears a few minutes after us. Her magic training is also mandatory, of course.

    We start practicing and I think it must be very boring for Emi to watch. Inner mana channelling isn¡¯t perceivable by anyone who isn¡¯t a Celestial and most of our attempts end in failure. I¡¯m very motivated to make it work but I¡¯m trying to be not as enthusiastic because last time my spell backfired.

    This time I feel different, though. Calmer. More confident about my skills. I managed a level 15 healing skill in that squat so there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t manage a level 5 shield. I suspect my problem is that I push out too much mana for such a simple spell. So¡­ what about I try a level 15 shield? Would that work better for me? I recall the transfiguration symbol needed for it and channel my mana.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Aefener?!¡± Liana is staring in disbelief because I get surrounded by a thin layer of protective light.

    She tries touching it but her hand goes through.

    ¡°Another failure?¡± she¡¯s disappointed.

    ¡°Emi, try throwing something at me,¡± I ask.

    The Supreme Alpha grins, takes a tennis ball out of her pocket and throws it at me. The ball gets repelled when touching the barrier.

    ¡°How?¡± Liana opens her mouth wide.

    ¡°Because I think of you as my ally,¡± I smile, take her hand and pull her to my chest.

    She comes through easily and I make the shield stretch so that it can hold both of us.

    ¡°And I¡¯m not?¡± Emi purses her lips.

    ¡°The ball definitely isn¡¯t,¡± I explain. ¡°No non-living object gets through by default. Why do you have something like that on you anyway?¡±

    ¡°To play with when I¡¯m bored,¡± she laughs. ¡°Congratulations, Aefener, it seems you should be safe enough tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Ehm!¡± someone coughs from the door.

    Not just someone, Erik!

    ¡°Cheating on me with your Viceroy?¡± he raises his eyebrow but his tone is teasy.

    I realise I¡¯m still holding Liana tight. When did I transform from someone who¡¯s afraid of any touch to a person who loves hugs? It must be Erik¡¯s doing.

    I let go of her and run to hug my partner instead. I think it would take just one more hour and my telepathic addiction would kick in. I was already missing him terribly and we¡¯re been away each other only for three hours.

    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± he laughs because I shower him with kisses.

    He feels a bit better now. Was it because he was with humans so he could relax despite them being state officials? It seems so. I have to do something about it.

    *****

    ¡°Your parents are coming this Friday but you could also sometimes invite your friends, you know,¡± I tell him when he¡¯s washing my wings that evening.

    My white feathers attract dirt like magnets ever since my wings got so big that I almost drag them behind me. There¡¯s barely a five-centimetre gap between the tips of my folded wings and the ground. I have to meticulously wash them at least once a week.

    ¡°You mean here?¡± he¡¯s taken aback by my proposition but keeps soaping my feathers. Regular wing maintenance is very time-consuming but, fortunately, Erik loves doing it.

    ¡°Why not? You can use one of the lounges,¡± I suggest and moan because his handiwork is out of this world and my wings unbelievably sensitive. ¡°They didn¡¯t turn their back to you, did they?¡±

    ¡°A few of them did,¡± he admits sadly. ¡°But most of them support me. I didn¡¯t have time to properly stay in touch but we text from time to time. I try to reply to their messages between meetings.¡±

    ¡°So invite them,¡± I repeat. ¡°You should be with other humans more.¡±

    ¡°Without you there?¡± he¡¯s making sure he understood right.

    ¡°Well, would they be able to relax if I was present?¡±

    ¡°No, but they¡¯re dying to meet the Celestial Emperor in person,¡± he grins. ¡°And I like boasting with my beautiful partner.¡±

    ¡°Okay, you can introduce me but I¡¯ll leave after an hour,¡± I give a condition. ¡°I¡¯m serious, Erik, you need to be among your kind. Do something normal for a change.¡±

    ¡°You became my new normal,¡± he kisses my wet shoulder. ¡°But I guess you¡¯re right.¡±

    He washes the soap off my wings and I feel cold the moment I step out of the hot water. Erik quickly wraps himself into a towel and is reaching for a hair dryer but that always takes forever. I think I should be skilled enough to dry myself after yesterday¡¯s flight when I could finally practice air magic freely.

    I envelope myself in a warm air current and sigh with relief. It¡¯s so pleasant! Like a giant hair dryer. Erik curiously steps closer and our skin gets dry almost immediately. Feathers take much longer but it¡¯s still just a fraction of time compared to hair dryers.

    ¡°Okay, this spell is actually very practical,¡± he appreciates.

    ¡°And my other spells aren¡¯t?¡± I nudge him and flutter my nicely clean wings. They shine with whiteness and I feel so proud of them.

    ¡°The shield certainly is, I¡¯m glad that you¡¯ve mastered it. Otherwise, I¡¯d be scared to let you fly again,¡± Erik hugs me.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I prove that I¡¯m an excellent flier?¡± I raise my eyebrow.

    ¡°You know what I mean, Ryuu,¡± he hugs me and his worries flood over. ¡°It¡¯s extremely dangerous for you out there.¡±

    We stay like that for a while. Naked but not doing anything erotic. Just being together. And even though we¡¯re seemingly together almost all the time, for some reason it feels rare and precious.

    *****

    ¡°Aefener,¡± Liana grabs my wrist, her eyes open wide. She¡¯s afraid.

    The wind is playing with her hair. If she could, she would forbid me to go. But this is the one thing which is so inherent to Celestials that she can¡¯t do anything about it. Besides, I can¡¯t be stopped at this point and she knows that.

    I¡¯m already almost losing my mind, exercising the last shreds of sanity. I wanted to go flying the moment I woke up this morning but they forced me to eat breakfast first and then I had to wait for them to prepare. My wings are trembling with anticipation and the wind blowing into my feathers isn¡¯t helping to calm me down.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be okay, Li,¡± I assure her and eye Fefnir to see how he¡¯s doing.

    He¡¯s switching on four huge drones that will accompany me and it takes him forever because he double-checks everything. The deal is that the drones will fly around me in a safe distance and monitor my surroundings, especially the ground to spot any possible danger. The security scanned the immediate vicinity of AstraTech¡¯s skyscraper already, of course, but they¡¯re still afraid that something might happen to me.

    ¡°I can cast a shield now,¡± I add because Liana won¡¯t let go of my wrist.

    ¡°You can¡¯t fly more than three hundred meters away from us,¡± she reminds me. ¡°Up is okay, but not away, do you understand? If you do, we¡¯ll have to punish you for disobeying a direct order concerning your safety.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my Viceroy,¡± I smirk because I can¡¯t imagine any kind of punishment they could do to me. Would they take away my retro videogames I don¡¯t have time to play anyway?

    ¡°Does the robe fit well?¡± Ayala the maid approaches me and is trying out for the tenth time that the binding won¡¯t come off even if I do pirouettes and that my hair is tied firmly.

    ¡°Much better than the previous one but not a real flying robe yet,¡± I comment but I have to admit that compared to the full royal attire I had to fly in two days ago, this one is pretty light.

    The maids took one of my current robes and adjusted it. It has one layer less, it¡¯s not as loose and I¡¯m wearing leggings underneath. To be honest, it would be much more practical to wear modern human clothes for flying but I wouldn¡¯t put it on anymore. I¡¯d feel ridiculous and tragically underdressed.

    ¡°Ryuu, be careful,¡± Erik hugs me the moment Liana finally lets go. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything crazy, okay? Just fly around a bit to stretch your wings and come back to us.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± I¡¯m nodding furiously.

    ¡°Promise me that,¡± Erik frowns because he suspects that my head is blank. He gently grabs my chin and makes me look into his eyes. ¡°Ryuu, promise!¡±

    ¡°I promise!¡± I repeat after him and send him reassurance through telepathy.

    ¡°The drones are ready,¡± Fefnir announces. Finally!

    It¡¯s not like he suddenly became an amateur RC fan but surveillance is part of his job now. And he had help from other Draconians, of course.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, don¡¯t worry,¡± I kiss my partner, hug him tight for one more time and then slowly step away from everyone.

    I active the protective shield, wait mercilessly for the drones to take off and then stretch my wings in full. I can hear Ingri and a few others wo didn¡¯t see it first time gasping for breath, impressed by my wingspan. I feel proud about myself which is an emotion I have never felt as a human before. I¡¯m proud of being a Celestial.

    I take a deep breath and get into the air with one mighty flap of my strong wings. My mind clears of anything useless and there¡¯s only me and the sky. I have to make a conscious effort to remember Liana¡¯s instructions and stay close. It¡¯s so hard to limit myself.

    I start flying around the skyscraper, gaining speed with each spin. My adrenalin spikes and with it also a huge amount of dopamine. Just like last time, I¡¯m high. It feels good to be alive and have wings and be a Celestial and¡­ I can¡¯t think straight anymore.

    ¡°COME BACK THIS INSTANCE, AEFENER!!!!¡±

    I stop myself abruptly using air magic and look around, confused. Did I just hear my Viceroy right now?

    ¡°THAT¡¯S FOUR HUNDRED METRES ALREADY!¡±

    Oh, her voice¡­ it¡¯s coming from the drones that are barely keeping up with me. I had no idea drones can have speakers.

    I turn around and see that I¡¯m really quite far from the AstraTech¡¯s building. But I didn¡¯t do it on purpose! How can I measure something like that? I use a gust of wind to propel myself back, almost knocking the drones off their course. Oops, sorry, Fefnir.

    So¡­ I can¡¯t go any further but I¡¯m not forbidden to go up, right? There shouldn¡¯t be anything dangerous high in the sky, my friends are mostly concerned about people shooting at me from the ground. I fly around the skyscraper one more time to gain speed and then shoot straight up like an arrow. Can I reach the cloud that¡¯s hovering right above the skyscraper I wonder?

    After a few moments of ascend, I look down and the city is starting to resemble a map. How high am I? I don¡¯t feel any vertigo, not in the slightest. I trust my wings and the air. Everything down there is so tiny. All my problems and the politics seem petty now. If only I could stay here forever. If only I didn¡¯t have to land ever again.

    I continue my ascent at steady speed and altitude isn¡¯t a problem, my lungs are perfectly adjusted to thinner air. The cold is becoming a problem, though. I try casting a few fire balls around me but they get blown away immediately. We¡¯ll definitely need quality thermal clothes for flying.

    I flap my wings with all might one more time, almost reaching, and suddenly I¡¯m surrounded by white fog. I made it¡ªI¡¯m inside of the cloud! It¡¯s a bit disorienting but my senses tell me which way to go. I play with the white fluff, my shield repelling water inside it so that my wings won¡¯t get wet. But the chill does.

    I push myself to go even higher to test how far I can go and soon I¡¯m above the cloud. And I¡¯m left speechless. It¡¯s unbelievably tranquil here. And then I realise another thing which shocks me even more. I¡­ I can¡¯t feel anything that¡¯s not mine! All that emotional ambience of the city is gone entirely! It¡¯s just me and my thoughts and feelings.

    Shiver goes down my spine. One reason is because the cold is getting to me, the other because it seems unnatural. I¡¯ve always dreamed of switching off my telepathy but now that it has actually happened¡­ it doesn¡¯t feel right. I realise that I miss feeling Erik, my friends and other Draconians. I¡¯m totally hooked on them.

    To distract myself and also to warm up, I start doing crazy air acrobatics and pirouettes. I play with the wind and the cloud. I test what my body is capable of. My mind is full of ideas for Celestial air games we could play in near future and I regret not borrowing Emi¡¯s ball.

    I play and play but after a while¡­ I really want to enjoy the scenery for a bit longer but I¡¯m starting to get anxious not feeling the others. And tired. And cold. I want to share this moment, being here alone isn¡¯t fun. And did I mention it¡¯s soooo cold? I sneeze all of a sudden and try to hide my hands into the sleeves. Oh, where are the drones? I notice their absence only now. Did I lose them in the cloud?

    Okay, there¡¯s no other way, I have to return. How long was I flying anyway? It felt like twenty minutes but my wings are much more exhausted than that. As the last feat, I try free fall through the clouds but I stretch my wings immediately after I see the city again. I don¡¯t want to give Erik a heart attack in case he spots me with binoculars.

    I¡¯m worried that I diverted from the skyscraper too much but then I spot its unmistakable silhouette. The ambient telepathic imprint of the city below me hits me again but this time I don¡¯t wish I could turn it off. I embrace it.

    For the first time ever, I¡¯m genuinely happy that I¡¯m a telepath. I can¡¯t imagine my life without my extra sense that¡¯s an integral part of me just as being a Celestial and the Emperor is. This flight was a discovery in more ways than one.

    The temperature rises but I¡¯m still shivering. Did I overdo it? But I¡¯m almost there. Home. Home is where my partner is. And my Viceroy. And my friends and subjects. I have so many people I love now. Am I not the luckiest person on Earth?

    Oh, that¡¯s not good. I¡¯m so close now that I¡¯m catching everyone¡¯s emotions separately again, not as one ambient jumble. And it¡¯s nothing pleasant because I perceive only two: extreme fear and anger. I gulp but there¡¯s no avoiding it so I go for a landing, people below quickly clearing a spot for me.

    I carefully land on my feet, flutter my wings one last time and then fold them behind my back.  There¡¯re a few seconds of absolute silence and a new emotion¡ªrelief¡ªemerges but it doesn¡¯t erase the previous two.

    I want to run towards Erik and go for a hug but I freeze when I look at his expression and feel his emotional state. He¡¯s absolutely furious. Everyone is furious.

    ¡°YOU¡¯VE BEEN MISSING FOR TWO HOURS!¡± he roars. ¡°Do you have any idea how scared we were? And what¡¯s worse¡ªthe information got out because we were streaming your flight! Celestials all over the world are panicking!¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­ the drones¡­?¡± I say feebly.

    ¡°You mean those you left behind after first twenty minutes of your flight?¡± Fefnir steps closer and his voice is thunder. He¡¯s towering over me like a scaly wall so I instinctively crouch.

    My eyes search for Liana but she¡¯s already standing next to me and grabs my wrist quite painfully. Her face is unreadable but her emotional state isn¡¯t. She¡¯s in her Celestial wrath mode.

    ¡°L-Li,¡± I let out but she drags me inside without a word. She¡¯s making sure that she¡¯s holding me over the layers of fabric so that I can¡¯t read her thoughts.

    She pushes me into the elevator but doesn¡¯t let go of my hand. Erik joins us and is feeling disappointed in me which is breaking my heart. Miruel and Vermiel board with us, watching me with pursed lips and mixed emotions.

    ¡°L-Li, I¡­,¡± I want to apologise for making them worry but they stay perfectly silent. It freaks me out. Was I really out for two hours to get them this pissed?

    We reach the floor with our apartments so I expect that I¡¯ll be scolded in private but Liana pushes me out while staying in the elevator.

    ¡°His Majesty is not to leave his quarters until I say so,¡± she orders Miruel and Vermiel, takes other bodyguards and the door closes behind her.

    I don¡¯t understand. Where is she going? Why did she address me using my title? And did she just order me home arrest? Can she do that?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Erik grabs my wrist instead and pulls me through the corridor.

    The guards patrolling this floor are looking at me strangely and are whispering to each other when I pass them. Nothing good I assume so I¡¯m glad when we hide in our apartment. I wish to have some privacy with my partner but Vermiel and Miruel stay standing by the door from the inside and I know that nothing I say will convince them to leave.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Erik, I really am,¡± I say tearily. ¡°I had no idea I was there for so long, honestly!¡±

    I collapse on the sofa, the fatigue got to me fully now because the adrenaline rush wore off. I realise that I totally overdid it. My wings are super exhausted, I¡¯m still panting and I can¡¯t seem to warm myself.

    ¡°So you really can¡¯t help yourself?¡± Erik hisses and doesn¡¯t sit down next to me. ¡°This isn¡¯t just a Celestial thing, right? It¡¯s your Emperor quirk exactly as the lore says. Liana was worried after your first flight that it might be the case but we hoped it wouldn¡¯t be so dramatic in real life. But, in fact, it¡¯s even worse.¡±

    ¡°I know that I got carried away a bit, but¡­¡±

    ¡°A bit?!¡± Erik interrupts me, annoyed. ¡°Ryuu, Liana left because the Celestial Council is meeting to decide what to do with you.¡±

    ¡°D-do? What do you mean?¡± I shiver with both cold and dark anticipation.

    ¡°They lost their Emperor for two hours and had no idea where you are,¡± he clutches his wrists. ¡°You caused global panic, you dumb. Don¡¯t you get it? You¡¯re the guarantor of fragile peace between humans and Draconians and Celestials especially revere you as the embodiment of magic itself. You¡¯re the most important person on the planet right now.¡±

 46. Assert Myself

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Erik. I swear I didn¡¯t do it on purpose,¡± I apologise again and stretch for a blanket because I can¡¯t stop shivering. Why is the room so cold?

    And why am I apologising if I don¡¯t feel guilty? They forbade me to fly far but they said I could go up so I did. Okay, maybe they didn¡¯t assume I would go so many kilometres up but still. Admittedly, I lost Fefnir¡¯s drones but they were just too slow.

    ¡°Which is even worse, Ryuu,¡± Erik shakes his head. ¡°It means that you have no control over yourself when it comes to flying.¡±

    No control? NO CONTROL?! Does he have any idea how much self-control it takes for me to skip a day and not fly at all? How much I wanted to finally feel free but they gave me a very limiting radius around the skyscraper?

    I want to answer something venomous but, unexpectedly, I sneeze instead. My shivering gets worse and it¡¯s starting to freak me out. What¡¯s happening to me?

    Erik blinks and his anger transforms into concern in an instance.

    ¡°Ryuu, love, what¡¯s wrong?¡± he finally sits next to me and puts his hand on my forehead. ¡°Could you possibly¡­ catch cold? Vermiel, call the doctor immediately!¡±

    The guards turn pale and Vermiel quickly takes out his phone.

    ¡°It¡¯s so chilly up there, I need warmer clothes next time,¡± I say faintly and feel the strength leaving me. I¡¯m developing a fever. ¡°Oh, Erik, don¡¯t be mad at me anymore and give me some of your warmth.¡±

    He takes me into his arms, not a trace of anger in him now, only worries. I fold my wings to make it easier for him carry me. He transports me into our bedroom and changes my improvised flight robe for a sleeping kimono. Then he undresses as well, hugs me tight and after evaluating that this time just my feathers won¡¯t be enough, he wraps me into two blankets.

    I delve into his mind I love so much but this time it doesn¡¯t provide me the usual comfort.

    *****

    I don¡¯t know when I dozed off but I wake up feeling strangely hot and cold at the same time. My body is shivering uncontrollably and I feel weak. There¡¯re Earthborn roots stuck to my forearm. Noage is examining me.

    ¡°Thirty-eight degrees Celsius,¡± Noage assesses. ¡°His Majesty¡¯s body is battling hypothermia with fever. It seems to be an automatic Celestial defence mechanism. He was up there for too long, Royal Consort. It¡¯s freezing six kilometres in the sky and his robe wasn¡¯t made for that.¡±

    ¡°Will he be okay?¡± Erik is caressing my feathers but I don¡¯t open my eyes. I decide to just listen. I¡¯m too drowsy for anything else anyway.

    ¡°Please, tell me he¡¯s going to be okay. Why aren¡¯t you treating him better?¡± my boyfriend is panicking.

    ¡°I can¡¯t give him any human medicine, Erik, I could make it potentially worse,¡± Julia opposes.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t documented Celestial hypothermia yet but it doesn¡¯t seem that much different except for the fever,¡± Noage says and his rooty tentacles move from my arm to my chest and slip under the robe. If I wasn¡¯t so low on energy, I¡¯d never let him touch me there. Only Erik is allowed to.

    ¡°So just keep him warm, wait and that¡¯s it?¡± Erik becomes extremely irritated. ¡°What is the Earthborn miraculous healing good for then?¡±

    ¡°Royal Consort, I understand your concern, we¡¯re all scared for His Majesty¡¯s health,¡± Noage tries to calm him down. ¡°But this isn¡¯t an open wound or disease. Celestials are weak towards cold by default but at the same time they have safety mechanisms against it¡ªthus the fever. His Majesty¡¯s body is doing exactly what it¡¯s supposed to do in such a situation.¡±

    ¡°First we lose him for two suffocating hours and now he gets sick as a result,¡± I hear Liana grumbling. Her anger pretty much transformed into worry as well but she¡¯s still pissed, unlike Erik who seemed to forgive me.

    Do I need to be forgiven, though?

    ¡°It won¡¯t get out, Your Excellency, don¡¯t worry,¡± Miruel assures her. ¡°Only His Majesty¡¯s private guards and maids know about it and we¡¯re sworn to absolute secrecy.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, it can¡¯t,¡± Liana clicks her tongue. ¡°The situation has barely calmed down after we announced that our Emperor returned safe and sound. Besides, Celestials would blame us for underestimating his protection. How fast is he going to recover, Noage? Any predictions?¡±

    ¡°I dare to say that Celestial cold may seem dramatic in the beginning but His Majesty should get well quickly. I checked him thoroughly and his body is battling hypothermia bravely. It¡¯s just a matter of getting his temperature back to normal. Two days max,¡± he estimates.

    ¡°Good, it would be suspicious if it was longer,¡± Liana is relieved. ¡°Let¡¯s cover it, announcing that he was given a much-deserved day off.¡±

    I want to listen to the rest of their conversation but fever overcomes me and I fall asleep again.

    *****

    This time I wake up in the middle of the night. Erik is wiping sweat from my face and my vision is blurry.

    ¡°Your fever is at its peak, love,¡± my boyfriend says and kisses me gently on my forehead.

    ¡°Thirty-nine degrees Celsius but it should be going down now,¡± Noage elaborates. ¡°Do you hear us, Your Majesty? Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll get only better from now on.¡±

    ¡°Pull His Majesty up, Royal Consort, he has to eat at least something,¡± I recognise Cien¡¯s voice.

    I whine in disagreement but a spoonful of sweet rice is shoved into my mouth all the same. It¡¯s smooth enough to gulp so I do just that. They¡¯re very patient with me but it¡¯s still force-feeding. I hate every second of it even though I¡¯m aware that my body needs nutrients.

    ¡°Erik¡­,¡± I say hoarsely when I finish the bowl.

    ¡°Shh, don¡¯t fight it and go back to sleep, honey,¡± Erik lies me down while the maids help him to make my wings comfortable.

    I close my eyes and fall into restless sleep. I dream about flying but every time I want to reach the horizon, my own people catch me and put my wings into shackles.

    *****

    I wake up with a twitch because it feels as if someone is groping my wings. I turn my head wildly but it¡¯s just Ayala. She wanted to kindly change my wings¡¯ position so that I don¡¯t feel so sore. I calm down when I make sure about her good intention but I can¡¯t shake off the feeling that she was touching me more than was necessary.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Erik?¡± I ask, startled that he isn¡¯t with me.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t seem like you¡¯d be waking up soon, Your Majesty, and Her Excellency came to visit,¡± Ayala explains. ¡°They¡¯re talking in the living room.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± I sigh out when I verify it with my telepathy. I must have woken up exactly because unconsciously I didn¡¯t feel my partner close.

    ¡°Do you feel better?¡± she smiles at me, relieved. ¡°I¡¯ll notify the kitchen to bring you breakfast. Doctor Julia insisted on vegetable broth.¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    I realise that I do feel better. Much better. I¡¯m still a bit dizzy but it seems my fever went down and I don¡¯t feel cold anymore. I quickly inspect the room. Vermiel is standing watch by the door from the inside and he¡¯s looking at me with both concern and sternness. As if he was afraid I might break the window any instant.

    ¡°You should still rest, Your Majesty,¡± Cien gets alarmed when I push myself to sit up.

    I ignore her, envelope myself in my wings so that I don¡¯t have to look at them and start rubbing my feathers anxiously. The dream was so vivid. Analysing it rationally, I know that the shackles were just a symbolic representation but at the same time it points perfectly to my current problem that¡¯s only getting worse.

    I can see it clearly now. Celestials¡ªmy own people¡ªare increasingly limiting my already limited freedom. Being the Celestial Emperor, I¡¯m painfully aware that there¡¯re certain things I can¡¯t do anymore and that there¡¯re a ton of things that are expected of me.

    I¡¯m willing to sacrifice myself for my subjects in almost every aspect of my life but I won¡¯t let them take away from me the one thing I love the most. If I¡¯m the embodiment of magic itself as they claim, it also means that I¡¯m the embodiment of air which is our racial element. I can feel it in my hollow bones. I can feel it in my feathers. It¡¯s true.

    ¡°Your Excellency, Royal Consort, come quickly, something¡¯s wrong with His Majesty!¡± Vermiel opens the door and shouts.

    Wrong? WRONG?!

    Liana and Erik barge into the bedroom and find me enveloped in an avalanche of feathers that got all puffy with my arising wrath. They freeze on the spot because I radiate that emotion out. I didn¡¯t know I could do that but it works like a charm. Everyone starts trembling. It¡¯s one thing to witness Celestial wrath but entirely other experience to feel it pointed towards you.

    ¡°What did you discuss with the Celestial Council, Liana?¡± I open my feathered cocoon and my voice is a whip. ¡°How much further do you want to limit me in the name of my so-called protection?¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, we¡­,¡± the title slips from her tongue which makes me even more furious.

    ¡°USE-MY-FUCKING-NAME,¡± I cut every single word and objects in the room start shaking menacingly. ¡°You of all people!¡±

    ¡°Aefener,¡± she corrects herself but it doesn¡¯t sound convincing.

    ¡°I do everything you want from me, Liana,¡± I hiss. ¡°I¡¯m learning politics and etiquette even though I don¡¯t enjoy it. I work more than ten hours every day. I never complain. You take away my privacy. I hate it but I endure it. I can¡¯t go anywhere but I somehow got used to it. Flying is the last thing I have, Liana. My only freedom. I won¡¯t let anyone take is as well.¡±

    ¡°Ryuu¡­,¡± Erik looks broken-heartedly at me but doesn¡¯t dare to approach me.

    ¡°And you agree with them, don¡¯t you?¡± my eyes water. ¡°I told you once, Erik, that I might enjoy being owned by you but not like this.¡±

    ¡°We just want you to be protected,¡± Liana says defensively.

    ¡°No, you just want to control me,¡± I don¡¯t believe her. ¡°I¡¯m not a symbol for Draconians to use in their propaganda, Liana. I¡¯m a living feeling person.¡±

    ¡°I know you are,¡± she mutters but she¡¯s too apprehensive to meet my eyes which makes me miserable. We shouldn¡¯t be like this. She¡¯s my Viceroy but above all she¡¯s supposed to be my friend.

    I take a deep breath and feel the magic within me. Within¡­ within where exactly? Where does mana come from anyway? Celestials I talked to describe it as a circle along their spine that flows into their wings but for me it feels more like every cell of my body is pulsating with energy.

    I take another deep breath to clear my head and pour mana directly out of my pores. Like that, it¡¯s very easy to make the air help me get up in my weakened state as if I was riding on a windy cushion. Everyone gasps for breath watching me do it.

    I slowly float towards Erik and Liana, my body perfectly relaxed and my feet not touching the floor. I spread my wings only to make me look even more impressive.

    ¡°As the embodiment of magic, I¡¯m naturally also the embodiment of air,¡± I state to make it perfectly clear to them. ¡°If you stop me from flying until other Celestials are able to accompany me, I¡¯ll go crazy for sure. Now I¡¯m in full control but I can¡¯t guarantee it will stay that way if you limit me further.¡±

    ¡°As the Emperor, you¡¯re bound by Celestial laws¡ªespecially the law about your protection,¡± Liana reminds me but it¡¯s just a feeble attempt. She¡¯s trembling when facing my might.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m letting you protect me just enough already,¡± I say through my teeth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you were worrying about my whereabouts but I did everything you wanted from me. I couldn¡¯t go further away so I went up. The drones are too slow so come up with something else if you need me under supervision all the time. Put a tracker on me or something, I don¡¯t care. Just let me do the one thing I long for¨Cfly.¡±

    Liana finally looks into my eyes and her expression softens. There¡¯re many conflicting emotions within her and she¡¯s thinking frantically but it seems my arguments got through.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she admits and feels deep regret that they forced me to resort to this. ¡°We were being unfair, weren¡¯t we? We didn¡¯t consider your feelings at all.¡±

    ¡°Ryuu, I¡¯m also very sorry. I was so afraid that something bad might happen to you that it clouded my judgment,¡± Erik seconds and slowly stretches his hands to me.

    For a moment, he¡¯s scared that I won¡¯t accept him but being pissed at Erik for too long is a very hard thing to do. Besides, I¡¯m getting exhausted from pouring my mana out. I deactivate the air cushion and fall into his arms. Literally. I¡¯m still weakened from the fever but I feel good about myself. I proved my point. I learnt how to assert myself.

    ¡°Oops,¡± he pulls me to his chest because I wobble. ¡°You overdid it again, hon.¡±

    ¡°Well, I think I had to,¡± I huff. ¡°You needed a lesson. How scary was I?¡±

    ¡°Godly-level scary,¡± he smiles now that the tension is over and I relaxed. ¡°How did you do it?¡±

    ¡°Just another application of air magic,¡± I say and I¡¯m glad that he helps me back to bed.

    ¡°No, I mean¡­ we could really feel your Celestial wrath,¡± he specifies. ¡°Did your telepathy grow stronger again?¡±

    ¡°Hope not. I think it¡¯s also just an application,¡± I sigh. ¡°Can I eat something now? I¡¯m actually hungry now.¡±

    ¡°O-of course, Your M-Majesty,¡± Cien, who was really shocked by the manifestation of my power and was crouching in the corner during the whole time, runs off.

    ¡°Aefener,¡± Liana slowly sits on the bed and I can tell she¡¯s thinking twice about every word she¡¯s about to say. ¡°I admit that we went overboard but you do realise why?¡±

    ¡°I do, Liana,¡± I assure her. ¡°And I¡¯m compelled to listen to you when it comes to my protection, I know that, but as you said¡ªyou went overboard this time so I had to go on strike.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like you to know how we felt when you went missing. Can you connect to me, please?¡± she pleads. ¡°You should know our side of things. How we perceive it.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to,¡± I say plainly. ¡°You rely on my telepathy too much, Liana. We should actually talk about things.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± she agrees and apparently doesn¡¯t know what to do with her hands so she grabs my left wing and caresses my feathers. I¡¯m relieved to find out that I still enjoy it from her.

    ¡°And that emotional outburst you did, Ryuu?¡± Erik refuses to let me off the hook easily.

    ¡°I guess I somehow projected my emotions out,¡± I shrug, unsure myself.

    ¡°Can you do it again?¡± Liana looks up from my wings.

    ¡°Maybe¡­ I¡¯m not sure how,¡± I say truthfully. ¡°I guess you¡¯ll have to wait until you call me by my title again and it pisses me off.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that,¡± she chews her lip. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Li,¡± I sigh out sadly. ¡°I consider you my closest friend. Call me by my name because we¡¯re friends, not because I like it from you. You didn¡¯t have problems with it before.¡±

    ¡°A lot of things changed since then, Aefener,¡± the pronounces my name with careful articulation. ¡°You think that we treat you like an incompetent child that must be protected but the opposite is true. We want to protect you so desperately because we realise how precious you are. I know that especially we Celestials are fanatical about it but we can¡¯t help it. It¡¯s in our instincts to protect the embodiment of magic at all costs. Which you¡¯ve just proven you really are.¡±

    ¡°Damn, I dug my own grave, didn¡¯t I?¡± I roll my eyes.

    ¡°Quite so,¡± she finally manages a smile. ¡°That meeting we had¡­ Celestial Council¡­ we were all panicking. We have no scenario for the possibility of our Emperor dying. Unlike other races, our ruler is irreplaceable.¡±

    ¡°Stupid lore,¡± I grunt. ¡°Why are we so bound by it anyway? Do we still know nothing at all about the Great Evolution? Why Draconia Online? There¡¯re so many hardcore role-playing VR games. What does it all mean?¡±

    ¡°The developers are still missing and all data from game servers has been wiped out,¡± Liana summarises. ¡°We¡¯re only dealing with consequences, knowing nothing about the origin.¡±

    ¡°And your telepathy might be related,¡± Erik reminds me. ¡°Your Mom could have had something to do with it for all we know.¡±

    ¡°My Mom?¡± I scratch my chin, doubtful. ¡°It¡¯s not like I was playing Draconia when I was small, she was supposedly working on improving VR helmets.¡±

    The moment I finish that sentence, though, I get goosebumps. Wait a second, I had to play something while using the helmet, right? I was just four at that time but¡­ THINK! What kind of game was it? How did it feel like at least? I let out a cry when a very familiar feeling hits me.

    ¡°Ryuu?¡± Erik clutches my hand. ¡°What is it?¡±

    I look at him, bewildered. It¡¯s very hazy in my memory but I think I can recall how the game I tested for my Mom felt like.

    ¡°Guys¡­,¡± I gulp. ¡°Something just came to me. I¡­ I can¡¯t be sure but¡­ I think I remembered some fragments just now. You know that I was testing VR helmets for my Mom on the pretext that it blocks my telepathy so that I could relax, right? I wasn¡¯t good at controlling my ability when I was a child.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we know. So?¡± Liana nudges me nervously.

    ¡°And you know that I was the only Celestial player who could fly on the first day of game launch?¡± I say, mostly for Erik who isn¡¯t acquainted with our gaming history.

    ¡°Of course, the developers thought it was a miracle. They predicted human brain would take weeks to adapt in order to control new limbs,¡± she nods wildly. ¡°You were a total anomaly.¡±

    ¡°The moment I logged it into Draconia for the first time, I remember that everything felt strangely familiar to me,¡± I say extremely slowly, letting them process it. ¡°I forgot about it later on because I thought that my brain was just playing tricks on me.¡±

    ¡°Familiar?!¡± they almost stop breathing. Vermiel is also leaning in, listening closely.

    ¡°Especially having the wings,¡± I say. ¡°Guys¡­ I think that the game I was testing for my Mom might have been a prototype of Draconia Online.¡±

 47. The Weight of Responsibility

    ¡°And you just forgot about it?¡± Fefnir raises his scaly eyebrow when I tell the rest of the gang about my discovery. Our small bedroom is totally packed and my friends are sitting wherever there¡¯s a free spot. I¡¯m starting to agree with Erik that we need a bigger apartment.

    ¡°I was four, Fefnir,¡± I remind him. ¡°It¡¯s a miracle that I remember that much. I didn¡¯t realise until now and I can¡¯t be entirely sure either. I just recalled the feeling of testing a game in which I had wings and could fly.¡±

    ¡°It seems unlikely to be a coincidence,¡± Liana says. ¡°Draconia Online was developed in Japan and such a massive game had to be in making for years. It could overlap with the time your Mom was working there and you were born.¡±

    ¡°Any luck researching her history?¡± Erik asks and keeps caressing my wings to calm me down. ¡°You¡¯ve started already, right?¡±

    ¡°We did,¡± Fefnir nods. ¡°But we got nothing so far. Someone with lots of money was apparently determined to wipe everything. I managed to find out that Aefener¡¯s mother left the European Union in 2076 but what she was doing in Japan is a mystery. You don¡¯t happen to recall the name of the company, Aefener? You must have seen their logo or something when you were attending those tests.¡±

    ¡°Nothing, sorry,¡± I have to disappoint them. ¡°Either I was too small to remember or my Mom made sure I won¡¯t see anything that could give me clues later on.¡±

    ¡°Maybe she wanted to protect you,¡± Ingri ponders. ¡°You were born a telepath and should the government find out¡­¡±

    I shiver. But not because of the government.

    ¡°What is it, Ryuu?¡± Erik hugs me.

    ¡°I¡­ I just thought about¡­ should my father find out,¡± I whisper.

    ¡°Here it is again,¡± Liana frowns. ¡°You claim you never met him but you¡¯re shivering each time we bring him up. It¡¯s not normal.¡±

    ¡°You think he has something to do with what¡¯s happening?¡± I say weakly. ¡°We don¡¯t even know if he¡¯s still alive.¡±

    ¡°Could your grandmother know something?¡± Fefnir scratches his chin.

    ¡°I doubt that, she was always telling me that she lost all contact with her when Mom went to Japan,¡± I clutch Erik tight, trying to find comfort in his embrace.

    ¡°So we¡¯re where we started,¡± Liana flutters her wings irritably. ¡°Damn, I¡¯d have never guessed that it¡¯s possible to cover something so masterfully in this age. Your father, whoever he is, must be either totally loaded or in the government. Possibly both.¡±

    ¡°You think he doesn¡¯t know he has a son?¡± Erik doubts. ¡°Ryuu might not remember his father¡¯s face but he¡¯s reacting too strongly every time we bring it up.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Aefener¡¯s father would ever let go of his son considering how special he is,¡± Liana disagrees. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he doesn¡¯t know and Aefener¡¯s mother was hiding the truth from him.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ he¡¯s potentially very dangerous?¡± Ingri gulps. ¡°It seems His Majesty¡¯s mother was very particular about instilling fear of him.¡±

    ¡°Ingri,¡± I click my tongue. ¡°I think my name is nice so please use it.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she puts a palm over her mouth. ¡°Sorry, a habit.¡±

    ¡°What kind of habit are you talking about?¡± I don¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Aefener,¡± she pronounced my name this time. ¡°We¡¯re communicating with human officials and our people all over the world every day. It would be weird not to use your title in front of them. This kind of habit.¡±

    I roll my eyes but don¡¯t comment on it. Ingri tried to be nonchalant but I can feel that she¡¯s acting shy around me lately. The more I act as the Celestial Emperor, the more distant I become from everyone else. Is this the toll I have to pay for being a ruler? I hate it. And I hate the fact that there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.

    You have me, Erik catches my turmoil and sends me his comforting thoughts. By the way, are you the only Draconian who still likes his human name?

    I want to keep it because it¡¯s the only thing that I have left of Mom, I explain.

    And it also sounds cool, Erik laughs in his head. It¡¯s not like I speak Japanese but I looked it up when we started seeing each other and its translation means dragon, soar and fly, right? How cute, my angel is a little air dragon.

    ¡°Ehm,¡± Liana coughs. ¡°Aefener, Erik, we talked about this countless times. It¡¯s rude to use telepathy when you¡¯re in the middle of a conversation with other people.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I chew my lip. ¡°How obvious are we when we¡¯re doing it?¡±

    ¡°To us totally obvious,¡± Ingri grins. ¡°As for other people¡­ they might get suspicious of your behaviour only when they would spend more time with you so you should be safe enough.¡±

    ¡°Still, be more careful,¡± Liana doesn¡¯t let us off the hook easily. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that¡¯s how your guards started to suspect something¡¯s off, Aefener.¡±

    ¡°Will you be okay tomorrow?¡± Ingri stretches her hand to me, her rooty tentacles poking out. I let her examine me. ¡°Your temperature is still slightly increased.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I assure her. ¡°It seems Celestial hypothermia is dramatic in the beginning but quick to overcome. I heard you¡¯re working on a flying robe for me?¡±

    ¡°The design is done already, now we¡¯re waiting for it to be manufactured,¡± she says proudly and everyone relaxes when the topic become less serious.

    ¡°And ehm¡­ what about tomorrow?¡± I ask carefully and watch for their reactions. My friends stiffen but Liana who faced my stern talking to isn¡¯t so disapproving which is a good sign.

    ¡°Well,¡± she says and glances at the rest of the gang. ¡°We were tragically under-prepared yesterday but, technically speaking, you didn¡¯t disobey us.¡±

    ¡°But six kilometres, Aefener, seriously?¡± Fefnir purses his scaly lips. ¡°The drones Liana bought are military so they can go that far up but the problem is you¡¯re much quicker than them.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t promise anything when it comes to my speed because I won¡¯t hold back,¡± I tell them honestly. ¡°But I won¡¯t go that high without proper clothes again. I learned my lesson.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s suppose Aefener stays within two-kilometre radius both up and away, preferably up so that he¡¯s not in danger from the ground,¡± Liana is thinking aloud. ¡°He¡¯ll have a shield activated all the time and he¡¯ll answer to us through a smartwatch. We¡¯ll be tracking his position so that the drones know where to find him should he leave them behind.¡±

    ¡°Ryuu, will you be able to keep that radius?¡± Erik asks me with worries. ¡°Will you answer when I call you? Will you listen when I tell you to come back?¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± I nod and this time I¡¯m sure about myself. Erik can sense that and relaxes.

    My friends are not so easily convinced, though.

    ¡°Guys,¡± I address all of them. ¡°I know that you¡¯re worried about that part of the lore which says that the Celestial Emperor gets wild in the air and I won¡¯t deny it¡¯s not true. I do get high when flying but I¡¯m still in control. However, I¡¯ll tell you when I¡¯ll lose control for sure. If you won¡¯t let me fly often enough.¡±

    They look at each other and sigh in unison. I won.

    ¡°Okay, tomorrow in the morning we¡¯ll go through the most pressing agenda and then you can go flying for an hour before lunch,¡± Liana makes a plan. ¡°Prove to us that you can control yourself, wait patiently for your flying session that will be part of your everyday timetable from now on and work without distractions.¡±

    ¡°Deal,¡± I take the offer quickly before she changes her mind.

    I want to be happy that I secured one small victory but I know that I¡¯m far from being truly free. I only made my golden cage a bit bigger, that¡¯s all.

    *****

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I assure Erik for the fifth time this morning. ¡°Now that I know you¡¯ll let me fly, I¡¯m calm.¡±

    ¡°You looked longingly out of the window just now,¡± he accuses me.

    ¡°So what, I can look,¡± I flutter my wings in annoyance.

    ¡°Your Majesty, be mindful of your surroundings, please,¡± Luviael scolds me because I almost knocked over my mug.

    ¡°Celestials need more spacious rooms obviously,¡± Erik comments and analyses mine, Luvi¡¯s and Liana¡¯s wings. The room feels cramped with just a few of us here. ¡°It¡¯s ironic that now when I finally have money to rent the most luxurious apartment, we can¡¯t move.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care where I am if I¡¯m with you,¡± I shrug indifferently.

    Erik cries, being moved by my confession. He stands up because he has the urge to kiss me on the spot. In front of everyone.

    ¡°Are they for real?¡± Luviael rolls her eyes.

    ¡°Romantic clich¨¦ is their forte,¡± Liana waves her hand and looks into her computer again. ¡°Just ignore them.¡±

    ¡°Considering how little privacy we have, I¡¯ll gladly let you suffer watching us,¡± Erik retorts and kisses me once more before returning to work.

    *****

    ¡°Oh, this is actually neat, I¡¯ve always wanted one of these,¡± I study the smartwatch Fefnir ties around my wrist. He makes double sure that it won¡¯t come off. It¡¯s the latest model of the most expensive sports watch with build-in navigation and gesture control.

    ¡°We¡¯ll call to check up on you from time to time. The drones will track your position and fly towards you whenever they lose the visual and in case you get disoriented, just say home and it¡¯ll navigate you back here,¡± Fefnir summarises for me.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I smile and I¡¯m about to stretch my wings when Erik hugs me one more time.

    ¡°Be careful and come back to me, okay?¡± he whispers into my ear.

    ¡°I¡¯ll always come back to you,¡± I assure him. ¡°But you have to let me go now.¡±

    He nods and steps aside. I can feel that everyone is nervous but I¡¯m much more confident today. Sure, I can¡¯t wait to fly again, I¡¯ll most probably get high when the adrenaline hits me but I¡¯m in control. My friends trust me and I won¡¯t betray their trust.

    I activate the shield, flap my wings mightily and my feet leave the ground. It¡¯s pure euphoria but I don¡¯t lose myself in it. I¡¯ll be able to fly every day from now on. It¡¯ll be a normal occurrence just as when someone goes for a walk. No need to be that crazy about it.

    I start by flying around the skyscraper before I dare to venture further. I test how far I can go but being mindful of the drones this time, I don¡¯t push full speed. Besides, I don¡¯t want to be exhausted afterwards. Suddenly, my watch starts vibrating. I stop, start hovering and answer the call by tapping the tiny screen.

    ¡°Love, it¡¯s two kilometres already,¡± Erik informs me, urgency in his voice. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Totally,¡± I assure him. ¡°Can the watch vibrate when I get too far so that you don¡¯t have to call me each time?¡±

    I hear Erik discussing the matter with Fefnir.

    ¡°It¡¯s updated now, Aefener,¡± my Dragonkin friend informs me. ¡°The drones see you just fine so continue like that, please.¡±

    Happy that I¡¯m managing, I end the call and start performing various pirouettes. It gives me joy how well my wings respond to everything I want them to do. How well my whole body responds. I feel so light and this time warmer because my maids gave me thermal leggings and underwear.

    I fly around, up, down, changing directions, flying around the skyscraper and further. That feeling hits me again. I¡¯m so proud to be a Celestial. I hope everyone feels good in their new bodies. I think they should. The game assigned players their race based on a detailed psychological profile so hopefully nobody ended in a body they¡¯d hate.

    Damn, what are the implications, though? If someone did make the Great Evolution happen, it would mean that they needed people compatible with Draconian races. They needed specific types of people to change into races that would agree with their nature. What for? Why nobody claimed responsibility yet? And what if¡­ my family is somehow involved?

    ¡°Hon, but it¡¯s been an hour,¡± Erik calls me again.

    ¡°What?¡± I stop abruptly. ¡°It can¡¯t be!¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± he insists. ¡°Check the time on your watch.¡±

    I frown but do as he says. And he¡¯s right. My flying session began at 11:30 and it¡¯s 12:30. Where did the time go?

    ¡°It¡¯s lunchtime, can back to us, please,¡± he pleads a bit too anxiously.

    I sigh. He¡¯s really afraid I won¡¯t listen. Well, I¡¯ll prove him otherwise. I go into descend and head for our skyscraper that¡¯s shining among the others so it¡¯s easily recognisable. Emotions of everyone waiting on the roof¡¯s balcony hit me. They¡¯re relieved I came back without a problem. I land carefully and this time there¡¯s no scolding and Erik hugs me.

    ¡°Well done, love,¡± he praises me.

    ¡°See? I managed just fine. Admittedly, I lost the track of time but I was in control,¡± I say proudly. ¡°Still, I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s been an hour.¡±

    ¡°And I can¡¯t believe where you take the energy to fly like a crazy for so long. You can watch the record later,¡± he flattens my hair that got messy.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°You were filming me again? Why?¡± I puff.

    ¡°For other Celestials,¡± Liana explains. She¡¯s more than content about today¡¯s flight. ¡°They want to see their Emperor in informal situations and you flying is the most magnificent thing ever that has nothing to do with politics.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather call it cute than magnificent,¡± Erik laughs. ¡°All those flying acrobatics Ryuu was performing are hardly serious.¡±

    ¡°The Celestial Emperor, being naturally the best flier, can be playful,¡± she purses her lips because she would prefer to have me magnificent over cute. But I am what I am. I¡¯m acting exactly as the Celestial Emperor and she has to deal with it.

    ¡°So no issues? I can fly like that every day from now on?¡± I¡¯m making sure.

    ¡°For a few weeks at least before we can join you,¡± she agrees. ¡°I think I shouldn¡¯t take long. It would be convenient if at least me and a few high-level guards are able to fly before the UN conference.¡±

    Oh, I almost forgot about¡­ that. It¡¯s happening in three weeks which is near. So menacingly near. I don¡¯t feel prepared. Everyone is relying on me, expecting that I¡¯ll perfectly represent Celestials. My chest tightens and my stomach churns every time I realise how much responsibility lies on my frail shoulders.

    *****

    ¡°Ryuu, calm down,¡± Erik has to grab my hand because I¡¯m walking around the room nervously.

    ¡°What if they won¡¯t like me?¡± I¡¯m mad with worries.

    But the truth is that what I¡¯m really concerned about is something entirely else. What if they will be afraid of me? I told my maids today to dress me into the most colourful robe I have and style my hair into the cutest braid possible but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s enough. When I look into the mirror, I don¡¯t see only a non-human Celestial. I see the Celestial Emperor. There¡¯s something inexplicably regal about me which I can¡¯t hide.

    ¡°Something¡¯s bugging you and you don¡¯t want to show me,¡± Erik sighs. ¡°You¡¯re hiding a part of your mind from me again.¡±

    Of course, I¡¯m hiding the real reason from him. He¡¯s not even aware of it but it¡¯s Erik who made me think that his parents might be afraid of me. It¡¯s his worry originally and I adopted it. I don¡¯t think I should tell him, though. It would hurt him.

    ¡°They¡¯ll love you,¡± Erik kisses me to calm me down. ¡°My parents are very open-minded and they respect my decisions.¡±

    Do I have a problem believing him because I¡¯ve never experienced that one¡¯s family can be like that? Because I didn¡¯t learn healthy family patterns? Because I think that people will hate me by default?

    ¡°Come on,¡± he grabs my chin and raises my head. ¡°Just be yourself.¡±

    His words almost move me to tears. Erik has his doubts deep inside but he still prefers I stay true to myself. I love him for that.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to make such an effort either,¡± he plays with my braided hair. ¡°Silly, did you think that if you look more cute than beautiful, they¡¯ll relax? Well, you still look beautiful beyond compare, my universal androgynous beauty.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Mr handsome,¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go already, I don¡¯t want to keep them waiting.¡±

    *****

    Liana allowed us to use the most luxurious lounge in the skyscraper. I asked for privacy and she reluctantly agreed because my partner¡¯s parents can be trusted but it still means that some of my guards will be present. Inside. I just hope they won¡¯t scare the Anderles.

    One of the guards opens the door for us and as we enter, I immediately look for our precious visitors. They¡¯re sitting on the sofa but they stand up immediately when they see me. Is it basic courtesy or because I¡¯m the Emperor? I honestly can¡¯t tell anymore. Oh, no. They¡¯re bowing to me!

    ¡°Please, I don¡¯t want it from you,¡± I let go of Erik¡¯s hand and hurry to the elderly couple. ¡°You¡¯re my partner¡¯s family.¡±

    They don¡¯t flinch when I touch them but they do get goosebumps. They emotions and thoughts hit me. They aren¡¯t exactly scared of me but apprehensive nonetheless. Erik must have talked about me a lot but they know me only from him. And the media which don¡¯t portray me always in a nice way I can imagine.

    ¡°Mom, Dad, it¡¯s okay,¡± Erik hurries to them as well. ¡°Sit down and relax.¡±

    They are a bit pale but nod and sit down. Did I make a good first impression or not? It¡¯s hard to tell even with my special ability.

    We sit down on the sofa opposite to them and I devote a few seconds to somehow fold my wings. This sofa wasn¡¯t adjusted to Celestials yet so it¡¯s difficult to find a comfortable position. In the end, I have to stretch my right wing behind Erik¡¯s back and hug him. The Anderles are watching the whole show with fascination.

    When I¡¯m finally sitting agreeably, I can look at them closely. It¡¯s obvious they dressed in their best clothes and how nervous they are about the meeting. But otherwise they look exactly as I was picturing them since the video call.

    Mrs Anderle has the same eyes and hand gestures as Erik and Mr Anderle¡¯s unruly hair makes it evident that Erik is indeed his son. They¡¯re both shy but curious and there¡¯s no hate nor disgust when they look at me. I take it as a good sign.

    ¡°How are you?¡± Erik helps to start a conversation. ¡°Are the media still giving you trouble?¡±

    ¡°They are but it¡¯s much better,¡± Mr Anderle says and is glad that Erik is such an ice-breaker. ¡°They finally understood that we¡¯re not giving interviews.¡±

    ¡°The first few days were terrible, though,¡± Mrs Anderle sighs. ¡°The reporters were surrounding our house 24/7. We even had a break-in. If you didn¡¯t hire those bodyguards for us, I don¡¯t know what we would do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about that,¡± I bite my lip. ¡°I should have anticipated¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not blaming Your Majesty,¡± Mrs Anderle shakes her head wildly.

    ¡°Just Aefener or Ryuuto is fine,¡± I assure her but it doesn¡¯t seem like they¡¯ll be able to address me so familiarly.

    There¡¯s awkward silence for a few seconds, both parties trying to force a conversation. We¡¯re saved by waiters coming in and asking us what we would like to drink. The Anderles and Erik order espresso while I go for a flavoured latte. Now I know where Erik inherited his conservative taste for coffee.

    ¡°The work is hard but I¡¯m learning a lot,¡± Erik answers when his mother voices her concern about our workload. ¡°Ryuu has it much harder. So much responsibility.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true, we¡¯re working the same,¡± I nudge him and he clutches my hand in return.

    His parents are watching us and their tensed faces relax a bit when they see our loving interaction. Mrs Anderle even smiles.

    ¡°Are you thinking about your future?¡± she asks without beating around the bush. Oh, so Erik got his straightforwardness from her? ¡°Everything is still very new and changing turbulently but things will hopefully calm down in a few years.¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Erik surprises me because there¡¯s no hesitation in his mind. ¡°I¡¯ll keep supporting Ryuu and stay by his side whatever happens and maybe¡­ have a wedding sooner than later?¡±

    I gasp for air. We did talk about it once before but it was still mainly hypothetical. It seems Erik has been thinking about it since then, unlike me. There¡¯s always so much to do that we don¡¯t have time to connect deeply during the day and at night, Erik¡¯s mind is too preoccupied with sex so I didn¡¯t notice he was considering it so seriously.

    ¡°What do you think, love?¡± he caresses my feathers because I take too long replying. ¡°I don¡¯t want to push you, it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t know yet.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯d like to,¡± I stay, stuttering a bit. ¡°Celestials don¡¯t have these kinds of ceremonies, though.¡±

    ¡°Is that a problem?¡± Mr Anderle tilts his head.

    ¡°Dad, you underestimate how much Draconians changed,¡± Erik explains. ¡°They think about things differently from us.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind having a human wedding,¡± I set things straight. ¡°Having you as my lawful husband¡­ it sounds like a dream come true.¡±

    The moment I say it, the atmosphere in the room changes significantly. Erik is overjoyed and his parents seem to approve. But there¡¯s undeniable tension coming from my Celestial guards and the waiters who just returned to bring our coffee.

    Are they against the idea that strongly? Why? Until now, I didn¡¯t feel any disagreement from them in regards that I have a human partner so it takes me aback twice as much. Is it possible they hoped our inter-species relationship can¡¯t work for long anyway? What gives them the right to even judge who I date?!

    Ryuu, Erik speaks to me in his mind, alarmed. What¡¯s wrong?

    I force myself to calm down. I don¡¯t want to cause a scene in front of Erik¡¯s parents. Moreover, I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s a good idea to tell Erik about what I sensed just now. He¡¯s been on the edge lately as the pressure keeps increasing. I don¡¯t want to give him even more worries. At least now¡¯s not the right time.

    ¡°Is there anything I can do for you, Mr and Mrs Anderle?¡± I ask instead. ¡°You¡¯re my partner¡¯s family, I want to protect you. We could relocate you secretly somewhere else.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really kind, Your Majesty, but we don¡¯t want to leave our house,¡± Mrs Anderle politely declines. ¡°We¡¯re fine with the security service Erik hired us and want to keep on living as normally as possible. We¡¯d welcome if we could regularly visit our son from now on, though.¡±

    ¡°Erik has been evasive lately,¡± Mr Anderle sighs and looks sternly at him while talking to me. ¡°I get it that you¡¯re extremely busy and that Your Majesty preoccupies his head most of the time but he should think about us as well.¡±

    ¡°That he should,¡± I agree and elbow my boyfriend. I had no idea he was neglecting communication with his parents this much. Shame on him. The Anderles are super nice, the best parents ever. If someone like them accepted me into their family, I¡¯d be honoured and so happy.

    I didn¡¯t ignore my parents, I was simply too preoccupied by you, he justifies himself and mock-repeats what his father just said.

    We drink our coffee and chat some more and I try to ignore that unpleasant aftertaste I¡¯m catching from my guards. The Anderles gradually relax more and more and at a certain point I ask about Erik¡¯s childhood. It¡¯s adorable how embarrassed my partner gets when Mrs Anderle shows me his childhood photos on her phone.

    ¡°Could I¡­?¡± Erik¡¯s mom becomes extremely flustered simply asking for it but she¡¯s been curiously eyeing my wings for quite some time now. ¡°I¡¯ve never touched a Celestial. There¡¯s a young Celestial couple living near us but they don¡¯t go out much. I imagine they¡¯re afraid. Not everyone in the neighbourhood is as friendly as us. Somebody even sprayed their house with hateful words twice.¡±

    ¡°Sure, go ahead,¡± I stretch my left wing towards her.

    She smiles shyly and lightly caresses my feathers. I¡¯m surprised that Mr Anderle, who didn¡¯t seem interested, joins her as well.

    ¡°They¡¯re so soft,¡± she¡¯s moved. ¡°Can I ask how well do you feel your wings, Your Majesty?¡±

    ¡°Perfectly, they¡¯re very sensitive,¡± I say. ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate, I actually like petting.¡±

    The Anderles look at each other, grin and continue caressing my wings much more confidently. Thanks to them touching me, I have an opportunity to gently peer into their minds. They¡¯re genuinely good people, Erik is so lucky to have someone like them as his parents.

    They have their worries and doubts, of course, but not because they would hate me. They¡¯re concerned if his son is happy and worried about the challenges we¡¯re facing and are going to face. I¡¯m glad to discover that they aren¡¯t afraid of me in a sense of being scared. They¡¯re just naturally timid because I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor.

    I use this chance to also analyse their human perspective. I usually have Erik for that but he¡¯s too influenced by me and too used to having Draconians around him all the time from the very beginning. The Anderles¡¯ perspective is closest to ordinary humans while having an amicable attitude to new races.

    With respect to their privacy, I don¡¯t go deep and only browse what they¡¯re experiencing right now. They¡¯re both fascinated and a little apprehensive but in healthy amounts. They see nothing human in me which I think is for the best. It means they don¡¯t expect me to act human so they won¡¯t be disappointed later on when I don¡¯t.

    ¡°Mom, he isn¡¯t your dog,¡± Erik rolls his eyes because Mrs Anderle dares to scratch me under my feathers quite near my spine. My guards are watching it with apparent disgust but, thankfully, only I can sense that.

    ¡°You have a dog?¡± I ask and let her scratch me there because it¡¯s very pleasant. And because it makes my bodyguards mad so it¡¯s pure spite.

    ¡°A Labrador,¡± she smiles. It¡¯s rare for people to keep big dog breeds these days but Erik¡¯s parents have a house in the suburbs, not an apartment. I¡¯d like to visit it one day but I know I can¡¯t. My subjects would never let me go anywhere it¡¯s not perfectly safe.

    We continue chatting until it¡¯s dinner time and we move to the room which was designated for us. It turns out the staff did their best and made us a proper dining room. There¡¯s a big table with a cotton cloth and even candles. We sit down, Erik next to me and his parents opposite to us.

    I feel slight panic coming from them and realise that the table is set extremely formally with all those unnecessary cutlery items I was struggling with for weeks. I don¡¯t want them to feel inappropriate so I say:

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr and Mrs Anderle, and just use whatever you like. I¡¯m not fond of it either,¡± I demonstrate my dislike by taking a fork which isn¡¯t used for starters.

    They look at me with gratitude. The servants bring us the first course and everything is delicious. We¡¯re just finishing the second course when I feel Liana and the others several floors above us becoming disturbed for some reason. I hope they¡¯ll resolve whatever that is themselves but no such luck.

    The door opens and Luviael enters the room. Fortunately, she doesn¡¯t feel too anxious but it seems the matter isn¡¯t something they¡¯ll be able to manage without me either.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb you, Your Majesty, Royal Consort, our esteemed guests,¡± she says apologetically. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid we need our Emperor right now.¡±

    I sigh and stand up. Erik wants to join me but I stop him.

    ¡°Stay with your parents,¡± I tell him. ¡°You should spend more time together. I¡¯ll deal with it as quickly as possible and we¡¯ll see each other later, okay?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need me there?¡± he¡¯s worried.

    ¡°I always need you but I can¡¯t rely on you so much,¡± I answer softly because his caring concern moves me every time. I kiss him and follow my adjutant.

    ¡°Enjoy the rest of the evening, Mr and Mrs Anderle,¡± I say goodbye. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to meeting you again soon.¡±

    *****

    The thing that couldn¡¯t wait was the American President calling us and demanding to talk to me. It turns out there was an incident with a group of Earthborn eco-activists who sabotaged one of the oil drills and damaged property costing millions of dollars. And humans don¡¯t know how to deal with them without being accused of racism.

    ¡°Mr President, I think you¡¯re aware that I¡¯m not the ruler of all Draconians,¡± I frown at him. ¡°You should have contacted the Earthborn Queen and King, not me.¡±

    ¡°You seem to be universally respected, Your Majesty,¡± Delgado purses his lips as if just addressing me with my title is difficult for him.

    Liana face-palms off the screen and calls Twyla and Werden. I hope that I might be able to return to Erik and his parents in half an hour but it seems my absence is unthinkable. The Earthborn rulers are relieved that I¡¯m helping them deal with the issue and the American President just wants me present.

    It¡¯s half past ten when we finally finish. I¡¯m dead exhausted at this point, mainly from facing Delgado¡¯s constant passive-aggressive speech. Why do I have to the mediator between him and the Earthborn? I don¡¯t like where this is going. My tasks and responsibilities keep piling up.

    ¡°We¡¯re sorry to disrupt your evening like this, Your Majesty,¡± Luviael apologises. ¡°But we can¡¯t say no the Unites States when they demand you being present during the negotiations.¡±

    I nod tiredly and just follow my guards into the elevator. I know that sudden meetings like this are unavoidable during crisis but it still makes me sad how much work interferes with my private life which is already almost non-existent.

    But the Emperor belongs to his subjects, I know that painfully well by now. And I¡¯m reminded again when I face countless Draconians occupying the hall just to meet me for a brief moment when I pass them as if I was some kind of pop-singer superstar. I try smiling at them but I¡¯m grateful that my guards make sure nobody touches me. I¡¯m too tired even for Draconian minds right now.

    I expect Erik to be asleep already but I find him sitting on the sofa in our living room, waiting for me while reading a book. I can¡¯t remember when was the last time I was able to pick up a book. My mundane life before the Great Evolution seems so distant and unreal.

    ¡°Love, you¡¯re so late,¡± he puts the book aside and goes for hug and kisses. ¡°Why are they overworking you like this? Was it really that important it couldn¡¯t wait?¡±

    ¡°I guess eco-terrorism is important enough to disturb my Friday evening,¡± I collapse onto his chest. ¡°Delgado insisted I must be present even though it was an Earthborn matter.¡±

    Erik frowns and his concern transforms into annoyance.

    ¡°They depend on you too much,¡± he complains. ¡°You¡¯re not the ruler of all Draconians.¡±

    ¡°I told them exactly that. It didn¡¯t get through. How was the rest of your evening with your parents? Do they like me?¡±

    ¡°Are you more bothered about that than the international politics?¡± he laughs. ¡°They adore you, stop worrying.¡±

    ¡°What is it now?¡± I whine because I feel a strange emotional disturbance of several Draconians in the skyscraper despite most of the inhabitants being asleep already.

    Before I can react, Miruel picks up her ringing phone and is talking to someone. She isn¡¯t panicking but it sounds quite serious. Is the work never-ending today?

    ¡°Miruel, what¡­?¡± I want to ask but four more guards step into our apartment and take tactical positions.

    ¡°Intruders were reported to breach our security,¡± she says with anxiety in her voice. ¡°Fefnir says that it¡¯s spy drones so your telepathy won¡¯t be of use, Your Majesty. They must have been smuggled in the latest shipment apparently.¡±

    ¡°We have to¡­,¡± I¡¯m taking a step but Miruel nods at Erik and he pulls me back to his chest.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere, let the security handle it,¡± he says.

    ¡°B-but¡­!¡±

    ¡°No arguments, Majesty, your protection is the absolute priority,¡± Miruel stays adamant. ¡°Royal Consort, please take His Majesty to bed, no excuses.¡±

    I have no say in the matter, that much is evident. I want to protest more but the minds of my guardians are closed to pleas. There¡¯re two opposite emotions in me: burning desire to protect my people clashing with something else that is making me listen to my protectors.

    ¡°Ryuu, calm down,¡± Erik traps me into his arms and manoeuvres me into our bedroom. I can¡¯t wrestle with him, he¡¯s at least twice as strong as me. ¡°Don¡¯t you trust your people that they¡¯ll take care of it?¡±

    ¡°I do trust them, of course.¡±

    ¡°So let them do their job and protect you,¡± he pulls me onto our bed. ¡°You can¡¯t go running towards every danger, love. The last time you did, you ended up¡­¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± I stop him from finishing that sentence. My right wing still twitches every time I remember being shot. ¡°But how can I sleep in such a situation?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll sleep because you¡¯re exhausted and there¡¯s work tomorrow,¡± he caresses my hair and the moment my struggle wanes, he starts to undress me.

    Then he hugs me tight and assertively takes my left wing to cover us both. Erik loves when my feathers are touching his naked skin but it¡¯s hard to get me excited right now when I¡¯m so tired and anxious at the same time.

    He knows that and is focusing on calming my wildly beating heart. I do trust my subjects but it¡¯s impossible for me to relax when we¡¯re potentially in danger. I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor through and through, all my instincts are screaming.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be perfect,¡± Erik whispers. ¡°At least not in front of me. Come on, open up to me, don¡¯t keep it bottled inside.¡±

    It¡¯s such a simple and well-meant request coming from my beloved that I just can¡¯t keep the stiff upper lip anymore. I let out a desperate cry and release all my doubts and insecurities. All those things that were suffocating me for weeks now.

    I cry for my lack of freedom, I cry for our lack of privacy and almost non-existent free time. I cry for Erik because him being with me is twisting his whole life and I don¡¯t want to be doing that to him. I weep because despite feeling like the Celestial Emperor, the weight of responsibility is crushing.

 48. In Between

    ¡°What do you think, Aefener?¡± Liana asks me nervously while I¡¯m examining her wings.

    ¡°You¡¯re being impatient,¡± I roll my eyes and massage her wing muscles. ¡°You could theoretically fly even without those five more centimetres but it¡¯s not only about wingspan. Your muscles have to get stronger as well and your bones are still gradually becoming hollow.¡±

    ¡°So can I fly right away or not?¡± she¡¯s back to her original question as if she didn¡¯t hear me at all.

    ¡°Sure, for a few minutes before you¡¯d completely exhaust yourself,¡± I shrug. ¡°Give it two more weeks, Li. You¡¯ll know when you¡¯re ready. You¡¯ll wake up one day feeling strangely light and not being able to think about anything else than the sky.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± she sighs.

    ¡°Alternatively, you could try leaning off the skyscraper¡¯s balcony to see how your body reacts but I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be thrilled to fly at this point,¡± I say and scratch her under the feathers. ¡°Why are you in such a rush anyway?¡±

    ¡°I want to be prepared when we go to the UN conference,¡± she explains and thoroughly enjoys me petting her wings. ¡°I doubt you¡¯ll manage to go without flying for six days so it would be convenient if we could finally accompany you.¡±

    ¡°You, Taranah, Miruel and Vermiel definitely will,¡± I assure her.

    ¡°And you know that how exactly?¡± she narrows her eyes.

    I blink. How indeed? I just know somehow.

    ¡°Aefeneeer,¡± Liana prolongs. ¡°Did you discover some new ability again and forgot to tell us?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± I scratch her under the feathers which makes her twitch because we¡¯re ticklish there. ¡°I guess I can tell by feeling your mana circle?¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, Your Excellency, I¡¯m afraid your break is over,¡± Luviael peeks into the lounge where we¡¯re sitting on the sofa, drinking our afternoon coffee. Her eyes flash when she notices we¡¯ve been petting each other¡¯s wings. I feel a sting of envy from her.

    I resist shaking my head. I¡¯d be happy to caress her wings as well but that¡¯s something only friends do when it comes to Celestials. And while I do consider Luvi to be my friend, for her I¡¯m the Emperor¡ªher superior. Luvi wouldn¡¯t let me, thinking it¡¯s improper and totally against the protocol.

    ¡°Luvi also shouldn¡¯t take much longer,¡± I say. ¡°Her transformation will be finished just in time for the conference.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it will?¡± Luviael exclaims happily and flutters her patterned wings.

    I hope that I¡¯m not na?ve again but I really hope they¡¯ll let me fly for longer than one hour a day when my fellow Celestials finally join me and discover how intoxicating flying is. And that they¡¯ll let me venture further in their company. Flying just two kilometres around the skyscraper is starting to get quite boring, to be honest.

    *****

    ¡°So? Does it fit well?¡± my maid Cien asks me when she and Ayala dress me into a proper flying robe Ingri designed for me.

    ¡°It¡¯s marvellous!¡± I¡¯m overjoyed and try moving around in it.

    Ingri has outdone herself this time. The robe is both practical and stylish. I have to smile when I realise that it reminds me of Jedi robes from Star Wars. The basis is a short-layered kimono ending at my knees with pants, thermal leggings underneath and high boots. I feel warm but it¡¯s still easy to move in and doesn¡¯t make me feel underdressed. These are real Celestial sporty clothes!

    I want to show myself to Erik but he isn¡¯t here. He¡¯s attending an important meeting with Czech officials. My flights became a normal occurrence after a week so my boyfriend and Liana aren¡¯t always present because for them it¡¯s just a waste of time to wait for me on the ground.

    I understand that, I really do, but I still feel a bit sad that Erik isn¡¯t waiting for my return. But he¡¯s simply too busy. We all are. Moreover, we¡¯re trying to get used to not spending every minute together and test how long I can go without my telepathic craving kicking in.

    ¡°Are you okay, Your Majesty?¡± Ayala pulls my sleeve because I kept staring at my reflection in the mirror for too long.

    ¡°Just lost in thoughts,¡± I look away. ¡°Can we go now? I need to clear my head.¡±

    It¡¯s true, I really do. Fefnir is seriously concerned about the skyscraper¡¯s security and has been panicking everyone ever since that incident with the spy drones. As if I didn¡¯t have enough worries already. The security managed to solve the situation without me in the end and I¡¯m glad but the intrusion showed how vulnerable we still are.

    Sure, we¡¯re meticulously checking every incoming person and shipment for explosives and weapons but how can we check for technology in this age? Moreover, Fefnir didn¡¯t discover anything even after finally seizing the drones. The sender wiped their memory cards the moment the drones got apprehended. Who knows what they managed to stream back to their owner.

    I finally step outside on the balcony and breathe in the fresh air. I shiver when the wind blows into my feathers. I stretch my wings and all the worries disappear the moment my feet leave the ground. Flying is such a liberating experience that nothing comes even close to it. I lose myself completely in it every time. I become the air. I become the wind. I feel free.

    ¡°Your Majesty, come back this instant!¡± a call through my watch gets connected automatically. ¡°Didn¡¯t you feel the band vibrating?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Vermiel,¡± I apologise. ¡°I didn¡¯t, I was too absorbed in the moment.¡±

    I don¡¯t want to listen to him. I want to rebel. But it¡¯s not worth the scolding I¡¯d get later for disobeying them. Because it¡¯s not like I can just fly away and escape my cage made of gold, glass, marble and concrete. Because there¡¯s nowhere on the planet the Celestial Emperor could hide.

    *****

    ¡°Let¡¯s ask for a proper day off,¡± Erik tells me that evening.

    I¡¯m sitting on his lap and we¡¯re cuddling. After being mostly separated for the whole day, I¡¯m craving him like crazy.

    ¡°What about after the conference?¡± I suggest. ¡°We should have more time by then.¡±

    ¡°I was thinking every week,¡± Erik raises his eyebrow. ¡°You know¡­ like normal people have. You do realise that it¡¯s common to have Saturday and Sunday free, right? Well, I know that two days are unthinkable in our situation but we should try negotiating Sundays at least.¡±

    ¡°That would be nice,¡± I agree but I doubt it will be possible in foreseeable future. Not every week that is. I lean closer to kiss him again. We do have this moment and I mean to make most of it.

    ¡°Ryuu, I¡¯m serious,¡± he grabs my chin gently and stops me. ¡°We should fight for our free time. Four hours in the evening is hardly enough.¡±

    He makes me think about it. I¡¯d welcome to have more free time but I¡¯d never do it at the expense of work for my subjects and fellow Draconians.

    ¡°Of course, you wouldn¡¯t,¡± Erik sighs because we¡¯re connected right now so he¡¯s catching what is going through my head.

    He¡¯s annoyed. Rightfully. All he wants is to spend more private time with me and I don¡¯t seem that enthusiastic about it.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I say quickly and shower him with assurance that I want that as well. ¡°Damn, when did I become a workaholic?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it goes hand in hand with your job description,¡± he sighs again but this time more cheerfully. ¡°Are you still free tomorrow afternoon?¡±

    ¡°Of course, and I told Luviael that I won¡¯t permit any disturbances,¡± I nod. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to meeting your friends.¡±

    *****

    ¡°What about this shirt?¡± I hand Erik a leisure blue shirt he likes wearing in our apartment.

    ¡°Too casual,¡± he shakes his head and it seems he can¡¯t decide between two suits.

    ¡°Erik, you¡¯re meeting your friends, not going for a business negotiation,¡± I tell him. ¡°Your friends won¡¯t appreciate a three-piece suit.¡±

    ¡°Hon, I don¡¯t look gorgeous even with my bed-hair,¡± he retorts which takes me aback. ¡°Unlike you, I need to make an effort.¡±

    ¡°You do look gorgeous with your bed-hair,¡± I murmur, hurt by his reaction.

    I don¡¯t know why but something in me stings a little and suddenly I feel my eyes watering. We did have some arguments in the past about much more serious topics than this nonsense. But for some reason it¡¯s such a nonsense that makes me extremely sad.

    ¡°Love, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Erik finally stops browsing his wardrobe and gives me his full attention. ¡°Are you¡­ crying?¡±

    Alarmed, he goes for his default¡ªa hug. That never changes and I always find comfort in it. I grab him tight and he keeps apologising to me even if he doesn¡¯t exactly know what for. I¡¯m also not sure what went over me just now. Did I feel insecure? Confused by his behaviour? Am I blaming him for turning into a vain person?

    Erik openly enjoys the luxury. He likes wearing expensive suits, leather shoes and brand watches. His part of the wardrobe is stuffed at this point. When did he buy all those clothes and accessories? Admittedly, my part is overstuffed as well but I didn¡¯t buy anything myself. My maids did. I don¡¯t care much about what I¡¯m wearing as long as it¡¯s comfortable and warm. But Erik does.

    Naturally, I want to provide my partner with abundance. I want him to be happy. I want him to enjoy that we finally have money. But I don¡¯t want him to become vain and conceited. I have enough problems with my prideful subjects.

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Damn, you really think I¡¯m turning that way?¡± he senses what I¡¯m thinking about and chews his lip. ¡°I guess¡­ I needed that feedback.¡±

    I¡¯m relieved that he understood me but I¡¯m still shaken.

    ¡°Sorry for retorting at you,¡± he apologises. ¡°You meant well. You were thinking about my friends feeling comfortable in my presence. I¡¯m afraid I am becoming rather vain. I mean¡­ I was never poor but I never had serious money either. How come it didn¡¯t get into your head?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather spend my money on merch and videogames if I had time to actually enjoy it,¡± I finally manage a smile and let Erik dry my tears into his sleeve.

    ¡°Once a geek, always a geek?¡± he smirks. ¡°How cute, the mighty Celestial Emperor is secretly a geek.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no secret, I just don¡¯t have time anymore,¡± I say. ¡°And I also want to apologise.¡±

    ¡°What for?¡± he blinks. ¡°It me who made you dry.¡±

    ¡°For making light of your wish for more free time,¡± I say. ¡°We both need it. We have to unwind sometimes or we¡¯ll go crazy. I think the pressure is getting to us.¡±

    ¡°So¡­?¡± he becomes hopeful.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Liana for Sundays off¡­ every week,¡± I promise.

    After clearing the misunderstanding, we go back to dressing up. Erik doesn¡¯t go for a three-piece and chooses a casual smart suit instead.

    ¡°I would look tragically underdressed next to you if I wore just a shirt,¡± he justifies his choice.

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t have any actual casual clothes,¡± I realise.

    When it comes to the robes I wear when we¡¯re spending time in our apartment, it¡¯s usually just a matter of dropping the upper embroidered layer.

    ¡°Maybe I could ask Ingri to design a hoodie and normal pants in Celestial style?¡± I¡¯m thinking aloud. ¡°I don¡¯t have any homely clothes after all.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine you in human clothes anymore, love, and you¡¯d be cold anyway¡± Erik laughs. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I don¡¯t want to keep them waiting.¡±

    I¡¯m glad that we made up immediately but the bugging feeling stays within me. Recently, I started to notice things I either didn¡¯t notice before or choose to ignore. I notice how he narrows his eyes at every perspective Celestial man who just looks at me for too long and how ostentatiously he clutches my hand in public.

    He¡¯s not nervous around Vermiel and Taranah only because he asked them openly some time ago whether they¡¯re gay and they assured him that they¡¯re straight. As for other races including humans, he doesn¡¯t mind. Does he suspect that I¡¯m not attracted to human men anymore? Is that the source of his insecurity? That calls for another visit to the psychologist.

    ¡°Do your job properly!¡±

    All of a sudden, Erik bursts at my guards because one Celestial managed to touch my wing when we¡¯re passing the usual crowd waiting for me in the corridors. And this thing. He¡¯s so over-protective.

    ¡°Erik, it¡¯s fine,¡± I squeeze his hand more firmly. ¡°She was just curious.¡±

    ¡°Groping you isn¡¯t curiosity, Ryuu,¡± he purses his lips.

    ¡°Hello, what¡¯s your name?¡± I turn back and face the person who touched me.

    It¡¯s a young Celestial woman, not much older than Luviael. I don¡¯t want to be passing my people just because I¡¯m always busy. I don¡¯t like it. I want to be closer to them. Get to know them.

    The girl widens her eyes when she realises I¡¯m actually talking to her. She starts stuttering something that might be her name but I don¡¯t quite catch that. Her wings are still small, only half my size. She must have been a low-level ingame.

    ¡°Do you like it here? Is your job okay?¡± I ask with concern.

    ¡°I¡¯m honoured to be here, Your Majesty,¡± she finally manages a reasonable reply.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the answer to my question,¡± I sigh and gently take her hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine, let them,¡± I tell my guards because they try to get the people away from me.

    Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have said that because the moment Celestials see their chance, they¡¯re all over me. But their presence doesn¡¯t evoke any bad feeling in me. They¡¯re my subjects, not humans who would want to hurt me.

    ¡°Are you looking forward to flying?¡± I try to make a conversation and let gracefully slide that the way they¡¯re touching my wings now that I permitted it does feel like groping.

    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait!¡±

    ¡°Your feathers are so soft! Much softer than mine!¡±

    Unexpectedly, I feel someone touching me really inappropriately, a hand reaching under the robe between my wings. I let out a suffocated cry and everyone is thrown away from me by a telekinetic wave. I didn¡¯t do it, though. I¡¯d never use my powers against my own people. My guards intervened.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Miruel gets furious and my bodyguards form a protective circle around me again.

    ¡°Who was it?!¡± Erik is even angrier than her.

    The crowd, realising they¡¯re in trouble, disperses.

    ¡°Dammit, that shouldn¡¯t have happened!¡± he clicks his tongue and hurries to me. ¡°Ryuu, do you know who they were?¡±

    ¡°No, it was too sudden,¡± I lie.

    I didn¡¯t see their face but I¡¯m sure I could recognise their emotional imprint if I faced them again. But I choose not to pursue it. I would with human offenders but not with Celestials. I¡¯m sure they were just too eager to see me. Too mesmerised by my enormous mana leaking.

    ¡°No need to report it!¡± I prevent Miruel from taking out her phone. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Ryuu, it¡¯s not nothing,¡± Erik hugs me. ¡°Your wings are shaking.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be more careful next time,¡± I promise. ¡°I just thought¡­ I simply wanted¡­¡±

    ¡°Connect to your people?¡± he finishes and feels extremely sad for me.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, really,¡± I assure him. ¡°Your friends are waiting, let¡¯s go.¡±

    He doesn¡¯t want to let it go easily but I catch his hand and pull him to move on. I¡¯m sure I wasn¡¯t traumatised just now. I¡¯m pretty sure. My wings are shaking but it¡¯s only a shock that something like this happened. It doesn¡¯t remind of those three times I was groped on the metro in the past. Right? Right! I¡¯m fine!

    Erik keeps frowning the whole way to the lounge and puts on a forced smile only when the door opens and we¡¯re facing our visitors. It¡¯s three women and two men. Erik is very extroverted so I¡¯m sure he has more friends than this so either the rest of them wasn¡¯t free this time or¡­ he lost a lot of his so-called ¡®friends¡¯ because he¡¯s dating me.

    They bow to me and it¡¯s quite cringy but polite enough. I don¡¯t tell them they don¡¯t have to. Actually, I think they should. They have no direct connection to me and I¡¯m the Emperor. When did I become someone who thinks like that? But I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯m proud to be who I am.

    After basic formalities, we sit down and Erik, being really good at social events, starts the conversation right away. I¡¯m glad he does because I¡¯m more interested in analysing his friends telepathically. It¡¯s been some time since I¡¯ve faced so many humans at once.

    I was at ease when Erik¡¯s parents visited, I even tried to negotiate that I don¡¯t need my guards present inside. But this time is different. I¡¯m glad that my bodyguards are here with me and I¡¯m glad that so many.

    Erik¡¯s friends are not bad people, they¡¯re really not. But they¡¯re far from the kind Anderles who love their son unconditionally so they decided to accept me unconditionally as well. These people have too many mixed emotions when they look at us. Curiosity, fear, envy, slight disgust, fascination¡­ you name it.

    They pretend to chat merrily but I see how they¡¯re eyeing Erik¡¯s expensive watch and brand suit. How they¡¯re envious of his shoes when real leather costs a small fortune these days. How they¡¯re looking¡­ at me. Only two of them are truly interested in Erik as a person and their friend. The rest is here just for the spectacle.

    If the security didn¡¯t confiscate their phone, they¡¯d be taking countless pictures of me and everything around. I see their fingers twitching and reaching into empty pockets too many times. But Erik seems happy around his kind. He¡¯s asking many questions and his smile widens. He¡¯s relaxed.

    Originally, I wanted to stay for a full hour but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll manage. I don¡¯t feel comfortable. I want out.

    ¡°Sorry, I forgot there¡¯s a document I have to finish today,¡± I stand up, slowly on purpose so that it doesn¡¯t look like I¡¯m running away.

    ¡°So soon?¡± Erik blinks, confused, and checks his watch.

    ¡°Sorry, love, it slipped my mind,¡± I smile apologetically, hoping I¡¯m not being too obvious. ¡°Have fun, okay? Stay as long as you wish.¡±

    ¡°Oh, what a pity!¡± one of the women says disappointedly. ¡°We were hoping you¡¯d tell us more, Your Majesty.¡±

    About what exactly? And what does she plan to do with that I information? Put it on social media and boast that she met me?

    ¡°We hope to see you again,¡± she bows but then she hesitates and stretches her palm to me.

    I¡¯m staring at it for a while. A handshake isn¡¯t a Celestial custom and definitely not when it comes to the royal protocol. The woman chews her lip when I don¡¯t move. She wants to touch the Celestial Emperor and tell stories about it. I don¡¯t want to give her that satisfaction but Erik starts to worry if everything¡¯s okay. He doesn¡¯t understand why I won¡¯t do it. So I do. For him.

    His Majesty is really beautiful but he gives me goosebumps, her immediate thought hits me. Damn, I hoped to touch his wings.

    I don¡¯t jerk away only through sheer willpower. Now that I shook her hand, the others also line up for a handshake, thinking it¡¯s okay. Erik is watching me so I force myself.

    I didn¡¯t know Erik was such a gold-digger. The Celestial Emperor must be loaded.

    What¡¯s sex with a Celestial like? I wonder how often they fuck and do wings get in the way?

    Is it offensive to ask Celestials for one of their feathers?

    My head spins from nausea but I stand my ground and let nothing show on my face. Erik¡¯s friends aren¡¯t dangerous so I¡¯m not afraid to leave him with them but they make me sick. They¡¯re too petty. Too¡­ human.

    ¡°See you in the evening,¡± I somehow manage to kiss my partner and close my mind to him completely so that he doesn¡¯t suspect a thing.

    I gracefully leave the room but the moment the door closes behind me, I put my hand over my mouth and start running. My guards, confused and shocked, follow me. It¡¯s a miracle but I make it into the nearest bathroom and puke into the sink.

    ¡°Your Majesty¡­?¡± Miruel gently taps my shoulder. She¡¯s mad worried about me. I guess seeing her Emperor throw up isn¡¯t the nicest sight.

    ¡°Their human emotions made me sick,¡± I explain weakly and wash my mouth with water. Fortunately, there¡¯s no one else in the bathroom so unnecessary rumours won¡¯t spread.

    ¡°Should we call the doctor?¡± Miruel doesn¡¯t know what to do and starts panicking a bit.

    ¡°No need, I just need to lie down for a while,¡± I shake my head and dry my face with a tissue.

    Miruel doesn¡¯t look convinced but she walks me back into my apartment. I should be okay after I find my balance again and I look forward to my bed. Instead, I find Liana stepping in front of my apartment, apparently waiting for me. I whine. Did one of the guards contact her?

    ¡°Aefener, you look terrible,¡± she¡¯s horrified when she sees me. Am I that pale? ¡°Come to my apartment and tell me what happened. Starting with that incident in the hall.¡±

    I frown at Miruel for telling her about that but my guardian just shrugs, indicating that it concerns my protection so I have no say in the matter.

    I realise this is the first time I¡¯ve been invited into Liana¡¯s quarters but there¡¯s not much to see, her apartment is almost identical to mine and Erik¡¯s. Except maybe that Liana¡¯s apartment is much tidier and minimalistic because she doesn¡¯t collect that many geeky things.

    ¡°So,¡± she seats me in front of her on the sofa and stretches her wings to me. ¡°What exactly happened in that hall? Miruel texted me, explaining that you wanted to chat with your subjects.¡±

    ¡°Well, I tried,¡± I lower my head, saddened. ¡°It didn¡¯t go as I envisioned it. They surrounded me and in all that confusion, someone touched me between my wings.¡±

    Liana hisses angrily. Humans might not understand but for Celestials it¡¯s an equivalent for going after one¡¯s crotch or breasts.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t feel any danger so I couldn¡¯t react in time,¡± I add. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve experienced groping before when still human. Nothing new to me. I should have been more careful.¡±

    ¡°Aefener,¡± Liana takes my hands into hers. ¡°Would you blame the victim for not being careful enough? It¡¯s a sexual assault. And what¡¯s worse, the offender was one of us and it happened when your guards were present.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re really sorry, Your Majesty, Your Excellency,¡± Miruel apologises and feels really guilty about it. ¡°We didn¡¯t anticipate that our own people¡­ but that¡¯s no excuse. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    ¡°You bet it won¡¯t,¡± Liana narrows her eyes at the guards.

    ¡°I want to be able to talk to ordinary Celestials, Li,¡± I tell her so that she won¡¯t think of some extreme solution such as forbidding me to speak to common people entirely.

    ¡°Sure, but not like that,¡± she shakes her head. ¡°Your guards must be able to protect you even in the crowd.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll think of something, Your Excellency,¡± Miruel assures her.

    ¡°But that¡¯s not all, isn¡¯t it? I take it meeting Erik¡¯s friends didn¡¯t go well?¡± Liana continues.

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± I lean my chin against her shoulder. ¡°They were thinking some nasty stuff and I hated their human emotions.¡±

    ¡°You touched them?¡± she hugs me around my wings. ¡°You never touch our political guests.¡±

    ¡°I wanted to make Erik happy so I shook their hands,¡± I say. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have. It made me nauseous and¡­ well¡­ let¡¯s say I had to visit the bathroom.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Aefener,¡± she caresses my feathers. ¡°Go ahead and connect to me if you need to calm down.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to impose,¡± I lean back but she hugs me tighter.

    Her mind is so inviting that I¡¯m not able to resist anymore and connect to her. We¡¯ve connected several times before but never so deeply. It¡¯s different from my connection to Erik so I¡¯m twice as surprised that it¡¯s not necessarily shallower.

    Liana isn¡¯t my partner but I love her all the same. I enjoy that she¡¯s a complete opposite of my boyfriend and how familiar her Celestial emotions are. I understand that it¡¯s a thankless job to be the Viceroy who has to constantly restrain the flight-obsessed Emperor but she does it simply because she wants to protect me.

    We create a cocoon out of our wings and let the outside world disappear. The Emperor and his Viceroy, white feathers and black feathers¡ªwe¡¯re like a yin-yang. Liana provides what I lack and vice versa. We stay like that for quite some time and I can¡¯t ignore that bugging feeling anymore.

    I¡¯m starting to crave a Celestial mind.

 49. Preparations

    I wake up being carried in Erik¡¯s strong arms. I blink a few times, confused what¡¯s happening. The last thing I remember is connecting to Liana.

    ¡°You fell asleep in her apartment,¡± he tells me, a sad expression on his face. ¡°She said you didn¡¯t feel well after meeting my friends. Oh, Ryuu, why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to spoil your fun,¡± I murmur. ¡°You were so relaxed around them.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I know that Tom can be a jerk sometimes and Mary pries too much,¡± he apologises for their behaviour with a deep sigh. ¡°But those are the only friends I have left. Were they really that horrible? Please, tell me. I¡¯m not interested in keeping them if they¡¯re fake.¡±

    ¡°That girl with ginger hair and the tall guy were okay,¡± I say cautiously, not wanting to hurt his feelings. ¡°They¡¯re genuinely caring for you.¡±

    ¡°Only two, huh?¡± he¡¯s disappointed. ¡°But¡­ I kind of guessed.¡±

    I¡¯m heart-broken. I don¡¯t want him to feel this way. He deserves to be happy for everything he¡¯s doing. He¡¯s so amazing. Why can¡¯t his human friends see that?

    ¡°Ehm¡­ I can walk just fine, Erik,¡± I remind him.

    ¡°I¡¯m well aware,¡± he smirks and doesn¡¯t release me.

    ¡°My wings are wiping the floor,¡± I whine.

    The guards open the door for us and we enter our apartment. I eye the clock and it¡¯s 20:30 already. Damn, why didn¡¯t Liana wake me up?

    ¡°You were exhausted,¡± Erik answers my unvoiced question because I¡¯m sending him my thoughts again. It seems my mental blocks reset when I fall asleep. ¡°Were five humans at once too much? You don¡¯t have a problem with politicians so I thought you¡¯d be okay.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t touch our political guests,¡± I remark. ¡°It was those handshakes that made me nauseous. Their thoughts weren¡¯t nice.¡±

    ¡°Liana scolded me about that already. Sorry, I didn¡¯t realise it¡¯s against the protocol. And that it can hurt you so much.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s actually the only formal thing I like about being the Emperor,¡± I manage a smile. ¡°Politicians can¡¯t touch me so it¡¯s not weird that I¡¯m avoiding physical contact. Let¡¯s go straight to bed. Please?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± he refuses and puts me on the sofa. ¡°You have to eat your dinner first.¡±

    ¡°How do you keep track of these things?¡± I frown but I¡¯m moved by his doting.

    ¡°How can you not keep track of whether you¡¯ve eaten or not?¡± he rolls his eyes in response. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel hungry?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± I shrug. ¡°But I¡¯m used to ignoring it if I don¡¯t feel like eating.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t feel like eating even when hungry,¡± Erik does a facepalm. ¡°Hon, you¡¯re just impossible sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± I pull him down next to me.

    I hope to cuddle with him for a few minutes but our dinner is brought almost immediately.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have it like the old days,¡± he suggests and grabs the screen¡¯s remote controller. ¡°Cien, can you make us some popcorn? Every calorie is good for our Emperor.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Royal Consort,¡± she bows and runs off to fulfil his request.

    ¡°A movie night?¡± I make myself comfortable.

    ¡°Yep,¡± he nods with a smile. ¡°Eat as much as you can and don¡¯t be afraid to fall asleep on my shoulder any time. I suspect you¡¯re not in the mood for anything else anyway.¡±

    I never stop to be amazed by how thoughtful Erik is and how well he knows me. And I have to widen my smile when he chooses an animated comedy with cute animals to lift my spirits. I obediently eat my dinner and snuggle to him. We eat the popcorn and even though I wanted to stay awake till the end of the film, I do fall asleep on his shoulder as he predicted.

    *****

    ¡°No touching at all?¡± I want to assure myself I heard right.

    ¡°No touching at all,¡± Vermiel confirms. ¡°It should have been like that from the beginning but we were being too lenient towards our own people. It won¡¯t happen again, that incident was the last straw. Her Excellency reminded everyone that the royal protocol applies even to Celestials.¡±

    ¡°But I can still talk to them, right?¡± I ask because I¡¯m not sure what I can and can¡¯t do anymore.

    ¡°Of course, but you have to initiate it yourself,¡± Vermiel explains.

    I sigh. Nothing is even remotely casual anymore. We¡¯re playing the royals and the commoners and, for some reason, everyone¡¯s really into that. Even Erik lately. Except it¡¯s no roleplay anymore. It¡¯s our new reality.

    *****

    ¡°I¡¯m not coming back,¡± Emi says, chewing her lip. We¡¯re supposed to be enjoying our short coffee break. Instead, Emi blurted at me something I fail to understand.

    ¡°W-what?¡± I keep staring at her with my mouth open. I can feel her emotions but they confuse me. She¡¯s both sad and excited at the same time.

    ¡°After the conference, I¡¯m not coming back to Europe,¡± she elaborates. ¡°I¡¯ll fetch my Beta and together we want to roam North and South America, visiting our people across the continent. I¡¯m taking Rien with me but Brina and her partner will stay. Brina is in no condition to travel and we need to keep her safe to make sure the very first Draconian baby is healthy.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­,¡± I¡¯m lost for words. ¡°When did you decide that?¡±

    ¡°Aefener,¡± she takes my hand on purpose so that I can read her mind. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about leaving for quite some time now. A skyscraper isn¡¯t a place suitable for Clawfangs. Celestials might be content here and the Dragonkin don¡¯t mind any habitat but the Earthborn feel about it the same way as us. Some even left already. They need the nature, not concrete, glass and marble.¡±

    I analyse her feelings and thoughts in detail because she¡¯s allowing me to: her growing frustration by being contained inside for most of the day; her frustration with administration and politics; her desire to be free and explore; her desire to just run.

    I actually don¡¯t mind my work that much but I can certainly relate to her desire for freedom. The Clawfang society is very different, a total opposite of the Celestial one. They respect their Supreme Alpha but they aren¡¯t fanatical about it and the ruler position isn¡¯t irreplaceable. Besides, Emi isn¡¯t the face of Draconia and wanted as patient zero. She can attain freedom and her pack should be able to protect her just fine.

    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you terribly,¡± I say sincerely.

    ¡°But you¡¯re happy for me,¡± she grins because I channel my feelings to her.

    ¡°I am,¡± I nod and finally smile. ¡°Run around the world for me, will you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Aefener,¡± she sighs, saddened all of a sudden. ¡°You want to be free as well. You long for the sky. Why are our races so different? Your people are crazy, you know that, don¡¯t you? But you love them nonetheless.¡±

    ¡°I love them nonetheless,¡± I repeat because it¡¯s true. Is it because it¡¯s coded in my Celestial genes? Because I¡¯m their Emperor? Because I¡¯m a telepath? All of it combined?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll stay in touch,¡± Emi rubs my feathers. ¡°Okay, as a farewell gift, I¡¯ll allow it this once.¡±

    ¡°I can?!¡± I shriek happily.

    ¡°Just this once,¡± she confirms.

    I slowly stretch my hand and carefully touch her adorable vulpine ears. They¡¯re so fluffy! I caress them again¡­ and again¡­ and again¡­ Emi rolls her eyes but she lets me touch her even fluffier tail.

    ¡°Sorry that I didn¡¯t let you do it earlier, especially when I¡¯m petting your wings all the time,¡± she points out.

    ¡°I know it has a totally different meaning to your race,¡± I understand. ¡°Thanks, Emi. Be careful out there, okay?¡±

    ¡°Careful isn¡¯t in my vocabulary but I¡¯ll have my pack so I should be safe,¡± she assures me and lets me pet her some more.

    *****

    ¡°Ingri,¡± I ask later that day. ¡°Emi told me some Earthborn left the skyscraper recently. Is it true?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that,¡± Ingri looks up from her graphic tablet. Is she designing more clothes for Draconians?

    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t tell you because it wasn¡¯t important. Yes, so far several Earthborn left. They couldn¡¯t take living here anymore. I mean¡­ don¡¯t get me wrong, they were really grateful for everything, but they wanted to live closer to nature.¡±

    ¡°What about you? We really value your work but if you ever feel like¡­,¡± I¡¯m almost afraid to finish that sentence.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she shakes her head. ¡°I can go to the nearby park every day and once a week I visit my parents¡¯ garden. Besides, I¡¯d never give up my designing work for Draconians. I¡¯m an Earthborn but it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean I want to live in the woods now.¡±

    I¡¯m glad she feels that way. Being a certain Draconian race is extremely deterministic already but it can¡¯t influence everything. An Earthborn doesn¡¯t have to be only a healer, an eco-warrior or a gardener. A Celestial doesn¡¯t have to become a mage by trade. We¡¯re influenced by our genes much more than humans but we still have a choice.

    Except¡­ I might be the only one who doesn¡¯t.

    *****

    ¡°So,¡± Fefnir is bumping his huge scaly fingers against the table.

    ¡°So,¡± I¡¯m staring at my feather lying on a tray as if it was a relic. ¡°One was found?¡±

    ¡°That idiot tried selling it on eBay,¡± Fefnir rolls his eyes. ¡°We contacted the legal authorities and they apprehended him for an assault. As for the other two¡­ we tracked one being auctioned on the dark web but it slipped between our fingers. I¡¯m afraid a new owner has it now. The third one didn¡¯t emerge yet.¡±

    ¡°What will you do with it?¡± Ingri is longingly eyeing the ripped feather.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, shove it into a wardrobe?¡± I shrug. ¡°It¡¯s just a feather. We wanted justice for the principle, not for the object itself.¡±

    ¡°Could I have it then?¡± she smirks and stretches her hand towards the tray.

    ¡°What for, dear?¡± Liana purses her lips and softly slaps her assistant¡¯s hand because she suspects Ingri would use it in her creative fashion projects.

    ¡°How much was it worth anyway?¡± Erik asks curiously.

    ¡°The bidding started at 10 000 Euro but who knows how much it would make in the end,¡± Fefnir says.

    I wrinkle my nose. Seriously? They¡¯re making me into a collectible? Are humans nuts? I get it that my white feathers are unique but aren¡¯t they taking it too far? It¡¯s just a feather, an equivalent to hair or fur. It¡¯s not like it still contains mana or¡­

    I take the feather into my fingers and caress it. Strangely, it feels too lively. Is it not just a dead body tissue in its essence? What is that vibrating feeling I¡¯m getting? Wait a second¡­ could it be¡­ that my torn feather still contains some of my mana?! But that¡¯s impossible, it was proven already that while mana does get out of a Celestial¡¯s body through wings, it¡¯s being generated in our spine.

    But then I remember that moment when I was angry at Liana for limiting my freedom. I didn¡¯t have time to think about it after that but I did feel mana filling my every cell. I levitated by body without activating a spell. I just let mana out of my pores.

    ¡°Are you listening, Aefener?¡± Liana nudges me. ¡°Do you want to donate your feather to Julia or not?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s mine,¡± I say quickly, maybe too quickly, and hide it into my sleeve.

    I need to experiment to find out more but I don¡¯t have the nerve to tear another one from my wings. I don¡¯t think any Celestial is able to tear their own feathers. Erik raises his eyebrow, sensing that I have an ulterior motive with the feather, but he doesn¡¯t say anything.

    *****

    I know that I lost my privacy but it seems I still underestimate the extent of the problem. Now that I actually need a few minutes just by myself, I discover how difficult that is. If I¡¯m not working, I¡¯m with my friends or I¡¯m with Erik. Even when I¡¯m in our apartment, my guards are always present. They don¡¯t go into the bedroom but Erik never leaves my side during our leisure time because for him leisure means being together.

    Not that I mind but I really need some alone time to analyse my ripped feather properly. It takes one whole week to finally find an opportunity and seize it. I finish my magic training a bit earlier and I know that Erik is still hitting the gym at this time. I go home as quickly as possible without raising suspicion that I¡¯m up to something and, once inside our apartment, I tell my guards that I want to take a nap.

    Just two weeks ago they would be nervous to leave me without supervision in a room with a window but since I¡¯m behaving nicely at my flying sessions, they let me have my tiny privacy. God! I didn¡¯t realise how I miss some quality me-time when the door closes and I¡¯m finally alone.

    I let out a happy shriek and spend a few moments just rolling over on our huge round bed. It¡¯s tiring to act always so serious and dignified in front of people because that¡¯s expected of the Emperor. I stretch my wings, envelope myself in them and continue happily rolling over and cuddling my feathers. I thoroughly enjoy being ridiculous.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Then I remember my mission and, too lazy to get up, I open the wardrobe with telekinesis. I hid the ripped feather under my spare night robe and I feel it¡¯s calling me somehow. Normally, Celestials need a visual contact with things we want to levitate or have a very concrete image of where it is and how it looks like but I don¡¯t need any of that. I just feel it because it used to be a part of me.

    The feather slips from under the night robe and lands safely on my palm. Ok, so how do I go about it? How do I analyse it? I¡¯m no Earthborn. But the Earthborn can¡¯t sense Celestial mana anyway. I need magical detection of some kind.

    I close my eyes and try feeling the mana inside of the feather as if I would with Celestials when they ask me about their mana capacity. Oh, I wasn¡¯t mistaken, it¡¯s there! Despite being torn from my wings weeks ago, the feather still contains a tiny portion of my mana.

    But what does it mean? Is my magical energy being generated differently from other Celestials? Is that what makes me the embodiment of magic? I switch my focus to my own body. I try to feel what I felt during that incident when I was angry with Erik and Liana.

    From Liana¡¯s point of view, it must have looked like I used a normal levitation spell because she didn¡¯t press me about it afterwards but I know I didn¡¯t. I somehow poured mana out of my pores and that¡¯s what made my body float. But how?! I envelop myself in my wings again and fall on the side. How? How? How?

    I feel Erik¡¯s telepathic imprint approaching long before he opens the door so I manage to hide my feather back into the wardrobe and pretend that I¡¯m napping. I¡¯m not ready to share my discovery yet. I want to find out more first.

    ¡°Tired?¡± Erik pokes my wings because I¡¯m unwilling to open my cocoon. ¡°What about taking a shower?¡±

    ¡°Too tired for that,¡± I grunt.

    ¡°Come on, I know you Celestials don¡¯t sweat much but you skipped yesterday,¡± he pulls me out of bed for my sake.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t like bathing when I can¡¯t spread my wings comfortably and the shower booth makes me claustrophobic,¡± I complain but I¡¯m already in the bathroom and Erik is taking off my robe.

    ¡°Liana assured me that they¡¯ll be remodelling our apartment during the conference,¡± she says. ¡°With Emi leaving, we should get more rooms.¡±

    ¡°They can manage that in a week?¡± I¡¯m doubtful. ¡°What are they planning to do anyway?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Erik smiles mysteriously. ¡°I saw the blueprints and helped them choose new furniture. It¡¯ll be marvellous, trust me.¡±

    ¡°When did you manage that?¡± I tilt my head.

    ¡°I was pretending to attend a meeting with officials while I was secretly meeting designers,¡± he smirks. ¡°It was possible only because we try to be separated more often and you don¡¯t examine me telepathically that much lately. But I¡¯m saying no more, it¡¯s supposed to be a surprise.¡±

    *****

    ¡°Why are you nervous? You should be excited!¡± I don¡¯t understand why Liana starts trembling the moment we step outside.

    She¡¯s dressed in a Celestial flight robe and ready to go. Her body is definitely ready to go. She woke up this morning and I sensed it right away. Her transformation is finished. But she doesn¡¯t seem that thrilled about it now that it¡¯s actually happening.

    ¡°Li, what¡¯s wrong? Are you afraid?¡± I hug her because she flinches when the wind blows into her feathers.

    ¡°You¡¯re the embodiment of magic so you can¡¯t know,¡± she retorts a little. ¡°It¡¯s not as effortless for the rest of us.¡±

    ¡°Effortless or not, it¡¯s in your genes and innate instincts,¡± I comfort her. ¡°Besides, you have me. Should you lose control, I¡¯ll catch you.¡±

    ¡°I know you will,¡± she sighs out deeply to calm her wildly beating heart.

    ¡°You¡¯re more excited than scared,¡± I assure her. ¡°Your over-analytical brain just can¡¯t tell the difference.¡±

    I push her away, smile mischievously, stretch my wings and fly up.

    ¡°Catch me if you can,¡± I mock her.

    It works like a charm. She can¡¯t resist seeing me flying and she can¡¯t resist a challenge. Her instincts kick in, she spreads her mighty black wings and with a few flaps, she¡¯s in the air.

    ¡°I¡¯m flying!¡± she lets out a joyful shriek.

    ¡°Come and get me then,¡± I wink and do a sharp turn.

    I¡¯m not going full speed on purpose so she¡¯s able to follow me. She might not be as natural at flying as me but she¡¯s still managing without problems. After a few minutes, she finally starts to trust her body and stops thinking so hard about every movement.

    She¡¯s much better than me at handling the adrenaline rush, though. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever felt such pure happiness from her but she stays rational and fully in control. I guess we¡¯ve pretty much confirmed that it¡¯s only me who gets crazy. Oh, well.

    ¡°Aefener, it¡¯s so¡­ so¡­!¡± she shouts at me joyfully. Even the dignified Viceroy can¡¯t keep her act when flying.

    ¡°Trust your wings and try some acrobatics,¡± I suggest.

    I fold my wings and start falling. After five hundred meters or so, I stretch my wings again and perform a flip. Liana tries to copy me but she stretches her wings after just a few seconds of free fall. She doesn¡¯t have the nerve¡­ yet. But she will.

    We fly around, Liana testing what her body can do, me mostly watching over her. She panics one time when her flip doesn¡¯t work out so I create a soft airy cushion around her.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she appreciates when she stabilises herself.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t fall either way, your wings would always react, but I know it¡¯s unnerving,¡± I say. ¡°Do you want to experiment a bit more? Try whatever you wish, I¡¯ll be watching you and be prepared with a safety airy net.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I trust you with my life then,¡± she smiles and continues testing her flying abilities while I hover in a safe distance.

    Her words are heart-warming. She trusts me with her life. I do, too. And it¡¯s beyond amazing to be able to fly with someone. To share this moment of pure happiness and relaxation. Too bad I can¡¯t share it with Erik but Liana¡¯s presence is just as valuable to me.

    After she tries everything she can think of in the moment, we test for speed. We¡¯re extremely fast already but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll become even faster when our wing muscles grow stronger thanks to everyday exercise.

    ¡°Damn, are we that far so soon?¡± Liana grumbles because our bands vibrate.

    ¡°Now you can see how it feels,¡± I comment.

    ¡°I know, Aefener, I know,¡± she sighs. ¡°But we have to limit you somehow or you would fly away who knows where.¡±

    ¡°Will you reconsider now?¡± I ask, hopeful. ¡°Two kilometres are nothing to us.¡±

    ¡°We will,¡± she promises. ¡°But wait until more of us are able to accompany you, okay?¡±

    Liana gets exhausted after forty minutes whereas I¡¯d be able to fly for much longer. I¡¯m happy to see that I developed some stamina but I land with her because it would be weird not to. Now that I tasted what flying with someone feels like, I can wait to enjoy it again tomorrow.

    *****

    Gotrid (15:36)

    My Emperor, I hope I¡¯m not imposing by writing you a personal message.

    I¡¯m staring at my phone¡¯s screen. I¡¯ve been speaking on the phone with Gotrid several times before but it was never really private. We were always discussing the situation in the States. I look around but Liana¡¯s hard at work and Erik isn¡¯t even here.

    I can just casually reply, right? Actually, I don¡¯t care about some stupid royal protocol, I¡¯m more concerned about Erik¡¯s reaction should he find out. He¡¯s jealous of Gotrid because he symbolises everything he¡¯s so afraid of.

    I freeze in a moment of sudden clarity. Isn¡¯t that exactly what our psychologist Zetraya was talking about? One of the signs of unhealthy co-dependency? Am I holding back because I don¡¯t want to make Erik angry? Am I letting myself be limited by him because I fear his reaction?

    I should take another step, progress a bit more again. I shouldn¡¯t be afraid to talk to men just because it makes my partner jealous. So I decide to reply. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m cheating, Gotrid is a just a friend. A bit teasy but a friend.

    Aefener (15:38)

    No at all. Are you okay?

    Gotrid (15:38)

    I couldn¡¯t have been better. I¡¯m seeing my Emperor in just a week!

    Aefener (15:39)

    I¡¯m looking forward to meeting you in person, too. And our other guild members in the States.

    I send that message, a bit nervous that he might misunderstand. I do genuinely look forward to seeing him but I don¡¯t want to give him a false hope. Even though his teasing was mostly for fun until now, something tells me he pursue me for real if he was given a chance. And if I was single, I would see nothing wrong with that, he¡¯s my type. But I¡¯m taken. I already have a partner I love immensely.

    Gotrid (15:40)

    How are the preparations going? The Celestial community here can¡¯t wait to finally meet our Emperor.

    Aefener (15:41)

    A ton of work as expected. A lot of studying. Liana is crazy about our safety while I can¡¯t imagine being on a plane for ten hours. I just wish we were able to fly over the sea with our wings. Maybe one day we will be?

    Gotrid (15:42)

    We¡¯re not migratory birds, Your Majesty. :D By the way, I have happy news and that¡¯s actually why I texted you in the first place.

    I wait for a few seconds to see what news that is and Gotrid sends me his selfie¡­ in the air!

    Aefener (15:43)

    Oh, you flew! Congrats! How did it feel?

    Gotrid (15:42)

    Amazing, of course. :) I can¡¯t wait to be able to fly with you, my Emperor. I already asked Her Excellency if it¡¯s okay and I got my approval. Let¡¯s play some games!

    I think my heart just skipped a beat when I imagined Gotrid¡¯s fully grown gorgeous wings and me playing fetch with him. That doesn¡¯t qualify as cheating, right? It¡¯ll be a friendly flying session with my friend, nothing more.

    ¡°Are you working, Your Majesty?¡± my adjutant coughs all of a sudden.

    I twitch, surprised that I was caught, and the phone slips from my fingers. I want to catch it with telekinesis but it happens too fast and my poor phone lands with an ominous thud.

    ¡°Oh, no!¡± I cry and grab it from the ground. It must have fallen especially unfortunately because despite the fortified glass, it¡¯s broken. I try switching it on again but the screen remains dark. Something within it must have snapped.

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic, Your Majesty,¡± Luviael hurries to me. ¡°You had everything in the cloud anyway, right?¡±

    ¡°But I had this phone for years, it has sentimental value,¡± I whine. ¡°I bought it with my first money from gaming.¡±

    Luviael is looking at me as if I was crazy or something. I guess I am. Nobody has the same phone for six years.

    ¡°I understand,¡± Luvi says when she digests it. ¡°But accidents happen. Besides, buying a new one is a good opportunity to finally set it for your new Celestial identity.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that,¡± I realise that I¡¯ve still been using my old human account. Our IT department checked my phone for viruses and put in the best encryption possible but that was it.

    ¡°Li? Do you have a spare you¡¯re no longer using? I¡¯ll be fine with that,¡± I ask my Viceroy.

    ¡°Just buy the latest Nebula, Aefener,¡± Liana sighs. ¡°Some Celestials noticed how old your phone is and were asking me why our Emperor isn¡¯t using something that would suit his status.¡±

    ¡°But those cost hundreds of euros,¡± I shake my head. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for my next salary to come, I need something immediately.¡±

    Both Liana and Luviael glare at me to the point it becomes awkward.

    ¡°Did you spend all your money already?¡± Liana frowns, confused. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, is your salary not enough? You should have said so.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s more than generous,¡± I assure her. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I sent some money to my grandmother so that I don¡¯t have to feel obligated to her anymore and the rest¡­ well¡­ the Thai embassy needed money to rent their own place and then I wanted to support homeless Draconians in Bohemia¡­ and it kept piling up.¡±

    ¡°You gave all your money away?¡± Liana gasps for breath. ¡°Did you actually keep at least something?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± I shrug. ¡°What use do I have for it anyway? My rent is free, my food as well and my maids apparently buy me new clothes without me even asking for it.¡±

    ¡°Naturally, I gave them some budget,¡± Liana nods. ¡°But seriously, Aefener, the salary is meant for your personal usage.¡±

    ¡°I still have my own money from donations,¡± I remind her. ¡°It keeps pouring for some reason even if I don¡¯t stream anymore. So I put it to good use.¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s pouring in, Ingri is keeping your Vortex account active,¡± she explains. ¡°Where do you think we post the videos of you flying and such?¡±

    I frown. I gave up on social media weeks ago because I thought it wasn¡¯t needed anymore but I had no idea Ingri is still taking care of it. I quickly look up my profile on the computer but I don¡¯t log in. I want to see how it looks like to a regular visitor.

    I widen my eyes when I discover that the gallery is full of my photos from various occasions. Most of the time I wasn¡¯t even aware I was being photographed. Admittedly, I look quite okay in those photos, at least Ingri picked the best angles, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not angry about it.

    ¡°What the hell, Li?¡± I click my tongue and turn the screen to her. ¡°You¡¯re taking photos without my consent?!¡±

    ¡°You gave your consent,¡± she raises her eyebrow. ¡°When you were signing the employment contract, remember?¡±

    ¡°I bet he didn¡¯t read it,¡± Luvi rolls her eyes.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t read it because I didn¡¯t expect there to be a catch,¡± I accuse her.

    ¡°Consent to promotional materials isn¡¯t a catch, Aefener,¡± Liana explains patiently. ¡°Have you never noticed Erik adjusting your robe during meetings or seating you differently? Anyway, I don¡¯t want you financing things outside our official procedures.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± I don¡¯t understand. ¡°It¡¯s my money and I can do whatever I want with it.¡±

    ¡°Practical reasons, Aefener,¡± she says. ¡°We need to keep things in balance. Draconians can¡¯t depend on a few rich of us to support them or they won¡¯t make an effort. Sure, now we have to fund things from our own pockets because it can¡¯t be avoided but we need to build a working economy as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°You can still donate your money if you wish so, Your Majesty,¡± Luviael sets the record straight because I keep frowning at my Viceroy. ¡°But it has to go through official procedures. We have to prevent Celestials calling you outside working hours and begging you for money.¡±

    ¡°Outside working hours,¡± I murmur, remembering that one occasion with the Thai embassy that made my partner especially pissed. ¡°Did Erik complain?¡±

    ¡°He did and he was right to do so,¡± Liana looks at me apologetically. ¡°Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m not aware that I¡¯m overworking all of you. Erik has been pressing me about free weekends and he has a point.¡±

    ¡°Oh, he told you already?¡± I bite my lip. ¡°We want Sundays off. We all should get at least one day a week free or we¡¯ll collapse. I feel the tension rising around me, everyone¡¯s at the verge of burnout.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± she admits. ¡°I promise to do something about our workload after the conference, okay?¡±

    ¡°Deal,¡± I nod, satisfied for now.

    I didn¡¯t expect it to go so smoothly. Liana is the hardest-working person I know but it turns out she¡¯s a reasonable boss. I have to smile when I realise that despite being the Emperor, meaning her superior, I do consider her to be my boss when it comes to work.

    *****

    The following days are strangely monotonous and hectic at the same time. We¡¯re busy with preparing for the conference but the routine is the same every day. I wake up at seven, Erik sees to it that I eat healthy breakfast, we work until 11:30, then there¡¯s our flying session, lunch, Liana and Luvi give me lessons on politics, we have our mandatory magic training and I return home at six, dead tired.

    I¡¯d like to have another appointment with our psychologist Zetraya but there¡¯s simply not enough hours in the day for that right now. Besides, Erik doesn¡¯t seem enthusiastic about it. I suspect he¡¯d prefer a human psychologist. It¡¯s a predicament. I know I wouldn¡¯t be able to open up to a human and he¡¯s not able to open up to a Draconian.

    I suggested we should attend sessions separately then but he was totally against that idea. Moreover, Liana didn¡¯t approve of hiring a human, claiming humans can¡¯t be trusted with relationship issues of the royal couple which made Erik furious with her. He¡¯s very sensitive about calling humans untrustworthy. A dead-end.

    Good news is that more and more Celestials are able to fly by each passing day. Miruel and Taranah just seven days after Liana, Vermiel two days ago and Luvi¡¯s transformation finished today. Celestials are enthusiastically sharing their videos and, naturally, it¡¯s trending on the Internet.

    ¡°Okay, we will try to go further today,¡± Vermiel allows while giving instructions to the guards whose transformation has also finished. He finally assessed that our protection is adequate with these numbers.

    Erik is here to see me off today. He hasn¡¯t come to my flying session recently, being too busy with his own work. Or at least I thought that¡¯s the main reason. I¡¯m not so sure about it anymore. He¡¯s happy for me but it starts to seriously bug him that he can¡¯t accompany me. He knows how I love sharing the sky with my Celestial friends so it makes him twice as sad that it¡¯s the only thing he can¡¯t share with me.

    ¡°I share other things with you,¡± I whisper to him a second before I kiss him. ¡°Things I can¡¯t share with them. It¡¯s not any less valuable.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he admits but my reassurance doesn¡¯t mitigate his insecurity.

    ¡°Aefener!¡± Emi appears on the roof which is totally unexpected. Clawfangs might not hate heights as much as the Earthborn but they aren¡¯t fond of them either.

    ¡°I want you to have it,¡± she says, takes my hand and puts her favourite tennis ball on my palm.

    ¡°Emi, I¡­ I can¡¯t help feeling that this particular ball is somehow important to you,¡± I chew my lip. ¡°I can¡¯t take it.¡±

    ¡°You bet it¡¯s important,¡± she grins. ¡°I found it in the woods when I was running from that damned hospital. It helped me pass time while I was waiting for rescue and keep my sanity. It travelled all the way from Kazakhstan with me. I insist you keep it as a farewell gift. Not as a memento somewhere in a drawer, though. Put it to good use! Play with it and wear it out!¡±

    ¡°Okay, I will,¡± I clutch the ball in my hand, grateful. ¡°Actually, we plan to try some aerial games today for the first time.¡±

    ¡°What a great debut then,¡± she nods approvingly and runs back inside with a loud laugh.

    ¡°We¡¯re ready, Your Majesty,¡± Vermiel announces.

    I kiss my boyfriend one more time and we take off one after another. We have enough airworthy Celestials to form a proper squadron now. Or should I call it a flock? I¡¯m sure Liana would hate that analogy, Celestials don¡¯t like being compared to birds.

    Miruel and Vermiel insist we should practice flight formations so we do that for half an hour. Then I lose patience, imbue Emi¡¯s ball with a levitation spell so that it won¡¯t fall onto someone¡¯s head accidentally and throw it with an air thrust as far as I can.

    The moment I chase after it, my companions lose their focus on neat formations and can¡¯t resist a challenge. We play to our hearts content, flying freely above the whole city and return only when we¡¯re totally exhausted. Exhausted but happy.

    *****

    I¡¯m staring at our luggage the maids prepared for us. It¡¯s finally here. Tomorrow, we depart for New York. Liana and Luvi claim they managed to teach me all the basics but I¡¯m still nervous. Our guards are confident that they should be able to protect me even from a direct attack because they mastered spells up to level 10 but I¡¯m still anxious. So many things can go wrong.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay,¡± Erik comforts me, sensing my inner turmoil. ¡°We¡¯ll do our best and the rest will work out somehow.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to fall asleep,¡± I say, shaking a bit.

    ¡°I¡¯ll gladly exhaust you then,¡± he smirks and pushes me onto our bed.

    I submit to him willingly and completely. I finally relax. In times like these, I have no doubts. He¡¯s the love of my life.

 50. Arriving in New York

    I look at the helicopter and take a step back, bumping into Erik behind me. He hugs me tight so that I won¡¯t run away. Or fly away.

    ¡°No way!¡± I protest. ¡°I¡¯ll fly to the airport myself!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make a scene, Aefener,¡± Liana sighs, following right after us. ¡°I¡¯m not thrilled about it either but I want us to travel together.¡±

    ¡°Taranah and my guards could fly,¡± I frown. ¡°And Emi was permitted to use a car.¡±

    ¡°Just tell him the surprise, Erik,¡± she rolls her eyes.

    ¡°Hon, I¡¯ll be the one flying it,¡± he says proudly and tingles me under my feathers.

    ¡°You will?¡± I turn around to face him and my anxiety mitigates.

    ¡°Yep,¡± he grins. ¡°Do you feel better about it? You can even sit in the cockpit next to me.¡±

    I do feel better about it so I let Erik push me inside. Obviously, seats weren¡¯t made for Celestials and while Liana¡¯s luxury helicopter is exceptionally large, my feathers are everywhere when I sit down and at least partly fold my wings.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty, we¡¯ll put up shields around the helicopter and police drones are accompanying us,¡± Vermiel assures me when he notices that I¡¯m eyeing my surroundings.

    That¡¯s not what I¡¯m worried about, though. I¡¯m worried I¡¯ll get claustrophobic when the door closes. Celestials are not meant to fly in metal boxes.

    ¡°Stop moving, Ryuu, and let me fasten your seatbelt,¡± Erik is struggling with me and I accidentally hit him with the joint of my left wing because I can¡¯t fold my wings comfortably.

    In the meanwhile, Liana, Fefnir, Luviael and Vermiel take the back seats.

    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you, dear. Keep things orderly here,¡± Liana says to Ingri who sees us off. Ingri¡¯s parents disagreed with her travelling to New York. Besides, she wouldn¡¯t be of much use to us anyway. While we do consider her part of our inner government, she¡¯s still just a teenager.

    When we¡¯re all safely inside, Erik puts headphones over my ears, takes his own and announces that we¡¯re taking off. He feels so excited about flying a helicopter again that I decide to focus on his feelings instead of mine. And it works. The claustrophobia doesn¡¯t hit so hard and I can enjoy the moment because my partner is enjoying it.

    ¡°Love, can you lower your wings? I actually need to see to the sides as well,¡± he asks me. ¡°Also, your feathers are all over the control board.¡±

    I try, I really do, but the cockpit is too small and the seat isn¡¯t manufactured to hold a Celestial.

    ¡°That will have to do then,¡± he caresses my left wing with a smile.

    ¡°Uhm,¡± my stomach turns upside down when the helicopter jerks but I hold on somehow. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m afraid of flying all of a sudden. It just feels totally unnatural not being in control.

    ¡°How are you holding back there?¡± Erik asks through the intercom.

    ¡°We should manage,¡± Luvi answers, her voice mirroring her uneasiness. ¡°How¡¯s His Majesty? Unfortunately, our racial weaknesses have even bigger impact on him.¡±

    ¡°On the verge of puking,¡± he teases me so I have to poke him.

    The flight isn¡¯t long but I have to keep touching Erik¡¯s arm to calm myself down. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯ll manage those ten hours on the plane.

    Planes don¡¯t shake unless there¡¯s a turbulence and you¡¯ll have much more space there, Erik comforts me, catching my worry. Besides, I bet it¡¯ll be one of those luxurious private jets with beds.

    A plane with beds? Is that a thing? I don¡¯t believe it. Some people can hardly afford to flat-share and there¡¯re planes with beds? Is Erik pulling my feathers?

    I¡¯m the first person to get off when Erik lands and the motor stops. I don¡¯t care that I might not look dignified enough and stretch my wings to all sides while furiously flapping them. All my Celestial friends hop out after me and stretch as well so at least I wasn¡¯t the only one being uncomfortable.

    ¡°You Majesty, Your Excellency!¡± the Czech Prime Minister is waiting for us on a runway and greets us.

    Our guards are also waiting for us and take a protective formation immediately. We¡¯re in the open here I realise. Even though we¡¯re quite far from the airport building, I don¡¯t feel good about it so I¡¯m grateful when they cast a protective shield.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­,¡± Baueova is lost for words because the shield is erected around her as well. She curiously touches the transparent membrane. ¡°What a strange sensation!¡±

    ¡°Ryuu, it¡¯s Vindigo 673,¡± Erik pulls my sleeve, excited, when he sees our transoceanic transport. ¡°We¡¯ll get to experience one of the most luxurious private jets!¡±

    ¡°Aircraft nerd,¡± I manage to smile and notice several people in blue uniforms slowly approaching us.

    I don¡¯t have to be a telepath to see how nervous the plane crew is about the whole thing. The flight attendants show us inside extremely politely and are even more careful not to touch us accidentally. I relax a bit when I find out that the interior looks like a proper room so I don¡¯t feel like trapped in a metal coffin.

    ¡°This way, Your Majesty, Royal Consort,¡± our maid Cien, who arrived in advance, takes over and shows us to our seats. Liana is taken by her own servants.

    Seats? It¡¯s a whole compartment! I thought Erik was kidding me but rich people actually have beds during long distance flights in the first class? He puts down his hand luggage and asks for a glass of wine right away, openly enjoying the luxury.

    That¡¯s probably the biggest difference between us. He¡¯s a sociable extrovert who enjoys everything pleasant life has to offer. He¡¯s not ashamed to indulge. I¡¯m an introvert with quite narrow geeky interests. I don¡¯t care about expensive shiny stuff. Being in the centre of attention makes me anxious.

    ¡°Just relax, Ryuu, it shouldn¡¯t make you sick,¡± he pulls me to him. ¡°Once we take off and the plane stabilises, you won¡¯t even know we¡¯re flying.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully,¡± I sigh and let him kiss me. I moan when he slips his hand under the robe between my wings but an irritated cough takes us both back to reality.

    ¡°Royal Consort, I hate to remind you that Her Excellency has a compartment next to you and she can hear you, this place isn¡¯t soundproof,¡± Cien interrupts us. ¡°We¡¯re taking off in five minutes and then you have a meeting with the Prime Minister.¡±

    ¡°Why is it always me being scolded?¡± Erik shakes his head.

    Taking off isn¡¯t as horrible as in the helicopter so my stomach doesn¡¯t turn upside down this time. Liana picks us up after a few minutes. We go through narrow aisles around other compartments and I¡¯m astonished for the second time when I discover that there¡¯s a bar on this plane.

    ¡°Careful, Your Majesty,¡± Miruel has to push my right wing out of the way because I almost bumped into a cart. However big the space is, it still isn¡¯t big enough for several Celestials.

    Bauerova is already waiting for us at the bar and there¡¯s a woman with black hair wearing a beautiful dress by her side. She¡¯s familiar but I can¡¯t remember where I¡¯ve seen her.

    That¡¯s Bauerova¡¯s wife, basically the first lady, Liana brushes my wing to send me a hint.

    Emi and Fefnir arrive just a few seconds after us and we sit around the table, me and Liana taking bar chairs without back rests.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have an espresso,¡± Liana orders without even looking at the menu.

    ¡°Twice then,¡± Erik seconds confidently as if ordering drinks on a luxurious plane is something he does every day. He certainly looks like a rich businessperson in his perfectly fitted suit.

    I quickly flip the menu to discover that there¡¯re no prices. All-inclusive?

    ¡°Fresh orange juice, please,¡± I say, uncertain who I should say it to.

    The cabin crew is nervously stepping behind the bar, did they even hear me?

    ¡°And to eat, Your Majesty?¡± Cien is suddenly standing next to me.

    ¡°Nothing right now,¡± I shake my head.

    Cien purses her lips. Oh, so it wasn¡¯t really a question. I frown.

    ¡°An avocado toast looks really good,¡± Erik leans to me. ¡°Let¡¯s have it, love. Two of those and¡­ let¡¯s get this cheesecake.¡±

    ¡°A mozarella sandwich,¡± Liana adds to her order. ¡°And that cheesecake as well.¡±

    Cien nods and goes to the bar to tell the crew our order.

    ¡°You Celestials don¡¯t have to watch your diet, do you? How lucky!¡± Bauerova¡¯s wife grins with a hint of playful jealously. ¡°By the way, my name is Elizabeth.¡±

    She doesn¡¯t stretch her hand to me. Instead, she bows. It looks really natural, is she used to it? I guess the Prime Minister¡¯s wife is expected to represent and meet royals from other countries. She¡¯s looking at us curiously but without any disgust. I like her mind. It¡¯s a bit similar to Erik¡¯s, actually.

    Bauerova doesn¡¯t beat around the bush so we start right away. She managed to persuade the Bohemian government to support our claims so we¡¯ll be presenting our cause mostly together. Again, I realise how fortunate we are to have her as an ally. Bauerova and Liana are clashing from time to time but in a good competitive way.

    ¡°We should get some rest before the conference to minimise jet lag,¡± Liana states after two hours.

    ¡°Definitely,¡± Bauerova seconds. ¡°I hate these endlessly long flights.¡±

    It¡¯s obvious that only Liana, Bauerova and her wife have experience with transatlantic flights. As for the rest of us, we have no idea what to expect. Is it really going to be as bad as they say?

    We return to our compartment. I prefer not to know how expensive this first class is but I¡¯m grateful for the bed right now. I was dreading human seats so this is a big relief. I just hope the rest of our delegation is also reasonably comfortable. Will I ever get use to luxury and stop feeling guilty about enjoying it?

    ¡°Just so you know, this isn¡¯t the place and time for sex,¡± Liana reminds us dryly before she disappears into her own compartment.

    Erik sighs and helps me take off the embroidered layer of my robe which is quite heavy and not comfortable to nap in. Then he takes off his jacket and lies down next to me. Cien closes the door to our compartment but I know the privacy is only relative. The walls are paper-thin.

    Your telepathy is so handy, especially in situations like this, Erik appreciates. Do you want to sleep right away since cuddling is forbidden?

    Yeah, I yawn.

    Despite being anxious about upcoming events, I rarely have difficulties sleeping. My brain is always so tired that it takes every opportunity to shut down and rest. Erik hugs me and keeps caressing my feathers until I fall asleep.

    *****

    ¡°Ryuu, wake up!¡± Erik shakes me gently. ¡°We¡¯re almost here.¡±

    ¡°W-we are?¡± I yawn, still half-sleeping.

    ¡°Yeah, and you¡¯re the only one who slept through the whole journey,¡± he laughs.

    I stretch my six limbs and sit up. My maid Ayala comes in to quickly comb my hair and adjust my robe while the flight attendant folds the bed back just in time for landing. The long journey I was dreading so much is over and it wasn¡¯t bad at all.

    ¡°Now what?¡± I ask. I was so focused on politics and our agenda that I didn¡¯t even ask about basic organisation.

    ¡°We check into our hotel, of course,¡± Erik answers.

    ¡°A normal one with lots of humans?¡± I get a bit apprehensive.

    ¡°A luxury hotel for ambassadors and with maximum security,¡± he says as if it should have been obvious. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the government made sure there won¡¯t be regular guests, just other state representatives staying for the conference.¡±

    ¡°Good morning, sleepyhead,¡± Liana greets me when we meet in the corridor. ¡°Although it¡¯s already afternoon here.¡±

    We proceed to the exit and I see Rien talking with his aunt Bauerova. Oh, now that I think about it¡­ Emi intends to take him with her, meaning he won¡¯t return to Europe. I wonder if his parents are worried. I bet they are. Bauerova certainly looks really worried about her nephew.

    ¡°Your Majesty, please, talk some sense into him,¡± the Prime Minister pleads desperately when she notices me. ¡°He¡¯s too young for such an endeavour.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m twenty-two,¡± Rien shows off his wolfish teeth in defiance.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t even tell his parents about it,¡± Bauerova cries. ¡°He told me literally just now.¡±

    ¡°Because you would try to stop me, duh,¡± Rien retorts.

    ¡°And what exactly does Aefener have to do with it that you¡¯re asking him?¡± Emi emerges and looks pissed.

    ¡°He¡¯s the Emperor,¡± Bauerova says simply.

    ¡°The Celestial Emperor,¡± Emi reminds her, annoyed. ¡°I¡¯m Rien¡¯s Supreme Alpha.¡±

    Damn, it happened again. Why the hell do humans think that I somehow represent all Draconians? Just because it¡¯s me who is most visible in the media? I hope this misunderstanding will be finally cleared during the conference.

    ¡°Your Majesty, Your Excellency, our escort is waiting,¡± Miruel informs us impatiently.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it at the hotel,¡± Bauerova concludes for now, refusing to give up.

    The guards make a protective formation around us and we exit the plane in a strict order. I can feel the cabin crew is relieved that the flight was without an incident.

    I take a deep breath of New York air that feels very different from Prague. My nose isn¡¯t even close to Clawfang and Earthborn sensitivity but my Celestial lungs can tell it¡¯s foreign. Erik stiffens and clutches my hand firmly. He tries to act all confident but he doesn¡¯t feel safe out in the open even if the guards are putting up shields around us.

    I look down and see a numerous crowd of people and an avalanche of conflicting human emotions hit me. I try hard to focus on Erik and my fellow Draconians as my safe haven. I realise I stopped being used to perceiving so many humans at once. Since my transformation, I was surrounded mostly by Draconians and my telepathy got even stronger. Will I be okay during the conference?

    My feathers stand up a little, mirroring my jarred emotions. The people in suits must be politicians but most of our escort seems to be the army. For the first time ever I¡¯m actually glad to see the press being present as well. The American government shouldn¡¯t try anything funny when the whole world is watching.

    Don¡¯t let anything show on your face, Aefener, Liana warns me, brushing her wings against mine so that I can hear her thoughts. I know that you¡¯re scared but we¡¯re safe. They just want to intimidate us.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    We slowly descend the stairs and our whole entourage gathers. I thought we took a lot of people, maybe too many, but now I¡¯m starting to think it¡¯s not enough. The Celestial delegation consists of thirty people in total: me, Liana, Luviael, Taranah, Vermiel, Miruel, my maids Ayala and Cien, two Liana¡¯s maids and twenty guards.

    Emi brought Rien and her pack, twenty-two people in total. Fefnir took only ten Dragonkin with him since Deminas is bringing the rest. As for the Earthborn, there aren¡¯t any representatives coming with us. Ingri stayed home, and most of the Earhborn left already. The Earthborn delegation is entirely up to Twyla and Werden.

    As for the EU representatives, Miss Ortega and Bodin returned to Brussels a week prior to the conference but I have no doubt I¡¯ll see them here. Together with the EU President Bennett I¡¯m not exactly fond of.

    ¡°Welcome to New York,¡± a middle-aged woman in a very formal business suit steps forward to greet us. She has shoulder-length brown hair and piercing brown eyes. ¡°My name is Yasmine Behera and I¡¯ll be taking care of your safety during your visit.¡±

    She offers her hand to all of us but me. I¡¯m grateful for that even though I still don¡¯t feel comfortable with people bowing to me. Emi doesn¡¯t accept the handshake. In a normal formal interaction, it would mean a huge faux pas but it seems Ms Behera simply thinks that it¡¯s a Clawfang custom or something so she doesn¡¯t dwell on it.

    I was hoping Emi would mostly overcome her trauma by now. She does like Erik a lot and she even got used to Julia over time. But I was mistaken. While her burning hate for humans isn¡¯t so dramatic anymore, she just doesn¡¯t trust them and maybe she never will.

    ¡°Please, follow me,¡± Ms Behera shows us the way. ¡°We¡¯ll escort you to your hotel.¡±

    I gulp because there¡¯re several cars waiting for us. I was hoping it would be a helicopter again even though that¡¯s not much better. But remembering Liana¡¯s words, I let nothing show on my face. I just clutch Erik¡¯s hand more firmly.

    It¡¯ll be okay, Ryuu, he comforts me. Look, they¡¯re limousines so you should have enough space for your wings.

    I¡¯m not worried only about that. All those human emotions are getting to me, soaking into my brain. And they aren¡¯t nice emotions at all. I don¡¯t want to claim that all Americans hate Draconians by default but compared to Europeans, they¡¯re definitely more antagonistic towards us in general.

    We divide ourselves into cars, Celestials taking limousines out of pure necessity while other races board SUVs. Limousines are supposed to be the epitome of luxury cars but I can¡¯t bring myself to enjoy our generous transport. It¡¯s still a metal box to me and my wings are too big so I take one whole seating area. Erik is able to sit next to me but he can¡¯t lean back. Liana occupies the seat in front of us and Vermiel somehow manages to squeeze next to her so that he can maintain the shield around our car.

    I hope I¡¯d be able to relax at least a bit but Yasmine gets into our car, sitting next to the driver and rolling down the window separating us.

    ¡°No need to be so wary, we¡¯re monitoring the area we¡¯ll be passing through by police drones,¡± Ms Behera tells us, eyeing the thin layer of protective shield enveloping the car and trying to act nonchalant about it.

    I study her emotions and the overall impression she¡¯s giving off and I come to the conclusion that she¡¯s someone we can¡¯t mess with. She¡¯s not just our assigned escort, Ms Behera probably holds a very important position in the government. Is she from the Department of Homeland Security? I bet that¡¯s the case. Her job is to protect us as much as it¡¯s to keep us in check.

    Our cars leave the airport and the moment we enter regular streets, I see it. Protesters. They are lining up on the pavements, holding up signs with various messages against Draconians. Their emotions hit me hard. The sheer amount of hate is overwhelming.

    ¡°Uh, I think I¡¯m going to throw up,¡± my stomach turns upside down.

    Fortunately, Erik is ready with a plastic bag. He was keeping one in his pocket ever since our helicopter flight, thinking it might come in handy. It certainly does now.

    ¡°Are you okay, Your Majesty?¡± Ms Behera gets startled and surprisingly even tiny bit worried.

    ¡°Just motion sickness,¡± Liana explains quickly so that our escort won¡¯t get strange ideas. ¡°We don¡¯t cope well with means of transport that are unnatural to us and our Emperor is very sensitive.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Ms Behera nods and her emotions tell me that she believes us. Well, it¡¯s not like she has any reason not to.

    The mood in the States is even worse than we expected, Erik sends me his anxious thought and keeps hugging me to calm me down. Is it too much for you, love?

    I clutch his hand in response and try to focus entirely on my partner. If it wasn¡¯t for his presence, I think I would have fainted already from the telepathic overload. How will I hold on during the conference?

    There won¡¯t be as many people, Erik is assuring me.

    I dare to look out of the window again and watch in horror as a group of human protesters gets into a quarrel with a group of opposing Draconians.

    ¡°We have to stop it!¡± I shriek, terrified.

    Liana chews her lip while Ms Behera just tells the driver to go faster.

    ¡°We were expecting riots during your visit,¡± she says, keeping an undisturbed expression even when her mind is anything but that. ¡°Let our police force handle it.¡±

    We pass the rioting group and my heart sinks. How can I do nothing?

    Don¡¯t feel responsible for everybody, Ryuu, Erik tells me gently. You¡¯ll do your best for them at the conference.

    I try closing my eyes but that makes all those emotions I perceive even more vibrant. It feels like forever but we reach our hotel eventually. I¡¯m wobbly when we finally get out of the car but Erik provides me with his support so skilfully that it doesn¡¯t look that suspicious.

    My head is pulsating with a blinding migraine and my guards, quickly hopping out of their cars, take notice that something¡¯s wrong with me immediately. I¡¯m really grateful that they know about my telepathy because they get the gist of what¡¯s going on right away and act.

    I hear Ms Behera asking in panic what¡¯s going on but I¡¯m already surrounded by my people who shelter me with their wings so that it¡¯s impossible to see that Erik has to take me into his arms because I start shaking.

    Liana speaks on our behalf with Ms Behera and the staff but I focus only on Erik. I can vaguely feel that we get into an elevator and walk somewhere but everything is hazy to me. When my head decides that it wants to shatter me completely, I¡¯m put down on a soft surface. Did we get into our apartment?

    ¡°He couldn¡¯t take it?¡± I hear someone new talking but all I see is Erik and my maids blocking the view.

    ¡°We were afraid that might happen,¡± Liana answers anxiously. ¡°Can you help him somehow? Mitigate his migraine?¡±

    ¡°I can try,¡± the voice says and the person finally emerges from behind Liana¡¯s wings.

    ¡°Werden?!¡± I blink, not sure if I¡¯m seeing right.

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s me,¡± the Earthborn King himself smiles. ¡°We arrived a few hours before you so Liana texted me right away that you need a Draconian doctor.¡±

    I¡¯ve seen Werden many times before, of course, but that was only via a screen. He¡¯s even more impressive in person. While he maintained his general facial features so that he stays recognisable even to humans, the rest of his body is augmented beyond recognition.

    His hair is non-existent, he grew long thin tentacles instead of it. They appear to be sensory because he keeps stretching them after every little disturbance. He also prolonged his ears so they resemble an elf and he has something very similar to gills on his neck. His skin is dark green and he isn¡¯t wearing any clothes. Instead, he augmented his own skin into protective leafy scales. A true Earthborn.

    ¡°Lie down, Ryuu, ale let Werden examine you,¡± Erik says gently and together with our maids, he helps me out a few layers of my robe.

    Werden attaches his rooty palm tentacles to my arm and flinches when I connect to him telepathically. It¡¯s almost impossible for me to resist this automatic instinct of mine when I¡¯m weakened. But he gets used to my telepathy quite quickly and fully connects to my body the Earthborn way as well.

    It¡¯s a strange sensation. I¡¯ve experienced it several times before with Ingri and Noage but I still can¡¯t wrap my head around it. I can feel Werden examining my very genetics, looking for clues to my migraine. I can feel him getting excited that he can study my unique DNA. He has to try hard to stay focused on his mission and not to examine me as a whole. It¡¯s the Earthborn quirk, they can¡¯t resist a tempting genetic material.

    ¡°I¡¯d call it a telepathic overload,¡± Werden announces after a while. ¡°I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no other cure than rest without excessive sensory inputs for a while. Sleep will help.¡±

    I don¡¯t feel like sleeping. I was sleeping on the plane after all but before I can say anything, Werden injects me with something through his tentacles. I want to protest that I didn¡¯t consent to this but soon I¡¯m too weak to do anything else than close my eyes.

    *****

    The migraine is gone when I regain consciousness but I can still feel that the emotional pressure is much greater than in Liana¡¯s skyscraper. Even though there¡¯re many Draconians in the hotel, humans make most of the guests. It¡¯s going to be a tough week.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Erik asks, leaning over me, and kisses me on my forehead. ¡°Everyone is super worried about you. Those who know about your telepathy twice as much. They¡¯re scared you won¡¯t be able to attend the conference.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m much better now,¡± I assure him and slowly sit up.

    I rub my eyes and inspect the bedroom. It¡¯s huge, twice as big as the one we have in the skyscraper. I¡¯m lying on a king size bed which is really comfortable but I wish it would be even bigger, my wings won¡¯t fit fully.

    ¡°We¡¯re in a presidential suite and it¡¯s still not enough for you?¡± Erik laughs and massages my sore wing muscles. Then he gets serious again. ¡°Ryuu, are you sure you¡¯ll manage?¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m not forced to go through the whole city again,¡± I say, uncertain. ¡°I¡¯ll fly to the conference building as far from humans as possible and I won¡¯t hear otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Liana thought as much,¡± he nods. ¡°To be honest, they also don¡¯t want to repeat that journey. Besides, the Celestial delegation arriving at the venue in the Celestial style would be very impressive so I have no doubt you¡¯ll be allowed.¡±

    ¡°What time is it anyway?¡±

    ¡°Five in the morning,¡± he informs me. ¡°Jet-lag is a bitch. I slept for a few hours when you did but my inner clock is confused just as they say. What about you? How can you sleep so much anyway?¡±

    ¡°My brain is always exhausted I guess,¡± I shrug. ¡°But don¡¯t let Werden do that again to me, I hate not being in control.¡±

    ¡°We had to, you were seriously hurting, Ryuu,¡± Erik sighs sadly. ¡°You scared us, even Ms Behera seemed deeply concerned. She was evidently made responsible for our safety.¡±

    ¡°Was I suspicious?¡± I ask, worried.

    ¡°Not really, Liana told her that you¡¯re just not feeling well after the long journey. Only,¡± Erik clicks his tongue, ¡°it¡¯s now kind of obvious that Celestial weaknesses have a heavier toll on you. We were trying to hide that fact.¡±

    ¡°At least next time I¡¯m not feeling well, they¡¯ll already know that my body is frail so they shouldn¡¯t pry that much,¡± I wave my hand.

    ¡°We don¡¯t want any next time, we should prevent you developing migraines in the first place,¡± Erik says with resolve. ¡°Luckily, there should be lots of Draconians at that conference. Can¡¯t you focus on them or something?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll certainly do just that,¡± I nod and look around. ¡°Where¡¯s my laptop? I imagine some work must have piled up.¡±

    ¡°You should take all the rest you can, hon,¡± he shakes his head. ¡°What about a nice morning meditation?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still afraid I won¡¯t manage the conference,¡± I frown.

    ¡°We are, naturally,¡± he doesn¡¯t try to hide his worries. ¡°How about you practice now?¡±

    I roll my eyes that he¡¯s forcing me into it but he has a point. I fold my legs into a proper meditation posture, straighten my back, spread the wings to the sides and close my eyes.

    ¡°Focus on me¡­ your friends¡­ your fellow Draconians,¡± Erik guides me, caressing my wings. ¡°Others don¡¯t matter so stop paying attention to them. They¡¯re like ambient sound.¡±

    When I focus, emotions all around me intensify so meditation is a double-edged sword. I try focusing solely on the Draconians in the building. Most of them are sleeping, the guards are patrolling and some are suffering from jet lag. I can also feel many Draconian telepathic imprints that are new to me, no doubt Twyla and Werden¡¯s Earthborn delegation and Deminas with his entourage.

    ¡°See? You¡¯re surrounded by friends,¡± Erik hugs me. ¡°Forget humans and focus on them. And me, of course.¡±

    ¡°Focusing on you is sometimes distracting,¡± I open my eyes again.

    ¡°I¡¯m well aware,¡± he chuckles. ¡°Say¡­,¡± he slips his hand between my wings. ¡°Since neither of us can sleep anymore and there¡¯s still time until breakfast, do you feel like using this presidential bed for something naughty?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t be both too nervous for that?¡± I ask but I can feel that Erik got horny already.

    How can he get excited like that when we¡¯re so far from home and our first meeting starts in a few hours?

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t allow my head interfere with my down parts,¡± he grins, sensing what is going through my head right now because we¡¯re touching. ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much, hon.¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± I admit and let his excitement channel to me.

    Erik is the best aphrodisiac for a telepath like me. I can get aroused through him. We start cuddling and when I connect to him at the deepest levels, I stop being bothered by all those humans around me. If he¡¯s by my side, I should manage somehow. And there¡¯s also Liana, I love connecting to her as well. I¡¯ll be okay.

    After making love, we stay in each other¡¯s embrace for a little longer. Erik is so relaxed that he even falls asleep. I¡¯m glad for that, he needs to rest. I suspect he was awake most of that time I was sleeping. I use this time to enjoy him, staring at his handsome face and caressing his hair. He mumbles something in his sleep which is ultimately cute and grabs my left wing to cover himself. He¡¯s totally used to using my wings instead of a blanket.

    The magical moment is interrupted after an hour or so by soft knocking at the door and Erik wakes up immediately. He was always a light sleeper. He yawns, claiming that he had a good nap, and stands up. I admire how he can be so energetic right away. As for me, I usually need several minutes to get out of bed.

    ¡°Your Majesty, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Should we call the Earthborn King to check up on you?¡±

    Our maids Cien and Ayala storm the room and Erik doesn¡¯t even flinch anymore. He accepted their presence as inevitable. He disappears into the bathroom while the maids start the long process of putting a ceremonial robe on me after I assure them that I¡¯m fine and well-rested.

    ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll fly in that?¡± I realise.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you will have to,¡± Ayala shrugs. ¡°There won¡¯t be time or space to change from a flying robe.¡±

    ¡°We packed several models that were made in advance specially for the conference,¡± Cien boasts, showing me the embroidered fabric. ¡°Naturally, you and Your Excellency can¡¯t be seen in the same clothes more once during the event.¡±

    Who makes such ridiculous social rules? I bet Emi won¡¯t bother with that. Erik returns freshly shaven and with his hair styled and also puts on a new three-piece suit. It¡¯s super formal but at the same time super stylish. There are times I can¡¯t believe how handsome my boyfriend is.

    ¡°We couldn¡¯t be more different,¡± he bursts laughing when he looks at me.

    I¡¯m wearing a five-layered ceremonial robe and the maids partly braided my ridiculously long hair into a complicated knot with an ornamented hairpin. I look like someone straight out of historical Asian dramas while Erik is the embodiment of a stylish contemporary man out of fashion magazines.

    ¡°I love you in a suit,¡± I flatter him.

    ¡°And I love you in a princess dress,¡± he smirks.

    ¡°For the thousandth time, it¡¯s not a princess dress,¡± I oppose but let him kiss me.

    It¡¯s a tiny distraction, we¡¯re both delaying the inevitable. We have to get out of our apartment and face the world. Literally. Breakfast comes first, though. The first hurdle. Nothing is simple at an international conference, not even eating because all the guests we meet in a hotel restaurant will be state representatives.

    ¡°Finally!¡± Liana exclaims instead of a greeting, impatiently stepping in the hall and waiting for us. ¡°Did you manage to get enough sleep? How are you feeling, Aefener? We were worried that you won¡¯t¡­ you know¡­¡±

    ¡°Good morning to you, too,¡± Erik raises his eyebrows because she blurted all of that with one breath.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, really,¡± I say and study her dress.

    Celestial fashion doesn¡¯t really distinguish gender, it¡¯s all up to a person¡¯s preference. For this occasion, Liana surprisingly decided to go for a model with brighter colours and narrowed cut. Well, she can afford it, her figure is perfect. I¡¯d look too skinny in such a cut so my robes are loose on purpose.

    Our guards form a protective circle around us and we get into the elevator, half of the guards riding in advance to secure the perimeter downstairs. Liana touches my wing with hers and not necessarily because of the lack of space.

    Nervous? she sends me her thought so that our guards don¡¯t know what we¡¯re talking about. I¡¯m sure they must know we¡¯re talking telepathically, though, and I hope we¡¯re not being rude. Vermiel, who rides with us, doesn¡¯t seem bothered at all and just winks at us knowingly.

    Anxious beyond imagining, I admit.

    Emi and Deminas departed just five minutes before us, we¡¯ll be mostly among friends, she assures me. Luviael, Twyla and Werden are there since seven to make sure our food is safe.

    You expect poison? Erik gulps, joining our conversation because he can hear Liana through me.

    Not really, it would mean disaster even to humans if one of the rules got murdered, she shakes her head. But giving an unpopular politician stomach-ache on purpose isn¡¯t unheard of. I don¡¯t think they would do that to us but still. Better be safe than sorry.

    Human emotions intensify when we leave floors designated for Draconian delegations. I instinctively clutch Erik¡¯s hand firmer and I also grab Liana¡¯s because her Celestial mind is also very soothing to me.

    Not very royal I¡¯m afraid, my Viceroy sighs but clutches me back in comfort. I¡¯m sorry, Aefener, but we can¡¯t afford to show any weakness. Will you be okay with visibly holding only Erik and touching my wings whenever we¡¯re close enough?

    Hopefully? I say but I know I don¡¯t sound certain. I mean¡­ I was managing quite fine before the Great Evolution. Maybe I¡¯m just nervous?

    Your telepathy did get stronger, hon, Erik reminds me. And you have a Celestial brain now so it won¡¯t be the same as before. We have to be careful.

    Suddenly, Vermiel steps closer to us, as if he couldn¡¯t stand anymore to be left out of the silent conversation, and touches my wing with his.

    Your Majesty, I think it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t talk about your telepathy here at all, he says, dead serious. While we checked all our rooms thoroughly, public spaces are most probably bugged. Please, do talk aloud as much as possible when it comes to mundane stuff, so that it¡¯s not suspicious you¡¯re too quiet, but never mention your special ability even if you think no one else is listening.

    Vermiel is right, Liana agrees. And you two be especially careful, you don¡¯t talk enough when you¡¯re next to each other.

    I bite my lip. Nobody knows about me being able to channel my thoughts to Erik long-distance, not even her. We have to be twice as careful then.

    The elevator stops and there¡¯s Ms Behera waiting for us. Will she watch our every move during the visit? Did other race rulers also get their watchers?

    ¡°Do you feel better, Your Majesty?¡± she asks right away.

    I have no idea why she¡¯s so concerned about me. Wouldn¡¯t it be better for humans if I was indisposed and couldn¡¯t attend the conference?

    On the contrary, it would be bad for everybody. Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re the only one Celestials are willing to obey without a question, Liana clarifies. She let go of my hand a second before the elevator door opened but we¡¯re standing so close that our wings are touching.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay now, I just wasn¡¯t feeling well because of the long travel and jet lag,¡± I say quickly.

    ¡°I see,¡± Ms Behera is genuinely relieved. ¡°We have two hours for breakfast, then we have to depart. Her Excellency informed me already that you won¡¯t be using cars this time which, honestly, gave me several wrinkles, but we should manage with drones following you.¡±

    She shows us the way and I notice that the halls are full of security guards and soldiers. Are they here to protect us or monitor? Possibly both. I can feel their tension, they¡¯re staring at us with strong emotions of fear, disgust but also envy in some cases.

    As expected, all eyes are on us the moment we appear in the restaurant. Although many Draconians got here before us, we still get most attention. I hope I¡¯m not crushing Erik¡¯s hand too obviously. Human delegates are whispering to each other and stare. I see a few of them trying to chat with Draconians but everyone is mainly keeping their distance for now.

    ¡°Your Majesty, here!¡± Bauerova is waving at us frantically, occupying one of the big tables near the windows. Her wife is with her, wearing a bright yellow dress and looking exceedingly positive.

    I was never more relieved to see a friendly human face so we happily head to their table before I even get the chance to see where other race rulers are sitting. Well, we can always socialise over coffee later. Now it¡¯s important that we¡¯re seen in a friendly interaction with humans.

    ¡°We¡¯re really sorry about the chairs,¡± Luvi joins us. ¡°We were trying to get you something more comfortable but their bar chairs were too high. At least Queen Twyla made sure that the food is absolutely safe.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay, thanks anyway,¡± Liana appreciates and sits down next to the Czech Prime Minister.

    I¡¯m seated next to my Viceroy and I expect Erik to sit to my left but Luviael is quicker. Erik doesn¡¯t seem surprised, though. He kisses me into my hair and sits next to Bauerova¡¯s wife.

    Sorry, it was decided beforehand and I didn¡¯t want to stress you, Erik sends me his thought long-distance. I¡¯m supposed to bond with Elizabeth. But we can still talk at least like this. Connect to Liana and your adjutant to calm down, they¡¯re waiting for it.

    I¡¯m not happy that I wasn¡¯t told all the details again but I resist sighing and look at the plate someone just put in front of me. What the hell?! Who dares to draw a heart symbol with ketchup on my egg omelette?

    ¡°Prepared with love,¡± the waiter adds cheekily, still standing behind me for some reason.

    I blink, confused. What kind of sentence instead of the usual enjoy your meal is that? Isn¡¯t he afraid of me? I look up with a frown and in that exact moment the waiter leans down and brushes me with his wings.

    ¡°I¡¯m at your service, Your Majesty. All yours,¡± Gotrid grins, gently takes my right hand and kisses it.

 51. Inevitable Attraction

    I freeze when Gotrid¡¯s wings touch me and get goosebumps. I caress Liana¡¯s wings all the time but there¡¯s something different about touching Gotrid¡¯s wings. It¡¯s¡­ erotic. I forgot to breathe for a few seconds and when I finally gasp for air, Erik is suddenly standing next to us and slaps Gotrid¡¯s hand that is still holding mine.

    ¡°Oops,¡± Gotrid smirks and backs away. ¡°Sorry, Royal Consort, I couldn¡¯t help myself. Our Emperor is so cute after all.¡±

    Gotrid¡¯s apparent apology isn¡¯t helping, it¡¯s only making things worse. He has no ulterior motives when it comes to me simply because his intentions are as clear as the day and that pisses Erik off even more. How can he be so bold? And does a part of me¡­ like it?

    ¡°You¡­!¡± Erik gets furious but just as he¡¯s about to raise his voice, Liana quickly stands up and puts her hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cause a scene, you¡¯re the Royal Consort and people are watching,¡± she whispers to him urgently.

    To be honest, we already caused a scene. The room got unnaturally quiet and people are staring and turning to us to see what¡¯s happening.

    ¡°Erik,¡± I clutch his hand to calm him down but as I do so, I get a full dose of his jealousy.

    If I wasn¡¯t sitting down, I¡¯d probably wobble. It¡¯s still him, my beloved partner, I love everything about him. But this burning human emotion he¡¯s feeling right now makes me nauseous so I flinch.

    ¡°Love?¡± Erik blinks a few times in utter confusion. It takes him three seconds to realise that I let go of his hand because I couldn¡¯t stand holding him.

    ¡°Erik, Godrid, sit, both of you,¡± Liana hisses through her teeth as silently as possible.

    Erik sits down mechanically like a robot and Bauerova¡¯s wife Elizabeth is so tactful that she continues in their conversation as if nothing happened. Gotrid sits right in front of me next to Taranah and keeps smiling at me happily.

    Sorry, I had no idea he¡¯s planning such an entr¨¦e, Liana slightly stretches her left wing to me so that she can send me her thoughts. I thought he was just being proactive when he volunteered to help Twyla with checking our breakfast.

    I don¡¯t answer anything because I¡¯m too conflicted. Gotrid is distracting me with his grinny smile and it¡¯s impossible to ignore how gorgeous his wings are. As for Erik¡­ I think I seriously hurt him when I flinched away. I try reading his thoughts but he¡¯s thinking frantically and isn¡¯t willing to connect to me. They are both torturing me!

    ¡°Eat, Your Majesty,¡± Luviael nudges me because I still didn¡¯t touch my breakfast.

    Gotrid winks at me when I look down on the ketchupy heart symbol. I ostentatiously roll my eyes and smudge the heart across the omelette.

    Erik, please, talk to me, I send my partner a desperate plea and take the first bite even though I don¡¯t feel like eating.

    I hurt you, he finally answers. My emotions¡­ hurt you.

    No, you didn¡¯t! I was just startled, that¡¯s all!

    I know I did, he insists. My jealousy is hurting you.

    Gotrid shouldn¡¯t have done that, I oppose. You were right to get angry.

    I got angry at him but I ended up hurting you, he says broken-heartedly. Let¡¯s talk about it later, I can¡¯t focus on talking to Elizabeth and I don¡¯t want Liana suspecting that your telepathy got stronger again.

    ¡°Aefener?¡± Liana touches my hand all of a sudden. I almost jump but it doesn¡¯t seem she noticed anything.

    ¡°Too much drama for one early morning, I lost my appetite,¡± I murmur and glance at Gotrid who¡¯s stuffing himself with a Nutella toast while talking to Taranah.

    I shouldn¡¯t have allowed him being here, she switches to telepathy, doubting her decision now. He was begging me to see you as soon as possible for weeks and I thought¡­ well¡­

    You thought¡­? I slowly chew another mouthful. I have to force myself to eat.

    I was hoping it would help you to have another Celestial by your side, she says.

    Am I not surrounded by Celestials all the time?

    You know what I mean, she passes me salt because Celestials consider rude to use telekinesis during formal meals.

    Your Majesty, you don¡¯t talk enough¡­ aloud, Luvi gently kicks me under the table, suspecting that I¡¯m taking to my Viceroy telepathically.

    Liana turns to the Prime Minister while I¡¯m made aware by Luviael that I need to finish my plate. But I find it hard to eat when Erik won¡¯t talk to me properly, Gotrid is undressing me with his gaze and other guests are staring.

    ¡°What about pancakes, Your Majesty?¡± Cien brings me another plate when she notices I¡¯m struggling with the eggs.

    Unlike humans, Celestials have much greater need for sugar and we digest it really well without any possibility of developing diabetes so I give the pancakes a chance. And it¡¯s much easier, I don¡¯t need to force every bite and the sweet taste relaxes me a bit. Any other time my maids would prefer I eat healthy food but this time they¡¯re glad that I eat at least something.

    ¡°Your Majesty¡­?¡± Luviael whispers to me in panic because she notices I massage my temples.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I assure her.

    I can feel the pressure coming from all sides but so far, I¡¯m managing because I¡¯m surrounded by Draconians. It makes me fully realise one thing, though. I might be unable to live among humans if it came to that.

    ¡°Could I maybe go for some fresh air?¡± I ask because I¡¯m simply not able to take another bite despite the pancakes being really delicious.

    ¡°Well, there is a terrace,¡± Cien answers slowly.

    ¡°Perfect,¡± I stand up and realise my mistake just a second later.

    There¡¯s this stupid royal protocol which says that when the Emperor stops eating, it means the end of the meal for everyone at the table. Not that we were practicing it at home but here¡­ everyone puts down their cutlery and quickly stands up as well.

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik gets to me immediately. ¡°You¡¯re pale.¡±

    ¡°I just need some fresh air, that¡¯s all,¡± I say and try reaching for his hand.

    I¡¯m afraid he will avoid me but no such thing happens. He clutches me firmly and lets me enter his mind. He¡¯s still pissed at Gotrid but he mostly calmed down by now.

    I¡¯m sorry again, Erik says. I¡¯m not hurting you anymore, am I?

    You could never truly hurt me, I look at him tenderly.

    Cien shows us the way to the terrace and the general murmur in the room grows stronger. We pass several tables on our way out and most of the delegates are looking at us as if we were aliens.

    ¡°Aefener,¡± Twyla calls after us and I finally see where the Earthborn delegation is sitting. ¡°Can we join you?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± I nod and study her appearance.

    I can understand why humans would see us as alien but not why they call us monsters. Twyla is exceedingly beautiful and I don¡¯t need to be an Earthborn to appreciate it. Her rooty hair plays with all colours, her green skin is literally glowing and the protective scaly leaves she¡¯s wearing instead of clothes look like a proper formal gown. Werden, whom I¡¯ve seen already, joins us as well.

    ¡°Celestial magic is really indispensable,¡± Werden comments when my guards put up a protective shield because we¡¯re in the open.

    ¡°Aefener,¡± Twyla hugs me warmly when humans sitting inside can¡¯t see us. ¡°Are you okay? I¡¯m so happy to finally see you in person. All of you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just nervous,¡± I say and nod that it¡¯s okay if she wants to caress my wings. I do feel tiny bit better with breeze blowing into my feathers.

    ¡°Celestials are so fascinating,¡± she says enthusiastically, blatantly analysing my wing muscles. ¡°We could theoretically grow feathers if we really wanted because that¡¯s not so difficult but even with our powers, it would be impossible to grow wings and adjust the whole body for flight.¡±

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    ¡°Just as it¡¯s impossible for us to inspect one¡¯s very genetics,¡± I say and manage a smile. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, too, Twyla, Werden.¡±

    ¡°My Emperor,¡± Gotrid tries to get closer again but Liana clicks her tongue and pulls him aside. No doubt for scolding and setting up boundaries.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Bauerova shows up, trailing after us. ¡°I get it that you must have felt suffocated there but hiding here won¡¯t send a good message.¡±

    ¡°Give him a minute,¡± Erik frowns at her.

    I¡¯m given a minute but no more than that. My protectors get anxious and I can feel the people inside becoming nervous as well. As if we could be plotting something here.

    ¡°What about I walk inside with Your Majesty and Erik walks with my lovely wife?¡± Elizabeth has an idea.

    ¡°That could work, Liz,¡± Erik surprisingly agrees. Oh? When did they start addressing each other so casually? Did I miss something?

    He lets go of my hand, making sure that Gotrid won¡¯t use this as an opportunity, and allows Elizabeth to walk next to me. Bauerova¡¯s wife is an easy-going person and she¡¯s naturally curious about Draconians, I feel good beside her. If only more humans were like her. We return inside looking like we¡¯re engaged in a friendly conversation.

    ¡°Actually, Your Majesty,¡± Elizabeth says, ¡°don¡¯t be deceived by some delegates, they¡¯re are only putting up a facade. Not everybody here hates you and there are more than a few who are mesmerised by new races.¡±

    ¡°There are?¡± I¡¯m astonished and we follow Cien who shows us into a caf¨¦ lounge.

    ¡°How couldn¡¯t we be?¡± Elizabeth shrugs. ¡°Draconians possess amazing abilities and you¡¯re expected to live much longer than we do. Naturally, people will envy that. I¡¯d even dare to say that most hate is just envy in disguise.¡±

    That¡¯s weird to hear, especially after I came to the conclusion that humans either hate us or they are reluctantly accepting in the best case.

    ¡°Moreover, Your Majesty is so beautiful that it¡¯s no wonder you make your opponents nervous when they¡¯re supposed to face you,¡± she adds. ¡°Especially religious people like the US President. They can¡¯t help looking at you and not seeing an angel.¡±

    Even though we don¡¯t like being compared to angels, Elizabeth meant it in a good way so I blush. Might she be right about that? Are some politicians anxious around us not because they¡¯d hate us but because we just unnerve them? We can work on that.

    We get to the caf¨¦ lounge which is slowly filling up with guests who just finished their breakfast. I discover Deminas with his entourage, there are kind of hard to miss. They¡¯re sipping coffee from these tiny fancy cups which look even smaller in their big hands.

    ¡°Aefener, Liana,¡± Deminas waves.

    When we stop in front of him, I fully realise how huge he really is. He¡¯s even bigger than Fefnir who has at least two metres. He¡¯s so formidable that I just can¡¯t hold it against humans if they¡¯re afraid of someone like him. But the presence he¡¯s giving off is dignified and calm. No matter how scary-looking he might be, he¡¯s in perfect control of himself. It¡¯s a paradox that the Dragonkin are the most peaceful and phlegmatic race.

    ¡°Are you okay after yesterday, Aefener?¡± Fefnir asks. ¡°You had us worried. Luckily, it didn¡¯t get out, humans made sure of that.¡±

    ¡°Humans did?¡± I¡¯m surprised.

    ¡°Of course, they didn¡¯t want to cause panic among Draconians,¡± he says. ¡°Safety of the race rulers is in their best interest as well.¡±

    ¡°Hon, have some!¡±

    ¡°My Emperor, have some!¡±

    Erik and Gotrid appear in front of me at the same time, both carrying plates with canap¨¦s. I just have to ostentatiously roll my eyes again. They couldn¡¯t be more different from each other but when it comes to me, they are the same.

    ¡°Love, you didn¡¯t eat enough breakfast,¡± Erik insists and is frowning at his rival.

    I stretch my hand and take one canap¨¦ just to make him happy. What should I do with Gotrid, though? He¡¯s actually feeling sad that I didn¡¯t take any from his plate. But if I do, it¡¯ll make Erik mad again.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Liana takes one in my stead, saving me.

    ¡°It¡¯s heart-warming to see that we¡¯re not the only ones,¡± a female voice speaks up and an elderly elegant lady with long greying hair who seems familiar appears next to Deminas. Gosh, she¡¯s so tiny compared to him! But she has the same demeanour, everything about her is dignified. I could learn from both of them.

    ¡°I¡¯m Anya, his wife,¡± she introduces herself.

    Oh, I¡¯ve seen her before, I remember now. She was with Deminas during our early video calls. My mood brightens because Deminas and Anya prove that interspecies relationships can work. Me and Erik are not an exception.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Mrs Anya,¡± I say and I¡¯m not sure how to be polite to her. I can¡¯t offer her my hand but she¡¯s much older than me so I feel like I¡¯m being extremely rude.

    She bows to me but only slightly which is the best possible outcome. Wait a second, if she¡¯s Deminas¡¯s wife, does it make her the Dragonkin Matriarch? Probably not, she might be recognised as Deminas¡¯s spouse but she isn¡¯t a Dragonkin female after all. Still, I¡¯m glad when I feel that the Dragonkin guards are totally protective of her because she isn¡¯t in an easy position.

    ¡°I apologise and I know that it¡¯s against the Celestial royal protocol but could I¡­?¡± she bites her lip, her mind full of excited anticipation.

    ¡°Go ahead,¡± I smile and stretch my right wing towards her. She seizes the opportunity right away and caresses my feathers.

    ¡°So soft,¡± she beams, ¡°especially when compared to my husband,¡± she nudges Deminas¡¯s scaly arm teasingly.

    I¡¯m astonished to discover that Mrs Anya doesn¡¯t know about my telepathy. Sure, I didn¡¯t reveal it with her present that day when I told all my race ruling friends but I kind of expected Deminas would tell his wife. I wouldn¡¯t be mad if he did but finding out he didn¡¯t, my trust towards him grows even stronger.

    ¡°This is an exception, An,¡± Deminas coughs. ¡°We don¡¯t want Aefener being touched all the time by others just because he allowed you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m your spouse, it should be okay,¡± she answers cheekily and pets my feathers a bit more.

    ¡°Your Majesty, would you have a coffee with us?¡± someone speaks up loudly because they¡¯re stopped in their approach by my guards and can¡¯t get closer.

    I turn left and see that they¡¯re the delegates who were sitting quite close to our table, two men and one woman. I check their intentions and they¡¯re nervous and wary but not antagonistic. They seem quite open so I decide to be brave.

    ¡°Of course,¡± I nod confidently and feel that Liana is proud of me even if she doesn¡¯t let it show on her face.

    Luviael takes care of finding us a nice spot and soon we¡¯re sitting in several sofas and armchairs, having our first unofficial diplomatic talk. Naturally, I¡¯m nervous about it but Liana is by my side and Erik as well. I convince myself that I have nothing to fear and should I make a faux pas, they¡¯ll hopefully think that it¡¯s a Celestial quirk.

    They introduce themselves as the delegates from Mexico, Philippines and Argentina and what I¡¯m catching from them is careful excitement. It turns out that all of them have a Draconian in their family and they¡¯re desperate to talk about it with us. I relax so Luvi has to remind me when it¡¯s high time we head to the conference building.

    ¡°Oh, Erik, I¡­,¡± I chew my lip because I totally failed to realise that us flying means that he has to go by car without me.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll ride with Emi,¡± he assures me.

    He is fine with us being separated for half an hour but he isn¡¯t fine with Gotrid flying with me. He¡¯s jealous and for a good reason so I can¡¯t blame him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you again before you know it,¡± I kiss him.

    We¡¯re long past the point of being shy in front of others or else we would never find the right opportunity. Fortunately, according to the Celestial lore, the Celestial Emperor being openly lovey-dovey with their Consort in public is supported because a happy Emperor means a well-ruling Emperor.

    I have absolute trust in Emi that she will keep my partner safe but I¡¯m still nervous when I see him leave. Feeling how Gotrid is excited to accompany me in the air isn¡¯t helping. On the contrary, he¡¯s a major distraction. The excitement I¡¯m catching from him is so Celestial that I have no means how to defend myself against it.

    Ms Behera is nerve-wrecked about the whole us-flying-to-the-venue thing, I don¡¯t have to be a telepath to see that. She keeps talking on her phone, coordinating with the police and the army and making sure the drones are ready. Her task is to keep us in check as much as it¡¯s to keep us safe. Some humans might hate us to the point of wanting to hurt us but at the same time should something bad happen to us, it would be a catastrophe for both sides.

    But I forget all my worries the moment I flap my wings and get into the air. A few hundred metres above the ground I don¡¯t feel human emotions so strongly and they start to resemble ambient noise. I can still feel my Celestial friends but their minds don¡¯t bother me.

    ¡°Your Majesty, this way!¡± Taranah points out because I perform a few flips and head in the wrong direction.

    New York is just huge, much bigger than Prague. I¡¯d get lost immediately but Taranah has a GPS on his watch and the drones accompanying us are also signalling which way to go.

    Gotrid adjusts his speed to match mine so that he can fly right next to me. I glance at him and the sight of his beautiful huge wings is enough to arouse me. It¡¯s good that Erik isn¡¯t with me. He can always tell when I feel guilty.

    Gotrid grins at me and speeds up. He starts flying around me playfully, releasing his mana like pheromones. I completely forget what our destination is and join him in a Celestial aerial dance. I¡¯ve never done it with Liana or the others before, it didn¡¯t even cross my mind. I vaguely knew it exists in our lore but I was never tempted to try it. It just didn¡¯t feel adequate.

    Why though? Then I realise that it¡¯s something that Celestials do only with their partners. It¡¯s a courtship ritual. I want to stop myself, I really do. There¡¯s still time to stop. Why isn¡¯t anyone stopping us? Why does everyone feel supportive despite the fact that we should be heading to the conference building?

    I feel inevitably attracted to Gotrid. He¡¯s both a Celestial and totally my type. All it would take is one deep telepathic connection and I¡¯d fall for him. But I can¡¯t. I have Erik, I love him more than anything in the world. Gotrid would make a good lover but Erik is my soul mate and I wouldn¡¯t exchange him for anyone.

    I use all my willpower to break the aerial dance and the magical moment fades. My Celestial escort is disappointed that I did. Should I be angry that they were rooting for us? That they totally disregarded Erik? Even Liana forgot herself in the moment, all that scolding Gotrid for nothing.

    Surprisingly, Gotrid isn¡¯t disappointed at all. He feels hopeful because I joined him after all. Damn, I didn¡¯t want to give him false hopes. I don¡¯t want to hurt him.

    We resume our flight with tangible tension hovering over us. I have a dark premonition that now I showed open interest in another Celestial, my subjects will do anything in their power to put us together. They might respect Erik as my Consort but most of them still aren¡¯t thrilled about me dating a human.

    But I don¡¯t want to think about it right now. The conference is starting in a few minutes, I can¡¯t afford to be distracted. I have to work hard for the benefit of my people, my love life has to wait.

    When we finally arrive at the venue, we have our impressive entr¨¦e just as Liana wanted. Thirty Celestials landing is a sight to see. Cien quickly adjusts my robe and hairstyle while Liana¡¯s maid adjusts my Viceroy¡¯s. Flying in a full ceremonial robe is no joke but we can manage if we watch for the fabric with our telekinesis.

    I¡¯m looking for Erik in the crowd of officials who are welcoming us but I can¡¯t see him anywhere. That¡¯s strange, our cars departed sooner than we did on purpose, they should have been here by now. Damn, too many people are pushing on us, I can¡¯t see. I try calling Erik with my mind but there¡¯s no response. What if something happened on the way¡­? What if¡­?

    ¡°Aefener!¡± Emi appears in front of me because my guards let her in. Thankfully, they stopped overly eager politicians and the press.

    ¡°Emi, where¡¯s Erik?¡± I¡¯m bewildered. ¡°Didn¡¯t he ride with you?¡±

    ¡°He did and he¡¯s safe,¡± Emi says but it doesn¡¯t sound reassuring.

    ¡°Did something happen?¡± I gulp.

    ¡°You¡¯re stupid, that¡¯s what happened,¡± Emi frowns. ¡°Didn¡¯t you know that you were being followed by drones owned by the press?¡±

    ¡°O-oh¡­ I¡­ I didn¡¯t,¡± I look at Liana desperately.

    ¡°Of course, we were,¡± my Viceroy answers with a tone indicating I¡¯m indeed stupid for not realising. ¡°They were part of our protection.¡±

    ¡°Aefener, your flight was being streamed live,¡± Emi says slowly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be a Celestial to understand how erotic your flying performance was. Erik was watching the whole thing on his phone.¡±

    I shiver. Erik saw¡­ that.

 52. The Conference

    Liana pushes me forward because I freeze. She knows what I¡¯m going through right now but there¡¯s no other way. All eyes are on us and we can¡¯t appear weak or confused.

    They wouldn¡¯t let him go anywhere without protection, Liana sends me a comforting thought and stands next to me where my partner is supposed to be.

    ¡°Your Majesty, this way,¡± Ms Behera emerges from the crowd with a few bodyguards.

    She notices right away that something¡¯s wrong but she doesn¡¯t say anything. At least not aloud. I can¡¯t read her mind without direct touch but I can feel her coldly calculating. Will she use Erik¡¯s absence against me? Does she realise how important he is to me?

    ¡°He¡¯s still in the building sulking somewhere,¡± Emi whispers to me. ¡°I gave him two of my guards and Deminas also contributed two of his. He¡¯s safe, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Cameras are flashing, people are pushing and we have to keep moving. I keep telepathically calling Erik with all my might but I can¡¯t focus properly and he¡¯s probably too far away anyway. I¡¯m angry at myself that I didn¡¯t practice long-distance telepathy more. I¡¯m angry at myself that I didn¡¯t resist the temptation¡ªthat I let my Celestial nature overcome me.

    Gotrid clumsily tries to provide comfort but I look at him so broken-heartedly that he backs away, finally realising that he went too far. His cheeky smile disappears, his confidence is gone. But it¡¯s too late to repent, damage has been done. Not being able to face me, he disappears into the crowd and, frankly, I¡¯m glad for that. One less distraction to worry about.

    We meet the other race rulers and I cling to their Draconian minds desperately. Liana keeps checking on me, making sure I¡¯m managing among so many humans. In any other situation I would probably go blank from shock of possibly losing Erik but the emotions all around me are too acute. Moreover, my Emperor¡¯s nature kicks in. I have to do my best for the benefit of my people, personal issues aside.

    People are staring, bowing, cameras won¡¯t stop flashing and the corridors I¡¯m being led through seem endless. But not really, eventually I find myself being seated. The press was made to go to their designated spot so I can breathe more freely. Liana sits next to me and close to us Emi, her Beta Gin she was finally reunited with in real life, Deminas, Fefnir, Twyla and Werden.

    I panic for a second when I realise our guards can¡¯t stand behind me. Despite being the best Celestial caster, I feel despairingly unprotected.

    We got an exception, Liana pokes me gently. Look, Vermiel, Miruel and the others are standing by the walls. I wouldn¡¯t agree to come in the first place if we couldn¡¯t take our own security.

    I slowly look around. The human delegates are staring at us, mostly antagonistically and full of fear. We¡¯re aliens to them. A threat. The Czech Prime Minister sits behind us and I recall the words of her wife Elizabeth. I try focusing on those delegates who are cautiously open to Draconians and discover that there¡¯re more than a handful of them. Not everyone here is our enemy.

    The first hour passes without us uttering a single word. Formalities, reports, statement after statement. Then we¡¯re finally allowed in front of the lectern but this starting time slot is only about expressing our willingness to cooperate. To look amicable enough.

    I expected I¡¯d be more nervous about it. Liana is certainly worried I¡¯ll shake visibly when I have to face everyone and say a few words. But to be honest, I don¡¯t care. Catching so many human emotions isn¡¯t pleasant, my head starts hurting a bit, but I realise humans don¡¯t scare me. On the contrary, I¡¯m the scariest person in the room. They¡¯re all wary of me.

    My voice gets perfectly even and firm when I¡¯m repeating the speech Liana prepared for me in advance. I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor. Face to face with so many humans who are against Draconians, I know what I have to do to protect my people. My personal insecurities don¡¯t matter. Maybe it¡¯s for the best that Erik isn¡¯t with me right now. I don¡¯t have to worry that I¡¯ll be too Celestial in his eyes.

    ¡°Well done, Your Majesty,¡± Luviael praises me when I return to my seat.

    Liana winks at me, proud of my achievement. I delivered a perfect opening speech and held my wings high. After today, nobody will remember that I used to be just a gamer and student.

    I catch a glimpse of the American President. He¡¯s sitting very far from us but I still notice that he isn¡¯t happy about my confident performance. I even managed to mesmerise some delegates who were cautiously open to us. They wanted to see an angel and I gave them exactly that.

    Other race rulers follow and especially Twyla and Werden make the best impression because they talk about how effective the Earthborn powers might be when it comes to medicine and the environment. Unfortunately, Deminas is formidable even when talking about peaceful coexistence and Emi looks like she would rather be anywhere else than here. But as a whole we are successful in calming the delegates and preparing the ground.

    ¡°Coffee breaks are just as important as meetings,¡± Liana reminds me so that I won¡¯t let my guard down when it¡¯s time for some refreshments. I recall a lesson in diplomacy with Luviael. Most matters are resolved over coffee, she told me back then. Which means that despite being on a break, I can¡¯t relax. Far from it.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± the EU President Dwayne Bennett appears in front of me as soon as it¡¯s appropriate to stand up. Ms Ortega and Dubois are with him, clinging to their boss like a second shadow.

    ¡°Mr President,¡± I simply nod and wait for his reaction.

    I can feel his repulsion but his bow is perfect. He¡¯s a professional. He even keeps his emotions in check. I can tell he doesn¡¯t like us but he¡¯s willing to negotiate and suppress his distaste if necessary.

    ¡°Would you have some coffee with us?¡± he invites me while not even considering I¡¯d refuse.

    ¡°Of course,¡± I answer politely, playing my part in this political game.

    I used to be afraid of Bennett, he always seemed so uncompromising whenever I had to deal with him. But now I understand that he¡¯s just a man with his agenda. He hates Draconians because he thinks we¡¯re a threat to humanity. He hates us because he wants to protect humans so I can¡¯t help feeling a tiny bit of sympathy towards him.

    ¡°This is the safest place on the planet, Your Majesty,¡± he comments because our guards re-join us immediately.

    ¡°We can¡¯t be cautious enough, Mr President,¡± Liana answers lightly.

    It seems a few other delegates are disappointed that the EU representatives stole us first. They might be scared of us but their intention to get in a favourable position with us is stronger. I suspect I¡¯d look more approachable if Erik was by my side. Oh, Erik, where are you? How are you feeling? Can you even forgive me?

    But I don¡¯t have time to ponder. An overly anxious staffer leads us to a small private lounge and just when I think how awkward it¡¯ll probably be, Bauerova and her wife Elizabeth join us. Bennett frowns but he doesn¡¯t say anything. Bohemia is a part of the European Union after all and our precious political ally.

    We sit down, me and Liana taking the sofa, Bauerova with Elizabeth the other one and the rest gets seated into armchairs. I bet other Draconian rulers were also apprehended by diplomatic representatives and are in a similar situation. I¡¯m quite worried about Emi who doesn¡¯t even try to hide her resentment towards humans and isn¡¯t exactly subtle.

    ¡°I won¡¯t beat around the bush, Your Majesty,¡± Bennett clears his throat. ¡°We have an official offer for you.¡±

    ¡°You do?¡± I raise my eyebrow.

    ¡°You mean an offer for the Celestials or all Draconians, Mr President?¡± Liana wants to be clear on that.

    ¡°All Draconians, of course,¡± he confirms.

    I resist rolling my eyes because that would look immature but I don¡¯t resist sighing. And it has an intended effect, the EU representatives stiffen. It seems they¡¯re serious about it so offending me is the last thing they want.

    ¡°I don¡¯t represent all races, Mr President,¡± I set the record straight. Again. ¡°If you¡¯re serious, you¡¯ll have to invite all of us.¡±

    ¡°To be brutally honest, Your Majesty, you¡¯re the easiest to deal with,¡± Bennett says surprisingly bluntly. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that the Clawfang Alpha hates humans, the Earthborn King and Queen don¡¯t have other topics than ecology and Patriarch Deminas won¡¯t even bother with the EU despite many Dragonkin living in European countries. We did try opening diplomatic talks with him but failed.¡±

    I chew my lip. Bennett might have a point. Emi has little interest in politics and she¡¯s leaving after the conference to basically go on a road trip. Twyla and Werden really don¡¯t talk much about anything besides the environment and their medical research and Deminas is too busy in Asia.

    ¡°What¡¯s your offer then?¡± I ask after a brief consideration.

    ¡°Mutual support,¡± Bennett says. ¡°We can provide funding in exchange for cooperating with us and making sure Draconians follow our laws.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr President, but what made you change your mind?¡± Liana narrows her eyes. Even Bauerova looks at him with suspicion.

    Bennett twitches nervously.

    ¡°We don¡¯t want what¡¯s happening in the US to happen in the EU,¡± he answers slowly. ¡°Riots, civil disobedience, violence¡­ we simply can¡¯t have that.¡±

    ¡°And by following your laws you mean¡­?¡± I tilt my head.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°We¡¯re beyond trying to limit your autonomy at this point,¡± Dubois takes over. ¡°There¡¯s no doubt you¡¯ll become a formidable military power in just a few months. All we want is that Draconians respect our laws when integrating within human society. Punishing offenders can be in your jurisdiction.¡±

    That¡¯s more than generous. Can you tell if they¡¯re being honest? Liana asks me in her thoughts because our wings are touching.

    Bennett, Dubois and Ms Ortega are all extremely nervous about it, I can feel their anxiety. But they aren¡¯t hiding anything. They¡¯re just frightened by the situation in the US they witnessed first-hand. Bennett was trying to toy with me before but that¡¯s in the past now. When looking into my unnaturally golden eyes, he¡¯s actually scared shitless because he can¡¯t see anything even remotely human in me.

    ¡°We still need to discuss it with the other race rulers,¡± I say and pass myself a cup of coffee that just arrived using telekinesis. It¡¯s both innocent and utterly intimidating and I meant it that way. I wouldn¡¯t do it if Erik was present, though.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Bennett nods. ¡°We just wanted to know if you¡¯re in favour and we can count on your support.¡±

    ¡°You mean if I¡¯m willing to persuade them,¡± I¡¯m not fooled. ¡°You can continue being brutally honest, Mr President, I appreciate it.¡±

    We keep discussing the matter and I¡¯m asserting myself more and more. I still don¡¯t know a lot of things but at least I¡¯m confident now that it¡¯s not something I wouldn¡¯t be able to learn. All these politicians who seemed so scary to me before are just humans with more life experience than me. Nothing less, nothing more.

    When the coffee break is over, we return to the hall and the conference continues. We¡¯re beyond pleasantries and start negotiating new approaches and policies. When Delgado, the US President, steps in front of the lectern and begins his talk, the overall atmosphere in the room changes. Everyone tenses after just a few sentences that come out of his mouth. I¡¯m happy to find out that the majority strongly disagrees with him.

    ¡°It¡¯s for our protection but at the same time it won¡¯t hurt the transformed,¡± he insists after a brief introduction of his argument. ¡°We need to monitor Draconians and chipping them is the easiest way.¡±

    Liana hisses but not because of the unbelievable proposition. She hisses at Emi who angrily hits the table, startling everyone. I can feel her anger rising to astronomical heights. Clawfangs are hardly made to sit quietly at meetings and being diplomatic.

    ¡°Are you fucking serious?¡± Emi bursts, speaking totally out of her turn.

    I can feel how human delegates perceive her¡ªlike a dangerous wild animal. I finally understand why Liana was so nervous every time Emi was supposed to do any representative job. She just isn¡¯t cut for it.

    Delgado smirks and I realise he wanted us to show open hostility. He¡¯s provoking us on purpose! Deminas kept his cool but Twyla and Werden let off irritated pheromones. I have to do something.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly the kind of approach that ignited riots in your country,¡± I say, trying to sound totally calm and collected. ¡°Draconians are protesting because you¡¯re suppressing us. Treat us equally and with respect and your problems will disappear. I don¡¯t see any massive civil disobedience in the EU.¡±

    Delgado purses his lips and looks angrily at Bennett. He must know that the EU President met with us during the break.

    I consider it for a moment. I don¡¯t want to decide such vital matters without all of us race rulers discussing it together first but I have a unique chance to beat Delgado. Emi is too furious to think straight, Deminas refused to deal with the EU and Twyla with Werden are from South America anyway. Maybe I can try taking the initiative after all?

    ¡°The EU offered us open support,¡± I say slowly and clearly. ¡°I can¡¯t talk for all races but Celestials accept it.¡±

    There are gasps and astonished murmurs in the hall. I surprised even Bennett who probably thought we¡¯ll keep it a secret for a while. Well, I won¡¯t. Now the EU can¡¯t take it back. It¡¯s a risky decision but I think it¡¯ll work out. If not, I¡¯m taking full responsibility as the Celestial Emperor.

    For a few seconds I¡¯m afraid that I maybe acted too rashly but Liana nods approvingly and I can feel that all my Celestial friends back my decision. I take a deep breath and my wings relax. I let my Celestial Emperor¡¯s nature do its job and it feels good. I¡¯m gradually growing into my new role.

    ¡°Clawfang Alpha,¡± I address Emi by her official title because it seems appropriate. ¡°There will be hardships and no doubt many misunderstandings but I¡¯m willing to give humans a chance. I won¡¯t tolerate racist bullying but I believe we can make this work if we try.¡±

    Emi looks at me and forces herself to calm down. She still hates humans but she trusts my judgment. And not even she wants a civil war.

    ¡°Sounds reasonable,¡± Deminas agrees. ¡°If it works in the EU, they can lead by example.¡±

    I slightly nod, thanking him for his support. The Earthborn King and Queen also don¡¯t mind. I wonder if it¡¯s because they don¡¯t live in the EU or because they trust me so much.

    ¡°Mr President,¡± the UN Secretary-General Myren Duke stands up. ¡°I have to remind you that Draconians have been acknowledged by the UN as nations, meaning all basic rights apply to them. Involuntary chipping would be violating these very laws.¡±

    Delgado is able to keep his expression emotionless but notice him clenching his fists. He presents a few more arguments but they aren¡¯t really having the impact he wished for. We agreed to cooperate so it¡¯s the US coming off like the ones not willing to work on peaceful solutions. We won this round.

    It¡¯s high time for a bit late lunch break. Now that I don¡¯t have to focus solely on politics, I¡¯m looking for Erik with my mind again. I do feel him in the building but that¡¯s all. Can he forgive me? Will he be able to accept that there are parts of me that are totally Celestial and I can¡¯t resist them?

    ¡°Sorry for that, I wasn¡¯t professional,¡± Emi joins me on our way to the dining room. ¡°Clawfangs aren¡¯t good at controlling their temper. We¡¯re generally a friendly bunch but we obviously weren¡¯t made for sitting on our butts, listening to political bullshit. You were great back there, Aefener.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, but you¡¯re great at other things,¡± I assure her.

    ¡°Exactly, we¡¯re meant to complement each other,¡± she says enthusiastically. ¡°Therefore, I¡¯m not worried to leave politics entirely to you when I leave for my trip.¡±

    ¡°Entirely?¡± I blink, confused. ¡°But you said that you will stay in touch?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll certainly try,¡± she promises. ¡°Still, I won¡¯t bother with politics anymore. I¡¯m just not the right person for that.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t decide for the Clawfangs, Emi,¡± I refuse.

    ¡°And I¡¯m not asking you to,¡± she shakes her head. ¡°I¡¯ll keep my people in check but I¡¯m leaving global politics in your capable hands. I trust you¡¯ll work for the benefit of all Draconians.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­!¡± I can¡¯t believe my ears. Is she planning to throw all the responsibility on me?

    ¡°Training warriors, securing resources, recon, spying¡­ we Clawfangs will gladly take care of that,¡± she offers. ¡°Just don¡¯t torture us by politics and formal occasions. That¡¯s the Celestial thing, it¡¯s evident after today.¡±

    ¡°Aefener, she¡¯s right,¡± Liana concurs. ¡°We should focus on developing our talents and listen to our nature.¡±

    ¡°Following that logic, my talent is magic and flying, not politics,¡± I oppose.

    ¡°That¡¯s not true, you were spectacular,¡± Emi nudges me. ¡°I could never take on the US President like that. All I did was throw a tantrum.¡±

    ¡°You were spectacular,¡± Liana caresses my right wing.

    Coming from her, that¡¯s a huge compliment. Liana never praises people for minor stuff. But I don¡¯t feel particularly good about myself. Not with Erik still moping somewhere while I can¡¯t go to look for him and apologise. I¡¯m starting to find politics easy compared to relationships.

    Li, why didn¡¯t you stop us? I use the time we spend walking to talk privately with my Viceroy. I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s your fault but you of all people should have been reasonable about it.

    I was lost in the moment just as you were, she answers. I was mesmerised by your mana leaking, at first I also didn¡¯t quite know what the dance meant and then¡­ you looked so happy. You deserve to be happy.

    I love Erik more than anything, you know that. I am happy with him, I declare.

    That¡¯s the thing, Aefener, she says carefully. I don¡¯t think you are. At least not fully. You crave a Celestial partner, try to admit it to yourself.

    Let¡¯s say I do admit it¡­ still, it changes nothing, I say defiantly. I won¡¯t leave Erik unless it¡¯s him who wants to break up with me.

    Who says anything about breaking up? she flutters her wings.

    We don¡¯t get to continue with our conversation because we arrive to the dining hall and I¡¯m seated next to Deminas and Twyla. I¡¯m pleasantly surprised that I¡¯m allowed to mingle, I really want to talk to my friends and make sure that they¡¯re okay with my decision even though I clearly stated that it¡¯s only my race that agreed to cooperate with the EU.

    ¡°It¡¯s more than okay, Aefener, you did good,¡± Deminas isn¡¯t against the idea. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m not eager to cooperate with European politicians but I¡¯m extremely busy in Asia.¡±

    ¡°But it concerns your people,¡± I remind him. ¡°There¡¯re many Dragonkin living in the EU countries.¡±

    ¡°Just as there are many Celestials living in Asian countries,¡± he shrugs. ¡°We can¡¯t be everywhere so I think it¡¯s inevitable we divide our spheres of influence and trust each other that we¡¯ll work to the benefit all races, not only ours.¡±

    ¡°However, as far as global politics goes,¡± Twyla cuts in, ¡°I think it¡¯s wise to leave it to you primarily.¡±

    I cry. Not her as well!

    ¡°Humans see you as our main representative anyway,¡± the Earthborn Queen continues, ¡°and as a Celestial, you¡¯re a natural. We should focus on what suits us best.¡±

    ¡°Complement each other,¡± I repeat what Emi said.

    Both Twyla and Deminas nod in unison. Is there no way I can get away from it? Bennett and Delgado might not have been wrong after all when seeing me as the representative of all Draconians. I can still hate it, though.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ what are you doing?¡± I frown because Twyla suddenly touches my hand and I feel her rooty tentacles connecting to me.

    ¡°Checking up on your health, dear,¡± she smiles innocently. ¡°Your body desperately needs nutrients so eat properly, will you?¡±

    Only now I notice that Cien put a starter in front of me¡ªa creamy asparagus soup with a toast. It¡¯s super delicious but I can¡¯t really enjoy it because Erik isn¡¯t with me. It should be him sitting by my side. And his absence doesn¡¯t go unnoticed. While spouses aren¡¯t allowed into the conference hall because of space, they accompanied their partners for lunch.

    It seems Erik not being here already spread some rumours and made the delegates rather anxious. I¡¯m not the only one who sees him as a bridge.

    My heart sinks when Vermiel tells me after lunch that the Royal Consort decided to return to the hotel room so they gave him an escort. What if he means to pack his things and leave?

    ¡°Your relationship isn¡¯t so shallow, Aefener,¡± Liana encourages me. ¡°Erik just needs some time to think but he¡¯ll come around. He¡¯s madly in love with you, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d leave.¡±

    Afternoon goes without any significant problems. We¡¯re called to give a speech again but this time I let Liana do it, she¡¯s much more knowledgeable. Deminas expresses his sincere intention to manage Draconians in Asia, Emi promises to visit all big Clawfang communities one after another and Werden with Twyla present a concrete plan how to revitalise some deforested areas in South America.

    There¡¯s no event planned for this evening as most delegates are still recovering from jet lag so we leave after the last session of the day. We can fly back to our hotel but for the first time ever I don¡¯t feel any thrill. I¡¯ll face Erik in a few minutes.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Gotrid?¡± I realise I haven¡¯t seen him the whole day. I know that I kind of sent him away but I didn¡¯t actually believe it would put him off for too long.

    ¡°Hopefully reflecting upon himself somewhere,¡± Liana shrugs.

    ¡°Is he okay?¡± I worry. ¡°Everyone saw him with me so he isn¡¯t anonymous anymore.¡±

    ¡°He checked at the hotel four hours ago,¡± Miruel tells me to calm me down. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re ready.¡±

    Flying provides some comfort but it isn¡¯t as enjoyable when my mind is full of worries. My over-thinking brain keeps coming up with catastrophic scenarios. Erik will be mad at me for weeks. He won¡¯t trust me ever again. He¡¯ll say that we¡¯re too different and ditch me. Anyway, I¡¯m prepared to swallow my Emperor¡¯s pride and just apologise. And keep apologising until he forgives me.

    ¡°Your Majesty, your wings are shaking,¡± Luvi notices when we land again.

    ¡°Facing politicians isn¡¯t nearly as scary as facing an angry partner,¡± I say nervously.

    I focus on one step at a time and I don¡¯t even protest against the elevator. And then I¡¯m standing in front of our hotel suite. I want to knock but my guards readily open the door for me.

    I slowly get inside and realise that I feel both Erik and Gotrid in the apartment. Those two¡­ they didn¡¯t get into a fight, did they? Gotrid has magic but Erik is physically much stronger and agile than a Celestial. Under certain circumstances and considering our low level, it could be a fair fight. But surely somebody would stop them if they did¡­?

    I run across the lobby into the living room and freeze because I can¡¯t quite comprehend what I¡¯m seeing. Erik and Gotrid are sitting on the sofa and it seems they¡¯re having a serious conversation.

 53. Love Constellation

    ¡°I have a feeling I¡¯m interrupting,¡± I say stupidly because I can¡¯t think of anything else. ¡°I can come later¡­?¡±

    ¡°He wants to run away,¡± Erik rolls his eyes.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Gotrid seconds.

    For two people who can¡¯t be more different, they have quite a few striking similarities. They¡¯re looking at me with the same expression and their minds seem to be in unison right now.

    ¡°Erik, I¡­ I¡¯m so sorry!¡± I blurt out.

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s sorry,¡± Gotrid shakes his head. ¡°I should have never approached Your Majesty like that. But I didn¡¯t play games, I swear. I love you, my Emperor!¡±

    Erik flinches hearing those words but his reaction isn¡¯t as strong as I¡¯d have expected.

    ¡°Gotrid went looking for me after you sent him away,¡± he says slowly. ¡°Admittedly, he was the last person I wanted to see but he¡¯s persistent, I have to give him that.¡±

    ¡°A-and?¡± I gulp.

    ¡°After I threw a few things at him he deflected with his telekinesis, we finally talked,¡± he sighs resignedly.

    ¡°And then we talked some more when we returned to the hotel,¡± Gotrid adds. ¡°It turns out we¡¯re both very stubborn but we had enough time to come to terms eventually. Zetraya helped a lot, he¡¯s an excellent relationship mediator. We called him when we reached a dead end.¡±

    ¡°Ryuu, how often have you been forcing yourself to act more human around me?¡± Erik asks and sounds really sad about it.

    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ not particularly,¡± I say quickly, startled by the sudden question.

    Erik shakes his head because he knows I¡¯m lying.

    ¡°Let¡¯s all sit down,¡± Gotrid suggests. ¡°And could we have some privacy, please?¡± he looks at the guards. ¡°I¡¯m here and should count as a bodyguard.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be in the lobby,¡± Vermiel nods and takes the guards with him. They¡¯re still very close but shouldn¡¯t hear us at least.

    I nervously look around where to sit. The sofa is full already and even though I could squeeze in, something tells me that we have to talk this through conventionally without resorting to telepathy which means no touching either of them for now.

    There¡¯s a fluffy carpet in front of an antique decorative fireplace so I land there and comfortably spread my wings only to wrap myself in them a second later. I¡¯m just too anxious and this is a typically Celestial protective pose.

    ¡°One moment he¡¯s the mighty Emperor impressing everyone at the conference, the other a feathered cocoon hiding into his own wings,¡± Erik can¡¯t help himself and bursts laughing. I hope it¡¯s a good sign. I mean¡­ I don¡¯t feel any anger coming from him.

    ¡°Cute, right?¡± Gotrid melts.

    ¡°You saw me?¡± I blush. ¡°How was I?¡±

    ¡°We watched an edited footage of the most important moments. You were spectacular, love,¡± Erik praises me. ¡°Okay, this doesn¡¯t feel right,¡± he takes a pillow and sits down so that he¡¯s on the same level as me.

    Gotrid quickly follows. After all, it¡¯s considered against the court etiquette to be seated higher than the Emperor.

    ¡°So,¡± Gotrid clears his throat.

    ¡°So,¡± Erik bites his lip.

    ¡°You¡¯re staring,¡± I hide my face behind my wings. ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing.¡±

    ¡°If only those politicians knew how adorably shy the Celestial Emperor is in private,¡± Gotrid has another heart melt.

    ¡°Ryuu, look at us, please,¡± Erik pleads. ¡°Why do you always expect the worst possible outcome?¡±

    ¡°Because?¡± I lower my wings. ¡°What did you talk about with Zetraya?¡±

    ¡°We covered several topics,¡± Erik recalls. ¡°From my jealousy issue, Gotrid¡¯s stupid approach to love pursuit to your special needs.¡±

    ¡°Special needs? That sounds weird,¡± I frown.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re the Celestial Emperor AND a telepath,¡± Gotrid states the obvious. ¡°Erik told me and Zetraya about your love history and according to our psychologist you actually might not be physiologically able to be in a strictly monogamic relationship since you¡¯re a telepath.¡±

    ¡°Wait, Zetraya knows? Did you tell him?¡± I get pissed off.

    ¡°Nobody told him, Ryuu,¡± Erik calms me down. ¡°He¡¯s very bright and after a few sessions with us, he put two and two together. Liana¡¯s right, we simply don¡¯t talk enough when we¡¯re together and he noticed something¡¯s off right away. And considering everything that¡¯s been happening lately, such a thing as telepathy isn¡¯t a crazy guess anymore. We really have to be more careful. Someone else could easily find out as well.¡±

    ¡°So when we called him today,¡± Gotrid takes over. ¡°He already had a possible conclusion in mind.¡±

    ¡°But physiologically incapable? For real?¡± I don¡¯t believe it. ¡°We were managing just fine.¡±

    ¡°By being literally inseparable,¡± Erik reminds me.

    ¡°We were training to be separated for a couple of hours,¡± I oppose. ¡°I thought it went rather well.¡±

    ¡°Ehm¡­ sorry to break it to you but our experiment failed,¡± Erik has to disappoint me. ¡°Liana told me just yesterday in case something went wrong at the conference that each time we were separate, you connected to her instead. I bet you weren¡¯t even aware of it. She just didn¡¯t have the heart to tell you because you were trying so hard.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I hug my knees. ¡°Dammit.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ryuu,¡± Erik is saddened, ¡°in my chronic jealousy, I totally disregarded your special needs. I think I knew deep down but I didn¡¯t want to see it. I wanted you all for myself but you¡¯re simply not cut for monogamic relationships.¡±

    ¡°Erik, I¡­¡±

    My voice fails me. Is this the part Erik is going to break up with me? Maybe it was me who refused to see the truth all this time. I thought that my previous polyamoric tendencies were connected to my insecurity to fully open up to someone but that might not have to be the case. I needed more connections so that I wouldn¡¯t have to cling only to one person.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to do it straight away,¡± Erik slowly continues. ¡°I¡¯m a possessive person, remember? But I¡¯m willing to change. For you. For us.¡±

    I look at him, dumbfounded. What is he even suggesting?

    ¡°His Majesty doesn¡¯t get it,¡± Gotrid slaps his forehead.

    Erik takes three deep breaths; his emotions are fluttering like crazy as he has to fight his very self. I admire him for that because whatever he¡¯s attempting to say, it goes against his learnt patterns and inner principles.

    ¡°I reconsidered and Gotrid isn¡¯t so insufferable after he sincerely apologised to me,¡± he says. ¡°I think I can endure him. I genuinely want to see you happy, Ryuu, and if that¡¯s the compromise I have to accept, so be it.¡±

    ¡°Endure? Accept?¡± I still don¡¯t get it. Or I do but I refuse to believe what he¡¯s implying.

    ¡°His Majesty is so cutely slow in these things,¡± Gotrid giggles. ¡°My Emperor, Erik is suggesting we¡¯re both your official Royal Consorts.¡±

    I¡¯m left speechless and hide into my wings again. Is such an outcome even possible? Can I be so greedy? Lore-wise, there¡¯s nothing in the way. The Emperor is free to have as many partners as they want. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m taking the shady harem path as in some stupid anime but maybe two isn¡¯t a bad idea?

    I love Erik with all my heart but at the same time I¡¯m pretty confident that I can love more people equally. I already love Liana and even though it¡¯s not erotic kind of love, it¡¯s not smaller than my love for Erik and he knows that. Maybe that¡¯s why he¡¯s not that afraid I¡¯ll start preferring Gotrid.

    ¡°You¡¯re not worried my attention will be divided between you two?¡± I confide my biggest concern.

    ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said I¡¯m not,¡± Erik says honestly. ¡°But I trust you. Besides, there already are occasions when I can¡¯t accompany you like flying.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re not looking at us,¡± Gotrid points out and lightly touches my feathers.

    I immediately get goosebumps when I receive a full dose of his love. I have to forcefully pull my mind out so that we can continue with our conversation.

    ¡°Erik, are you really okay with it?¡± my eyes start watering. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡±

    ¡°Franky, I¡¯m not thrilled about it but you¡¯d hurt me only if you stopped loving me,¡± he assures me. ¡°If you treat us equally, I¡¯ll take it as a training to overcome my chronic jealousy. Sorry in advance that it won¡¯t be quick. I¡¯ll probably cause a few jealous scenes before I get there.¡±

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°You stupid, don¡¯t apologise,¡± I can¡¯t hold myself anymore and jump into his embrace.

    I connect to him immediately and moan when his love hits me. I¡¯m astonished how much progress he was able to do in such a short amount of time but then I find out that he was working on himself all this time. The results just didn¡¯t have a chance manifest because he needed a rite of passage that would literally drag him out of his comfort zone.

    ¡°So¡­ do you think I could join now?¡± Gotrid asks innocently.

    ¡°A few rules,¡± Erik has to push me back because I want to kiss him all over. ¡°First, we¡¯re sharing Ryuuto so there¡¯s no way you¡¯re touching me, is that clear?¡±

    ¡°A pity, you¡¯re handsome for a human,¡± Gotrid winks and gets Erik¡¯s ostentatious eye roll. ¡°Just kidding, my heart belongs to my Emperor and no one else.¡±

    ¡°Second, respect my private space,¡± Erik continues and shoves his feathers away. ¡°Third, I won¡¯t tolerate if you¡¯ll start usurping Ryuuto for yourself. Fourth, no silly jokes on my account.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± he nods and tries to be serious about it but his lips are twitching in a suppressed grin. ¡°Erik, really, I actually like you. Sure, you¡¯re my rival but that¡¯s healthy competition, right?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be rivals,¡± I purse my lips and I still can¡¯t wrap my head around it. I¡¯m not dreaming, am I?

    ¡°Ehm¡­!¡± somebody coughs loudly, startling us. ¡°Why are you on the floor, Your Majesty? Stand up, please, it¡¯s unbecoming.¡±

    It¡¯s Cien, coming with a cart that¡¯s carrying our dinner.

    ¡°Also, Her Excellency is dying to know if you talked it through and what sort of conclusion you reached. And possibly send damage control.¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯re fine,¡± Gotrid produces a wide smile and finally hugs me.

    I gasp for breath because his touch makes me connect to him but since I¡¯m already holding Erik, it ends up in a telepathic loop.

    ¡°Whoa¡­ okay, maybe not the best idea right from the start,¡± Gotrid lets go, astonished.

    ¡°Definitely not before dinner,¡± Cien frowns at us but I can feel that she¡¯s overjoyed seeing us together.

    It¡¯s not that my subjects were disapproving of Erik, they really do respect and value him. They just saw clearly what I was refusing to see for months¡ªthat my nature craves a Celestial partner. So I guess this is the best possible outcome for all parties.

    ¡°What about we invite Liana?¡± Erik suggests and helps me on my legs.

    ¡°Sure, I wouldn¡¯t want her to be alone anyway,¡± I say even though ¡®alone¡¯ is a vague term in our case. She¡¯d still be accompanied by her maids and guards. But that¡¯s obviously not the same.

    What an unexpected turn of events. Just an hour ago I was afraid Erik will want to break up with me and now I¡¯m sitting at table with two partners. They¡¯re gazing at each other with narrowed eyes but the fact that they don¡¯t fight anymore is good enough for now.

    ¡°Erik, stop clicking your tongue and you, Gotrid, stop provoking him with your feathers,¡± I scold them. ¡°I¡¯m starting to think you¡¯re going to be a lot of work and I have a lot of work as it is so chill, guys.¡±

    Erik puffs when Gotrid finally pulls away his wings but for now they¡¯re both behaving. It¡¯s a miracle that they didn¡¯t get into a fight. Oh, wait. They kind of did. Erik mentioned he was throwing things at Gotrid who had to resort to telekinesis.

    ¡°You made up?!¡± Liana blurts out the moment she appears in the door, changed into a comfortable night robe.

    ¡°Made up suggests we were friends who had an argument which is not the case,¡± Erik grumbles. ¡°Let¡¯s say we agreed on a reasonable arrangement.¡±

    ¡°You did?¡± she claps in celebration. ¡°Oh, Erik, I knew you¡¯d put Aefener¡¯s happiness and wellbeing first. I never doubted you.¡±

    ¡°What about that guy?¡± Erik points at Gotrid. ¡°You never doubted him either?¡±

    ¡°Oh, there was never really an issue from Gotrid¡¯s side,¡± Liana waves her hand. ¡°He knew Aefener would never give you up so he agreed to become the second Consort from the start.¡±

    ¡°Sorry about the teasing, I couldn¡¯t help myself when I finally met my beautiful Emperor in person and went totally overboard,¡± Gotrid apologises again.

    ¡°Right, Ryuuto would never give me up,¡± Erik says proudly.

    ¡°Wait, you planned all this?¡± I find out. I want to get angry at her but I can¡¯t. I¡¯m too happy right now.

    ¡°Not exactly planned, no,¡± she shakes her head. ¡°But Gotrid¡¯s motives were clear from the very beginning and since it was obvious you fancy him¡­ I simply agreed that he can try to win you over and persuade Erik. If you refused, however, I¡¯d send him away.¡±

    ¡°Send away,¡± Gotrid cries. ¡°You¡¯re merciless, Your Excellency.¡±

    ¡°I have to be,¡± she shrugs and puts salad on her plate. ¡°I¡¯m working for the benefit of our people but first and foremost my Emperor. As both his Viceroy and closest friend, I want to see him happy, whatever that might entail.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not eating, love,¡± Erik nudges me.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m too busy processing what happened and watching your interaction,¡± I say but realising I¡¯m actually hungry now that the biggest stress is over, I bite into my falafel.

    ¡°Gotrid, we have to watch if Ryuu is eating properly,¡± Erik tells him in all seriousness which makes me almost choke. ¡°Because more often than not, he isn¡¯t.¡±

    So now both of them will be watching my diet? Is this turning into a nightmare?

    ¡°Understood,¡± Gotrid grins and tries to put two more falafel balls on my plate. I kick him under the table but he isn¡¯t backing off.

    ¡°Two lovers, twice as much troubles?¡± Liana sings, evidently amused.

    We eat and chat merrily until it¡¯s high time for bed. Liana winks at us and leaves, yawning. And then another problem presents itself. Gotrid has no intention to leave for his room.

    ¡°We agreed to take things slowly,¡± Erik reminds him irritably. ¡°Besides, the bed is too small for the three of us.¡±

    ¡°You can take the sofa then?¡± Gotrid suggests cheekily. ¡°You were enjoying our lovely Emperor every day until now.¡±

    ¡°I will do no such thing,¡± Erik retorts and his jealousy emerges.

    But I¡¯m not worried. It¡¯s not as strong as before and I knew he wouldn¡¯t change overnight. And it hasn¡¯t even been a night, only a couple of hours. It¡¯s a miracle that Erik is okay with Gotrid entering our bedroom.

    ¡°Ehm, gentlemen,¡± I cough. ¡°What about asking what I want? Maybe I just want to sleep, it¡¯s been a long day.¡±

    ¡°Love!¡±

    ¡°My Emperor!¡±

    ¡°Then you both go on the sofa,¡± I decide.

    ¡°Maybe we can squeeze somehow after all,¡± Erik is suddenly very busy measuring the bed.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to brush my teeth until you work it out,¡± I choose a tactical retreat and quickly close the door to the bathroom behind me.

    I sigh because I can hear them arguing and feel their emotions flutter. But they¡¯re at least trying to cooperate. Poor Erik, it must be very hard for him. Gotrid was prepared beforehand that he won¡¯t be my only lover and his thinking is Celestial so he counted on not being the only partner to the Emperor but Erik must be going crazy.

    I think my love for him grew even more. He¡¯s willing to change for me and work on his biggest issue. If our relationship survives this, then it survives whatever may come. I feel weirdly tense and relaxed about it at the same time.

    On one hand, I was forcing myself into monogamy¡ªsomething that¡¯s unnatural to my telepathic brain as it turns out¡ªbut on the other hand, two partners mean twice as much relationship drama and commitment. Will I have time and energy for that?

    I flush my mouth, wash my face and return to the bedroom. I find Erik and Gotrid sitting on the opposite sides of the bed and they both look offended.

    ¡°Go brush your teeth or I won¡¯t kiss you good night,¡± I give them a condition.

    They look at each other and sprint to the bathroom. In the meanwhile, I¡¯m trying to solve how to get out of my ceremonial robe. I could call Cien but I want to be able to at least undress myself. How did she tie that? How does that hang there? Why the hell are royal clothes so complicated?

    ¡°Let me, Your Majesty,¡± Gotrid returns first and hugs me from behind as a pretext to untie my robe.

    I get goosebumps again when our wings touch.

    ¡°T-timeout!¡± I push him away.

    ¡°Did I do something wrong, my Emperor?¡± he tilts his head, confused.

    ¡°Maybe he doesn¡¯t like you that way after all?¡± Erik smirks and helps me instead.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­ it¡¯s just¡­ we never really even kissed before and now we¡¯re supposed to share a bed?¡± I mumble nervously.

    Erik¡¯s hands are shaking when he¡¯s undressing me. Gotrid¡¯s presence makes him anxious. Just yesterday he wasn¡¯t even dreaming of letting Gotrid as much as touch me and now his rival is standing in our bedroom. I have to admire him for his self-control.

    ¡°W-wait,¡± I jerk away when Erik and Gotrid lean to touch me at the same time. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to keep you separate in my mind.¡±

    ¡°Meaning?¡± Gotrid asks curiously, having no practical experience with my telepathy so far.

    ¡°I make a deep telepathic connection with my partner,¡± I explain, hoping I¡¯m understandable. ¡°It¡¯s like two minds fusing with each other. Only this time it¡¯ll be three minds.¡±

    ¡°Will I still be aware of myself?¡± Gotrid scratches his chin.

    ¡°Of course, but you¡¯ll see my mind as well as Erik¡¯s,¡± I rather tell him straight away. ¡°Are you both sure you¡¯re okay with it?¡±

    ¡°Is there an alternative?¡± he asks.

    ¡°You go sleep on the sofa?¡± I shrug.

    ¡°Except for that,¡± Gotrid chuckles. ¡°We don¡¯t have to have sex if you want to take things slowly, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°I think Ryuu wasn¡¯t thinking of that at all considering the circumstances,¡± Erik corrects him. ¡°But he¡¯s used to falling asleep connecting to my mind.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Gotrid is taken aback. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve presumed too much, Your Majesty.¡±

    And then it hits me. Gotrid is still addressing me with my title!

    ¡°As my partner, you can use my name, you know,¡± I point out. ¡°So use it, please?¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ I mean¡­ you¡¯re still my Emperor,¡± Gotrid gets more bewildered that he should have. Is it such a big deal for Celestials?

    ¡°You want to do lewd things with me but you¡¯re not able to call me by my name?¡± I raise my eyebrow but I actually find it quite adorable.

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik tenderly pronounces my human name and pushes me to bed.

    I don¡¯t really feel like having sex and Erik certainly isn¡¯t thrilled about Gotrid joining us but he knows I¡¯m always in for cuddling. Gotrid doesn¡¯t stay aside for long and quickly gets behind me, caressing my wings.

    I gasp for breath and call for a timeout again.

    ¡°T-too intense,¡± I¡¯m trying to even my breathing. ¡°Gotrid, you¡¯re too excited. Erik, your distaste for Gotrid is pouring out.¡±

    They both sit down in front of me, biting their lips. Just how can they be so similar?!

    ¡°What do you suggest, love?¡± Erik eyes his rival.

    ¡°I¡¯m confident that I can handle you but you need to calm down,¡± I say. ¡°I have to get used to double telepathic load first and until I do, I¡¯m afraid I have to put a ban on sex.¡±

    ¡°But love!¡±

    ¡°My Emperor!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make my headache worse, guys,¡± I massage my temples. ¡°Plus, I¡¯m seriously tired after today.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, we have no consideration, do we?¡± Erik repents. ¡°Lie down, hon, I¡¯ll give you a massage.¡±

    ¡°Does Your Majesty often suffer from headaches?¡± Gotrid is concerned because my health issues are strictly confidential so he doesn¡¯t know anything about them yet.

    ¡°Only when I have to face a lot of humans with turbulent emotions,¡± I explain and take off my under-robe. Gotrid melts at the sight of my naked body but I quickly lie down on my stomach, spreading my wings to the sides.

    At first, it¡¯s only Erik gently massaging my back muscles but soon Gotrid dares to join as well. Because they managed to calm down a bit, their minds don¡¯t hit me as strong. It seems I can keep them separate if I¡¯m not aroused myself.

    I gently bring them closer but only to the extend I think they should be able to handle. I¡¯ve never done it before¡ªbringing two minds together like this. I can feel Erik resisting when he gets a taste of Gotrid¡¯s emotions but he holds on bravely.

    I try to show him that despite being too eager and competitive in the beginning, Gotrid means well. Then I try to show Gotrid that Erik is antagonistic because he wants to protect me. When their resistance mitigates, I delve into Gotrid¡¯s mind.

    I¡¯ve always took him for a cheerful guy who can make a joke out of everything so it surprises me twice as much that it¡¯s something he developed as a coping mechanism. I ask him for a permission and go deeper into his memories.

    I find out that he grew up in a very traditional family and when he came out as gay, they disowned him. He had to take various odd jobs while studying at college to support himself and developed his unique sense of humour and self-confidence back then.

    It¡¯s quite embarrassing, he tells me when I catch a glimpse of the 21-year-old him working at a pizza place under a terrible boss.

    Embarrassing?! I just have to admire him for being able to finish his studies despite taking several student-loans and then working it off. He started as an intern but he gradually made it to a high-class manager. And all that without any support from his family. He¡¯s simply amazing!

    What I felt for him in the beginning was mainly physical attraction and fascination. That¡¯s not true anymore. My feelings towards him are rapidly transforming into something much deeper and meaningful. I was right when I said that one deep telepathic connection and I¡¯d fall for him. I¡¯m falling for him now.

    I switch for Erik¡¯s lap, feverishly kissing him. I have to let him know that nothing has changed between us. My love for him isn¡¯t any smaller just because there¡¯s Gotrid now. I can love them equally, I¡¯m sure of it. And for the first time ever I¡¯m happy that I was born a telepath.

 54. No Rest for the Emperor

    I wake up sore. Gotrid and Erik are squeezing me between them, I¡¯m partially lying on Erik¡¯s chest and Gotrid¡¯s wings are covering me. I sit up and rub my stiff neck. Then I slowly pull my wing from under Erik¡¯s arm.

    We didn¡¯t have sex in the end, it didn¡¯t come to that. But I think I was successful in bringing them closer. I¡¯m not that na?ve to think that Erik and Gotrid will suddenly be lovey-dovey with each other, I still expect a lot of teasing between them, but at least Erik doesn¡¯t hate Gotrid anymore and Gotrid doesn¡¯t think of him as a rival he has to compete with in every situation.

    Erik normally always wakes up before me but I guess he¡¯s tired from both jet lag and a demanding telepathic connection. Gotrid is sleeping like a log, also exhausted from his very first telepathic link. I look lovingly at them, smile and kiss them on their foreheads.

    I still can¡¯t believe it; I have two partners now! My love for Erik grew deeper¡ªif it¡¯s even possible¡ªand my heart is warm with new love developing for Gotrid. I feel a dopamine rush as my telepathic brain is probably rewarding me for finally giving it what it wanted from the beginning.

    I was a tiny bit worried that my Celestial nature would start preferring a Celestial partner but nothing of that sort happened. Sure, Gotrid¡¯s gorgeous wings arouse me but so does Erik¡¯s muscular human body. Besides, I¡¯m much more attracted to their minds than their bodies anyway.

    Except for mild soreness, I actually feel energised. And surprisingly hungry. I carefully get up, not wanting to wake them up because they deserve to rest. I put on my night gown so that I¡¯m not naked in front of the maids and guards and silently leave the bedroom.

    ¡°Oh, Your Majesty, up so early?¡±

    I catch Ayala cleaning the apartment because my guards would never let in human personnel. She¡¯s partially using magic to do that¡ªhandy water spells and telekinesis. It certainly makes chores much quicker but not necessarily energy-saving because mana equals calories for us. Still, it¡¯s impressive to look at and Ayala seems to enjoy it.

    ¡°We went to sleep early,¡± I say, ¡°but let those two sleep some more, okay?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± she giggles. ¡°I take it everything went excellent last night?¡±

    I roll my eyes. Why are my subjects so interested in my love life? But I resignedly gave up privacy weeks ago. The Celestial Emperor doesn¡¯t get to have privacy, I had to accept the fact. At least I get to choose my partners.

    ¡°Could I have an early breakfast, please?¡± I look at the clock and it¡¯s only quarter past six. ¡°Just a sandwich and coffee are fine.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Ayala bows and runs off.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± I greet the guards who are standing by the door. I made an effort to remember all their names but they hardly ever talk to me when on duty. They take their job deadly serious and won¡¯t be distracted.

    I sit on the sofa and realise that I actually don¡¯t have anything to do. My laptop is still in my luggage which is in the bedroom so I can¡¯t reach it without risking waking up my partners. So I really have nothing to do? I think I haven¡¯t had a lazy morning since¡­ forever!

    ¡°Is there any possibility I could go for a flight?¡± I ask the guards. They have to answer a direct question, obviously.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, Your Majesty,¡± they have to disappoint me.

    I sigh but I expected it. Lazy morning it is then. I find a blanket in a basket next to the sofa, wrap myself in it and look for a remote. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a holographic projector built-in somewhere. And, of course, there is¡ªthe latest model! As expected of a five-star hotel and a presidential suite.

    I ignore the news channels and look for interesting subscriptions. Naturally, such an expensive hotel has a whole bunch of them. While I did watch a few movies with Erik, I didn¡¯t have any time to catch up on my favourite shows. I really need at least one day a week off, however much my Emperor¡¯s nature might protest against it.

    ¡°Is this okay, Your Majesty?¡± Ayala brings me a freshly-made egg sandwich and a latt¨¦ because she knows that I can¡¯t stand coffee without milk and sugar. ¡°I¡¯d bring you more but you¡¯re expected to eat in the restaurant and socialise so it¡¯d be appropriate if you still had some space in your stomach left considering how little you eat.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, perfect,¡± I appreciate and decide not to go into an argument with her about my dietary needs.

    I decide to watch an episode of a sci-fi show I really liked before my transformation and being wrapped into the blanket and slowly munching on a sandwich, it does feel like a lazy morning. I almost feel normal. Anyway, as normal as the Emperor can feel. I finish one episode and continue with another. What a pleasant morning indeed.

    ¡°Ryuu, how could you¡­!¡± Erik suddenly storms in, red with anger. ¡°I woke up hugging that guy¡¯s wing instead of yours!!!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t break your stupid rule, you groped me first,¡± Gotrid runs after him. ¡°My Emperor, why didn¡¯t you wake us up?¡±

    ¡°You needed to rest,¡± I sip my latt¨¦, unperturbed by their wild entr¨¦e.

    ¡°What are you watching?¡± Erik lands next to me and takes my right wing for cuddling to heal his apparent trauma.

    ¡°The Unknown Universe!¡± Gotrid instantly recognises the show.

    ¡°You like it?¡± I smile and enjoy how natural it feels when Gotrid sits next to me as well.

    ¡°I¡¯m a huge fan, I read the books,¡± he boasts. ¡°I can lend them to you if you want.¡±

    ¡°Nerd,¡± Erik purses his lips at him.

    I perceive that he feels insecure all of a sudden¡ªafraid that I might bond with Gotrid over geeky stuff. It¡¯s a nice plus in a partner, I¡¯m not denying it, but as if I¡¯d really care. I love Erik for him, not for his hobbies.

    ¡°Your Majesty, Royal Consorts, it¡¯s almost half past eight and you need to get ready,¡± Ayala reminds us. She¡¯s eyeing Gotrid with a grin, openly approving. While all my subjects respect Erik, Gotrid is what they consider proper for the Celestial Emperor.

    ¡°What the¡­!¡± Erik laments when checking his phone. ¡°Couldn¡¯t they wait after the conference?¡±

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I peek.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t wait a day and officially announced that you¡¯ve taken the second Consort,¡± Erik says, irritated.

    ¡°We wanted to give Celestials some good light-hearted news,¡± Ayala quickly explains, well aware that they promoted it without my consent. ¡°The media is full of politics which is mostly depressing. Our people desperately need to hear something positive.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t plan to hide it anyway, right?¡± Gotrid comments and, unlike Erik, he¡¯s happy that it¡¯s out. ¡°Besides, I want to boast that I¡¯m dating my Emperor.¡±

    I sigh. But Gotrid¡¯s right, everybody will see that we¡¯re all lovey-dovey anyway and I don¡¯t want to hide things that aren¡¯t necessary to hide. Too many secrets are difficult to keep. Still, it seems I¡¯ll need to have a serious conversation with the people who manage my image on the social media because it¡¯s not only Ingri anymore. They just can¡¯t share things about my personal life like that.

    Ayala gets really impatient at this point and nudges us to dress up. Gotrid makes a teary scene when he has to return to his room to change clothes but Erik is relieved when he¡¯s gone at least for a little while.

    I kiss him and I connect to him momentarily to check on how he¡¯s doing. I¡¯m proud of him and worried at the same time. Erik isn¡¯t exactly a fan of polyamory, can he manage? Isn¡¯t he forcing himself too much? Am I not being selfish after all? Maybe I¡¯m horribly greedy, wanting two partners.

    ¡°You know,¡± I say slowly. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly polyamory if each partner doesn¡¯t pursue their own interests. With a consent of all parties, of course.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to say, Ryuu?¡± Erik raises his eyebrow.

    ¡°Just that¡­ ehm¡­ that if you ever want to date a human because you miss your kind¡­ I mean¡­ I wouldn¡¯t stand in your way,¡± I mumble. ¡°We could make it work somehow.¡±

    ¡°You would really be okay with it?¡± he gets quite pissed off.

    ¡°I-it would only be e-equal,¡± I stutter, confused that he doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s polyamory about since he agreed to it. But there¡¯s something else as well. I suddenly don¡¯t feel good about it. What¡¯s wrong with me?

    ¡°That¡¯s not an answer,¡± he frowns and catches my chin. ¡°Would you really be okay with it? Be honest with me.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I let out, astonishing myself. Am I the possessive one in the end? I want Erik just for myself. I¡¯m greedy. Greedy, greedy, greedy. I should feel ashamed. Yet, my Celestial Emperor¡¯s nature doesn¡¯t let me feel that way.

    ¡°Good, that¡¯s what I wanted to hear,¡± his expression brightens.

    ¡°You did?!¡± I blink.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re not willing to share me,¡± he grins. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the rules of polyamory, I¡¯m not taking another partner beside you. And Gotrid is the same, by the way, we talked about it. We¡¯re Royal Consorts, totally devoted to you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s sweet and all but His Majesty has to dress up,¡± Ayala interrupts us. ¡°And you as well, Royal Consort.¡±

    He goes to shave so I have some time to ponder while Ayala is putting all the layers on me. Erik is still very jealous, he just consciously decided to switch his jealousy the other way. Now he¡¯s happy with me being possessive. I guess it makes sense¡­ kind of. Still, didn¡¯t we just turn the issue other way instead of solving it? Or is it something I simply can¡¯t avoid because of who and what I am?

    I¡¯d allow Erik to take a human partner if it made him happy because I want to see him happy and that¡¯s what genuine love is about. But, at the same time, I have a dark suspicion that it¡¯d torment both my telepathic brain and my Emperor¡¯s nature. I have a feeling that dating the Celestial Emperor should be considered to be a very demanding job not everyone is cut for.

    ¡°I asked them to move my stuff here,¡± Gotrid is waiting for us in the lobby with his luggage. ¡°As for the rest of my most prized possessions, Liana allowed me to send two Dragonkin to visit my apartment and pack everything for me.¡±

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Great, he¡¯s moving in,¡± Erik rolls his eyes.

    ¡°Obviously, Royal Consort, it makes sense I¡¯ll live in His Majesty¡¯s private quarters when we return to Europe,¡± Gotrid sings.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope there¡¯ll be space for you, Royal Consort,¡± Erik retorts. ¡°But I guess you can take the sofa.¡±

    ¡°Seriously, guys?¡± I sigh and gently slap both of them.

    Because we¡¯re ready to go, Erik quickly grabs my right hand. Gotrid follows and grabs my left one.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ actually embarrassing,¡± I shake them both.

    ¡°I thought you¡¯re used to polyamoric relationships, Your Majesty?¡± Gotrid tilts his head.

    ¡°Not at the same time!¡± I set the record straight.

    ¡°Are you coming or are you having your first relationship drama?¡± Liana meets us in the hall. ¡°Try to behave in front of everyone, okay? The press is always present and when it comes to race rulers, even the most prestigious channels are after a tabloid story.¡±

    ¡°Did you announce it right after our dinner last night?¡± I suspect her.

    ¡°Better to hear it from the official source than give space to rumours and speculations,¡± she shrugs, not questioning her decision in the slightest. ¡°Let¡¯s go, love doves, time to work.¡±

    *****

    ¡°They¡¯re staring even more than yesterday,¡± I grumble and my smile is cringy.

    ¡°Well, not only I¡¯m finally accompanying you today, your new partner is a fresh news,¡± Erik says and helps me get the fabric of my ceremonial robe under control. There¡¯re still a few minutes left before a morning session.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you be bored?¡± I worry because he can¡¯t stay with me.

    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± he laughs. ¡°I expect thorough questioning from all spouses that the delegates brought with them.¡±

    I see Gotrid talking to my guards that took position by the walls and Vermiel shaking his head for some reason. Gotrid then returns to me, obviously saddened.

    ¡°They said I can¡¯t join them because I¡¯m not the royal guard even though I was in the game,¡± he cries. ¡°Can¡¯t you just order them, Your Majesty?¡±

    ¡°I have no power over my protection,¡± I have to disappoint him. ¡°You¡¯d have to talk to Liana about it.¡±

    ¡°On the second thought, better not bother Her Excellency,¡± Gotrid waves his hand.

    ¡°She¡¯s not that scary, you know,¡± I poke him and look at her chatting with Bauerova a few metres away from us.

    ¡°Only you might think that, my Emperor,¡± he disagrees.

    I have to think about it for a moment. Sure, Liana is very strict, uncompromising, ambitious and demanding but scary? No, no way. She¡¯s also so kind, open-minded, non-judgmental and supportive. One of the best people I¡¯ve ever met.

    ¡°Try not to argue too much during socialising, will you?¡± Liana returns to her seat when it¡¯s almost time to start. ¡°Elizabeth will introduce you to a few diplomats and it¡¯d also help a lot if you could leave a good impression when it comes to the wife of the Japanese Prime Minister. We¡¯re meeting their delegation in the afternoon.¡±

    ¡°Are you excited about meeting the representatives of your homeland, Your Majesty?¡± Gotrid is curious.

    ¡°I consider Bohemia to be my homeland,¡± I answer and take a conspicuous look to the left side of the hall where they¡¯re sitting.

    Since there¡¯re hundreds of people in the hall, it¡¯s hard for me to perceive anyone specifically unless I really focus on them. So I do try now. The Japanese Prime Minister¡¯s expression is unreadable but I can feel that he¡¯s nervous about meeting us. Our gazes meet and when he realises I¡¯m watching him, he starts sweating.

    ¡°Are you listening, Your Majesty?¡± Gotrid takes my hand. ¡°I was asking you if you need another glass of water.¡±

    Sorry, I was trying to read the Japanese Prime Minister, I answer telepathically.

    Gotrid has experienced connecting to me yesterday but not a casual telepathic conversation so he twitches in surprise. Then to quickly cover his weird move, he pretends that he has to scratch his wing. Erik pulls him by his sleeve because it¡¯s high time for them to go.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ll be more distracted or less now that you have a Celestial partner as well,¡± Liana winks at me and it¡¯s the last thing she manages to do before the first speaker presents their topic.

    In the second half, Deminas talks about the situation in Russia and middle-Asia. Most delegates managed to get used to his formidable presence by now so they¡¯re finally able to listen properly.

    I¡¯m a bit worried that he¡¯ll take Fefnir with him. Fefnir didn¡¯t say anything, only Emi was explicit about not returning to Prague, but everything is changing by the minute. I hardly had any time to talk to my dear friend and every time I saw him, he was with his Patriarch. I really like having him around, will he be taken away from me as well?

    I¡¯m reunited with Erik and Gotrid at lunch. My head is slightly hurting but nothing I can¡¯t handle and their presence makes me feel better immediately. They cheerfully tell me about all those people they met and how many diplomats they managed to charm. I¡¯m smiling the whole time, I simply love listening to their voices and they¡¯ve been working hard on networking.

    Luviael wants to seat me between Werden and Emi this time but I refuse. At first, I think she¡¯ll insist I sit by the race rulers but then she nods and lets me sit next to my partners, suspecting that I need to connect to them and find my balance again. Unlike sitting next to Liana or the others, it doesn¡¯t look weird when I spread my wings to hug my partners.

    Can Gotrid hear me? Erik asks when the starter is brought to us.

    Sure, if you want me to connect you, I answer and taste something that looks like a biscuit with a cheese on top. Gotrid, do you want to try my telepathic communication?

    This time he isn¡¯t startled but he¡¯s thinking too frantically.

    Just think about what you want to say and voice it internally, I give him a hint.

    Like that, Your Majesty?

    Hey, I heard that, Erik confirms.

    Fascinating! You¡¯re truly miraculous, my Emperor!

    Act nonchalant, Gotrid, we have to be careful in public, I warn him. Talk aloud as much as you can about unimportant stuff.

    But for now, we¡¯re safe. Soup arrives so it¡¯s not weird that we don¡¯t speak because everyone is too busy sipping. Only Liana is aware that we must be communicating telepathically because it¡¯s what I always do with Erik.

    The afternoon session is broken into smaller groups so that we can discuss specific issues. Twyla and Werden go talk to the Director-General of the World Health Organisation, Deminas and Fefnir have a meeting with several Asian officials and Emi with her Beta Gin have to think of a strategy how to deal with forming Clawfang packs all over the world that are making the locals nervous.

    As for me and Liana, we¡¯re meeting the Japanese delegation to discuss the ongoing investigation. Technically, I am a Japanese citizen because I have a dual citizenship so Liana thought it might help us gain their favour but I don¡¯t think so. While I was born there, I don¡¯t behave like a Japanese and Japan is still a very traditional country in that aspect.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± the Japanese Prime Minister Ichikawa performs a perfect bow.

    It¡¯s the kind of bow he¡¯s no doubt using when addressing the members of the Japanese royal family. Naturally, he¡¯s a bit reluctant to use it with me but he doesn¡¯t let it show. To impress the delegates, I utter a few opening sentences in Japanese just to make them happy and to be seem more approachable. They certainly seem to appreciate it.

    ¡°We¡¯re truly doing our best but the investigation brought no significant results so far,¡± Ichikawa admits. ¡°The company that ran Draconia Online, Nebula, was founded in 1960s when first computers started to emerge, as a component supplier. It was pretty low-key until they launched Draconia out of the blue, stunning the whole gaming society.¡±

    ¡°But you must have spoken to the employees,¡± Liana presses him.

    ¡°We questioned everyone,¡± Ichikawa nods. ¡°But the leading developers disappeared and middle and lower echelon engineers were just taking care of the assets and servers. When we questioned the designers, they told us that they were given specific instructions on how the races and the world are supposed to look like. They claim to have no artistic freedom but being paid handsomely.¡±

    ¡°Four GMs were actually playing with us, pretending to be normal players,¡± Gotrid recalls. ¡°They must have transformed as well.¡±

    ¡°Missing as well,¡± the Prime Minister sighs. ¡°All servers have been wiped out clear. Even if someone wanted to play Draconia Online now, there¡¯s no available copy. At least no we¡¯re aware of.¡±

    ¡°So we still have no lead,¡± Liana says grumpily.

    ¡°Except maybe one,¡± Ichikawa nervously adjusts his tie and is afraid to look me in the eye. ¡°His Majesty¡¯s mother was an employee of Nebula for five years. We don¡¯t know anything about her position but the company was paying for her health and social insurance. When she left, she started her own company that also dealt with VR but it was absorbed by Nebula after her tragic death.¡±

    ¡°And you made that connection because you obviously ran a security check on our Emperor when he first appeared on the news,¡± Liana bites her lip.

    ¡°Sorry about that, we had to,¡± Ichikawa apologises. ¡°Your Majesty, I know that you were just a child but don¡¯t you remember anything at all?¡±

    I consider for a moment what¡¯s safe to reveal. I can¡¯t mention my telepathy but telling them that I was testing VR helmets could help the investigation.

    ¡°I vaguely remember testing VR headsets,¡± I say. ¡°Nothing else, though.¡±

    ¡°Testing VR gear? When you were just three or four?¡± the Prime Minister is taken aback. ¡°It¡¯s illegal to have child test subjects!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± I nod. ¡°I guess that¡¯s why Mom used her own kid. We think that it might be the reason why my VR compatibility was so high.¡±

    ¡°And you really know nothing about your presumed father?¡± Ichikawa asks.

    ¡°Nothing at all,¡± I say and a shiver goes down my spine upon just mentioning him.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be a coincidence,¡± he ponders. ¡°Your Majesty, I know that you¡¯re innocent in all that because you weren¡¯t even born when your mother was working for Nebula but it clearly does involve your family. We kindly ask for your cooperation.¡±

    ¡°Of course, you have it,¡± I promise.

    I¡¯ve been checking Ichikawa and his entourage during the whole conversation and there¡¯s nothing indicating that he isn¡¯t telling the truth or has ulterior motives. He¡¯s just a very stressed man who¡¯s desperately trying to solve a mystery while protecting his country. The Japanese government must be under tremendous pressure because it¡¯s been months and they aren¡¯t any closer to providing answers.

    We spent the rest of the afternoon discussing other important issues at hand and generally networking. Erik¡¯s presence is miraculous and, as I predicted, makes us much more approachable. I can feel that a few delegates disapprove that I have two partners now but they eventually come to terms with it. After all, I¡¯m not human so human concepts no longer apply to me.

    ¡°Can we go now?¡± I ask, exhaustion getting to me around six o¡¯clock. Fortunately, my headache isn¡¯t as bad. Having two partners by my side is really helping me out because whenever I feel overwhelmed, I just grab their hand to get into balance again.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible yet, Aefener, there¡¯s a banquet today,¡± Liana shakes her head.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we just skip, Your Excellency? His Majesty is really tired,¡± Gotrid pleads and because my link to him is almost fully established at this point, he can tell exactly how I feel when he¡¯s touching me.

    ¡°Informal networking is just as important, Gotrid,¡± she purses her lips which makes him flinch. Really, is she that scary?

    ¡°And wellbeing of your Emperor isn¡¯t?¡± Erik isn¡¯t as easily intimidated because he¡¯s used to her by now. ¡°Ryuu has been having a headache the whole day.¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s of utmost importance,¡± she sighs. ¡°But we can¡¯t leave now. Give it two more hours, okay? Then it won¡¯t look bad if we excuse ourselves a bit early.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Erik, Gotrid, I¡¯ll manage,¡± I assure them. ¡°Would you get me some of those delicious canap¨¦s to fill my stomach, please?¡±

    I discovered that the best approach to distract someone is to give them a task. It certainly works on my two lovers who run to the buffet tables to pick the best pieces and them rushing to Werden to check them.

    Liana is chatting with the Chinese delegates instead of me so I can relax for a little while. I tiredly watch the buzz in the room, realising again and again that all these top-class politicians and influential people are not as formidable as I originally thought. Just people with their agendas, some of them surprisingly quite good, the others more to the greedy egoistical side but still so human.

    I stop by the crowd near the balcony. At first, I have no idea what¡¯s bothering me because I don¡¯t feel any bad emotions. I recognise one of them, a woman who was sitting next to the Prime Minister, recording the points we went through. There¡¯s another Japanese standing a bit further away and just listening to them¡ªan elderly man with a seemingly bored expression but intense presence.

    And then I finally realise what isn¡¯t adding up. I see seven people but feel only six! But that just isn¡¯t possible, everyone is always feeling something, even psychopaths. Yet, that man¡­ he¡¯s blank. There¡¯s nothing. As if he wasn¡¯t even here. Isn¡¯t he a hologram? No, he¡¯s solid and holding a glass of wine. And then he notices that I¡¯m looking at him. He pierces me with his eyes that are black and cold.

    I want to look away immediately but I¡¯m too fascinated. How can I get nothing? Nothing at all? I focus more, maybe his imprint is just faint and I¡¯m too tired. The man smirks as if he knows what I¡¯m doing. I suddenly get goosebumps under my feathers and become really scared. He¡¯s like a black hole.

    Snooping around? an unknown voice resonates in my head, speaking in Japanese. Let¡¯s see if you¡¯re ready.

    A sharp pain goes through my skull, almost blinding me. I have no idea what¡¯s happening and how it¡¯s even possible but there¡¯s something pushing onto my mind so I instinctively push back. I¡¯m successful but that force doesn¡¯t let me rest for long and pushes again, this time more strongly.

    I have to retreat deeper into my mind to defend myself and there¡¯s another spasm of pain that makes me wobble. I feel my mental blocks crumbling.

    ¡°Aefener, what¡¯s wrong?!¡± Liana notices something¡¯s wrong with me and panics.

    ¡°Ryuuto! You¡¯re bleeding from your nose!¡± Erik quickly returns and shoves the plate with canap¨¦s to one of the delegates so that he can hold me because my legs give in.

    ¡°My Emperor!¡± Gotrid hugs me from behind and envelops me into his wings to hide me from the horrified onlookers.

    ¡°Werden, Twyla! Something¡¯s wrong with Aefener!¡± Liana shouts for our Earthborn friends.

    I want to warn them that the man is dangerous but he disappears in the commotion. I¡¯m becoming really dizzy and my vision starts to blur. I desperately call the names of my partners and then the darkness takes me.

 55. Defining Moments

    I didn¡¯t realise how many mental blocks I subconsciously built over the years until I lost them. I perceive everyone¡¯s emotions much more sharply than ever before and reach much further. Did I limit my ability on purpose to keep my sanity? I whine because my head is pulsating with a migraine strong as hell. My friends are panicking and their disturbed emotions are making my headache even worse.

    Werden and Twyla have both their rooty tentacles connected to my arms and I can feel them evaluating my condition. It seems there¡¯s nothing they can do to mitigate my shattering migraine as they have no idea how my telepathy works in the first place. But I appreciate their attempt, I¡¯m really lucky to be surrounded by good friends.

    I slowly open my eyes but close them again because the room is too bright. I¡¯m disoriented so I call for my beloved telepathically which is always easier for me and super easy without any blockers. Erik and Gotrid jump to me and push the Earthborn rulers aside. For once, they don¡¯t fight with each other.

    I connect to them the moment they touch me. Erik was always my lighthouse, my security blanket. And Gotrid as well now. I find refuge in their minds I love so much and that will never overwhelm me even when I¡¯m hurting. How could they? I¡¯ve accepted them into my mind unconditionally. I gobble their love and give them my love in return.

    I feel better after a while so I try opening my eyes again. Someone has adjusted the light so it doesn¡¯t sting anymore and my head stopped spinning at least. Erik and Gotrid are leaning over me, their eyes teary. I discover that I¡¯m lying on an outstretched sofa in one of the lounges. All my friends are here, nervous and worried.

    ¡°Aefener, are you with us again?¡± Liana hugs me, not minding that she has to squeeze between Erik and Gotrid. ¡°How are you feeling? What happened? Where you overwhelmed? Oh, I should have let you rest after all!¡±

    ¡°Li, there was a man,¡± I say hoarsely but urgently.

    ¡°What man?¡± she tilts her head. ¡°Are you running a fever? We have to get you to bed.¡±

    ¡°No, listen!¡± I clutch her robe. ¡°A Japanese man, he was standing near to the balcony with that woman who was recording for Ichikawa. I found out that I couldn¡¯t read his emotions at all and when he noticed I¡¯m watching him, he attacked me with some kind of telepathic pressure. I wasn¡¯t prepared to defend myself so I fainted.¡±

    ¡°A Japanese man? Attacking you telepathically?¡± she gasps for breath. ¡°Can you show me what he looked like?¡±

    I take a deep breath a project a memory of him into her mind as well as Erik¡¯s and Gotrid¡¯s.

    ¡°Aefener, he¡¯s Japanese¡­ evidently a telepath¡­ and looks about the right age,¡± she gulps. ¡°Do you think he could be¡­?¡±

    ¡°My father?¡± I finish the sentence and a shiver goes down my spine.

    ¡°Love,¡± Erik kisses me to calm me down. ¡°Maybe we can still catch him if we notify the security. You¡¯ve been out only for ten minutes.¡±

    ¡°And tell them what? That the Celestial Emperor has been telepathically attacked?¡± Deminas steps forward. ¡°We have to be smart about it. Everyone in that room saw Aefener going down with a nosebleed without any apparent reason. There will be lots of questions.¡±

    ¡°What are you suggesting then?¡± Emi asks impatiently and her tail is waggling wildly. ¡°That man, father or not, attacked Aefener so he won¡¯t be sticking around. And I don¡¯t think the Japanese Prime Minister has any idea who that man really is, Aefener would feel if he was lying about the ongoing investigation.¡±

    ¡°Ehm, guys?¡± Erik clears his throat. ¡°Actually, I think that I might be the best person for the job. I¡¯ll return to the banquet, calm everyone down by some cover story and try to ask around if anyone might know that man¡¯s name. I think it shouldn¡¯t be hard to convince Elizabeth and the Czech Prime Minister to help me out a bit.¡±

    ¡°Erik, it might be dangerous,¡± I don¡¯t like that idea. ¡°What if he¡¯s still there and tries to attack you instead? He knows you¡¯re my Consort. Everyone does.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ll kindly ask Emi to lend me some of her guards,¡± he says firmly. ¡°Clawfang hearing is legendary. They can eavesdrop while protecting me.¡±

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll assign you my best warriors,¡± Emi nods readily. ¡°Aefener, show all of us what that man looked like.¡±

    So I do. Emi¡¯s Beta Gin almost can¡¯t withstand me connecting to him and flinches away immediately but it takes just a second to send one image.

    ¡°We¡¯re on it then,¡± Erik kisses me one last time but I catch his sleeve when he¡¯s about to leave.

    ¡°Erik, should something bad happen to you,¡± my voice trembles. ¡°Should you be hurt¡­¡±

    ¡°Nothing bad will happen to me, I¡¯ll have Emi protecting me,¡± he assures me. ¡°Just let me do it, alright? It¡¯s high time I finally do something that isn¡¯t politics or administration. Obviously, I hate to leave you when you¡¯re so vulnerable but I can really make a difference and you have Gotrid now. I¡¯m entrusting you to him.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Erik,¡± Gotrid appreciates. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. You do yours, Royal Consort.¡±

    ¡°Take care of the Emperor in my absence, Royal Consort,¡± Erik says and gently squeezes out his hand out of mine.

    ¡°What should I tell everyone about what happened?¡± he looks at Werden and Twyla. ¡°Claiming that Ryuuto has a bad blood pressure won¡¯t cut it I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    ¡°What about mana imbalance?¡± Twyla suggests. ¡°We can say that Aefener¡¯s mana capacity keeps growing rapidly which makes his mana circuit sometimes unstable. Humans won¡¯t have any means to prove it wrong.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s actually a bullet-proof idea,¡± Liana agrees, relieved. ¡°Aefener¡¯s mana capacity does keep growing rapidly after all.¡±

    ¡°It does?¡± Erik is surprised.

    ¡°You can¡¯t feel it, Erik, but we can,¡± Gotrid says. ¡°His Majesty¡¯s mana capacity is tremendous. Monstruous even.¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± I nudge his arm. ¡°I don¡¯t like that word. Erik, be careful!¡±

    ¡°Love you,¡± he smiles at me before he leaves with Emi and her pack.

    Gotrid helps me sit and hugs me in his stead. I¡¯m really grateful that I have them both. If I didn¡¯t, Erik¡¯s plan wouldn¡¯t work because he would never leave me when I¡¯m weakened like that.

    ¡°Can you please destroy this, Deminas? With fire I mean,¡± Werden hands the Dragonkin Patriarch a bloody handkerchief that was apparently used to stop my nosebleed. ¡°We can¡¯t let anyone get a sample of Aefener¡¯s DNA.¡±

    ¡°No prob,¡± Deminas flushes fire into his hands and the handkerchief is soon just a smouldering trash. And he did all that on his palms! Fire-proof skin for real.

    After that, he and Fefnir leave as well. If we want to pretend that nothing serious happened to me, it has to look like it.

    ¡°How do we get His Majesty into the hotel?¡± Gotrid scratches his chin. ¡°He¡¯s too weak to fly and going by car in his current state is impossible. It would make his headache even worse.¡±

    ¡°I could put him to sleep like I did before when he had a migraine. Deep sleep should help him recover and he won¡¯t feel humans in the city when he¡¯s sleeping,¡± Werden offers but for some reason that makes me angry, he¡¯s talking to Liana, not me. And Liana is nodding?!

    Without actually waiting for my answer, he stretches his hands to me.

    ¡°N-no!¡± I protest but Werden¡¯s roots are already piercing my skin.

    I panic because it seems my protest won¡¯t be noticed in time so I instinctively push him back in my mind the way I pushed away my presumed father. I wasn¡¯t successful back then but Werden doesn¡¯t guard his mind, he simply doesn¡¯t have the ability to do so.

    And it works. Werden jerks away and releases his tentacles. He gasps for breath and looks at me both exceedingly curious and a bit scared.

    ¡°Hey, what the hell?¡± Gotrid reacts just a second later and envelops me into his wings protectively.

    ¡°W-what happened?¡± Liana blinks.

    ¡°He pushed me back,¡± Werden comments and massages his roots. ¡°Not with telekinesis, with telepathy. I was about to connect to his body but I was kicked out. Literally.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not tranquilizing me again!¡± I retort, my feathers all puffed with anger.

    ¡°Sorry, I just wanted to help with your easy transport,¡± Werden murmurs apologetically and gracefully lets Twyla pinch him for that.

    ¡°Seriously, Your Excellency?¡± Gotrid finally confronts Liana, the scary Viceroy he¡¯s so afraid of. Well, he isn¡¯t anymore. She¡¯s just lost some of his respect.

    ¡°I know that His Majesty can¡¯t decide anything about his own protection but don¡¯t you think that tranquilizing him against his will is going totally overboard?¡± he¡¯s furious and annoyed with her.

    Liana bites her lip. It seems it didn¡¯t occur to her that they were talking about me as if I wasn¡¯t even present. She sits on the sofa and lowers her head.

    ¡°Sorry, Aefener, I just couldn¡¯t stand seeing you hurting so much,¡± she apologises sincerely. ¡°My Celestial instincts kicked in too strongly, I was only thinking about how to make you feel better as quickly as possible and this seemed to be the solution.¡±

    ¡°The best way for me to rest is in the minds of my partners. If you took a second to actually ask me, I¡¯d tell you,¡± I hiss.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry,¡± she repeats and caresses my feathers to make me fully feel that she regrets it. ¡°Still, how are we going to transport you? You¡¯re in no shape to fly and the car is out of question.¡±

    ¡°Your Excellency, we can try a levitation platform we¡¯ve been testing,¡± Vermiel who is guarding the door suggests. ¡°It should hold two people without any problems. We can keep casting it during the whole flight and Gotrid can hold His Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s try that,¡± she agrees quickly in order not to make me mad with her again. ¡°Gotrid, can you carry Aefener?¡±

    I¡¯m worried if Gotrid is going to manage. I might be very skinny so Erik has no problem holding me but Gotrid has a fragile Celestial body. But he lifts me without any issues, supporting my weight nicely with telekinesis. So that¡¯s one less thing to worry about. I love being held by my beloved.

    I fold my wings as much as possible so that I don¡¯t wipe the floor. The guards spread their wings and march with me in their centre so that nosy onlookers can¡¯t see me. I can hear Liana talking to Ms Behera in the hall but I don¡¯t make out the words and, to be honest, I don¡¯t care. My head is killing me right now and only focusing on Gotrid mitigates my suffering.

    Gotrid? I send him my thought.

    Yes, my Emperor? he isn¡¯t startled this time.

    I love you, I say simply but convey all my feelings for him.

    ¡°Oh,¡± he sighs out and squeezes me closer to his chest. His wings start shaking but he keeps holding me firmly so I¡¯m not afraid of being dropped.

    I surprised him but I did tell him yesterday, right? Or¡­ not explicitly? Now that I think about it, maybe I didn¡¯t?! Did I just presume he must feel it from me? Again, it turns out that I¡¯m relying on my telepathy way too much. There¡¯re certain things that are better said aloud.

    ¡°I love you, Gotrid,¡± I whisper into his ear and enjoy how totally flustered he becomes.

    It makes me forget momentarily about the dread I just can¡¯t shake off¡ªthat the man who attacked me really might be my presumed father.

    *****

    In the end, the levitation platform was fairly easy to cast and maintain. It was basically one big transfiguration symbol one could step on and be carried. It¡¯ll definitely have to try it out with Erik when we return to Prague. Gotrid sat down for a better stability and put me on his lap. This time there were no drones from the media but he still wrapped me into his wings to hide me from curious army eyes.

    I dozed off in his warm embrace and woke up when he was gently putting me down on our bed and taking off my ceremonial robe.

    ¡°Is Erik okay?¡± I ask immediately.

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°He is, Vermiel told me just a minute ago that they got a call from Emi¡¯s guards,¡± he assures me and his fingers tremble when he reaches my sateen under-robe. He doesn¡¯t dare to go further.

    I look around and discover that we¡¯re alone. The guards are forbidden to enter the bedroom and the maids must have left before I woke up. Gotrid probably sent them away, wanting to take care of me himself. I feel Liana in her own apartment, no doubt working remotely with the rest of our friends who stayed at the banquet. It really is just the two of us. For the first time ever.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Gotrid realises the fact just a moment later and blushes.

    It¡¯s impossible to become physically aroused when my head is killing me but I suddenly feel excited for Gotrid¡¯s mind. I did connect to him yesterday but that was together with Erik so my attention was divided. A private time with my new partner¡ªthat¡¯s certainly something that could make me feel better.

    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m fully at your service,¡± Gotrid blurts out. He wants to sound confident but his voice is shaking. So are his wings. ¡°If you need a relaxing massage¡­¡±

    ¡°Say my name,¡± I purse my lips.

    ¡°My Emperor Aefener,¡± Gotrid tries, desperate.

    ¡°Just-the-name,¡± I insist.

    ¡°But it¡¯s so¡­ intimate,¡± he gulps. He caresses my feathers and gets goosebumps.

    ¡°Gotrid, I¡¯m almost naked and you have a problem pronouncing my name?¡± I have to roll my eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re still my Emperor, though,¡± he murmurs nervously.

    I sigh. Is this how all Celestials see me? Is that why people like Luviael and Taranah have such a problem being familiar with me even after we become quite close? Why even Liana is struggling sometimes? It seems I won¡¯t be able to do anything about them but at least I won¡¯t allow official titles when it comes to my lovers.

    ¡°First and foremost, I¡¯m your partner,¡± I take his hand. ¡°But right now my head is killing so unless you want to help me with that, I¡¯m off to sleep. Your help can start with pronouncing my name.¡±

    He turns completely red and for a long moment, he can¡¯t say anything. Then it finally comes out of his mouth¡ªsoft, full of love, gentle and shy.

    ¡°Aefener¡­¡±

    Now it¡¯s me who gets goosebumps when I hear my Celestial name being pronounced like that. It¡¯s similar to Erik pronouncing my human name but at the same time it¡¯s totally different.

    ¡°C-can we really?¡± he refuses to believe it. ¡°I feel your pain, you should rest.¡±

    ¡°I do feel weak and dizzy but I¡¯m probably the only person on Earth whose migraine gets better with sex,¡± I encourage him.

    ¡°My Emperor¡­¡±

    I poke him.

    ¡°Aefener¡­,¡±

    And then we don¡¯t talk anymore. Some things are better said aloud and some, if you¡¯re a telepath, are much better conveyed with feelings. I delve into Gotrid¡¯s mind and our mutual love allows me to establish the deepest telepathic connection. The type of connection I share only with my partner¡­ now partners.

    Too bad Gotrid can¡¯t withstand the connection for too long because he¡¯s not used to it yet and falls asleep quite early. But that¡¯s okay, our bond has been established and he deserves to rest. I cosy under his wing and follow him into sleep, not wanting to think about anything but him.

    *****

    Erik returns around midnight. He¡¯s quiet but his emotions wake me up. He¡¯s feeling extremely sad and insecure seeing me and Gotrid lying like that. We¡¯re both naked so he easily deduced that we had our first sex while he was hard at work investigating.

    ¡°Erik,¡± I whisper and throw myself into his arms. Are you okay? I switch to telepathy so that we won¡¯t disturb Gotrid.

    Totally okay, I just talked to people. How are you feeling? he caresses my hair, sensing that my head is still hurting even though I feel much better. I managed to put up some mental blockers when I was recovering connected to Gotrid.

    Sorry, is it hard for you? I worry because I can¡¯t help noticing his emotional state when he¡¯s looking at sleeping Gotrid.

    I won¡¯t lie, it is, he admits openly. But I can see that he did a very good job while I could go on a mission, knowing there¡¯s someone I can entrust you to. We¡¯ll be much more flexible from now on.

    You know I don¡¯t care about being flexible, I slowly unbutton his shirt. You¡¯re trying to rationalise it but you don¡¯t have to. It¡¯s still very new to you, take your time.

    That¡¯s not important right now, he shakes his head and takes off his pants. You were attacked, love. I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re okay.

    Did I cause a scene? What did you find out?

    A huge scene but, fortunately, our cover story was believable enough, he says. The American President was happy to see you vulnerable until he was told that it was because your mana capacity is growing rapidly. You should have seen his face.

    And the investigation on that man? I gently grab Gotrid¡¯s left wing and put it behind his back so that there¡¯s space for Erik.

    Apparently, his name is Haruto Takeda, he reveals. We thought it might be fake but Fefnir checked it and his name together with a photo came up. He¡¯s the owner of Azuchi which is a huge financial conglomerate. Takeda is a big fish in Asia, somewhat similar to Liana. He didn¡¯t come as part of the official Japanese delegation, though.

    Did you¡­? I¡¯m almost afraid to ask.

    Have a chance to confront him? No, he was long gone. Nobody has any idea where he¡¯s staying. For someone this rich, he might have a private property in New York.

    It¡¯s for the best, I¡¯m actually relieved. He managed to immobilise me so he must be extremely dangerous. Erik, I¡­ I don¡¯t want him to be my father.

    Dread overcomes me again. If that man indeed is my father, then he¡¯s someone who has no problem hurting their own child. Moreover, it¡¯s weird to imagine that might be my alternative surname. Ryuuto Takeda. But Celestials have no use for surnames. I¡¯ll always be just Ryuuto to Erik and Aefener to everyone else.

    Even if he was, our parents don¡¯t define us, he kisses me. We¡¯ll protect you from him if it becomes necessary.

    Does Takeda have any connection to Nebula? I ponder.

    Fefnir is still investigating that. The Dragonkin don¡¯t have to sleep so many hours but Celestials do. And you¡¯re still having a severe headache, hon. Let¡¯s call it a night.

    Gotrid won¡¯t be woken up easily, I say innocently and poke his chest. He¡¯s recovering from our telepathic connection.

    Ryuu, you don¡¯t have to force yourself for my sake just because you did it with Gotrid, I¡¯m fine with it, he assures me even though just that innuendo makes him excited immediately. Are you even in the mood considering what happened?

    Exactly because of what happened, I say. Erik, that man, my father or not, must be planning something. He wanted to test me¡­ see if I¡¯m ready. We don¡¯t know what the future holds¡­ how much time for each other we might have since I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor¡­ and¡­

    ¡°I know,¡± he whispers.

    His hand finds the sweet spot between my wings and stars rubbing it. I reach for his. We have to use every moment we have and devoting our time to love seems to be the only thing that makes sense.

    *****

    ¡°In a normal situation, I¡¯d recommend Aefener should still rest today,¡± Twyla is frowning. Liana asked the Earthborn rulers to check up on me in the morning but since I¡¯m still pissed at Werden, only Twyla came.

    ¡°I¡¯m quite fine,¡± I insist and impatiently flutter my wings. ¡°I need to stretch my wings anyway.¡±

    ¡°Quite isn¡¯t totally fine,¡± Erik disagrees.

    ¡°A minor headache is nothing new to me, I can work,¡± I say confidently. ¡°I¡¯m used to it.¡±

    ¡°Love, we don¡¯t want you being used to working with a headache,¡± Gotrid caresses my feathers.

    I blush when being addressed like that. Gotrid finally switched from my official title to my name and cute nicknames and since it¡¯s still very fresh from his mouth, it¡¯s making me embarrassed and moved. Also, I still haven¡¯t restored most of my mental blocks so I feel everybody¡¯s emotions much more sharply. Especially my lovers¡¯.

    ¡°I¡¯ll rest properly after the conference. Maybe I can finally take some days off?¡± I look at Liana hopefully.

    ¡°Of course,¡± she nods. ¡°But, Aefener, are you really up to it? I won¡¯t force you this time, just tell me. I think we can manage a day without you.¡±

    ¡°What if Takeda shows up again?¡± Gotrid worries. Erik briefed him about his findings immediately when we woke up.

    ¡°He won¡¯t,¡± Liana is quite certain of that. ¡°He must suspect that we know what he looks like and what he¡¯s capable of. And that we¡¯ll be protecting our Emperor from him.¡±

    ¡°So can I go?¡± I stand up and wave at Ayala and Cien to dress me up. ¡°You can¡¯t leave me here. As the Emperor, I¡¯d go crazy knowing that you¡¯re discussing such important things without me.¡±

    ¡°Okay, but I¡¯ll be checking up on you today,¡± Twyla gives a condition. ¡°You have to eat a lot and take a nap after lunch, is that understood? Gosh, you skipped dinner yesterday, didn¡¯t you? Again!¡±

    ¡°How do I take a nap at the conference?¡± I don¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Aefener, you¡¯re the Celestial Emperor, the organizers will fulfil your every whim,¡± Liana says as if it should be obvious. ¡°Just say that you¡¯re tired and ask for a private lounge for an hour. Your mana capacity is developing rapidly, remember? Let¡¯s just continue with our cover story.¡±

    We arrive at the hotel restaurant and the room grows unnaturally quiet the moment we show up. Everyone is craning their neck to take a better look at me. I guess I must have caused quite a scene, going down with a nosebleed. Emi and Deminas offered to lend me some of their guards in case I¡¯m in danger from my presumed father but I refused. It would look too suspicious.

    ¡°Your Majesty, are you feeling well?¡± Elizabeth is the first person brave enough to approach us and address the elephant in the room.

    ¡°Much better, I was just fatigued,¡± I try to sound easy-going. ¡°My mana circuit was imbalanced, that¡¯s all. Sorry if I startled you, Celestials have delicate bodies and me especially.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so relieved. Could I steal your partner?¡± she asks innocently.

    Hon, she might have some important information for us, Erik quickly sends me his thought. She helped me a ton yesterday.

    What did she think she was helping you with?

    Looking for your relatives in Japan so I was only half-lying. Don¡¯t worry, we can trust her, he assures me, kisses my hand and goes to sit with the Czech delegates. It doesn¡¯t look weird, he¡¯s just networking like everybody else.

    ¡°Your Majesty, Lord Gotrid,¡± we¡¯re approached by two Thai delegates immediately after that. Elizabeth broke the ice. ¡°Could we sit we you?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Mr Suwan, Mrs Nguyen,¡± Gotrid answers. ¡°My love, I¡¯ve got to know these nice people yesterday, they want to thank you for sponsoring the Thai Draconian embassy.¡±

    I¡¯m amazed by Gotrid. He evidently didn¡¯t lose any time yesterday and socialised like crazy. Well, he¡¯s much more extroverted than me, that¡¯s for sure. And he has incredible charisma while not being scary at all. I bet the delegates consider him to be a friendly approachable Celestial¡ªtheir bridge to me, similarly to Erik.

    I silently sigh. I don¡¯t understand why everyone thinks I¡¯m apparently super scary. I¡¯m shorter and much skinnier than Gotrid. My facial features are soft and my wings a level fluffier that most Celestials which makes me look cute I think. I don¡¯t look intimidating when it comes to my looks alone, yet I make everybody nervous.

    Except you are intimidating, Gotrid resists laughing aloud and laughs in his head instead. You look exactly like a heavenly angel whereas the rest of us are just people with wings. Your colours, androgynous features, beauty¡­ that¡¯s what makes them nervous when they look at you.

    What a strange turn of events. I was always self-conscious about my appearance, trying to hide my weirdness my whole life. I used to think that my looks might appeal only to the small niche group of gays who are into androgynous guys. But now it seems that with some promotion and my white wings and long silver hair, I¡¯m pretty much considered to be a universal angelic beauty.

    We sit with the Thai delegates and I¡¯m given a ridiculous amount of food by Cien. Her serious expression doesn¡¯t allow any protests so I obediently dig in. Gotrid merrily chats with the Thai ambassadors and the atmosphere is quite relaxed. If I wasn¡¯t constantly thinking about that man being possibly my father, I would even enjoy myself.

    I don¡¯t think Takeda will show up after what he did to you yesterday but just in case, I¡¯ve told the guards to be on the highest alert, Liana brushes my wing when we¡¯re standing up after breakfast. If you feel something¡¯s wrong, tell us immediately no matter how weird it might look, okay?

    Okay, I agree and catch Erik by his sleeve when he wants to leave with Emi.

    ¡°We were testing a levitation platform yesterday because I was too dizzy to fly,¡± I tell him. ¡°Do you want to try it and come with us?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love to, Ryuu, but we¡¯d better experiment back at home,¡± he shakes his head and kisses me. ¡°Even though I trust you with my life, I don¡¯t want to risk puking. Or ruin my hairstyle. See you in half an hour, love.¡±

    ¡°This is what you share with me, Aefener,¡± Gotrid clutches my hand and grins, excited for the flight.

    The flight provides some relief but I can¡¯t shake off uneasiness. If that man is my father, does he mean to hurt me? Hurt Draconians? How would he even know I¡¯m his son if my Mom was keeping me secret? Although, I guess it¡¯s easy to make a connection since Mom never married and my human surname is public knowledge. It might have been him who stole my feather weeks ago and he could run a DNA test to confirm if we¡¯re related.

    ¡°My love!¡± Gotrid shouts at me because I¡¯m obviously distracted. ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much, just enjoy the moment!¡±

    He¡¯s right. Whatever I¡¯ll be facing in the upcoming days, I have these precious few minutes to just fly. I alter my speed and fly up and down around Gotrid playfully. We don¡¯t have time for another aerial dance but this doesn¡¯t hinder the squadron. I¡¯m happy to see that Liana joins us. She needs to relax as much as I do, maybe even more.

    We arrive to the venue on time and Erik is already waiting for me because they left in advance. Flying is much quicker that going through the traffic after all. I run to his embrace and cameras flash. I don¡¯t care if it improves my image or whatever, I¡¯m just happy to be reunited with him.

    When we get to the hall, we have a brief and unpleasant encounter with the American President. First, he looks at Erik who is holding my hand, then at Gotrid who is casually caressing my right wing. Delgado¡¯s expression shows absolute disgust. I don¡¯t know what he hates more¡ªthe fact that I¡¯m openly gay or that I have two partners.

    I decide not to give him any ground. I¡¯m well aware that he won elections with his ultra conservative homophobic agenda so queer people in the States don¡¯t have it easy. Gotrid went through hell. More of a reason to just shove it into his face. I have two amazing partners and I¡¯m proud of being gay.

    ¡°Good morning, Mr President,¡± I greet him enthusiastically. ¡°I hope I¡¯m not late. It¡¯s not easy to accommodate two demanding partners so I tend to sleep in.¡±

    Erik and Gotrid almost burst laughing when Delgado turns red. Liana resists rolling her eyes at my remark but I feel that she¡¯s glad that I¡¯m not afraid to tease one of the most powerful people in the world. I kiss my partners goodbye in front of him and claim my seat.

    The talks are going rather well. The US government is still in a strong opposition towards us but we gained support of the European Union and other race rulers also promised to cooperate fully in Europe so other countries gradually soften up.

    I¡¯m starting to think the whole conference will go smoothly and we¡¯ll achieve most of our goals when I suddenly get goosebumps under my feathers. It¡¯s as if something is wrong¡­ very very wrong. I quickly scan the building telepathically but I find nothing at all. No terrorist planting a bomb, no immediate danger in our vicinity.

    Yet, all my instincts are screaming. My wings twitch, demanding to be spread. It¡¯s not about running away, though. I get an adrenaline rush as if my body is preparing itself for a battle. Am I going nuts? Did I have too much caffeine in the morning?

    But then I look around and notice that all my friends also seem uneasy. Deminas even stood up and startled people sitting around him. Emi is anxiously scratching the table in front of her and Twyla with Werden released their roots.

    ¡°S-sorry, what¡¯s the matter?¡± the person currently speaking stops because the delegates start murmuring, pointing at us.

    Vermiel with the rest of the guards run to me, bewildered. They have no idea what¡¯s happening but they form a protective circle around me and Liana just in case. Soon after that Gotrid bursts into the hall, followed by a totally confused Erik. In a second, Gotrid is holding me in his firm embrace.

    ¡°Ryuu, what the hell is wrong with all Draconians?¡± Erik asks anxiously.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± I gulp. ¡°But something is happening¡­ something bad.¡±

    Humans in the hall start to panic. In any other situation, they might have thought that we¡¯re plotting something but they can see that we¡¯re genuinely scared. And that makes them even more panicky.

    I use that Gotrid is shielding me from curious onlookers with his wings and close my eyes to concentrate better. I found nothing in the building but what about outside? But then I realise that whatever it is I¡¯m sensing, I¡¯m not detecting it with telepathy because the others feel it as well. It¡¯s like vibrations in space itself.

    ¡°Someone, put it on the projector!¡± a French delegate shouts and is waving his hand holding a phone. When no one from the organizers react immediately, he runs to the lectern, connects the phone himself and switches on a huge 3D projector.

    It¡¯s one of those online streaming news services that regular people can contribute to and news with most watchers get to the main channel. This one is showing a street in New York with terrified people running away.

    There¡¯s something monstruous chasing them but even if the cameraperson¡¯s hand is shaking, I can make out the blurry image. My heart skips a beat and everyone gasps for breath. But only my friends¡¯ eyes widen in a dreadful recognition.

    It¡¯s the heligorr, a monster from Draconia Online.

 56. The Day Monsters Attacked

    I¡¯m staring at the heligorr and, surprisingly, my panic mitigates. I still can¡¯t believe it but I instinctively know what I have to do. I take a deep breath and with a little focus, I¡¯m pretty sure I can point towards the source of that disturbance we¡¯re all feeling.

    My Celestial nature kicks in full force, ready for a battle. My Emperor¡¯s nature follows, ready to give orders. I don¡¯t have time to analyse the situation or ponder how such a thing is even possible. All I know is that we have to stop it.

    ¡°You three stay here to protect my partner,¡± I assign two guards and Cien, ¡°the rest departs immediately,¡± I command and my voice is absolutely firm. Just in case, I release my mana to make Celestials obey me without protests. Not that I really need it, the idea of not listening to their Emperor doesn¡¯t even cross their minds.

    ¡°Ryuu!¡± Erik clutches my hand, terrified. He¡¯s slowly realising what I¡¯m about to do. He twitches when he tastes my mind. I¡¯m not making even the tiniest effort to feel more human to him right now but he doesn¡¯t let go of my hand. I love him for that.

    ¡°Your Majesty, we¡¯re ready when you are,¡± Liana addresses me with my title but this time I don¡¯t mind, it feels appropriate. Her eyes are burning with readiness.

    ¡°Emi, Deminas, Twyla, Werden,¡± I turn to other race rulers. ¡°Do you know where to go? Can you feel its direction? It¡¯s not very far. We¡¯ll try to hold it until you get there.¡±

    They all nod, swiftly instructing their own forces.

    ¡°Love!¡± Erik shouts at me desperately when I push him to the guards. It breaks my heart because I promised him I won¡¯t do it again but there¡¯s no other way.

    ¡°I need to keep you safe,¡± I whisper. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you won¡¯t be of any use in a battle. Try to keep everyone calm here, please.¡±

    We have to go, a second lost might mean another innocent civilian killed. Windows in these super modern air-conditioned buildings usually can¡¯t be opened so I decide to shatter them with telekinesis. The delegates scream but I safely steer the shards away. Then I jump, spread my wings and take off with one mighty flap.

    I love you and I¡¯ll come back to you, I send Erik one last thought before we¡¯re out of range.

    Our coordination is perfect. We immediately form a neat squadron with me, Liana and Gotrid in the centre and there¡¯s no hesitation in the minds of my subjects. Questions will have to wait, now we need to focus solely on the quest awaiting us. Despite confusion and disbelief, I find myself feeling excited for the upcoming battle and so are my friends.

    I¡¯m really grateful to Cien that she forced me to eat so much in the morning. I¡¯ll need those calories. Dammit, I shouldn¡¯t have skipped dinner even if I didn¡¯t have any appetite yesterday. I make a quick promise to myself to eat better in future. It never occurred to me before that my eating peculiarity could jeopardise anything. But it can, I see it now.

    I look at Gotrid flying next to me and he looks back with a mixture of excitement and fear. I feel both relieved to have him by my side and worried that he might get hurt. Still, there was no chance he would listen to me if I ordered him to stay with Erik. Celestials have to obey my commands unless it concerns my protection and I bet he would justify it as being there to protect me.

    My love, whatever happens, Gotrid sends me his thoughts. I hope you understand that our priority is to protect our Emperor. Should the battle go wrong, we¡¯ll do anything to get you to safety.

    Noted, I answer to calm him down because I was expecting it anyway.

    ¡°Shit, it¡¯s really a heligorr!¡± Miruel shouts when the monster becomes visible.

    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s huge!¡± Taranah gasps for air.

    The monster is as big as three elephants but this is where the similarity ends. Its mouth is full of spiky teeth in three rows, it has four eyes, two in front, two at back, black thick skin, six legs and a shell on its back. Its pincers resemble a crab but only remotely.

    I see several police cars around it. The police officers are firing at the monster and trying to get people to safety. But their weapons have little effect, bullets cannot pierce its thick skin and even thicker shell and even if they hit its legs, they don¡¯t do any damage.

    ¡°Vermiel, fly to the police and tell them to get out of here,¡± I order. ¡°Miruel, Taranah, shield the civilians. The rest of us will focus on dealing damage.¡±

    ¡°Heligorrs are vulnerable to ice, they hate the cold,¡± Gotrid recalls. ¡°If they¡¯re the same as in the game¡­¡±

    ¡°We also hate the cold,¡± Liana reminds everyone. ¡°Let¡¯s be careful with our spells. We¡¯re not losing anyone, do you understand? And protect our Emperor at all costs!¡±

    We descent and it¡¯s as if the monster can sense our mana. It looks up, stops attacking civilians and turns its attention to us.

    ¡°Acid spit!¡± Taranah warns us because he recognises heligorr¡¯s posture.

    Fortunately, it cannot reach that high but as the spit drops down again, it starts falling onto the police officers. Vermiel quickly casts a protective shield above them, shouting to get the hell out of here. They finally start running away.

    I make sure that there¡¯s no chance I might hit humans accidentally and cast the biggest ice spike I can at my current level. I send it falling on the heligorr and it lands on its hard shell with a loud thud but except for angering the monster and scratching its shell, it doesn¡¯t do much.

    ¡°We need to attack its head,¡± Liana suggests. ¡°The shell is too hard to break with our current skills.¡±

    Everyone starts conjuring smaller ice spikes and throwing them on the monster¡¯s head. They hit more often than not and the heligorr seems to hate the cold but we still don¡¯t do much damage. We try aiming at those four eyes but it¡¯s as if its eye lids are iron.

    And then the heligor takes a nearby car into its pincers and throws it at us, just like that. We¡¯re hovering fifty metres above so it seems impossible but the car reaches us and shatters two of our shields. One of the royal guards gets thrown away because of the shock wave but, fortunately, she manages to catch her balance again.

    We try to distract it by flying around in circles and while the heligorr does have four eyes, it has only two front pincers it can use to grab things. Still, our shields keep shattering one by one. In the game, a heligorr was a level 20 monster found in dungeons as a floor boss. No easy task for beginners.

    Unlike the game, however, we can be much more flexible here. We¡¯re not bound by pre-programmed environment that won¡¯t allow certain things and we can combine our skills in creative ways. I¡¯m confident we can defeat it.

    Li, look out!!! I warn her telepathically because the heligorr spits again in her direction while she¡¯s trying to help Taranah get a human from under the rubble. The heligorr is smarter than it looks. We were trying to make it busy but it still went after our momentarily weakest link.

    Liana¡¯s eyes widen when she hears my telepathic message but she evades in time and creates a shield above Taranah who finally manages to telekinetically lift the debris and free the person underneath.

    I realise that I revealed my little secret just now but I had no other choice, Liana wouldn¡¯t hear me otherwise, it was too noisy to shout. And I don¡¯t mind really, what¡¯s some stupid secret in comparison to saving my best friend? At least I could test that it works with my Viceroy as well because I wasn¡¯t sure.

    ¡°Oh no!¡± Vermiel cries because he spots smaller figures starting to crawl from behind the building to our left.

    ¡°Filandras?!¡± I open my mouth, shocked by another type of monster appearing.

    Filandras are rat-like monsters, not really that dangerous but quite big and they always attack in huge numbers. We¡¯re safe from them in the air but there¡¯re still people scattered around the place, too hurt to move or trapped. Filandras might be mere pests for Draconians but serious threat for humans who have no means to defend themselves.

    Just as I¡¯m about to panic that we won¡¯t be able to save everyone, I hear a battle roar and it¡¯s lovely music to my ears. Emi and her pack arrive, running faster than a car in city traffic. They got here just in time!

    ¡°Aefener, focus on the heligorr, keep it busy and leave filandras to us!¡± she shouts at me. ¡°The Dragonkin should be here in five minutes, they aren¡¯t such fast runners.¡±

    I feel relief that I can focus on the heligorr again. In the game, a medium-level Dragonkin with a hammer could crack its shell but no such luck here. We need a different strategy. It would be handy if I could lift off the heligorr so that it can¡¯t do any damage with its legs and pincers but the monster doesn¡¯t even budge when I try. It must weigh at least 12 000 kilos.

    ¡°What about sucking all air around its head?¡± Gotrid suggests when another ice spike of his gets shattered, just scarring its skin a bit. We¡¯re gradually becoming exhausted, we have to end it quickly or we¡¯ll run out of mana.

    ¡°It can hold breath for hours,¡± I shake my head. ¡°I¡¯ll try to freeze its head completely in one go but you¡¯d need to hold it for at least three minutes while I¡¯m preparing the spell. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll focus its attacks on me when I do. I suspect it can sense when we activate our mana circuit.¡±

    ¡°Protective formation around His Majesty!¡± Gotrid commands the fleet, gets in front of me and casts another shield just in case. He becomes my last line of defence. I just hope it won¡¯t come to that.

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    I take a deep breath and start casting the spell. I¡¯m not sure if I can actually manage to pull it off because ice barrier is a level 20 spell but I need to try. I should have enough mana so it¡¯s just a matter of whether I can channel it efficiently and create such an elaborate transfiguration symbol with my current level which is about 15 at the moment.

    In the game, the system wouldn¡¯t even let you attempt a skill above your level but there¡¯s no such limitation here. The only limitation now is our own mana capacity, channelling technique, knowledge of a specific spell and the ability to execute it properly. Which is, in fact, much harder than in the game even though one limitation disappeared.

    Celestials are elemental mages. We can control any element except for the earth which is the Earthborn territory, obviously. But while we can freeze the water, we have to be aware that it¡¯s still our racial weakness and not let it get too close to us. Even the transfiguration symbol that materialises as a hologram in front of me gives off chilly air that makes me uncomfortable.

    I get startled when one of the shields around me breaks because the heligorr does focus all its attacks on me now but Miruel has two more in place and is immediately restoring the broken one. I have to trust my friends and not be distracted.

    That¡¯s the problem with complex magic¡ªit requires a long preparation and absolutely no interruptions. I focus again and the symbol gets stronger. I decide to put two more minor transfigurations inside to strengthen it and feel my mana being quickly depleted. Can I finish the spell before running out of fuel?

    I chew my lip. I do have much bigger mana capacity than the rest of Celestials but my problem is that I just don¡¯t eat enough. I don¡¯t have any fat I could burn. Although my very body cells are full of mana¡ªand that¡¯s what makes me the embodiment of magic I guess¡ªit would endanger my life to channel it from there so I have only my mana circuit just like any other Celestial. Or¡­ not?

    Wait a second! Gotrid and the others claimed that my mana in monstruous, they can¡¯t mean the mana in my cells, right? Oh, I¡¯m so stupid! There¡¯s another source, an outrageously rich one. My wings! Unlike normal Celestials, I have the unique ability to store mana my circuit produces in my feathers! How could I forget about it?

    I try harnessing that power, channel it to strengthen the spell and¡­ it does work! The transfiguration symbol finally shines bright blue as it should and is ready to deploy.

    ¡°Now!¡± I shout at Gotrid who makes an evasive manoeuvre so that he¡¯s not in the way and I throw the spell at the heligorr.

    It has emotions I realise a second before the spell hits its head. They¡¯re primitive and crude but it does feel. The heligorr experiences dread and panic as it senses instinctively that it¡¯s going to die. But I don¡¯t feel sorry for it, that¡¯s not in my Celestial nature. We¡¯re in the battle and it¡¯s my enemy. It hurt and killed many innocent people. It deserves to be eradicated.

    I mercilessly seal the spell and heligorr¡¯s head turns into a huge cube of ice. The monster desperately tries to break the ice with its pincers but it¡¯s futile. This is no mere ice crust; I froze every cell in its head instantly. Its last attempt is just a bodily twitch, nothing more.

    The monster¡­ is dead.

    I gulp. I needed protection while casting but, in the end, I killed it single-handedly. I feel proud about myself, I get a dopamine rush and my Celestial nature is overjoyed. But I also realise that I¡¯m potentially much more dangerous than some heligorr. And that was just a level 20 spell, nothing to brag about if Draconia was still a game.

    Humans have every right to fear me. To fear Draconians. It¡¯s in their best interest to want peace because war would be devastating to them, not us. Sure, no shield can probably protect against a nuclear bomb but Draconians don¡¯t have a country humans could attack. We¡¯re scattered all over the world, we live everywhere. And that¡¯s what makes humans uneasy the most.

    ¡°You did it, Your Majesty!¡± Celestials start flying around me in a joyful victory dance.

    It might be too early to celebrate but as I look down, I see that the Dragonkin finally arrived as well and are decimating filandras side by side with Clawfangs. I¡¯m impresses seeing Fefnir literally tearing one monster apart with brute force of his hands. Giving them proper swords, they would be unstoppable.

    But it¡¯s no time to relax yet. While I don¡¯t sense any new monsters emerging, I feel the pain of injured people all around me and it¡¯s maddening. I might be the best Celestial battle mage but, first and foremost, I¡¯m an empath. I can¡¯t help feeling compassion towards people, regardless of whether they are my race or not.

    ¡°We have to help them!¡± I say urgently and head down.

    I land neatly but my legs give in the moment they touch the pavement and I end up on my knees, panting. I¡¯m more exhausted than I thought now that I¡¯m not so pumped up with adrenaline. And I¡¯m starving.

    ¡°My love!¡± Gotrid lands just a second after me and goes for a comforting hug. ¡°Here, eat this.¡±

    He fishes a protein bar out of his robe and I have never been more grateful for food in my entire life. I gobble it in a matter of seconds.

    ¡°Cien gave it to me this morning just in case you skip a meal again,¡± he explains with a smile and is caressing my wings. ¡°We did it, love! We killed it! You killed it!¡±

    ¡°Is His Majesty okay? Gosh, that must have taken a ton of mana,¡± Taranah lands next. ¡°A level 20 ice barrier? Amazing!¡±

    ¡°Just tired and hungry,¡± Gotrid assures him and everyone else because all Celestials go for landing one by one, worried sick about me.

    When sugar from the bar gets into my blood stream, I feel immediately better. I still need a proper meal as soon as possible but at least I¡¯m able to stand up again.

    I shudder when I look around. The heligorr wreaked a havoc and the street is full of dead humans. But there¡¯re also a lot of people we saved and should be okay when given medical attention. I see Fefnir taking a heavy pole off a person buried under it. It¡¯s a young woman and looks about my age. Probably still a student.

    ¡°I can¡¯t feel my legs,¡± she¡¯s crying.

    My eyes get teary when I fully realise the gravity of what just happened. These innocent people were attacked by a monster from our game! How is that even possible? Will it happen again? And what if it¡¯s somehow our fault? But I don¡¯t have time to ponder when there¡¯re people suffering around me.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be okay,¡± I hurry to the woman and catch her hand. Her pain and fear overwhelm me for a second but I don¡¯t flinch. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, we can surely heal you.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± the woman keeps crying and is freaking out that the Celestial Emperor is touching her but otherwise it seems she trusts me. I let her pet my feathers to calm her down while I active a transfiguration symbol for a level 15 healing, hoping it¡¯ll work on a spine injury. But as I¡¯m about to apply it to her, a hand lands on my shoulder.

    ¡°Leave healing to us, Aefener, you¡¯ve done enough.¡±

    It¡¯s Werden, the Earthborn have finally arrived. Unfortunately, being slow when it comes to movement is their racial weakness. Celestials can fly, Clawfangs can run really fast and the Dragonkin have great stamina so they can also run reasonably well. The Earthborn were the only ones who had to use cars to get here. But that¡¯s fine, their powers will be most useful after the battle anyway.

    ¡°Hello, young lady,¡± Werden kneels and takes her hand instead of me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing our Earthborn healing wouldn¡¯t be able to mend. You¡¯re hurting too much, I¡¯ll put to sleep, okay? When you wake up again, you¡¯ll be in hospital and in need of some rehabilitation but you should feel your legs just fine.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± the woman sighs out in relief. She believes every single word Werden said and Werden himself is confident about his abilities. He can really mend a broken spine!

    ¡°My darling, King Werden is right, let¡¯s leave healing to the Earthborn. We¡¯re too exhausted anyway,¡± Gotrid pulls me up.

    I hug him tight because my head spins. I feel light-headed because of starvation and the emotions all around are starting to overwhelm me. But I have him with me and finding refuge in his mind helps a lot.

    ¡°This thing,¡± Deminas is curiously knocking on the heligorr¡¯s shell, ¡°do you think we could turn it into useful materials for crafting?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid secret services will be here soon and confiscate the monster for research,¡± Liana has to disappoint him and glances at me with narrowed eyes. I guess we¡¯ll have a serious conversation about my levelled-up telepathy when we return.

    ¡°Eh? No way, we¡¯re taking it,¡± Deminas frowns. ¡°We need that chitin.¡±

    I watch him, astonished, as he orders his subjects to start peeling the heligorr out of its shell. I have to turn around because the sight of it makes my stomach turn upside down. Celestials never used parts of dead monsters, not even when Draconia was still a game. It seems we won¡¯t be starting that now either.

    Then federal agents start arriving. Ms Behera with the army shows up as well and also damage control, paramedics and the media. Humans are running all over the place: taking care of the wounded, freaking out over dead monsters, documenting and interrogating witnesses.

    The Dragonkin don¡¯t let anyone get even close to the dead heligorr so agents are twice as anxious. They try to disperse the onlookers but we¡¯re in the middle of New York and people are watching from office buildings, slowly getting out of shops where they hid and everyone is holding their phone.

    The government officials aren¡¯t brave enough to antagonise Draconians in any way. We killed the beast while their police couldn¡¯t do anything. The Earthborn are cooperating closely with paramedics and I see Emi carrying a little boy who got separated from his parents. Not even she with her hate for humanity is indifferent towards children.

    The paramedics are astonished by what the Earthborn can do. Doctors are watching in disbelief as broken bones and open wounds are being mended in front of their eyes and firefighters are in genuine admiration with Dragonkin strength and fire-proof scales.

    ¡°Your Excellency, please,¡± Ms Behera approaches us, pleading. ¡°We need samples but the Dragonkin won¡¯t let us near that crab monster.¡±

    ¡°They just want the chitin, you can have the rest for research,¡± Liana assures her. ¡°Did any street camera catch the moment those monsters started appearing?¡±

    ¡°We have no idea how such a thing is even possible!¡± Ms Behera is freaking out.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem any less possible than us turning into fantasy races,¡± Liana says impatiently. ¡°Do have the recording or not?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re just processing the request,¡± Ms Behera gulps and looks around again, horrified. ¡°This is insane¡­ insane!!!¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, eat this,¡± Luvi is suddenly shoving a hot dog and a can of iced coffee into my hands. ¡°It¡¯s vegetarian and one of the Earthborn checked it so it¡¯s safe to eat.¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± I don¡¯t understand how she came by food but I take a bite immediately. My body desperately needs calories.

    ¡°I got it from there, desperate times call for desperate measures,¡± Luvi points towards an abandoned food stand.

    I take another bite. It¡¯s just cheap street food, nothing that my subjects would serve me in a normal situation, but it tastes heavenly.

    ¡°Want some?¡± I offer the hot dog to Gotrid because I can sense that he¡¯s also quite hungry even though his hunger isn¡¯t as urgent and doesn¡¯t make him dizzy.

    He politely shakes his head and keeps caressing my feathers until I finish eating. When he feels I¡¯m stronger and hopefully won¡¯t faint, only then he opens his wings and lets me face the commotion again.

    My subjects don¡¯t want to let me but I insist I want keep helping. I entrust dealing with agents to Liana and focus on helping people who weren¡¯t hurt themselves but were still affected. Every stressed-out person we help means less telepathic strain on my brain. I¡¯m somehow managing only because Gotrid is constantly touching me so I can stay connected to him.

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡±

    A man who had his shop damaged by the heligorr thanks me when I use telekinesis to get the shards of his broken shopping window away and use my healing powers on his dog that got cut. No paramedic would bother with a pet right now but I¡¯m not indifferent towards animal suffering either.

    ¡°You know,¡± the shopkeeper speaks up shyly when I¡¯m about to leave to help another person. ¡°I was against you.¡±

    I slowly turn around and study his face. He¡¯s a man in his fifties and I notice a little cross on a necklace around his neck. He¡¯s feeling bewildered, scared, still in a shock and doesn¡¯t really understand what just happened. And right now he¡¯s talking to the Celestial Emperor who was just a very distant figure from the media until now. The idea of meeting me in person was unthinkable for him.

    ¡°But you¡¯re kind,¡± he continues. ¡°You might be alien but you¡¯re no monster. I¡¯ve met a monster today and it wasn¡¯t you.¡±

    ¡°Ehm¡­ thank you?¡± I¡¯m not sure how to react.

    ¡°You mess with my beliefs, though,¡± he nervously plays with the cross. ¡°Because right now I¡¯m looking at angels. It¡¯s too much to digest, to be honest.¡±

    ¡°You can take your time,¡± I say softly, ¡°we don¡¯t want to force anyone to understand right away because we¡¯re still figuring things out for ourselves but¡­ maybe¡­ don¡¯t hate us just because?¡±

    The man is staring at me for a long while, thinking frantically.

    ¡°That might be a good start,¡± he nods in the end.

 57. Task Force

    ¡°Ryuu!¡± Erik almost suffocates me with a hug the moment he sees me. ¡°You left me behind¡­ again!¡± He¡¯s mildly annoyed with me but he¡¯s happy that I returned unharmed so I¡¯m forgiven instantly.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have a choice,¡± I shower him with kisses, not caring that everyone is staring at us.

    ¡°I know you didn¡¯t but I can still be angry. I was so worried!¡±

    ¡°Were you okay here?¡± I¡¯m making sure because the atmosphere in the room is extremely tense.

    ¡°You mean except for freaking out that monsters from Draconia Online appeared in the real world? Everyone is panicking, of course! A few delegates even had a mental breakdown. I¡¯m managing only because I¡¯m used to weirdness by now.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Mrs Duke, the UN Secretary-General, addresses me urgently and she¡¯s this close to a mental breakdown herself. ¡°We have to establish a task force immediately. Please, come with us.¡±

    Embarrassment aside this time, I take both of my lover¡¯s hands because I crave intimacy. Considering what just happened, nobody really cares about that anymore. A threat to humanity itself is a much bigger issue than disapproving that the Celestial Emperor has two partners.

    I try to provide Erik with some comfort, assure him that everything¡¯s going to be fine. But I can¡¯t send an emotion I¡¯m just not feeling myself. I might not be freaking out but I¡¯m just as anxious as everyone else. The thrill of the battle is still partly resonating within me but I¡¯m afraid that humans will despise us even more¡ªblame us that those monsters are appearing because of us.

    Love, don¡¯t close your mind to us, Gotrid sends me his thought because I intentionally cut off myself to them just now. We¡¯re here for you to share your worries.

    You¡¯re doing it again, Erik seconds. Taking all responsibility on your fragile shoulders.

    I calm down a bit. Whatever future might hold, I have my beloved. I also have Liana and the others. They¡¯re right, I¡¯m not alone in this.

    We¡¯re being led to a smaller meeting room since I destroyed the windows in the big hall. Cien manages to find us something to eat and we¡¯re all given sandwiches, cookies and coffee. We¡¯re munching hungrily while the room is getting filled with the delegates. Snacking during meeting must be totally against the protocol but screw that.

    ¡°We should wait until the other race rulers return,¡± I say because it seems Mrs Duke wants to start right away.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t returning anytime soon,¡± Liana shakes her head. ¡°The Dragonkin are still skinning the heligorr, the Earthborn went to hospitals to take care of the wounded and Clawfangs are helping with damage control.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°They agreed to leave international politics to us,¡± Liana reminds me.

    ¡°She¡¯s right, let¡¯s just start,¡± Gotrid agrees and stuffs his cookie into my mouth in exchange for my coffee because I had one a short while ago and too much caffeine messes with my anxiety.

    I frown. This is exactly the outcome I didn¡¯t want to happen¡ªCelestials taking the political initiative and me being seen as the representative of all Draconians. But I guess that concern is secondary right now considering that monsters from our game appeared in New York.

    ¡°Please, show us the footage,¡± Mrs Duke lets Ms Behera in front of the lectern.

    I crane my neck and see our army caretaker sitting next to Delgado and other US representatives. They all look grim, dead serious and when it comes to their feelings, they¡¯re panicky and bewildered. Well, at least I made sure they aren¡¯t psychopaths. They do care about the safety of their citizens.

    ¡°This footage from a street camera documented the moment those monsters started appearing,¡± Ms Behera plays the recording on a 3D projector.

    We¡¯re all watching in disbelief because it¡¯s as if the monsters suddenly appeared out of thin air. But only apparently, I notice that the space itself distorted somehow a few seconds beforehand and the monsters came out of that.

    ¡°What are we looking at?¡± Bennett purses his lips and is nervously thumping his fingers against the table.

    ¡°Our scientists think it might be some sort of interdimensional portal,¡± Ms Behera answers uncertainly. ¡°The time space itself started distorting overlaps with the time Draconian delegates started to feel uneasy.¡±

    ¡°You think Draconians might be sensitive to it?¡± Ichikawa asks.

    ¡°We know nothing so far,¡± she shrugs. ¡°All we have is this footage and a bunch of dead monsters in the centre of New York. Only one thing is certain¡ªregular firearms weren¡¯t much effective against them.¡±

    ¡°I bet we could take out that huge crab monster with enough military power,¡± Delgado comments venomously, despite the fact that it¡¯s his colleague presenting.

    ¡°Military power in the middle of New York City? With civilians in the way?¡± Mrs Duke is horrified by that idea. ¡°There would be many more casualties!¡±

    ¡°Are you omitting on purpose that our powers were extremely effective?¡± Liana speaks up, annoyed.

    Delgado twitches and Ms Behera is afraid to meet our eyes. The atmosphere is tense and not only because of the monsters. They finally saw what we can do. The whole world saw it. Sure, the monsters were scary but we decimated them.

    Bennett coughs.

    ¡°Right now our priority should be to find out how is such a thing even possible and stop it,¡± he says. ¡°While it¡¯s not any more shocking than people transforming into fictional races, these monsters endanger civilians. We have to prepare for global panic.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be a coincidence!¡± Delgado clicks his tongue. ¡°The Great Evolution happened months ago, yet this rift or whatever it is appeared when all race rulers were present at the same time and place.¡±

    I actually agree with him this time and recall Takeda¡¯s words before he attacked me. Let¡¯s see if you¡¯re prepared. I thought he meant to test me if I¡¯m prepared to withstand his telepathic pressure but what if I was wrong? What if he wanted to test all of us to see if we can defeat those monsters? Is he controlling them somehow?

    ¡°If it¡¯s not a coincidence, are you implying that someone has the technology to make those monsters appear?¡± Mrs Duke gasps for air.

    ¡°Is that less probable than sitting in the room with angels who can do magic?¡± Delgado snorts. ¡°Someone or something must have triggered it.¡±

    We keep discussing the issue for two hours straight. We even invite via a video call several quantum physicists to help us understand at least something but they¡¯re also staring at the footage with open mouths, lost for words. They formulate a few theories but that¡¯s all it is for now¡ªtheories.

    During a short break, we call Ingri and Zetraya and ask about the situation in Europe.

    ¡°Panic, what else,¡± Ingri sighs on the camera. ¡°My parents are totally freaking out and told me they¡¯re thinking about redesigning their wine cellar into a shelter where they could hide and barricade themselves should monsters appear near our house.¡±

    I shiver. What if it comes to that and monsters start randomly spawning around the planet?

    ¡°Aefener, it seems that sensing those rifts is inborn to all Draconians,¡± Liana caresses my left wing to calm me down. ¡°As is the desire to battle these monsters.¡±

    ¡°You think that Draconians living in the area would instinctively hurry there and try to kill whatever comes out of the rift?¡± Erik scratches his chin.

    ¡°Hopefully?¡± she can¡¯t be certain. ¡°The problem is that our levels are still very low.¡±

    Lunch follows. I see that the delegates are eating just to fill their stomach and almost no one has real appetite which isn¡¯t surprising. It must look twice as weird that we Celestials are literally stuffing ourselves and are asking for second helpings. Liana goes to sit with Bauerova and Elizabeth, leaving her chair empty for a visitor.

    ¡°Is my husband okay?¡± Deminas¡¯s wife Anya claims that chair right away. She¡¯s nervous and worried. ¡°He didn¡¯t take his phone.¡±

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t injured,¡± I assure her. ¡°I think the Dragonkin are just too busy dissecting the monster. It must be hard to salvage the chitin, heligorrs are very sturdy.¡±

    Anya turns green.

    ¡°Not during lunch, hon,¡± Erik nudges me. ¡°You Draconians might be used to it from the game but most of us have never seen even a dead animal.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I apologise and take another bite of my veggie burger. ¡°Obtaining valuable materials out of dead monsters is a normal practice for other races.¡±

    ¡°Not for Celestials?¡± Anya asks curiously.

    ¡°Nope, it¡¯s too messy and there¡¯s nothing of value to us,¡± I say. ¡°The Dragonkin and Clawfangs are after rare materials, the Earthborn are interested extraordinary genetic features but there¡¯s really nothing for us in it. We don¡¯t forge armour, use weapons or create medicine.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°We¡¯re interested in other stuff,¡± Gotrid explains to both her and Erik. ¡°Rare minerals, precious metals and such.¡±

    ¡°Like gems and crystals?¡± she tilts her head and leaves her lunch half-eaten.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± he nods. ¡°When it comes to racial crafts, Celestials were enchanters and jewellers in the game.¡±

    ¡°Were or still are?¡± she starts playing with her ring that has a small gem.

    ¡°That remains to be seen,¡± I say.

    ¡°So you could enchant this?¡± she takes the ring off and passes it to me.

    ¡°Eeeh,¡± I¡¯m not sure what she expects me to do.

    ¡°Enchanting unlocks at level 35,¡± Gotrid comments. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have that particular skill yet¡­ if we ever will.¡±

    ¡°Maybe something simple would work?¡± I chew my lip, suddenly eager to at least try and berating myself for not considering it earlier. ¡°We learnt that previous level system doesn¡¯t limit us as much anymore.¡±

    ¡°Maybe not you, our embodiment of magic,¡± Gotrid chuckles. ¡°They pretty much still apply to the rest of us.¡±

    I realise Mrs Anya handed me her wedding ring. Her eyes are sparkling with curious anticipation and Erik is also intrigued. Hmm, so how do I go about it? In the game, it was just a matter of taking an item out of inventory, casting a compatible spell and binding the symbol into it. The effects depended on one¡¯s level and the amount of mana invested.

    No such shortcut here but I want to try. I decide to imbue the ring with something useful for her especially and conjure a transfiguration spell for minor passive healing. The symbol materialises as a hologram in front of me which isn¡¯t really that impressive even though it leaves Mrs Anya in awe.

    The tricky part is to get the spell into the gem somehow and make it stay until it runs of energy. I make an effort to minimalize the symbol into a tiny letter and send it towards the gem in the ring. The gem flashes for a second and then it¡¯s back to its original colour. I¡¯m relieved that I didn¡¯t accidentally destroy the ring¡ªDeminas would kill me¡ªbecause that can also happen if the caster isn¡¯t focused enough.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work or not,¡± I return the ring to her.

    Mrs Anya puts it back on her finger eagerly and sighs out.

    ¡°It¡¯s pleasantly warm,¡± she announces. ¡°What¡¯s the effect?¡±

    ¡°Passive healing,¡± I say. ¡°Can you wear it for a day or two and then tell me if you feel any different?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± she nods enthusiastically. ¡°I hope it eases my back pain. Deminas asked some of his Earthborn friends to take a look at me and they helped a lot but I¡¯m afraid not even they can help with normal signs of getting old.¡±

    ¡°Well, this healing is Celestial and it¡¯s not exactly made for humans,¡± I admit. ¡°Its effects will probably be only temporary since your back pain is a chronic issue and you don¡¯t possess a mana circuit it should properly react to but it might alleviate your pain for a while. If it works, that is.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see, thank you,¡± she smiles gratefully and goes back to the Dragonkin table because she finished eating anyway.

    ¡°Seriously, Aefener?!¡± Liana pronounces my name angrily. I twitch because I didn¡¯t notice she returned from her chat with the Czech Prime Minister. ¡°Did you just try to casually enchant something?!¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­ yes?¡± I¡¯m taken aback because I don¡¯t understand why she¡¯s angry about it. Erik doesn¡¯t know either but Gotrid slaps his forehead, grasping the mistake but far too late.

    ¡°And you do realise that you did it in front of everyone?¡± she hisses and rolls her eyes ostentatiously.

    ¡°Oh,¡± I freeze and look around. The delegates are staring at me, craning their necks to see better if the wings of my guards are in the way.

    ¡°Li, there¡¯s no point being angry with him,¡± Gotrid wraps his hand around my back. ¡°Our Emperor is the embodiment of magic so he doesn¡¯t realise when he¡¯s doing something extraordinary.¡±

    ¡°Yep, no common sense when it comes to magic,¡± Erik seconds.

    I frown at both of them because they didn¡¯t defend me against Liana and because they tend to agree with each other only when it comes to my quirks.

    ¡°It might not even work,¡± I try to make light of it.

    ¡°Knowing you, it will,¡± Liana purses her lips and brushes her wings against mine.

    And don¡¯t you think that I forgot about your long-distance telepathy you kept secret, she says menacingly. We¡¯ll have a chat about that soon.

    The lunch is over and we continue the meeting. While the delegates are arguing about almost everything, nobody believes that the attack was an isolated incident. The minimum in which all countries find the common ground is that we need to protect people. Not even Delgado argues with that however much he resists cooperating with us.

    Deminas finally returns twenty minutes into the afternoon session. He didn¡¯t bother changing his clothes which are stained in several places with monster blood and stink from skinning the heligorr. The delegates have to exercise remarkable self-control not to wrinkle their noses when he sits down. Some of them even turn pale at the sight of blood.

    ¡°I¡¯ve met a few local Draconians who showed up to help us,¡± he says, his deep voice resonating. ¡°It seems that regardless of one¡¯s level, we all felt when the rift opened approximately in the twenty-kilometre radius. High-levels hurried to the source on instinct, only they were too far so they arrived after the battle.¡±

    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is¡­?¡± Mrs Duke doesn¡¯t dare to push him.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying that in case of another monster attack, Draconians in the vicinity will voluntarily come to help,¡± Deminas claims.

    ¡°And what makes you think we¡¯ll allow you to become armed forces?¡± Delgado almost jumps from his seat and is clenching his fists.

    A heated debate follows. I¡¯d probably develop a splitting headache because of so many jarred emotions all around me but Gotrid and Erik are holding my hands under the table, putting my mind back to balance. Their mental states couldn¡¯t be more different. Gotrid is feeling thrill and excitement, he¡¯s still pumped up from the battle. Erik is shocked and worried about his friends and family.

    I realise I need both of their points of view. I have to see how Draconians perceive this turns of events and how humans react. As for myself, I¡¯m torn. My Celestial nature reacted exactly as it should and my Emperor¡¯s nature made me a perfect commander. There¡¯s no humanity in me left, yet, there¡¯s still something interfering with my pure Celestialness¡ªbeing a telepath and an empath.

    And it alters my perception more than I thought. I refused to see it before but I finally have to admit to myself that I never quite understood the world the same way everyone else does. It doesn¡¯t have to be a bad thing necessarily but if I want to become a good ruler, I need other perspectives. Fortunately, I have my partners who can provide that for me.

    We¡¯re here for you, love, Erik gives me a faint smile, the best he can muster in a current situation.

    ¡°Now more than ever we need to progress with the investigation,¡± Delgado says, his tone accusatory.

    ¡°You think we¡¯re not doing enough?¡± Ichikawa gets offended. ¡°We ran all security checks, read all logs, interrogated everyone at Nebula, are always on the lookout for those missing developers¡­ we tried everything!¡±

    ¡°We still have dead monsters to research that can shed some light. They are being transported to our scientific facilities as we speak,¡± Ms Behera tries to calm her President.

    ¡°Only after they were scavenged by Draconians,¡± Delgado hisses angrily.

    ¡°Our kill, our loot,¡± Deminas loses his temper and hits the table in front of him, startling everyone in the room. For a Dragonkin to lose his cool, Delgado must really get on his nerves.

    ¡°Although it was our Emperor who killed the heligorr,¡± Gotrid mumbles silently so that only our circle can hear it.

    I poke him. Now¡¯s not the time to argue who did what exactly. The Dragonkin took care of filandras and helped rescuing humans. I wonder why Emi didn¡¯t return. Since Deminas is here, it must mean the situation is under control for now. I doubt Emi would stay longer than is necessary just for humans¡¯ sake. Did she ditch politics completely?

    ¡°Celestials offer full cooperation,¡± I declare to prevent any misunderstandings from the start.

    ¡°And what does that mean, Your Majesty? Just so we¡¯re clear,¡± Bennett raises a question. ¡°Of course, we¡¯re happy for you saying so, I mean no disrespect.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll welcome any experts on the matter you send to us, we¡¯ll share information we acquire and expect the same from you, we¡¯ll cooperate with your police force and the army considering they won¡¯t hinder us,¡± I name a few points that come to my mind.

    ¡°But the monsters we kill will be primarily ours,¡± Deminas adds quickly.

    ¡°With sharing samples, naturally,¡± I narrow my eyes at him.

    I don¡¯t want to say I misjudged Deminas but it seems that the saying is true: Only real situations prove one¡¯s character. In this case, a racial trait. It¡¯s not like the Dragonkin are hoarders but they do have a tendency to be very possessive of whatever they deem worthy to use in their weapon and armour crafting.

    ¡°Sharing samples is fine with us,¡± Deminas agrees in the end.

    And another round of talks follows. It doesn¡¯t seem I¡¯ll be able to take that nap Twyla was recommending.

    ¡°It¡¯s as if this is all one big conspiracy, a part of someone¡¯s plan,¡± a German representative sighs. ¡°First, new races start appearing literally overnight. Then, these monsters only Draconians can fight effectively. What¡¯s next?¡±

    ¡°Must be aliens,¡± someone mutters mockingly. Only it doesn¡¯t sound that far-fetched so everybody twitches nervously in their seats. Because despite how amazing the technology of the 22<sup>nd</sup> century is, humanity doesn¡¯t have the means to make something like this reality.

    After we agree on the basic points of cooperation, the discussion gets to a dead end of assumptions and wild guesses. Mrs Duke lets a few crazy theories to be heard before she officially ends today¡¯s meeting because it doesn¡¯t go anywhere and everyone is dead tired.

    ¡°The priority is to ensure the safety of our citizens,¡± she summarises. ¡°Police and army forces all over the world should be on the highest alert and be ready to cooperate with Draconians who might spontaneously show up should monsters strike again.

    I feel that Delgado is pissed about the outcome. As the president of one of the most influential countries in the world, he can dare to disagree with the UN arrangements. But if he blatantly refused everything we agreed on and American citizens would come to harm because of that, he would be seen as incompetent so he was forced to make some concessions and commitments.

    There should have been another banquet tonight but, considering the circumstances, it was cancelled. I¡¯m really glad I don¡¯t have to force myself to socialise after all that happened.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ride with Deminas, don¡¯t worry,¡± Erik says when it¡¯s time to depart.

    I keep kissing him until he has to push me away into Gotrid¡¯s embrace or I wouldn¡¯t leave him. Our flight goes without any hindrances but it¡¯s far from relaxing. Even though we¡¯re flying quite high up so the telepathic imprints from below are just ambient echoes to me, I can feel that humans are scared and in a shock. What if they hold it against us?

    Aefener, can you hear me? Liana is focusing intensely, consciously sending her thoughts to me. She adjusts her speed to match mine so we¡¯re flying next to each other.

    I can, I answer resignedly, expecting to be berated.

    Why didn¡¯t you tell me? she asks but her tone isn¡¯t accusatory. Your Consorts know, don¡¯t they?

    I wanted to share something special with them, I reply slowly. Also¡­ it makes me nervous every time my telepathy gets stronger. I didn¡¯t want you to make a fuss.

    Is this how you see it? she¡¯s sad about it. You¡¯re afraid to confide to me because I¡¯d make a fuss?

    I didn¡¯t mean it like that, you have my absolute trust, I say quickly. I simply wanted to have a little secret. You do realise that I don¡¯t have any privacy?

    I¡¯m sorry, Aefener, she sighs in her mind. We want to give you as much privacy as possible but you¡¯re our Emperor. We¡¯re scared something bad might happen to you. We need to protect you all the time so that we¡¯re able to sleep. How can be protect you effectively if we don¡¯t know that your telepathy got more acute? You might be more susceptible now.

    I try to understand that, Li, I really do. But these days I can¡¯t even decide what to wear and what to eat. You¡¯re total control freaks, I say the harsh truth openly.

    She nervously flies up so now she¡¯s hovering a few metres above me. I can feel her thinking frantically but she doesn¡¯t formulate her thoughts clearly enough and with the intention to send them to me so I can only guess what is going through her head.

    My love, Gotrid addresses me instead. Were you talking to the Viceroy just now? Nothing pleasant I presume? You¡¯re frowning.

    He feels my inner struggle because he¡¯s perfectly attuned to me by now. He starts flying around playfully to distract me. I give in and join him in a Celestial courtship dance, this time fully knowing what we¡¯re doing and with Erik¡¯s blessing. My escort gives us a few minutes of free flight to just enjoy ourselves because who knows when we¡¯ll have time for it again.

 58. Panic Escape

    Being forcefully woken up is never a nice experience. Erik is trying his best to be gentle but he disturbs my deep sleep so I wake up disoriented and groggy. We went to bed immediately after we returned to the hotel and had dinner yesterday but I still feel like I didn¡¯t get enough rest.

    ¡°What¡¯s the time?¡± I groan, unwilling to open my eyes just yet.

    ¡°Five thirty,¡± he starts tickling me under my feathers. ¡°Sorry, love, but the night guards woke us because the situation demands it. Monsters appeared in Europe a few minutes ago.¡±

    I¡¯m suddenly wide awake, quickly sit up and accidentally hit Gotrid with my wings. But he¡¯s not annoyed at all and gives me a good morning kiss. I calm down a bit. For a second, I thought that I have to solve everything myself¡ªsuch is my Emperor¡¯s nature I guess¡ªbut that¡¯s not true. I have my partners and other people I can rely on.

    ¡°Dress me immediately,¡± I order my maids because they¡¯re waiting at the door anyway.

    It seems I was the last person they woke up. All the guards are on the highest alert, I sense Liana working in her apartment and my partners are already dressed. What the¡­?

    ¡°It¡¯s more efficient that way,¡± Gotrid answers my unspoken question. ¡°Now we can focus on quickly taking care of you while you had a few more minutes to sleep. You¡¯re the one who needs to be well rested in order to make important decisions.¡±

    I resist arguing with them, run off to wash my face and let my maids dress me. My today¡¯s robe is dark violet with golden ornaments, really pretty and royal. I want to speed the process but Ayala and Cien insist I need to look my best and spend the usual amount of time combing and styling my ridiculously long hair.

    ¡°It happened in Greece,¡± Liana blurts out the moment we meet in the hall.

    ¡°How many casualties?¡± I gulp and clutch Erik¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Four, it was only low-level monsters this time and a few Clawfangs who were nearby managed to put them down rather quickly,¡± she summarises for me.

    I shiver. Four is still four too many. Four people who didn¡¯t have to die. If my father is somehow responsible for this, then he¡¯s a psychopathic criminal and he needs to answer for it.

    ¡°We have to get to the UN headquarters under thirty minutes,¡± Vermiel tries to hurry us. ¡°The other representatives are already on their way.¡±

    ¡°If we start arguing about political bullshit again¡­,¡± I frown.

    ¡°I doubt that, not this time,¡± Liana shakes her head. ¡°We need to agree on specific steps how to deal with the threat, there won¡¯t be any sugar-coating and nonsense.¡±

    ¡°Gosh, I¡¯d kill for a cup of coffee,¡± Gotrid cries.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have quick breakfast once we get there,¡± Cien assures us.

    ¡°Emi didn¡¯t return at all?¡± I notice that I don¡¯t feel her in the hotel. That¡¯s strange, where did she sleep? I hope she¡¯s okay.

    ¡°No idea,¡± Vermiel waves his hand and makes it clear that their only interest is me, their Emperor.

    ¡°What took you so long?¡± Deminas is waiting for us in the lobby. His wife Anya isn¡¯t with him. He either let her sleep or didn¡¯t take her with him on purpose in order to protect her.

    No such luck with Erik, he simply wouldn¡¯t let me leave him here. But I¡¯m actually glad for that. We¡¯re going into a political battle, not real combat, so I don¡¯t have to fear for his safety. Besides, I¡¯ll need all the support I can get and having a proactive partner is definitely a plus. Erik senses what goes through my head right now and give me a reassuring smile.

    ¡°His Majesty was exhausted after the battle, Celestials need to sleep much longer than the Dragonkin,¡± Gotrid purses his lips at Deminas while I decide to just ignore his rude remark.

    ¡°Fefnir, hi, I didn¡¯t see you much yesterday,¡± I greet my old friend who¡¯s standing by his Patriarch.

    ¡°I was in charge of transporting that chitin,¡± Fefnir grins at me proudly. ¡°Exciting, right? If innocent people weren¡¯t killed, I¡¯d enjoy it.¡±

    ¡°Exciting isn¡¯t the word I¡¯d use,¡± Erik murmurs, quite disturbed.

    But I actually understand Fefnir, I really do. The battle yesterday was both scary and exciting. If I wasn¡¯t worried about the civilians, I¡¯d also enjoy casting high-level spells and coming up with a strategic plan. I don¡¯t admit it in front of Erik, though. He wouldn¡¯t get it.

    ¡°Any idea where Emi is?¡± I ask Fefnir.

    ¡°Oh, she didn¡¯t return?¡± he scratches his scaly chin. ¡°The last time I saw her she was telling me that she¡¯s going to meet Clawfang packs living in New York. I bet she stayed with them. Don¡¯t worry about her, she can take care of herself and she has her pack. I think she pretty much ditched politics by now anyway.¡±

    Ditched politics¡ªwhat luxury! Emi is lucky her race is so carefree. There¡¯s no such thing as ditching politics for Celestials. Other races are probably right; we are intellectual snobs.

    I kiss Erik who joins Deminas while we prepare to take off in front of the hotel. Despite the early hour, the parking lot is in an uproar with drowsy delegates quickly getting on their transport. Ms Behera isn¡¯t here to check on us this time, I bet she¡¯s too busy and we finally earned some of their trust so they eased our surveillance.

    We spread our wings and get into the air. The journey goes as usual, we get higher up so that the city isn¡¯t so draining on my brain. The flight is relaxing whether we feel like it in the moment or not¡ªI guess it¡¯s the combination of exercise, fresh air and dopamine.

    ¡°Hold!¡± Vermiel suddenly stops our squadron and makes us hover.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I ask, confused. It¡¯s still a bit dark and Celestials don¡¯t see that well in the dark, our eyes are adjusted to bright sun. But Vermiel must have spotted something.

    Gotrid automatically flies in front of me just in case. Liana takes my right side, Taranah my left, Miruel goes behind me and Ayala below. They form a protective circle around me.

    And then I feel it¡ªsentient minds, hundreds of them. No, thousands even? What the hell is happening? I finally make out countless small dots in the sky which are growing bigger and soon I recognise those figures have wings. Celestials are coming from all directions.

    I shouldn¡¯t be afraid. I mean, these are my people. But the sight of it makes me uneasy. What are they doing here? Will they feel about me the same way as my closest subjects? What if they won¡¯t? But the other prospect is even scarier: What if they will?

    The flock reaches us and there¡¯re countless winged-people everywhere. I don¡¯t feel any bad intentions but it¡¯s evident they intentionally blocked our way. We¡¯re surrounded.

    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Liana shouts authoritatively. ¡°You¡¯re obstructing our official state business. We have an important governmental meeting.¡±

    One Celestial man leaves the flock and flies to the hearing distance. He has grey wings with a black pattern, short blond hair and a face with sharp but quite handsome features. He might be around the same age as Liana and the predominant trait I¡¯m catching from him is headstrong. His wing colour and pattern seem somehow familiar.

    ¡°We come in peace,¡± the man declares. ¡°Although not without demands, esteemed Viceroy.¡±

    ¡°You dare to demand something? Now? When the world is in crisis?¡± Liana gets angry. ¡°How did you even find us?¡±

    ¡°We came to claim our Emperor,¡± the man says simply. ¡°And we can feel where our embodiment of magic is at any time. Don¡¯t you? Or are you selfishly never leaving his side so you didn¡¯t notice?¡±

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    I blink several times, not quite understanding. What did he just say? Maybe I¡¯m just not as wide awake as I thought I was.

    ¡°We wanted to wait after the conference so that His Majesty can do his job without us interfering,¡± the man continues. ¡°But there¡¯s no point in kindly waiting now, not after yesterday. You can obstruct us no longer, Viceroy. You were deaf to our pleads and this is the result. We¡¯re done being patient.¡±

    Liana hisses and bites her lip.

    ¡°Li? What is he talking about?¡± I frown because I can sense that Liana is hiding something. Unlike me, she knows exactly what he¡¯s talking about.

    ¡°You¡¯re Soren, aren¡¯t you?¡± she wrinkles her nose. ¡°The agitator of¡­ whatever this is.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy that you finally remembered my name despite that fact that I¡¯ve been bombarding you with requests for an audience for weeks now,¡± he snorts.

    ¡°Liana, what is it all about?¡± I get anxious.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aefener,¡± she apologises and looks at me guiltily. ¡°But I used your trusting nature and didn¡¯t always tell you everything.¡±

    ¡°Wh-¡­?¡± I open my mouth. ¡°You lied to me about something?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d never lied to you,¡± she shakes her head violently. ¡°I just didn¡¯t always tell you all the things that are going on. We didn¡¯t want to overwhelm you unnecessarily. Erik was afraid that you have too many worries as it is. You were often this close to collapsing.¡±

    ¡°Erik is in it with you?¡± I can¡¯t believe my ears.

    ¡°We just wanted to protect you,¡± she says firmly. ¡°Aefener, have you never thought it strange that we allow only a selected few Celestials to actually meet you?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by a few? I¡¯m always surrounded by dozens,¡± I don¡¯t follow. ¡°I¡¯m hardly ever alone even in my apartment.¡±

    ¡°I mean in comparison to this,¡± Liana points around. ¡°We didn¡¯t want to overwhelm you so we deliberately kept the number of people that could approach you an absolute minimum. We meant to keep increasing it gradually until you get used to it and other races leave the skyscraper to make more space. But your subjects ran out of patience. They¡¯re angry at us for hoarding you to ourselves.¡±

    I stare at her in disbelief. Hoarding? Me? I¡¯m not a thing one could hoard! I look at Gotrid and since he¡¯s been with me only for three days, he couldn¡¯t have been part of their crazy scheme. Yet, it seems he suspected that Celestials are angry with Liana for keeping me in isolation. He knew and didn¡¯t tell me anything.

    ¡°Your Majesty, we simply want to serve you,¡± that man¡ªSoren?¡ªsays softly. Not a chance that would calm me down. But I finally remember why his wings and name sound familiar.

    ¡°Are you the guild master of Silent Star?¡± I guess.

    Silent Star was one of the wealthiest Celestial merchant guilds specialising in enchanting and trading gems. I think I met Soren once or twice while he had an official business with the royal guild but I wasn¡¯t the one handling the trade and his virtual face was obviously different from his real one.

    ¡°I¡¯m honoured you remember me, Your Majesty,¡± he appreciates. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, we didn¡¯t want to startle you but we had to act. The Viceroy and her inner circle can¡¯t usurp you forever. I understand that you needed time to adjust and we gave you some time but monsters from Draconia appearing change everything.¡±

    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± I still don¡¯t understand his agenda.

    ¡°From you?¡± he laughs, amused. ¡°No, Your Majesty, the question is what do YOU want from US. We¡¯re prepared to follow your orders.¡±

    I quickly analyse the feelings of all the Celestials gathered here. They¡¯re overjoyed to finally meet me in person, excited that they have a reason to seriously level up now and eager to prove themselves to me. They¡¯re hungry¡­ for a conquest.

    Even though Celestial minds don¡¯t strain my telepathic brain, my head spins. I suddenly find it hard to breathe. It¡¯s been weeks since my last episode so I naively thought that I overcame my panic attacks by gaining some confidence. But facing human politicians isn¡¯t half as scary as facing thousands of fanatical Celestials who expect great things from me and treat me as their god.

    I¡­ I need a breather¡­ time to think¡­ to collect myself and decide what to do next. To be finally ALONE! My logical thinking is overshadowed by panic in an instant. I need to get out! All my thoughts are focusing on one thing only¡ªhow to escape this situation. It¡¯s neither brave or reasonable, it¡¯s pure anxiety.

    I¡¯m surrounded but I have a huge advantage. I¡¯m confident that I¡¯m the fastest Celestial in the world. If I utilise all my skills, they won¡¯t be able to catch me.

    I fold my wings closely to my body, create a mighty air thrust to propel me and shoot out like a rocket. Everyone is too shocked to react immediately which gives me a few seconds of head start. And those few seconds are all I need to slip through their bodily barrier.

    I flap my wings freely now that I have space and speed like no other Celestial can. My subjects are screaming by now and come after me but they can never catch up. I¡¯m the embodiment of magic as well as the air and this is my domain. I use the wind to help me speed up even more while creating reverse currents to slow my pursuers.

    And then I lose them. I¡¯m finally alone. Alone in a broad vast sky.

    *****

    I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve been flying but it must have been at least two hours because what snaps me out of it is exhaustion. Even the embodiment of magic has limits. Especially the embodiment of magic who didn¡¯t have a chance to eat breakfast and is starving by now.

    To my horror, I realise I wasn¡¯t paying attention to the scenery below me and was flying without any sense of direction. The long flight cleared my head and calmed me down. It allowed me for a moment to forget the weight of responsibility and my lack of freedom. But now I¡¯m facing a peculiar problem¡ªI seriously have no idea where I am.

    Dammit. Of course, I don¡¯t have my phone! Recently, I don¡¯t really carry it with me. My old account was deleted so that my previous human acquaintances can¡¯t contact me and my new Celestial ID was created only so that I could browse the internet. The Celestial Emperor has little use for a private phone since every communication towards me is handled by the Royal Office first.

    So¡­ now what? Should I try flying higher to see better into the distance? But I suck at geography so it probably wouldn¡¯t help and my current robe isn¡¯t made for low temperatures. I can¡¯t risk catching hypothermia.

    I have to land, it¡¯s inevitable. My wings are tired and my mana almost depleted. I used too much air magic to get away. I still have a significant amount in my feathers but I don¡¯t want to use it just to prolong my flight. I might need it to defend myself.

    Have I just done the most immature thing in the world? I flew away. I didn¡¯t face my subjects properly. I didn¡¯t convey my needs and thoughts on the matter in a calm reasonable way that could be understood. I let panic get the best of me and this is the result. I¡¯m lost, starving and exhausted.

    I desperately want to go back and feel the minds of my friends again. I crave my partners. I¡¯m not even mad at Erik and Liana anymore, I understand why they did it. They wanted to shelter me from my fanatical subjects for as long as possible, considerate of how fragile my mental health is.

    Not knowing what else to do, I head down into the forest below me. It¡¯s vast with huge trees so I bet it must be a reservation. Funny, I¡¯ve never really visited a real forest before as greenery is rare in cities. More of a reason to see it and make most of my little¡­ trip. Gosh, Liana is going to kill me.

    I carefully go for landing, not sure how soft or firm this forest ground is¡ªI¡¯m a city person through and through¡ªbut it¡¯s softer than expected and comfortable to land on. I fold my wings and take a deep breath of smelly forest air which is so different from the air in high altitudes.

    My problem didn¡¯t disappear with me safely landing, though. I still have no idea where I am and since it¡¯s just me and my feelings, I can be sure there¡¯s nobody in the vicinity. It¡¯s both a good thing (I¡¯m safe from humans) and a bad thing (there¡¯s no one I could ask for directions).

    I walk around for a few minutes, admiring the trees and touching the greenery. I feel animals around me but their emotions are too weak and crude for me to hold onto them. Also, I find out that they avoid me. Do they instinctively sense I¡¯m dangerous? I guess I don¡¯t have to be afraid of encountering bears and wolves then.

    After a while, I resignedly sit under a tree. The nature is beautiful but I¡¯m simply not equipped for such environment. My legs are starting to hurt because my shoes aren¡¯t meant for this kind of terrain and moreover because my Celestial feet are rather delicate.

    Fefnir is often making fun of us¡ªsaying that we¡¯re birds¡ªbut he can¡¯t be further from the truth. Birds are part of nature so forests and parks are their home. Celestials, however, belong to floating cities. Ideally, we¡¯re not meant to touch natural ground at all. Our bodies are not adjusted for that.

    I¡¯m starting to think I¡¯m screwed. I¡¯m getting dizzy because of hunger and my stomach is rumbling painfully but I¡¯m no Earthborn to expertly find edible berries and mushrooms. I¡¯m definitely no Clawfang to hunt and I¡¯m not able to digest meat anyway. And I¡¯m no Dragonkin to survive literally anywhere. I¡¯m a frail Celestial who belongs to the sky and shiny palaces, not here.

    I notice that my feathers got dirty and it makes me even more anxious. I hate seeing my white wings stained. It¡¯s unbecoming of a Celestial, not mentioning of the Celestial Emperor. I suddenly feel like taking a long bath and for once long for my nosy maids. They¡¯re doing such a good job taking care of me, my partners and my home, I see it now. I make a promise to myself to appreciate them more.

    ¡°Ouch,¡± I whine and massage my temples.

    I¡¯m starting to develop a headache which is strange considering there¡¯s nothing that could agitate my brain. Or maybe exactly because of that? Maybe telepaths aren¡¯t meant to live in seclusion. Maybe we need a constant telepathic stimulation. Total emphatic silence is stifling and unnerving.

    But how could I know that beforehand? Nobody taught me anything. As far as I knew, I was the only telepath. Now there¡¯s also that Takeda person who might or might not be my biological father but I don¡¯t want to think about him at the moment. I¡¯m starting to arrive at the conclusion that too many emotions are still a better alternative than no emotions at all.

    I sigh. What should I do? I can rest my wing muscles just fine but that doesn¡¯t fix the fact that I desperately need to eat something. But I don¡¯t dare to eat anything in the forest, my stomach is weak as it is. I can¡¯t afford even weak food poisoning.

    Too exhausted, hungry and sleep-deprived for coming up with any sort of plan, I snuggle into my wings and lie down. The moss is soft enough but I can¡¯t shake off the unpleasant feeling that it¡¯s dirty and there must be bugs everywhere. I think the Earthborn and Clawfangs can emit pheromones to repel insects, lucky them.

    The consequences of what I¡¯ve done are slowly coming to me. Liana must be so furious while Gotrid and Erik worried-sick. I¡¯ll get punished this time, definitely. My prospects don¡¯t look good but I¡¯m too tired and my feathers are nicely warm. I decide to take a short power nap before finding my way back.

 59. Iâ€™m the Emperor

    A short power nap helped to rest my wings but hunger got progressively worse. I squeeze my painfully growling stomach and sigh. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, my wings are starting to itch. Did some insects bit me while I was sleeping? A forest really isn¡¯t a place for a Celestial, I need to get out of here.

    I try to stand up but I get dizzy immediately. I can¡¯t seem do to anything on an empty stomach. It¡¯s our general racial weakness but, as always, I have it much worse. For some reason I got everything Celestial-related seriously loaded and that applies to magic abilities as well weaknesses. Another mystery to solve. Why me? What makes me so special?

    I land back on soft moss, cross my legs, snuggle back into my wings and decide to just wait to be rescued. It¡¯s not very heroic but it is what it is. I simply can¡¯t move, my body is too starved. I used to carry a GPS tracking device but that was before my friends were able to accompany me during flights so I have nothing on me right now.

    Wait a second, didn¡¯t that Soren guy mention something about Celestials being able to sense where I am? Could that be true? If so, I should be eventually rescued even if I stay put. On the contrary, it would be probably easier for them to find me if I don¡¯t move.

    I feel partial relief but it mainly freaks me out. If my overwhelming mana capacity is like a beacon to Celestials, it means they can track me and there¡¯s no place for me on the whole planet to hide. I¡¯m bound to my subjects forever; they will never let me go. This Emperor business is life sentence which, in my unfortunate case, could mean centuries.

    Would I really abdicate if I had a chance, though? Putting aside our strange lore which says the Celestial Emperor cannot abdicate because they are the embodiment of magic¡ªone of a kind¡ªthere¡¯s also that part of me which just feels like the Emperor. I am the Emperor.

    No, I don¡¯t like politics. I don¡¯t want such crushing responsibility. But, at the same time, there¡¯s that burning desire deep within me that wants nothing else than to ensure that my subjects are safe and our race has future. I want and I have to protect Celestials. It¡¯s like a calling I can¡¯t ignore.

    I¡¯d never worked so hard before as during these past months. Yet, I don¡¯t particularly mind. Of course, I¡¯d welcome actual free time but working ten hours every day doesn¡¯t feel like such a chore when I¡¯m doing it for my race. For all Draconians. Liana is a workaholic because that¡¯s just the way she is but I work hard only for others. Is that an empath¡¯s quirk or the Emperor¡¯s? Or possibly both so I really can¡¯t fight the urge?

    I pull my wings tighter and hug my knees. I wanted some alone time to think but, the truth is, the unnatural telepathic silence is so stifling it makes me anxious. I shouldn¡¯t have flown away. Not only it was stupid and immature of me, I crave the minds of my friends and even the people I don¡¯t know that well. I think it¡¯s pretty much confirmed¡ªtelepaths cannot stand solitude.

    In the end, I¡¯m quite happy with being found as soon as possible. However, there¡¯ll have to be some significant changes. I understand that Liana, Erik and the others wanted to protect me but they have to understand that¡¯s not the way how to go about it. I¡¯m afraid the only way how to make them finally understand is to act more imperial.

    More¡­ imperial. I chew my lip. Am I still afraid of certain parts of me? Am I subconsciously acting meeker because I don¡¯t want to be feared? I was always a rather timid person but I was never really scared of people. I longed for connections, I was just worried they¡¯d find out about my telepathy sooner or later, call me a monster and report me to the government.

    Well, I don¡¯t have to be worried about that anymore. All my friends accepted my extra sensory ability rather easily and, in the eyes of Celestials, I guess it simply makes me even more powerful. And should human governments find out eventually, I have no doubt my subjects would protect me fiercely.

    I take a deep breath to calm my wildly beating heart but I¡¯m more excited than anxious now. I was gradually working on this and I think I can finally do it. I¡¯ll stop hiding my true self¡­ this time for real. Entirely. I¡¯ll take a leap of faith. I¡¯ll put all trust in the people who care about me¡ªwhich ultimately means all my subjects I guess¡ªand hope for the same treatment.

    And for the fuck¡¯s sake, I should stop being afraid of what I can do. I defeated a heligorr yesterday. Human politicians are becoming a piece of cake for me. I just flew away from thousands of Celestials. Why am I still underestimating myself? What¡¯s holding me back? There¡¯s nothing for me to fear anymore.

    And I shouldn¡¯t suppress my powers either. I take another deep breath and decide to destroy all my mental blockers in one go. I was so desperate to put them up again after Takeda shattered them that I refused to admit I felt much freer without them. I thank them for protecting me for all those years when I did need them and then dissolve them peacefully.

    It¡¯s like a heavy weight has been lifted from my chest. I¡¯m a telepath and I should be proud of it. I try to comfort myself that there¡¯s no way the things I¡¯m supposed to perceive would harm me. Sure, too much is too much but that also applies to music that is too loud and light too bright. Normal intensity shouldn¡¯t be a problem. It won¡¯t be a problem anymore. I¡¯m sure about that.

    With my brain taken care of, I continue with dissolving the tension in my body. I kindly remind myself that my cells and feathers are full of mana and there¡¯s no longer any need to keep it contained. Why am I in a constant self-imposed spasm? Why am I deliberately hurting myself?

    My mana is leaking anyway, I¡¯m not that successful in hiding my true potential and Celestials feel it. Well, let¡¯s take that barrier down as well, I promised myself no more hiding. I let my mana flow freely through my body and overflow out of my pores. It¡¯s liberating experience, like finally taking a full breath after years of having asthma.

    The last step is the one I¡¯m most afraid of¡ªaccepting my Emperor¡¯s nature unconditionally. There¡¯s a lot to worry about. What if I suddenly long for conquest? What if I stop seeing others as my friends and will think of them only as my subjects? What if I start to be bothered that Erik is human?

    I shiver and have to use all my willpower to overcome the fear and just tear that mental barrier down as well. It crumbles, my Emperor¡¯s nature fully manifests but¡­ nothing else happens. I feel exactly the same. I¡¯m pretty sure I allowed myself to be the Emperor through and through but, as far as my emotions and thinking go, nothing changed really.

    My biggest worry was that I would lose my kindness. But I didn¡¯t. My mind feels the same. I¡¯m still an empath who naturally cares about other people, the Celestial Emperor or not. I¡¯m still a geek who loves games and books and my idea of a perfect weekend is gaming and reading. I can still enjoy being held by my partners and be vulnerable around them.

    I feel joyful relief. This is the very first time in my entire life when I finally feel at peace with myself. I never thought it possible but I realise I like what and who I am. My body relaxes as years of tension dissolve. I even think that I might have overcome my anxiety disorder because the root cause is gone now.

    I¡¯m confident that I can face my subjects now. There are friends among them but, overall, I¡¯m not against thinking of them as my subjects anymore because I am their Emperor. It¡¯s just stating a fact, I don¡¯t feel conceited about it. Celestials want their Emperor so let them have the Emperor. I accept it now. I accept everything.

    And if they feel it in their very genes that they need to protect me so desperately, so be it. I guess it would be a disaster to them to lose the embodiment of magic. But they will get the Emperor with everything else as well¡ªthe whole package. I won¡¯t be just their pretty shiny treasure. I¡¯ll be their true ruler. They¡¯d better be prepared.

    I¡¯m ready to get across a few things as clearly as possible. But for that, I need to be found before I die of hunger. I probably managed to cross hundreds of kilometres in just a few hours, that¡¯s why they didn¡¯t find my yet. They can feel where I am, they just can¡¯t fly that fast. At least I should be more easily detectable now, my mana is flowing without any obstructions so if I¡¯m a beacon to them, I just started to glow like a sun.

    Not knowing what to actually do while waiting, I cross my legs and start meditating. I¡¯m enjoying it much more now that I¡¯m so relaxed. It¡¯s not a chore Julia made me do anymore, it¡¯s mental hygiene for my mind, similar to taking a hot bath. From now on, it¡¯ll be doing it with pleasure because I like how it balances me and cleanses mental clutter.

    I don¡¯t know for how long I¡¯ve been meditating and getting used to being without any mental barriers but eventually I hear a sound of countless wings flapping. At last, I¡¯m found!

    ¡°My love!¡± Gotrid lands right in front of me and goes for a feathery hug.

    He¡¯s crying and his tears are making my own face wet but I don¡¯t mind. I feel immensely relieved that we¡¯re reunited. I don¡¯t regret flying away because I needed it but I regret leaving him. He must have been heart-broken that I panicked even though he was there for me. I hope I didn¡¯t hurt him.

    ¡°I was so scared!¡± Gotrid is kissing me all over and I feverishly return his kisses.

    ¡°Aefener, do you want to give us a heart attack?!¡± Liana lands just a few moments later. ¡°Do you have any idea how scared we were?¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I say simply.

    It was immature of me, sure, but I don¡¯t think I need to profoundly apologise. It was their fault for starling me. They kept me in the dark and this is the result.

    ¡°What happened, hon? You¡¯re literally shining,¡± Gotrid is staring as me, mesmerised. ¡°Is this your real mana capacity? It¡¯s godly, no kidding.¡±

    ¡°I grew tired of hiding,¡± I caress his handsome face I missed so much and then look sternly at my Viceroy.

    Liana bites her lip, suddenly not sure how to react. I bet she had a burning rant prepared for me and meant to scold me like never before but there¡¯s something different about me now and she feels it. She doesn¡¯t dare to berate me.

    The other Celestials also go for landing, taking every suitable spot nearby. They are whispering excitedly to each other and their emotions are fluttering wildly. But they aren¡¯t angry that I flew away. On the contrary, they¡¯re blaming themselves for failing their entr¨¦e and scaring their Emperor. They might be a bit too fanatical when it comes to me but they are good people.

    ¡°Your Majesty, we¡¯re truly sorry for startling you,¡± Soren steps closer to apologise. ¡°But please, we implore you, don¡¯t punish us like that ever again. You could have been attacked by monsters¡­ kidnapped by humans¡­ get hurt otherwise and¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± I rise my hand to stop him.

    And in that moment my stomach growls loudly, reminding me that it still hasn¡¯t been fed.

    ¡°Right, I couldn¡¯t fly back to you because I got dizzy,¡± I murmur, a bit embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m starving. Gotrid, please, tell me you have something on you?¡±

    Gotrid grins and fishes not one but three different protein bars out of his robe. I¡¯m saved! I gobble the first one in a matter of seconds and take longer with the rest, savouring each bite. The Celestials are simply watching me eat in silence which isn¡¯t exactly pleasant but I don¡¯t care.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°So,¡± I swallow the last bite, feeling much better already. It wasn¡¯t that filling but sugar is quickly getting into my bloodstream, making dizziness go away.

    ¡°So?¡± Liana gets extremely nervous, fearful even. She suspects I¡¯m about to say something she won¡¯t like.

    ¡°This can¡¯t happen ever again,¡± I state uncompromisingly. ¡°You can¡¯t keep me in the dark even if you think it¡¯s for my sake.¡±

    ¡°We just wanted to protect you,¡± Liana blurts out and lowers her head in an obvious act of subordination. ¡°We really did.¡±

    ¡°And I do believe you,¡± I continue, my voice as regal as never before. ¡°But, at the same time, it shatters my trust in you, don¡¯t you understand? How can I trust subjects who lie to me? Moreover, the people I consider my closest friends?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Aefener, b-but¡­ we did it for you and¡­,¡± her voice trembles but she still thinks she was right.

    It¡¯s here. I need to do this¡ªI have to stand my ground. There¡¯re over three thousand Celestials here as witnesses so it¡¯s literally now or never. I must not only act as the Emperor but also come clean. No more keeping secrets from my own people. I¡¯m coming out as a telepath. I¡¯m taking a leap of faith.

    ¡°Liana,¡± I hiss strictly. ¡°It would break my heart if I had to telepathically check your real intentions from now on.¡±

    ¡°Love!¡± Gotrid warns me, shocked that I mentioned my telepathy when there¡¯re so many new Celestials standing at the hearing distance.

    ¡°Check¡­ what¡­ how¡­?¡± Soren tilts his head, totally confused. But, at this point, he thinks it¡¯s just a figure of speech.

    ¡°It would devastate me, Li,¡± I go on. ¡°You¡¯re my right hand, but above all you¡¯re my closest friend. It pains me that I¡¯m forced to put you to your place. You¡¯re my Viceroy which means my deputy, not a regent. Remember that and don¡¯t make me ever repeat myself or I¡¯ll have to replace you with someone I can trust.¡±

    I meant to be harsh. I meant to be adamant to finally get my point across. Yet, I didn¡¯t expect her to crumble so completely. She falls on her knees, bursting into hysterical cry. Nobody comes to comfort her as her conspirators are trembling themselves, afraid I¡¯m going to turn my anger to them.

    So, it surprises me twice as much that it¡¯s Soren who hurries to her defence. He stands in front of her, covering her from my Emperor¡¯s wrath with his wings. I certainly didn¡¯t see that coming.

    ¡°Your Majesty, I might have strongly disagreed but I¡¯m sure the Viceroy sincerely wanted to protect you,¡± he pleads. ¡°Her methods were questionable but she did it out of love. That doesn¡¯t justify her actions, of course, but show her mercy.¡±

    ¡°I know she did,¡± I sigh and let my voice soften up. ¡°I¡¯m not blaming her; I¡¯m just explaining what has to change.¡±

    I kiss Gotrid before leaving his warm embrace and take a step forward. Soren flinches but he doesn¡¯t stop covering Liana. That¡¯s actually good. I don¡¯t want subjects who would only cower in front of me and wouldn¡¯t have an opinion of their own.

    ¡°Move aside, Soren, I won¡¯t do anything to her,¡± I assure him.

    He slowly nods and steps aside even slower.

    ¡°Li,¡± I kneel down to her. ¡°Look at me.¡±

    Liana is sobbing uncontrollably and is experiencing a mental breakdown. That¡¯s not what I wanted, not in the slightest. I wanted her to understand, not to break her. I don¡¯t want to become the Emperor who rules with ruthlessness. I want to stay kind and caring because that¡¯s who I am.

    I hug her, wrap us both into my wings and kiss her on her forehead. And in that kiss, I convey all my love for her. Nothing has changed, she¡¯s still my precious friend. I convey a bit of my irritation but just enough so she can see my side of things. And she understands. Finally. Her hysterical cry transforms into silent sobs because I forgive her. She should be okay now.

    ¡°Luvi? Taranah? Miruel? Vermiel? Cien? Ayala?¡± I stand up, pull Liana with me but keep her covered in my wings until she recovers. It¡¯s time to focus on her conspirators for a change. Liana can¡¯t be blamed for everything; she couldn¡¯t have done it without the help of the others.

    As expected, the people I named specifically twitch and start shivering but everyone else from our inner circle feels guilty as well. Good, I want them to reflect.

    ¡°Is there a reason for me to connect to you and literally pick your brains? Is there anything else you¡¯re hiding from me?¡± I ask coldly.

    ¡°N-no, Your Majesty,¡± Taranah stutters nervously but he¡¯s telling the truth.

    ¡°We¡¯re your sworn protectors, Your Imperial Majesty,¡± Miruel and Vermiel bow hastily.

    ¡°As are we,¡± Soren adds, frowning at them. ¡°You just didn¡¯t let us.¡±

    I suddenly realise that I trust him. I really like his mind and his resolve. Damn, looking at it retrospectively, I even like how boldly he came to fetch me. But most of all, I love how he stood up for Liana. If everyone else here has at least a fragment of his determination, there¡¯s nothing for me to worry about.

    ¡°Soren, everyone, listen to me carefully now,¡± I say slowly. ¡°There¡¯s something me and my inner circle was keeping a secret for a good reason. But I decided that I want my race to know. However, you need to swear to me that you won¡¯t tell it anyone else except another Celestial. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s even possible to hold a secret on a national level but I¡¯m willing to try.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous, love,¡± Gotrid disagrees and is shaking his head violently. ¡°There¡¯s no way so many people will keep their mouths shut.¡±

    ¡°We will,¡± Soren claims firmly, suspecting what I¡¯m about to say as I¡¯ve been giving hints on purpose. ¡°If all Celestials know, it¡¯s going to be equal and we have no desire to share our secrets with other races. Put your trust in us, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°I want to and that¡¯s why I¡¯m going to do it like this,¡± I take a deep breath and close my eyes to focus better.

    I used to be able to perform long-distance telepathy only with my partners and Liana so far but I¡¯m pretty confident that if I boost myself with mana, I can reach everyone. There¡¯re no mental blockers to obstruct me now. Besides, I need every Celestial present to hear me, I want no misunderstandings and grapevines afterwards. So, let¡¯s just do it, no better time than now.

    I¡¯M A TELEPATH AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW.

    And it¡¯s out. I¡¯ve just done a huge coming out in front of thousands. But I don¡¯t feel any dread, only relief. I did it on my terms, I wasn¡¯t forced into it. I¡¯ll no longer need to watch for myself, at least not in front of my own people.

    ¡°B-but¡­ how?!¡± Soren is lost for words.

    Since I was born. This has nothing to do with me being a Celestial, I add to make it perfectly clear. As for why, we¡¯re not sure but we¡¯re trying to investigate that. So far, all we know is that there¡¯s a high chance my family is somehow involved in developing Draconia Online.

    There¡¯s shocked silence for a long minute or so. Then everyone starts talking excitedly. To be honest, I don¡¯t know why I was so afraid because not a single person gathered here thinks I¡¯m a monster who will pry into their privacy. It makes me even more magical in their eyes.

    ¡°We don¡¯t want humans to know for obvious reasons,¡± Gotrid tells Soren desperately.

    ¡°We understand, Royal Consort,¡± Soren nods, his expression serious. ¡°It won¡¯t get out. Not from our mouths.¡±

    ¡°Li, do you feel better now?¡± I check up on my Viceroy, gently lifting her chin because she was snuggling into my wings the whole time. ¡°You¡¯re still my deputy, nothing has changed. And you have three thousand five hundred seventy-two new people to manage. I¡¯ll gladly save my energy by leaving them to you.¡±

    ¡°How do you know the exact number?¡± Liana dries her eyes and looks much calmer now. She even leaves the refuge of my wings, her confidence quickly returning.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m not blocking my telepathy and mana capacity any longer,¡± I explain. ¡°And because they¡¯re my people so I should know.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯d like to join the Royal Guard,¡± Soren begs. ¡°I submitted my application months ago and was just waiting for the ban on Draconians travelling to be lifted. The Viceroy knows I¡¯m more than capable. And there¡¯re others who would like to join as well.¡±

    ¡°Granted,¡± I permit. ¡°Report to Vermiel. Li, can you manage the rest?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± she says, enthusiastically now. She¡¯s at her best when she has specific tasks to do. Sulking doesn¡¯t suit her.

    ¡°Will you manage to fly back, love?¡± Gotrid is concerned and clutches my hand again since I¡¯m not preoccupied with Liana anymore. ¡°Oh, hon, how did you get so dirty?¡± he tries to dust off my wings and robe.

    ¡°I took a stroll, it was my first time in a real forest,¡± I shrug, trying to make light of the situation because everyone is still very tense. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no chance anyone else is just casually carrying a snack? I¡¯m still hungry.¡±

    It was a rather rhetorical question; I don¡¯t expect I¡¯d actually get one. But Celestials who are at the hearing distance pass my question further and, in a short moment, a young woman with brown wings is approaching me timidly. I notice her robe has a handy chest pouch that looks custom-made.

    ¡°A Celestial bag,¡± I smile. ¡°Did you make it yourself?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, I like sewing,¡± she bows and is looking at me with awe. It¡¯s obvious she didn¡¯t think it even possible to talk to me personally like that. I sigh, saddened. I don¡¯t want to be seen as distant ruler somewhere in a palace but is there any other way? I can¡¯t become a close friend with everyone, it¡¯s just physically impossible.

    The woman looks a few years older than Ingri, is she a student of design perhaps? We certainly need more people like that, I don¡¯t feel comfortable giving contracts to humans if we can help it. I make a mental note to introduce her to Ingri when we return to Prague.

    ¡°H-here,¡± she takes a sandwich out of her pouch. ¡°I made it this morning. It¡¯s nothing fancy but I¡¯d be honoured if His Majesty eats it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but aren¡¯t you hungry yourself? I made you chase after me for hours,¡± I suddenly feel guilty about it.

    ¡°I had breakfast and I¡¯m not so¡­,¡± she stops herself in the middle of the sentence, horrified. But I know what she wanted to say¡ªthat I¡¯m way too skinny. I was hoping rich robes would give me a few illusionary kilos but no such luck.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it then,¡± I appreciate and stretch my hand to her. Our fingers touch for a fleeting moment which is enough for me to see a glimpse of her mind.

    And I very much like what I see. She¡¯s Celestial through and through but she¡¯s not particularly eager to go fighting. That¡¯s actually more than good, we need Celestials who would occupy other jobs than becoming battle mages. We need enchanters and all sorts of artisans.

    ¡°Thanks, Harut,¡± I mutter gratefully, unwrap the plastic foil and bite into the sandwich.

    The girl, Harut, widens her eyes when she realises I¡¯ve just said her name. I bet she felt that I connected to her for a second because I wasn¡¯t particularly careful.

    Do you really think it was a good idea? Gotrid caresses my feather while I¡¯m munching happily. The sandwich is really tasty with very good spread, fresh salad and mozzarella.

    I want to base the relationships between me and my subjects on trust, I answer. I should have done it from the beginning but I was too afraid.

    And if it gets out? he frowns.

    Then I have no doubt you¡¯ll protect me from humans anyway, I shrug.

    In the meanwhile, Liana and Soren organise our new reinforcements. I notice they work together quite well despite the initial antipathy. It seems Liana warmed up to him since he defended her when no one else did.

    ¡°Can you fly now, love? No dizziness anymore?¡± Gotrid asks when I finish eating.

    ¡°I should be okay,¡± I assure him.

    Liana calls for a take-off and it¡¯s a magnificent spectacle seeing so many Celestials stretching their wings. We slowly get into the air and as soon as it becomes possible, I¡¯m automatically positioned into the middle of the flock.

    I see Soren talking to Vermiel but I can¡¯t hear them, they¡¯re too far and it¡¯s windy. But they look at me from time to time so their topic must be me. I bet they¡¯re discussing how to make sure I won¡¯t escape them ever again. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll happen again, though. I came to terms with everything and I¡¯m quite positive my panic attacks are gone now entirely.

    Gotrid, how far did I fly away? I ask curiously.

    Four hundred fifty-three kilometres, he says. You gave us hell of a chase, hon. We¡¯ll be dead exhausted after we return, my wing muscles are sore already.

    Sorry!

    And I am sorry but I¡¯m excited more. Over four hundred kilometres, that¡¯s a Celestial record! I bet nobody here thought they can fly for so long until they tried. A lot of good things came out of my escape in the end. The rest of the flight is really relaxing but I can feel my wing muscles becoming sore as well. We definitely need to train our bodies as well as our magic.

    I presumed we¡¯re going straight to the UN conference building but it turns out Liana led as back to the hotel. Am I that dirty? But Celestials aren¡¯t the Dragonkin. They would never let me show up to official business unless I¡¯m perfectly clean and presentable.

    I notice a huge crowd standing in front of the building¡ªthe media but also agents from the government. I guess our disappearance must have caused an uproar. I just hope there wasn¡¯t another attack. Will we be blamed for ditching that meeting? And does it look threatening that I¡¯m bringing so many Celestials with me?

    No matter, we have to go for landing. People are shouting, cameras are flashing but I¡¯m safely shielded from curious eyes by countless wings.

    ¡°WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?! AND WHO ARE ALL THESE CELESTIALS?!¡±

    Erik is waiting in the lobby, anxious, red with anger and his eyes teary. I imagine he must have been worried-sick about me. My guards let him get to me and he gives me a suffocating hug.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I try to kiss him but he evades me.

    ¡°You have some serious explaining to do,¡± Erik purses his lips. ¡°We didn¡¯t know where you were for six bloody hours! Do you have any idea how scared I was?!¡±

    Since there¡¯s no way humans can see me, I touch his forehead with mine and establish a full telepathic connection. I explain everything and also make it clear that I won¡¯t be kept in the dark anymore. I¡¯m not as harsh with him as I was with Liana so he takes is well.

    We wanted to protect you from overwhelming¡­, he tries to justify their actions but I shake my head. No, you¡¯re right, he admits. We wanted to protect you so desperately that we didn¡¯t consider your feelings.

    ¡°Let¡¯s bath you and change your clothes, hon,¡± Gotrid interrupts us, having decided that we had enough private time.

    ¡°Did something happen while we were gone?¡± I ask. ¡°There are hundreds of people from the media outside and even a few dozen federal agents.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Erik gasps and his emotions flutter wildly as he just remembered something super important. ¡°Except for global panic caused by your disappearance, there was one more¡­ thing.¡±

    He looks at me with great sorrow in his eyes. He almost can¡¯t make himself say it.

    ¡°Ryuu¡­ I know you haven¡¯t been on the greatest terms with her but you¡¯re so kind that you will p-p-probably still¡­,¡± he stutters.

    ¡°Erik, what is it?¡± I¡¯m seriously alarmed at this point.

    ¡°Your grandmother,¡± Erik gulps. ¡°She was found dead in her apartment. Murdered.¡±

 60. In Mourning

    I think my heart just skipped a beat. Dead? And not only that but murdered? How? Why? When? A million questions go through my head at once. When I start consciously breathing again, the air around me gets chilly. My emotional state right now is so bewildered that my enormous mana began leaking.

    ¡°Who did it?¡± I ask and my voice breaks.

    ¡°Ryuu¡­,¡± Erik tries to comfort me but I don¡¯t let him.

    ¡°Did they catch those who did it? Was it humans? Some personal vendetta against me?¡± I keep asking and lighter objects in the lobby start trembling menacingly.

    We weren¡¯t at the greatest terms with Grandma but she was still the person who provided roof above my head. I didn¡¯t end up in an orphanage only thanks to her. She wasn¡¯t a particularly kind person but she didn¡¯t deserve to die like that.

    ¡°Not good!¡± Liana panics. ¡°Erik, Gotrid, do something or he¡¯ll shatter the building!¡±

    She¡¯s not exaggerating, I¡¯d be able to do it. My mana capacity grew tenfold since I stopped keeping it bottled inside. I don¡¯t feel like smashing anything but my mana circuit reacts to my jarred emotions and is leaking out like a wild fire.

    Gotrid wraps me into his wings and lets Erik under them as well. My partners do their best to comfort me and it does work to a certain degree¡ªthe trembling stops at least. For a moment I think I might cry but tears don¡¯t come out. I¡¯m more angry than sad. I¡¯m angry that someone dared to hurt the only member of my family I knew and grew up with.

    ¡°I should have given her some protection, hire human bodyguards,¡± I lament.

    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t let you,¡± Erik shakes his head and kisses me gently. ¡°You know how she was.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you into our apartment, hon,¡± Gotrid tries to manoeuvre me into the elevator. ¡°You need to calm down.¡±

    My surroundings get a bit hazy. I try to find refuge in the minds of my partners and I don¡¯t care what¡¯s happening around me. I guess Celestials are horrified, humans are freaking out that I¡¯m bringing so many of them with me but all I can focus on are Erik and Gotrid.

    I partly snap out of it only when I realise they¡¯re taking my robe off and Cien with Ayala are hastily preparing a bath. Hot water is pleasant but I can¡¯t really relax. My head is full of scenarios, one more catastrophic than the other¡ªit was our most heated hater, it was some secret governmental agency, it was my father, it was possibly even a Draconian.

    There¡¯re a lot of reasons why somebody would want to see my Grandma dead. She¡¯s my only known relative so they could mean to hurt me with her murder. Or made me so furious I¡¯d break the agreement between us and humans. She was also quite outspoken about her antipathy whenever she gave an interview for the media.

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik sighs sadly while soaping my wings. He can feel what¡¯s going through my head right now.

    When my wings are snow-white again, Gotrid wraps me into a huge towel and with Ayala¡¯s and Cien¡¯s assistance starts drying my feathers with warm air. Erik helps with a hair dryer. Nobody¡¯s saying anything, they¡¯re letting me think. When I¡¯m dry, they dress me into a new robe and comb my hair. Everything is done in stifling silence.

    ¡°Aefener,¡± Liana is waiting for me in the living room, nervously stepping in one place. ¡°We started investigating immediately, I have people on the job already.¡±

    I nod and let Erik seat my on the sofa.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± I shake my head because someone brings me a meal.

    ¡°Yes, you are,¡± Gotrid says softly but uncompromisingly. ¡°We were flying back for more than two hours, that sandwich must be fully digested by now. I¡¯m sorry, love, but we have to insist. You can¡¯t lose even a pound.¡±

    I obey but I¡¯m chewing mechanically, not really paying any attention to what I¡¯m eating. I might be much more assertive now but this is something they have every right to just order me. Making sure their Emperor is clean and well-fed is a priority.

    ¡°Bauerova wants to talk to you,¡± Liana says carefully. ¡°Can we send her in?¡±

    I nod and wipe my mouth with a napkin. There¡¯s still one third of a portion left but I simply can¡¯t eat anymore. Ayala sighs but she takes the plate away while Luviael goes to fetch our guest.

    ¡°Your Majesty, how are you coping?¡± the Czech Prime Minister blurts the moment she sees me. Her wife Elizabeth is with her.

    They¡¯re humans and politicians but I¡¯m glad to see them. They genuinely care. I try to smile a bit but it¡¯s cringy. Erik clutches my hand and Gotrid starts caressing my feathers. I¡¯m still this close to make everything tremble.

    ¡°Did the police discover anything? Any clues? Camera footages? Witnesses? She lived in a huge block of flats; somebody must have seen something,¡± Liana asks for me.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Bauerova shakes her head. ¡°Whoever did it, they were professionals.¡±

    ¡°So it wasn¡¯t hate crime?¡± Liana is making sure.

    ¡°Improbable, it was done too expertly,¡± the Prime Minister answers. ¡°Footages from security cameras were deleted remotely and it happened at night so there were no witnesses. If she struggled, nobody heard it because her apartment was sound-proofed. The ambulance was alarmed in the morning only after the monitor detected she didn¡¯t take her medicine.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, why her?¡± Erik is confused. ¡°Sure, she was connected to the Celestial Emperor but it was publicly known she renounced her grandson.¡±

    ¡°Ehm,¡± Bauerova bites her lip. ¡°There¡¯s more. She was tortured before she died. Probably for information.¡±

    ¡°T-tor¡­?¡± I finally speak up but my voice fails me.

    My mana starts leaking again and my partners have to do their best to calm me down. Bauerova and Elizabeth can¡¯t sense mana directly but they get goosebumps nonetheless. Even humans can vaguely tell when the embodiment of magic does magic.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Bauerova coughs to clear her throat and gets extremely nervous. ¡°People are panicking. They think you might want revenge.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± I frown.

    ¡°You would never or you wouldn¡¯t do that in this case because you weren¡¯t close with your grandmother?¡± Elizabeth says rather sharply.

    I want to reply that I¡¯d never launch a conquest just for revenge but then I look at Erik and Gotrid. If something happened to them, I have no doubt I wouldn¡¯t rest until those responsible weren¡¯t eradicated.

    ¡°Not helping to calm them down, Ryuu,¡± Erik hisses because the sudden silence pretty much confirms it.

    ¡°If something happened to either of you¡­,¡± I don¡¯t have to finish the sentence.

    Bauerova twitches in her seat and Elizabeth gulps.

    ¡°Still, I¡¯d never hurt innocent people,¡± I make that perfectly clear at least. ¡°Your idea of conquest and our idea of conquest isn¡¯t the same.¡±

    ¡°That remains to be seen I¡¯m afraid,¡± Bauerova doesn¡¯t back down. ¡°But as I was lucky to get to know Your Majesty better than the rest of the world, I put my trust in you and I¡¯ll do anything in my power to investigate this horrendous crime.¡±

    I nod gratefully. Even though it doesn¡¯t make the pain go away, it¡¯s something. Grandma was a Czech citizen so Bauerova can do a lot to push the investigation and share findings.

    ¡°Ehm,¡± Luvi hates to interrupt us but she has to. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I just got the information that Mr President Bennett is here and asks for an audience with His Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Figures,¡± Bauerova clicks her tongue. ¡°It¡¯s hard not to notice thousands of Celestials occupying the hotel. He must suspect you mean to take then with you to Europe.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Katerina,¡± Liana addresses her former classmate familiarly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid Europe means mainly Bohemia as our headquarters are in Prague.¡±

    ¡°Suspected as much,¡± Bauerova shrugs and, surprisingly, she¡¯s not against the idea as strongly as I would expect.

    ¡°You don¡¯t mind?¡± I raise my eyebrow.

    ¡°Well, considering the latest events,¡± she lowers her head, ¡°I want my country to be protected from those monsters.¡±

    Bennett enters the room with a grim expression. He bows and sits down next to Bauerova. He looks exactly as he feels¡ªanxious.

    ¡°Your Majesty, rest assured that we¡¯ve put our best people on the investigation,¡± he pleads.

    I can tell he¡¯s telling the truth and I can also tell that he¡¯s still nervous it won¡¯t be enough for us. It finally strikes me why he¡¯s suddenly so afraid of me. With thousands of incoming Celestials willing to obey my every word, I got myself an army. And not just any army, we¡¯re talking about flying magic casters here.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it then but I expect you¡¯ll share all your findings with us,¡± I state a condition.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Bennett complies.

    Our eyes meet for a second but he quickly reverts his gaze. I can¡¯t believe I was ever uncertain around him, that guy is scared-shitless by me, by all of us. The time Draconians were hiding and getting used to their new bodies is over. Humans will have to learn how to coexist with us, not the other way around.

    I clutch Erik¡¯s hand to remind myself that there¡¯re many good people among humans still. I don¡¯t want a war with them, I don¡¯t want them dying because of those monsters. We¡¯ll protect humans and in return we¡¯ll be respected, not just tolerated.

    ¡°No word from Delgado?¡± I ask Luvi.

    ¡°The American President returned to the White House when we didn¡¯t show up in the morning,¡± Luvi informs me. ¡°He doesn¡¯t plan to attend the rest of the conference.¡±

    ¡°Screw him then,¡± I wave my hand. I became much more confident now that I¡¯m in harmony with myself. ¡°I¡¯ll focus on Europe and he can do whatever he wants in the States. He can put tanks in the streets if he thinks it¡¯s a better alternative to us. At least Draconians are free to leave.¡±

    ¡°So¡­?¡± Bennett gets hopeful.

    ¡°We¡¯ll protect you,¡± I promise. ¡°I can¡¯t speak for other races but I¡¯m quite sure they will agree when I say that we don¡¯t want people dying. Besides, we¡¯re looking forward to finally testing our abilities.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss the details and make it official in the EU,¡± Liana is enthusiastic again, having fully recovered from her brief mental breakdown in the forest.

    I¡¯m glad that I didn¡¯t do any permanent damage to her ego but she seems different somehow. I think the others didn¡¯t notice anything because it¡¯s very subtle and only towards me. She won¡¯t treat me as an incompetent young adult anymore, that¡¯s for sure. I¡¯m her superior and she switched completely to this new mindset.

    We keep discussing the details quite smoothly until Liana declares that Draconians have to be paid for it just as firefighters, paramedics and police officers are.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be a very dangerous job, Draconians who sign up for it will be literally risking their lives,¡± she insists because Bennett is hesitating.

    ¡°But then we expect that those who do sign up and receive a salary for it will be on the lookout and available whenever monsters attack,¡± he negotiates. ¡°And located strategically across the whole EU.¡±

    ¡°Naturally, it¡¯ll be a proper job with everything it entails,¡± Liana nods. ¡°You need protection, we need to keep our people busy and let them earn money.¡±

    Don¡¯t feel excited about it, hon, Gotrid warns me all of a sudden because he notices that I started to become eager about the prospect of going out more and trying out spells for real.

    Gotrid¡¯s right, there¡¯s no way we¡¯re letting you fight like that again, Erik seconds. Not in the first line anyway.

    What?! Why not? I have to exert a lot of self-control not let defiance show on my face.

    Because you¡¯re the Emperor and we need to protect you at all costs, Gotrid replies calmly, firmly convinced about the fact.

    My feathers puff a little but the delates are too occupied arguing with Liana about the rates for salaries to notice.

    ¡°The conference ends in three days but we should manage to have discussed everything until then,¡± Liana concludes the meeting. ¡°Your Majesty, do you want to add anything?¡±

    My title slips naturally from her mouth so I don¡¯t even twitch. It seems her change in the attitude towards me also includes addressing me by my title when in public. I guess it¡¯s fitting even if I don¡¯t like it.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m more than content,¡± I shake my head and look at the clock.

    It¡¯s half past seven already, no wonder I¡¯m starting to feel really tired. It¡¯s been a long day. When humans leave, I can finally release the strict upright position of my wings.

    ¡°Deminas, Fefnir, Twyla and Werden have just returned,¡± Luviael announces. ¡°Of course, they want to talk to us as well.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t it wait until tomorrow?¡± Erik starts massaging my sore wing muscles.

    ¡°I can take care of it,¡± Liana offers.

    ¡°You¡¯re just as tired as I am,¡± I oppose. ¡°Let them in, I can do another hour or so.¡±

    My subjects aren¡¯t happy to keep overworking me but this is an emergency so it¡¯s only understandable. This is my lifestyle now¡ªunending workload, no privacy, titles and responsibility. But I¡¯m somehow more at ease with it now that I¡¯ve fully accepted to be the Celestial Emperor.

    Deminas and Fefnir show up first, having to bend their heads because the door frames are too low for them. Deminas is frowning his scaly eyebrows which might look menacing to humans but to us it¡¯s obvious he¡¯s just worried. Twyla and Werden follow in a minute.

    ¡°Aefener, you¡¯re okay!¡± Twyla hugs me warmly. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Seriously,¡± Deminas grumbles. ¡°A race ruler can¡¯t just disappear, it might cause panic.¡±

    ¡°Emi disappeared and everybody¡¯s fine with it,¡± I purse my lips.

    ¡°I¡¯ll correct myself then¡ªthe Celestial Emperor can¡¯t disappear like that,¡± Deminas looks around. ¡°And then mysteriously bring thousands of new Celestials with him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s actually not my fault,¡± I say defensively and give a word to Liana to explain what happened.

    They listen carefully and when this matter is cleared, I tell them what we agreed on with Bennett.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t dare to speak for all races but Celestials in the EU promised to protect humans,¡± I summarise.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be a proper job, right? For money?¡± Werden is making sure.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°And dead monsters?¡± Deminas clicks his tongue which in his case produces a noticeable fume.

    ¡°Loot will belong to us, we insisted on that,¡± Liana assures him. ¡°As for how to divide resources, we propose sharing, trading and focusing on what each race can do best. There should be a working economy not only between Draconians and humans but also between ourselves.¡±

    ¡°You mean we craft a weapon, you enchant it,¡± Fefnir finishes that idea.

    ¡°And we will be producing potions and provide healing,¡± Twyla seconds.

    ¡°And Clawfangs?¡± Werden impatiently thumbs his fingers. ¡°Damn, Emi should have been here at least for the negotiations.¡±

    ¡°Securing resources, stealth, recon and possibly¡­ beast taming?¡± I name a few.

    ¡°We complement each other a bit too well,¡± Deminas clenches his teeth. ¡°As if Draconians were carefully engineered exactly with that in mind.¡±

    A shiver goes down my spine. We¡¯re back at the original problem. How was the Great Evolution even possible? Who did it? For what purpose? Where are these monsters coming from? Why? Why? Why?

    ¡°For now, there¡¯s nothing better that we can do than use it to our advantage,¡± Twyla says resignedly. ¡°We should focus on what we can naturally do best.¡±

    ¡°Sure, we got ourselves a ton of chitin so I¡¯d actually prefer to focus on processing it instead of politics,¡± Deminas agrees. ¡°We¡¯ll gladly leave intellectual stuff to Celestials. Of course, we¡¯ll want to be kept updated and vote on the most important decisions.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯ll happily focus on medicine and biological research,¡± Werden nods.

    ¡°Hey, who says I enjoy politics? I¡¯d rather focus on magic research,¡± I retort.

    ¡°You¡¯re just natural at it,¡± Twyla says amicably. ¡°Lore-wise, Celestials seek power and influence. If you won¡¯t abuse those powers, we have no problem with it.¡±

    ¡°Our cute Emperor certainly won¡¯t,¡± Gotrid chuckles to ease the atmosphere. ¡°He¡¯s one of those impossible people who are good rulers exactly because they don¡¯t want to be rulers.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re not afraid to put our trust in him,¡± Deminas finally smiles, revealing his spiky teeth.

    We keep on debating until it¡¯s way past nine. I¡¯m still devastated about Grandma but at least I can feel my hunger levels again and assess that my stomach is empty. My body is burning calories like crazy right now, trying to balance today¡¯s enormous loss. I remind myself that I promised I¡¯ll try eating better.

    Luvi? I address my adjutant slowly, not wanting to startle her. But I still do, she twitches when she hears my voice inside her head. Do you think we could have dinner now?

    ¡°Of course,¡± Luvi bows and runs off to fulfil my request.

    The race rulers stare at her, not having a clue about what just happened. Only Liana knows right away and rolls her eyes ostentatiously.

    ¡°Aefener,¡± she uses my name again now that we¡¯re among friends. ¡°I beg you not to use your telepathy like that, it¡¯s rather rude, unnecessary and downright confusing for anyone else who isn¡¯t involved.¡±

    ¡°Ehm¡­ what just happened?¡± Fefnir scratches his right horn.

    ¡°Our Emperor¡¯s telepathic ability got stronger,¡± Gotrid announces proudly.

    ¡°My panic escape was full of self-discoveries,¡± I murmur, embarrassed. ¡°Sorry, I guess it was a bit rude not saying it aloud for everyone to hear when it wasn¡¯t anything secret. I just asked Luvi if she could bring dinner, I¡¯m starving.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s that late already?¡± Liana realises only now.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, high time to let His Majesty rest,¡± Cien speaks up assertively, not at all afraid of all the race rulers gathered here.

    ¡°Still, your telepathy got stronger you say?¡± Werden looks at me, intrigued.

    ¡°It¡¯s rather I¡¯m not blocking myself unconsciously out of fear anymore,¡± I set the record straight. ¡°Also, I decided to tell all Celestials.¡±

    ¡°Is that wise, Aefener?¡± Fefnir whistles.

    ¡°Maybe not,¡± I admit. ¡°But I wanted to do it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Celestial business, Fefnir,¡± Deminas nudges him. ¡°We won¡¯t tell anyone and if Aefener doesn¡¯t want to keep secrets in front of his own people, I totally understand.¡±

    My servants then politely but hastily escort everyone out and Liana also excuses herself to rest in her own apartment. I almost can¡¯t believe the day is finally over, it seemed endless. Dinner arrives and I¡¯m really happy we can eat it casually in the dining room and just the three of us.

    ¡°Love,¡± Erik pets my wing because despite me asking for food which is a small miracle, I¡¯m not able to each that much in the end.

    ¡°You made an effort and that counts,¡± Gotrid praises me and allows the maids to clear the table.

    I was bathed when we returned so I don¡¯t need to go now. Gotrid does and Erik claims that he sweated a ton during all those hours he didn¡¯t know where I was. They go take a quick shower, leaving me sitting on the bed for a short meditation.

    Being alone is just an empty phrase for me, though. With my partners gone, guards position themselves at the door. But I don¡¯t mind anymore. I sit on two pillows, cross my legs, relax my wings, close my eyes and go into a meditation. I try to focus but my Grandma¡¯s face keeps popping up.

    She was horrible to me, I shouldn¡¯t be mourning her. Yet, I can¡¯t bring myself to hate her. She had an untreated bipolar disorder, she was sick. What if my Mom never left for Japan? Would she persuade her to find treatment? I heard from our neighbours that her mood swings got much worse after Mom left. Grandma never admitted it but she must have been devastated to lose her daughter.

    ¡°Your Majesty, are you okay?¡± the guards are suddenly leaning over me and they usually never leave their post.

    I open my eyes again to discover that tears are pouring all over my face.

    ¡°Do you need counselling? Should we call Zetraya?¡± the guards are panicking.

    ¡°He needs his partners,¡± Gotrid storms in, his wings dripping water. ¡°Sorry, love, we tried to hurry when we felt your turmoil but we had to wash the soap off at least.¡±

    ¡°Hey, bird, you¡¯re flooding the place,¡± Erik runs after him and throws a huge towel. Gotrid sticks his tongue out at him.

    Their teasy interaction makes me laugh and even though it¡¯s a sad laugh over tears, I feel better. Gotrid is right, I need my partners. Now more than ever.

    ¡°Sit on the carpet and let me dry you,¡± I say.

    ¡°We¡¯re okay now, thank you,¡± Erik dismisses the guards.

    ¡°Oh, being dried by my Emperor, is this heaven?¡± Gotrid sings when I cast warm air currents and blow them into his feathers.

    While I¡¯m drying Gotrid, Erik sits behind me and gives my sore wing muscles a nice relaxing massage. For these peaceful moments with my beloved, I¡¯m willing to endure just about anything.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay to cry¡­ to mourn,¡± Erik whispers half-way into the massage because I start silently crying again. But they¡¯re tears of relief as I need to get the tension out of my body.

    When Gotrid¡¯s feathers are dry, he turns around and hugs both me and Erik into his soap-smelling wings. Erik doesn¡¯t resist this time and we stay like that for several long minutes until my eyes dry as well.

    ¡°I want you both and I want you now, not after we return to Prague,¡± I sigh out. My wings drop and start shaking¡ªa Celestial equivalent of arousal.

    Eriks smirks, takes me into his arms and transports me into the bed with Gotrid helping to carry my wings I can¡¯t seem to fold properly. They take a hold of me, surprisingly cooperating without any conflicts. I surrender to them completely and connect our minds when they feel open enough to let me. This is the first time I connected the three of us fully on every possible level.

    I show Erik all sides of my mind, not hiding anything anymore. I¡¯m not afraid to look too Celestial in his eyes and he¡¯s not afraid to see. I show Gotrid my vulnerability but his unwavering faith in me as his Emperor isn¡¯t shaken.

    I find refuge in their minds and then stretch myself further to feel all Celestials in the vicinity. Because they all know anyway, I gently touch their minds and send them some of my love as well. Many of them are nervous, scared of future, unsure. They need some reassurance. They need to know that their Emperor cares about every single one of them.

    I will protect you, I send them a tender thought. A promise.

 61. For Better or Worse

    ¡°Calm down, love, you¡¯re the Celestial Emperor so being a bit late is fashionable in your case,¡± Gotrid tries to comfort me but he isn¡¯t very successful.

    ¡°You should have woken me up!¡± I berate the maids who are dressing me and they aren¡¯t making it any quicker than usual.

    ¡°You needed to rest, Your Majesty,¡± Cien says with stoic calmness. ¡°How much mana did you spend on your telepathic message last night?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t take us wrong, it¡¯s was blissful,¡± Ayala adds. ¡°We all felt your love, I was so moved. But it must have been strenuous.¡±

    ¡°You overdid it again,¡± Erik kisses me on my cheek, returning from the bathroom smelling after his favourite aftershave.

    ¡°Oh, Emi is here?!¡± I realise only now because not being exactly a morning person, I¡¯m usually a bit drowsy and unfocused immediately after waking up.

    ¡°The Clawfang Alpha apparently returned at night,¡± Cien confirms. ¡°Who knows where she¡¯s been, you have to ask her yourself.¡±

    I don¡¯t know anything about late fashionable entries but it seems to be working because nobody¡¯s outraged that it¡¯s half past eight already and I¡¯ve just showed up for breakfast. The delegates are whispering to each other excitedly when I pass them, no doubt commenting on my new numerous escorts and discussing the murder of my grandmother.

    ¡°Good morning, Your Majesty,¡± Liana greets me politely and bows because everyone is watching. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡±

    ¡°Surprisingly so,¡± I nod and sit in the middle as always.

    ¡°Would you mind, Gotrid?¡± Liana asks for his seat by my left and he unwillingly gives it away.

    I tell the maids that I¡¯d like some scrambled eggs and toasts while Liana slightly spreads her right wing and touches me.

    That was a really nice gesture what you did last night, she says. It boosted our morale to astronomical heights, no kidding.

    Thanks, I wanted to encourage everyone. And it felt really good not having to hide my telepathy.

    Are you okay? she asks carefully. The guards told me you were crying.

    They told you? I resist roll my eyes.

    I¡¯m sorry, Aefener, but your mental health is just as important as your physical health, she bite into her pancake in order not to look suspicious. Especially when your jarred emotional state can be very destructive.

    I¡¯m not totally okay but I¡¯ll get better over time, I assure her. I just need time to process it.

    She lowers her wing to give me more space for now. I¡¯m half-way into my eggs when Emi finally appears, being even more fashionably late then I was. I notice that her pack grew significantly compared to the one she brought with her from Europe. For some reason, Rien is feeling nervous and is following his Alpha like a lost puppy.

    ¡°Emi!¡± I wave at her because it wouldn¡¯t look dignified if I ran after her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s meet on the terrace when you finish eating,¡± she winks at me and goes to ravage the buffet tables.

    I want to eat faster but I know I can¡¯t. It¡¯s against the etiquette to gobble food and it could upset my stomach. Emi leaves for the terrace the moment she puts food on her plate. I wish I had that kind of freedom. We¡¯re both rulers, yet so different.

    ¡°Your Majesty, can I join you?¡± Bauerova approaches me when I stand up. ¡°You¡¯re meeting the Clawfang Alpha, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Still trying to persuade your nephew?¡± I tilt my head.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she sighs. ¡°Give me one last chance and then I give up.¡±

    ¡°Be my guest,¡± I shrug. ¡°Just bear in mind I can¡¯t influence anything here. Rien is Emi¡¯s competence.¡±

    ¡°Noted,¡± she nods and follows me to the terrace.

    ¡°Aefener,¡± Emi smiles at me but it¡¯s a sad smile. ¡°I heard about your grandmother, my deepest condolences.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re back, I was worried,¡± I go for a feathery hug.

    ¡°I¡¯m here now,¡± she caresses my wings. ¡°Sorry about ditching the conference but I wasn¡¯t lazing around either. My people are a lot of work. Some influential local packs started to have their own ideas so I had to show them who¡¯s the boss.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re hurt,¡± I notice her arm is bandaged. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Two packs joined and ganged on us yesterday. We won, obviously,¡± she announces proudly.

    ¡°Let me, please,¡± I gently grab her arm and apply the best healing spell I¡¯m capable of at the moment. The Earthborn might be much better at curing illnesses, treating chronic diseases, researching rare medical conditions, DNA mutations and things such as cancer but if it¡¯s just a matter of mending wounds, Celestial magic is actually the quickest and the most effective.

    Again, it¡¯s astonishing how different our two races are. Clawfangs aren¡¯t afraid to openly challenge their Alpha whereas it wouldn¡¯t even cross a mind of any Celestial to question their Emperor. But Emi seems to enjoy a good challenge so it works for her, I guess.

    ¡°Thanks, Aefener,¡± she appreciates. ¡°We do naturally heal faster than humans but this is still a huge relief. By the way, I wasn¡¯t totally out of the picture. I know that you had a little adventure yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Everything is okay now,¡± I assure her.

    ¡°I can see that,¡± she looks at my escort. ¡°I also got myself some reinforcements. Oh, and I reconsidered one thing.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll return to Europe with us?¡± I get hopeful.

    ¡°No way,¡± she shakes her head. ¡°But Rien will.¡±

    ¡°He will?!¡± Bauerova who was just listening and waiting for her opportunity shrieks happily.

    ¡°Oh?¡± I look at the person in question curiously. ¡°I thought Rien was up for some adventure?¡±

    ¡°Was,¡± she corrects me. ¡°It turns out he¡¯s too intellectual and pampered for a Clawfang. I can¡¯t take him for a tour through South America. Frankly, he¡¯d be a burden.¡±

    Rien hears what Emi just said and looks panic-stricken.

    ¡°However,¡± Emi adds quickly, ¡°he¡¯s well-educated, his connection to the Czech Prime Minister is definitely a huge advantage and I¡¯ll still need someone to represent me in Europe when I¡¯m absent. He¡¯s a Beta material even though he looks like a scared little puppy right now.¡±

    ¡°B-Beta material?¡± Rien almost jumps and his fur puffs. I bet it means a huge compliment among Clawfangs.

    ¡°So you name him your second deputy after Gin? An alpha for Europe or something like that?¡± I¡¯m making sure I understand it.

    ¡°Alpha? Don¡¯t be ridiculous, males can¡¯t become alphas,¡± Emi laughs.

    That takes me aback. I¡¯ve never really thought about the Clawfang hierarchy in detail before. Celestials are totally equal when it comes to genders so I forgot other races have much different social and gender structures. According to the lore, Clawfangs are matriarchal, the Dragonkin patriarchal and as for the Earthborn, it¡¯s all about balance with them.

    Is it a strange concept for me because I¡¯m a Celestials or because I¡¯m a person of the 22nd century? If Emi assigns Rien to be her deputy in Europe, he¡¯ll hold a lot of power so we can¡¯t really talk about discrimination but, at the same time, Rien can¡¯t become an alpha simply because he¡¯s male. I can¡¯t wrap my head around it.

    How barbaric, Gotrid comments in his thoughts.

    I freeze for a second because I caught myself thinking exactly the same. I looked at Emi and for a fleeting moment saw an animal. My Celestial superiority complex just emerged. I¡¯m not afraid of any part of myself anymore so I embrace the feeling but I don¡¯t let it take over my rational thinking. Emi is my friend and I have to accept that her race is unlike my own. I can allow myself to disagree while respecting the Clawfang way of living.

    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to have Rien in Prague as your representative and I¡¯m sure Mrs Bauerova is overjoyed. Is Rien okay with it, though?¡± I ask because I suspect Emi just ordered him since that¡¯s her style of doing things.

    ¡°He came to this conclusion himself actually,¡± she nudges the wolf boy. ¡°A few days in the streets and he changed his mind. He¡¯s better off as a politician which is good, Clawfangs desperately need some dependable representatives I can pass my international orders to.¡±

    ¡°Oh, David¡­ I mean Rien¡­ your parents will be so happy,¡± Bauerova touches him but he jerks away.

    ¡°I¡¯m still a Clawfang, I won¡¯t return to their mansion,¡± he says defiantly but he lets his aunt to hug him eventually.

    I smile. I¡¯m really glad that Rien just confirmed there are Draconians who aren¡¯t battle-obsessed by default. We¡¯ll seriously need to occupy all professions and it would be best if people took jobs based on what they want to do, not what is assigned to them.

    Then we fly to the conference building. This time it goes without any troubles, only my escort is bigger. Our wings are still sore from yesterday so we try to glide as much as possible and don¡¯t take any detours.

    I realise I feel comfortable being positioned in the middle of the flock because this way I can feel everyone really well. Liana was afraid to allow so many Celestials get close to me but she didn¡¯t have to. I love feeling their Celestial minds, they don¡¯t overwhelm me at all. It admittedly is a bit bothersome that I¡¯m being so anxiously guarded but ever since I accepted myself fully, I don¡¯t mind it that much.

    The day goes surprisingly well. Me and Liana attend the first meeting while my partners go networking and politicians aren¡¯t that aggressive with Delgado not attending. I don¡¯t have time to feel sad about Grandma because I¡¯m simply too busy.

    Fortunately, there wasn¡¯t another monster attack overnight and with all race rulers promising to do our best to protect humans, the delegates calmed down a bit. Half of the countries voiced their agreement to be fully protected by us, one fourth stayed undecided for now and only the remaining fourth is in a strong opposition.

    When we return to the hotel that evening after an overall successful day, I don¡¯t mean to go right to sleep even though I¡¯m quite tired. I decided to stop waiting for the right conditions and just make the most of every little opportunity.

    I¡¯ll never have my privacy back and I¡¯ll probably never have a proper holiday so I need to enjoy my beloved partners whenever I can. Not that Erik and Gotrid are complaining about my decision and they don¡¯t even argue with each other when it¡¯s time for sex.

    It¡¯s funny but they¡¯re actually afraid I would send them both sleep on the sofa if they didn¡¯t cooperate. As if. I think I¡¯m at the point of no return when I wouldn¡¯t be able to fall asleep without snuggling to at least one of them. But I don¡¯t tell them that.

    *****

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°Would it be possible to go sightseeing today in the afternoon?¡± I ask carefully while Luviael is reading today¡¯s agenda. It¡¯s the last day of the conference, we¡¯re going home tomorrow.

    ¡°Define sightseeing,¡± Luviael sighs. ¡°You know we can¡¯t let you walk the streets, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time in New York and maybe the last one for a long time,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯d like to see at least all the famous places.¡±

    ¡°Is flying over them enough?¡± she asks. ¡°That could be done I guess.¡±

    ¡°But that way Erik can¡¯t go,¡± I frown. ¡°And I want to buy local food and visit some comics shops.¡±

    ¡°Love,¡± Gotrid hugs me from behind and kisses me into my hair. ¡°We¡¯d love to fulfil your every wish but you know this one isn¡¯t possible. People would go crazy and even with all the guards, it¡¯d be difficult to ensure your safety.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± I admit, feeling down about it. There¡¯re so many things I can¡¯t do anymore.

    ¡°Go for that flying sightseeing at least,¡± Erik suggests. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. You have two Consorts, love, it makes sense we¡¯ll take turns at certain activities.¡±

    I really don¡¯t like the idea of leaving Erik at the hotel while we go for a trip but I can feel he¡¯s genuinely not bothered.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have some expensive wine with Elizabeth,¡± he makes up a different program for the afternoon and seems to be looking forward to it so I agree in the end.

    *****

    The last day of the conference is busy but peaceful. We wrap up a few loose ends and everyone is feeling relieved that it¡¯s over with no imminent threat of a war erupting between humans and Draconians. Normally, there would be one last banquet on the final day but it was cancelled due to the global situation. Translated: it wouldn¡¯t feel right to feast and have fun when monsters can attack anytime.

    One thing became quite evident, though, to my dismay. Other race rulers simply suck at anything even remotely diplomatic. I vehemently claimed that I don¡¯t particularly enjoy politics despite being a Celestial and it¡¯s still true but it became evident during the conference that I really might be natural at it just as they said.

    Emi ditched most of the conference and whenever she was present, I was afraid she would say or do something rude or downright offensive. Twyla and Werden were interested only in ecological and scientific topics and subtlety in these things isn¡¯t their forte. Originally, I hoped for Deminas¡¯s support but it turned out he¡¯s only invested in crafting and trade. I¡¯m stuck at being the Draconian main representative after all.

    For better or worse, Delgado really didn¡¯t show up. I should be happy to be rid of him but it also means the United States refused our protection. They were forced by the UN to lift the ban on Draconians travelling and promise to respect our basic rights but that¡¯s about it. I want to stay indifferent but, the truth is, I just can¡¯t. I¡¯m afraid people in the US will die unnecessarily because of Delgado¡¯s pride and stubbornness.

    ¡°Only time will tell,¡± Erik caresses my feathers while we listen to the final closing speech.

    *****

    ¡°Ryuu, seriously, I don¡¯t mind,¡± Erik assures me for the tenth time. ¡°Elizabeth should arrive in a minute and we mean to drink and gossip like crazy.¡±

    I kiss him deeply, sending him a ton of my love, before I finally spread my wings and take off. At first, my guards weren¡¯t happy about the unnecessary flight session. Not that they¡¯d be unhappy to fly extra, they¡¯re just anxious about protecting me. But then Liana surprisingly joined as well and with many new Celestials strengthening our forces, Vermiel and Miruel couldn¡¯t say no.

    We fly over the most prominent buildings and Gotrid explains to me what they are. We go a bit lower every once in a while but I¡¯m soon fed up with people on the ground taking their phones out and streaming our flight online as a spectacle. Moreover, the army drones are trailing us so our trip isn¡¯t as carefree as I¡¯d hoped.

    But I still try to enjoy myself. Gotrid knows a lot about New York¡ªso much I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll miss it. But his excitement to be whenever I am is much bigger. I see Liana flying next to Soren and they¡¯re engaged in a lively conversation. I¡¯m glad that she feels relaxed around him despite their initial disagreement.

    We return when it starts to get dark. Celestials generally hate flying after sunset. Our sight, otherwise perfect and exceeding all other races, is only average at best when it¡¯s dark. We don¡¯t have night vision like the Clawfangs and the Dragonkin.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Elizabeth bows to me. She¡¯s still in our living room when we return and she and Erik evidently had a good time.

    ¡°Elizabeth, I want you to know that you and your wife are always welcomed,¡± I say. ¡°You don¡¯t need an official excuse to visit, okay?¡±

    ¡°Thanks, love, it¡¯s been only a short time but we became friends,¡± Erik appreciates. He¡¯s a tiny bit drunk but still in full control of himself. He¡¯s looking forward to the night so he wouldn¡¯t get seriously drunk.

    I kiss him on his lips. He smells after the expensive wine they¡¯ve been drinking but I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯m happy that he made a new friend he can trust and have fun with. He needs more humans around. Elizabeth excuses herself because she can see that Erik has eyes only for me now that I¡¯m back.

    *****

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± Erik raises his eyebrows when he looks at Gotrid¡¯s luggage neatly prepared in the hall. Thirty-five boxes to be precise.

    ¡°I¡¯m moving, Erik, I wasn¡¯t here on a business trip like you,¡± Gotrid rolls his eyes. ¡°And I¡¯m not abandoning my precious possessions.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way it¡¯s going to fit our apartment,¡± Erik grumbles.

    ¡°Your home should be remodelled and enlarged by now,¡± Ayala reminds him. ¡°I think it shouldn¡¯t be any problem.¡±

    ¡°Yess!¡± Gotrid celebrates. ¡°Can you transport them on the plane immediately?¡± he asks the guards who start moving the boxes using telekinesis.

    ¡°Bigger or not, our new apartment is going to be full of junk now,¡± Erik comments bitterly. Except for hoarding expensive suits and accessories, he¡¯s surprisingly minimalistic in all other areas.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?! My collectibles aren¡¯t junk!¡± Gotrid retorts. ¡°I¡¯m a proud geek!¡±

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± I realise only now and get excited about the fact. ¡°You¡¯re a gamer, just like me.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for our collections to combine, it¡¯ll be so beautiful,¡± Gotrid sings.

    Liana emerges from her apartment, looking slightly pissed.

    ¡°Li, are you okay?¡± I hurry to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she assures me. ¡°But it was a lot of work to arrange commercial planes to take our people.¡±

    ¡°A problem with visa admissions?¡± I guess. ¡°Or leaving permits?¡±

    ¡°Nothing of the sort,¡± she shakes her head. ¡°The EU is happy to have us while the US is happy to be rid of us. But the airplane companies I hired charged me an extortionate amount of money.¡±

    ¡°More than is usual?¡± Gotrid frowns.

    ¡°Much more,¡± she hisses. ¡°They argued that the cost of everything increased ever since the Great Evolution and they had to re-book human customers to other days and compensate them.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything I can help with?¡± I caress her wing.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± she sighs. ¡°I paid for it because most of our people lost their jobs so they can¡¯t afford the ticket but I swear this is the last time I¡¯m sponsoring anyone. Not even my wallet is bottomless. We need to start earning money, the sooner the better.¡±

    She¡¯s right, of course. It¡¯s been over three months since our transformation so it¡¯s high time we do something about our income. A few rich Draconians can¡¯t keep sponsoring the rest forever. Fortunately, with upcoming crafting and battling monsters, we should be able to give our people decent jobs.

    ¡°Your Majesty, our people are restless. Could you possibly do something?¡± Soren suddenly appears, all worried. ¡°They hate the idea of travelling separate from you.¡±

    I introduced Soren to Erik two days ago and Soren has been acting as a liaison office between our inner government and Celestials from the US ever since. I got to really like him because he¡¯s an honest person who works hard and he turned out to be dependable.

    ¡°What do you expect me to do?¡± I bite my lip. ¡°Our plane isn¡¯t inflatable.¡±

    ¡°Calm them down somehow?¡± Soren suggests. ¡°Like you did that evening?¡±

    I sigh. I might have dug my own grave. Ever since I did that, Celestials started to think that I¡¯m going to communicate with them telepathically from now on. It seems almost surreal to even think I was afraid of telling them because not only then took it well, now they think it¡¯s only natural their embodiment of magic is a telepath on top.

    But Soren is right, I can feel that my people are restless because I¡¯m leaving today. I should do something about it. I take a deep breath, close my eyes for a second and try to send every Celestial in range a comforting thought.

    Let¡¯s meet again in Prague in just a few days. I¡¯ll be waiting for you.

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty,¡± Soren appreciates and acts as if it¡¯s the most normal thing that his Emperor just addressed thousands of Celestials all at once.

    ¡°You¡¯re coming with us, though?¡± I ask and I¡¯m surprised when he shakes his head.

    ¡°Her Excellency certainly offered,¡± he explains. ¡°But I want to stay here and make sure every Celestial who wants to leave the States can do so safely. I¡¯ll arrive with the last transport.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I¡¯m pleasantly taken aback. ¡°Thank you, Soren, I was a bit worried but now I see that I don¡¯t have to with you staying behind. Did you decide on your posting already?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it just awaits your approval,¡± he says and suddenly looks very serious. ¡°Can I talk openly, Your Majesty?¡±

    ¡°Go ahead,¡± I nod.

    ¡°I¡¯m not good at paperwork,¡± he says nervously. ¡°But I¡¯m very proficient with magic and enjoy working with people. If you agree, I¡¯d love to become a royal guard who would act as a liaison officer with our forming combat units all over the EU.¡±

    ¡°I took you for a liaison officer already,¡± I can¡¯t resist laughing. ¡°Granted.¡±

    ¡°Just like that?¡± he widens his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m the Emperor, do I need anything else?¡± I tilt head and I¡¯m not even astonished anymore how easily it slips my lips. It feels good. I feel good.

    ¡°Of course not, Your Majesty,¡± he bows.

    ¡°Aefener, we¡¯re ready to go,¡± Liana announces and when she looks at Soren, her emotions flutter slightly. Soren standing up for her in the forest impressed her deeply which is something not easy to achieve with my Viceroy.

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay with the car, love?¡± Erik makes sure because I insisted to ride with him this time.

    ¡°I actually want to test that,¡± I say. ¡°If it comes to the worst, I¡¯ll just faint. But I think I should be fine.¡±

    The lobby downstairs is full of Draconian delegations departing. I meet with other race rulers for the last time and it¡¯s quite emotional.

    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you,¡± I hug Emi and let her pet my feathers.

    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving forever,¡± she assures me. ¡°It¡¯s a tour. I¡¯ll travel the US, then Central and South America, Asia and lastly Europe again. To be the Clawfang Alpha isn¡¯t about building a fortress and staying put there. I¡¯m more like a feudal lord who needs to keep visiting all subjects to oversee if they¡¯re being obedient.¡±

    ¡°If think Celestials would build me a palace if they could,¡± I burst laughing. ¡°We¡¯re so different.¡±

    ¡°Which is good, isn¡¯t it?¡± she caresses my feathers one last time before letting go.

    ¡°Aefener,¡± Fefnir puts his huge scaly hand on my shoulder. Carefully, watching his strength and claws. ¡°I¡¯m going with Deminas to Russia but I¡¯ll come back in a few weeks, okay? My liege wants me in Europe as his direct representative.¡±

    ¡°Please return,¡± I plead. ¡°It¡¯s reassuring to have a dependable Dragonkin by my side.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he grins proudly.

    ¡°And I¡¯m leaving you Rien,¡± Emi points at the young wolfish Clawfang who¡¯s talking with his aunt a few metres away from us. ¡°Take care of him for me, will you? He might be a bit irritating in the beginning but one day he¡¯ll make a good Beta.¡±

    ¡°Twyla, Werden!¡± I wave at the Earthborn ruling couple. Their company also grew significantly as a handful of American Earthborn will be moving to their estate in Brazil.

    ¡°Eat well, Aefener,¡± Twyla reminds me.

    ¡°And you take a better care of your precious Emperor,¡± Werden purses his lips at my guards and maids. ¡°You¡¯re overworking him too much.¡±

    Ms Behera is waiting for us in front of the hotel to see us off. We still get her army escort but the atmosphere among the soldiers is less stressful compared to our first day here.

    ¡°Your Majesty, could I have a word with you in private?¡± she asks urgently.

    ¡°Now?¡± I don¡¯t understand because we¡¯re surrounded by countless Draconians as well as the press and our limousine is waiting for us. It would look suspicious if we returned to the hotel with the American official and ask for a parlour.

    ¡°Relatively private at least,¡± she mutters.

    I nod at my guards and they enclose us in such a way that the press can¡¯t see or hear anything and it¡¯s only my closest subjects and partners around.

    ¡°Speak then,¡± I challenge her coldly.

    Ms Behera looks nervously around to make sure we really can¡¯t be overheard.

    ¡°Not everyone agrees so strongly with Mr President,¡± she¡¯s almost whispering. ¡°I¡¯d love to protect our country with our own forces but if¡­ if¡­ purely hypothetically speaking at this point¡­ if our best efforts prove to be futile¡­ would you¡­ would you be willing to reconsider?¡±

    I stare at her for several long seconds which makes her nervous even more.

    ¡°I take it Delgado doesn¡¯t know about you approaching me,¡± I narrow my eyes.

    ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t,¡± she admits and lowers her head. ¡°But I¡¯m not alone. There¡¯re more than a few people in his cabinet who think he¡¯s making a huge mistake by refusing any form of cooperation with you.¡±

    ¡°Despite what most Americans seem to think, we¡¯re not the monsters here,¡± I say slowly and clearly. ¡°I don¡¯t wish to see innocent people suffer because your President is a bigoted homophobic racist. So should you need help in future and there¡¯ll be someone new and more agreeable sitting in the White House, we can open diplomatic talks again.¡±

    Ms Behera gulps. My implication is as clear as a day. I¡¯m willing to help the US should the need arise but not with Delgado in charge. She nods, bows politely and storms off.

    ¡°Brilliantly done,¡± Liana praises me.

    ¡°Scary,¡± Erik chuckles.

    ¡°Our Emperor is scary but cute. Cute but scary,¡± Gotrid laughs.

    I roll my eyes at them and get into the limousine. I hope this is the last time I¡¯m riding a damn car but I just have to test my fully unlocked telepathy. With so many Celestials coming to Prague, I suspect there won¡¯t be another chance to be this close to thousands of humans with jarred emotions.

    The car starts moving, giving me instantly a mild motion sickness. Gotrid and Erik are caressing my wings, comforting me and anxiously waiting for the outcome. We cross the first street that¡¯s overcrowded with human protesters but even some supporters which lifts my spirits.

    They emotions hit me like a wave and I have to make a conscious effort not to build a mental wall against them. Instead, I let the energy come through me and because it doesn¡¯t meet any resistance, it¡¯s not as painful. I do develop a slight headache but only because the sheer number of people gathered to see us off is enormous.

    ¡°Love?¡± Gotrid kisses my hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m managing,¡± I assure them with a proud smile. ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s pleasant, I¡¯m not completely over my headaches, but I should be okay from now on.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be more than okay, we¡¯re here for you,¡± Erik kisses my other hand not to stay behind his rival.

    ¡°And I promise to do something about your work-life balance,¡± Liana adds.

    I smile at her thankfully and feel quite relaxed in the moment so it comes as unexpectedly as it can.

    We¡¯ll see each other soon, a voice echoes in my head. The same as at that banquet. Takeda.

    But this time it¡¯s different. I¡¯m in balance with myself, I¡¯m not fighting against my own brain anymore. I let him speak to me, ready to strike back and put up my defences in a second if necessary.

    Who are you?! I demand.

    Are you really wasting your time asking me something so obvious? Takeda sounds annoyed. I thought you¡¯re smarter than this.

    Are you behind the Great Evolution? Where are these monsters coming from? I keep shooting questions one after another.

    Everything in its own due time. Patience, my son.

    A shiver goes down my spine. So it¡¯s confirmed. For better or worse. I¡¯ve finally found my father but it¡¯s not a happy family reunion. I want to ask something else quickly but the invading presence in my mind fades, leaving only more questions and no answers.

 62. Back Home

    ¡°No, don¡¯t stop the car!¡± I say quickly because my partners start to freak out. I wasn¡¯t blocking them out of my mind so they heard everything that just happened.

    ¡°But he must be near!¡± Erik is still trying to make the driver stop.

    ¡°The streets are overcrowded and there¡¯re countless buildings all around, he can be anywhere,¡± I shake my head. ¡°Besides, he¡¯s seriously dangerous. I don¡¯t think any Draconian would stand a chance against him.¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s still human,¡± Gotrid opposes. ¡°What could he do when facing magic?¡±

    ¡°Fry his opponent¡¯s brain from the distance,¡± I say darkly. ¡°And I don¡¯t forget he isn¡¯t completely human, just like I wasn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°What did he say to you?¡± my Viceroy asks because she didn¡¯t hear it.

    ¡°Not much but he confirmed to be my biological father,¡± I clutch my fists.

    ¡°Not much,¡± Liana rolls her eyes. ¡°Aefener, you¡¯re the son of a multi-billionaire!¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s most probably a psychopath,¡± I add, not happy about the prospect.

    ¡°Love, are you okay?¡± my partners worry.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t do anything to me,¡± I assure them. ¡°And this time I was ready to push him back if needed.¡±

    ¡°Still, it shows how defenceless we are against something like that,¡± Liana chews her lip. ¡°Telepaths are possibly even more dangerous than monsters.¡±

    ¡°Well, thank you very much,¡± I snort, offended a little.

    ¡°Aefener, do you even realise that the only thing stopping you from abusing your special ability is the fact that you¡¯re kind, respectful of others and have high morals?¡± she points out. ¡°Most people would have used it to their benefit immediately. Ever since you told me, I¡¯ve come up with hundreds of applications. If I had that kind of power, I could become this country¡¯s Prime Minister in a year.¡±

    ¡°Would you?¡± I¡¯m taken aback.

    ¡°Well, maybe not the Prime Minister, it¡¯s more trouble than it¡¯s worth I think,¡± she answers hesitantly. ¡°But it¡¯s for the best you have it and not me. I¡¯d definitely use it for my own personal reasons.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget Ryuu is an empath above all,¡± Erik reminds her. ¡°He¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s it!¡± I almost jump and the seat belt painfully squeezes my wings. ¡°Takeda¡­ I mean my father¡­ I don¡¯t think he¡¯s an empath.¡±

    ¡°How can he not be?¡± Liana doesn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°He can certainly do long-distance telepathy and read other people¡¯s thoughts on direct touch just like me. He can even harm other people from the distance,¡± I theorise. ¡°The thing that was bugging me about our first encounter and I didn¡¯t realise it until now was that he could talk to me but he couldn¡¯t perceive my emotions or send some of his to me.¡±

    ¡°Which is a good thing? It means he¡¯s not as powerful as you,¡± Liana scratches her left wing nervously.

    ¡°On the contrary, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a very bad thing,¡± I shake my head. ¡°If he can¡¯t perceive what others feel, he won¡¯t care as much.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ damn,¡± Gotrid curses.

    I stay silent for the rest of the ride but my partners can feel that I¡¯m thinking frantically. They¡¯re caressing my wings, letting me sort my thoughts and feelings. So I do have a living father. I¡¯m Ryuuto Takeda. Not that human surnames mean much to a Celestial but it¡¯s still something.

    Did my Mom work for him while creating a prototype of Draconia Online for Nebula and they fell in love? And then she left when she uncovered something sinister about her lover? Maybe she didn¡¯t know she was pregnant at that time so my father couldn¡¯t read it in her mind. I doubt he would let her leave if he knew.

    The rest of the journey is uneventful, giving us a rare breather. We arrive at the airport, the plane takes off and we resort to our compartments. It¡¯s only morning but we¡¯re dead exhausted from the conference. I don¡¯t have the energy to talk about my father so Liana doesn¡¯t open up that topic for now. Besides, we wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about it while on the plane anyway.

    I snuggle to my partners and we spend the journey cuddling, watching movies and snacking. I¡¯m happy that Erik doesn¡¯t make a scene every time Gotrid¡¯s wings touch him accidentally anymore and that he seems to be slowly warming up to him. Similarly, I¡¯m happy that Gotrid doesn¡¯t see Erik as an inferior human but an equal rival even though I don¡¯t want them to be rivals. I doze off, feeling comfortable and safe in their embrace.

    *****

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding!¡± I¡¯m standing with my mouth open wide when we finally get home.

    When the door of the elevator opened, I expected to see the familiar hall that leads to the apartments on this floor. Instead, it looks like we entered someone¡¯s lobby right away.

    ¡°This whole floor is yours now, Your Majesty,¡± Ayala announces proudly. ¡°We¡¯re sorry it took so long but they couldn¡¯t remodel the walls with you being here.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­ where will the others be?¡± I¡¯m left speechless.

    ¡°Her Excellency and your adjutant Luviael occupy the floor directly below you,¡± Ayala explains. ¡°Ingri wanted an apartment closer to the ground level because she hates the hights and she flat-shares with her friend ten minutes away from here. Lord Fefnir and Rien have an apartment two floors under you. We have much more space now that almost all Clawfangs left and we never had many Earthborn to begin with.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯ll be thousands of new Celestials coming, though,¡± I remind her. ¡°We¡¯re wasting space.¡±

    ¡°This building is the official seat of our government, Your Majesty, it won¡¯t serve as a sanctuary anymore,¡± Cien shakes her head. ¡°We¡¯re securing suitable apartments for our people nearby within a pleasant flying distance.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing, Ryuu!¡± Erik is running around, opening all doors and peeking inside.

    ¡°Sweet, we won¡¯t be squeezing here after all,¡± Gotrid is relieved. ¡°Where¡¯s my stuff?¡±

    ¡°Your luggage should arrive in a few minutes, Royal Consort,¡± Ayala assures him. ¡°There isn¡¯t any agenda for today so make yourself at home.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go exploring!¡± Erik grabs my hand and with a huge smile pulls me after him.

    In just a week, the people Liana hired managed a miracle. I guess when one has money, anything is possible. I¡¯m a bit nervous in the beginning because I don¡¯t recognise anything but then I notice my possessions being carefully positioned all over the apartment.

    I find my retro gaming consoles in one of the rooms with a cosy Celestial-friendly sofa, a huge screen and shelves for my figures, most of them still empty and waiting to be filled with Gotrid¡¯s contribution. I¡¯m astonished when I discover a proper study. Yay, I won¡¯t have to sit with the computer on my lap in the living room to do some last-minute evening work!

    But it¡¯s the bedroom that astonishes all of us. It¡¯s a spacious room and there¡¯s a huge custom-made platform bed with a real canopy! I take off my shoes to try it out right away. I lie on my stomach, fully spread my wings and there¡¯s still a lot of space left on both sides! That makes me instantly happy and I start rolling, my feathers suddenly being everywhere. Humans don¡¯t realise how uncomfortable it is to be a different species and being forced to use regular furniture you don¡¯t fit.

    ¡°What about let us join you?¡± Erik pokes me. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a bigger bed in my life and you still somehow manage to take all the space, hon.¡±

    I smirk and because he isn¡¯t expecting it, I pull him down to me and make him lose his balance. I sit on his thighs, tower over him and spread my wings in victory. It doesn¡¯t happen often I get an opportunity to top him in bed. I forget about my father for a second and just feel ecstatic we have this moment to just enjoy ourselves.

    ¡°Out!¡± I hear Gotrid hastily ordering the guards and closing the curtain around our bed.

    I lean down and start kissing Erik feverishly all over. He hugs me around my back and his fingers find my sensitive spot between the wings. Gotrid helps with undressing me. Our jet lag is momentarily gone, overshadowed by desire.

    ¡°My Emperor,¡± Gotrid whispers into my ear and the way he says it makes me shiver.

    Everything dissolves and only love remains. Gotrid and Erik are my treasures, I¡¯d conquer the world for them. I pity my father for not being an empath and missing all that. Telepathy should automatically go hand in hand with empathy so that the bearer of such a gift won¡¯t become dangerous and forget about the others.

    ¡°I love you,¡± I say aloud because I like how it sounds.

    And then there¡¯s no more room for talking or thinking rationally. My love is overflowing and I let it out.

    *****

    ¡°So,¡± Liana is looking at me with pursed lips. ¡°You know what you did at least?¡±

    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    I¡¯m sitting on the edge of our bed with Erik and Gotrid, wrapped in blankets, and we¡¯re all afraid to meet her strict gaze. We¡¯re repenting obediently.

    ¡°I know what I did,¡± I confess. ¡°But I didn¡¯t do it on purpose!¡±

    ¡°And I believe you,¡± she nods. ¡°Still, it simply can¡¯t happen again. You¡¯re lucky only Celestials could feel it or we¡¯d be in serious trouble.¡±

    I bite my lip. The reason why I¡¯m being yelled at by my Viceroy right now is that I slipped during our love-making and let my feelings flow out. Literally. And Celestials in the skyscraper felt it. Translated: I just let all Celestial know that I¡¯m having wild sex with my Consorts. Utterly embarrassing.

    ¡°It won¡¯t happen again?¡± Liana hisses.

    ¡°It won¡¯t happen again,¡± I swear and nudge Gotrid who¡¯s barely holding up giggling.

    ¡°Good,¡± she says, content. ¡°Luviael got startled and dropped her tablet when it hit her. You¡¯ll buy her a new one from your salary, not the royal chamber budget.¡±

    ¡°Noted,¡± I repent but I¡¯m actually glad Liana is still able to scold me like that even after what happened in the forest. As the Emperor, I won¡¯t tolerate disobedience but I need people who aren¡¯t afraid to give me their honest feedback, however harsh, if needed.

    ¡°And now let me rest for goodness¡¯ sake!¡± she cries. ¡°I was about to finally fall asleep in my new bed, you know. And I bet I wasn¡¯t the only one, jet lag is a bitch.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I apologise again.

    ¡°Seriously, I¡¯m starting to doubt whether having a telepathic Emperor is an asset or rather a nightmare,¡± she mumbles grumpily under her breath on her way out.

    ¡°Okay, that was both embarrassing and hilarious,¡± Gotrid finally dares to laugh.

    ¡°Not so much for me,¡± I sigh. ¡°Now everyone knows that¡­¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± Erik shrugs and is also chuckling. ¡°Let them know their Emperor is well taken-care of by his Consorts.¡±

    I throw a pillow at him and suddenly there¡¯s a fierce pillow fight. With respect to Erik, we¡¯re not using telekinesis so he¡¯s actually winning over both of us because Celestials aren¡¯t the fastest and the most agile creatures when we can¡¯t fly. Then we fall into blankets, panting and laughing. And we fall asleep eventually.

    *****

    It sounds too good to be true but after we sleep off our jet lag, we¡¯re generously given one more day to organise our new apartment because there¡¯re no emergencies. I haven¡¯t had a day off since the Great Evolution started which feels like ages ago.

    I¡¯m watching Gotrid as he¡¯s putting his own geeky figures on the shelves and I can¡¯t stop smiling. This place finally feels like real home. We have enough space to put up our favourite things proudly on display, a cosy spot to chill in the evenings, a bed that will fit all three of us, a study that will allow me to keep work and private life separate while being conveniently close and Erik got his dreamy walk-in closet.

    ¡°Most of the clothes here are yours, though,¡± he comments when thoroughly exploring the closet. ¡°Your robes take a lot of space.¡±

    ¡°Not my jurisdiction,¡± I defend myself. ¡°Talk to the maids about it.¡±

    ¡°Just joking,¡± he grabs my waist and pulls me closer. ¡°The Celestial Emperor can¡¯t be seen in the same attire more than once a month. Besides, you know I like you in a princess dress.¡±

    ¡°For the millionth time, it¡¯s not¡­!¡±

    He silences me with a kiss.

    ¡°Hey, not fair!¡± Gotrid peeks inside only to catch me and Erik cuddling.

    ¡°If you end up counting your turns, I¡¯ll go on strike,¡± I roll my eyes and free myself from Erik¡¯s embrace. ¡°What did Vermiel say? Can we go flying now? I seriously need to stretch my wings, we skipped yesterday.¡±

    ¡°We can and our new sporty robes should be ready as well,¡± he nods. ¡°Let me call the maids and¡­¡±

    ¡°No way, I want to do at least something myself,¡± I say stubbornly. ¡°Robes for flying can¡¯t be that hard to put on.¡±

    I browse my inventory and do find a fresh set of several robes for flying, a Celestial equivalent of sporty clothes. Erik helps me get out of my royal garments but as I¡¯m about to put on the under-robe made of some insulated material, Gotrid stops me. Only now I notice he¡¯s holding something quite large and flat under his arm.

    ¡°Sorry, love, but could you just hop on this for a second?¡± he asks me carefully. ¡°Cien gave it to me, telling me that some person called Julia I have yet to meet sends her regards and demands updated data.¡±

    I recognise the object he¡¯s carrying and turn pale. It¡¯s a scale, my mortal enemy.

    ¡°Come on, love, you know you have to be naked in order to be accurately weighted,¡± Erik gently grabs my wrist because I want to run away. ¡°The mighty Celestial Emperor can¡¯t be afraid of scales.¡±

    I struggle but Erik is much stronger than me and manages to lift me off and put me on top of that hated object. I know the number isn¡¯t good without even looking at the screen and just feeling Erik¡¯s emotional response.

    ¡°It used to be higher before the conference I presume?¡± Gotrid raises his eyebrow.

    ¡°It used to be higher,¡± Erik nods. ¡°Julia will be furious.¡±

    ¡°You can tell her a slightly different number?¡± I suggest hopefully. ¡°I promise to eat a lot this week and get it back asap.¡±

    Now they¡¯re both raising their eyebrows on me. Erik lets me go and I try to make myself look busy putting on the robe for flying. But I know it¡¯s futile, Julia will know by the time I return from my flight and I¡¯ll be forced to drink those protein drinks of hers for the rest of the month.

    ¡°We mean well, hon,¡± Gotrid helps me tie my kimono belt. ¡°We can¡¯t hide important information from your doctor.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± I mumble. ¡°Tell Vermiel we¡¯re ready. Where¡¯s the nearest balcony anyway? I don¡¯t want to go all the way to the top every time.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t you notice? Our apartment has one,¡± Gotrid says, confused. ¡°It¡¯s connected to the lounge. I guess the curtains were closed when you went to look so you missed it.¡±

    ¡°WHAT?!¡± I widen my eyes. ¡°Those people Liana hired to re-model our apartment are miracle workers but I doubt they¡¯d be able to add a balcony in just a week. You¡¯re pulling my feathers.¡±

    ¡°The lounge used to be part of Liana¡¯s living room,¡± Erik says. ¡°Of course, they didn¡¯t add a balcony in a week.¡±

    ¡°She had a balcony all along?¡± I refuse to believe it. ¡°And she still made me go all the way to the roof every time? And you knew about it, Erik?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± he looks at me guiltily. ¡°We were afraid you¡¯d be tempted to just jump off her balcony any time the urge to fly would come to you so we didn¡¯t tell you on purpose.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?!¡± I get offended. ¡°What prevents me from jumping off now then?¡±

    ¡°Your guards,¡± Erik says calmly. ¡°They couldn¡¯t fly as soon as you could but that changed.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so apparently I can¡¯t be trusted with a balcony,¡± I retort.

    ¡°Honestly? You can¡¯t,¡± Erik says rather harshly but he goes for a comforting hug immediately after that. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ryuu, but you know it¡¯s true. You can¡¯t be trusted with a balcony. Your urge to fly is much higher than in other Celestials. We accepted that you can¡¯t help yourself so we¡¯re not angry with you anymore but we have to watch over you all the same.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, my Emperor,¡± Gotrid teases me with my title. ¡°The guards are ready.¡±

    I sigh and leave our walk-in closet only to be apprehended by my maids because I forgot to tie my hair. When I enter the lounge, the curtains are open now so I can see there indeed is a balcony. Liana was enjoying it all by herself!

    ¡°We¡¯re ready, Your Majesty,¡± Miruel reports. ¡°We have a few new faces accompanying us today so I¡¯m sorry in advance if our formation isn¡¯t perfect.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about formations, this is just a leisure flight,¡± I wave my hand.

    ¡°Have fun, love,¡± Erik brings a cup of coffee and a book to relax on the balcony while awaiting my return.

    It¡¯s nice to be back in Prague again. Home. New York is mostly covered in super futuristic skyscrapers but Prague retained its original historical medieval core because it¡¯s protected by UNESCO. I love flying above the Old Town and the river Vltava, it¡¯s so relaxing.

    Do you like Prague, Gotrid? I ask my partner.

    If I like it? I love it! he¡¯s overjoyed by the view. Too bad we can¡¯t land. I¡¯d like to explore those picturesque streets.

    We can¡¯t land. Gotrid said it simply but there¡¯s cold reality behind his words. There may be time in future when Draconians will be just as common as humans and doing all sorts of ordinary things like being tourists and go sight-seeing. But I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor so I¡¯ll never be treated as a normal occurrence.

    Gotrid feels my sudden inner turmoil and to distract me, he takes something out of his robe. Before I can even focus my eyes on the object, he throws it away, propelling it with an air thrust. The thing shines silver when the sun beams into its surface and all my instincts shout to chase after it. So I do. I change my direction so abruptly that I startle the guards and use air magic to gain on speed.

    ¡°Got it!¡± I¡¯m holding a little silvery ball with an immense feeling of victory. When did Gotrid slip it into his robe? When the maids were tying me hair so I wasn¡¯t paying attention? Anyway, if he wanted to surprise me with a game, he managed.

    ¡°Your Majesty, you can¡¯t suddenly fly off like that!¡± Miruel scolds me when the guards finally catch up to me.

    ¡°Sure can!¡± I throw the ball with telekinesis and make it pass Miruel by centimetres. Not even a Celestial captain can help herself and goes after it.

    We¡¯re playing fetch until total exhaustion but we¡¯re happy. Erik got almost into one fourth of the book when we return. We must have been gone for at least two hours then.

    ¡°Sooo tired,¡± I collapse on his lap and let my wings drop down.

    ¡°Why do you overdo your regular flights?¡± Erik is shaking his head and starts caressing my sore wings.

    ¡°We were playing an aerial game,¡± Gotrid collapses in an armchair next to us. ¡°But it¡¯s good, our wings need exercise. They¡¯re proper limbs just as your hands and legs, Erik. Imagine dragging your hands all day without using them. Well, that¡¯s what we¡¯re forced to do for most of the day.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he admits and lets me breathe for a few minutes before pointing out that an afternoon snack is waiting for me.

    I turn my head and notice there¡¯re sandwiches and coffee on the table. Gotrid hungrily grabs one and starts stuffing his mouth. Flying takes a lot of calories.

    ¡°I had to report your weight to Julia,¡± Erik announces and sees to it that I also take one.

    ¡°And?¡± I bite into the bread. It has very good cheese inside.

    ¡°As expected, she was furious that we didn¡¯t feed you properly during the conference,¡± he sighs. ¡°I explained all those things that happened but she wasn¡¯t very satisfied with our excuse. So I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to drink this every day for two weeks.¡±

    My fear came true¡ªthere¡¯s a protein drink waiting for me as well.

    ¡°You already had a sandwich?¡± I ask because Gotrid takes another one and there¡¯s only one more left for me.

    ¡°Love, you do realise I¡¯m human?¡± he tickles me under my feathers. ¡°I can¡¯t be snacking like that, I¡¯d put on weight. And I¡¯m hitting the gym again on a regular basis starting tomorrow. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want me losing my muscles you like so much.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± I admit but add: ¡°But I¡¯d love you regardless of what you look like.¡±

    ¡°Even when I¡¯m old and grey?¡± he suddenly gets very serious and a bit uncertain.

    ¡°Even when you¡¯re old and grey,¡± I assure him with a kiss.

    ¡°Ehm,¡± a sound of someone coughing interrupts us.

    Luviael is standing in the door and is looking at us with a raised eyebrow. I guess seeing her Emperor sitting on a lap isn¡¯t very regal in her eyes. Good that I don¡¯t care how it looks like, these are my private quarters and I¡¯ll do as I wish here.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, Your Majesty,¡± she says. ¡°We wanted to let you rest but there¡¯re some urgent matters requiring your attention.¡±

    ¡°That much for our day off,¡± Gotrid grunts.

    ¡°You two rest, I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± I stand up, properly folding my wings.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, love,¡± Erik rolls his eyes and he and Gotrid stand up as well.

    I¡¯m quickly changed from the robe for flying into official royal garments and we make our way to the main office. I don¡¯t mind that my day-off has been half-cancelled. I feel rested enough and my Emperor¡¯s nature is starting to feel a bit anxious that I was away from ruling for that ¡®long¡¯.

    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± someone hugs me despite the protocol the moment my guards open the door.

    ¡°Ingri,¡± I hug her back. ¡°I missed you. And you don¡¯t need to use my title, you know that, right?¡±

    ¡°Only the Viceroy, your Consorts and other race rulers should have that privilege,¡± she shakes her head. ¡°I should have been more polite before and I apologise.¡±

    Another person who stopped using my name. But at least Ingri is still otherwise familiar with me and isn¡¯t afraid to hug me.

    I look around the office. It feels like ages since I¡¯ve been here and I¡¯m happy to be back. Liana is here as well, occupying her usual seat and hard at work already. Then I notice one more person, a new face.

    ¡°Hello, we haven¡¯t met yet,¡± I try to put on a friendly smile.

    The person in question is a Dragonkin. Quite young by the looks of it and even though taller than an average Celestial, rather short and slender for a Dragonkin. I want to ask for a name but several things happen in a quick succession.

    The Dragonkin opens their mouth to say something but only fumes come out. Then the Dragonkin bows deeply, knocking over the chair behind them with their tail. It goes down with a loud thud. The Dragonkin suddenly feels horrified, turns pale and¡­ storms out of the office.

    ¡°You scared them, Your Majesty!¡± Ingri scolds me and runs after the startled Dragonkin.

    ¡°I¡­ what?¡± I¡¯m left totally confused.

 63. A Breather Before the Storm

    ¡°Let¡¯s try again,¡± Ingri nudges the Dragonkin she successfully caught and brought back. ¡°Hint: Start with your name.¡±

    ¡°M-my name is Haldis,¡± the Dragonkin speaks up with an uncertain voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m not that scary, am I?¡± I whisper to Gotrid because the Dragonkin is visibly shaking.

    ¡°Cute as ever,¡± my partner assures me. ¡°It seems the problem lies elsewhere.¡±

    ¡°Go on, continue,¡± Ingri nudges Haldis again. ¡°As you can see, Erik and Gotrid are His Majesty¡¯s official Consorts so you don¡¯t have to be anxious about it in front of them of all people.¡±

    Haldis studies me for a long moment and takes a deep breath. I can recognise anxiety when I see it so I smile at Haldis encouragingly.

    ¡°My pronouns are they/them,¡± Haldis blurts out, tensely awaiting my response.

    Oh, I see. So that¡¯s part of the reason why Haldis is so nervous and why I was momentarily confused by their looks and the way their mind feels like¡ªneutral. Being androgynous myself, I try to never assume anyone¡¯s gender. But it gets twice as tricky in case of new races, especially the Dragonkin whole females are rare in occurrence and lack breasts because they aren¡¯t mammals.

    Come to think of it, I have yet to properly meet a Dragonkin female. The Dragonkin were a popular race choice among male players but not as much among female players. Predicting this, the developers incorporated the fact into the lore, stating that Dragonkin females make only one fourth of their population. I have to ask Fefnir how all that works in their society.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Haldis,¡± I wink at them. ¡°How did you get to know our Ingri?¡±

    ¡°We were playing Draconia together,¡± they say slowly, still not believing that I didn¡¯t even flinch when they told me their pronouns. ¡°Ingri helped me get away from my family that¡­,¡± they stop and their voice breaks.

    ¡°That¡¯s okay, Haldis,¡± Ingri comforts them. ¡°Take it slowly and don¡¯t worry, His Majesty is very kind.¡±

    ¡°I heard you moved away, Ingri,¡± I say quickly to distract Ingri¡¯s friend from an imminent mental breakdown that was pretty close just now. They aren¡¯t ready to talk about it yet which I respect but Haldis assumed they have to tell me because I¡¯m the Emperor. ¡°Is Haldis your flat-mate then?¡±

    ¡°They are,¡± she nods.

    ¡°Will you be okay?¡± I¡¯m concerned. ¡°You¡¯re quite famous yourself for being my social media manager. A lot of people recognise you.¡±

    ¡°Not so easy, I¡¯m an Earthborn,¡± she grins. ¡°I can change my appearance for the convenience¡¯s sake. Besides, we found an apartment in a block of flats with only Draconians as residents. It¡¯s not far from here and locals got used to seeing many Draconians in the streets. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Were you assigned a job already, Haldis?¡± I ask. ¡°I hope to give everyone a job they will enjoy but I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be so easy in the beginning.¡±

    ¡°Actually,¡± Haldis steps nervously, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to boast but I pride myself to be an artisan.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I¡¯m pleasantly surprised.

    ¡°Just say it, you¡¯re sooo freaking good at it,¡± Ingri nudges them again. ¡°You should see the armour Haldis made even long before transforming. And now that they have the Dragonkin¡¯s fire breath, fire resistance and strength¡­¡±

    ¡°It was just for LARP,¡± Haldis cries, embarrassed that Ingri flatters them so much.

    ¡°If you created something with your Dragonkin powers already, I¡¯d love to see it,¡± I smile warmly, genuinely enthusiastic about it. ¡°Don¡¯t be shy if it¡¯s just a prototype, everything we will create in the first years will be.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not shy¡­ I¡­,¡± Haldis stops, trying to find the right words and panicking again.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a Clawfang so I don¡¯t bite,¡± I try to make a joke.

    ¡°I¡­ have¡­ s-social anxiety,¡± Haldis reveals with difficulties. ¡°And I¡¯m on the autistic spectrum,¡± they add, embarrassed. ¡°I often don¡¯t understand what¡¯s expected of me in social situations and how to behave in front of someone like¡­ like the Celestial Emperor.¡±

    ¡°Just use the official title and bow whenever the Emperor enters the room,¡± Ingri summarises for them. ¡°I¡¯m sure His Majesty will be benevolent towards minor blunders.¡±

    I try not to stare at Haldis because I know it makes them even more nervous but I really like their unique mind. They¡¯re a bit similar to me which is refreshing. I¡¯m a bit sad that everything about me seems to unnerve Haldis¡ªmy angelic appearance, my title, my protective subjects¡ªbut I hope I can get to know them better in future.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt your introductions but we have work to do,¡± Liana speaks up from her table, reminding us that there¡¯s been an emergency.

    ¡°Y-Your Majesty,¡± Haldis bows politely before they¡¯re forced to leave.

    Haldis has no part in our inner government, I bet Ingri just got an exception for a few minutes to introduce them as her friend so that I¡¯m not confused if I see them together or when she talks about them. But I¡¯m definitely looking forward to Haldis¡¯s crafting so I have a good excuse to summon them.

    ¡°Long story short, there¡¯s been another attack,¡± Liana announces dryly.

    ¡°Where?¡± I sigh out.

    ¡°Korea,¡± she says. ¡°I¡¯m not freaking out only because there were several Dragonkin nearby and they killed the monsters before they could hurt anyone.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± I collapse into my chair, relieved that there were no casualties. ¡°We have to speed up the process of establishing battle units.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Bennett called a few minutes ago, urging us to do so,¡± she nods. ¡°Let¡¯s get to it then.¡±

    We start the debate and Liana is inclined to make military service pretty much compulsory for Draconians. But I strongly disagree.

    ¡°Nobody should be forced to risk their lives,¡± I shake my head. ¡°This isn¡¯t the twenty-first century, we should know better than that.¡±

    ¡°What do you suggest them?¡± Liana purses her lips.

    ¡°Recruit Draconians who want to do it professionally and let them train for it,¡± I say.

    ¡°What if we don¡¯t get enough recruits?¡± Gotrid worries.

    ¡°Not all Draconians are fit for combat,¡± I remind everyone. ¡°Would you send my maids to fight a heligorr head-on? Would you send Haldis?¡±

    ¡°Okay, I get your point,¡± Liana agrees in the end. ¡°How will we go about it then?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll write a plea to all Draconians,¡± I say. ¡°And we¡¯ll see how many sign up willingly.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I can vividly see that job description,¡± Gotrid can¡¯t help chuckling. ¡°Protect humans, earn eternal glory and loot. P.S. The EU is paying you. Who wouldn¡¯t sign up?¡±

    I roll my eyes theatrically and get to writing. I¡¯m very careful with my wording but I don¡¯t hide anything. Draconians need to know what they¡¯re signing up for. I also make it very clear that there will be other jobs available soon because I don¡¯t want anyone feeling forced to do it just to earn money. They might have been enthusiastic about battling monster in the game but this is real. They¡¯ll be risking their lives.

    I post the plea and for an hour, I¡¯m afraid Liana was right and we won¡¯t get enough volunteers. Then first applications start coming and soon they¡¯re not only coming, they¡¯re flooding from all over the globe.

    ¡°We can do it,¡± I whisper, moved. ¡°Draconians are eager to fight.¡±

    ¡°For money, for loot, for glory or for humans?¡± Erik is tiny bit sceptical.

    ¡°All of it together?¡± I guess and call Bennett.

    We spend the evening discussing where to strategically establish Draconian hubs, similarly to firefighter¡¯s stations. They have to be at places from which Draconians can get quickly anywhere in the vicinity, not only Celestials with their flying advantage. Also, it would be ideal if such units consisted of all races because our powers work best when combined.

    It¡¯s half past nine when we finish for the day, that much for my work-life balance. How na?ve are those who think that being the Celestial Emperor must mean living surrounded by luxury and being doted on by servants. Only the part about luxury is possibly true, otherwise there¡¯s only never-ending workload and being anxiously protected.

    ¡°I think I just want to sleep,¡± I land on our new spacious bed when we get home.

    Home. I like how that word sounds. Unlike the previous place, our new apartment finally feels comfortable enough to be called that. But it¡¯s mainly my partners that make it homey for me. Erik and Gotrid being here with me are the reason this is home.

    ¡°Not even cuddling?¡± Gotrid quickly gets to me and buries his nose into the feathers that are growing along my spine and are extra soft.

    ¡°Oh, y-you¡­!¡± I twitch because his tongue finds my sensitive spot¡ªan erogenous spot of every Celestial.

    ¡°If Ryuu wants to sleep, let him,¡± Erik frowns at his rival. ¡°And let¡¯s change for pyjamas or the maids will be angry with us for wrinkling our clothes again.¡±

    Erik has it quite easy, even with a three-piece suit he¡¯s done quickly. We take much longer, Celestials robes are multi-layered and tied in a complicated manner. As for pyjamas, Erik uses it as a figure of speech mostly. While I do own some night robes, we usually sleep naked under my wings. And now Gotrid¡¯s wings as well.

    ¡°Nope, not working,¡± Erik clicks his tongue when Gotrid presses me to his chest. ¡°I can¡¯t lie on Ryuu¡¯s wings, you moron.¡±

    ¡°Lie under them then,¡± he smirks.

    ¡°Boys,¡± I warn them wearily. ¡°I¡¯m tired and not in mood for your bickering right now.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s take turns,¡± Gotrid suggests quickly, scared of being sent to sleep on the sofa. ¡°We can¡¯t force our Emperor to lie squeezed between us all the time so let¡¯s agree we stay like this for today and tomorrow it¡¯s your turn, Erik.¡±

    ¡°Pff,¡± Erik retorts a little but slips under my wings, pulling them over his body like a blanket.

    I tickle him with my feathers and send him my love to assure him that I¡¯m not preferring Gotrid. Then I connect all three of us and we fall asleep, mingled in my mind.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    *****

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik touches my arm. ¡°Are you listening?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I wasn¡¯t,¡± I admit and try to hide the fact that my eyes got teary.

    The Prime Minister sent me a police file on my Grandma¡¯s murder this morning and as I was reading it, sadness overcame me again. I took a glimpse of the crime scene and just that made me nauseous because I recognised Grandma¡¯s kitchen in the photo¡­ and bloodstains. I wasn¡¯t brave enough to see the body.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at it,¡± Erik forbids me and closes the file for me. ¡°In fact, put someone else on the case. You¡¯re too sensitive about it still.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I nod. ¡°What were you saying?¡±

    ¡°Our lawyers need to know if you want to sell her apartment,¡± he repeats.

    ¡°Her apartment?¡± I don¡¯t understand.

    ¡°You¡¯re her only inheritor so everything she owned belongs to you now,¡± he explains patiently and hugs me in advance, sensing my mood deteriorating quickly.

    ¡°Sell it and use that money for one of our projects, I don¡¯t want it personally,¡± I whisper and a tear drops down my cheek after all.

    ¡°Love, breakfast is ready in the dining room and¡­,¡± Gotrid enters the lounge and becomes horrified when he sees me half-crying.

    He hurries to me and embraces both me and Erik into his wings. In times like these, my two partners cease to be rivals and become allies. We stay like this, hidden from the eyes of my omnipresent guards, until my eyes dry.

    *****

    It was supposed to be just a regular health check-up so the worst I expected was to be yelled at about losing weight during the conference. I certainly didn¡¯t expect to arrive at Julia¡¯s infirmary and find the doctor, Noage and Liana waiting for me with dead serious expressions.

    ¡°Care to explain this?¡± Liana narrows her eyes and purses her lips at the same time which makes her look especially strict.

    At first, I have no idea why she¡¯s holding one of my feathers. Was another one that was ripped from my wings by humans found? Then I realise I left one hidden in my wardrobe.

    ¡°They found it when remodelling the apartment and moving your stuff,¡± Liana continues. ¡°We¡¯re lucky our people have enough subtlety to keep their mouth shut when it comes to state secrets.¡±

    ¡°So? Ryuu wanted to keep it,¡± Erik doesn¡¯t understand the fuss whereas Gotrid gets the gist almost immediately and his eyes widen.

    Erik doesn¡¯t understand because he can¡¯t feel it. The others missed it as well before because their senses were still developing and weren¡¯t as acute. But that¡¯s in the past now and any Celestial should be fully attuned to sensing even the slightest amount of mana from any source.

    ¡°I wanted to tell you but I forgot,¡± I blurt out apologetically.

    ¡°When?¡± Liana clicks her tongue.

    ¡°E-eventually?¡± I gulp. ¡°I wanted to experiment a bit but I never got to it. Too much work.¡±

    ¡°Tell WHAT?¡± Erik demands, impatient at this point. He¡¯s always on edge when Draconian matters elude him.

    ¡°Apparently, our Emperor¡¯s feathers have the unique ability to store mana,¡± Julia explains. ¡°Moreover, even after they¡¯ve been ripped off from him.¡±

    ¡°They do?¡± Erik is shocked.

    ¡°Magical,¡± Gotrid caresses my wings with awe. ¡°Why can¡¯t we normally feel it?¡±

    ¡°Because His Majesty¡¯s mana is so enormous that it¡¯s impossible to distinguish mana from his mana circuit from mana stored in his feathers when they¡¯re still attached to the wings,¡± Noage takes over. ¡°That¡¯s our scientific explanation anyway, not that neither me or Dr Julia can feel it, sadly.¡±

    ¡°We are you angry, Your Excellency? Do you expect anything less from our embodiment of magic?¡± Gotrid chuckles and doesn¡¯t stop petting me, mesmerised by the discovery.

    ¡°In that aspect, no,¡± Liana admits. ¡°But we promised no more secrets. We guard our Emperor fiercely but we still allow too many people to touch his wings. What if someone dares to rip his feathers again?¡±

    ¡°Oi!¡± I shudder just thinking about it.

    ¡°This could serve as a mana battery, Your Majesty, don¡¯t you realise?¡± Noage points out. ¡°It could be a game changer when it comes to casting spells.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure gems would prove much more practical than plucking my feathers,¡± I puff.

    ¡°Gems!!!¡± Liana slaps her forehead. ¡°We never asked Mrs Anya if that ring you enchanted for her worked.¡±

    ¡°Right, let¡¯s contact Deminas later on, I¡¯m also curious,¡± I nod.

    ¡°How can you be so calm about all this?¡± Liana shakes her head and squeezes my feather between her fingers.

    ¡°I just said I¡¯m also curious,¡± I frown.

    ¡°He knew from the beginning it would work,¡± Gotrid shrugs and there¡¯s a mischievous smile on his face. ¡°Why are you still surprised by what our embodiment of magic does, Your Excellency?¡±

    ¡°Why indeed,¡± she rolls her eyes.

    ¡°Hey, we don¡¯t know that until Mrs Anya confirms it,¡± I oppose.

    ¡°Ehm,¡± Julia coughs to clear her throat and to cut us off because we¡¯re just bickering at this point. ¡°It seems we need a Celestial scientist as neither me nor Noage can sense mana. We can examine His Majesty¡¯s feather under a microscope but mana is still undetectable by current human technology.¡±

    ¡°I hope there will be more than one with thousands of new Celestials coming from America and potentially the rest of the world,¡± Liana says. ¡°Ask Taranah for help in the meanwhile, he¡¯s more than eager to explore our magical possibilities and he¡¯s not busy with politics.¡±

    Julia¡¯s emotions flutter and she gets irritated when mentioning his name.

    ¡°Jul, is something the matter?¡± I ask.

    She sighs. ¡°I asked Taranah for help before but he was a prick about it.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± I¡¯m confused. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°You really didn¡¯t notice? Or did you subconsciously choose to ignore it?¡± Julia looks at me with pain in her eyes. ¡°Your Majesty, not many Celestials treat humans as their equals. Taranah refused to work with me because he didn¡¯t receive an order from you and voluntarily he wouldn¡¯t spend more time with a human than he has to. Erik is a rare exception, Celestials accept him because they see he makes you happy.¡±

    I stare at her and anger mixed with disappointment starts to build within me. Was I really that blind? For a telepath, I¡¯m sometimes so slow. Or do I choose not to see things I don¡¯t like about my own race as Julia indicated just now? She might be right. Dammit. How could I overlook something huge like this?

    ¡°Erik? How do you see it?¡± I¡¯m almost afraid to ask.

    ¡°Ehm,¡± he bites his lip. ¡°Your subjects are very courteous towards me so I wouldn¡¯t know first-hand but I suspect they don¡¯t treat other humans the same as me. I¡¯m not saying they would ever refuse to rescue humans in case of another monster attack but I¡¯m afraid they¡¯re gradually starting to see humanity as inferior.¡±

    ¡°Li?¡± I turn to my Viceroy to make sure. ¡°Do you see humans as inferior?¡±

    ¡°Well, strictly speaking in terms of skills, longevity and¡­,¡± she says and doesn¡¯t have to finish that sentence.

    ¡°Unbelievable,¡± I shake my head at both the revelation and my total ignorance.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re so glad you¡¯re our Emperor,¡± Liana adds hastily. ¡°We¡¯re well aware of our tendencies, don¡¯t you think we aren¡¯t. Heck, if I have to be totally honest, we even have a tendency so see other Draconian races as inferior. Superiority complex and hubris is our main racial flaw after all. But we don¡¯t have to succumb to our tragic flaw and are super lucky that we have such a kind Emperor.¡±

    ¡°Gotrid?¡± I look at my second partner, hoping his answer won¡¯t break me. ¡°Do you see Erik as¡­?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he says firmly. ¡°Not after you connected all three of us anyway. I see him the same way you see him, my love. But that only applies to Erik I¡¯m afraid. I have nothing against humans in general, honestly, I do wish to protect the innocent, but I would be lying if I claimed that I see them as equal to us. Because they aren¡¯t.¡±

    I¡¯m left speechless and find myself hugging Erik. I¡¯m glad that at least he is treated fairly by my subjects but I¡¯m still crushed about this unfortunate discovery. I want to see humans and Draconians cooperate, live in peace side by side and coexist. I don¡¯t wish for Celestials to strive for the world dominance.

    ¡°Do you see it now? It¡¯s not only about you being the embodiment of magic,¡± Liana speaks because I stay silent. ¡°We also value your kindness. Humans might be afraid of you but even they realise that you¡¯re the sole guarantor of fragile peace between our races.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s resolved, let me work now,¡± Julia claps her hands because I don¡¯t feel like replying anyway. ¡°His Majesty¡¯s thorough medical check-up after the conference is in order.¡±

    I was dreading it but, fortunately, it¡¯s not that horrible with Noage doing it. Since Erik weighted me already, I don¡¯t have to undress and all Noage has to do is unroll my sleeve and connect his rooty tentacles to my forearm.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ you have to let me in, Your Majesty,¡± Noage comments, surprised that he can¡¯t connect to me.

    ¡°Oh, right! Sorry, I¡¯m on guard since the conference,¡± I realise I put on a block subconsciously. I don¡¯t block outer emotions anymore but I created a shield against intrusions.

    ¡°You can prevent an Earthborn from connecting to you? That¡¯s new!¡± Julia takes a note and looks excited about it. ¡°Her Excellency told me everything about your telepathy level-up but she omitted this detail.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know,¡± Liana sighs that there¡¯s more she had no idea about. But she knows that I just forgot to mention it.

    ¡°So?¡± Gotrid hurries Noage because the Earthborn doctor doesn¡¯t open his eyes for several minutes.

    ¡°His Majesty is healthy but he¡¯s being strained too often and doesn¡¯t eat enough,¡± Noage concludes. ¡°But I think you already know that. Why aren¡¯t you doing something about it then? When did you finish work yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Ehm¡­ half past nine,¡± Gotrid admits. ¡°There was an emergency, another attack. I¡¯m sure you heard.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re well aware that we¡¯re straining him,¡± Erik starts massaging my neck. ¡°But what can we do? Everybody¡¯s working super hard, the situation didn¡¯t calm down much ever since the Great Evolution started.¡±

    ¡°Her Excellency promised a regular day off once a week,¡± Gotrid says quickly in order not to anger the doctors.

    ¡°And can she actually unsure His Majesty will get it?¡± Julia raises her eyebrows and looks at Liana accusingly. ¡°Actually, it was me who insisted you rest after your return to recover from jet lag. Yet, you ended up working anyway.¡±

    ¡°There was an emergency,¡± Liana repeats.

    ¡°Jul, Erik is right¡ªeverybody¡¯s working super hard and that doesn¡¯t exclude me only because I¡¯m the Emperor,¡± I pull her sleeve.

    ¡°Everyone should get proper rest and nutrition but I¡¯m so adamant about Your Majesty especially because you¡¯re the Emperor AND a telepath,¡± Julia insists. ¡°You¡¯re making decisions that affect global politics which is something not to be taken lightly so your mind needs to be clear. Also, don¡¯t get me started on how Celestials freak out every time something happens to you.¡±

    ¡°What do you propose then?¡± Liana folds her hands resignedly. ¡°I want to give our Emperor more free time but most things can¡¯t be resolved without him.¡±

    ¡°Be flexible about it then,¡± Julia suggests. ¡°Don¡¯t insist on one specific day of the week but release him whenever there¡¯s opportunity. You should be dividing work between more Celestials anyway, His Majesty¡¯s can¡¯t be expected to do everything.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve named most ministers already,¡± Liana assures her. ¡°They¡¯re on their way from various corners of the world. It takes longer because they¡¯re relocating with their possessions, often bringing family and friends. We should have a fully functional government by the end of the month and transfer some of Aefener¡¯s responsibilities to appointed officials.¡±

    ¡°Good, until then, try not to overwork His Majesty to collapsing,¡± Julia nods in agreement. ¡°The same applies to you as well, Your Excellency.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a demanding telepathic brain, I can work just fine,¡± she waves her hand.

    ¡°You still have a fragile Celestial body,¡± Julia reminds her impatiently. ¡°You hired me to keep all of you healthy so don¡¯t disregard my advice, please.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s headstrong, I like her,¡± Gotrid suddenly laughs, breaking the tense atmosphere. ¡°A human berating the Emperor and the Viceroy at the same time, Dr Julia is just priceless.¡±

    ¡°She is,¡± Liana concedes. ¡°Sorry, doctor, you¡¯re right and I¡¯ll do my best to follow your advice.¡±

    Noage releases his rooty tentacles and looks at Julia with admiration. I feel from him that he enjoys working with her. That¡¯s good, we desperately need more Draconians like him.

    *****

    Taranah is staring at me, puzzled, when I ask him why he refused to cooperate with Julia. I called him to the Royal Office for explanation and scolding. He¡¯s lowering his head but he doesn¡¯t understand why I¡¯m dissatisfied.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a command from you, Your Majesty,¡± he says without a trace of doubt. He¡¯s kneeling before me but he stays firm. ¡°I apologise but I can¡¯t read minds like you to catch on your imperial intentions. I wouldn¡¯t dare to act without your consent.¡±

    ¡°And it didn¡¯t seem to you like a good idea?¡± I sigh.

    ¡°It did but it was a human who suggested it,¡± he says.

    ¡°If you think it¡¯s a good idea nonetheless, just present it to me,¡± I tell him. ¡°Also, Julia is my good friend and I trust her. If I hear that Celestials are disregarding her just because she¡¯s human, I won¡¯t be pleased.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, Your Majesty,¡± Taranah bows again and I can feel he¡¯s relieved I let him go without punishment.

    When he¡¯s gone, I turn to Erik for comfort. Celestials are gaining on confidence by each passing day but they¡¯re also gaining on pride. They might answer to me unconditionally but it¡¯s gradually showing they¡¯ll be even harder to keep in line than Clawfangs.

    ¡°I hate this,¡± I whisper into Erik¡¯s ear and hug him.

    ¡°I know but it¡¯s good they have you,¡± he caresses my feathers. ¡°I like Liana and she¡¯s an excellent Viceroy but she¡¯d be terrifying as the Empress. You¡¯re exactly where you¡¯re supposed to be.¡±

    ¡°When is she returning anyway?¡± I ask because Liana departed early in the morning to welcome the last batch of incoming American Celestials.

    We¡¯ve been even busier than we anticipated. Hundreds of Celestials are coming every day with each transport which means finding them accommodation and assigning first jobs. A lot of them will be sent on missions to other European countries to ward against monsters.

    ¡°Her Excellency should be back in an hour,¡± Luviael answers. ¡°I got the information that the plane landed already.¡±

    ¡°I could meet them half-way?¡± I suggest but Luvi is shaking her head.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have a breather in days, the doctor is furious with us. Use that hour to relax.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s absolutely right, hon,¡± Erik pushes me out of the office. ¡°Let¡¯s use this opportunity to have a cup of coffee.¡±

    I¡¯m sorry that Gotrid can¡¯t join us but I sent him to speak with Rien and the Clawfang representation on my behalf to save time. I just hope they aren¡¯t giving him a hard time because I can feel him and he isn¡¯t exactly thrilled about his task.

    ¡°Uff, my back is stiff,¡± I sigh when we find an empty lounge on this floor to occupy. I haven¡¯t found time to go flying today yet. I¡¯m afraid there might be days I simply won¡¯t find time. Liana was lucky she went to the airport because I doubt she resorted to a car.

    ¡°Lie down, I¡¯ll give you a massage,¡± Erik offers, lowering the sofa¡¯s backrest so that I can spread my wings to the sides.

    ¡°Your hands are heaven,¡± I moan when he starts working on my poor back.

    But it seems malevolent gods don¡¯t want me to relax. Only ten minutes into the massage I suddenly feel it¡ªa disturbance in space itself so large that it makes my feathers stand up. Another monster attack and this time in Prague, my home.

 64. The Battle of Prague

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik clutches my hand and is trembling. He can see the urgency in my eyes, he can feel I¡¯m ready for a battle. And he knows there¡¯s nothing he could say to make me reconsider.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere, Your Majesty,¡± Vermiel and three other guards block my way.

    ¡°Are you serious? This is my home!¡± I hiss. ¡°Combat units are barely forming and we can¡¯t rely on Draconians in the vicinity spontaneously showing up. Don¡¯t you feel it? Something much more sinister than a heligorr is coming through, we desperately need high levels. If you won¡¯t let me go, we might have hundreds of casualties.¡±

    The guards gulp. They do feel it and they¡¯re torn between anxiously protecting their Emperor and every fibre in their body urging them to find the source of this disturbance and subdue it.

    ¡°I promise not to join the first line, you can come up with any protective formation around me and I swear to respect it but we have to go NOW!¡± I shout urgently.

    I also shout out in my mind to call for all high-level Celestials in the building. I make it clear that I want only those of level 8 and above as the rest would be a burden but I¡¯ll be glad if they help later with damage control and healing. The surge of eagerness is enough assurance that they heard me.

    ¡°You two stay here to guard my partner,¡± I assign two Celestials from my personal guard.

    ¡°As you command, Your Majesty,¡± they straighten up. They aren¡¯t being left behind, they know how much I treasure Erik and that I¡¯ve just entrusted him to them which is just as big of an honour as going to battle with me.

    ¡°I love you and I¡¯ll return as soon as possible,¡± I kiss Erik deeply. ¡°Call Bauerova, try to calm the citizens.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t lock me up in our apartment this time?¡± he tries to joke.

    ¡°I¡¯m putting you in charge,¡± I correct him. ¡°With Liana gone and Gotrid coming with me, you¡¯re my deputy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best then. Be careful,¡± he kisses me again one last time before I let go of him and hurry to the balcony.

    There¡¯s no time to change for a sporty robe so I just drop the top embroidered layer and take off immediately. Above the skyscraper, I stop for a while and hover. Even I¡¯m not that crazy to go to a possibly fierce battle with just ten battle mages. Fortunately, I don¡¯t have to wait for long, Celestials start flying out of every available balcony.

    ¡°Love!¡± Gotrid joins me and I instantly feel much better with him by my side. With Gotrid supporting me and Erik taking care of politics in my absence, I have much less to worry about.

    I¡¯ll give you commands through telepathy, I tell the Celestials to speed things up. Not even one of you is dying today. Those injured will get away from the battle immediately, that¡¯s an order. I¡¯ll allow no brainless heroism.

    After that, we depart. I don¡¯t have to lead the flock because every Celestial feels where to head so I can be positioned right in the middle as always. I¡¯m overjoyed that when we¡¯re almost at the site, we meet with Liana¡¯s party. She¡¯s with Soren and the last batch of American Celestials. Reinforcements will surely come in handy.

    ¡°They shouldn¡¯t have let you¡­,¡± she starts to complain the moment she sees me but I don¡¯t let her finish.

    ¡°I¡¯ll command from above and prepare advance spells,¡± I explain to calm her down. ¡°I won¡¯t be in danger but I won¡¯t stay idle either. This is my home, Li.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± she sighs but nods in the end. ¡°We¡¯ll listen to your orders but you have to let us protect you. You¡¯re not getting close to those monsters, understood?¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± I promise and I really mean it because I know for sure that if I didn¡¯t obey, they wouldn¡¯t allow me to join a battle ever again.

    We fly to Vinohrady, the historical core of Prague, and then we see it¡ªmonsters appearing out of the rift in space itself. We came early this time, it seems we can sense these rifts a few minutes before they tear out completely. I look down and see a mass of panicking people trying to escape.

    Vermiel, take at least ten others and navigate these people as far away from the monsters as possible, I order the Celestial captain. If someone isn¡¯t able to run, carry them with levitation.

    Vermiel nods and flies off. Celestials might see humans as inferior but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anybody in my flock who would want to see innocent people killed. If Celestials see themselves as protectors, even with a bit of hubris, I¡¯m okay with it provided it gets the job done.

    ¡°Love, there are three heligorrs,¡± Gotrid observes. ¡°And that one¡­ gods, is that a tripoderra?!¡±

    I look left and it¡¯s indeed a tripoderra, a spider-like monster of a medium level. Its hairy body and many black eyes make it look especially terrifying. A tough enemy for a group in which an average level is about 10 at best. But we have an advantage¡ªwe¡¯re numerous! And I bet other races will join us sooner or later, we¡¯re just the first ones to get here.

    ¡°Your Majesty, up this instant!¡± Miruel insists and the royal guards push me upwards high above the buildings.

    I want to object that this is too far but then I discover that I have a pretty good view of the whole battlefield. I can do it. I can command the whole flock from here and my guards can¡¯t complain afterwards that I was in danger.

    Celestials are frantically flying all over the place, not knowing what they¡¯re supposed to do because most of them are newcomers. My first task is to organise them, efficiently allocate our forces and see to it that everyone has a clear objective.

    I can¡¯t read their thoughts but I can roughly tell everyone¡¯s level based on their current mana capacity. I send those with lower levels to shield the civilians and use high levels to attack. It¡¯s surprisingly not difficult to command them telepathically and it saves precious time. I just hope it won¡¯t look suspicious how well coordinated we are.

    I sigh out in relief when most humans are almost out or safely hiding inside buildings. With part of our forces keeping the monsters busy, the rest doesn¡¯t have much difficulty leading people to safety.

    ¡°Hon, what about me?¡± Gotrid asks because he¡¯s just hovering next to me. He knows I don¡¯t want him in the heat of the battle because then I wouldn¡¯t be able to focus on anything else than protecting him but he wants to contribute nonetheless. He¡¯s a battle mage at heart.

    ¡°Help me with spells,¡± I say. ¡°I think we should be able to cast advanced magic above our current skills if we synchronise.¡±

    ¡°Synchronise how?¡± he doesn¡¯t understand. ¡°That wasn¡¯t possible in the game.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s a good thing this isn¡¯t the game anymore,¡± I quickly conjure a levitation platform and land on it. It¡¯s big enough to hold both of us so he lands as well.

    ¡°Love,¡± he catches my hand and wobbles when he feels all that panic and fear coming from humans below us through me. ¡°How can you feel all that and stay sane?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m used to it,¡± I shrug. ¡°Do you remember a tripoderra¡¯s weakness?¡±

    ¡°Fire,¡± he replies and knows I was just testing him since I¡¯m basically a walking Draconia Online encyclopaedia.

    We hear a loud thud so we both look down. The monsters are quickly adapting to a new environment and are starting to wreak real havoc. It somehow feels wrong to be so high in the air where the monsters can¡¯t reach us while the others are in danger but I have to obey my protectors and we¡¯ll need undisturbed time to prepare the spell anyway.

    ¡°A tripoderra was a level 20 monster in the game,¡± I remind him. ¡°Most of the royal guards are level 12 at best.¡±

    ¡°W-which means?¡± Gotrid gulps.

    ¡°They will have to take care of heligorrs while I come up with a spell to defeat the tripoderra that¡¯s even above my current level,¡± I say and chew my lip. It¡¯ll be very difficult even for me, the embodiment of magic. But I have to do it, there¡¯s no other way.

    ¡°Aefener, what should we do?¡± Liana flies to us. She¡¯s confused because she didn¡¯t receive any orders from me. Nor did Soren who is right behind her.

    ¡°Li, do you think you could manage to cast the Ice Barrier? The same spell I did in New York,¡± I ask, being well-aware that this is no small matter but there¡¯s no one else who would be at least potentially able to do it.

    ¡°N-not sure,¡± she answers hesitantly. ¡°I know how the spell works and should feel like but I don¡¯t think my channelling technique is good enough for it yet.¡±

    ¡°Soren, could you help her?¡± I turn to the new royal guard. ¡°Cast a levitation platform for her so that she doesn¡¯t have to focus on flapping her wings and lend her some of her mana if she runs out.¡±

    ¡°Mana channelling to another Celestial?¡± he widens his eyes. ¡°That wasn¡¯t possible in the game, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Forget about the game, it is possible here,¡± I say firmly even though I honestly have no idea where are my confidence and assurance coming from. I just somehow know it should be possible. Is it because I¡¯m the embodiment of magic? I¡¯m still reluctant to admit it but when it comes to magic, it does come naturally to me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do it, it¡¯s a level 15 spell,¡± Liana starts to panic.

    ¡°Li, you¡¯re my Viceroy, trust your magical ability a bit more,¡± I try to encourage her. ¡°Soren will back you up, you can rely on him.¡±

    ¡°Rely on¡­,¡± Liana gulps and I feel she¡¯s experiencing inner struggle.

    I know she hates relying on other people if it¡¯s something super important but she¡¯ll have to learn it. And right now, the hard way I¡¯m afraid. Just as I had to stop being afraid of my true self, she has to learn how to open up. So far, I¡¯m the only person she trusts completely but I see a ray of hope that Soren might change that.

    ¡°Am I going to do mana channelling as well, love?¡± Gotrid asks.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t need your mana,¡± I shake my head and quickly speak to all the Celestials again: Hold the heligorrs with Ice Spears and the tripoderra with Fire Blasts for now! We need time to prepare.

    ¡°S-so?¡± he chews his lip nervously.

    ¡°I want us to combine Fierce Flames,¡± I reveal my plan.

    ¡°B-but that¡¯s a level 20 spell, I can¡¯t¡­,¡± Gotrid has even greater doubts than Liana.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the game anymore,¡± I caress his face. ¡°The level system is only a guide now, it doesn¡¯t bind us. We should be able to do spells a few levels above our current skill. As for the mana, take mine, I have more than enough for both of us. Trust yourself. Trust me. We can do it.¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°I trust you with my life,¡± he dares to go for a quick kiss despite the heat of the battle.

    ¡°Then close your eyes and follow my guidance,¡± I kiss him back and it works like magic. Because love is magic.

    We hold our hands, close our eyes and start with the initial mana channelling technique. The moment I let my tremendous mana out, the monsters below us roar and switch aggro to us. So they can feel mana after all, at least to a certain extent. We¡¯ve just pretty much confirmed it.

    We¡¯re quite high up but Gotrid is still anxious that they¡¯ll hit us. Heligorrs are known to be able to throw things into astonishing distances with their claws and tripoderras can spit venomous acid for dozens of metres.

    Don¡¯t let them distract you, the guards will protect us, I assure him. I know it¡¯s hard so focus on me instead.

    He does and his channelling gets more precise. When we accumulate enough mana, I show him the spell. He knows most Celestial spells by heart but it¡¯s very different to have purely theoretical knowledge when the game system helps you execute it and to materialise the transfiguration symbol yourself.

    I¡¯m proud to discover that my subjects are quite efficient at slowing the heligorrs¡¯ progress through the city which gives humans more time to evacuate. And I¡¯m overjoyed when I feel other races finally arriving as well. I decide to trust they¡¯ll do their best while Gotrid and I are doing our part.

    The monsters are attacking repeatedly and my guards are busy keeping the venom and thrown objects from us. I feel Liana fiercely focusing on the spell that¡¯s beyond her current comfortable level but she can do it, I believe in her. She¡¯s the best caster after me.

    The only thing that¡¯s distracting me is the panic and suffering down below. People in distress, a lot of them injured¡ªvery hard to just ignore. But the incoming Earthborn are on the job now while Clawfangs are trying to keep monsters away and the Dragonkin dealing some serious damage. Will they be able to take out at least one heligorr on their own I wonder?

    Love, you¡¯re not responsible for everyone, Gotrid send me his tender thought because now it¡¯s me who¡¯s not focusing properly. We¡¯re taking down that ugly spider, that¡¯s our target.

    I lean closer and kiss him again. I connect our minds, hug him with my wings and we keep casting in a feathery embrace. Since there¡¯s no such ridiculous thing as having to stretch our hands, we can create our spell at a distance away from us.

    Gotrid is draining himself quickly so I channel some of my mana to him. He¡¯s a very good caster for his current level and I have no doubt he¡¯ll become a master battle mage in future. But for now, his mana channelling is lacking so I back him up. He gobbles my mana hungrily, enjoying the boost of energy and the fact that it¡¯s coming from me.

    I don¡¯t think that dual casting is possible for anyone who isn¡¯t a telepath or the embodiment of magic. Two spells would clash under normal circumstances but since we know each other¡¯s intentions, we smoothly interweave our transfigurations into one another.

    Something like this definitely wasn¡¯t possible in the game and even I might be able to do it exclusively with my partners and no one else. What Liana¡¯s attempting isn¡¯t even close, she¡¯s just getting a mana boost from Soren. But even that¡¯s extremely handy, we¡¯ve discovered a new application any Celestial can use if needed.

    Are you ready, love? I make sure when our complex spell is finally finished. It¡¯s hard to track time but I suspect it took at least ten minutes during which we were completely defenceless. Such is a disadvantage of high-tier spells and the caster¡¯s main vulnerability.

    I am, he answers firmly.

    Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll steer it, I assure him as I toss our spell at the tripoderra.

    The monster tries to avoid it, of course, but I¡¯m not just throwing the spell, I¡¯m manoeuvring it with my very mind so it hits the target straight ahead. Our combined spell explodes monumentally and tears the tripoderra apart. Instant kill. If the Dragonkin want some parts, they¡¯ll have to scrape them from the pavement.

    Liana releases her Ice Barrier just a few seconds after us and manages to freeze the head of one of the heligorrs. Instant kill as well, that¡¯s my Viceroy! She¡¯s totally drained afterwards and falls to her knees but she did it. I¡¯m grateful to Soren who comes to her aid immediately.

    ¡°Two more to go,¡± Gotrid is also tired but not exhausted because he has access to my mana. He can still go on.

    ¡°Or not,¡± I point towards the heligorr to our right. It¡¯s surrounded by the horde of the Dragonkin, it looks pretty beaten and¡­

    ¡°Are some of them holding swords?!¡± I can¡¯t believe my eyes.

    ¡°They are,¡± Gotrid confirms. ¡°They don¡¯t look like the Dragonkin weaponry just yet, probably bought from some medieval hobbyist, but they seem to be working.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s focus on that one then,¡± I say quickly because I notice that several Draconians got injured and are being carried away from the battlefield. I don¡¯t feel anyone dying but it still makes me worried.

    Gotrid nods, much more confident now. We close our eyes again and even though I¡¯m perfectly capable of executing the Ice Barrier all by myself, Gotrid¡¯s contribution is significant when it comes to focusing so I won¡¯t be so mentally strained afterwards. I¡¯m starting to love dual-casting.

    The Ice Barrier doesn¡¯t take as long with both of us working on the spell so the second heligorr goes down in just three minutes. We want to help with the third one but it seems our help won¡¯t be needed after all. The Dragonkin look unwilling to let Celestials near their prey anyway and, soon enough, the last monster is eradicated.

    ¡°We did it!!!¡± Draconians start celebrating but I know it¡¯s too early for that.

    While we arrived early and had a lot of people on the job, many humans were still injured. But I don¡¯t think we lost anyone, at least I didn¡¯t feel anyone dying. Injuries are another matter, though. I feel pain all around me and it¡¯s maddening.

    I hurry to Liana who¡¯s panting and isn¡¯t able to get up. Soren is trying to channel more of his mana to her but channelling is no mana transplant, it¡¯s only a temporary boost for a forming spell¡ªit can¡¯t be used to replenish the mana inside one¡¯s body.

    ¡°Soren, get her to our skyscraper, make her eat something and lie down,¡± I order him. ¡°If she objects, I give you the authority to see to it she rests.¡±

    ¡°Aefener, I¡­,¡± Liana gasps for breath.

    ¡°You did really well,¡± I praise her. ¡°I¡¯m proud. Now go, your part is over.¡±

    As expected, Liana wants to protest but Soren hears no objections and heads for the skyscraper. That¡¯s one person taken care of, dozens more to go. Fortunately, the Earthborn are starting to flood the place from all directions. They were just waiting for the monsters to be gone. The Earthborn are no cowards but their powers are very peculiar and not fit for the front lines.

    We land right in the middle and start helping immediately. The priority is to help those whose injuries are life-threatening or too painful to bear. It¡¯s not hard for me to find the first person to help. The pain I¡¯m perceiving is so insane that it can mean only one thing¡ªwe have a Celestial with an injured wing.

    I run towards the source, dragging Gotrid with me. My guards follow without objections because they suspect it¡¯s connected to my telepathy. In a narrow opening between two historical buildings, I find three Celestials in hiding. Two of them look okay but the person they rescued isn¡¯t.

    ¡°Y-Your Majesty!¡± they are relieved to see me and instantly calm down as if I¡¯m the guarantee everything¡¯s going to be okay.

    I shudder when I look at the Celestial woman they¡¯re holding. Her left wing is clearly broken, it¡¯s lying in an unnatural position. Just seeing it gives me goosebumps, not to mention I can feel her agony.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m¡­ so s-sorry¡­ Your Majesty¡­ I¡­ I panicked and got h-hit¡­,¡± she¡¯s stammering over tears.

    ¡°Shh, that¡¯s okay, Gwyn,¡± I hug her and pull her name out of her mind. ¡°You¡¯ll make a full recovery and fly again, I¡¯ll see to it personally. But I need to straighten your wing first,¡± I say as softly as I can. ¡°It¡¯ll be hellishly painful but it needs to be done.¡±

    ¡°U-understood,¡± she replies bravely and catches me around my back in desperation.

    I take a deep breath because it won¡¯t be exactly pleasant for me either, then I activate telekinesis and straighter the bone in her wing with one snap. While it causes only mild nausea for me, poor Gwyn screams and faints. But it¡¯s done, the worst part is over.

    I cast a level 15 healing spell and it actually works much better on a Celestial than any other race because her mana circuit is cooperating. I keep hugging her for several minutes, showering her wing with warm healing energy until it loses its immediate effect so I seal the spell and leave the rest up to her own body.

    ¡°She¡¯ll need a special fixation for the wing,¡± I say when I¡¯m finished and gently kiss Gwyn on her forehead. ¡°I mended what I could but her wing will need much more time to heal.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty¡­,¡± the two Celestials who carried her to safety are looking at me with almost religious awe. They¡¯re both Americans, newcomers just like her. Friends maybe? I bet they didn¡¯t expect a battle would be waiting for them the moment they reached Prague.

    ¡°She¡¯s stabilised, transport her to our skyscraper,¡± I order them. ¡°Use GPS on your phones and when you get there, ask for Julia and Noage. Julia is human but I trust her completely. You¡¯ll listen to what she says.¡±

    ¡°As you command,¡± they bow and with extreme caution lift off their friend and cast a levitation platform for her.

    We return to the main street and I notice a handful of impatient Dragonkin already scavenging the monsters. I have to turn around when three of them tear off one of tripoderra¡¯s legs. Unbelievable, there¡¯re still people suffering all around them but they¡¯re rather focusing on the loot?! Our racial tendencies are manifesting more and more.

    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Luviael lands in front of me. ¡°Your orders?¡±

    ¡°What do you think? We¡¯re not leaving until everyone is in hospital,¡± I snap at her because all that suffering makes me anxious and she has to ask something so obvious. ¡°Cooperate with the Earthborn and clear out the debris using telekinesis if the Dragonkin aren¡¯t helping.¡±

    ¡°As you command,¡± she bows, spreads the wings again and goes to organise our forces.

    ¡°You¡¯re disappointed, my love,¡± Gotrid clutches my hand and is saddened.

    ¡°I am,¡± I admit. ¡°I¡¯m disappointed that the only people genuinely interested in helping the injured humans are the Earthborn. Clawfangs came just for the battle and are dispersing as we speak, the Dragonkin are after the loot and Celestials are helping only because I order them so.¡±

    ¡°Not everyone,¡± Gotrid points at several Dragonkin who actually are lifting off the debris. ¡°Our racial tendencies are very strong and it¡¯s hard to resist them but we¡¯re individuals.¡±

    Paramedics start arriving and so do firefighters and the police. They¡¯re shy around Draconians at first but a common goal quickly unites us and we work next to each other without significant problems. Surprisingly, Bauerova shows up as well. That lady has style, not like Delgado who didn¡¯t bother.

    ¡°Your Majesty, you took care of it personally,¡± she¡¯s grateful beyond compare.

    ¡°Of course, this is my home,¡± I emphasise. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be overly optimistic before the damage control has finished but I think nobody died.¡±

    ¡°That would be miraculous,¡± Bauerova sighs out in relief.

    ¡°We have a lot of injured, though,¡± I note. ¡°Can you persuade the paramedics to cooperate with the Earthborn and let them into hospitals? Modern medicine is amazing, I had no doubts about that, but the Earthborn can help a ton.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± the Prime Minister nods and runs off to discuss the matter with the rescue forces.

    ¡°She¡¯s a priceless ally,¡± Gotrid comments.

    ¡°She is,¡± I agree. ¡°If only more human politicians were like her.¡±

    We¡¯re helping for another hour until the situation gets under control.

    ¡°Your Majesty, if think we¡¯re pretty much done here,¡± Miruel announces. ¡°The Earthborn took over healing the injured completely, we checked thoroughly that there¡¯s no one trapped under the debris and the fire brigade will clean up the rest. I¡¯m sure we don¡¯t want to be here when the Dragonkin make their way to the flesh of those monsters.¡±

    ¡°We certainly don¡¯t,¡± I second that and don¡¯t dare to look their way.

    I devote a minute to make sure I really don¡¯t feel anyone suffering and being overlooked before I allow my subjects to return. I see the full extent of damage those monsters did when we get higher. Two historical streets are ruined, I hope the EU will send money to restore everything to its original shape.

    Is this our new everyday reality? Gotrid speaks in his mind. Monsters randomly popping up and destroying everything in their stride?

    They must be appearing out of somewhere, I point out. Maybe we can find a way how to seal those rifts.

    And possibly explore where they lead? he suggests carefully.

    That idea certainly crossed my mind before. These monsters aren¡¯t just materialising, their minds are primitive but I can feel they are aged. They must have grown somewhere to reach their monstrous sizes. In a different dimension perhaps? A dimension similar to the world of Draconia Online?

    We reach the skyscraper and I half-expect Liana to be waiting for us, pissed that I sent her away. But I feel she¡¯s actually asleep, the spell was way beyond her current skills and exhausted her completely. There¡¯s still someone eagerly awaiting my return, though.

    ¡°Ryuu!¡± Erik almost crushes me. ¡°You¡¯re not injured?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I assure him and we spend a few long moments kissing feverishly.

    ¡°I did my best in your absence,¡± he says proudly. ¡°I talked to Bennett and took care of several things you don¡¯t have to address anymore.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I know I can rely on you,¡± I caress his face and smile. I¡¯m so glad to see him again. ¡°I think there weren¡¯t any casualties, we arrived early.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful news, love,¡± Erik is overjoyed. ¡°To be honest, my parents were really scared when they called me. Their apartment is near Vinohrady.¡±

    ¡°It is?¡± I¡¯m shocked just thinking that Erik¡¯s parents might have been in danger as well. ¡°Won¡¯t they reconsider now? We could move them into the skyscraper.¡±

    ¡°Nah, they would hate that,¡± he shakes his head. ¡°I proposed it to them many times and their answer is always the same. They still didn¡¯t come to terms with us hiring them bodyguards but they at least tolerate that much. Well, they have to.¡±

    ¡°So I imagine they won¡¯t be happy if I assign them two Celestials,¡± I bite my lip. ¡°After what happened with my Grandma, I won¡¯t take any chances.¡±

    ¡°I actually wanted to ask that of you,¡± he¡¯s relieved we¡¯re on the same page. ¡°The agency guarding my parents is the best on the market but I¡¯ll feel more at ease with magic casters.¡±

    ¡°Luvi, can you take care of things here? I¡¯d like to visit the infirmary to make sure our wounded are okay,¡± I turn to my adjutant.

    I feel that something¡¯s wrong the moment Luviael¡¯s emotional state changes for the worse and her excitement from our victory is overshadowed by a new fear. She¡¯s staring at the screen where we usually take the most important conference calls.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that will have to wait,¡± she gulps. ¡°You have the Japanese Prime Minister on the phone. Tokyo is under attack.¡±

 65. The Call of the Distant Homeland

    I end the phone call with the Japanese Prime Minister and collapse in the chair. There¡¯s something deeply crushing and frustrating about not being able to do anything. Erik and Gotrid are caressing my wings, comforting me that there¡¯s nothing I can do. But I can¡¯t help feeling I should be able to do something.

    ¡°You¡¯re doing it again,¡± Erik frowns. ¡°You¡¯re putting all responsibility on your frail shoulders.¡±

    ¡°I can at least try reaching out to local Celestials?¡± I suggest eagerly.

    ¡°It¡¯s too late for that,¡± Gotrid shakes his head. ¡°They either feel it because they¡¯re in the vicinity so they¡¯re heading there as we speak or they are too far away to intervene.¡±

    It¡¯s hard to describe how I feel right now. New York was the first, I didn¡¯t have time to think about it when we went to the battle. Greece and Korea were over quickly and it happened when I was sleeping. Prague was a personal thing, it¡¯s my home. But Japan is my birthplace, it¡¯s also a personal thing.

    ¡°We were too slow establishing battle units,¡± I regret.

    ¡°No, we weren¡¯t,¡± Erik strongly disagrees. ¡°These attacks started just a few days ago. I know it feels much longer but it¡¯s been barely a week.¡±

    I shiver when the Prime Minister sends us the live video stream from one of the police drones that are monitoring the situation. Local Draconians showed up after all but it¡¯s obvious they lack a commander. Their attack patterns are chaotic and they don¡¯t cooperate effectively. At least there¡¯s no tripoderra but two heligorrs and at least two dozen filandras are giving them a hard time.

    ¡°I can¡¯t watch it,¡± I bury my face in Gotrid¡¯s wing because one Clawfang gets badly injured by a heligorr¡¯s claw.

    ¡°More Draconians are arriving,¡± Gotrid comforts me. ¡°There are many high-level players in Tokyo, they¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°But why Japan right after Prague?¡± I shake my head. ¡°It can¡¯t be a coincidence. Is my father sending me a message or something?¡±

    ¡°We still don¡¯t know if he¡¯s responsible for these rifts opening,¡± Erik reminds me. ¡°There¡¯s no technology to do that.¡±

    ¡°There wasn¡¯t technology for transforming millions of players into fantasy races either,¡± I oppose.

    We continue watching the streaming but it¡¯s unnerving to observe. If I was there, the battle would be over already. Instead, the first heligorr goes down after hellishly long thirty minutes and many Draconians got injured in the process. The second heligorr takes even longer because filandras started going after humans so local Draconians had to divide their forces.

    ¡°See? They could do it,¡± Erik celebrates when all the monsters are finally eradicated.

    They could, fortunately, but I¡¯m afraid the price for that was too high. There will be many casualties¡ªhumans and Draconians alike. Unless we seriously level up and get organised, these attacks will get out of control. And what if stronger monsters start appearing as well? Heligorrs and tripoderras were only low-level monsters in the game. Not even I could defeat a manticore with my current level.

    ¡°We have to¡­,¡± I get up from the chair but the moment I straighten, my head spins. I wobble but Erik and Gotrid hurry and catch me in time so I don¡¯t end up on the floor.

    ¡°Love, you¡¯re exhausted,¡± Gotrid is worried. ¡°You shared too much mana with me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, just tired and hungry,¡± I murmur wearily.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say something?¡± Erik sighs.

    ¡°Give me a sandwich and I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I wave my head. ¡°With Liana out of the picture, I have to¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to bed, Your Majesty,¡± Luviael speaks up and purses her lips similarly to Liana. It seems she learned more than politics and administration from her mentor.

    ¡°Nonsense, there¡¯s too much stuff to¡­¡±

    But Vermiel is already telling the guards to open the door for me while Luviael calls Taranah to help her out. Gotrid smirks and takes me into his arms, using all the necessary force because I struggle with him.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use,¡± Erik chuckles and helps carry my wings. ¡°The Emperor needs to rest and that¡¯s final. You know you have to listen to us in these things, love.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, put your trust in us,¡± Luviael pleads. ¡°Your doctor is right, we can¡¯t keep overworking you like this. A functional government can¡¯t stand on two people alone. We¡¯ll do our best until newly appointed ministers arrive and we establish proper departments.¡±

    ¡°You heard her, they¡¯ll take care of it,¡± Gotrid says impatiently. ¡°You would only worry, worry, worry even though there¡¯s nothing you can do about Japan right now.¡±

    We cross the corridor and the guards have to constantly assure the onlookers that I¡¯m just tired so that there¡¯s no panic erupting. I usually love being held by my partners, I just don¡¯t like having so many witnesses.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± the maids get angry the moment they see us entering our apartment. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come right after the battle? We were waiting for you, we had food prepared.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s been an emergency,¡± I explain quickly because nothing good ever comes from angering my maids. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear about Tokyo?¡±

    ¡°We did. So?¡± Ayala clicks her tongue. ¡°Let your subordinates take care of it.¡±

    ¡°See?¡± Erik winks at me. ¡°Things are slowly changing, they realised you can¡¯t be expected to deal with everything that comes up on your own.¡±

    ¡°You did the maximum you could today, hon,¡± Gotrid says, putting me on the sofa in our living room. ¡°Now¡¯s the time to rest. You deserved it.¡±

    ¡°I have an idea,¡± Erik murmurs more to himself than to us and runs off somewhere.

    Gotrid raises his eyebrow but he takes it as an opportunity to cuddle with me privately. To be honest, I¡¯m not in the mood for cuddling right now. I can¡¯t stop thinking about how many people died in Tokyo during the attack and the potential consequences. Gotrid is considerate of that and changes his efforts to petting my wings. That¡¯s always pleasant for a Celestial no matter what.

    ¡°Love, don¡¯t fall asleep yet,¡± he has to tickle me when he notices that my eyes are closing. ¡°I know you¡¯re tired but you have to eat something before we let you sleep.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ leave it¡­ for breakfast,¡± I yawn.

    ¡°Aefener,¡± Gotrid whispers into my ear which makes all my feathers stand up. He rarely uses my name so it¡¯s much more precious. I open my eyes again only to find him leaning over me, preparing for a kiss.

    ¡°Dinner is ready, Your Majesty!¡± Ayala interrupts us at the worst possible moment. Gotrid looks at her with a killing intent but she only grins and leaves the door open.

    Erik is waiting for us in the dining room and I finally understand why he left so strangely. The light in the room is dimmed and there are candles on the table. If he wanted to create a romantic atmosphere in just a few minutes, he certainly succeeded.

    ¡°And the bath will be ready by the time you finish eating,¡± Cien reports proudly.

    ¡°Oh, the bath?!¡± my eyes sparkle. So far, I only took a quick shower in our new bathroom but the jacuzzi was there, hard not to notice.

    ¡°But dinner is a priority,¡± Cien says. ¡°Please, eat as much as you can, Your Majesty.¡±

    I nod but I¡¯m a bit apprehensive hearing that, to be honest. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like eating, I just don¡¯t like eating certain kinds of food and I absolutely hate overstuffing myself. But when Ayala takes off the lid with a huge smile, she reveals a dish I could eat anytime and in huge quantities (huge for me, at least).

    ¡°A pizza!¡± I celebrate and smell it. It¡¯s heavenly.

    ¡°Baked freshly in the skyscraper,¡± Ayala smiles. ¡°Her Excellency wanted to make a surprise for you, she bought a pizza oven for the kitchens.¡±

    ¡°This is really the best!¡± I appreciate it and take a slice immediately. For a moment, I forget all my worries and just gobble.

    ¡°Enjoy, love,¡± Erik bites into his own ham pizza. Gotrid and I got a cheese one as only Erik can digest meat.

    I manage to finish the whole pizza and even take small a bowl of salad. I¡¯m very full but not totally stuffed so I still feel fine.

    ¡°We should have a romantic evening more often,¡± Erik comments after the plates are cleared and we get a glass of wine. ¡°Let¡¯s make it a weekly thing, not a rare occurrence.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Gotrid seconds and, for once, they agree with each other.

    I notice that while Erik got his glass full, Gotrid and I received barely a half. Even in the evening during leisure time Celestials stay away from alcohol. Not that I¡¯m complaining, half a glass is quite enough for me. An intoxicated caster could be very dangerous and my alcohol tolerance was very low, to begin with.

    ¡°Now¡¯s my turn,¡± Erik gets up quickly and before I can do anything, he takes me into his arms.

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    I have to ostentatiously roll my eyes. I just got a little dizzy because I should have eaten something the moment we returned from the battle. I¡¯ve just eaten a ton so I feel much better already, yet I¡¯m still considered to be incapable of walking on my own.

    ¡°Erik, I slayed a huge spider-like monster today,¡± I remind him.

    ¡°So¡­?¡± he tilts his head and is chuckling.

    ¡°Forget it,¡± I sigh resignedly and let myself be carried to the bathroom.

    It turns out the lights are dimmed even here and the bathtub is clad with candles. Romantic! I¡¯ve never tried a jacuzzi before so this is my first. But I don¡¯t care about what it can do, I just want to comfortably fit inside and properly wash my wings.

    Gotrid and Erik spend quite a long time undressing me, savouring each layer. Then I finally jump inside and it¡¯s pure heaven. The bathtub is big enough for a Celestial! Well, maybe not for long because my partners follow me, of course. Suddenly, I feel a bit cramped again. But it¡¯s a good kind of cramped since I¡¯m squeezing between my beloved.

    ¡°Foam?¡± Gotrid passes me a bottle.

    ¡°Oh, please!¡± I grab it and apply a ton of the product into the water. ¡°This is so nice!¡± I start putting the foam on my feathers and massaging my wings.

    ¡°Let me, hon,¡± Erik moves behind me and takes over the massage. Gotrid quickly joins as well so they both have one wing to take care of.

    ¡°Did I get two partners exactly for that? Maybe I did,¡± I joke, thoroughly enjoying the procedure and, for a moment, I forget about the world.

    We spend the evening cuddling in the bath, then continue doing so in our bedroom. With my stomach pleasantly full and my wings nicely clean, tiredness went away momentarily so I¡¯m up to some bed adventures.

    *****

    ¡°Are you okay, Li?¡± I worry because the first thing I notice when I enter the Royal Office the next morning is Liana feeling pissed and flustered.

    ¡°That moron was standing in front of my bedroom the whole night,¡± she complains loudly which isn¡¯t normally her style.

    ¡°You mean Soren? Well, he¡¯s in the Royal Guard now so his task is doing exactly that,¡± I don¡¯t understand the problem.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think he would be guarding ME!¡± she cries. ¡°He saw me in a night robe and with my bed hair!¡±

    Gotrid and Erik chuckle so Liana stares at them with her eyes narrowed.

    ¡°I wanted to re-assign him to you but Vermiel told me he has all posts full already,¡± she continues ranting. ¡°Apparently, every Celestial with that aspiration tries hard to get into the Royal Guard to serve you directly.¡±

    ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s the highest honour,¡± Gotrid says matter-of-factly.

    ¡°It seems to me Soren volunteered to become your guard,¡± I giggle. ¡°Do I sense a crush developing?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, that guy just wants to torment me for the weeks I¡¯ve been ignoring him,¡± she grunts. ¡°He went to sleep after his night shift so I¡¯m rid of him for now but he will come back for sure!¡±

    ¡°Some torment can be good,¡± Gotrid winks at me. ¡°After all, I got my Emperor by being daring and persistent.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d call it obnoxious,¡± Erik coughs.

    Liana rolls her eyes and tells us to stop messing around and start working. As expected, there¡¯s a ton of work waiting for us after yesterday. I have another phone call with the Japanese Prime Minister who obviously didn¡¯t get any sleep, judging by his weary expression.

    ¡°Thirty-six people are dead,¡± Ichikawa announces grimly. ¡°The Draconians did what they could but they came too late and weren¡¯t well organised. People in Prague are lucky to have you, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°We have to speed up establishing patrols,¡± I say urgently. ¡°As we said at the conference, we need professional combat forces, not random volunteers. Have you managed to secure suitable spots across the whole country yet?¡±

    ¡°Not yet,¡± Ichikawa admits. ¡°The logistic of such a task is challenging but my people are working on it as we speak.¡±

    ¡°My call for arms was answered by many Draconians,¡± I try to sound positive. ¡°We¡¯ll have working combat units soon.¡±

    ¡°But we also need Celestials¡­ every country does,¡± the Prime Minister bites his lip.

    ¡°Of course, I promised to fully cooperate,¡± I don¡¯t understand what he¡¯s talking about.

    ¡°So you¡¯ll ask them to stay in their respective countries?¡± Ichikawa is afraid to meet my eyes. ¡°I mean those countries that didn¡¯t refuse Draconian help.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± I raise my hand because I finally catch his drift. ¡°Are you telling me that Celestials are leaving Japan?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± the Prime Minister blinks. ¡°It¡¯s literally an exodus. Now that the UN guarantees that Draconians can cross borders, many Celestials decided to flock to Bohemia where their Emperor is. To you. Japanese social media is full of photos of Celestials waiting for flights to Europe.¡±

    ¡°Li!¡± I call my Viceroy who¡¯s overhearing our conversation from the other table.

    ¡°Investigating it!¡± she calls back in a panic because not even she anticipated such an outcome.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ichikawa-san, we didn¡¯t know. We were busy after yesterday¡¯s attack,¡± I apologise. ¡°I¡¯ll try imploring my people to stay and protect Japan.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Ichikawa takes a deep breath. ¡°I know that what I¡¯m about to ask you is very bold of us but would you consider visiting Japan as our most honoured guest? Maybe Japanese Celestials wouldn¡¯t be so eager to leave if they saw that you still perceive Japan to be your homeland.¡±

    ¡°Ehm,¡± I can¡¯t answer right away because the sudden appeal startled me.

    ¡°Just for one week?¡± Ichikawa almost begs.

    ¡°We¡¯ve recently returned from New York, Ichikawa-san,¡± Gotrid answers for me. ¡°His Majesty needs to rest.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m well aware of that,¡± he says and lowers his gaze. ¡°I also realise that you¡¯re not a Japanese citizen, Your Majesty, so you have no obligation to us but surely you feel something towards your birthplace?¡±

    ¡°You mean the birthplace which refused to grant me dual citizenship?¡± I comment bitterly. ¡°And deported me when I was just four?¡±

    Ichikawa grows pale.

    ¡°Your mother was an EU citizen and she didn¡¯t state who your father was when you were born,¡± he explains slowly. ¡°We do allow dual citizenship but only if you could prove that at least part of your family is Japanese.¡±

    I shudder. That would mean admitting in front of the whole world that Takeda is my father! I try to look like I need a few moments to think it through to discuss the matter with my partners telepathically without being suspicious.

    Maybe it¡¯s not such a bad idea? It could get him from hiding, Erik suggests carefully.

    He might deny it, I doubt. Besides, do we want to contact him now? Everything is in a disarray.

    You¡¯ll need to face him one day, Erik reminds me softly.

    No way, Gotrid disagrees. If Takeda publicly confirms that our Emperor is indeed his son, he might try to claim him.

    Claim? Ryuuto is a legal adult, Gotrid, Erik snorts.

    The Japanese are very conservative when it comes to family matters, Gotrid opposes. Whatever that Takeda guy is planning, it¡¯s obvious he needs our beloved for that and this could serve as a perfect pretence.

    ¡°I¡¯ll consider visiting Japan,¡± I say loudly. ¡°I might not have any obligation to you but you¡¯re right that Japan is my birthplace. Don¡¯t bother investigating if I¡¯m Japanese enough in the eyes of your immigration law, it¡¯ll be a strictly diplomatic visit.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty,¡± Ichikawa¡¯s face brightens. ¡°If there¡¯s hope you¡¯re coming in foreseeable future, Japanese Celestials will think twice about leaving. Thank you, thank you!¡±

    The phone call ends and I have a dark premonition and screwed up big time. The Japanese don¡¯t understand hesitation the same way Europeans do and my thinking is European.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m afraid the Japanese government is taking our visit for granted,¡± Liana notices my expression and switches into the teacher¡¯s mode. ¡°You still have much to learn, my young political padawan.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not mad?¡± I sigh.

    ¡°Anything that helps us gain political influence and is seen in a positive light is good,¡± she shrugs. ¡°Besides, don¡¯t you want to visit your homeland?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to,¡± I admit. ¡°But as a tourist and to do touristy things.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no such thing as a monarch or a president of another country visiting as a tourist,¡± she has to disappoint me.

    I sigh. Another thing that¡¯s never happening. Being the Celestial Emperor brings only limitations and almost no perks except for money and influence.

    Only you¡¯re not interested in money and influence, Erik comments in his thoughts, amused.

    ¡°Li, can I leave to visit our wounded?¡± I ask because I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m needed right now or not. ¡°I have no doubts they have the best possible care but I¡¯m still worried about Gwyn¡¯s wing.¡±

    ¡°Sure, go,¡± she allows. ¡°Your visit will boost their morale and I need to contact and interconnect our Japanese communities which will take some time.¡±

    *****

    ¡°Your Majesty, you didn¡¯t have to bother,¡± Noage greets me when I enter the infirmary. ¡°Everything¡¯s under control.¡±

    ¡°Just checking up, it¡¯s no bother,¡± I assure him and look for Julia. I feel her but I don¡¯t see her because she¡¯s hidden behind a curtain, tending to someone.

    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Gwyn calls to me enthusiastically, only a second later realising that it might be considered rude. She turns red. Her bed is positioned next to the window with respect to her Celestial preferences.

    ¡°Gwyn, how are you?¡± I hurry to her.

    ¡°Quite well actually because my Emperor is concerned,¡± she¡¯s all smiles and points towards her wing that¡¯s fixated in a special cast. ¡°Doctor Noage made it for me. He¡¯s also giving me something for the pain so it¡¯s not so horrible.¡±

    ¡°Healing is the easy part,¡± Noage says. ¡°The hard part is what comes after. Gwyn will need rehabilitation and won¡¯t be able to fly for at least two weeks.¡±

    ¡°Gwyn, do you promise to rest properly?¡± I implore her.

    ¡°As you command, Your Majesty,¡± she nods eagerly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t command, I¡¯m asking you,¡± I sigh. ¡°Now, let me apply a healing booster.¡±

    Erik and Gotrid both roll their eyes at the same time because Gwyn looks blissful that I¡¯m going to personally apply another healing spell. I try not to pay attention to her rather fanatical feelings towards me and I channel my warm healing energy into her wing.

    ¡°I¡¯ve just shortened your recuperation a bit,¡± I wink at her. ¡°But the rest is up to your own body I¡¯m afraid. Proper recovery is still a natural process even for Draconians.¡±

    ¡°You straightened the bone nicely, Your Majesty, that¡¯s more than enough,¡± Noage assures me. ¡°Not even an Earthborn could do better.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to straighten a bone of any other race,¡± I admit. ¡°With Gwyn, I followed her mana circuit and harmonised that into its original shape.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± Noage takes a mental note. ¡°So there are aspects of Celestial healing arts that are working only within your own race.¡±

    ¡°I think so?¡± I confirm hesitantly. ¡°I also felt that Gwyn¡¯s mana circuit was cooperating with me when I was applying the spell.¡±

    ¡°And does it also¡­¡±

    ¡°Noage!¡± Julia appears from behind the curtain and berates her colleague. ¡°His Majesty didn¡¯t come here to be questioned. If you¡¯re writing a research paper, ask any other Celestial.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty,¡± Noage bows and runs off to check up on a Dragonkin with a badly scratched hand.

    ¡°Everything okay there, Jul? Do you need my healing?¡± I ask and eye the curtain.

    ¡°Oh, no, there¡¯s no need,¡± Julia waves her hand. ¡°This patient is perfectly healthy, it¡¯s only morning sickness.¡±

    ¡°Morning sickness?¡± I tilt my head.

    The curtain fully opens and a woman steps out¡ªit¡¯s Brina, the pregnant Clawfang I saved from the squat. I wanted to ask about her several times but I was always too busy. I¡¯m happy to see her now.

    ¡°Your Majesty, good morning,¡± she greets me and bows. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to occupy the doctor unnecessarily when she¡¯s supposed to take care of the wounded but I got very dizzy all of a sudden. I wanted to make sure everything¡¯s okay with the little one.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± I look at Julia, a bit panicky.

    ¡°Perfectly healthy,¡± she repeats. ¡°Brina¡¯s pregnancy is just more turbulent because she got pregnant before her transformation fully finished. It should be okay from now on.¡±

    I study Brina and notice that her belly is protruding a bit. Isn¡¯t it too fast? Or normal for a Clawfang? What month is she in anyway?

    ¡°I think Clawfang pregnancy will take only six months,¡± Julia answers my unvoiced question. ¡°We don¡¯t know much yet but Brina is so kind to come every week for observation and some unintrusive testing.¡±

    ¡°The very first Draconian pregnancy,¡± Brian caresses her belly and smiles. ¡°We were trying to keep it secret for as long as we could but ever since my belly started showing, we obviously couldn¡¯t anymore. Now doctors and scientists from all over the world are begging me for an examination.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re being harassed by them¡­,¡± I start but she shakes her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, my partner is very protective and so are all the Clawfangs who didn¡¯t leave with our Alpha,¡± she says. ¡°Thanks, doctor. Thank you for your kind concern, Your Majesty.¡±

    I¡¯m worried that she¡¯s still a bit dizzy but it turns out two Clawfangs came to pick her up.

    My phone buzzes¡ªLiana is texting me to come back to the office because Japanese Celestials want to speak with me and no one else. It¡¯s like my homeland is calling me, telling me that it¡¯s high time I return and reconnect with my roots. I¡¯m starting to feel excited about it but I can¡¯t shake off the creeping dread in my subconscious. Because visiting Japan also means facing my father.

 66. Weâ€™re Family

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true, I¡¯m coming,¡± I confirm but I¡¯m not particularly happy about it. I want to visit my homeland, I really do, but I don¡¯t want to be forced into it like this. Unfortunately, there¡¯s no other way. Japanese Celestials were preparing to leave and only my coming over could stop them.

    ¡°That¡¯s the most wonderful news, Your Majesty!¡± Gavreel celebrates and Celestials squeezing into the camera¡¯s scope around him are also overjoyed.

    Gavreel is a Celestial in his late thirties with grey wings and long blond hair who¡¯s been acting as my sort-of deputy for Japan. I haven¡¯t had many opportunities to deal with him personally, it¡¯s been Liana¡¯s job up to this point, and I also don¡¯t know him that well from the game because he belonged to a different guild.

    But he has a great resum¨¦ with twelve-year experience in salesforce so we decided to appoint him our future Minister of Commerce. He was actually the only Japanese Celestial who was directly invited to join our inner government. Little did we know back then he intended to bring all Japanese Celestials with him.

    ¡°We¡¯ll start to prepare for your arrival right away,¡± Gavreel continues enthusiastically. ¡°Forget about booking a hotel, you¡¯re staying with us!¡±

    ¡°Do you have proper accommodation for our Emperor?¡± Liana interferes, frowning. ¡°It has to be a secure area, a random apartment won¡¯t do.¡±

    ¡°One of us is offering her mansion in Osaka,¡± Gavreel boasts. ¡°It¡¯s perfect. We¡¯ll secure it beforehand so you don¡¯t have to worry, Your Excellency.¡±

    ¡°Seriously, how many more players are millionaires? What are the odds?¡± Erik grumbles.

    ¡°Sunako-chan isn¡¯t a millionaire, Royal Consort,¡± Gavreel sets the record straight, unperturbed by Erik¡¯s rudeness. ¡°True, her family has noble origins reaching to the first shogunate but they are nowhere near our Viceroy¡¯s level. In their case, it¡¯s more about keeping tradition than wealth.¡±

    ¡°Chan?¡± I get curious about the name suffix because the Japanese language usually uses it for children.

    ¡°She¡¯s only twelve,¡± he explains quickly.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the game 16+?¡± Erik narrows his eyes.

    ¡°Poor Suu-chan used to be bedridden so she got an exception. She actually spent most of her life in VR,¡± Gavreel reveals. ¡°But the transformation healed her completely, it was a miracle.¡±

    ¡°The transformation healed her?¡± I widen my eyes, pleasantly shocked.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t hear about it from the media because her family kept it secret. Anyway, Sunako-chan is really looking forward to meeting you, Your Majesty¡± Gavreel smiles. ¡°You should have seen her when she flew for the first time considering she couldn¡¯t even walk before.¡±

    ¡°But Osaka is too far from Tokyo,¡± Liana opposes.

    ¡°So what?¡± Gavreel shrugs. ¡°His Majesty will be crossing the globe, surely the Prime Minister can travel to Osaka.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right, let Ichikawa come to us,¡± Gotrid agrees. ¡°We should make it look like our Emperor is benevolent, not compliant.¡±

    ¡°Okay, send us the blueprints of the mansion,¡± Liana concedes.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be much safer than a hotel,¡± Gavreel assures us. ¡°Oh, Your Majesty, we¡¯re so looking forward to your arrival. You have no idea how isolated we feel without you. I know that you¡¯re from Prague and an EU citizen but there¡¯re more Celestials living in Asia than in Europe. If you¡¯d only consider moving your headquarters to Japan, we¡¯d take care of everything.¡±

    ¡°Ehm¡­,¡± I don¡¯t know how to instantly respond to that, the sudden proposition caught me off-guard.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the topic right now,¡± Liana clicks her tongue.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, it isn¡¯t,¡± Gavreel admits but I have a feeling he¡¯ll bring it up again.

    ¡°Start preparing for His Majesty¡¯s arrival, I want detailed reports every day,¡± my Viceroy summarises and ends the phone call.

    ¡°Seriously, can you believe this guy?¡± Gotrid rants. ¡°It¡¯s not up to him to even suggest such things. Whether we move in future or not is your decision entirely, love.¡±

    ¡°It is?¡± I blink.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Liana rolls her eyes. ¡°Do you think I¡¯d bother securing us a building in Prague if it wasn¡¯t your wish to set our headquarters here? It would have been much easier for me to vacate one of my facilities in Berlin.¡±

    I must have been staring at her for too long because Erik pokes me.

    ¡°The mighty Emperor or not, you¡¯re still so cutely slow in these things, hon,¡± he laughs. ¡°Don¡¯t feel pushed into the corner by the Japanese, they can¡¯t make you do anything.¡±

    ¡°O-okay,¡± I nod hesitantly.

    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, my Emperor,¡± Gotrid melts and feels the urgency to kiss me on the spot. So he does.

    I expect Liana to sigh at us because she¡¯s the type who hates open romance advances at the workplace but she just waves her hand and continues with work. There¡¯s a lot of stuff we need to process before we can even think of going to Japan.

    *****

    ¡°Ryuu?¡± Erik sits next to me on the sofa while I¡¯m sipping tea and actually relaxing. ¡°Sorry, are you reading?¡±

    ¡°Trying to,¡± I look up at him from my book. ¡°I wanted to read this volume for months now.¡±

    ¡°Just a quick question then,¡± he says. ¡°My parents would like to visit, can I invite them on Sunday? I asked Luviael and she¡¯s willing to clear our schedule.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I bookmark the book. ¡°They know about Gotrid, right?¡±

    ¡°The whole world knows, honey. You¡¯re the only openly polyamorous statesperson,¡± Gotrid reminds me.

    ¡°Of course, they can come,¡± I nod. ¡°What about lunch? Last time it was only coffee, I want to impress them.¡±

    ¡°As if your mere presence wasn¡¯t impressing enough,¡± he shakes his head, amused. ¡°I just hope Gotrid will behave.¡±

    ¡°Talking about me?¡± Gotrid appears, smelling of soap and his wings still a bit wet.

    ¡°My parents are coming this Sunday,¡± Erik announces rather dryly.

    ¡°Really? Nice!¡± Gotrid celebrates. ¡°Am I invited as well? I¡¯m dying to meet them.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Erik bites his lip. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it would be only appropriate considering we¡¯re literally sharing a bed. Besides, they told me explicitly that they wish to meet you.¡±

    ¡°A bed with our lovely Emperor between as a divider,¡± Gotrid jokes but then he becomes more serious. ¡°Do you think they will accept me? A lot of people who are totally okay with gay stuff aren¡¯t fine with polyamory.¡±

    ¡°That remains to be seen but I think they¡¯ll be okay in the end,¡± Erik shrugs. ¡°Concerned how it will work out for us, sure, but they never meddled in my affairs.¡±

    ¡°Ehm!¡± I cough. ¡°I was actually reading before you two came.¡±

    ¡°We should give you some space,¡± Erik agrees.

    ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t want you to have me as your 24/7 job you can¡¯t quit,¡± I murmur.

    ¡°You¡¯re not a job, silly,¡± Erik shakes his head and leans in to kiss me. ¡°But I¡¯d appreciate hitting the gym, you¡¯re right. You¡¯re lucky that Celestials are totally fine with just flying and that¡¯s it when it comes to exercise.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave my Emperor, I didn¡¯t have nearly as much time with him as you did, Erik,¡± Gotrid frowns.

    ¡°Then stay but respect that Ryuu wants to read,¡± Erik purses his lips and gets up. ¡°I won¡¯t freak out leaving you alone with him, I¡¯m beyond petty jealousy.¡±

    I feel a burst of admiration towards him. Erik was always an amazing person, his only flaw was jealousy. But he¡¯s overcoming that willingly, just how amazing is my partner?

    ¡°Ryuu, your emotions are leaking out again,¡± Erik warns me.

    ¡°Oh, dammit,¡± I take a deep breath to calm down.

    ¡°So it wasn¡¯t a one-time thing when we had sex? You¡¯re able to project not only your thoughts but also your emotions now?¡± Gotrid is curious.

    ¡°Ryuu was always able to do it. Once he got really angry at me and Liana for restricting him too much and let us feel his anger,¡± Erik recalls.

    ¡°The problem is I¡¯m not able to control it,¡± I sigh.

    ¡°Yet,¡± Erik emphasises. ¡°You¡¯ll get the hang of it, I¡¯m sure. Ok, I¡¯m off to the gym then.¡±

    When Erik leaves, I realise this is the first time I¡¯m left completely alone with Gotrid. Not counting the guards, naturally. I half-expect him to take an advantage of that but he¡¯s sitting patiently at the other end of our huge sofa.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to read?¡± he smiles at me. ¡°Go on, I won¡¯t disturb you. I¡¯d love to pet your feathers if you allow me, though.¡±

    ¡°Okay then,¡± I spread my wings and look down at my book again.

    It¡¯s the fourth volume of the series I really liked before the Great Evolution. I remember looking forward to the next instalment. It¡¯s comforting to discover that I still enjoy the same hobbies.

    I get through a paragraph when Gotrid¡¯s hands find my feathers. It¡¯s pleasant but a little distracting. I can¡¯t help not perceiving Gotrid¡¯s emotions but at least I can block catching his thoughts. A few pages into reading I finally relax. Gotrid is craving to touch me but he stays quiet while doing so, respecting that I wish to read.

    It¡¯s the little mundane things I miss so dearly. The things I haven¡¯t had any time to do ever since becoming the Emperor like simply reading a book and chilling. With the situation in the world not calming down anytime soon, I have to take whatever I can get¡ªtiny chunks of leisure time between now and then.

    *****

    ¡°Do I look okay?¡± Gotrid asks nervously.

    ¡°Your right sleeve is crooked,¡± I fix it for him. ¡°Calm down, if the Anderles are going it be angry at someone, it will be me. I got Erik into a polyamorous relationship.¡±

    ¡°Ehm,¡± Erik clears his throat. ¡°You¡¯re panicking, both of you.¡±

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Naturally,¡± Gotrid shrugs. ¡°I need to make a good first impression.¡±

    I wanted to book one of those fancy conference rooms we use for our diplomatic guests but Erik refused that idea straight away, arguing they wouldn¡¯t feel at ease there. Besides, he wants to show them our new apartment we can finally proudly call home so it was decided we¡¯ll eat in our dining room.

    ¡°Your Majesty, the Anderles are here,¡± Cien enters the bedroom to announce their arrival. ¡°Lord Gotrid, your feathers are all puffy.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he cries. ¡°I can¡¯t help it, I¡¯m too nervous.¡±

    For once, Erik doesn¡¯t make any mean remark and even looks at his rival with sympathy.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my parents are super nice,¡± he makes a rare effort to comfort down. ¡°The worst that can happen is that they won¡¯t be thrilled about our polyamorous relationship but I¡¯m an adult and it was my decision. They¡¯ll respect that.¡±

    That finally calms Gotrid down a bit and his feathers flatten.

    You¡¯re the best, I send Erik a private thought.

    I know, he smirks.

    I take Erik¡¯s hand, then Gotrid¡¯s. I send them both my love and take a bold step. With all of us feeling more courageous, we appear in front of Erik¡¯s parents who are waiting for us in the lobby.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± they bow the moment they see me.

    Erik runs to them, hugging them tightly. They hug him back happily and I hope it¡¯s a good sign. When they separate, there¡¯s silence for a second or two because the Anderles stare at my new partner, studying him literally from head to toe.

    ¡°Mr and Mrs Anderle,¡± Gotrid gulps. ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to meet you, my name is Gotrid. Please, call me that, I don¡¯t need fancy titles from you.¡±

    ¡°Pleasure,¡± it¡¯s Mrs Anderle who offers him her handshake first if a bit stiffly.

    ¡°And mine,¡± Mr Anderle follows cautiously but there¡¯s no distaste in his mind.

    To be honest, I get a bit envious. How come Gotrid gets to touch them while I can¡¯t? What kind of stupid court rule is that? I want to break it! Badly! But I don¡¯t want to scare them so I hold back.

    ¡°Lunch should be ready in thirty minutes, let¡¯s tour our new apartment!¡± Erik suggests enthusiastically to avoid another awkward silence.

    ¡°Can we?¡± Mrs Anderle bites her lip, not wanting to intrude.

    ¡°Please, you should see where your son lives,¡± I smile encouragingly. ¡°All doors are open to you.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡± Erik pushes his hesitant parents inside.

    ¡°Wow, Erik, it¡¯s huge!¡± the Anderles are genuinely impressed by our living room.

    ¡°What can I say, I¡¯m dating royalty,¡± he grins boastfully.

    I let Erik lead, staying behind with Gotrid while the Anderles are being gradually shown all the rooms, including our bedroom and the walk-in closet. Especially the walk-in closet.

    ¡°Your dream came true, you¡¯ve always wanted one, darling,¡± Mrs Anderle laughs.

    By the time they¡¯ve seen everything, Ayala calls us for lunch. The dining table is nicely decorated for the special occasion and the Anderles are very interested in Celestial chairs. The starter is served, my favourite cheese cream on a biscuit.

    And then I realise our huge error. We wanted to impress them so desperately that we forgot we might embarrass them while doing so! The Anderles clearly have no idea which cutlery to use first and are starting to panic.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m still hopeless at it myself,¡± I say quickly, trying to save the situation. ¡°My Viceroy told me a hundred times it¡¯s this little thing but I still prefer a normal fork.¡±

    To demonstrate, I take a normal-sized fork and eat with that. The Anderles relax and follow my example.

    Thanks, Erik sends me a quick thought. We were so stupid, my parents don¡¯t know any of this stuff that feels so normal to us now.

    ¡°Mr and Mrs Anderle, I need to ask you,¡± I say slowly when the staff brings us soup. ¡°Do you feel safe in your apartment? Is there anything I can do?¡±

    ¡°The media don¡¯t bother us as much anymore,¡± Mrs Anderle replies, taking the same spoon I grab. ¡°We¡¯re firm about not giving any interviews and they seemed to finally understand that.¡±

    ¡°Going outside is a different matter, though,¡± Mr Anderle sighs. ¡°We get way too much attention wherever we go.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to assign you Celestial guards as well,¡± I reveal carefully. ¡°I¡¯m sure you heard about my grandmother.¡±

    ¡°The news was full of it,¡± Mrs Anderle nods slightly, guessing where this is going. ¡°You think we might be in danger?¡±

    ¡°I want you protected, Erik¡¯s family is my family,¡± I clutch Erik¡¯s hand on the table. ¡°I totally understand you probably feel suffocated by being guarded all the time but it¡¯s for your protection.¡±

    ¡°Mom, Dad, what about taking a trip?¡± Erik suggests. ¡°You¡¯ve always wanted to visit Bali. We could book you a holiday house on a private beach.¡±

    ¡°We still have our jobs, hon,¡± Erik¡¯s Mom shakes her head. ¡°You know I love my designing work.¡±

    ¡°It would be just a short trip to escape Prague for a while, not permanent relocation¡± Erik tries to persuade them.

    ¡°Let us think about it first,¡± Mr Anderle purses his lips and I gather he¡¯s the type of person who hates being pushed into things which I can totally relate to.

    We continue with the soup and the room gets quiet again. It¡¯s obvious the Anderles aren¡¯t sure if talking is permitted when dining with the Emperor so Gotrid takes an initiative.

    ¡°I heard you¡¯re a software engineer, Mr Anderle,¡± he says politely. ¡°What kind of projects are you engaged in?¡±

    Mr Anderle looks up at him. He¡¯s nervous about talking to my new partner but I don¡¯t catch any more than that. The Anderles don¡¯t hate Gotrid by default just because they might think he¡¯s a rival stealing me from their son. They obviously aren¡¯t thrilled about polyamory but they came here with their minds open which is all I can ask of them.

    ¡°The company I work for makes software for medical equipment,¡± he answers. ¡°It¡¯s a demanding but very fulfilling job. What were you doing before the Great Evolution, Lord Gotrid?¡±

    ¡°Just Gotrid, please,¡± Gotrid gives them both his biggest smile I love so much. ¡°I was a manager in an advertising agency. Nothing that would literally save lives like your job but I liked it and was good at it. You¡¯ve just mentioned that you¡¯re a designer, Mrs Anderle?¡±

    ¡°I plan weddings as a freelancer,¡± she reveals and, as an attempted joke, adds: ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll design your wedding one day, Your Majesty?¡±

    Gotrid tilts his head, not quite understanding. I do but I¡¯m surprised by how alien that very concept seems to me now. Erik coughs, giving his parents a signal that it¡¯s not the right topic for Celestials.

    ¡°Y-you don¡¯t have¡­?¡± Mrs Anderle is taken aback. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to assume¡­ oh, that¡¯s so embarrassing. I apologise, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay, not many humans know about it,¡± I wave my hand. ¡°Weddings aren¡¯t a Celestial tradition.¡±

    ¡°So how do you¡­?¡± Mr Anderle is brave enough to ask.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t that different, only there¡¯s no official ceremony,¡± I explain. ¡°We do have courtship aerial dances, though.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that,¡± the Anderles stare at Gotrid and I have no doubt they saw that video from New York in which Gotrid was blatantly seducing me in the air.

    The main course arrives, vegetarian for me and Gotrid, meat for Erik and his parents. I expect to crave their nicely baked fish but my mouth doesn¡¯t salivate at the sight of their meal. It seems I¡¯ve finally overcome that craving. On the contrary, the idea of putting dead flesh in my mouth is downright disgusting. I happily dig into my chickpea salad with baked beetroot and very good salty cheese on top.

    We¡¯re making small talk between bites, the Anderles tiptoeing around my new partner as the hottest topic.

    ¡°Your Majesty, the desserts and coffee will be served in the living room,¡± Ayala announces when we finish eating.

    ¡°Brilliant,¡± I appreciate and stand up.

    The Anderles quickly stand up as well and I barely resist sighing sadly. There¡¯s no such thing as being informal in front of the Emperor even when it¡¯s a relaxing Sunday lunch. Only my partners can act informal towards me.

    We move to the living room, me sitting in the middle of the sofa with Erik to my right and Gotrid to my left. The Anderles take the armchairs positioned in front of us. The room is pleasantly warm, there¡¯s a faint sweet fragrance in the air and quiet ambient music playing. Perfect.

    ¡°Mr and Mrs Anderle,¡± I address them in a gentle voice and hope that the fact both Erik and Gotrid started caressing my wings right away isn¡¯t too much for them. We need to finally discuss why they decided to visit in the first place.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to justify yourself to us, Your Majesty,¡± Mr Anderle is quicker than me. ¡°You¡¯re the Celestial Emperor.¡±

    ¡°I think I do need to,¡± I insist. ¡°Erik is your son and I¡¯m sure you¡¯re worried about him. Please, speak openly and honestly. Say what¡¯s really on your mind. Forget for a second who I am and consider me simply to be Erik¡¯s partner.¡±

    The Anderles take a moment to absorb what I¡¯ve just proposed. Then Mrs Anderle speaks up.

    ¡°We would be lying if I said we aren¡¯t worried about our son,¡± she starts slowly but bravely. ¡°Polyamory is a concept we¡¯re not very familiar with. Please, don¡¯t think of us as bigoted, my husband had his share of boyfriends at university.¡±

    ¡°You had, Mr Anderle?¡± I blink, a bit shocked.

    ¡°Bisexual,¡± he points to himself and grins. ¡°I thought Erik told you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid he omitted that part,¡± I nudge my beloved.

    ¡°Sorry, it never came up in a conversation,¡± Erik shrugs. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it important.¡±

    ¡°The thing is,¡± Mrs Anderle takes a deep breath. ¡°Polyamory isn¡¯t really about gender or sexual orientation, it¡¯s about commitment. Frankly, we¡¯re afraid our son might suffer in such a relationship. We¡¯re afraid you won¡¯t give him the attention and love he deserves.¡±

    ¡°Besides, does Erik even love Gotrid as well?¡± Mr Anderle asks sharply. ¡°I know a thing or two about polyamory and this is clearly not the case.¡±

    ¡°Mr and Mrs Anderle, I realise we Celestials perceive relationships differently, especially when it comes to our Emperor,¡± Gotrid says patiently. ¡°But our commitment isn¡¯t any shallower just because our Emperor is permitted and even expected to have more partners. And you¡¯re completely wrong about one thing when it comes to commitment.¡±

    ¡°Which is?¡± they don¡¯t understand.

    ¡°We¡¯re not His Majesty¡¯s boyfriends, we¡¯re his Consorts. And that translates as husbands in human analogy,¡± Gotrid explains. ¡°The fact we didn¡¯t have a ceremony to testify that doesn¡¯t diminish the truth.¡±

    Erik¡¯s emotional state suddenly drastically changes. I look at him in alarm, trying to figure out what¡¯s going on. And then it hits me¡ªErik didn¡¯t realise we¡¯re husbands! It¡¯s exactly the absence of an official ceremony that confused his human thinking.

    Ryuu, h-husbands¡­? Really? Erik has to do his best not to let amazement show on his face.

    Oh, Erik, I¡¯m so sorry, I start apologising frantically. Do you need time to process it? Do you hate that mere idea? I honestly didn¡¯t realise you didn¡¯t realise. Seriously, am I really a telepath?

    Erik doesn¡¯t reply but another powerful emotion stirs inside of him. At first, I¡¯m afraid the commitment is suddenly too big for him to digest, much more than he asked for. I¡¯m scared I did something without his consent which freaks me out because it¡¯s the last thing I¡¯d want to do. But Erik¡¯s shock quickly transforms into joy.

    ¡°You heard him,¡± Erik says proudly. ¡°I¡¯m not just Ryuu¡¯s boyfriend, I¡¯m his lawful husband. I¡¯m sorry we didn¡¯t inform you, Mom, Dad, but it happened so naturally and there wasn¡¯t any ceremony to invite you to anyway.¡±

    The Anderles stare at us for almost a whole minute before Mrs Anderle manages to let out:

    ¡°So His Majesty is part of our family now?¡± she says in a daze.

    ¡°Ryuu, my mom is your mother-in-law now,¡± Erik nudges me, grinning. ¡°And my Dad is your father-in-law. That certainly gives things a new perspective, huh?¡±

    ¡°Erik, are you happy? Genuinely happy?¡± Mrs Anderle chews her lip.

    ¡°There are challenges in this unusual relationship, I¡¯m not hiding that,¡± he answers confidently. ¡°But love Ryuuto and Ryuuto loves me. He also loves Gotrid now and it¡¯s not making our love any smaller. Polyamory might not always work for humans but it¡¯s natural for the Celestial Emperor. I¡¯ve never felt neglected just because I¡¯m not the only partner Ryuu has. If anything, my sweet Ryuu is even more eager to prove his love for me than ever before.¡±

    That finally persuades the Anderles¡ªwe reached a mutual understanding. I¡¯m truly blessed that Erik¡¯s parents are so open.

    ¡°Desserts?¡± Erik points at the table because nobody has touched their cheesecake yet.

    ¡°Oh, please!¡± Mrs Anderle picks up hers, craving sweets now that the tension is over.

    Erik eats only half of his cake because he¡¯s trying to stay away from excessive sugar. He waits until I finish mine and feeds me the rest of his dessert. The Anderles are watching our lovey-dovey interaction with relief.

    ¡°See? There¡¯s nothing to be concerned about,¡± Erik assures them.

    ¡°Oh, you have a balcony?¡± Mr Anderle notices only now. ¡°Could we maybe drink our coffee there? I¡¯ve never been on a balcony so high.¡±

    ¡°That depends on whether our Emperor will behave,¡± Gotrid chuckles. ¡°See, the thing is that our sweet beloved can¡¯t be trusted with balconies, windows and such. His desire to fly is crazy.¡±

    ¡°I will behave,¡± I puff.

    For a moment, the Anderles don¡¯t know what to make out of it. Then the corners of their mouths twitch into a smile. They may not be able to address me by my name but at least they don¡¯t have to be so wary around me all the time.

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik warns me because the moment the guards open the door to the balcony and I feel the fresh air, I have an automatic tendency to spread my wings.

    ¡°I know, geez,¡± I retort and fold my wings back. ¡°It was just a reflex.¡±

    We make ourselves comfortable using pillows and blankets and the maids move our coffee and cakes. We spend the afternoon engaged in a pleasant conversation and the Anderles ask Gotrid a ton of questions.

    ¡°They did? That¡¯s horrible!¡± Mrs Anderles is downright outraged when Gotrid tells them his parents disowned him. I feel they are slowly warming up to Gotrid, especially after hearing his life story.

    And then it¡¯s time to say goodbye. I¡¯m overjoyed the Anderles accepted Gotrid so well and the Anderles are relieved they could confirm for themselves that Gotrid is a decent person. As the Anderles are about to enter the elevator, Erik¡¯s Mom turns around rather wildly.

    ¡°This will be a serious breach of protocol but screw it, we¡¯re family now!¡± she says cheekily and¡­ hugs me tight.

    I feel my guards and maids panicking but I don¡¯t care. I hug her back and gobble her kindness. My mother-in-law. I love how it sounds.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can touch my wings,¡± I tell her, melting in her embrace.

    ¡°I can certainly see why Erik never has enough,¡± she laughs. ¡°Your feathers are so soft and nice to pet, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Mooom, that¡¯s enough,¡± Erik cries because Mrs Anderle is petting my wings all over.

    ¡°So what,¡± she shrugs and finally lets go. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to do it. Celestial wings are so inviting and His Majesty¡¯s especially.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t I get a hug?¡± Erik pretends to be offended but he¡¯s smiling.

    Mrs Anderle hugs him as well, of course, and then looks at Gotrid.

    ¡°Oh, come on, you¡¯re no longer a stranger,¡± Mrs Anderle embraces Gotrid as well, surprising everybody. ¡°I¡¯m sorry your family is so bigoted, Gotrid. Rest assured that we aren¡¯t. It might take some time but we¡¯ll come to terms with your unusual relationship arrangement eventually.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Gotrid whispers and his eyes get wet.

    Mr Anderle doesn¡¯t go for a hug but he nods at Gotrid approvingly and offers him a handshake. When the door closes after them, I also feel my eyes getting wet. They¡¯re the family Gotrid and I never had. Words can¡¯t describe how happy and fulfilled we feel right now.

    ¡°Cien, do we still have the rest of the day free?¡± I ask my maid.

    ¡°You do,¡± she assures me and then adds: ¡°Unless you want to see the newest breakthrough in the Dragonkin crafting?¡±

    ¡°What breakthrough?!¡± I get excited.

    ¡°Love!¡± Erik and Gotrid purse their lips at me at the same time.

    ¡°Right, right,¡± I force myself to calm down. ¡°It can wait until tomorrow. I bet my Consorts have an entirely different program in mind for the evening.¡±

 Halloween Special

    ¡°You want to celebrate what?¡± Liana is looking at me, puzzled. She¡¯s buried under a ton of documents and the adjutants are constantly bringing her more.

    ¡°Halloween,¡± I repeat carefully because it¡¯s obvious from her annoyed expression she thinks I¡¯m just wasting her time.

    ¡°You¡¯re not a child to go trick and treating, Aefener,¡± she rolls her eyes. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not a Celestial tradition.¡±

    ¡°Just imagine how many houses we could cover since we can fly, Li,¡± Gotrid is barely holding his laugh.

    ¡°Not trick and treating,¡± I assure her. ¡°What I have in mind is a costume party and a horror movie night.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± she¡¯s seriously giving it a thought which is more than I hoped for.

    ¡°We would invite the ministers and other high officials,¡± I add quickly. ¡°Gods know they need to unwind. We all do.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ actually not such a bad idea,¡± she admits in the end. ¡°Why costumes, though?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s Halloween and because it¡¯s fun,¡± I grin.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be dignified if you dress up,¡± she opposes.

    ¡°Exactly, we need to unwind,¡± I argue. ¡°Come on, Li, relaaaaax!¡±

    ¡°All right then,¡± she sighs. ¡°But don¡¯t expect me to help you organise it, I¡¯ll be glad if I can finish all this by the end of October.¡±

    ¡°Ingri is on the job with me, don¡¯t worry,¡± I say. ¡°All I want from you is to bless the event and show up wearing a costume.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still not sure about costumes,¡± she shakes her head. ¡°Can you imagine proud Celestials wearing them?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I won¡¯t let anyone not wearing a costume in,¡± I smile diabolically. ¡°It¡¯ll be a compulsory prerequisite.¡±

    ¡°Clever,¡± she praises me. ¡°They would never a miss an opportunity to socialise with you so they¡¯ll swallow their pride for once. What are you planning to wear anyway? Nothing silly, okay? You¡¯re still the Emperor, even at the Halloween party.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a secret,¡± I smile mysteriously.

    *****

    ¡°So Her Excellency okayed it?¡± Ingri is overjoyed when we shop up in her workshop with huge grins on our faces.

    ¡°She did,¡± Erik confirms and looks around curiously. Ingri¡¯s workshop is getting messier and messier, she¡¯s been receiving too many orders for custom clothes lately.

    ¡°Gosh, I need to start working on the costumes right away then!¡± she starts to panic. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner? There¡¯s barely two weeks left!¡±

    ¡°Ask Harut for help,¡± Gotrid suggests.

    ¡°Eeeh? She would definitely want to make a costume for His Majesty and we would argue,¡± Ingri pouts. The two girls quickly became friends but there¡¯s rivalry between them when it comes to sewing.

    ¡°She won¡¯t argue because I¡¯m commissioning you personally,¡± I assure her. ¡°She can make costumes for my Consorts.¡±

    ¡°Okay then,¡± Ingri agrees enthusiastically. ¡°What do you want me to make? I¡¯m open up to anything on the condition you must look gorgeous in it, Your Majesty. I¡¯m sure Her Excellency insists on the same.¡±

    ¡°This,¡± I grin and pass her my phone.

    ¡°Oh,¡± she giggles. ¡°Okay, that will work just fine.¡±

    ¡°Get on with it then and don¡¯t worry about money, I¡¯ll gladly pay for anything you need,¡± I say. ¡°Make it fabulous and as real as possible.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be unrecognisable from the movies,¡± she promises.

    *****

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about food being luxurious,¡± I repeat for the tenth time. ¡°Just make it cute and spooky.¡±

    ¡°B-but Your Majesty,¡± the head chef, a stout Dragonkin lady with sandy scales named Tateena, is nervously whipping her tail. ¡°We can¡¯t serve you anything that¡¯s not the highest quality.¡±

    ¡°So use quality ingredients,¡± I shrug. ¡°Just make the muffins green, decorate the cakes with marzipan spiders and serve pumpkin soup instead of asparagus.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s His Majesty¡¯s wish,¡± Gotrid tries to persuade her. ¡°For once, the dishes don¡¯t have to look so serious.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Tateena concedes even though I feel she¡¯s having her doubts. I¡¯m afraid being a personal chef to the Celestial Emperor inevitably left a mark on her.

    ¡°It can be Halloween-themed and still luxurious,¡± Erik shows her a feed of inspirational photos on his phone.

    ¡°I see,¡± Tateena calms down after studying the photos intensely. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best then.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I love your cooking,¡± I flatter her.

    ¡°He really does,¡± Erik seconds. ¡°Ever since you started cooking for us, he usually eats without protests and you know how picky and peculiar our Emperor is when it comes to food.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m honoured, Your Majesty,¡± Tateena smiles and suddenly feels much more enthusiastic about her special task.

    *****

    ¡°Like this, love?¡± Erik shows me the tables he arranged himself.

    ¡°Perfect!¡± I appreciate after inspecting that the buffet tables are covered with black and orange cloths and decorations nicely spread.

    ¡°Like this, my love?¡± Gotrid calls for me. He¡¯s hanging spooky garlands using telekinesis.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s high enough,¡± I nod.

    The servants are assisting us but I insisted we decorate the room mostly ourselves simply because it¡¯s fun.

    ¡°Your Majesty, Royal Consorts, you should go change your clothes now,¡± Ayala reminds us. ¡°The party starts in an hour but I suspect the guests will start arriving sooner than that. Everyone is really looking forward to the event.¡±

    ¡°How many people confirmed in the end?¡± I ask. ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have booked the biggest conference room. It will look weird if it¡¯s half empty and I¡¯m afraid I ordered too much food.¡±

    ¡°Are you still having these na?ve worries, hon?¡± Erik bursts out laughing. ¡°It¡¯s the Celestial Emperor organising it personally, the place will be packed!¡±

    ¡°Two hundred twenty-six people confirmed,¡± Ayala informs me. ¡°I actually had to order much more food than was your initial estimate, Your Majesty. I can¡¯t say if Tateena was thrilled or horrified. But she assured me just two hours ago that everything is prepared, she hired helpers.¡±

    ¡°T-two hun¡­,¡± my jaw drops. ¡°It was supposed to be friends only!¡±

    ¡°You have many friends, Your Majesty,¡± Ayala says matter-of-factly. ¡°Now go change, Cien is waiting for you with your costumes.¡±

    *****

    ¡°It¡¯s even better than I hoped for!¡± I cry with joy when I open the box with my costume.

    ¡°My turned out pretty nice as well,¡± Erik comments after opening his box. ¡°I¡¯m not looking forward to putting on make-up but I¡¯ll do it for you, love.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s yours?¡± I peek into Gotrid¡¯s box.

    ¡°The fake beard is as real and funny as it gets,¡± he laughs. ¡°Oh, I love the hat!¡±

    ¡°And my weapon?¡± I look around because I can¡¯t see it in the box.

    ¡°Here, arrived two days ago,¡± Cien hands me a smaller box. Right, only now I realise the weapon isn¡¯t something Ingri would be able to make, nor Haldis because it¡¯s not exactly blacksmithing.

    ¡°We¡¯ll leave you to it, Your Majesty,¡± Vermiel comes to check up on us before Cien closes the door of the walk-in closet. Only my partners and the maids have the privilege to see me naked. Besides, we want our costumes to be a surprise.

    ¡°How do I tie this?¡± I¡¯m struggling with my costume and look at Erik who¡¯s putting on make-up while watching a tutorial on his tablet.

    ¡°Let me,¡± Cien hurries to help out. ¡°It¡¯s actually not so different from Celestial robes. The belt works on a similar principle.¡±

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°As if I can tie Celestial robes,¡± I sigh and let her do the job. ¡°Do you have a costume, Cien?¡±

    ¡°Naturally,¡± she smiles. ¡°Costumes are mandatory, are they not?¡±

    ¡°Thanks, go change then,¡± I release her and have to roll my eyes because she hides behind the wardrobe door. She sees me naked every day and we¡¯re all gay here, yet she¡¯s shy about that.

    ¡°You¡¯re making it worse, love,¡± Gotrid steals the comb from my hand.

    I sigh resignedly and let him do my hair. He untangles my partial braid, combs it until my hair is perfectly even and then ties it into a high ponytail even though most of my dense hair is still left loose.

    ¡°How am I supposed to fight like that? It doesn¡¯t look convincing,¡± I complain and fasten the weapon to my belt.

    ¡°But you¡¯re cute,¡± Gotrid smirks and puts on the fake beard and a grey wig. ¡°How do I look?¡±

    ¡°Hilarious,¡± I giggle and steal his hat. ¡°Not fair, I wanted to be a wizard!¡±

    ¡°You know Liana and Ingri would never agree to that,¡± he claims his hat back.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ guys? Do I look weird?¡± Erik turns to us, feeling uncertain.

    Gotrid¡¯s first reaction is to chuckle but he doesn¡¯t because he has to admit that Erik did a very good job. He made his face unnaturally pale, there¡¯s a hint of a tiny bloodstream coming out of his mouth and he also went into the trouble of putting on fake pointy teeth and red contact lenses.

    ¡°But now I can¡¯t caress your face!¡± I realise.

    ¡°I refused to put on lipstick,¡± he stands up and, to prove his point, he kisses me, careful not to ruin his make-up.

    ¡°My sexy Dracula,¡± I purr.

    ¡°Permission to taste your royal blood?¡± he dares.

    ¡°Are you sure my Celestial blood isn¡¯t an instant vampire killer?¡± I play coy.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be late!¡± Cien reappears, suddenly finding out we took longer than expected.

    ¡°Wow, nice costume!¡± Gotrid whistles.

    ¡°Thanks, Harut made it for me,¡± Cien says proudly. She looks like a vampire countess from the eighteenth century with huge skirts and a corset. ¡°Originally, I wanted to have bat wings but I can¡¯t exactly wear another pair above my real ones.¡±

    ¡°Costumes are peculiar for Celestials,¡± Erik smirks. ¡°Unless you want to cosplay angels.¡±

    ¡°No, thank you,¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°Shall we?¡±

    We step outside the closet and a big surprise is awaiting us¡ªmy guards dressed up as samurai! To be honest, they were the only exception to the costume-required rule, yet they made an effort. I¡¯m really happy about that.

    ¡°You look amazing!¡± I praise them excitedly.

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty, it¡¯s Haldis¡¯s work,¡± Vermiel explains. ¡°The armour looks real enough but I¡¯m afraid it doesn¡¯t provide any protection, it¡¯s made of some hardened foam or something.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, a common material for cosplays,¡± I nod knowingly. No wonder Haldis had to use foam, Celestials aren¡¯t able to carry kilos of iron.

    Vermiel gathers the guards and we are on our way. The moment we step out of the elevator, we immediately meet many Draconians in costumes that are also arriving. I¡¯m studying every single one of them because it¡¯s obvious they put a lot of thought into their costumes.

    ¡°Barely one-third of the costumes here are actually scary,¡± Erik comments and it makes him twice as proud that his costume is traditional.

    ¡°It¡¯s basically an excuse for grown-ups to dress up,¡± Gotrid laughs. ¡°It¡¯s always been that way in the States.¡±

    ¡°Sure, Gandalf, but I still prefer spooky,¡± Erik bares his fake teeth boastfully.

    ¡°Oh, Your Majesty, you¡¯re so authentic!¡± Luviael finds us, looking very distinctly like Morticia from The Addams Family.

    ¡°Wow, classic,¡± Erik nods approvingly. ¡°And where¡¯s our mighty Viceroy?¡±

    ¡°Being shy,¡± Luvi giggles. ¡°Her costume is perfect. Maybe too perfect for the character she has chosen.¡±

    ¡°Now I NEED to see it,¡± I utilise my telepathy to pinpoint her exact location. I feel her just twenty metres to my right which means she¡¯s hiding in one of the smaller lounges. When I notice Soren stepping in front of one of the doors, I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s inside there.

    ¡°Cool,¡± I praise his samurai costume that¡¯s different from my guards¡¯ because he isn¡¯t wearing armour. ¡°A ronin, huh? If you¡¯re trying to impress a certain somebody, I think you¡¯ll succeed.¡±

    ¡°If that certain somebody ever leaves the room,¡± Soren sighs.

    ¡°Oh, she will,¡± I assure him. ¡°Li, the party is on!¡± I burst the door open with telekinesis and stay frozen for a few seconds because I can¡¯t quite believe what I¡¯m seeing.

    ¡°Eek, don¡¯t look!¡± Liana screams. ¡°It was a stupid idea, I should have known. I¡¯m taking the makeup and the horns down!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± I hurry to her and catch her hands. ¡°Li, you stupid, you look gorgeous!¡±

    ¡°R-really?¡± she almost sobs.

    ¡°Really,¡± I send her my feelings. She calms down a bit because she knows I can¡¯t lie emotionally.

    ¡°I still think it¡¯s too much,¡± she shakes her head.

    ¡°You mean too much because you look exactly like the character you¡¯re portraying?¡± I grin and hug her. ¡°Oh, Li, you¡¯re the best Maleficent ever!¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re supposed to be a Sith Lord?¡± she notices the lightsaber hanging on my belt.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we the best ruling duo ever?¡± I wink at her and touch her horn headband.

    ¡°You two could play in a movie right away,¡± Gotrid says.

    ¡°Liana sure could,¡± Eriks laughs. ¡°Not sure about our beloved, though. He¡¯s too cute for a Sith Lord.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t say, Dracula,¡± she purses her lips at him.

    ¡°Come on, Li, you¡¯ll miss all the fun,¡± I take her hand because she still refuses to leave and drag her out of the room.

    ¡°Good evening, Your Excellency,¡± Soren greets her and studies her costume with a half-suppressed smile. ¡°You look beautiful. Ehm¡­ not that you don¡¯t look beautiful any other day!¡± he adds quickly and blushes.

    Gosh, he¡¯s hopeless at compliments, Gotrid sends me his amused remark.

    Liana flutters her black wings irritably and clicks her tongue. Seriously, will those two finally go on a proper date and give us a break?

    ¡°Hon, I¡¯m starving,¡± Erik complains. ¡°Let¡¯s eat something and mingle.¡±

    The security in the room is a bit more relaxed because only people we know well were invited but my guards still follow us like a second shadow. But for once, I don¡¯t mind at all. I enjoy being guarded by fancy samurai, it¡¯s cool.

    When we reach the buffet tables, Erik stuffs a few canap¨¦s with violet spread into his mouth and prepares a small plate for me. Any other time, it wouldn¡¯t be dignified for the Emperor to eat while standing but this is a party so court procedures aren¡¯t that strict for once.

    ¡°Tateena really outdid herself,¡± I¡¯m surprised by how spooky everything looks while still tasting heavenly.

    ¡°So eat a lot, love,¡± Gotrid puts more canap¨¦s on my plate. ¡°There won¡¯t be a proper dinner, everyone is expected to snack between socialising. We¡¯ll sit down for a pumpkin soup later.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Elizabeth! Katerina!¡± Erik frantically waves at our only human guests if we don¡¯t count Julia whom I¡¯ve noticed for a second when we entered and I could swear she looked like a zombie wearing a ragged lab cloak.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± the Czech Prime Minister and her wife bow to me. ¡°Thank you for the lovely invitation. God knows we need to unwind.¡±

    ¡°Exactly my argument,¡± I¡¯m glad we share the same sentiment and study their costumes. Elizabeth came as a noble Cleopatra but Bauerova surprised me by dressing up as Princess Leia.

    ¡°We¡¯re from the same universe,¡± Bauerova grins, eyeing my lightsaber. ¡°Why not a Jedi Knight, though? I¡¯m sorry if I sound rude but black isn¡¯t really your colour, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Halloween, I wanted something spooky,¡± I explain. ¡°I hoped the black will contrast nicely with my silver.¡±

    ¡°It contrasts,¡± Bauerova agrees but stays sceptical. ¡°It¡¯s just impossible to imagine you as an evil overlord, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Told you,¡± Erik pokes me.

    ¡°But the design is really practical. I could maybe wear something similar for a battle?¡± I suggest hopefully.

    ¡°No way!¡± someone burst out laughing behind me. Ingri just showed up.

    ¡°What are you supposed to be?¡± Gotrid narrows his eyes.

    ¡°A forest fairy, my own original character,¡± Ingri announces and turns around in a dance, her huge skirt made of tiny little leaves flickering many autumn colours.

    ¡°You even adjusted your ears for that?¡± I notice they¡¯re very pointy now, like an elf¡¯s. ¡°And the dress? Is it a dress or a part of you?¡±

    ¡°I think I might keep these ears, they¡¯re lovely. As for the dress, it¡¯s actually both,¡± she reveals. ¡°I let it grow on me but it can be peeled off quite easily like excessive skin.¡±

    ¡°Uhm, we were still eating,¡± Erik cries. Only an Earthborn can talk about such topics with ease.

    And then Haldis finally shows up. Late. But it¡¯s kind of obvious why. Their costume must have taken forever to put on.

    ¡°This is the most brilliant costume I¡¯ve ever seen!¡± I hurry to them and my enthusiasm is overflowing. Fortunately, only Celestials can feel that.

    It¡¯s difficult to describe what Haldis is wearing. It¡¯s as if they decided to go for a ¡®steampunk meets dragons¡¯ theme. They¡¯re wearing clockwork-ornamented armour that¡¯s as real as it gets (forget cosplay foam) and has a pair of mechanical wings attached to their back. Naturally, they get a ton of attention which isn¡¯t exactly good for Haldis¡¯s social anxiety.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Haldis tries to bow which proves challenging in the armour.

    ¡°Is it functional?¡± I ask curiously. ¡°Can I touch it?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Haldis nods hesitantly. ¡°Functional¡­ well, let¡¯s say it¡¯s a functional prototype at least.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not metal?!¡± I find out immediately after I caress it.

    ¡°Heligorr chitin,¡± Haldis explains. ¡°Lighter than metal but very firm. Pretty tricky to bend but I can use my breath and my hands are fireproof so I managed.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they an artisan savant?!¡± Ingri nudges them. ¡°Dragonkin crafting guilds are always trying to recruit them.¡±

    ¡°I like it here,¡± Haldis shakes their head. ¡°I have Ingri and I can craft for His Majesty. That¡¯s more than enough for me, I¡¯m happy.¡±

    ¡°Deminas is still angry with me for usurping such a talent,¡± I comment guiltily.

    ¡°I swore my allegiance to you, Your Majesty,¡± Haldis assures me. ¡°It¡¯s different for the Dragonkin, we¡¯re not as centralised as Celestials. Deminas is still my Patriarch but my direct liege is you.¡±

    What a strange concept for Celestials, Gotrid sends me his thought. We can¡¯t imagine answering to anyone but our Emperor.

    ¡°Do you like it, Haldis? My design!¡± Ingri boasts, pointing at my costume.

    ¡°So that¡¯s the thing you were trying to keep secret from me,¡± Haldis finally understands. ¡°His Majesty hired you personally?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t commission you as well, Haldis, but robes aren¡¯t exactly your speciality,¡± I say quickly because I feel Haldis became a tiny bit jealous.

    ¡°I could have made you a lightsaber at least,¡± Haldis says dreamily. ¡°One made of metal, not plastic.¡±

    ¡°That would weigh too heavily on His Majesty¡¯s belt, Haldis,¡± Ingri shakes her head.

    ¡°My lightsaber might not be functional but I can use the Force!¡± I grin. ¡°Literally.¡±

    ¡°Riiiight,¡± my partners barely hold out a laugh. ¡°You¡¯re a true dark overlord, hon.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯d make a fine cosplayer,¡± I purse my lips at them. ¡°If only Liana would let me attend Comic-Con!¡±

    Haldis, who sometimes has slight problems catching humorous social cues, suddenly lets out a deep glottal laugh. They¡¯re so loud everyone is turning to us.

    ¡°The Celestial Emperor¡­ at Comic-Con¡­!¡± their eyes got all teary from the laugh and I get a nice show of all their spiky teeth.

    ¡°I can dream,¡± I murmur, embarrassed.

    ¡°This is maybe a bit like Comic-Con?¡± Erik tries to comfort me because, unlike Haldis, he knows that I¡¯m sore about this topic.

    ¡°Cue: His Majesty was serious and his inability to attend Comic-Con actually makes him said,¡± Ingri nudges her Dragonkin flat-mate.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Haldis stops immediately, realising their error. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t know¡­ it¡¯s hard to imagine that His Majesty would¡­¡±

    ¡°Haldis, let¡¯s disappear before His Majesty¡¯s protectors use the Force on you,¡± Ingri takes their arm and pulls them away.

    I try to find Liana again and I easily spot her cosplay horns in the crowd. Iconic! I want to join her but then I notice Soren is standing very close to her and she doesn¡¯t seem to mind. They¡¯re talking about something and look busy. Okay, better leave those two alone.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget we still have our own private Halloween celebration,¡± Gotrid reminds me. ¡°A horror movie night!¡±

    We socialise until 11 PM and despite the fact that we¡¯re really enjoying ourselves, we decide to call it a night as far as the official program goes. The guests are sad to see me leave but they understand my Consorts want me for themselves.

    When we return to our apartment, Gotrid takes off the fake wizard beard and Erik wipes off his make-up but, otherwise, we decide to stay in costumes. Originally, we wanted to watch some classic horror from the 20<sup>th</sup> century but that plan evaporated as soon as an innocent kiss from Erik while picking up a movie transformed into something much more passionate.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to try to have sex in a cosplay,¡± Gotrid jokes when we abandon our plan entirely and head to the bedroom.

 67. I Bless Thee

    ¡°Husbands, husbands, husbands,¡± Erik is drumming happily the whole morning, to the point it becomes rather annoying. We should be working on establishing our new governmental departments, but one of us is obviously not focusing at all.

    ¡°Erik, we know,¡± Liana rolls her eyes. ¡°Trust me, everybody knows.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just so happy that I can¡¯t help it,¡± he stands up and hugs me from behind, burying his chin in my hair.

    ¡°Ehm, I¡¯m working,¡± I sigh, but secretly enjoy his affection.

    ¡°Wait, I¡¯m not Gotrid¡¯s husband as well, am I?¡± Erik asks, startled by the sudden intrusive thought.

    ¡°Not according to the Celestial lore, no,¡± I calm him down.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so obviously relieved, you know,¡± Gotrid raises his eyebrow. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re slowly warming up to me, don¡¯t hide it.¡±

    Erik sticks his tongue out at him and tries to make himself busy petting my feathers. But he is gradually warming up to Gotrid, whether he wants to admit it or not.

    ¡°Luvi, could we leave a bit earlier today?¡± Erik asks my adjutant who¡¯s in charge of our busy schedules. Since we can¡¯t have the whole weekend free as regular people would, Erik is always doing his best to negotiate our overall working hours.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, Royal Consort,¡± Luviael has to disappoint him. ¡°His Majesty and Lord Gotrid have to train. We can¡¯t afford to slack any longer, the priority now is to level up as quickly as possible.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, we really have to,¡± I clutch his hand, ¡°but you could invite Elizabeth over again and spend some quality time with your new friend?¡±

    Erik¡¯s emotional state changes into a slight bitterness.

    ¡°Actually,¡± he takes a deep breath to answer. ¡°Elizabeth suggested I visit her for a change.¡±

    ¡°She did?¡± I¡¯m surprised because Erik never mentioned it and I can¡¯t read every single thought when I¡¯m telepathically connected to my partners. That would be both maddening and rude.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you, because when I asked Vermiel, he said it¡¯s not safe for me to leave the premises even with an escort,¡± he sighs.

    I freeze. That realisation is so sudden and painful that I forget to breathe for a moment. Just how stupid and selfish am I?! How could I not have realised that earlier? Always being busy isn¡¯t an excuse. I can at least go for my regular flying session, but Erik isn¡¯t so lucky. He can¡¯t leave because it¡¯s not safe outside for him. Everyone knows whose partner he is and that makes him my weak spot, a perfect target for abduction.

    ¡°Erik, I¡­ I didn¡¯t realise¡­,¡± I mumble in panic. ¡°You¡¯ve never actually been outside ever since the Great Evolution started if we don¡¯t count New York! I¡¯ll talk to Vermiel, surely we can arrange it so that¡­,¡± I¡¯m frantically looking for a way but Erik shakes his head.

    ¡°And would you be allowed to come with me?¡± he points out.

    ¡°Definitely NOT!¡± Liana answers for me, without looking up from her screen.

    ¡°Then I have no reason to go out,¡± he shrugs. ¡°Where would I go anyway? My parents and friends can visit me, and it¡¯s not like I could go shopping or take a walk. I¡¯m not na?ve, Ryuu. I know what I signed up for when I became your Consort.¡±

    I hug him in a feeble attempt to comfort him, so I¡¯m surprised to discover that Erik doesn¡¯t feel that devastated about it. He¡¯s more than content with our new apartment and enjoys the luxury. He also likes to be in the centre of everything. And, right now, the Draconian skyscraper seems to be the centre of the world.

    ¡°I¡¯d welcome to pilot a helicopter again, though,¡± he admits. ¡°Li, didn¡¯t you promise me that it¡¯s supposed to be one of my employee benefits?¡±

    ¡°I certainly did,¡± my Viceroy nods. ¡°We can arrange that at least.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Erik smiles.

    He¡¯s feeling much better already, but I still get up and hug him tight while sending all my love and gratitude towards him. And I promise that I¡¯ll do everything in my power to give him as much freedom as possible. Even though there¡¯s little freedom for the Celestial Emperor and his Consorts.

    *****

    Erik doesn¡¯t mention it again, but it keeps bugging me. Now that the issue came to my full attention, I¡¯m starting to notice all those little things, which I had been absent-mindedly ignoring before.

    I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor, I get it. I work long hours, so it¡¯s understandable things like house chores and cooking have to be delegated to someone else. I got used to having maids, my own doctor and a chef. I don¡¯t mind any of that, even though it¡¯s still kind of weird that I can¡¯t even dress by myself in the morning anymore.

    The main problem is my schedule and I don¡¯t mean how packed it is. I just can¡¯t seem to do anything outside of it. The Royal Guards hate spontaneity, everything is meticulously planned for me, although, mostly for safety reasons rather than time management.

    Not being able to go to the city is one thing, but I have a dark suspicion I actually can¡¯t go as I please even within the skyscraper. And I intend to test that, beginning with the most basic things, when my partners aren¡¯t around for a rare moment.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to follow me everywhere I go, you know,¡± I tell my guards when I stand up to go to the bathroom. ¡°These are our headquarters, nobody dangerous can reach this floor.¡±

    They look at me puzzlingly but don¡¯t say anything. I sigh. Seriously, can¡¯t they just wait in the hall? Do they have to make the bathroom off-limits for everyone else when I¡¯m using it?

    Liana had all toilet booths in the skyscraper rebuilt to make them much bigger so that we fit in even with our huge wings, which ultimately means fewer toilets on each floor. Admittedly, Celestials don¡¯t have to use the bathroom that often, so there are hardly any queues, but still¡ªme inside usually creates one.

    I flush the toilet, wash my hands and then wash my face to freshen up. The guards don¡¯t come inside, but I can feel them standing just outside the door. It¡¯s more that they are making sure I don¡¯t fly away rather than guarding me against danger because the skyscraper is supposed to be super safe, Liana made sure of that.

    ¡°The office is this way, Your Majesty,¡± Miruel coughs because I intentionally head the other way.

    ¡°I know,¡± I reply patiently. ¡°I¡¯m just going to fetch a snack real quick. There should be a cafeteria two floors below, right?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll send someone then,¡± Miruel says. ¡°What would you like, Your Majesty?¡±

    ¡°No, I want to see their menu first,¡± I frown. ¡°Is there a problem, Miruel?¡±

    Miruel chews her lip and I can tell she feels conflicted.

    ¡°No, no problem,¡± she says quickly. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ for Your Majesty to go there in person¡­ it¡¯s just¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what?¡± I narrow my eyes.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± she gulps and reaches for her phone. ¡°Reinforcements to floor 53, immediately. His Majesty is coming.¡±

    I have to force myself not to roll my eyes. Reinforcements? Because I want to buy a muffin at a cafeteria that should still be part of our headquarters? Are they for real?

    ¡°We should call for your Consorts,¡± Miruel suggests nervously when she pushes the elevator button.

    ¡°We¡¯re not bothering them with something so trivial,¡± I forbid because Erik is meeting his human friends right now after quite a long time and I sent Gotrid to help Rien.

    ¡°Miruel, what¡¯s wrong? I don¡¯t understand,¡± I sigh when we enter the elevator and the anxiety of my protectors fills the space. ¡°It¡¯s just a simple snack run.¡±

    ¡°Nothing is simple with Your Majesty,¡± the Guard Captain says openly. ¡°I just hope that it¡¯ll go smoothly.¡±

    I¡¯m quite lost at this point, honestly. It¡¯s not as if I¡¯ve decided to take a stroll outside. I¡¯m not even leaving our headquarters and most employees here are Celestials. There¡¯s no way that I¡¯m in danger in any imaginable way so why are my guards so nervous about it?

    The elevator stops and I quickly get out. I¡¯m still not comfortable with confined spaces that are moving. The others seem to be able to tolerate it to a certain extent, but I, once again, got the full dose of our racial weaknesses together with our strengths.

    ¡°This way, Your Majesty,¡± Miruel guides me.

    I visit this floor from time to time, but I¡¯ve been to the cafeteria only once. Somebody always brings snacks for me so that I don¡¯t lose precious time. But it¡¯s not always about perfect time management. I want to do normal things as much as possible. I want to meet people on an informal friendly basis.

    ¡°Your Majesty, is something wrong?¡± Taranah comes running out of one of the offices in frenzy. ¡°Nobody announced you would come. Is it an unexpected inspection? Are you here to evaluate us?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just on a snack run,¡± I inform him dryly. ¡°Please, act as if I¡¯m not here.¡±

    But my efforts to keep the visit casual are futile. Celestial employees, who are feeling my immense mana, are curiously peeking out of their offices.

    ¡°His Majesty is here!¡±

    ¡°I hope everything¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°Did his schedule change?¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t his Consorts with him?¡±

    I take a confident step, but it¡¯s obvious Taranah has no intention to continue whatever he was doing before I showed up. He joins my escort.

    ¡°Hello¡­ hi¡­ how are you¡­,¡± I¡¯m trying to make brief eye contact with everyone. ¡°Just passing through, no need to bow.¡±

    The cafeteria is a nice spacious place with many tables and right now quite full. It seems very popular, so the food must be great. The only trouble is it goes completely silent when I make my appearance.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ¡°Hello¡­ hi¡­ long time no see,¡± I¡¯m saying rather mechanically as I¡¯m trying to get to the counter.

    I can feel everyone is excited to see me. I recognise a lot of people I work with frequently, so they must be used to me by now. Is it really necessary to stare at me like that? My guards are growing even more anxious. I don¡¯t know what I was expecting out of my little trip but definitely not causing an uproar.

    I try to ignore the excited murmur and finally reach the counter. The cafeteria staff consists of a young Earthborn couple. They are wearing matching aprons, which look cute on them, though right now they¡¯re panicking.

    ¡°Hello,¡± I smile innocently and look at their menu. The variety is nice and the prices are reasonable.

    ¡°W-what c-could I g-get you, Your Majesty?¡± the Earthborn woman stutters.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, what do you recommend?¡± I ask and realise that I¡¯m starting to get hungry when looking at all those nice sandwiches, wraps, muffins and cakes.

    ¡°Everything is fresh,¡± her partner assures me enthusiastically.

    ¡°I do not doubt that, it looks delicious,¡± I say. ¡°Maybe a cheese wrap?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± the man nods several times. ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± I look at the menu again. ¡°A chocolate cookie and latte.¡±

    ¡°Just pulled out of the oven,¡± he says proudly.

    ¡°Nice,¡± I appreciate and slip my hand into my robe. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t take my phone!¡± I realise. ¡°Could you put it on my tab or something? I¡¯ll send someone to pay you later.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Taranah sighs a bit irritably. ¡°Just take what you want.¡±

    I raise my eyebrow at him. The cafeteria isn¡¯t part of my personal catering, we have to pay these hardworking people properly. Why can¡¯t he see that? Why is he almost annoyed with me that I intend to pay?

    ¡°Your order will be ready in five minutes,¡± the Earthborn waiter tells me nervously and gestures at his partner to skip the orders that came before me and start working on mine immediately.

    I turn around and see that all tables are taken. The only free seats are bar stools by the window. Great, I¡¯ll have a nice view. However, when the guards realise where I¡¯m heading, they get horrified and they aren¡¯t the only ones. Suddenly, every Celestial in the room is hastily standing up, offering me their seat.

    ¡°Your Majesty, take this table!¡±

    ¡°Majesty, here!¡±

    ¡°You can have ours!¡±

    What¡¯s wrong with bar stools? I like them better, to be honest. They don¡¯t have backrests and I can see outside better. But Miruel gently grabs my sleeve and leads me to one of the vacated tables. So I can¡¯t even choose my own seat anymore? That¡¯s absurd! As I get seated, I accidentally touch Miruel¡¯s wings and catch her immediate thought.

    The Viceroy will kill me, these plastic chairs are unbecoming of our Emperor. Oh, why did His Majesty have to insist on coming here? This isn¡¯t a place for him.

    I choose to pretend I didn¡¯t hear anything and fold my wings. The chair is adjusted for Celestials but it¡¯s not very comfy. Still, I don¡¯t mind because I can experience something normal for a change. I¡¯m not like Erik; I don¡¯t pursue luxury.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you sit down?¡± I look up at Miruel because nobody from my escort joined me. It¡¯s starting to get a bit weird sitting alone with so many people standing around me.

    ¡°We can¡¯t sit, we¡¯re at work,¡± Miruel shakes her head and flinches when a group of Celestials suddenly moves from their table and slowly walks to us.

    ¡°Your Majesty, could we join you?¡± a Celestial woman with ginger wings asks me and her voice is trembling. Even her friends are trembling.

    I would frown at them but I know I can¡¯t. Liana told me many times that my frown could be easily misinterpreted so I watch myself.

    ¡°Sure,¡± I nod. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t remember your names. But I do recognise you,¡± I add quickly. ¡°You¡¯re helping with our funding, right?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re honoured you do, Your Majesty,¡± a Celestial man with short dark hair and dark brown wings smiles. ¡°It¡¯s refreshing to see you visit us.¡±

    ¡°Eeh, sorry about that actually,¡± I bite my lip. ¡°I¡¯d like to do that more often but I¡¯m always so busy.¡±

    ¡°Nobody doubts that,¡± the Celestial man shakes his head furiously.

    ¡°We¡¯re just sad there aren¡¯t that many opportunities to see our Emperor,¡± the woman explains. ¡°And we¡¯re the lucky ones, being blessed by working here. Most Celestials worldwide haven¡¯t had a chance to see you in person even once yet.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡­,¡± I¡¯m not sure how to respond to that. Is it such an issue for my race? Are they really deeply unsatisfied by not being near their embodiment of magic?

    ¡°Your order, Your Majesty,¡± the Earthborn waiter brings me my snack.

    I bite into the cheese wrap immediately so that I don¡¯t have to talk for a while. The Celestials are just looking at me with content smiles. I don¡¯t have to touch them to guess what they¡¯re thinking¡ª that I¡¯m so skinny it¡¯s good I¡¯m eating. When their moods fluctuate a little for the worse, I can tell they think my caretakers aren¡¯t feeding me enough.

    I cough and have to sip my latte to clear my throat. If it was up to these three, they would be stricter with my diet. What do they see when they look at me? Do they even realise I¡¯m not some perfect idol but a person? I finish eating my wrap but couldn¡¯t enjoy it with all those stares I¡¯m getting. It¡¯s as if I¡¯m being scrutinised for every tiny move.

    The majority of people here are Celestials I realise. What does it say about Draconians in general? Do other races have so little interest in politics and administration? And what does it say about my race?

    ¡°So¡­ do you like it here?¡± I ask, nervous about the silence.

    They blink, totally confused by the question. Oh, right, they¡¯ve mentioned something about being allowed to work here as an honour. I find it weird frankly. I mean¡­ I love my new apartment but I¡¯d prefer to live somewhere I could fly freely.

    Too anxious to continue eating, I wrap my cookie in a napkin and put a lid on my coffee. The Celestials grow pale when they see I¡¯m about to leave.

    ¡°Your Majesty, a little blessing before you go?¡± the woman pleads.

    ¡°A little¡­ what?¡± I don¡¯t understand and stand up.

    It¡¯s like a wave. Everyone in the room stands up as well, even other races. The Celestials around my table are looking at me with excited anticipation. What are they waiting for me to do? They can¡¯t seriously expect me to bless them, right? I¡¯m not some priest.

    ¡°Majesty, please?¡± the Celestial woman is kind of in my way and has no intention to step aside.

    Well, she¡¯s waiting for something and I¡¯d hate to let my subject down. A handshake isn¡¯t a Celestial custom but maybe a little pet of wings is a good alternative? I stretch my right wing to her left wing, gently brush her feathers and because I don¡¯t have to hide my telepathy with Celestials anymore, I send her my love.

    It¡¯s nothing special really, I do it with my partners every day and with much greater intensity. What I send her is quite shallow compared to that but I do convey my overall love for my race and channel a tiny portion of mana which should be nice enough.

    The woman sighs and wobbles. I quickly fold my wing back, afraid I overdid it. Her friends catch her so she doesn¡¯t end up on her knees. So much for a Celestial handshake. I just hope it didn¡¯t look weird to onlookers from other races.

    ¡°S-so beautiful,¡± she whispers, dazed. Wait, so she liked it?

    Her friends quickly seat her in the chair and stand in front of me, expecting the same. Miruel is gesturing at me wildly that we¡¯d better leave immediately but I¡¯d feel guilty if I just ignored them. I don¡¯t want to be that kind of ruler who ignores their people.

    To make things quicker, I stretch both my wings and touch them at the same time. I watch my telepathic strength this time so I don¡¯t make them wobble. A little success.

    As I¡¯m folding my wings back, I suddenly feel Miruel catching my left wrist and pulling me away. I want to complain because I don¡¯t understand her behaviour but then it comes to me. The atmosphere in the cafeteria has changed drastically and all the Celestials present here are suddenly trying to get to me first. There¡¯s pushing, intense emotions and the ambition to get to touch me.

    ¡°Are you nuts? Stop it this instant!¡± Miruel yells at them but her voice disappears in the ruckus. It¡¯s as if my guards lost all their authority. It¡¯s as if the Celestials turned into a mob.

    The Guard Captain hugs me, enveloping me in her wings protectively and I get a full salve of her fear. That¡¯s why she was so nervous to let me go in the first place. She was afraid something like this might happen. There¡¯re only six more guards apart from her in my escort so they are easily outnumbered.

    If it was humans, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to use the most destructive spells in their arsenal to protect their Emperor but these are fellow Celestials. They have no idea what to do. I have no idea what to do. Everyone is so crazed about me giving out blessings that I doubt they would listen to reason.

    I get nauseous. Their fanatical emotions are too strong and are crushing my brain. I haven¡¯t had a migraine since New York but it comes now in full force and brings all those little side effects I was glad to be rid of. Like my stomach turning upside down.

    I throw up and the only good thing about it is that I miraculously managed to turn my head and lean down in time so I don¡¯t stain Miruel. My head is spinning and I¡¯m seeing little stars. Out, I need to get out!

    I thought I overcame my panic attacks and I did¡ªat least those that had roots in my anxiety disorder¡ªbut this is a completely different matter. This literally calls for a panic attack. I¡¯m surrounded by a bunch of crazed fanatics.

    My first thought is to use some spell that¡¯s rather safe and would allow us to escape. I think I should be able to muster some mana even with a migraine. But as I try to do so, something deep inside my Emperor¡¯s nature stops me.

    The idea of using force against my subjects is unthinkable. I¡­ I just can¡¯t do it. I simply can¡¯t in the sense I¡¯m mentally incapable of it. I¡¯m their Emperor and they are my subjects. They are the very people I¡¯m supposed to protect. The mana I channelled twists inside me as my mind doesn¡¯t allow it out and dissolves.

    ¡°WHAT MADNESS IS THIS? CAN¡¯T YOU SEE YOU¡¯RE HURTING AND SCARING OUR EMPEROR?¡±

    Liana shows up in all her Viceroy glory and might, coming just in time to my rescue. And Gotrid is with her. Oh, my beloved. I want to be held by him so desperately.

    The Celestials grow still and the room gets unnaturally quiet again. Unlike me, Liana and Gotrid don¡¯t seem to feel much conflicted about using magic on their fellow Celestials and start making their way using telekinesis where necessary, pushing people aside rather mercilessly. Seeing that it¡¯s okay with the Viceroy, my guards get confident again and do the same.

    Liana is raging, Celestial wrath manifesting as her mana leaks out and intimidates everyone. Gotrid does the same most impressively because he¡¯s freezing the air around him. But I don¡¯t see the rest of their grandiose entr¨¦e. I¡¯m saved so I can finally allow myself to faint and escape that maddening throbbing headache.

    *****

    Thirst wakes me up and it¡¯s not a pleasant coming back to reality because my migraine is at its worst. I find myself lying on my huge bed, changed into a night robe and my wings spread comfortably on one side behind my back. The room is dimmed and the curtain around the bed is closed.

    But privacy is only illusionary, I feel Liana, Gotrid and the others just behind the door. To my annoyance, I feel the guards inside the bedroom. They aren¡¯t normally supposed to be inside, this space is for me and my partners only.

    ¡°Drink, honey,¡± Erik is with me, of course, and gently lifts me up. ¡°I know you can¡¯t eat anything right now, it¡¯s just water.¡±

    He puts the glass to my lips and I gobble it down. I feel weak and nauseous. Even dim light and slight noise are hurting my brain. Erik carefully puts me down, snuggles to me and starts caressing my wings.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay, rest,¡± he tells me softly. ¡°Liana is doing what she can and Gotrid is helping her. In situations like these, it¡¯s good to have two husbands, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    I want to say something but I¡¯m too drowsy to think properly. I give in to sleep, escaping into dreams in which there¡¯s no pain and worries.

    *****

    When I wake up again, both Erik and Gotrid are with me. My migraine got a bit better, mitigating sensory stimuli always helps the most. What would help even more, though, is not feeling panic across the whole skyscraper as the Celestials are freaking out. Well, in this case, maybe they should, I think bitterly.

    ¡°Can we get you seated?¡± Erik asks while Gotrid hastily piles up all the pillows.

    I nod and let them push me upright. My head spins but my wings are quite comfortable leaning against the soft pillows. At the very least I don¡¯t feel like throwing up again.

    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to try to feed you this,¡± Gotrid says slowly in order not to startle me. He knows my relationship with food deteriorates rapidly every time I don¡¯t feel well.

    ¡°It¡¯s just apple puree, not one of those protein drinks,¡± Erik assures me. ¡°I tried it for you and it¡¯s yummy.¡±

    ¡°I can try,¡± I say weakly. I don¡¯t have any appetite but I feel my body desperately needs some calories.

    Erik and Gotrid take turns feeding me and they¡¯re very patient with the spoon. It¡¯s just one small bowl but it takes me at least fifteen minutes to empty it. But I managed which is an achievement.

    ¡°Do you feel like talking about what happened?¡± Gotrid clutches my hand. ¡°Zetraya is worried you might be traumatised.¡±

    ¡°I¡­,¡± I want to oppose to that but my voice fails me. I¡¯m not able to deny it. I don¡¯t know yet.

    ¡°That¡¯s okay, take your time,¡± Erik kisses me on my forehead. ¡°Liana is working on making sure it won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    ¡°By prohibiting me to enter public spaces ever again?¡± I comment sarcastically but I don¡¯t have the energy to get angry about it. ¡°I bet she thinks it was stupid of me to visit the cafeteria.¡±

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t think that,¡± Gotrid shakes his head. ¡°Nobody blames you, the guards were tragically unprepared.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t their fault either,¡± I frown. ¡°Tell Liana not to be hard on them.¡±

    ¡°She knows that,¡± Erik nods. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like anyone could anticipate you would just casually start giving blessings. Of course, Celestials would go crazy for something like that.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t start giving blessings,¡± I set the record straight.

    ¡°You kind of did, though?¡± Gotrid says softly. ¡°We interrogated those three who received it and they describe it as exactly that. They said it was amazing.¡±

    ¡°Amazing doesn¡¯t make it a blessing,¡± I insist. ¡°I make you two feel amazing all the time. It¡¯s just telepathy and a tiny bit of my mana.¡±

    ¡°Technically? Sure,¡± Gotrid shrugs. ¡°Still, in the end, it¡¯s all about how it¡¯s perceived. Forget human religions. From the Celestial point of view, the Emperor doing something like that can be categorised as giving a blessing.¡±

    I whine when a sudden thrust of pain surges around my temples. I¡¯m far from being recovered from my migraine and thinking about the consequences just makes it worse. Gotrid and Erik put me down again and let me rest while gently caressing my wings.

    I know that assumptions made during a severe migraine aren¡¯t objective but I can¡¯t help not feeling despair. The skyscraper suddenly feels like a golden cage with my subjects acting as my wardens.

 68. A Golden Cage

    ¡°Ryuu, please, at least one more piece,¡± Erik is trying to persuade me to have another slice of pizza. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn¡¯t have to force me to eat my favourite meal, but right now I¡¯m not feeling like eating anything.

    ¡°Take it away,¡± Gotrid sighs and lets the maids clear the plate. The maids are frowning at my half-eaten pizza, but they don¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Seriously?!¡± I hear Julia behind the curtain ranting after inspecting the leftovers. ¡°I allowed pizza to be served and His Majesty doesn¡¯t even eat that?¡±

    I clutch my hands and show a defiant expression. I ate what I could, I did my best despite lingering nausea.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stress yourself, honey, I¡¯ll deal with her,¡± Erik clicks his tongue, slips outside our canopy bed and takes the doctor to another room.

    I¡¯m left alone with Gotrid who smiles at me encouragingly and helps me lie down again. I had a good night¡¯s sleep so I¡¯m feeling much better today but I still don¡¯t feel like eating or doing anything besides resting. The migraine finally wore off after hellishly long fifty-three hours and it was one of the worst I¡¯ve ever had.

    ¡°Gotrid, my wings are sore,¡± I whine. I¡¯m dying to go for a flying session to stretch my feathered limbs but I¡¯m still too weak for that.

    ¡°Turn to your stomach, love, I¡¯ll give you a massage,¡± Gotrid offers readily.

    I bury my chin into the pillow and spread my wings to the sides. Gotrid starts working on my poor back and wing muscles, his own wings loosened and touching me because he knows I love that.

    I close my eyes, trying to enjoy the massage to the fullest, but it¡¯s quite difficult because shutting down one sensory input always sharpens my telepathy. Normally, I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯m used to it. However, right now, emotions in the skyscraper are too turbulent¡ªCelestials are restless.

    ¡°Hon? Can Liana come in?¡± Erik asks when he returns from his chat with Julia.

    ¡°In twenty minutes,¡± Gotrid answers for me. ¡°I¡¯m giving our beloved a massage.¡±

    ¡°I see, no prob,¡± Erik shrugs and disappears again to relay the message and take care of other things in the meanwhile. It¡¯s really handy to have two partners, I see the benefits literally every day.

    Before the incident, I¡¯d probably interrupt the massage and invite Liana right away but I just don¡¯t feel like doing that now. When Gotrid finishes, he dresses me properly into a three-layered night robe and I¡¯m ready to accept visitors.

    ¡°Aefener, you¡¯re feeling better!¡± Liana is overjoyed to see me and I¡¯m equally happy to see her. ¡°Sorry that I didn¡¯t show up earlier, but you were sleeping every time I stopped by and your Consorts didn¡¯t let anyone in, anyway.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry,¡± I try to smile, but it comes out weak. ¡°What¡¯s the situation? Did I cause panic again?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a mild word for it,¡± she sighs and sits on the corner of our bed. ¡°I¡¯ll say it bluntly because there¡¯s no sugarcoating it. You being able to give blessings is a huge deal, much bigger than you probably think.¡±

    ¡°I hope that at least you realise it¡¯s not a real blessing,¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s just telepathy combined with gifting a tiny portion of my mana.¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± she nods. ¡°Still, that doesn¡¯t make it any less impressive in the eyes of your subjects, Aefener. Can you show me how it feels?¡±

    ¡°Ehm¡­ sure,¡± I say after a second of hesitation. Even in my weakened state, it¡¯s nothing strenuous after all.

    Liana stretches her hand to me which I gently grab and do the same I did with those Celestials in the cafeteria. I send out my love and mana. Her reaction isn¡¯t as extreme as theirs because she¡¯s used to my telepathy but her eyes still widen.

    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± she takes a deep breath. ¡°You might not see it that way, Aefener, but it¡¯s really amazing. I¡¯d even dare to say divine. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to officially categorise it as the Emperor¡¯s blessing and somehow limit how you¡¯re going to distribute it in future so that there¡¯s not a queue every time you step out of your apartment.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡± I strongly disagree.

    ¡°This is my serious face if you haven¡¯t noticed before,¡± she points to her nose. ¡°Also, we have to ensure you won¡¯t get mobbed like that ever again. The Royal Guards will be given much greater authority to exercise force, if necessary, and Celestials working here will be talked to thoroughly on what¡¯s unacceptable behaviour towards the Emperor.¡±

    ¡°They acted like total fanatics, Li,¡± Erik hisses angrily. ¡°You should discipline them more harshly.¡±

    ¡°The Celestial Emperor isn¡¯t only a political role, Aefener is the embodiment of magic,¡± Liana reminds him patiently. ¡°As such, Aefener is much closer to worship than normal healthy respect. I¡¯m not excusing their behaviour, Erik. All I¡¯m saying is that, sadly, this is part of our Celestial nature and we have to take it into account.¡±

    ¡°The Viceroy is right, Erik,¡± Gotrid seconds. ¡°It¡¯s up to us to create boundaries Celestials will have to abide by no matter what. At the same time, we can¡¯t forbid Celestials from seeing their Emperor. It¡¯s our instinct to flock to our embodiment of magic.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll think of something, Aefener, don¡¯t worry,¡± Liana says firmly. ¡°A solution that isn¡¯t too hard on you and will satisfy our people.¡±

    I want to believe her, I really do, but I have a dark premonition that her solution will involve limiting my already limited freedom. I¡¯m dressed in a silk robe, my huge bed has a canopy, and dozens of people are taking care of my well-being and protection. But what is a luxury good for when they keep me in a golden cage? A feeble comfort only.

    *****

    I feel back at my full strength on the third day after the incident. The maids dress me in royal attire as usual and I have breakfast with my partners as usual. Luviael comes in to read aloud our itinerary for the day as usual. I try to act normal but I feel anxious inside. Liana was supposed to scold my subjects about the incident, did it work?

    ¡°It won¡¯t happen again, Your Majesty,¡± the Guard Captain Vermiel assures me because he notices my unease when I enter the elevator. ¡°Precautions have been made.¡±

    ¡°Will I be allowed my regular flying session in the afternoon?¡± I ask, worried.

    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty, why wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Vermiel answers matter-of-factly.

    ¡°Why indeed,¡± I murmur under my breath, but I feel much better about my prospects now. Flying always helps to alleviate my mood.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, love, it¡¯ll be business as usual,¡± Gotrid clutches my hand and looks at me encouragingly. ¡°Nobody will act weird, I promise.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I nod and try to collect myself just in time before the doors open again.

    The first task of the day on the agenda is a video call with our future ministers so we head to the media conference room. The Celestials I¡¯m passing in the hall are seemingly behaving as always¡ªthey bow and greet me as any other day¡ªbut I can feel they are dying to touch my wings and receive my ¡®blessing¡¯ to get a taste of the magical divinity I presumably possess.

    ¡°Good morning, Your Majesty,¡± Taranah is waiting for me in the conference room. ¡°The ministers are waiting just for you, we can start anytime.¡±

    He¡¯s trying to act nonchalant, even though he¡¯s anything but that. It seems not even my close co-worker is unaffected by the discovery. I sit down by the window and I look longingly outside for a moment. I haven¡¯t flown for three days and that is probably my mental limit.

    ¡°In the afternoon, my love,¡± Gotrid assures me and pets my wings to calm me down. ¡°And Liana will join us for sure. She has some important dealings with the EU delegates until then.¡±

    ¡°Put the ministers through,¡± I force myself to face the screen.

    Work is good. Work takes my mind off thinking too much. Taranah presents me with the final list of ministers and I¡¯m supposed to get to know them before they arrive. They¡¯ll be moving to Prague within a few days, coming from all parts of the world. The only minister that isn¡¯t coming right away is Gavreel who¡¯s preparing for my upcoming visit to Japan.

    ¡°That would be all, thank you for participating and we¡¯re looking forward to meeting you in person soon,¡± Taranah concludes the call after two long hours.

    I¡¯m quite content with the ministers we chose. I was hoping for more diversity but, in the end, I can be glad that it won¡¯t be only Celestials.

    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± I ask Luviael who rarely leaves my side when we¡¯re at work because she¡¯s my personal adjutant, meaning assistant. She¡¯s the only Celestial not fussing over my new ability and I can¡¯t love her more for that. Is it because she¡¯s with me almost non-stop apart from our personal free time?

    ¡°Meeting Rien,¡± she informs me. ¡°He¡¯s finally ready to join our inner government.¡±

    ¡°Right, I should probably tell him about my telepathy, so that I don¡¯t have to hide it in front of him,¡± I bite my lip.

    ¡°What? Absolutely not!¡± Luvi is horrified by that idea. ¡°Rien isn¡¯t a race ruler, nor a Celestial.¡±

    ¡°But¡­,¡± I oppose because I got used to not having to hide it all the time.

    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Erik agrees. ¡°The more people know, the harder is to keep it secret. The race rulers are trustworthy and Celestials are totally devoted to you but telling your secret to a random Clawfang is a huge risk.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty, Rien won¡¯t be sitting in the Royal office that often,¡± Luviael says. ¡°The Clawfang embassy occupies floors 16 and 17.¡±

    I realise that I¡¯ve never actually been there. When Emi was still here, she was always visiting me, not vice versa. What does the Clawfang embassy look like I wonder? Clawfangs aren¡¯t generally keen on administrative work. Are there more Clawfangs like Rien who don¡¯t mind office jobs?

    ¡°I¡¯d like to visit the Clawfang embassy,¡± I tell Luviael. ¡°Can you find a slot in my schedule this week?¡±

    ¡°No need, Your Majesty, Rien will be visiting you,¡± she shakes her head.

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t have that extra time or because the Clawfang embassy isn¡¯t deemed safe for me by your standards?¡± I ask and want an honest answer.

    ¡°Both,¡± she doesn¡¯t dare to lie to me. I sigh, but, at least, I got my honest answer.

    It happens when I¡¯m leaving the conference room. Taranah offers to hold the door for me, but as I¡¯m passing him, he uses the fact that the door frame is rather narrow for two Celestials, doesn¡¯t step aside in time and our wings inevitably brush.

    It was no accident, he planned for this to happen. Does it qualify as groping? Because I know Taranah quite well after months of working together, I intend to overlook it and just let it go. Even though, admittedly, I feel uncomfortable about it.

    ¡°So what do we¡­?¡± I turn to Luvi to ask about my follow-up agenda.

    But I don¡¯t get to finish that sentence. Before I can even grasp what¡¯s going on, Erik is suddenly holding Taranah by his robe and pinning him to the wall. Taranah cries out in pain because Erik doesn¡¯t bother to take into account that he¡¯s constraining a Celestial.

    ¡°You¡­!¡± Gotrid isn¡¯t as quick, but his rage is just as fierce.

    ¡°Did you think we wouldn¡¯t notice, you pervert?!¡± Erik yells at him.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m¡­ not a p-pervert¡­ I just¡­ b-blessing¡­,¡± Taranah stutters and is trembling. Only now he¡¯s starting to realise the gravity of what he has done.

    ¡°Vermiel, take him to the Viceroy for punishment,¡± Gotrid hisses.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°I¡­ p-please, n-no!¡± Taranah starts crying hysterically because he can¡¯t count on Liana being forgiving.

    ¡°Wait, it wasn¡¯t such a big deal,¡± I try to defend him because I don¡¯t like to see my subject crying. I don¡¯t like it at all.

    ¡°Taranah to the Viceroy, our Emperor to Zetraya,¡± Erik sighs and lets go of Taranah only when two of the patrolling guards seize him and take him away.

    ¡°The psychologist? Why? I¡¯m fine!¡± I don¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Exactly because you¡¯re claiming that you¡¯re fine,¡± Erik looks at me with a pained expression.

    ¡°Hon, why wouldn¡¯t you say anything?¡± Gotrid takes my hand and kisses it.

    I look at Gotrid, then at Erik. I feel their love and concern. And I realise that I don¡¯t feel anything for myself. I don¡¯t allow myself to feel anything. All I see is the mountain of work I have to get through today and emotions would only get in the way and make me less efficient. I have to work for the benefit of my people, I have to¡­

    A single tear is suddenly dropping from my right eye and pouring all the way down. I try to turn my head and quickly dry it into my sleeve, but everyone noticed, of course.

    ¡°Get Zetraya, now!¡± Erik orders Vermiel and I can feel everyone getting all panicky.

    Another tear drops down my cheek and I don¡¯t understand it at all. It wasn¡¯t a big deal, nothing serious happened. Taranah just touched my wing with his, that¡¯s all. It¡¯s not like it was erotic. He just wanted¡­ a blessing.

    I want to say something, but Gotrid envelops me in his wings and slowly leads me back to our apartment. Before I can put myself together, I¡¯m sitting on our sofa in the living room and I¡¯m told that Zetraya will be here any minute. Gotrid keeps me enveloped in his feathers, knowing well that it calms me down.

    ¡°We totally underestimated it,¡± I hear Erik talking to Cien because my early return surprised the maids. ¡°Celestials are still crazed about the newest discovery and Ryuu is obviously traumatised, but he¡¯s suppressing it.¡±

    I want to oppose that it¡¯s not true. I can¡¯t be traumatised by my own people, can I? Yet, I can¡¯t find the strength to speak up. I¡¯m snuggling to Gotrid, looking for comfort in his soft feathers.

    ¡°Good, you¡¯re here!¡± Erik greets Zetraya and I hear the psychologist sitting in the armchair in front of me.

    ¡°Love, I¡¯m opening up,¡± Gotrid warns me and slowly folds his wings.

    Zetraya is analysing me with deep concern and tenderness. I notice he¡¯s not wearing glasses and his skin looks less wrinkly somehow. When was the last time I had a sitting with him?

    ¡°You¡¯re wearing contact lenses?¡± I blurt out because I don¡¯t know how to start.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need glasses anymore, Your Majesty,¡± he smiles at me softly. ¡°My eyesight was gradually getting better and better and now it¡¯s 20/20. By the way, the same happened to every Celestial who used to wear glasses as a human.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know,¡± I mumble, embarrassed that this information eluded me.

    ¡°That¡¯s only understandable, Your Majesty don¡¯t have time to keep up with all scientific discoveries,¡± he says. ¡°As you can see, the ageing process is also being slowly reversed thanks to my mana circuit. After all, Celestials are supposed to look no older than thirty.¡±

    ¡°Neat,¡± Gotrid smirks and is overjoyed about the finding.

    So are the maids and the guards, only Erik panics in his mind. I don¡¯t usually let myself think about it, but, naturally, it does bug me a lot that Erik is ageing while I¡¯m not. I¡¯m sure nothing about my love towards him will change but I don¡¯t want him to die long before me.

    ¡°You¡¯re not focusing on what¡¯s the topic now, hon,¡± Gotrid says because he knows what I¡¯m thinking about right now. Erik sits down to us and caresses my left wing, so he gets the gist as well.

    ¡°So,¡± Zetraya coughs to clear his throat. ¡°Vermiel told me what happened.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that serious,¡± I say quickly. ¡°Please, tell Liana not to be too harsh on Taranah. Some scolding will do.¡±

    Zetraya raises his eyebrows and does an automatic gesture to adjust his glasses, only a second later realising that he doesn¡¯t wear them anymore. Habit is a hard thing to break.

    ¡°I¡¯m not here because of what Taranah did, Your Majesty, that¡¯s the Viceroy¡¯s responsibility to deal with,¡± Zetraya corrects me. ¡°I¡¯m here because of how you reacted to it. That¡¯s the main problem here.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ what?¡± I¡¯m lost.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t say anything,¡± Gotrid reminds me. ¡°If we didn¡¯t notice, you¡¯d let it go. And that¡¯s why we¡¯re sitting here now with Zetraya.¡±

    ¡°You had every right to get angry and defend yourself. Or at least speak up,¡± Erik adds. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you smash him with telekinesis? We saw you do it when that Earthborn accidentally plucked your feather.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I couldn¡¯t,¡± I lower my gaze and nervously crumple my robe.

    ¡°You¡¯re too kind for your own good,¡± Erik sighs and kisses my hair.

    ¡°N-no,¡± I shake my head violently because he didn¡¯t understand me. ¡°I mean¡­ I really can¡¯t as in I¡¯m mentally incapable of it. I tried to free myself when those Celestials mobbed me in the cafeteria but I couldn¡¯t conjure anything. The idea of using force against my people is just unthinkable to me.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Everyone is taken aback and needs a few moments to digest this new information.

    ¡°I guess it makes sense¡­ kind of?¡± Gotrid is the first to break the silence. ¡°The Emperor is supposed to be our race¡¯s protector.¡±

    ¡°Good to know, changes nothing,¡± Erik insists. ¡°If Ryuu can¡¯t use magic against his own people, he still should have told us.¡±

    ¡°So His Majesty is defenceless when it comes to us?!¡± Vermiel asks to make sure, his voice tense. ¡°Dammit, that changes everything, Royal Consort! I have to speak with Her Excellency immediately. Please, excuse me!¡±

    Vermiel leaves in a hurry and Miruel takes his place. There¡¯s recognition in her eyes. Now she knows why I couldn¡¯t do anything. It wasn¡¯t just because I had a panic attack.

    ¡°Back to the topic,¡± Zetraya says. ¡°Your Majesty, why did you feel you couldn¡¯t tell us?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ ehm¡­,¡± I¡¯m wavering. Why indeed?

    ¡°Did it maybe happen before?¡± Zetraya leans forward.

    I want to say ¡®no¡¯, but that would be a blatant lie. I recall all those instances when someone groped me on the train and I couldn¡¯t call for help. Who would even come to my rescue? Anyone would help a woman but I was an androgynous man. Sure, certain types of gay men were totally into me, but to normal people, I was a freak.

    ¡°Not good,¡± Gotrid grows pale when he catches a glimpse of my memories. ¡°This is even worse than we thought, Erik.¡±

    ¡°I had my suspicions,¡± Erik replies darkly. ¡°Ryuuto was repressing it all this time.¡±

    ¡°Repressed trauma,¡± Zetraya sighs deeply. ¡°Thought so.¡±

    ¡°How could they?¡± Gotrid pulls me to his chest. ¡°Our Emperor is so beautiful. How could anyone look at our beloved and think he¡¯s a freak?¡±

    ¡°Humans are scared of what they don¡¯t understand,¡± Zetraya comments. ¡°Even before the Great Evolution, His Majesty looked human enough but, at the same time, not enough.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not an alien,¡± I frown.

    ¡°But you weren¡¯t quite human from the very beginning either,¡± Gotrid reminds me patiently. ¡°Werden confirmed it, you didn¡¯t change from the human basis the same way we did.¡±

    ¡°So you thought I¡¯m an alien all this time?¡± I can¡¯t believe my ears.

    ¡°Well, not an alien from outer space,¡± Erik tries to calm me down by petting my wings. ¡°Something else. Something magical.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re so scared of hospitals because your mom conditioned you to never go there,¡± Gotrid remarks. ¡°They would find out you¡¯re not human immediately.¡±

    ¡°I must be at least half-human because my Mom was,¡± I say feebly.

    ¡°We know, hon, we know,¡± Erik kisses my hair again and continues petting my wings.

    ¡°A self-acceptance issue,¡± Zetraya summarises. ¡°His Majesty felt out of place for so many years that he developed a burning wish to be normal.¡±

    ¡°Which doesn¡¯t go exactly well with the whole Emperor business,¡± Erik nods. ¡°But, Ryuu, you know we adore you no matter what. It¡¯s all those peculiarities that make you unique.¡±

    I blush and hide my face in Gotrid¡¯s feathers. Yes, I know and that¡¯s part of the reason why I feel so stupid. I feel stupid that I still didn¡¯t come to terms with it despite everyone around me being so loving and understanding.

    ¡°These things take time, it¡¯s been barely half a year since the Great Evolution,¡± Zetraya says. ¡°His Majesty did a lot of self-development work already, especially after New York where he gained confidence. But he still isn¡¯t quite there yet.¡±

    ¡°I never wished for you to be normal, Ryuu,¡± Erik tickles me under my feathers and makes me turn to him instead. ¡°I never wished for our relationship to be normal either. Sure, they are some annoying things involved, but, overall, I¡¯m more than happy.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t feel trapped in a golden cage?¡± I whisper.

    ¡°This is a golden cage,¡± he doesn¡¯t try to deny it. ¡°But I don¡¯t feel trapped. Oh, Ryuu, there are so many new exciting things to discover, why do you cling to the past?¡±

    ¡°A habit?¡± I shrug.

    ¡°His Majesty never got to do normal things the normal way, that¡¯s why he longs for it,¡± Zetraya explains. ¡°Also, and that¡¯s a miracle for a Celestial, he doesn¡¯t have any of our tragic pride. Moreover, he¡¯s an introvert, so he doesn¡¯t enjoy all the attention.¡±

    ¡°Not a very good combination for the Emperor,¡± I sigh.

    Zetraya looks at me as if I¡¯ve just said something incredibly stupid.

    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± he shakes his head in disbelief. ¡°On the contrary! Can¡¯t you see that it¡¯s the best combination ever for the Celestial Emperor?¡±

    ¡°It is?¡± I widen my eyes, astonished. ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°Only someone like you can keep our negative racial tendencies in check,¡± he explains patiently. ¡°We¡¯re well aware of our vices, so we consider ourselves twice as lucky to have you leading us. It¡¯s not only about you being the embodiment of magic; we adore you for who you are.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I blush again and some of that anxiety I¡¯ve been feeling dissolves.

    ¡°The fact that you can¡¯t use magic against your own people just reflects your love for us,¡± Zetraya continues. ¡°However, you shouldn¡¯t be afraid to scold us for our own good. You already did that and it worked like a charm, remember? I wasn¡¯t present, but I heard.¡±

    ¡°In that forest during the conference,¡± Gotrid reminds me. ¡°You used telepathy to convey your annoyance with our behaviour. Feel free to do that again.¡±

    ¡°You need to learn how to express your feelings and wishes, honey,¡± Erik supports it wholeheartedly. ¡°I think that if you just send them your disappointment and sadness, they¡¯ll try to do better next time.¡±

    I think about it for a long moment. Can I really? Won¡¯t I be selfish by doing so? Can I allow myself to care about my emotional well-being for once?

    ¡°Of course, you can, silly,¡± my partners start to laugh.

    ¡°We want you to be happy, every Celestial wants you to be happy and protected,¡± Gotrid says.

    ¡°I¡¯m protected way too much,¡± I huff.

    ¡°We realise that, Your Majesty,¡± it¡¯s Miruel and not Zetraya who replies. ¡°We know that we¡¯re constraining you a lot and we¡¯re really sorry because it makes you miserable and we hate to see our Emperor miserable. But we have to. You know we do.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± I shiver. ¡°I should start acting more like the Emperor I am.¡±

    ¡°Instead of mourning what you lost, how about you start actively celebrating what¡¯s to discover, Your Majesty?¡± Zetraya suggests. ¡°It pains us to see that our embodiment of magic is hesitant to use magic just because you don¡¯t want to look too godly in our eyes. Which is totally futile anyway because we already see you as divine.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­ what?¡± I don¡¯t quite understand again. Just how dense am I?

    Cutely dense, Erik comments in his mind, amused.

    ¡°So it¡¯s still mainly subconscious,¡± Zetraya pats his chin as someone who was used to having a beard but lost it after the transformation because Celestials don¡¯t grow facial hair.

    ¡°For starters, how about showing your subjects what you think of their behaviour?¡± Gotrid gives me a hint.

    I consider it for a moment and I think I can start with that. After all, I don¡¯t want to feel anxious every time some Celestial comes too close. I need to clearly state my boundaries and I need to do it myself.

    I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths. Then I focus on reaching all Celestials in the skyscraper at the same time. I convey my annoyance and disappointment without any sugarcoating, but, in the end, I also add my love. I want Celestials to know that I love my race unconditionally.

    ¡°I think we get the message, hon,¡± Gotrid tickles my wing to make me stop. ¡°Gosh, you made even me feel guilty for a second and I¡¯m your lawful husband.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I open my eyes again. ¡°It would be too difficult to exclude specific Celestials. I wasn¡¯t too strict, was I?¡±

    ¡°Reasonably strict,¡± he assures me. ¡°What do you think, Zetraya?¡±

    ¡°Perfect,¡± the psychologist is shaking a bit but looks content. ¡°Celestials are desperate to get into your good graces, Your Majesty, so making them feel your disappointment should work like a charm.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid to express your needs more often, okay, honey?¡± Erik implores me.

    ¡°Can I express my need right now?¡± I ask, eager to test that instantly.

    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Erik encourages me.

    ¡°I really really really want to fly right now, not in the afternoon,¡± I tell them my wish.

    ¡°Miruel? Can it be done?¡± Gotrid turns to the Guard Captain. ¡°I know it¡¯s not on the schedule right now, but the Emperor has sore wings and today¡¯s agenda has been cancelled anyway.¡±

    ¡°If you give us twenty minutes, it can be done,¡± she nods and runs off to take care of the necessary preparations.

    ¡°Ask and you¡¯ll be given,¡± Erik winks at me. ¡°When will it finally get through your cute but thick head that you have all perks of the real Emperor? It¡¯s nice to be modest, but you¡¯re overdoing it.¡±

    ¡°I feel bad that you can¡¯t come with me,¡± I bite my lip. ¡°You¡¯re locked up in the skyscraper, even more confined than I am.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s excruciating,¡± Erik burst out laughing. ¡°I¡¯ll be pitying myself while waiting for your return¡ªwhen I sit on the balcony of our luxurious apartment, sipping organic coffee, eating cookies made by our own personal chef and thinking about what kind of brand suit and watch I¡¯d like to buy next.¡±

    I can¡¯t help it and finally brighten up. That¡¯s certainly an angle I¡¯ve never considered before.

    ¡°Okay, point taken,¡± I give in. ¡°You¡¯re not suffering.¡±

    ¡°Not in the slightest,¡± he assures me.

    ¡°I see I¡¯m not needed anymore,¡± Zetraya concludes. ¡°Still, I¡¯d like to see you more regularly, Your Majesty. There are still a few topics to cover and you¡¯ve been avoiding me recently. The only person who came to me willingly was Lord Erik.¡±

    ¡°You did?!¡± I look at Erik in amazement. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want a Celestial psychologist.¡±

    ¡°I needed to work on my jealousy issue, didn¡¯t I?¡± he points out, a bit uncomfortable that Zetraya mentioned it. ¡°Besides, a human psychologist wouldn¡¯t understand our complicated situation. I opened up to Zetraya eventually. It¡¯s probably all thanks to him that I was able to accept Gotrid so readily.¡±

    ¡°Doc!¡± I¡¯m deeply moved. ¡°I didn¡¯t know, thank you! If you want my blessing or whatever you mean to call it, I¡¯ll gladly give it to you. I think Liana plans to make it an honorary reward anyway. Let¡¯s test if that works. I¡¯m so happy right now that I¡¯m willing to give it a shot.¡±

    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t be modest and say no out of politeness,¡± Zetraya grins. ¡°I would be lying if I said that I don¡¯t want your blessing, Majesty.¡±

    I stand up and Zetraya quickly stands up as well. I stretch my right wing to him and when our feathers touch, it feels natural and pleasant because I want to do it, not because I¡¯m forced into it. I smile and give him my blessing. I still don¡¯t quite agree with calling it like that but so be it.

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty, it indeed is the highest honour,¡± his eyes get teary and he leaves in an exalted mood.

    ¡°Hon, let¡¯s go change into our sporty robes,¡± Gotrid takes my hand and leads me to our walk-in closet. He¡¯s as excited about the flight as I am.

    When we appear on the balcony, I find Erik comfortably sitting in an armchair, sipping his favourite organic coffee and reading a book. I kiss him to say goodbye for a little while and also check up on his feelings. I¡¯m happy to discover that he¡¯s perfectly content.

    I patiently wait for the guards to fly up and take a position before I¡¯m allowed to stretch my wings. I fly around the skyscraper several times, trying to see it in a different light. It¡¯s not a golden cage, it¡¯s my home. My safe haven, not a prison. Erik is there, my beloved.

    As the Celestial Emperor, there are a lot of things I can¡¯t do anymore. But there are also a lot of things I can do, like making a difference in the world and learning more about my heritage and magic. That realisation fills me with hope and newfound joy. And I have an idea. It just comes to me out of the blue.

    I take a deep breath of fresh air and try to consciously relax my body, letting go of lingering anxiety. I can do this. I might be constrained from the outside, but I don¡¯t have to feel constrained inside. I don¡¯t have to be afraid of expressing myself. I don¡¯t have to keep my magic bottled in fear that my power makes me less approachable.

    I let mana pour out of my wings and take another deep breath. Being the embodiment of magic makes me also the embodiment of our main racial element¡ªthe air. I turn to the air for support as I flap my wings mightily and shoot up like a rocket. My brain gets overrun with dopamine when I realise that I finally did it. I achieved my divine Emperor speed in real life.

 69. Loyalties

    ¡°I did it, Erik! I did it!¡± I collapse in my partner¡¯s lap the moment I land on our balcony because I¡¯m exhausted. Exhausted, but totally happy.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you did, but congratulations?¡± Erik kisses me and caresses my wings which are still shaking from overstraining.

    ¡°I reached my ultimate speed,¡± I explain proudly, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°And that officially makes me the fastest creature on the planet!¡±

    ¡°Congratulations again then!¡± he finally understands and kisses my face all over.

    ¡°You know that some birds like falcons and eagles can be really fast when diving after their prey?¡± I continue enthusiastically. ¡°That¡¯s the speed when they are basically just falling down. But I can match that speed when flying in any direction I want!¡±

    ¡°He scared the hell out of us up there,¡± Gotrid is panting and also collapses in the armchair. ¡°One moment he¡¯s hovering peacefully, then he shoots up like a rocket and we lose him completely. The guards freaked out.¡±

    ¡°But I came back immediately,¡± I remind him. ¡°I would never fly away again. Shouldn¡¯t you all be happy that I can do my Emperor speed now?¡±

    ¡°Happy and scared at the same time,¡± Miruel folds her wings. ¡°I have no idea how we will be able to match your new speed, Majesty.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be using it all the time,¡± I set the record straight. ¡°It¡¯s very taxing on my wings and mana consumption.¡±

    ¡°And calorie consumption I bet,¡± Cien speaks up, listening to our conversation from the door. ¡°Lunch will be served in ten minutes.¡±

    We hurry to change our clothes and, in a few minutes, we¡¯re sitting in our dining room. I had no appetite after the incident with Taranah, but Zetraya¡¯s psychological intervention really helped me, then I successfully scolded my subjects and now I¡¯m overjoyed that I achieved my ultimate speed. Long story short, it¡¯s a small miracle, but I find myself ravenous.

    I gobble the starter in a few bites and, for once, my maids overlook my poor table manners. I quickly pour the soup down my throat and tell Ayala to give me a mountain of rice. Carbohydrates, I totally crave carbohydrates. Erik and Gotrid are grinning at me, content that they don¡¯t have to force me to eat, especially after what happened in the morning.

    ¡°Aefener, hi,¡± Liana appears rather suddenly and unexpectedly. She¡¯s the only person in the entire world (apart from my partners, the guards and the maids, naturally) who doesn¡¯t have to officially ask to be let inside the Royal Chambers.

    ¡°Li, join us,¡± I invite her.

    ¡°Do you feel okay?¡± she chews her lip, still not sitting down. ¡°Sorry that I didn¡¯t come earlier, but I had to deal with Taranah and the EU representatives.¡±

    ¡°I feel much better now,¡± I swallow and ask for another helping.

    ¡°If you¡¯re eating, it must mean you do,¡± she smiles and finally takes an empty seat at the table that¡¯s reserved for her anyway. ¡°I want you to know that Taranah received exemplary punishment.¡±

    ¡°Exemplary?!¡± I stop eating.

    ¡°Oh no, not like that,¡± Liana waves her hand. ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t wish him any harm, but there are other ways how to punish a proud Celestial. Like making him clean toilets for a week.¡±

    Erik spits out his orange juice and I¡¯m glad that I had nothing in my mouth at the moment because I¡¯d probably end up with the same reaction.

    ¡°You made Taranah clean toilets?!¡± I need to make sure I heard right.

    ¡°I did,¡± she grins gleefully. ¡°And you should have seen that dread in his eyes when I sentenced him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d make it a whole month,¡± Gotrid raises his eyebrows. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯re so benevolent, Viceroy.¡±

    ¡°Just this once,¡± she takes a mouthful of the starter the maids just served her. ¡°Taranah is an integral part of our inner government and we need him to continue working on his projects as soon as possible. I think that simply showing our people that nobody gets away with harassing the Emperor should do the trick. Taranah will be made to cover all Celestial floors, so everyone will see him.¡±

    ¡°Exemplary indeed,¡± I approve her decision and resume eating.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t really think it will happen again,¡± Liana shrugs. ¡°Not after you let every Celestial in the skyscraper know how fed up you are with us.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that,¡± I realise and blush. ¡°Sorry, was it too much?¡±

    ¡°No, we deserved it,¡± she shakes her head. ¡°Feel free to do it more often, don¡¯t keep your frustrations with us bottled inside, okay? It¡¯s rather obvious we desperately need our Emperor¡¯s honest feedback from time to time.¡±

    ¡°Ehm, Your Majesty,¡± Miruel coughs. ¡°You still didn¡¯t tell the Viceroy the news.¡±

    ¡°You mean Aefener being unable to use magic against Celestials?¡± Liana sighs sadly. ¡°Vermiel told me. It¡¯s a significant complication, but nothing we can¡¯t handle. Besides, under normal circumstances, there shouldn¡¯t be any need for Aefener to defend himself against his own people. That¡¯s just ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°I mean the good news,¡± Miruel says impatiently.

    ¡°Ooooh, that!¡± I gulp a mouthful of cheesecake and grin. ¡°Li, I¡¯ve achieved my ultimate Emperor speed.¡±

    ¡°What?! When?¡± she blurts out after a long moment of just staring at me, astonished.

    ¡°Literally just a few minutes ago,¡± I explain proudly. ¡°They let me fly before lunch.¡±

    ¡°But how? I thought such speed isn¡¯t possible in the real world,¡± she continues questioning me, still taken aback.

    ¡°I poured mana out of my wings, made the air cooperate with me and the rest is my exceptional wing work,¡± I summarise.

    ¡°Miruel, was it safe?¡± Liana turns to the Guard Captain.

    ¡°Well¡­,¡± Miruel steps nervously. ¡°We lost His Majesty for a minute or so.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t lost, they just didn¡¯t see me above the clouds,¡± I add quickly. ¡°And, for the record, I returned immediately!¡±

    ¡°He did,¡± Miruel confirms.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Liana takes a deep breath.

    ¡°I¡¯d never run away again, Li,¡± I puff that I have to repeat myself. ¡°You know I wouldn¡¯t. I know better now.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Liana calms down. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ you know we panic every time you¡¯re not perfectly protected.¡±

    ¡°His Majesty didn¡¯t do anything wrong, he was just testing a new ability in the spur of the moment,¡± Miruel stands up for me. ¡°Next time, we¡¯ll be prepared.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not angry, not in the slightest,¡± Liana shakes her head and finally return to her plate. ¡°I was just worried.¡±

    ¡°Celebrate instead,¡± Gotrid smiles. ¡°Our Emperor is officially the fastest being on the planet, isn¡¯t that amazing?¡±

    ¡°Sure, amazing,¡± Liana tries to smile but fails. ¡°And terrifying, to be honest. We will never be able to match your speed now, Aefener.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be using it all the time,¡± I explain softly because I feel she¡¯s seriously worried about that. ¡°And I definitely won¡¯t cheat in our aerial games. I promise!¡±

    ¡°R-right,¡± her mouth finally curls into a smile. ¡°Sorry, I was just startled. It¡¯s wonderful news, of course.¡±

    When we finish our lunch, Liana asks me if I want to return to work or rest. I appreciate that I¡¯m given a choice because that hardly ever happens with my schedule.

    ¡°Then,¡± I start thinking. ¡°Could I maybe take a look at the Dragonkin crafting instead of my usual schedule? I heard there was a breakthrough.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also intrigued,¡± Liana admits. ¡°Luviael? Can you contact the Dragonkin embassy and tell them if they have time to show their findings to us?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Your Excellency,¡± Luvi nods and runs off to take care of our request.

    ¡°Gosh, it totally slipped my mind!¡± Liana suddenly taps her forehead. ¡°We never asked Mrs Anya about that ring you enchanted for her!¡±

    ¡°It probably didn¡¯t work or Deminas would say something?¡± I shrug.

    ¡°Let¡¯s find out right away, the time difference is only two hours,¡± Liana suggests enthusiastically.

    We go sit in the living room and take my laptop. It¡¯s a computer I use mostly for fun, but it has all encryptions installed, so it¡¯s safe for governmental calls. I¡¯m pleased that Deminas picks up almost immediately. He must have me set as a priority call.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± he asks without greeting and is quite surprised.

    ¡°Hi, Deminas,¡± I smile at him. ¡°No, nothing¡¯s wrong. I¡¯m just calling to ask how things in Russia are and I¡¯m also curious about that ring I enchanted for your wife.¡±

    ¡°Russia didn¡¯t refuse Draconian help, so things started to get better recently,¡± Deminas informs me. ¡°As for the ring¡­,¡± he gets weird all of a sudden.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t work? Just tell me,¡± I encourage him. ¡°It was my first try, no hard feelings.¡±

    ¡°It worked,¡± he answers rather hesitantly.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± I get excited. ¡°How long did my mana last? How is Anya feeling?¡±

    Deminas looks guiltily sideways for some reason.

    ¡°We¡­ ehm¡­ we tried embedding the crystal from the ring into a helmet,¡± he says extremely slowly.

    ¡°You ruined Mrs Anya¡¯s wedding ring?¡± Erik is shocked. ¡°Was she okay with it?¡±

    ¡°She wasn¡¯t talking to me for a week,¡± Deminas sighs, a light fume coming from his mouth. ¡°Even though I had the ring repaired with the same kind of gem.¡±

    ¡°Well, duh!¡± Erik gets dramatic. ¡°It¡¯s not the same gem, Deminas.¡±

    ¡°I did it for scientific advancement and¡­,¡± Deminas continues, but Liana interrupts him.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± she purses her lips at him.

    ¡°We¡¯re still testing it,¡± Deminas coughs out another small fume. ¡°It¡¯s interesting, but we don¡¯t have definite results to share yet.¡±

    ¡°So let me summarise it,¡± Gotrid gets irritated. ¡°You took the ring our Emperor enchanted for Mrs Anya as a present and used it for experiments?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s high time we start to take crafting seriously,¡± Deminas frowns. ¡°These monsters will keep attacking and we need proper armour.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not arguing about that,¡± Liana says tiredly. ¡°We¡¯re angry that you didn¡¯t tell us.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m more concerned about the fact that the ring was supposed to help Mrs Anya,¡± I¡¯m saddened that Deminas is turning this way.

    The Dragonkin are notoriously known to be crafting fanatics, but that¡¯s not the real problem here. The problem is that Deminas took his wife¡¯s ring without her approval¡ªthe ring that was supposed to help her and was precious to her. Isn¡¯t he ashamed? He doesn¡¯t look ashamed. He looks like he doesn¡¯t understand why his wife made a fuss about it in the first place.

    ¡°I got Anya the best Earthborn healer, she¡¯s well taken care of,¡± Deminas doesn¡¯t like what I¡¯m indirectly accusing him of. ¡°And we¡¯ll share the results when we have something definite to share.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d better be, enchanting is Celestial technology and the gem was enchanted by our embodiment of magic himself,¡± Liana comments venomously.

    I don¡¯t want the conversation to continue in a weird unfriendly way, so I end it abruptly because I can feel that Liana and my partners are getting pissed.

    ¡°Can you believe him?¡± Liana rants when she closes my laptop.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Dragonkin for you,¡± Gotrid remarks. ¡°They¡¯re nice lethargic guys, but when it comes to crafting, they would sell their kidney for new undiscovered material or technology.¡±

    ¡°Not every Dragonkin,¡± I poke him. ¡°Fefnir is a good friend and he isn¡¯t even an artisan but a full-fledged warrior. Draconians might succumb to stereotypes easily, but we¡¯re still unique personalities. Never forget that.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, you¡¯re right,¡± Gotrid admits and kisses my left wing in an apology. ¡°I let my Celestial nature get the best of me just now. Pride.¡±

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Your Majesty, the Dragonkin from the embassy are overjoyed to show you their craft,¡± Luviael appears again, bringing good news. ¡°They will be ready for a little presentation in an hour.¡±

    ¡°Great, I¡¯m really looking forward to it,¡± I clap my hands enthusiastically.

    *****

    When I¡¯m walking the corridors again, Celestials are bowing and staring as usual, except now they wouldn¡¯t dare to touch me without my consent. It seems my telepathic scolding did the trick, but I hope I won¡¯t need to use it too often. I love my race and it¡¯s hard for me to express anything but that.

    I got used to the fact that, for some reason, I deeply love all my subjects, even though I still don¡¯t know where it comes from. I doubt it¡¯s just because I¡¯m the race ruler. Is it connected to my telepathy perhaps?

    ¡°Maybe a combination of factors?¡± Gotrid answers my unspoken question. ¡°You¡¯re a race ruler AND an empath AND it¡¯s in your lore.¡±

    ¡°Other race rules don¡¯t feel the same?¡± Erik gets curious.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I shake my head. ¡°Emi felt responsible for her pack and keeping her people in line, but I didn¡¯t perceive overwhelming love for every single Clawfang. Deminas keeps to himself in Russia and has little interest in the Dragonkin all over the world. As for Twyla and Werden, they focus on building their community, but they aren¡¯t set on every single Earthborn either.¡±

    ¡°Well, other races were never keen on centralising,¡± Liana points out. ¡°Lore-wise, only Celestials live in one place, flocking around the embodiment of magic.¡±

    ¡°You had a flying city ingame, right?¡± Erik asks. ¡°What was it like?¡±

    ¡°Assiath was a marvel to behold,¡± Liana says dreamingly. ¡°To be honest, I really miss it. It was a safe haven for all Celestials and so beautiful. Living in a skyscraper is good enough, but nothing beats a flying city. And palace. How I miss the palace!¡±

    ¡°Sounds wonderful,¡± Erik agrees. ¡°Love, can you imagine us living in a real palace? Too bad it¡¯s just a fantasy.¡±

    I don¡¯t reply. The moment Liana mentioned Assiath, I got overcome with nostalgia all of a sudden. Our own city, flying in the sky. A safe place for my people and, possibly, more freedom for me? It does seem like a fantasy, but maybe in future¡­ what if¡­ yes, that could work¡­ and we could try¡­ crystals would provide energy¡­ and level 50 transfigurations for levitation¡­ and then also¡­

    Gotrid freezes and makes me stop as well because we¡¯re holding hands.

    ¡°My love, you¡¯re seriously considering it?¡± he asks, his mouth open wide.

    ¡°Considering what?¡± Liana turns to us, confused. She moved to discuss another topic with Luviael because she thought our small talk was over.

    ¡°Well,¡± I say very slowly, still thinking it through. ¡°Theoretically, I mean purely magic-wise, if we had crystals big enough and thousands of them, then level 50 levitation spells should be able to hold pretty much anything. Even a city.¡±

    For a moment, I¡¯m afraid that I said something incredibly stupid because now everyone freezes, including the guards and random Celestials we¡¯re passing.

    ¡°Okay, forget it,¡± I say quickly. ¡°I was just pondering that maybe¡­¡±

    ¡°My Emperor!¡± Gotrid cries and hugs me tight. ¡°You think it¡¯s possible? Really?¡±

    ¡°Theoretically?¡± I repeat, a bit startled by everyone¡¯s reaction because I feel careful excitement and hope.

    ¡°Aefener, and if we had those resources?¡± Liana¡¯s eyes widen.

    ¡°Then¡­ sure?¡± I shrug.

    I don¡¯t know what they would like to hear. It¡¯s one thing to make a big crystal float and build a platform on it. But we¡¯re talking about thousands of crystals and thousands of platforms perfectly interlacing. Where would we even get so much material? Not even Liana would be able to finance building a whole city from the scratch.

    ¡°So you mean to tell us,¡± Liana takes a deep breath. ¡°That building Assiath in the real world is possible?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡± I shrug again. ¡°If it¡¯s just a matter of enchanting crystals with a levitation spell, we can do it once we level up. However, it would take a tremendous amount of resources and that¡¯s the main problem.¡±

    ¡°Dammit, Aefener,¡± Liana is starting to go a bit crazy. ¡°Do you even realise what you¡¯ve just so casually said? That building Assiath isn¡¯t a dream anymore!¡±

    ¡°How can you be so confident about it, love?¡± Erik doesn¡¯t understand. ¡°A flying city in the game is one thing, but in real life?¡±

    ¡°Confident?¡± that takes me aback. How indeed? ¡°I just¡­ know somehow?¡±

    ¡°If our embodiment of magic says it¡¯s possible, then it¡¯s possible,¡± Gotrid grins. ¡°Sorry, Erik, I know it goes against all logic, but it¡¯s exactly that.¡±

    ¡°I just instinctively feel what¡¯s possible when it comes to Celestial magic,¡± I try to explain, even though I don¡¯t fully understand it myself.

    ¡°Meteor superior?¡± Liana tries me.

    ¡°Not possible,¡± I shake my head. ¡°Conjuring a huge meteorite out of nothing? Nope.¡±

    ¡°Lightning?¡± she tries again.

    ¡°Possible,¡± I confirm. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m doing it.¡±

    ¡°I believe you, love, it¡¯s just hard to digest for me,¡± Erik caresses my left wing and gets anxious. He always does when he encounters something inherently Draconian that just eludes him.

    I continue walking to the conference room, but the mood of my companions stays exalted. I suspect they won¡¯t let it go easily. Yes, building a flying city is theoretically possible, but the costs of such an endeavour would be astronomical and the project would take decades. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have said anything. I don¡¯t want to give them false hopes.

    ¡°Your Majesty, Your Excellency, Royal Consorts,¡± the Dragonkin artisan team is overjoyed to meet us. I recognise all of them from the recent battle of Prague¡ªthey are those over-zealous Dragonkin who were peeling the heligorr chitin instead of helping the injured. But I don¡¯t let dislike show on my face, I need to accept that some Dragonkin are like that.

    Instead, I focus on their work. The samples are spread on the tables and I can tell the Dragonkin feel really proud about their achievements so far.

    ¡°They are lighter than I expected!¡± I weigh a prototype arm protector in my hands. ¡°Not quite something a Celestial could wear, but lighter nonetheless.¡±

    ¡°Heligorr chitin has unique properties,¡± one of the artisans, a huge stout Dragonkin with grey scales and bent horns, explains proudly. ¡°It¡¯s light, easy to bend, yet very firm. We could start mass-producing armour made of chitin right away, but we don¡¯t have enough material. One adult heligorr is enough for three sets only. We need tens of thousands.¡±

    ¡°Oh, where¡¯s Haldis?¡± I realise they aren¡¯t here only now.

    The Dragonkin are suddenly looking as if they ate something sour.

    ¡°Not part of our research team,¡± the huge grey Dragonkin hisses irritably.

    I stare at him for a moment, analysing his emotions. The Dragonkin perceive the world very differently from Celestials, but what I¡¯m catching from him is obviously disgust. I have never really studied Dragonkin society in detail and Fefnir never had any problem with my sexuality, but¡­ is it possible that the Dragonkin aren¡¯t keen on accepting other genders and sexual orientations?

    ¡°We would love to cooperate with Celestials from now on,¡± the grey Dragonkin continues as if nothing happened. ¡°Our craftsmanship is the best among all Draconian races, but enchanting pieces of armour would strengthen it tremendously.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll gladly cooperate, of course,¡± Liana answers for me because she notices I¡¯m rather hesitant to deal with these Dragonkin.

    The Dragonkin bow to me and leave, making sure they take everything with them. They came here to boast, not to share.

    ¡°That was quite¡­ cringy,¡± Erik comments, confused. ¡°And did you notice how they reacted to Ryuu mentioning Haldis?¡±

    I clutch my fists. I was kidding myself, Draconians aren¡¯t any better at acceptance than humans. We¡¯re so different, yet the same in certain aspects. I know that Fefnir and many other Dragonkin aren¡¯t like that, but these artisans are total bigots. Poor Haldis. First shunned by their human family, then rejected by their own race. No, I just won¡¯t have it!

    ¡°Luvi, can you contact Ingri and tell her to bring Haldis?¡± I ask my adjutant. ¡°I wish to speak with them.¡±

    *****

    Ingri and Haldis show up just an hour later when I¡¯m drinking my afternoon coffee. They¡¯re both nervous because they have no idea why I requested their presence all of a sudden. Ingri is a bit more chill because she¡¯s been with me from the beginning, but Haldis is on the verge of a panic attack.

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong,¡± I say quickly to calm them down. ¡°I just missed you at today¡¯s artisan presentation, Haldis.¡±

    The Dragonkin can¡¯t really grow pale, but it¡¯s obvious Haldis is really uncomfortable about it by the way they are waggling their tail.

    ¡°Because those pricks didn¡¯t let them join, Your Majesty!¡± Ingri says angrily.

    ¡°Figured as much,¡± I sigh. ¡°Are they giving you a hard time, Haldis?¡±

    Haldis lowers their head and doesn¡¯t dare to meet my eyes. I can feel they¡¯re deeply hurt and saddened. And I hate it. Haldis¡¯s situation is simply too close to home for me to ignore.

    ¡°They said they won¡¯t accept a no-female-nor-male into their guild,¡± Haldis whispers. ¡°They said I¡¯m a waste of a good female.¡±

    ¡°I admit that I don¡¯t know that much about Dragonkin social structure,¡± I say slowly. ¡°But I bet it has a lot to do with the fact that 80% of the Dragonkin population is male.¡±

    ¡°That pretty much sums it up,¡± Haldis nods, their tail twitching. ¡°By the Dragonkin standards, I failed my people by refusing to be proper female since they are so rare.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­ that¡¯s terrible!¡± Erik is outraged.

    ¡°I love being a Dragonkin, but I envy Celestials,¡± Haldis finally looks up. ¡°You¡¯re so equal and free when it comes to genders and sexual orientation. Your Majesty is a living example of that.¡±

    They make me think about it for a moment. It¡¯s true that Celestial society is absolutely egalitarian when it comes to gender. All Celestials have more or less the same fragile physique and the only thing that matters is a magic skill, especially when it comes to the Royal Guard, so distinguishing between men and women is meaningless to us.

    As for sexual orientation, lore doesn¡¯t say much about it. Draconia Online as a game promised to protect the rights of all minorities, so any hateful actions or harassment were penalised severely. Still, it¡¯s lore that applies to us now, not some company policy. And where lore is rather hazy, there is space for our racial tendencies to unfold.

    ¡°True, Celestials consider these things to be up to an individual,¡± I nod after a short consideration. ¡°I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s not the same for the Dragonkin, Haldis.¡±

    Haldis looks down and nervously waggles their tail.

    ¡°Just say it, Haldis,¡± Ingri encourages her friend. ¡°I¡¯m sure His Majesty will give it a thought at least.¡±

    I smile because it¡¯s not hard for me to guess what Haldis is about to say. But I don¡¯t rush them. It¡¯s better if they come with it themselves.

    ¡°I¡­ I would like¡­,¡± Haldis is stuttering, their anxiety rising. ¡°I¡­ would like to¡­ work directly for Your Majesty!¡± they blurt out the last part.

    I feel Haldis expects I¡¯ll turn them down. After all, while Celestials are more than willing to cooperate and trade with other races, we never let strangers into our midst. Assiath was a good example of that, only Celestials were allowed to enter as opposed to other Draconian capitals that didn¡¯t have any racial restrictions.

    But I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor and my word is the law. If I say that I accept specific Draconians into my direct services, then nobody can object. Erik and Gotrid are right, I should start using the perks my position brings. I¡¯ll do that now.

    ¡°I was about to propose you the same thing,¡± I say gently which makes Haldis look up again.

    ¡°You were¡­?¡± they are speechless.

    ¡°I met your kin today and they want to cooperate with our enchanters,¡± I say. ¡°But it was obvious they weren¡¯t keen on sharing their discoveries or work on purely Celestial projects. I¡¯d really welcome someone who¡¯s eager to experiment with Celestial technology for the benefit of Celestials.¡±

    ¡°Haldis is exactly that someone,¡± Ingri grins. ¡°They prefer light armour and jewellery anyway.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯d be honoured,¡± Haldis mumbles in a daze. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sound ungrateful or daring but¡­ ehm¡­ will I be given creative freedom?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I assure them. ¡°There are some things we need to tackle as soon as possible, but we¡¯re not against any innovative solution if it gets the job done. My only worry is whether your people will be okay with it. I don¡¯t want them to hate you even more.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what they think,¡± Haldis clutches their hands into fists. ¡°Besides, the Dragonkin don¡¯t have to necessarily swear allegiance to the Patriarch. While it¡¯s expected to craft for Dragonkin guilds, we can be adopted by a third party if we don¡¯t have a clan affiliation.¡±

    ¡°Adopted?¡± I¡¯m taken aback by Haldis¡¯s strange choice of words.

    ¡°Dragonkin clans are like extended families,¡± Haldis explains. ¡°But I was disowned by my original clan when they found out I¡¯m non-binary in real life.¡±

    ¡°I think that what Haldis is trying to say is that they are free for the taking,¡± Ingri chuckles. ¡°I really hope that clan will regret bitterly what a talent they lost.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ll gladly swear my allegiance to you if you would have me,¡± Haldis says with anxious anticipation and careful hope.

    ¡°And I¡¯ll gladly accept,¡± I confirm with a smile.

    I expect the matter to be over, but Haldis quickly stands up, almost turning over the chair they were sitting on. They kneel in front of me, this time not afraid to meet my eyes.

    ¡°I swear my allegiance to the Celestial Emperor,¡± they say solemnly. ¡°From this moment on, I have no responsibilities towards my race, not even the Patriarch. I promise not you bring you shame and, in return, all I ask is to be accepted for who I am.¡±

    ¡°I accept and promise to honour your wish,¡± I reply. I¡¯m not sure how the Dragonkin ceremonial allegiance works, but Haldis seems content with my response.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ Your Majesty?¡± Ingri speaks up, uncertain. ¡°I¡¯d actually like to do the same. I love my people so I won¡¯t be leaving them because they don¡¯t want me, but I want to be affiliated with you. While I deeply respect our King and Queen, my place is here.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t the Earthborn need permission when they want to change their root?¡± Liana recalls. ¡°Haldis was disowned, so there was nothing in the way, but it¡¯s not that straightforward for your people, right?¡±

    ¡°We do need permission and I asked for it shortly before this meeting actually,¡± Ingri reveals. ¡°The Queen herself called me to say that she¡¯s sad to see me leave, but she agreed that I¡¯ll be most useful working for the Celestial Emperor.¡±

    ¡°She let you go rather easily, not very Earthborn-like,¡± Liana gets a bit suspicious.

    ¡°Easily? Not really,¡± Ingri laughs. ¡°The Earthborn monarchs feel guilty about leaving all politics to His Majesty, so I¡¯m to be their gift, a gesture of goodwill. Yeah, and I have to undergo my official Earthborn training under their tutoring at some point, forgot about this tiny little catch. Sorry, we don¡¯t have any fancy oath and I¡¯m pretty sure the Earthborn ceremony isn¡¯t Celestial-friendly.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be overjoyed to have you, Ingri,¡± Liana is relieved it turned this way. She learnt to depend on her capable assistant. ¡°But training with the Earthborn monarchs themselves? When do you want to go?¡±

    ¡°Not anytime soon,¡± Ingri shakes her head. ¡°Definitely not until you return from Japan because I need to hold the fort for you.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work the other way around, does it?¡± Erik nudges me. ¡°Can a Celestial swear allegiance to someone else?¡±

    ¡°Of course not, don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± Liana raises her eyebrows at him. ¡°Celestials are totally devoted to the Emperor.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Erik retorts a little. I can feel he¡¯s annoyed that it¡¯s another thing that eludes him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let it bother you, Erik, Celestials were always peculiar even to other Draconians,¡± Ingri waves her hand.

    ¡°When can I start? And where?¡± Haldis speaks up, excitement building inside of them. Liana rolls her eyes, but not always catching social cues is actually something I really like about Haldis¡ªbreaking conventions is refreshing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Tara-¡­ oh, wait, I can¡¯t, he¡¯s cleaning toilets,¡± I realise. ¡°Luvi, could you assign someone else to show Haldis around the Celestial floors? Also, make it perfectly clear to everyone that Haldis is one of us now and they are to be respected.¡±

    ¡°Who is cleaning toilets and why?¡± Haldis whispers to Ingri.

    ¡°I will,¡± Luviael nods and escorts Ingri and confused Haldis out of the room.

    A few minutes after Ingri and Haldis leave, Noage suddenly appears. At first, I¡¯m afraid that he came to check up on my health and bring me a protein drink, but he kneels in front of me.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to serve as your personal physician, Your Majesty,¡± Noage asks without any fuss.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you already?¡± I tilt my head. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re helping Julia and she is my personal physician.¡±

    ¡°I heard Queen Twyla allowed Ingri to swear allegiance to you and I asked for the same,¡± he explains.

    ¡°I¡¯d be overjoyed to have you, but aren¡¯t the Earthborn monarchs bothered that they¡¯re losing subjects?¡± I point out.

    ¡°Not when they are in your service,¡± Noage assures me. ¡°On the contrary, King Werden thought it¡¯s a brilliant idea, especially considering¡­ ehm¡­ Your Majesty¡¯s frail condition. The Earthborn monarchs want a dedicated Earthborn healer to be taking care of your health so that they can sleep soundly.¡±

    ¡°Are you really okay with it?¡± I bite my lip. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be forced into it just because Twyla and Werden feel guilty about leaving all politics to me.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Noage almost laughs, ¡°you really have no idea what an honour it is working directly for the Celestial Emperor, do you? You¡¯re too modest.¡±

    ¡°Told you,¡± Erik pokes me. ¡°Just accept, love.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s what you really wish to do, I¡¯ll gladly accept your services,¡± I nod. ¡°You and Julia certainly make a great team.¡±

    ¡°Dr Julia is a delight to work with and I appreciate her unique human perspective since that¡¯s something we lost,¡± Noage says honestly.

    ¡°As do I,¡± I clutch Erik¡¯s hand.

    When we finish for the day and depart home, I meet Taranah in the hall. He¡¯s wearing a simple work robe instead of his usual rich attire and is holding a mop and a bucket. He¡¯s scared to cross my path, but I feel he desperately wants to talk to me, so I nod at my guards to let him approach him.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Your Majesty,¡± he lands on his knees, sobbing. ¡°I don¡¯t know what got into me. The moment I saw you, all I could think of was receiving your blessing. Your telepathic message snapped me out of it, but I realise it¡¯s been entirely my fault.¡±

    ¡°Stand up,¡± I say softly. ¡°I¡¯m not angry. I forgive you.¡±

    ¡°Disappointing Your Majesty is even worse than your wrath,¡± Taranah shudders.

    I don¡¯t like Taranah feeling this way, but I know I had to let my subjects know that even their Emperor who loves them unconditionally has boundaries. Celestials have to realise that their embodiment of magic is a living feeling person, not some idol they can put on a pedestal and touch whenever they feel like it.

    ¡°But we can, right, love?¡± Gotrid gets a bit startled because he¡¯s holding my hand, so he knows what goes through my head right now.

    ¡°Yes, you and Erik can touch me whenever, do I have to spell that?¡± I roll my eyes and let them both kiss me. And I feel hopeful again.

 70. Newcomers

    ¡°Ryuu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Erik gently grabs my chin and kisses me. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in no time and Gotrid won¡¯t leave your side.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about that,¡± I sigh and put my hair behind my ears because the wind currents are constantly messing with my hairstyle.

    The helicopter¡¯s engine is already on, Erik is dressed in a sporty overall and the only thing that¡¯s delaying his departure is me. I just wanted to see him off and wish him a safe journey. Instead, I started worrying like crazy. What if something happens to him? What if he gets attacked? What if¡­?

    ¡°I¡¯ll be okay, honey,¡± Erik assures me. ¡°I have Royal Guards and police drones accompanying us. I¡¯m as safe as I can be.¡±

    ¡°When will you be back?¡± I ask anxiously.

    ¡°Well, I need to make several flights to the airport and back,¡± he says. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it will take the whole morning.¡±

    Right, I forgot for a moment that this isn¡¯t a simple pleasure trip, Erik volunteered to transport our new ministers from the airport. Originally, we planned to keep their arrival secret, but the information got out. Not because of a leak from our side, those damn airlines babbled to the press, so Liana decided it¡¯s best if we avoid using cars.

    Celestials can fly to the skyscraper on their own, but their family members and other races have to be transported by helicopter. And that¡¯s where Erik enthusiastically came in, claiming that it¡¯s a perfect combination of work and fun.

    ¡°Maybe I could fly after you and¡­?¡±

    ¡°Love, you¡¯re speaking nonsense,¡± Erik laughs. ¡°Besides, when I drop off the first batch of newcomers, you¡¯ll be too busy to miss me.¡±

    ¡°My Emperor,¡± Gotrid takes my hand and has to lead me away or I¡¯d never let Erik go.

    When the helicopter takes off and disappears from my keen sight, Erik¡¯s telepathic imprint disappears as well. I hate to be so clingy, but I can¡¯t help it. My telepathic brain gets anxious when I can¡¯t feel my beloved.

    But Erik was right. I hardly take care of two minor tasks when Luviael announces that the Minister of Education is here. Her name is Sarayah, she¡¯s from Germany and has an impressive resum¨¦ as a high school teacher, winning the best teacher award two years in a row.

    None of the ministers I¡¯ve chosen is actually a politician. None would be even remotely qualified to be a human minister. Most of these people are extremely young (but, hey, so am I), but all of them have something that makes them perfect for the job. We have to start somewhere.

    Sarayah enters the Royal Office and it¡¯s like a beam of positive energy came in. She¡¯s one of those rare people who are almost always in a good mood and enthusiastic about things. She has pink hair that would look ridiculous on a human minister, but the colour suits her and doesn¡¯t look inappropriate at all. Besides, fuck human conventions.

    I stand up to greet her, but, instead, I¡¯m staring at the tips of her beige wings. Colours, so many colours. How? It wasn¡¯t possible in the game. Yet, Sarayah¡¯s bottom feathers are playing with all sorts of colours. It¡¯s so pretty!

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Sarayah bows deeply and even though she can¡¯t touch me, I can tell she¡¯s a hugger. Her urge to go automatically for a hug is overflowing, but she¡¯s well aware she can¡¯t hug the Emperor.

    Does she know I¡¯m a telepath I wonder? It¡¯s no secret among Celestials, but Liana implored everyone to spread it only by mouth in case of online leaks. So far we managed to keep it a secret which is a miracle considering thousands of people know. I¡¯d rather she hears it from me than random co-workers.

    ¡°Welcome, Sarayah, it¡¯s a delight to have you,¡± I smile, still staring at the tips of her wings.

    ¡°Oh, this?¡± Sarayah grins. ¡°It¡¯s just hair chalk, not permanent.¡±

    ¡°I love it,¡± I admire her style. ¡°Maybe I could try it as well? It would catch well on my feathers.¡±

    ¡°I think it would look fabulous on you, love, but your white is royal and mustn¡¯t be stained,¡± Gotrid says, amused.

    ¡°Sarayah, do you know about me¡­?¡± I look at her puzzlingly. There¡¯s no good way how to hint at it, but, fortunately, there are only Celestials in the office right now.

    ¡°About what?¡± she tilts her head and I feel she has no idea. So Liana¡¯s ban on mentioning my telepathy online is working. My people sure are devoted to the bone.

    I¡¯m a telepath, I send her my thought, hoping I won¡¯t startle her too much.

    Sarayah twitches, her feathers stand up and her eyes widen. She falls on her knees in the deepest bow.

    ¡°You truly are so godly, Your Majesty!¡± she¡¯s moved to tears.

    ¡°Please, stand up,¡± I say quickly. I got used to normal bowing, but seeing someone on their knees unnerves me to astronomical heights.

    ¡°Come, Sarayah, the Viceroy is waiting for you with onboarding,¡± Luviael grabs her arm and leads our new Minister of Education out of the office.

    ¡°That went¡­ well?¡± Gotrid comments. ¡°Oh, by the way, I heard that the Minister of Ecology and the Minister of Commerce are married. They got married long before the Great Evolution and they have a kid who also changed. I wonder how they are managing, considering they are a mixed couple.¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they be managing?¡± I don¡¯t understand. ¡°I have a human partner.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t notice, hon?¡± Gotrid pets my left wing. ¡°Romance between different Draconian races isn¡¯t exactly common. Most couples, who were dating before the Great Evolution and became opposite races, broke up.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­,¡± I clutch his hand firmly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about us,¡± Gotrid shakes his head. ¡°I can feel your love for Erik isn¡¯t any smaller than your love for me.¡±

    Despite his reassurance, I get up and kiss him deeply on his lips. I don¡¯t quite understand why interracial romance doesn¡¯t work for most Draconians, but surely it must work for some, right?

    ¡°Ehm, Your Majesty, Royal Consort,¡± Vermiel coughs, interrupting our sudden cuddling session. I forgot for a second that we¡¯re still in the Royal Office.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I blush and notice that three people are waiting at the door.

    ¡°Lord Erik has returned with the first group,¡± Vermiel announces.

    I quickly search for Erik with my mind, but he must have gone off immediately. I sigh. If I paid more attention, I could have sent him a cute little message. Never mind, now I have different things that require my focus. I¡¯m pleasantly surprised that the newcomers are that mixed couple we were just talking about.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± a Celestial woman with long blond hair and speckled brown wings bows deeply. ¡°I¡¯m Evaniel, honoured to serve as your Minister of Commerce.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Forent,¡± her Earthborn husband bows as well, though not as deeply. His appearance is very plant-like with green skin and hair resembling roots rather than tentacles.

    The third person is a young Earthborn girl, probably still a teenager. She has dark purple skin, slightly greenish, with loose rooty hair, dark brown with some radiant green at the ends. Her ears are pointy and she has two long branches growing out of her head like horns.

    ¡°Come on, Namph, introduce yourself,¡± Evaniel pokes her.

    The girl is staring at me, but she bows politely.

    ¡°This is our daughter Namphiel,¡± Forent says. ¡°She¡¯s only eighteen, but really great at botany. If it wasn¡¯t for the Great Evolution, she would be starting university next year. I know that she¡¯s very young, but the best Brazilian universities were after her, Your Majesty. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll do great in the research division.¡±

    Namphiel blushes and two small mushrooms suddenly sprout in her rooty hair.

    ¡°S-sorry,¡± she apologises, embarrassed. ¡°I was experimenting with fungi spores recently and now I can¡¯t get rid of it.¡±

    ¡°Queen Twyla said our Namph is a prodigy,¡± Forent boasts.

    ¡°I do not doubt that,¡± I smile. ¡°Welcome to the Draconian government.¡±

    I expect that the skyscraper will become really lively in the upcoming days. It¡¯s not only about a handful of new ministers arriving, they are often taking their whole families with them and we also accepted a lot of new people into research and crafting divisions.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    The months we were just desperately trying to hold things together and negotiate our standing in the world are officially over. With our rights granted in most countries and the initial panic calmed down, we can start focusing on building our societies and making money.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Your Majesty, I¡¯m late,¡± a Celestial woman with caramel brown and white wings that resemble a magpie and long light brown hair storms in.

    ¡°There¡¯s no late, Rina,¡± I address her by her name because I recognise her from our video calls, of course. I personally appointed her to become the Minister of Magical Research. Rina widens her eyes and shivers because she gets a full dosage of my enormous mana.

    ¡°I travelled by the same plane as Namph and her family, but I couldn¡¯t help myself and flew here while they used a helicopter,¡± Rina explains frantically while bowing several times.

    ¡°You two are friends?¡± I¡¯m happy to discover. We need more interracial friendships.

    ¡°Ever since we started playing the game,¡± Rina nods. ¡°We even became friends in real life and went through the change together. I can¡¯t express how overjoyed I am that you chose me and Namph¡¯s parents as Ministers, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°We might not have been in the same guild, but your passion for magic and lore was well-known, Rina, even I read your blog,¡± I smile. ¡°Real age doesn¡¯t mean anything, we all played Draconia more or less for the same amount of time before the Great Evolution.¡±

    ¡°Four years for me,¡± Rina says timidly. ¡°You started playing on the launch day, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°I was playing for three years,¡± Gotrid comments.

    ¡°Oh, it totally slipped my mind!¡± I slap my forehead. ¡°The scientists should have a pretty good idea of who changed and who didn¡¯t, right? There should be a solid statistic by now?¡±

    ¡°We can try asking Julia or Noage,¡± Gotrid suggests. ¡°They would know.¡±

    ¡°Luvi, can you ask them to come here?¡± I turn to my adjutant. ¡°One of them is enough, I bet they¡¯re busy.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty,¡± Luvi nods. ¡°I¡¯ll just assign someone to our guests first.¡±

    ¡°Evaniel, Rina, I want to talk to you about something before you go, Celestial business only,¡± I say and wait until Luvi leads Forent and Namph out of the office. They both look at me puzzlingly, so they don¡¯t know yet.

    I gently touch Evaniel¡¯s and Rina¡¯s minds and send them my thoughts and love. They are startled, of course, amazed, but not terrified. It seems Celestials take for granted that their embodiment of magic would be special in more ways than just one.

    When they leave, I check the rest of the list. Almost everyone will be arriving today, except for the Minister of Crafts and Fefnir who will arrive together in a few days. We decided and Deminas approved it that Fefnir should become the Minister of Defence and return to Europe after his short stay with the Patriarch.

    As for the Minister of Labour, after very long consideration, we agreed that Rien would be a good candidate. Emi thinks the boy has potential and his family background and political education are a perfect combination. Besides, we desperately need at least one Clawfang in the government, so that all races are properly represented.

    ¡°You had some questions, Your Majesty?¡± Julia shows up just a few minutes after my request. ¡°By the way, what¡¯s this?¡±

    She points at a half-eaten sandwich next to my computer.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t send for you to scold me about my diet,¡± I whine.

    ¡°But she¡¯s right, finish that, please,¡± Gotrid nudges me.

    I roll my eyes, but take the sandwich and resignedly bite into it.

    ¡°I wanted to ask you about the percentage of Draconia players who changed,¡± I say between chewing. ¡°It wasn¡¯t everyone, right?¡±

    ¡°Not by far,¡± Julia shakes her head. ¡°The scientists collected the data on players and created a pretty accurate statistic. It turns out a person would have to be playing Draconia for at least one year intensely and not stop playing until the Great Evolution started.¡±

    ¡°So it rules out occasional players and people who stopped playing altogether,¡± Gotrid ponders. ¡°I guess that makes sense.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not any closer to finding out how such a thing is even possible in the first place,¡± Julia admits. ¡°But, at least, we know the requirements now. Generally, people with longer gaming experience and higher immersion levels had the transformation quicker and are finding learning new abilities easier. But all Draconians have the potential to master all skills, it¡¯s just a matter of time and diligence.¡±

    ¡°So Aefener with his 100% immersion level who was playing Draconia since its launch intensely every day would have the transformation quickest and abilities strongest,¡± Gotrid summarises.

    ¡°Basically,¡± Julia agrees. ¡°Still, the study doesn¡¯t reveal what makes His Majesty the actual embodiment of magic because it¡¯s most probably not his immersion level alone.¡±

    ¡°The fact that he¡¯s a telepath?¡± Gotrid tries.

    ¡°There are still many things we don¡¯t know,¡± Julia sighs. ¡°The research reveals the Great Evolution happened because a player¡¯s brain was convinced they were a different race, so it started to mutate one¡¯s DNA to match that mental image, but it¡¯s still thin ice. We don¡¯t know anything solid yet. Our current technology simply isn¡¯t advanced enough to cause something like this.¡±

    ¡°Alien technology?¡± Gotrid suggests carefully because he¡¯s casually hinting that my father might be alien.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Royal Consort, but it¡¯s possible,¡± Julia shrugs. ¡°We¡¯d know more if we could examine His Majesty before the Great Evolution. Now it¡¯s too late, I¡¯m afraid. His Majesty¡¯s brain is still unique, but the rest of his body is purely Celestial.¡±

    ¡°Ouch, w-wait a sec,¡± I massage my temple.

    ¡°What is it, hon?¡± Gotrid clutches my hand and starts to panic a little.

    ¡°Strong disturbed emotions,¡± I say and stand up. ¡°Something must have happened, Clawfangs are in disarray.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re not going there,¡± Vermiel doesn¡¯t allow me. ¡°Let Clawfangs sort their own business. Rien is there and should take care of it.¡±

    ¡°Do you sense danger, love?¡± Gotrid asks.

    ¡°Danger? No, not really,¡± I shake my head. ¡°But the emotions are really tense.¡±

    ¡°Probably because of the new ambassador, she arrived with the last transport,¡± Luviael declares. ¡°Emi warned me she¡¯s an alpha. I bet her presence is making Clawfangs all crazy and threatens Rien¡¯s authority.¡±

    ¡°Wait, there can be more alphas?¡± Julia gets confused.

    ¡°Emi is the Supreme Alpha,¡± I explain. ¡°Individual packs have their own alphas.¡±

    ¡°Are you okay, love? Did you develop a headache? Damn Clawfangs, always making a ruckus,¡± Gotrid pets my wings to comfort me.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, Draconian emotions don¡¯t overwhelm me as much,¡± I assure him. ¡°Oh, Erik is here again!¡±

    Welcome back! I send him my thought together with my love.

    Ryuu, you startled me! Erik replies immediately. I have the engine running, dummy.

    Sorry!

    I¡¯m sending another family your way. Then one more trip for the scientists. Love you!

    ¡°Your Majesty, you need to stop doing that in public,¡± Luviael warns me. ¡°What if somebody, who isn¡¯t supposed to, notices something¡¯s off?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only people who know about my telepathy here,¡± I protest.

    ¡°I apologise for my bluntness, Your Majesty, but you¡¯re not as careful as you used to be,¡± Luvi berates me a little bit. ¡°Draconians in the skyscraper are suspecting there¡¯s more to your blessings than just a taste of your mana. Also, some noticed that Celestials flinch seemingly out of nowhere when you¡¯re reaching to us telepathically.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I might have gotten more lenient lately,¡± I admit. ¡°That¡¯s because I really enjoy not having to hide it all the time.¡±

    ¡°And we understand that,¡± Gotrid kisses my feathers. ¡°We¡¯re just concerned about the possible consequences of your telepathy getting out. Apart from the global craze that would cause, politicians might become afraid to deal with you in person.¡±

    ¡°I know and I will try to be more careful,¡± I promise. ¡°If I don¡¯t seem that worried anymore, it¡¯s because I trust you¡¯ll protect me even if it gets out.¡±

    ¡°Your trust in us is heart-warming, Your Majesty,¡± Luvi smiles. ¡°Still, it would just complicate things unnecessarily at this point.¡±

    ¡°Point taken,¡± I give in. ¡°By the way, another new Minister and his family are here.¡±

    ¡°Perks of having the telepathic Emperor,¡± Gotrid grins proudly and nods at the guards to let the newcomers in.

    I knew that our Minister of Foreign Affairs is bringing his whole family from India, but I wasn¡¯t prepared for the avalanche of emotions. A family of five comes in and, except for the Celestial Minister and a little human girl, everyone is feeling scared and conflicted. Scared of me and conflicted about being forced to move to Prague.

    ¡°Laurin, welcome,¡± I greet the Minister, a Celestial man with brown skin, long black hair and bronze wings.

    ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s an honour to finally meet you in person,¡± Laurin bows deeply and pulls one of his human sons down with him because the boy just stands there. ¡°Your presence is just as godly as I heard.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about godly, it¡¯s just my mana,¡± I murmur and look at the rest of his family.

    The boy Laurin had to pull down for a bow doesn¡¯t look older than thirteen and his expression is both scared and defiant. A slightly older boy is a puma Clawfang with black fur, so another gamer in the family. Laurin¡¯s wife is a dignified lady in her mid-40s and the youngest member is a little girl no older than five, probably less. I was never good at guessing ages.

    ¡°Dad, that angel is so pretty!¡± the girl exclaims excitedly. ¡°Can I pet her wings?¡±

    Laurin turns pale and starts to panic.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for Desna, Your Majesty,¡± he blurts out, embarrassed. ¡°She¡¯s just four, she doesn¡¯t know better.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± I chuckle and duck to the girl. ¡°Hello, Desna, my name is Aefener. I¡¯m not a lady.¡±

    ¡°Not a princess?¡± Desna blinks, totally confused. She studies my face and even dares to touch my hair before Laurin can stop her. ¡°You look like a princess,¡± she pouts which is unbelievably cute.

    ¡°I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor,¡± I say. ¡°Basically¡­ your father¡¯s boss?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a boss?¡± Desna is even more confused now.

    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know how to talk to children,¡± I bite my lip.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Your Majesty,¡± Desna¡¯s mother takes the girl away from me.

    ¡°Think nothing of it,¡± I stand up, still smiling.

    The family leaves soon after, but I ask Laurin to stay for a while longer to tell him about my telepathy. I¡¯m surprised he didn¡¯t know either. Are Celestials really that devoted to me that they wouldn¡¯t babble about it online even to other Celestials? I have to admire them for that.

    When Laurin leaves, I finish two more minor tasks when I notice that Erik is back again. This time for good. He was right, I didn¡¯t have time to feel lonely, but I did miss him. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s my telepathic brain or just my personality that makes me addicted to my partners, but, the truth is, I crave him. When he appears at the door, still in his sexy pilot uniform, I envelop him in my wings and start kissing feverishly.

    ¡°It¡¯s been just a few hours,¡± Erik laughs, amused, but happily accepts my affection.

    ¡°Was it safe? Did you have a good time?¡± I ask between kisses.

    ¡°The media were a bit annoying, but Bauerova helped,¡± he informs me. ¡°As for the flight, I really enjoyed it.¡±

    I delve into his mind, as deeply as he lets me, and I¡¯m joyful that he¡¯s joyful. I want him this happy more often. Generally, Erik is more than content with his current life and the state of things, but the flight made him ecstatic. He loves flying almost as much as Celestials do. I do not doubt that if he played Draconia, he would be a Celestial.

    That idea crossed my mind before, you know, he says in his mind because he doesn¡¯t want Gotrid to hear it. If I played your game, I¡¯d definitely pick a Celestial.

    Erik with wings. I try to imagine that and just the mere idea arouses me. But I love Erik as he is. I love Erik the human. I don¡¯t need him to be a Celestial. The only thing that bothers me is our entirely different life spans.

    With the current medical care, humans can live up to a hundred these days, but Celestials live much longer than that. Much, much longer. We still don¡¯t know if everything that¡¯s in our lore will come true, but I can tell that my mana circuit is automatically repairing my body cells, granting me miraculous longevity.

    I love everything about Erik, yet I fear this one thing. Him inevitably dying of old age. What if we find the device that stands behind the Great Evolution and it still works? Would it be possible to change Erik into a Celestial? And would he even want that? I lean for another kiss, intentionally hiding my worries from him.

 71. The Protector

    ¡°Aefener, are you with us?¡± Liana calls me because she notices I¡¯m not paying attention. We¡¯re in the middle of practising a new spell during our regular training session. Liana decided it¡¯s not wise to skip even one day and our new ministers and their families needed to go accommodate anyway.

    ¡°Sorry, I was a bit lost in thoughts,¡± I apologise. An unfocused caster might be dangerous because spells can easily get out of control, even though they usually just dissolve.

    The thing is that I just can¡¯t stop thinking about Erik. It¡¯s been bugging me ever since I fully admitted to myself that I¡¯ll live for hundreds of years whereas Erik has only sixty years at most left. I do not doubt my love won¡¯t change even when he gets old and wrinkly, but he will inevitably die of old age and there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. If we¡¯re lucky, Earthborn doctors might prolong his lifespan by a decade or so, but human bodies have their natural limit.

    The spell I¡¯m currently working on deforms, reacting to my inner turmoil. I force myself to channel my mana more evenly and the transfiguration symbol becomes more solid. I give it a bit more energy, strengthen a mental image of the spell and finally conjure up a small electric surge.

    ¡°You did it!¡± Liana celebrates.

    I nod and smile. A small victory. It doesn¡¯t seem like much, but manipulating pure energy such as electricity is in the category of advanced spells.

    ¡°Careful, Your Majesty!¡± Vermiel warns me. ¡°We¡¯re not immune towards our own spells.¡±

    ¡°Give me rubber gloves then,¡± I say jokingly on purpose. I don¡¯t want to worry them that I¡¯m not up to it today. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±

    ¡°Actually,¡± Liana bites her lip. ¡°I¡¯m dying to try dual casting with you.¡±

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s intimate!¡± Gotrid gets jealous all of a sudden. ¡°It should be something the Emperor does only with his partners.¡±

    ¡°A partner, singular, Erik can¡¯t do magic,¡± Liana corrects him. ¡°It would be beneficial if Aefener was able to do it also with me in case you¡¯re not present or incapable of casting.¡±

    ¡°Gotrid,¡± I dissolve the spell and get to my partner because I feel Liana¡¯s idea offended him. He wants dual casting to be something only he can do with me. ¡°Liana is right. There might be times when you won¡¯t be present or unable to fight.¡±

    Gotrid frowns and his feathers puff. He¡¯s not happy about it at all.

    ¡°Liana might be the only other person besides you I could be able to dual cast with,¡± I say softly and caress his feathers. ¡°You¡¯re my husband, but Liana is my Viceroy. I love her as well.¡±

    ¡°Okay then,¡± he sighs resignedly.

    I turn to Liana and find her all red. My casual confession took her unprepared. I¡¯m sure she knows I love her, but she¡¯s one of those people not good at putting her feelings into words.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try it,¡± I come to her and hold her hands. ¡°Gosh, you¡¯re freezing! Li, I told you to cast the transfiguration symbols for ice spells as far away from you as possible.¡±

    ¡°I know, but it feels easier when it¡¯s closer to my palms,¡± she admits and quickly heats the air around our hands to warm us up. ¡°So, what do we do?¡±

    ¡°Let me connect to you first,¡± I say and try to ignore the stares of literally everyone in the room.

    I close my eyes and connect our minds. Everyone has certain parts that they don¡¯t want others to see and I always respect that, but it¡¯s different with my partners and Liana. They are fully open to me. They trust me completely and I trust them.

    I¡¯d go for a kiss with Gotrid and Erik because intimacy helps me connect more deeply, but, for obvious reasons, I can¡¯t do such a thing with Liana. I touch her forehead with mine instead and interlace our fingers. There¡¯s nothing erotic about it whatsoever and everyone knows that. Not even Gotrid gets jealous, not even Erik would.

    They know Liana has a very special place in my heart as the Viceroy should. Unlike ministers, it¡¯s not a position to be appointed reasonably based on one¡¯s resum¨¦ and work experience. It has to be someone the Emperor considers to be his extension.

    Let¡¯s try something simple like levitation but try to lift something heavy, I say telepathically.

    What about those weights in the corner the Dragonkin use? she suggests. They must be over two hundred kilos.

    Perfect, do you feel up to it?

    Sure! she sends me her resolve.

    I harmonise our minds and gently nudge her in the right direction whenever our spells start to clash. As I hoped, just like with Gotrid, we¡¯re in perfect synchronisation, so our two transfigurations lock into each other, combining the spells into one and strengthening the effect. The weights fly from the ground like feathers.

    ¡°It works!¡± Celestials witnessing our cooperation celebrate while Liana is happy to become Gotrid¡¯s backup.

    I catch Gotrid sulking a little bit that dual casting isn¡¯t something just for the two of us, so I hurry to comfort him as soon as we carefully put the weights down again.

    ¡°Liana is not your competition, silly,¡± I tickle him under his feathers.

    ¡°I know,¡± he admits and feels much better after a kiss.

    *****

    As I stand before all the new ministers gathered in front of me in the biggest meeting room and they are looking at me with excited anticipation, I realise something. First, I¡¯m not scared or hesitant anymore. Second, I feel like I can put my trust in these people. Third, they have a misconception that I¡¯m no longer just the Celestial Emperor but the Draconian Emperor.

    I resist frowning and send my concerns to Liana.

    I¡¯m afraid you are, Aefener, she answers in her thoughts. The race rulers still have undeniable authority over their people, but they entrusted international politics and influence to you. The world sees you and acknowledges you as the Emperor of Draconians.

    Just roll with it, Erik supports Liana because he can hear us. I rarely keep things from my partners. I look at Erik and he just shrugs.

    ¡°Your Majesty? Are you unsatisfied with something?¡± Luviael asks anxiously and the ministers get a bit nervous as well.

    ¡°No, let¡¯s start,¡± I shake my head, sit down and nod that they can also sit down. ¡°Rien, can you start with your report?¡±

    The Clawfang Minister of Labour twitches his wolfish ears. He didn¡¯t expect I¡¯d ask him first of all people.

    ¡°Job division is proceeding surprisingly well,¡± Rien starts slowly. ¡°Draconians are eager to work and many aren¡¯t afraid to volunteer for battle units. I¡¯m currently assigning high-level players to take strategic positions in big cities and cooperate with local police and the army. As for other professions, many Draconian are eager to take on crafting.¡±

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Are my people cooperating without problems?¡± I ask directly, even though I suspect what the answer will be.

    ¡°With hesitation,¡± Rien admits reluctantly. ¡°As expected, if they already are in Prague, they don¡¯t want to leave. Motivating them with high salaries isn¡¯t helping. But battle units desperately need Celestials, Your Majesty, they need all races if we want to be effective and not lose people unnecessarily.¡±

    ¡°Celestials are peculiar in that aspect,¡± I sigh. ¡°Okay, let me talk to them. I guess I could motivate them by giving them my blessing if they sign up. Still, they will probably want to take turns, so that they aren¡¯t away from me for too long.¡±

    ¡°We can work with that,¡± Rien nods. ¡°We can¡¯t force our people to permanently move to foreign countries anyway. Let¡¯s think about it as a temporary work assignment that comes with a high salary and sell it like that.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± I agree and notice a change in the atmosphere when I casually mention giving out blessings. Celestials jerk in their seats and wish they could receive my blessing as well. Rien and Forent are curious to find out how that works in the first place.

    ¡°The allied countries have a generous budget prepared for those who will protect their citizens,¡± Rien continues after nervously clearing his throat. ¡°We don¡¯t have to worry about paying our warriors, but that doesn¡¯t mean we don¡¯t need money. We do.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my expertise actually,¡± Evaniel stands up which allows Rien to relax. ¡°As the Minister of Commerce, I¡¯m also responsible for our finances in general. Rien is right, we need a steady income. We can¡¯t live off Her Excellency¡¯s money, donations and funding from the EU forever. We need to start producing things of value and selling them.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d better start enchanting then,¡± I say and turn to the Minister of Magical Research. ¡°Is your team ready, Rina?¡±

    ¡°Getting ready,¡± Rina nods and chews her lip, feeling uncertain. ¡°But we don¡¯t actually know yet if enchanting is a thing in the real world, Your Majesty. Many Celestials tried already and failed.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? The ring I enchanted worked,¡± I tilt my head, confused.

    Everyone is staring at me, dumbfounded. Wait, they didn¡¯t know?

    ¡°We didn¡¯t go public with it, Aefener,¡± Liana reminds me patiently. ¡°They don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Enchanting is proven to be working?!¡± Rina¡¯s jaw drops and she flutters her wings excitedly. ¡°That¡¯s the best news ever, Your Majesty!¡±

    ¡°I think those who tried and failed simply needed a higher level, that¡¯s all,¡± I shrug.

    ¡°Do we want to sell enchanted objects to humans, though?¡± Laurin, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, voices his concern. And he¡¯s absolutely right, of course.

    ¡°Only harmless ones,¡± I say resolutely. ¡°Definitely not weapons.¡±

    Everyone is nodding. I¡¯m glad we¡¯re on the same page about this. Draconian weapons are too dangerous to get into human hands. Besides, most of them are so racial-specific that humans wouldn¡¯t be able to properly use them anyway.

    ¡°With Celestials working on enchantments, the Dragonkin crafting armour and weapons, the Earthborn advancing medical science by milestones and Clawfangs gathering resources, scouting and potentially beast taming, I¡¯m sure we can make more than a decent living,¡± I try to smile reassuringly at everyone.

    ¡°All that while protecting and restoring the environment,¡± Forent, our Minister of Ecology, adds with a soft cough.

    ¡°Of course,¡± I agree wholeheartedly and feel my Emperor¡¯s nature emerging, giving me a motivational boost. ¡°But don¡¯t get me wrong, we won¡¯t be doing this only so that humans see us as useful and will tolerate us. We¡¯re doing it for ourselves.¡±

    ¡°For our flying city!¡± Sarayah exclaims enthusiastically.

    I raise my eyebrow because I have no idea how she knows about that. At this point, it¡¯s just my wishful thinking. Liana notices my slightly confused expression and hurries with an explanation.

    ¡°It¡¯s already in the Celestial grapevine, Aefener,¡± she says. ¡°Some people overheard you talking about it and the guards babbled as well. Every Celestial knows by now and they consider it your ultimate plan for our future.¡±

    That¡¯s a bit unnerving to hear, to be honest. I admit I haven¡¯t planned that far ahead yet. I didn¡¯t have time to consider what happens ten years from now, so thinking about a hundred years from now gets even more blurry. But I have to start thinking about long-term planning soon. I¡¯ll still be around in a hundred years. All Celestials will be. And we will need a place to live we can truly call our own.

    I look at Erik and shiver. Erik won¡¯t see our flying city in its full grace. He won¡¯t be there. We continue discussing tasks for this week which mostly consist of new ministers taking over their departments and getting to know their employees. I listen carefully, taking mental notes, but I can¡¯t shake off that intrusive thought. One day I¡¯ll have to face a world without Erik.

    *****

    After lunch, I meet with our newly established research team. I was looking forward to it, these bright people will be making some of the most exciting scientific and magical discoveries soon. I wish I could be a part of it, but my role is different, I know that. At least, I¡¯ll still be able to contribute from time to time, Liana assured me. My magic is the most potent, after all.

    ¡°Your Majesty, let me introduce the team,¡± Rina says proudly and full of enthusiasm. ¡°This is Danaheim, the head of genetic research and healing.¡±

    A young Earthborn man steps forward. It¡¯s hard to tell one¡¯s age after the transformation, but I can feel his mind is very young. A high schooler still? His looks are very androgynous and I¡¯m happy to see another person similar to me. His red tentacle hair is tied into a cute knot and his red eyes are almost glowing.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± he bows. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to boast, but I was one of the best Earthborn healers ingame. I¡¯m honoured to work for the benefit of Draconians.¡±

    Again, I¡¯m presented with proof that real age doesn¡¯t mean anything to us. It might become an important factor in future when we start having children, but, for now, it¡¯s all about ingame experience and eagerness to master skills in real life. Danaheim doesn¡¯t need a PhD degree in science, no Earthborn does. It comes naturally to them.

    ¡°Hi, Namphiel,¡± I smile at Evaniel¡¯s and Forent¡¯s daughter I already met yesterday. Namphiel bows and returns a shy smile.

    Of course, Haldis is also here. They would normally be part of the crafting division that¡¯s exclusively Dragonkin, but since that didn¡¯t work out for them, I¡¯m more than happy to have Haldis in the research division. We will need a skilled artisan for many Celestial projects and I want to avoid asking the Dragonkin crafting guilds for favours unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary.

    ¡°This is Nestelle, my assistant,¡± Rina smoothly continues with introductions.

    A Celestial man with sun-kissed skin and bronze curly hair with golden streaks steps in front of me and bows deeply. He has dichromatic wings that were quite rare ingame. Both of his wings have a bronze basis, but one is more golden and the other more greyish.

    ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s the highest honour to be here,¡± Nestelle says.

    I want to continue getting to know the rest of the team, but I suddenly feel something is wrong. Very, very wrong. I can¡¯t describe it properly, but it¡¯s as if every fibre of my body is warning me that something sinister is coming. Somehow, I know it has nothing to do with me being a Celestial. It¡¯s my other part¡ªthe part I inherited from my father. The part that makes me a telepath.

    I¡¯d love to turn to Erik or Gotrid for support, but neither of them is here. Gotrid is helping the Minister of Commerce and Erik is with the Minister of Foreign Affairs who¡¯s meeting Bauerova for the first time. I quickly touch the minds of all the Draconians in the building, but none of them is feeling anything, so it¡¯s not another rift opening.

    It¡¯s something else, but not less threatening. And it¡¯s coming. Fast. We have just a minute, maybe two. There¡¯s no time for any preparation. I glimpse the horrified and totally confused faces of my guards when I rush to the window, but I don¡¯t have even a moment to explain to them what¡¯s going on. I don¡¯t know anyway.

    I break the glass with telekinesis, quickly steering the shards safely onto the floor, and jump off. I flap my wings mightily and use my Emperor speed to get above the skyscraper in a matter of seconds. Something is coming. Something deadly. I get goosebumps and it makes my feathers stand. I¡¯ve never felt this terrified, not even when the first rift appeared.

    But my mind clears. It¡¯s obvious, what I have to do. I¡¯m the protector, so I have to protect. Simple as that. I reach for mana storage in my feathers and channel all of it at once. I¡¯d never be able to do it under normal circumstances, but the adrenalin and the feeling of imminent danger are breaking my restraints.

    Since I don¡¯t know what I have to protect my people against, I decide to protect the whole building. I was experimenting with shield spells before, but shielding a huge skyscraper is an entirely different level. It¡¯s not even level 80, it¡¯s the Emperor level.

    I¡¯m the embodiment of magic. It¡¯s not just a fancy title and I¡¯m forced to fully accept it, now or never. The air around me sparkles with magic as I materialise dozens of transfiguration symbols all at once. The minds of my subjects are boosting me, and the wish to protect my people is making the impossible possible.

    Dozens¡­ hundreds¡­ still not enough. Thousands! I don¡¯t know where the danger is coming from, so I have to cover every centimetre. The space a few metres around the skyscraper starts glowing with thousands of shields that are perfectly interlocking into each other, creating an impenetrable barrier.

    I finish at the very last moment because it¡¯s here. That¡­ thing. It hits the shield above me and the blast is overwhelming. But nothing gets through, not even the shockwave. We¡¯re safe. My beloved partners, my subjects, all Draconians in the skyscraper.

    But relief comes with total exhaustion. I put everything I had into creating that shield. I suddenly feel weak. So weak and light-headed. My wings stop moving and I use the last shreds of strength to wrap myself in my feathers before my vision goes dark and I lose consciousness.

    Ryuuto being badass by FrammyMushMushroom

 72. The Viceroy

    Liana has no idea what¡¯s happening, but everyone in the Royal Office is suddenly standing up and pointing outside. She hurries to the window and sees hundreds of transfiguration symbols materialising in the space around the skyscraper.

    ¡°W-what?¡± the Viceroy gasps, both terrified and astonished.

    She doesn¡¯t understand a thing, but it¡¯s obvious that it must be the Emperor¡¯s doing. The shield is pulsating with beautiful rainbow colours and the transfiguration symbols interweaved into each section are made with the precision only Aefener is capable of.

    She wants to call the Royal Guards, who are currently on duty, to ask what the hell is going on, but a deafening explosion roars, startling everyone. There¡¯s a flash of ominous light and then it¡¯s quiet again. Whatever that thing was, the shield stopped it. Their Emperor stopped it. Their embodiment of magic did something amazing again. Something miraculous.

    ¡°The guards aren¡¯t picking up,¡± Ingri says all panicky. She didn¡¯t need the Viceroy to tell her what to do, she isn¡¯t her assistant for nothing.

    Liana hurries to the nearest balcony, her own guards following her. She takes off immediately, even though her ceremonial robe isn¡¯t exactly made for flying.

    ¡°Gotrid!¡± she sees the Royal Consort taking off from a balcony a few floors below and shouts after him.

    ¡°I can¡¯t feel his consciousness, Viceroy!¡± Gotrid is scared shitless, but the adrenaline is pumping him. He won¡¯t rest until his partner is found.

    Fortunately, it¡¯s never hard to pinpoint Aefener¡¯s location. All Celestials feel in which general direction their embodiment of magic is all the time. They fly a bit higher and spot their Emperor almost immediately because he¡¯s hovering just a few metres above the building.

    Hovering¡­? Is that the right word? It¡¯s the strangest sight. Their Emperor is levitating and looks like a huge feathery cocoon. The air around him is sparkling with residual mana, keeping his unconscious body afloat. His guards are circling around him, unsure what to do because the sparkles are making their feathers stand.

    ¡°My love!¡± Gotrid is on the verge of tears.

    He quickly conjures a levitation platform, folds his wings close to his body and, ignoring the tingles, approaches the floating Emperor. Liana follows him.

    ¡°It looks like Aefener fainted, but his residual mana is serving as a cushion,¡± she comments, amazed. She never heard of such a phenomenon.

    ¡°The air itself loves him,¡± Gotrid vehemently presents his own theory. ¡°Our racial element would never let him fall.¡±

    With extreme caution, they untangle the feathered cocoon. Aefener doesn¡¯t look hurt, at least something, but they can tell that his mind is closed completely. Their Emperor is deeply unconscious and his mana level is dangerously low. He gave his everything to create this shield.

    Gotrid gently takes Aefener into his arms and the residual mana dissolves completely. It seems it was holding Aefener for as long was necessary for him to be retrieved safely. Was it his doing? Or does the air truly love its ruler?

    They land on the balcony closest to the Royal Office and his second Royal Consort Erik is impatiently awaiting their return.

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik bursts into tears when he sees his partner unconscious.

    He kisses Aefener¡¯s forehead, trying to wake him up, but nothing happens. The Emperor doesn¡¯t open his eyes even for a few seconds. Gotrid won¡¯t let him carry Aefener, clutching the Emperor to his chest, so Erik carries his wings instead. Celestials are extremely light, but hard to carry at the same time. When they can¡¯t fold their wings, feathers are suddenly everywhere.

    As expected, they are met with frightened and panicking Celestials. Royal Guards are a bit calmer than the rest because they received training for emergency situations, but they aren¡¯t immune towards panic. Every Celestial loses their mind when something¡¯s wrong with their embodiment of magic. And, right now, all Celestials feel their Emperor isn¡¯t okay, even if he isn¡¯t physically hurt.

    Transporting Aefener to the infirmary isn¡¯t easy because concerned Celestials are plugging the halls, but the guards manage to make them a clear passage. Doctors Julia and Noage are waiting for them, even more confused than the Celestials. Gotrid carefully puts the Emperor on the special hospital bed adjusted for Celestials while Erik and Liana help adjust his wings so that he¡¯s comfortable.

    ¡°No pupil reaction, but his breath is steady,¡± Julia says after quickly checking his vitals. ¡°I suspect His Majesty is in a coma.¡±

    Noage rolls up his right sleeve and connects his rooty tentacles to Aefener¡¯s arm. He stays like that for a few moments during which the spectators almost forget to breathe.

    ¡°Total exhaustion,¡± Noage confirms. ¡°His Majesty must have used almost all his mana which doesn¡¯t surprise me, just look outside.¡±

    ¡°How come the shield is still standing, though?¡± Liana doesn¡¯t understand. ¡°Spells naturally dissolve when the caster isn¡¯t focusing on them anymore.¡±

    ¡°You tell me, Viceroy, I can¡¯t feel Celestial mana,¡± Noage retorts a little, his voice full of anxiety. He didn¡¯t mean to be rude, but his Earthborn powers aren¡¯t of much help right now.

    Liana frowns and gently takes Aefener¡¯s left hand into hers. She can¡¯t connect to him the way Earthborn do and she isn¡¯t a telepath, but she should be able to feel his mana at least. She closes her eyes to concentrate better and she feels it immediately¡ªa small amount of mana is pouring out of Aefener¡¯s wings.

    ¡°He¡¯s still powering the shield,¡± she says, opening her eyes only to widen them in horror. ¡°What do we do? Can we somehow end the spell ourselves? It¡¯s draining him!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can,¡± Gotrid shakes his head and starts petting Aefener¡¯s wings with trembling hands. ¡°Whatever that attack was, we can¡¯t be sure it¡¯s over. Aefener¡¯s shield is the only thing keeping us safe. I think he linked the shield to himself permanently on purpose.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s draining him!¡± Liana repeats frantically. ¡°Not even our embodiment of magic can keep a spell of such magnitude for long.¡±

    ¡°Ryuu, wake up,¡± Erik is desperately calling his unconscious partner, no doubt trying to shout also in his mind to reach him telepathically.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think His Majesty will wake up by himself unless you cut the shield off him,¡± Julia chews her lip. ¡°Once he uses all the mana stored in his feathers, it¡¯ll start taking a toll on the rest of his body. You need to find a way to power up the shield yourself. If you take over, he might subconsciously let go.¡±

    ¡°Stay with him, I¡¯ll do something about it,¡± Liana orders the Consorts.

    ¡°There¡¯s no force on the planet that could make us leave our beloved,¡± Erik rolls his eyes because what she said was redundant. ¡°Do your part while we do ours.¡±

    The Viceroy nods gratefully and runs out of the infirmary, telling Luviael who¡¯s been following her like a shadow to call for the research team immediately. They get to the lab in under five minutes and since nobody left, the whole team is gathered.

    ¡°Your Excellency, what happened?!¡± the Minister of Magic Research Rina is worried sick. Everyone is. That attack must have frightened all Draconians in the skyscraper.

    ¡°No time for lengthy introductions, we need to find a way how to keep that shield running without our Emperor powering it,¡± Liana blurts out, panting from the run. ¡°His Majesty is in a coma and won¡¯t wake up unless we cut him off.¡±

    Rina and her team members gasp for breath. Nobody expected they would be tested on a life-and-death assignment right from the start. Is the Viceroy trying to say that the life of their Emperor depends on them?

    ¡°We could take over for His Majesty until we develop some long-term solution?¡± Rina¡¯s assistant Nestelle starts to come up with ideas right away. ¡°It would take a lot of casters, but we can try?¡±

    ¡°There are thousands of shields, how many transfiguration symbols can you keep up?¡± Rina opposes. ¡°Besides, have you mastered the Shield spell yet? I surely didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°They were already created by His Majesty, we just need mana to sustain them,¡± Nestelle argues.

    ¡°We can test those crystals that you ordered for experiments?¡± Haldis suggests shyly because spells are exclusively Celestial domain, but they are determined to express their idea. ¡°They won¡¯t work for the Dragonkin, but surely Celestials could try to imbue them with mana?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, if we imbue crystals, we wouldn¡¯t have to focus on maintaining the spell,¡± Rina gets thinking. ¡°We¡¯d need a lot of them, though. Moreover, it¡¯s something we haven¡¯t tested before, it might not work the same way as in the game.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Rien to send the Clawfangs to all esoteric shops in Prague and buy their entire stock,¡± Liana waves her hand. ¡°In the meanwhile, start experimenting with what you got already. I want a working prototype ready when they return.¡±

    ¡°How much time do we have, Your Excellency?¡± Rina gulps.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Liana admits, sighing. ¡°Even in his weakened state, His Majesty still has a tremendous amount of mana, but his minimum is very different to ours. The sooner we get it done, the faster his recovery will be.¡±

    *****

    Liana trusts that the research team will do everything in their power to come up with a solution and quickly returns to the Royal Quarters. She finds that she likes having people she can truly depend on around. That was never a thing when she was still human and led her company.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Liana narrows her eyes at Noage who¡¯s drinking one smoothie drink after another while still connected with his tentacles to the Emperor.

    ¡°Feeding His Majesty intravenously,¡± he explains. ¡°I¡¯m eating in his stead and sending nutrients directly to his veins.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s highly experimental, but it¡¯s been working really well so far,¡± Julia assures the Viceroy. ¡°Mana are calories are interlinked, so if we keep feeding His Majesty, we should gain more time.¡±

    ¡°The rate works against us, though,¡± Noage sighs. ¡°His Majesty is channelling out more mana than he¡¯s able to restore over time even when I¡¯m feeding him. Still, it bought us a few hours.¡±

    ¡°Excellent,¡± Liana appreciates, gently pets Aefener¡¯s feathers and looks at the Royal Consorts.

    As expected, Erik and Gotrid are worried sick. Well, everyone is, of course, but Emperor¡¯s partners are taking it tenfold worse. Originally, Liana wanted to ask one of them to help her calm down the people in the skyscraper, but it¡¯s obvious nothing in the world would persuade them to leave their precious partner right now.

    ¡°Your Excellency, we need you in the conference room,¡± Luviael silently comes in and her eyes water when she sees the Emperor in such a weakened defenceless state.

    Liana nods, anticipating exactly that, and they leave the infirmary in a hurry. Barely thirty minutes elapsed since Aefener put up the shield, so the whole skyscraper is only starting to fully realise that they¡¯ve been attacked for real and that the Emperor is unconscious.

    ¡°Your Excellency, what happened?! Nobody knows anything!¡± Laurin is nervously stepping in front of the conference room and he isn¡¯t alone¡ªthe Czech Prime Minister is with him because he was meeting her today.

    ¡°Liana,¡± Bauerova¡¯s voice is trembling when she addresses her. ¡°Was it a monster attack? We didn¡¯t see it, just heard the impact.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s come inside, Katerina,¡± Liana invites her in without a second thought, even though the Council is supposed to be Draconian only. All the ministers have gathered already and the atmosphere is extremely tense.

    ¡°Your Excellency, is His Majesty¡­?¡± Celestial Ministers flock to her and their wings are shaking.

    ¡°The Consorts and the doctors are taking care of him,¡± she assures them. ¡°We won¡¯t help him when panicking. Sit, we have a lot to discuss. Is it on the internet yet?¡±

    ¡°For a few minutes now,¡± Luviael confirms grimly. ¡°The skyscraper is closely monitored by police and media drones all the time. They have a recording of the whole thing including our Emperor casting the shield. The media are streaming it non-stop.¡±

    Liana clutches her hands, but she didn¡¯t expect otherwise.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°How did he know?¡± Forent doesn¡¯t understand. ¡°We didn¡¯t feel a rift opening, it couldn¡¯t have been a monster attack.¡±

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t,¡± Luviael says slowly. ¡°The media slow-motioned the recording, look.¡±

    She puts the video on the 3D projector and everyone watches the moment that thing hit the shield in slow motion. It¡¯s a bit blurry, but the proof is undeniable.

    ¡°A missile,¡± Liana feels numb all of a sudden and her lips go dry.

    ¡°Whoever it was, the EU has no part in it, I¡¯m sure!¡± Bauerova exclaims defensively. ¡°They knew I was meeting the Draconian Minister of Foreign Affairs today.¡±

    ¡°I hope,¡± Liana says darkly. ¡°I don¡¯t think they would have a problem sacrificing you, though.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the EU!¡± Bauerova insists and shakes her head violently. ¡°I attended the EU conference just two days ago and every European state was more than eager to accept Draconian protection against monsters.¡±

    ¡°The EU President is on the line,¡± Luviael announces. ¡°Putting him through.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, it wasn¡¯t us!!!¡± Bennett blurts out before he can even make out who¡¯s actually on the camera.

    ¡°His Majesty is resting, I¡¯m acting in his stead,¡± Liana says, her voice cold. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t you, care to explain how could a missile slip through your air defence without anyone noticing?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re investigating that,¡± Bennett clears his throat nervously. ¡°Your Excellency, I swear we have nothing to do with it.¡±

    ¡°I want to believe you,¡± Liana says. ¡°Still, this was an act of open aggression, someone wanted to get rid of the whole Draconian government at once and waited when most of us have gathered in one place. I¡¯m sorry, Mr President, but we¡¯re forced to assume that we might be at war.¡±

    ¡°With humanity?¡± Bennett forgets to breathe for a second.

    ¡°No, with the part of humanity that¡¯s responsible,¡± Liana purses her lips. ¡°You¡¯re still forgetting we¡¯re not you, we would never blame everyone for the actions of a few.¡±

    It looks like Bennett remembered how to breathe again. His relief is obvious.

    ¡°Panic and riots are erupting all over the world, we have to stop it before it gets serious,¡± he pleads.

    ¡°We¡¯ll do our best to calm Draconians in allied countries,¡± Liana promises. ¡°As for the rest, screw them. In fact, I¡¯ll implore our people to move out of hostile countries entirely as soon as possible. I¡¯m sure the EU will welcome more Draconians immigrating?¡±

    ¡°We will,¡± Bennett nods furiously several times.

    ¡°Great, continue with your investigation and contact us when you find out new information,¡± Liana says and ends the call.

    ¡°I have to go,¡± Bauerova stands up, even though she¡¯s just sat down. ¡°I need to make an official proclamation and calm down Czech citizens.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Katerina, really,¡± Liana appreciates. ¡°We¡¯ll keep you posted. Don¡¯t worry, open war between our races is the last thing our Emperor would want. We¡¯ll do everything in our power to avoid such a scenario.¡±

    When the Czech Prime Minister leaves, Forent stands up. He looks angry and confused.

    ¡°How did His Majesty know the missile was coming?¡± he repeats his original question, this time with more emphasis.

    ¡°That we don¡¯t know,¡± Liana sighs. ¡°Luvi, did anything strange happen when Aefener was meeting the research team?¡±

    ¡°Everything was perfectly normal until it wasn¡¯t,¡± Luviael recalls. ¡°One second His Majesty is greeting our new scientists, then he¡¯s suddenly hurrying to the window.¡±

    ¡°He must have sensed something,¡± Liana thinks hard. Still, it doesn¡¯t make any sense. How could he sense a missile? That has nothing to do with telepathy.

    ¡°The Celestial Emperor is too miraculous,¡± Forent narrows his eyes, demanding an explanation. ¡°Other race rulers don¡¯t come even close. Is there something you¡¯re not telling us, Your Excellency? Giving out blessings isn¡¯t even in our lore.¡±

    Liana bites her lip. It¡¯s difficult to make crucial decisions in their Emperor¡¯s absence. Yet, this is exactly her role. Being the Viceroy means having the responsibility to carry out even the most important matters when the Emperor is indisposed. She was entrusted with this task.

    ¡°We demand answers, Viceroy,¡± Forent presses on. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to trust each other at this Council, yet Celestials are keeping secrets.¡±

    ¡°Darling,¡± his wife Evaniel leans in to grab his hand, but Forent evades her.

    ¡°You know something that I don¡¯t,¡± he frowns at her. ¡°Yesterday, after you stayed behind with His Majesty, they told you something important.¡±

    ¡°Your Excellency, I know His Majesty isn¡¯t here to decide, but I think at least all Ministers should know,¡± Evaniel implores the Viceroy. It¡¯s obvious that she hates being on bad terms with her husband and keeping things from him.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Liana sighs after a quick consideration and gives in. She watches how Forent¡¯s and Rien¡¯s jaws drop when she tells them about Aefener¡¯s telepathy and that his father is involved in developing Draconia Online.

    ¡°For obvious reasons, we want to avoid humans finding out for as long as possible,¡± she adds urgently. ¡°You can talk about it with Celestials and other race rulers. Only Julia, Noage and Ingri know besides that.¡±

    ¡°Of course, naturally,¡± Rien and Forent nod, still shocked by the revelation.

    ¡°What¡¯s our stance, Viceroy?¡± Laurin impatiently returns to the main topic, not bothering to give Forent and Rien more time to digest the information. ¡°We need to be united about this and stand strong.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get in touch with other race rulers first,¡± Liana suggests and tries calling Emi, Deminas, Twyla and Werden.

    Deminas picks up right away, but he¡¯s on his phone and obviously on the run.

    ¡°We heard,¡± he says, steam coming out of his mouth. ¡°We¡¯re relocating to a secret safe house as we speak.¡±

    ¡°You suspect you might be next?¡± Liana asks anxiously.

    ¡°Suspect? We don¡¯t have your Emperor to conveniently create a magical shield, so we don¡¯t have the luxury to suspect,¡± Deminas grunts and quickly says something to his subjects in Russian. ¡°We left the building immediately after we heard and¡­¡±

    He doesn¡¯t finish the sentence, though. There¡¯s an overwhelming bang and Deminas¡¯s phone either loses signal or gets damaged in the blast because the call is interrupted. The conference room gets unnaturally silent for a moment before more panic erupts.

    ¡°Another missile?¡± the Ministers are downright terrified now.

    ¡°Emi isn¡¯t picking up,¡± Liana quickly checks other simultaneous phone calls. ¡°Nothing from Twyla and Werden either.¡±

    ¡°Our Supreme Alpha is always on the move, it would be impossible to send a missile her way,¡± Rien says with careful hope, but his voice doesn¡¯t sound confident.

    ¡°So the only thing currently protecting us is His Majesty¡¯s shield,¡± Sarayah summarises, almost whispering. The tips of her colourful feathers are shaking uncontrollably. She¡¯s scared. Everyone is.

    ¡°Oh no, that is¡­!¡± Luviael exclaims out of the blue.

    She doesn¡¯t wait for Liana¡¯s approval and switches on the 3D projector again. There¡¯s a live streaming of two completely destroyed buildings.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Dragonkin residence and Twyla and Werden¡¯s ranch,¡± Evaniel gets all teary and she¡¯s not the only one.

    When sadness settles a bit, it transforms into anger and hatred. Liana herself is barely suppressing her Celestial wrath. If she knew who was behind the attacks, she would take all high-level battle mages and go destroy the culprits. No, to annihilate them.

    Her phone rings unexpectedly and interrupts her emotions building up.

    ¡°We managed to escape!¡± Deminas¡¯s scaly head appears on the screen. ¡°If they didn¡¯t attack you first and we didn¡¯t get a head start, we¡¯d be dead by now.¡±

    ¡°Where are you?¡± Liana asks, overjoyed to see that he¡¯s alive. At least some good news.

    ¡°We split so that they can¡¯t target all of us again,¡± he says. ¡°I¡¯m sending Fefnir to you earlier, you need your Minister of Defence and it seems the Draconian tower is the safest place one can be right now anyway.¡±

    ¡°The Earthborn ranch has been destroyed as well,¡± Liana tells him grimly. ¡°We don¡¯t know if they managed to escape. It happened around the same time as the attack on you, but maybe they weren¡¯t warned in time.¡±

    There¡¯s an excited murmur around the Dragonkin Patriarch and he continues running again.

    ¡°We need to reach our safe house, see you soon and best of luck,¡± Deminas ends the call abruptly which leaves the conference room in tense silence once again.

    *****

    ¡°How is he?¡± Liana quietly enters the infirmary, even though there¡¯s no way she would wake His Majesty up. That would actually be a good thing in this case.

    ¡°Certainly not better, but stable at least,¡± Erik answers. He¡¯s lying next to his Royal partner and keeps caressing his hair. Gotrid is doing the same with his feathers. Liana hopes Aefener subconsciously feels their comforting presence.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Excellency, but I don¡¯t think I can keep this up much longer. I need you to find someone to take over,¡± Noage informs the Viceroy wearily.

    ¡°I heard there¡¯s a young Earthborn prodigy healer in the research division,¡± Julia recalls. ¡°Is it okay with Your Excellency to send for him?¡±

    ¡°What about Ingri?¡± Liana tilts her head. She wants to avoid involving more people unless absolutely necessary.

    ¡°We need an experienced healer,¡± Noages breathes out and looks on the verge of collapsing. ¡°I know Ingri is very proficient, but she focuses on botany rather than healing.¡±

    ¡°Okay, bring Danaheim,¡± Liana allows and sends one of the guards to fetch him.

    She sits next to the Emperor and gently pets his snow-white wings. If he wasn¡¯t so pale, he would look like he¡¯s just taking a nap. But when she touches him, she doesn¡¯t feel the presence of his powerful mind as she normally would. She feels his mana pouring out, though.

    ¡°He¡¯s still protecting us,¡± she shakes her head in disbelief. ¡°He¡¯s doing everything in his power to protect us despite the fact that it¡¯s hurting him.¡±

    ¡°Those who did it deserve no mercy, Viceroy,¡± Gotrid hisses. ¡°When we uncover the culprit, we should mobilise our warriors and go annihilate them.¡±

    ¡°Annihilate?¡± Erik shudders. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, Gotrid. Sure, justice has to be served, but there should be a proper investigation, then a trial and¡­¡±

    ¡°You want to bring to court someone who nuked us?¡± Gotrid doesn¡¯t believe his ears.

    ¡°It¡¯s up to our Emperor to decide,¡± Liana interrupts them, even though she sides with Gotrid.

    Obviously, the human perspective on the matter and the Celestial perspective differ greatly and that¡¯s understandable, but she hates to see them arguing. Sure, they are bickering all the time, but this time the tension was too much. Aefener wouldn¡¯t want to see his beloved partners like that.

    ¡°Danaheim is here, Your Excellency,¡± Vermiel lets the Earthborn scientist in.

    Under normal circumstances, Dahaneim would need to be thoroughly briefed by either Julia or Noage and ideally approved by the Council before taking care of His Majesty¡¯s health, but these aren¡¯t normal circumstances and they need a first-class healer now, not later.

    ¡°You called for me, Your Excellency?¡± Dahaneim slips from behind the curtain and freezes.

    Aefener looks as beautiful as ever, but his skin is pale and his breath shallow. It might be a shock to see the mighty Celestial Emperor like that and this is only the second time Danaheim is meeting him in person.

    ¡°Danaheim, can you take over?¡± Noage asks wearily. ¡°I¡¯ve been feeding His Majesty non-stop for three hours now and I¡¯m reaching my limit.¡±

    ¡°Intravenously?¡± Danaheim gets the gist immediately after one glance at Noage¡¯s tentacles stuck to His Majesty¡¯s arm and a bunch of empty smoothie cups.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, can you do it?¡± Noage makes sure.

    ¡°Of course, it would be an honour,¡± Danaheim nods, his expression perfectly calm. Liana appreciates it, there are a lot of panicking Celestials as it is. To have someone who can remain calm under all circumstances is a huge asset.

    Noage releases his tentacles with a relieved sigh and Danaheim replaces him in an instant with precision nobody would expect from still a high schooler. He drinks his first smoothie and assures everyone that there¡¯s no problem.

    ¡°Your Excellency, the Minister of Magic Research calls for you,¡± Luviael announces with evident hope. ¡°She says they have something.¡±

    *****

    ¡°Tell me you have good news,¡± Liana says while staring at several tables covered with huge piles of quartz crystals.

    ¡°We do,¡± Rina nods with a hint of a careful smile. ¡°Fortunately, the shield let the Clawfangs out and back in, so they managed to procure us a decent amount of quartz. We think it should be enough.¡±

    ¡°The shield let them out?¡± Liana is surprised. ¡°They didn¡¯t need to use the underground passage?¡±

    ¡°It turns out Draconians have no problem passing the shield, but humans can only get out, not back in,¡± Nestelle explains. ¡°For obvious reasons, we didn¡¯t have time to examine it further.¡±

    ¡°Can crystals absorb our mana in the same way it worked in the game?¡± Liana is curious and takes one of the smaller crystals into her hands. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s warm!¡±

    ¡°They can,¡± Rina confirms. ¡°And these have been charged already, we distributed them to all Celestials in the building who were free and everyone was more than eager to contribute with their mana.¡±

    ¡°Did crystals always have these properties and we just didn¡¯t know?¡± Luviael asks and examines one of the quartz herself.

    ¡°People interested in esoteric stuff were claiming crystals had these properties for centuries,¡± Nestelle sets the record straight. ¡°The only problem was that humans don¡¯t produce mana, so there was no way they could prove it and harness its true power.¡±

    ¡°Charging the crystals was easier than we expected, now the actual hard part,¡± Rina bites her lip. ¡°Is there someone who actually succeeded in casting the Shield spell besides His Majesty? We need to attune the crystals or we would just have a huge battery we can¡¯t plug in.¡±

    ¡°Taranah almost did once during our training sessions,¡± Liana recalls. ¡°Normally, he would be here, but he¡¯s still on cleaning duty as a punishment I gave him.¡±

    ¡°Unless you can do it yourself, Your Excellency, we need him,¡± Rina insists. ¡°We tried several times already, but, unfortunately, we haven¡¯t succeeded. I¡¯m sure we would eventually, but time is of the essence right now.¡±

    ¡°It would also be a great chance for Taranah to redeem himself,¡± Liana admits and tells Luviael to call him.

    It doesn¡¯t take even five minutes and Taranah storms into the lab. He¡¯s wearing a simple and more practical version of a Celestial robe and he forgot to take off his rubber gloves for cleaning, but his eyes are glowing with eagerness.

    ¡°Your Excellency, I¡¯d do anything for His Majesty,¡± he blurts out enthusiastically and his wings are shaking with anticipation.

    ¡°Any Celestial would, but we need your magical proficiency in particular,¡± Liana explains. ¡°We need you to imbue these crystals with the Shield spell.¡±

    ¡°All of them?¡± Taranah widens his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Just one successful spell should do,¡± Rina calms him down. ¡°We don¡¯t need to imbue each individual crystal, but vibrate them with the right frequency. We¡¯re going to back you up and try to link the crystals to the shield outside. Focus only on the spell itself and leave the rest to us.¡±

    ¡°O-okay,¡± Taranah gulps, steps closer to the huge pile and starts casting.

    A respective transfiguration symbol does appear and the scientists almost start celebrating, but it¡¯s too faint and breaks after a few seconds.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m nervous,¡± Taranah mumbles and flutters his wings anxiously. ¡°I know His Majesty depends on me right now, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Taranah,¡± Liana approaches him and puts her hand on his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re the third-best caster after Aefener and me and I don¡¯t have nearly as much time to train as you. If anyone can do it, it¡¯s you.¡±

    ¡°I heard His Majesty won¡¯t wake up unless we make this work,¡± he starts to panic.

    ¡°Taranah,¡± Liana repeats his name, this time with more tenderness. ¡°Aefener trusts you. I made you clean toilets because you threatened that trust, but you realised your error and you can fully redeem yourself. We didn¡¯t name you a minister only because Aefener felt you wouldn¡¯t want it.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he nods. ¡°I¡¯m an Imperial battle mage, not a politician.¡±

    ¡°So do what you do best, you were always a great caster,¡± Liana encourages him.

    Taranah looks at her gratefully, takes a deep breath and tries again. He doesn¡¯t rush this time and devotes a minute to precise mana channelling and then another full minute to materialising a transfiguration symbol. The scientists stay quiet until he fixates the symbol so that it won¡¯t dissolve.

    ¡°The crystals are reacting!¡± Nestelle shouts excitedly. ¡°Can you feel it? They started vibrating.¡±

    Rina jumps to the pile and joins her assistant in their combined effort to link the crystals to the shields outside. At first, nothing happens, but they continue channelling the energy because failure is not an option. Finally, the crystals start glowing like lightbulbs.

    ¡°Are they connected to the shield now?¡± Liana is almost afraid to jinx it, but the crystals keep glowing without any fluctuation.

    ¡°Yes, I can feel the mana in them flowing outside,¡± Rina says victoriously and Nestelle is nodding furiously in confirmation.

    Liana¡¯s phone starts ringing at that very moment. She picks it up immediately because the name on the screen reveals that it¡¯s Erik.

    ¡°Ryuuto woke up!¡± Erik screams into the receiver happily. ¡°Just for a few seconds, but Danaheim assured us that he¡¯s sleeping normally now.¡±

    ¡°The shield is holding,¡± Luviael quickly checks the outside and everyone in the room starts celebrating.

    ¡°We did it,¡± Liana whispers and collapses in the nearest chair.

    She feels relieved as if a huge boulder has been lifted from her chest. However, at the same time, she knows that saving Aefener is just the beginning. Race rulers all over the world were attacked and unless a miracle happens, a war between Draconians and humans is imminent.

    Liana clutches her hands into fists and looks out of the window. The shield is beautiful and the only thing protecting them from another missile. If it wasn¡¯t for their divine embodiment of magic, all of them would be dead by now. She can¡¯t help it¡ªthere¡¯s a part of her that wishes her Emperor would call for a conquest.

 73. On the Brink of War

    ¡°Oh, Ryuu, you¡¯re finally awake!¡±

    ¡°My love!¡±

    I barely manage to open my eyes and I¡¯m being kissed all over. Not a bad way to wake up, if only I wasn¡¯t feeling like I¡¯ve just run a marathon. I¡¯m not in pain, but I can hardly lift a finger. When my eyes focus, I realise that I¡¯m in the infirmary. Erik and Gotrid are hugging me while Julia and Noage are looking at me with relieved expressions.

    ¡°Send for the Viceroy, His Majesty is awake,¡± Julia says to someone behind the hospital curtain.

    ¡°How long was I¡­?¡± I ask weakly.

    ¡°Five hours in a coma, twelve hours in regular sleep after that,¡± Gotrid recounts. ¡°You scared us, honey.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± I murmur because my stomach rumbles painfully.

    ¡°Can we move him to our apartment now?¡± Erik asks the doctors. ¡°You said we can if he wakes up and feels okay.¡±

    ¡°One last check,¡± Noage insists and connects to my right arm. I notice that the skin on my forearm is sore in several places, he must have been connected to me all this time while feeding me. I¡¯m glad that I wasn¡¯t conscious during that.

    ¡°The shield!¡± I exclaim when everything comes back to me all of a sudden. ¡°It¡¯s not connected to me anymore, did it dissolve? What if we¡¯re still in danger?!¡±

    ¡°Calm down, love, our research team came up with a solution of powering up the shield with quartz crystals,¡± Gotrid explains quickly.

    ¡°And it¡¯s holding like that?¡± I still worry. We never tested crystals before in the real world.

    ¡°It is,¡± he assures me and pets my feathers to comfort me. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t wake up if it didn¡¯t work. Okay, let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Hey, not fair, you carried him already,¡± Erik purses his lips at Gotrid who, surprisingly, backs off without complaints. I guess they don¡¯t want to argue over nonsense in front of me.

    I let Erik hold me under my thighs and wings and I grab him around his neck for better stability. I don¡¯t like the feeling of being weakened like that (way too often in my opinion), but I think I did my best in this case and deserve some rest, so I don¡¯t protest and just enjoy the ride.

    ¡°Don¡¯t, not now,¡± Erik shakes his head because he feels I¡¯m trying to browse his mind to learn what happened while I was unconscious. ¡°When we¡¯re in our apartment, okay?¡±

    I don¡¯t push it then, but I can¡¯t block my empathy even if I wanted. I can tell from his overall emotional state that whatever happened isn¡¯t good. I snuggle to him looking for comfort because all Draconians in the skyscraper are bewildered and it¡¯s making me a bit nauseous. Emotions of others don¡¯t hurt me nearly as much as before, but strong negative feelings coming from hundreds of people still have a toll on me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty, we vacated the halls,¡± Miruel assures me when we step out of the infirmary.

    She acts collected, but her voice is cold and she¡¯s barely suppressing her Celestial wrath. The same goes for all Celestials in the building¡ªthat attack must have really frightened them. Was it another monster? Something we have never encountered before? And why couldn¡¯t the others feel it?

    We get to our apartment and I¡¯m looking forward to the calming cosiness of our home, but no such luck. The floor is full of Royal Guards and every single one of them is staring at me with fanatical admiration and anxious anticipation. It gets better when we reach our bedroom, but Miruel posted guards inside as well and my partners aren¡¯t complaining about it for some reason.

    ¡°Aefener,¡± Liana is waiting for me and her expression is tired and gloomy.

    I don¡¯t understand. Sure, being attacked like that is a shock for everyone, but I prevented a catastrophe, right? My shield saved us and it¡¯s still holding. We¡¯re safe from monsters, at least for the time being. As for the future, we simply need to strengthen our defences.

    Erik puts me down on the bed, wrapping me into a blanket while Gotrid creates a huge pile of pillows so that I can sit upright. Liana is watching it seemingly calmly, but she¡¯s nervously chewing her lip and is feeling anything but that.

    My partners insist that I have to eat first, the maids already have a full-course meal prepared for me under a lid and I¡¯m forced to dig in. Their silence is making me anxious, but I don¡¯t let it hold me from eating. I¡¯m super hungry and feel that my mana is dangerously low, so I gobble everything.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a monster attack, Aefener,¡± Liana starts extremely slowly when the maids take the tray away. I suddenly have an ominous feeling that they made me eat before Liana¡¯s news because I wouldn¡¯t be able to eat afterwards. I brace myself.

    ¡°What was it then?¡± I tilt my head, totally confused. ¡°A meteorite?¡±

    ¡°That possibility didn¡¯t even cross his mind, Viceroy,¡± Gotrid sighs and caresses my feathers. ¡°He¡¯s too kind for such ideas.¡±

    ¡°Suspected as much,¡± Liana also sighs and passes me a tablet. ¡°Watch this, Aefener, there¡¯s no sugarcoating it.¡±

    I frown, take the tablet and hit play. It¡¯s a recording from one of the media drones that are constantly hovering around our skyscraper. It shows me flying up, then creating the shield (which is magnificent to look at from the third-person perspective) and a huge explosion. Nothing I don¡¯t know already.

    But then the journalist announces that they¡¯ll play the recording in slow motion and my heart skips a beat when I finally make out what that threat was. A missile. Not a monster, not a meteorite or some other supernatural entity. It was a human military bomb. Someone wanted to get rid of us and chose the most destructive method possible. If it wasn¡¯t for my shield, we would be dead by now.

    ¡°Ryuu, are you okay?¡± Erik clutches my hand because I¡¯m not saying anything for a few long moments, digesting the revelation.

    I look at him, then at Gotrid and Liana¡ªthe people I love most in this world¡ªand who wouldn¡¯t be here if I didn¡¯t cast the shield just in time. Then I feel the presence of all Draconians in the skyscraper, especially Celestials, and shudder at the thought of them gone.

    I clutch Erik¡¯s hand tighter and something deep inside of me breaks. Tears start falling down my cheeks and one part of me feels great sadness because I realise that we simply can¡¯t continue playing friends with humans, even though a lot of them are understanding, respectful and supportive like Erik, Julia and the Czech Prime Minister with her wife.

    At the same time, another part of me is experiencing pure Celestial wrath. If I wasn¡¯t weakened and knew who is behind the attack, I do not doubt that I would take the Imperial Guard and go annihilate them. That mere idea would scare me before, but not anymore. I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor and I would do anything to protect my people.

    Erik shivers when he senses my Celestial wrath, but he doesn¡¯t let go of my hand. I don¡¯t hide my nature from him anymore and he accepts me as I am, in my full Celestialness. And I love him for it, I love him being human. Even though I feel burning hate towards the humans responsible for the attack, I would never start hating humanity as a whole and it¡¯s all thanks to him.

    ¡°Any suspects?¡± I whisper and my voice is dark and cold.

    ¡°The usual,¡± Liana shrugs, ¡°countries that openly oppose us and have the resources necessary for advanced long-distance attacks¡ªmainly the US, Russia and China. We waited until you woke up because we know you wouldn¡¯t want us jumping to conclusions.¡±

    ¡°Any chance the EU might be involved?¡± I ask grimly.

    ¡°There¡¯s always a chance, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s likely,¡± Liana shakes her head. ¡°Bennett called us immediately and he was really scared. Also, European countries are more than cooperative and offered us full support and funds. And don¡¯t forget that they accepted thousands of Draconian immigrants. They would dig their own grave.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it was the EU either,¡± Gotrid supports her opinion. ¡°The EU has great military power, but not within the EU territory itself. The EU army is designated to protect the borders and has almost no bases in intracontinental states, such as Bohemia. If they actually succeeded in assassinating us, they would never be able to suppress the revolt that would come afterwards.¡±

    That argument finally convinces me and I relax a bit. Bennett might not be our fan, but European politicians in general usually wish to sustain the stability of all member states and swore to protect the rights of minorities. I really want the EU to be our ally in the upcoming dark times.

    ¡°Li, is it possible to hold a meeting of the Draconian government in our living room?¡± I ask her. ¡°I can¡¯t afford to do nothing until my mana recovers but, at the same time, I¡¯m not strong enough for the conference room or the Royal Office.¡±

    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem, the room is big enough,¡± Liana nods. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need to rest properly, though? You¡¯ve barely woken up from a coma.¡±

    ¡°This is the biggest crisis since the appearance of monsters that might transform into a global civil war, there¡¯s no way I can take a day off,¡± I insist.

    ¡°You know protecting you and your well-being is the highest Celestial priority,¡± Liana argues. ¡°We can¡¯t risk overworking you during your recovery.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t help my well-being if there¡¯s a civil war that I could prevent,¡± I shake my head. ¡°Also, we can¡¯t afford to let the culprits know that casting the shield weakened me for several days or they might attack us again and differently. Li, you know I¡¯m right.¡±

    ¡°You are,¡± she says resignedly, ¡°but you¡¯ll be napping between sessions and eating without protests,¡± she gives me a condition. ¡°You¡¯ll be deciding only the most pressing matters and leave the rest to us until you¡¯re back at your full strength.¡±

    ¡°I promise,¡± I assure her. ¡°Call that meeting, we have a lot to discuss.¡±

    *****

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik caresses my face when I wake up from a short power nap before the meeting. I feel much better after eating and resting, so I manage to sit up by myself.

    I study Erik¡¯s face and give him a long kiss because, right now, what I need the most is to reassure myself that not all humans want Draconians eradicated. I need to convince myself that I didn¡¯t start hating humanity in return. But it¡¯s hard, much harder than I thought. I can¡¯t just forget the fact that if I was even a few seconds late, we¡¯d all be dead by now.

    I heard from Gotrid that Deminas and Fefnir managed to get out in time, but their base was destroyed and now they¡¯re in hiding. Emi is who knows where in South America and the fate of Twyla and Werden is still unknown. I have every reason to hate humans and the only thing holding me back is my empathic ability. And Erik.

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik repeats my name and shudders because he knows what¡¯s going through my head right now. He feels my Celestial wrath that I¡¯m barely suppressing.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    But Celestial wrath isn¡¯t irrational anger, that¡¯s a human misconception. Celestials are still able to think rationally while experiencing wrath and are perfectly capable of calculated decisions. It doesn¡¯t cloud our judgment or mess with our focus. Celestial wrath is a burning desire to preserve our species at all costs and exercise our idea of justice. The only problem is that we stop feeling emphatic towards those who wronged us. We don¡¯t feel remorse over killing our enemies.

    I recall those terrorists who attacked the skyscraper a few months ago. I was devastated about killing them, but that was only because I was still not in harmony with my Celestialness and clung to humanity borrowed from Erik. When I think about that incident now, I don¡¯t feel any remorse. I did what I had to. As I will do now.

    Erik¡¯s eyes widen when he senses my conclusion, but he doesn¡¯t say anything and takes me into his arms to carry me into the living room. The meeting starts in twenty minutes and I want to make myself presentable as befits the Emperor. The maids dress me properly for a reception and I sit between Erik and Gotrid, supported by them and looking almost okay.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to have a quick snack,¡± I tell the maids. ¡°Something sweet, but healthy.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty,¡± Ayala smiles broadly because I hardly ever ask for food myself and definitely not so soon after eating a full course.

    But, for once, I feel genuinely hungry. My mana circuit is doing its best to replenish mana as fast as possible and I desperately need calories for that. Ayala brings me a bowl of cereal with yoghurt and fresh fruit which is exactly what I crave right now. I gobble it just in time for the meeting.

    ¡°The Ministers are here, Your Majesty,¡± Miruel announces and lets the officials in. The maids brought extra chairs, so everyone has a place to sit.

    ¡°Your Majesty, do you feel better?¡± the Celestial Ministers are worried-sick, but they calm down when they see me.

    ¡°Better,¡± I assure them. ¡°I just used too much mana, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°We have some new information,¡± Liana starts right away. ¡°The EU investigation revealed that the missile was fired from a military orbital satellite.¡±

    ¡°And the owner of that satellite is¡­?¡± I hold my breath in anticipation.

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem,¡± Laurin takes over. ¡°The satellite belongs to South Korea, but they vehemently claim that their systems were hacked a few minutes before the launch. South Korea is a country friendly towards us and we have no reason to think they are lying. Besides, they offered us full access to their logs to prove that.¡±

    ¡°You mean to tell me that military satellites carrying long-distance missiles are that easy to hack?¡± I frown sceptically.

    ¡°I assure you that they are not, my Emperor,¡± Laurin shakes his head. ¡°Whoever did it, they had to have spies inside Korea¡¯s military and enormous resources to carry it out.¡±

    ¡°And the countries possessing such resources are still the US, Russia and China,¡± I frown again because we¡¯re not any closer to uncovering the culprit. ¡°Any word from them?¡±

    ¡°Naturally, they¡¯re denying responsibility,¡± Liana shrugs.

    ¡°I bet the culprit didn¡¯t expect that we¡¯d survive the attacks,¡± Gotrid hisses. ¡°With all racial rulers gone, there would be a civil war for sure, but, without leaders and Draconians scattered, they would be able to kill the rest of us eventually.¡±

    ¡°Agreed, the culprit didn¡¯t expect we would withstand the attack,¡± Liana nods. ¡°Whoever it was, they must be scared shitless right now because it¡¯s in Draconian nature to seek revenge.¡±

    ¡°And we will,¡± I decide. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I was too amicable towards humans before, but I finally learnt my lesson. I won¡¯t tolerate humans bullying us any longer.¡±

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik twitches in his seat, suddenly scared.

    ¡°Draconians will never start an indiscriminate war towards all humans,¡± I take his hand and kiss it. ¡°But we won¡¯t have any mercy with those who want to hurt us, Erik.¡±

    ¡°How did you know, Your Majesty?¡± Forent speaks up out of his turn and is nervously crumpling his leafy clothes. ¡°Your subjects might be too afraid to ask you directly, claiming that it must be part of your divinity, but I don¡¯t buy that. How did you know the missile was coming?¡±

    I take a deep breath. I knew someone would ask me about that sooner rather than later. I¡¯m surprised Erik and Gotrid weren¡¯t curious at all, but they were probably too focused on my recovery and didn¡¯t want to stress me with questions.

    ¡°To be honest, I have no idea,¡± I say truthfully. ¡°I wish I had an answer for you, but I don¡¯t know, Forent. I just suddenly felt we were in mortal danger. It must somehow relate to my telepathy, that¡¯s all I can think of right now. I¡¯m sorry, I want to be transparent with you, but I really don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°You have nothing to apologise for, Your Majesty¡± Forent mumbles, embarrassed. ¡°You saved us all and we¡¯re eternally grateful. I didn¡¯t mean to sound intrusive, I was just curious.¡±

    It seems my answer satisfied everyone. As Forent was implying, it¡¯s obvious that Celestial Ministers simply consider it to be part of my supposed divinity and our only Clawfang Minister Rien still didn¡¯t come to terms with me being a telepath in the first place. Every time I give him my attention, he looks away all anxious that I¡¯m reading him.

    ¡°What should we do, love?¡± Gotrid pets my feathers. ¡°Until we know who did it, we don¡¯t have a target.¡±

    ¡°For now, moving out of enemy countries won¡¯t be a recommendation anymore,¡± I say. ¡°Order all Draconians to get out unconditionally. If they have human families they want to take with them, that¡¯s okay, of course. If they don¡¯t have money for a ticket and accommodation, Draconian embassies will help them.¡±

    ¡°As you command, Your Majesty,¡± Laurin bows and is staring at me with devout respect.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make an official announcement, send for a cameraman immediately,¡± I continue with the same resolve.

    ¡°What will you say to the world?¡± Liana gulps because my Celestial wrath is making the room cold.

    ¡°That we won¡¯t hesitate to wage war against those who did it,¡± I say darkly. ¡°We won¡¯t just defeat the culprit, we¡¯ll annihilate them.¡±

    *****

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my boldness, Your Majesty, but are you planning to tell me anytime soon?¡± Danaheim says almost casually.

    Julia took him with her for my regular medical check-up because he proved himself when I was unconscious and Noage too exhausted to continue feeding me through my veins. Julia decided it would be good if he became my third private doctor in case Noage is indisposed again.

    ¡°About what?¡± I ask because I wasn¡¯t paying much attention to him. I let his Earthborn tentacles be stuck to my left arm while I¡¯m using my right one to hold a tablet and read the news.

    ¡°I might not be good at expressing emotions visibly, but this is my curious face,¡± Danaheim points to his nose. ¡°Or did you seriously think I wouldn¡¯t look? That would be like taking a chocolate addict to a chocolate factory. I have the privilege to be taking care of the Celestial Emperor, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d resist the temptation.¡±

    ¡°Figures,¡± Gotrid comments with a long sigh.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Your Majesty, we didn¡¯t have any time to give him a proper briefing and we naively hoped he would just do what he was asked to do,¡± Julia apologises profoundly because she feels responsible.

    ¡°What did you find out?¡± I ask curiously. What would my brain look like to someone who can literally see my genetics, but doesn¡¯t know about my special sensory ability?

    ¡°Your brain is only half Celestial, Your Majesty,¡± Danaheim says slowly, weighing every word. ¡°The other half is¡­ well, definitely not human, but I have no idea what exactly. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it before.¡±

    I¡¯m a telepath since birth, I send him my thought because he¡¯s still stuck to my arm.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Danaheim¡¯s eyes widen and he¡¯s both shocked and amazed. Now, this is an emotion even someone as laid back, chill and phlegmatic as him just has to show on his face.

    ¡°How is such a thing possible?¡± he shakes his head violently and I can tell he¡¯s looking at my brain again with his inner Earthborn sight.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know, but we¡¯re trying to find out,¡± Erik answers for me. ¡°Julia will tell you the rest, are you done? I hope I don¡¯t have to stress out that this information is strictly confidential.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Danaheim mumbles, disappointed that he has to release his tentacles.

    ¡°Come, I¡¯ll tell you everything we know so far and you¡¯ll be cooperating with Noage and me on uncovering the truth about His Majesty¡¯s origin,¡± Julia comforts him and takes still slightly dazed Danaheim away.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a secret when so many people know,¡± Erik frowns.

    ¡°True, but Danaheim was unavoidable,¡± I shrug, not really bothered by it, and look at my vibrating phone. I expect Liana, but the name on the screen says¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s Twyla?!¡± I¡¯d jump if I had the strength to do that.

    My hand is shaking with excitement when I pick up and the screen brightens, showing Twyla¡¯s green face. Erik and Gotrid squeeze to me in the same joyful anticipation.

    ¡°We¡¯re sooo sorry to worry all of you, Aefener,¡± the Earthborn Queen apologises without a greeting. ¡°We survived the attacks only by becoming one with the Earth. Almost literally.¡±

    ¡°You did what?¡± I don¡¯t understand at all.

    ¡°The Earth Camouflage, Aefener, we can do it even here,¡± Twyla explains. ¡°The moment we heard about the attack on your skyscraper, I knew we don¡¯t have enough time to evacuate everyone far enough, so we hid in the soil under our ranch. The ground was too hot for us to emerge immediately and we were afraid of another attack, so that¡¯s why I¡¯m calling you so late.¡±

    ¡°Did everyone survive?¡± I ask, fearing the answer.

    ¡°A few low levels died,¡± Twyla says with a heavy heart. ¡°We helped to submerge everyone we could, but several low-level Earthborn were in different parts of the ranch and we didn¡¯t reach them in time. Werden was badly injured while helping the last group of newcomers to dig into the soil and almost didn¡¯t make it.¡±

    I shiver¡ªthe first Draconian casualties murdered by humans. It seems war is inevitable.

    ¡°We saw your official announcement, Aefener,¡± Twyla says approvingly. ¡°I want you to know that the Earthborn will back you up. My poor kind-hearted husband is burned so badly that I hardly recognise him and those who did it to him will pay.¡±

    ¡°What will you do for now?¡± I ask, worried about them.

    ¡°The local village offered us shelter, they are friendly humans,¡± Twyla says. ¡°We¡¯ll heal our wounded and start to prepare poisons and potions that could be useful in the upcoming war.¡±

    ¡°You talk as if there¡¯s no stopping it, but there¡¯s still hope,¡± Erik opposes.

    ¡°That would require a miracle, we will never forgive those who did it,¡± Twyla hisses, excuses herself and ends the phone call.

    ¡°Luvi, let Liana and our Ministers know that the Earthborn Queen and King are alive,¡± I say to my adjutant who became my legs since I¡¯m still too weak to walk.

    When Luvi leaves, I continue browsing the news. Ingri prepared for me a curated feed of several channels that nicely represents public opinion in various parts of the world. My official proclamation did wonders by scaring human governments shitless. Because we survived and the skyscraper is protected by the shield, we¡¯re untouchable now and ready for a vendetta.

    Of course, I¡¯d still absolutely prefer to avoid open war, but I won¡¯t tolerate humans mistreating us any longer. They had more than enough time to adjust and we¡¯ve been more than cooperative from the very beginning.

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik nudges me nervously. ¡°You will try to prevent war, right?¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s a chance for that, I¡¯ll take it,¡± I assure him. ¡°But I won¡¯t stay idle, Erik, I have to protect my people.¡±

    ¡°Love, look at this,¡± Gotrid shows me a live stream on his tablet. ¡°Another monster attack, this time in India.¡±

    I sigh. India is an allied country that supports us quite warmly, but we haven¡¯t succeeded in establishing battle units there yet. I might feel bitter towards humans after the attacks, but I still don¡¯t want to see innocent people suffer.

    ¡°Draconians were nearby,¡± Gotrid is relieved when the media drones show random Draconians arriving and fighting the monsters.

    ¡°I was afraid they wouldn¡¯t help humans,¡± Erik is even more relieved.

    ¡°On the contrary, we¡¯re demonstrating the difference,¡± I shake my head. ¡°Allied countries will get our full protection, enemy countries soon won¡¯t have any Draconian inhabitants that would help them.¡±

    I¡¯m happy to see that despite those Indian Draconians struggling with teamwork because they obviously don¡¯t know each other, they defeat the monsters quite easily. They must have been doing some serious levelling-up during those past few weeks. I feel proud and hopeful.

    ¡°I would like to meditate for a few minutes,¡± I say when the monsters are defeated and local humans start expressing their gratitude which is heart-warming to see. This is how it should be.

    ¡°Of course, love,¡± Gotrid takes the tablets away while Erik positions cushions to hold me.

    I give them both a kiss on their cheeks and then close my eyes. I tend to neglect meditation when work piles up, but I know it should be one of my priorities. It never crossed my mind before, but if there¡¯s something my brief encounter with my father showed me, it¡¯s that telepathy isn¡¯t just an extra sense. It¡¯s potentially a powerful weapon.

    I didn¡¯t talk about it with Liana or my partners and I was suppressing it myself for as long as I could, but I can¡¯t shake off that buggering feeling anymore. I don¡¯t know how to do it yet, but I might become able to attack people telepathically just as my father attacked me. Frankly, that idea scares me and I feel that I¡¯m not prepared to confront it just yet.

    Instead, I send my mind throughout the skyscraper to check up on the local inhabitants. As expected, the atmosphere is tense and there¡¯re a lot of negative emotions, but everyone is doing their best to continue what is assigned to them and nobody is turning their frustration towards human employees who have nothing to do with the attacks.

    And then I sense that Liana and the Ministers suddenly feel utter shock and confusion. Something serious must have happened just now.

    Li, what is it? I send her my thought because she¡¯s the only one there attuned enough for long-distance telepathy with me.

    Coming over right away, tell your partners to take you into the living room, she answers in a haste and doesn¡¯t say more because she¡¯s too busy.

    ¡°Something happened,¡± I open my eyes. ¡°Dress me up and take me to the living room.¡±

    ¡°Nothing else on the news, though,¡± Erik checks quickly while Gotrid helps me into an ornamented formal robe.

    In a few moments, I¡¯m sitting on the sofa between my partners again. I keep monitoring the overall mood on the governmental floor and whatever happened, it¡¯s not good.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Laurin, our Minister of Foreign Affairs, is the first one to arrive and he¡¯s panting from the run. ¡°Things had an unprecedented turn.¡±

    ¡°Did it escalate? Are we really at war now?¡± my heart skips a beat. Is this it?

    ¡°The United States claimed responsibility for the attacks,¡± Laurin is shaking, but he¡¯s feeling less wrathful than I would have anticipated given the circumstances.

    ¡°Why am I not surprised?¡± Gotrid clutches his hands into fists and his anger is overflowing.

    ¡°They admitted it? Just like that?¡± Erik narrows his eyes in disbelief.

    ¡°Not just like that, Royal Consort,¡± Laurin shakes his head violently. ¡°There¡¯s been a coup.¡±

    At the same moment, Liana storms in and she¡¯s just as shocked and confused as everyone else. Her face is red from running and I¡¯ve never seen her so bewildered before.

    ¡°Aefener,¡± she blurts out, catching her breath. ¡°It¡¯s seriously fucked up, the American government is in utter chaos.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± I demand an explanation.

    ¡°The US President is dead,¡± Liana says, still quite not believing it herself. ¡°They say Delgado was assassinated by his own secret service.¡±

 74. What Matters

    The whole Draconian government gathered in the Royal Quarters and the atmosphere is as tense as it gets. By this time, the breakthrough news is on all media platforms, but nobody knows anything solid. The only information we got is that Delgado was killed, presumably by his own people. It doesn¡¯t seem even real.

    ¡°But what would it even mean if it¡¯s legit?¡± Erik is shaking his head violently, struggling to accept this strange new reality.

    ¡°Your Majesty, do you want to make an official statement?¡± Laurin asks me.

    ¡°No, we wait,¡± I decide. ¡°The States might be behind the attacks, but with Delgado dead, we lost our primary target.¡±

    ¡°But the American government obviously used him as a scapegoat,¡± Laurin opposes and his wings are shaking with anger.

    ¡°We won¡¯t do anything until we know more,¡± I forbid and have to use a bit of my telepathic influence to calm everyone down. I understand that everyone is angry and scared, but I won¡¯t allow brainless revenge.

    ¡°His Majesty is right, we wait,¡± Liana agrees. ¡°We¡¯re not humans to wage a war based on unclear premises.¡±

    ¡°Focus your wrath elsewhere if you¡¯re impatient,¡± I suggest. ¡°Like powering up the shield, I feel that it will need charging soon. Use your extra mana for our protection if you can¡¯t sit still.¡±

    ¡°The crystals are running out of mana? So soon?¡± everyone is surprised and quite disturbed by the revelation. They didn¡¯t start to panic only because I¡¯m perfectly calm about it.

    ¡°The crystals were prepared in haste, so they aren¡¯t perfect mana batteries yet,¡± I explain the probable cause. ¡°Luvi, call Rina and Nestelle here and tell them to bring a few crystals. I want to inspect them myself.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be working so hard, love,¡± Gotrid pets my feathers. ¡°You¡¯re still recovering.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be charging them, I just want to see the mechanism,¡± I assure him. ¡°The US government will probably be too busy with their internal affairs for a few hours and I want to do something useful in the meanwhile.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, Your Majesty,¡± Luvi bows and goes to fulfil my order.

    Not wanting to use telekinesis unnecessarily, I stretch for a glass of water in front of me. My head is starting to pound with a mild headache because emotions in the skyscraper are too turbulent. However, the glass slips from my weakened grip and the water inside spills on the table. The room grows unnaturally quiet and everyone is staring at the enlarging puddle.

    ¡°That¡¯s okay, Your Majesty, it¡¯s nothing,¡± my maid Cien hurries to take care of the mess immediately.

    ¡°Do you feel sick, love?¡± Erik puts his palm on my forehead to check my temperature. ¡°You should be resting, take a nap.¡±

    ¡°Just a usual headache,¡± I say carefully because even such a minor thing can make Celestials all panicky. ¡°And I¡¯m not sleepy. Give me some cookies and I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re really sorry, Your Majesty,¡± our Minister of Finances Evaniel apologises guiltily, speaking for everyone. ¡°We¡¯re making you work during your recovery. If the situation didn¡¯t demand it¡­¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± I wave my hand. ¡°Those cookies¡­?¡±

    ¡°There you go, hon,¡± Gotrid passes me a plate. There are always freshly baked cookies scattered around our apartment to make me snack.

    I don¡¯t feel particularly hungry right now, but I need to replenish my mana as soon as possible, so I bite into one right away. I have to get stronger if I want to keep protecting my people. I can¡¯t go down like this every time I cast advanced magic. Why is my body so frail? Why can¡¯t I put on weight? The embodiment of magic can¡¯t be so¡­

    ¡°Hey!¡± Erik suddenly pulls my feathers which makes me almost spit the cookie. He would never hurt me, of course, but he sometimes uses it as a Celestial equivalent of nipping. Especially when he needs to scold me and I wouldn¡¯t listen otherwise.

    ¡°Seriously, love?¡± Gotrid gets angry because he also felt what went through my head.

    ¡°You know that your secret telepathic communication is really confusing most of the time and often downright rude to the people in the same room,¡± Liana is annoyed with us. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Ryuu blamed himself for not being strong enough and felt bad about his frail body just now,¡± Erik tells on me which is a thing he does without remorse, presumably for my own good. I suspect Gotrid will join him in this sooner than later.

    The Ministers look shocked, they don¡¯t understand. But Liana does. She lands on her knees in front of me and gently takes my hands into hers.

    ¡°Why would you think that, Aefener?¡± she asks and gives me her softest voice, so unlike her usual Viceroy tone. ¡°You saved hundreds of people and you still blame yourself for not being strong enough? Do you realise what nonsense that is?¡±

    ¡°I¡­,¡± I¡¯m not sure how to answer that.

    ¡°It¡¯s our fault,¡± Liana sighs. ¡°We¡¯re putting all responsibility on your frail shoulders and expect miracles from you. And then you feel bad even after you deliver us a miracle, just because you feel exhausted afterwards? That¡¯s messed up. It means we messed up because we made you feel that way. But we¡¯re here for you and we always will be. Please, don¡¯t think that way anymore.¡±

    She gives me a moment to think about it and feel the truth behind those words. She is right. Of course, she is. My wise Viceroy. What would I do without her guidance? And I have other people around me I can rely on, I¡¯m not alone in this. I don¡¯t have to shoulder the whole world until the point it crushes me. My momentary anxiety attack dissolves and I can breathe freely again.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, thank you,¡± I whisper and manage a faint smile. ¡°Send Rina and Nestelle in, I can feel them stepping in the hall. We have a shield to fix.¡±

    The Minister of Magical Research Rina walks gracefully into the room and only her weary face reveals that she hasn¡¯t been sleeping since it all started. Her assistant Nestelle doesn¡¯t look any fresher. Everybody is working super hard, not just me. I¡¯m eternally grateful for such diligent subjects, I¡¯m really not alone in this.

    ¡°Your Majesty, you summoned us to discuss the shield?¡± Rina bows deeply and so does Nestelle. ¡°The crystals are indeed getting depleted, but we have many volunteers who signed up to recharge them. There¡¯s no need to worry.¡±

    ¡°Can I see the crystals?¡± I ask and Nestelle readily hands me one of the smaller pieces.

    It¡¯s rather crude and not as pretty as I expected, but it¡¯s doing its job. Still, with some processing and proper tuning, it would be much more effective. I make the crystal levitate a few centimetres above my palm and carefully study it from all angles.

    Crystals are simply fascinating¡ªbeautiful and automatically responsive to Celestials. I wonder how humans figured out their magical properties even though there was no real magic in the world before the Great Evolution. The crystal above my palm vibrates when I send it a tiny bit of my mana and absorbs it immediately¡ªthe best external mana storage. Is it thanks to its unique inner structure?

    I apply light telekinetic pressure on the crystal to find out if I¡¯m able to reshape it. The Dragonkin traditionally work with ores and monster material, but crystals and gems were always associated with Celestials. It would be beneficial if we could process them ourselves.

    I vibrate the floating crystal again and now I recognise its structure more clearly. I can¡¯t see it with my eyes, but I distinctly feel the mana vibrating inside of it. And it¡¯s as if it almost begs me to flow without obstructions. Feeling enthusiastic to experiment right away, I start carefully cracking the crystal with my finest telekinesis and grinding it into a perfect hexagonal prism because I¡¯ve always liked that shape.

    I¡¯m surprised by how easy it is. It would take humans a lot of time and specialised instruments to work it like that, yet with some mana manipulation, it¡¯s just a matter of focus and precision. It¡¯s as if the crystal demands to be shaped, there¡¯s no resistance. When I let it land on my palm again, the previously crude crystal is now a beautiful shiny prism, perfectly attuned.

    ¡°It should work better like this,¡± I hand the crystal back to Nestelle.

    Only now do I realise how quiet the room became and that everyone is staring at me in absolute silence and with their mouths open wide. But I didn¡¯t do anything miraculous this time, right? I just shaped one small crystal into a nicer form. Oh, damn, I left a mess on the ground! The maids won¡¯t be pleased.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have the energy to even comment on it,¡± Liana performs an exemplary facepalm and collapses into an armchair in front of me. ¡°Aefener is just beyond common Celestial sense.¡±

    ¡°H-how¡­? So effortlessly¡­? It¡¯s perfect!¡± Nestelle studies the crystal in his hands with amazement and shows it to no less astonished Rina.

    ¡°Just a bit of telekinetic pressure,¡± I answer nonchalantly and take another cookie from the plate. The shaping process wasn¡¯t that mana-demanding, but I¡¯m still recovering.

    ¡°Seriously, love?!¡± Gotrid shakes his head in total disbelief. ¡°Just like that? In a few minutes without any preparation?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that difficult, I¡¯m sure everyone will be able to do it,¡± I claim, trying to divert their attention, and gobble another cookie. ¡°In fact, start immediately. Crystals shaped like this and properly attuned will absorb much more mana and channel it out more steadily.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even know where to start!!!¡± Nestelle loses it. ¡°You¡¯re too divine, my Emperor. I don¡¯t understand what you just did.¡±

    ¡°Nobody did, trust me,¡± Liana says pointedly, looking at shocked Ministers.

    ¡°You just need to feel where to crack it,¡± I try to explain. ¡°Here, I¡¯ll show you.¡±

    I want to pull Nestelle¡¯s sleeve to make him come closer because I¡¯m not strong enough to stand up, but Erik quickly stops my hand for some reason.

    ¡°No touching, love,¡± he reminds me. ¡°People without special privileges and permissions are forbidden to touch you, so you shouldn¡¯t touch them either.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re overdoing it,¡± I frown.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s an overly practical measure,¡± Erik insists. ¡°Your direct touch is seen as a blessing now, so you have to be careful with whom you¡¯re touching and why.¡±

    ¡°I hate it,¡± I mumble, getting upset over it.

    ¡°Maybe if you didn¡¯t demonstrate your divine powers so casually, we wouldn¡¯t be so crazed about touching you,¡± Liana sighs. ¡°We have to limit the people who can approach you, you know that.¡±

    ¡°So be it,¡± I¡¯m pissed off at this point because we¡¯re losing precious time over formalities. ¡°Rina and Nestelle came up with a solution how to power up the shield, so I¡¯m granting them my blessing. Erik, Gotrid, let them sit next to me, I need to show them how to do it. We can¡¯t afford to waste mana; the shield has to function 24/7.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s improper for them to be so close¡­,¡± Gotrid starts and however much I love him, I run out of patience.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for nonsense,¡± I hiss and the room gets cold with my leaking menacing mana. ¡°I can¡¯t exactly go to the laboratory now and court formalities will mean nothing if the shield fails. I¡¯m sure everyone will be able to do crystal processing with some training, but we don¡¯t have the luxury of time for that right now. I¡¯ll teach Rina and Nestelle how to do it directly so that they can pass the knowledge to the rest of the research team.¡±

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Nobody tries to oppose me now, even if Gotrid and Erik still look sceptical and unhappy when making space on the sofa. For a moment, I ceased to be their partner and became their ruler and they felt it. I hope I didn¡¯t traumatise them, but I had to do it. Their overprotectiveness got in the way of me needing to protect my people and that¡¯s something I can¡¯t allow.

    ¡°Sit, I don¡¯t bite,¡± I pat on the sofa to my left and right. ¡°Do you have more of these crystals on you?¡±

    Rina nods and pulls six pieces out of her robe before slowly sitting down next to me. Nestelle sits down even slower, nervous about what I have in mind for them. But they trust me and that¡¯s all I need.

    ¡°Levitate a shard above your palm,¡± I instruct them and they flinch when I hug them with my wings. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m switching to telepathy, no time for lengthy lessons.¡±

    I try to be as gentle as possible, but it¡¯s obvious their minds aren¡¯t ready. I don¡¯t have to force entry only thanks to their devotion towards me. I¡¯ve never really done it before and still, I somehow feel it¡¯s possible. I pour my knowledge of crystal processing directly into their minds and encourage them to practise it.

    It takes them several attempts and a few crystals crack when they overdo it, but in just half an hour, they manage to shape their own perfect prism hexagons. I¡¯m really proud of them. I might have speeded their learning, but proper mana channelling, focus and precision were all their doing. A mediocre caster wouldn¡¯t be able to master it so quickly even with my guidance.

    ¡°Show the others,¡± I tell them with a content smile. ¡°Everyone can do it with some practice. After making sure the shield is stable, take a rest¡ªthat¡¯s an order.¡±

    I release my wings which makes them sad. They felt safe and blissful in their Emperor¡¯s embrace. I have a suspicion that it¡¯s a lethal combination of both my enormous mana and me being a telepath. I may be unintentionally making Celestials addicted to me, but that¡¯s a problem for the future me to deal with. We have more pressing matters to solve right now.

    ¡°Ouch,¡± I whine and massage my temples because my mild headache developed into a migraine.

    Erik and Gotrid are back with me in an instant.

    ¡°He needs to go to bed, Viceroy,¡± Gotrid says adamantly. ¡°There¡¯s no way we can let him continue working in his condition.¡±

    ¡°I know, he just performed another miracle. It¡¯s funny how it¡¯s becoming a new norm,¡± Liana chews her lip and stands up. ¡°Rina and her team will be working on stabilising the shield while we try to stabilise the political situation. Until the US government contacts us, I forbid His Majesty to work.¡±

    I want to oppose her, but everyone can see that I¡¯m in no shape to continue working and is nodding approvingly. This is the only instance I have no power over and have to listen to my subjects for a change. The Emperor¡¯s health is the highest priority to Celestials.

    Erik takes me into his arms and transports me into our bedroom. At first, I don¡¯t think I will be able to fall asleep anyway. The call from the US government can come at any moment. Draconians all over the world could lose patience and start revolting at any moment. But Erik and Gotrid keep petting my wings and my eyes close eventually.

    *****

    I feel well-rested when I wake up which means that I must have been sleeping for several hours instead of the light nap I was intending. I rub my eyes and look around. The lights are dimmed and my partners are soundly sleeping next to me. It¡¯s night already.

    I search for Liana with my mind and discover that she¡¯s asleep as well. That¡¯s highly unusual for her, but then I count how many hours have passed since the attacks and realise nobody can stay awake for that long. Even in crisis, generals and politicians have to sleep sometimes.

    My throat is dry and my stomach rumbles loudly. My body demands to be fed again because my mana circuit is working tirelessly on replenishing my energy. I don¡¯t feel like sleeping more and the hunger is urgent, so I decide to get up. I slowly move between Erik and Gotrid, not wanting to wake them up. They didn¡¯t have time to rest properly at all, always taking care of me.

    I kiss them on their foreheads, touching their sleeping minds and trying to give them some pleasant feelings that will hopefully project into their dreams. I also soothe them so that they won¡¯t wake up when I carefully slip from their embrace.

    A good night¡¯s sleep healed my headache and I feel much stronger. I try standing up and my legs hold me. A slow walk with frequent rests is the best I can do right now, but I¡¯m mobile again and that gives me a reason to celebrate. I fold my wings and open the curtain surrounding our bed.

    Four guards are positioned in the room, two standing by the door, and two by the window. I knew that, but it still makes me uneasy. Guards in our bedroom¡ªthe room that is supposed to be our only private space, the only one that¡¯s left. I hope it¡¯s just an emergency measure for now or I swear I¡¯ll make an unsightly scene to Liana and the Guard Captains.

    ¡°Your Majesty¡­?¡± the guards on night duty are startled by my sudden appearance from behind the curtain.

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± I announce simply. ¡°Let my Consorts sleep, they need to rest.¡±

    They want to offer me support because they can see I¡¯m hardly walking, only a second later realising they don¡¯t have permission to touch me. They can¡¯t even touch the person they are protecting, how messed up is that? I feel like the Emperor through and through now, yet these things still unnerve me. Will I ever get used to it?

    ¡°Just open the door,¡± I sigh.

    The guards in the lobby are even more surprised and immediately call for the maids before I can stop them. I sigh again. I didn¡¯t want them to wake up Cien and Ayala, they deserve to rest as well. However, it¡¯s not them who come to serve me. Two new faces wearing the same maid uniforms appear. These girls are young, too damn young. Did they even finish high school? They look the same age as Ingri.

    ¡°And you are¡­?¡± I tilt my head, confused because nobody told me I would be getting new maids. Not that I¡¯m surprised, I¡¯m never consulted when it comes to the Royal Quarters and my well-being and I pretty much gave up on that.

    ¡°My name is Yrienne, Your Majesty,¡± a girl with brown skin, green eyes, long wavy hair and hazelnut wings with white speckles introduces herself with a deep bow.

    ¡°And I¡¯m Kaileen, Your Majesty,¡± a second girl with Asian features, a blue pixie haircut and grey wings, follows.

    I study their faces. I¡¯ve never seen them before, but their telepathic imprints seem vaguely familiar. I bet they came from the States after the conference and they were in the flock with Soren. The girls get nervous because I¡¯m not saying anything and are staring at me with total devotion. They are overjoyed just to be in my presence.

    ¡°They are your new maids, Your Majesty,¡± Vermiel shows up and looks like someone who¡¯s just been woken up. ¡°Why are you up? It¡¯s only four in the morning. What about your Consorts? Are you sure you should be walking so soon?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep anymore and I¡¯m hungry,¡± I clarify and don¡¯t like the fact that I have to explain myself inside my own apartment. ¡°And don¡¯t you dare wake up my partners, they are exhausted.¡±

    ¡°As you order, my Emperor,¡± Vermiel nods. ¡°Yrienne, Kaileen, His Majesty needs something warmer to wear and a midnight snack.¡±

    The new maids grow pale that they didn¡¯t realise it themselves and run off. Vermiel, who apparently has permission to touch me, readily offers me his support.

    ¡°What about the States? Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡± I ask, concerned. ¡°They must have contacted us by now.¡±

    ¡°They did, but it was very brief, so Her Excellency decided to let you rest, Your Majesty,¡± Vermiel helps me to the living room. ¡°They still don¡¯t know what exactly happened, many politicians were arrested for treason and they are currently undergoing an investigation. President Behera begged us to give them a few hours. She claimed that the majority of Secretaries didn¡¯t know what Delgado was planning to do.¡±

    ¡°President Behera?¡± I widen my eyes. ¡°How did that happen?¡±

    I remember Yasmine Behera as the person who was taking care of our safety during the New York conference and imploring me to stay open to future political talks should the leadership change. I knew she was a high-ranking official, but she was actually in the order of succession, huh? I didn¡¯t see that coming.

    ¡°Actually, I need fresh air,¡± I suddenly change my mind. ¡°Take me to the balcony.¡±

    ¡°Being outside is not the best idea right now, Your Majesty,¡± Vermiel doesn¡¯t like it.

    ¡°You mean outside that¡¯s still inside the shield I created myself?¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°Nothing dangerous can get through. Come on, Vermiel, relax a bit.¡±

    In the end, the Guard Captain allows it, but not sooner than Kaileen returns and dresses me into a warm multi-layered robe and changes my slippers for proper shoes. I sit on the rattan sofa and she wraps me in a blanket just in case it gets too chilly.

    The night is tranquil and the shield is shining like a rainbow. I take a deep breath of fresh night air and it is a bit chilly, but I welcome it. I realise how quickly things change¡ªhow volatile and fragile everything is. Just a few hours ago, the biggest threats I worried about were monsters and my father. Now, we¡¯re potentially on the brink of war.

    ¡°Is this okay, Your Majesty?¡± Yrienne returns with hands full of snacks. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry that I wasn¡¯t able to bring you a properly cooked meal, but the kitchen is closed at this hour.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s more than enough, thank you,¡± I assure her, unwrapping an egg sandwich and taking a sip of orange juice. I bite into the sandwich and it must be from the cafeteria because it tastes really good, definitely not from a vending machine. I¡¯m munching slowly and with every swallow I let the new reality sink in.

    Regardless of what happened behind the scenes, the United States nuked us. We might avoid open war by an inch if the new President plays it right, but Draconians and the US will never be allies. It¡¯s not only about Delgado, I bet at least half of Americans would be grateful to him if the attacks were successful.

    ¡°Yrienne, Kaileen, you¡¯re originally American, right?¡± I ask the maids who are stepping nervously by the door, waiting for more orders.

    ¡°Y-yes?¡± they answer in unison and get even more nervous.

    ¡°Can you explain to me why are Americans so strongly against us? Because I really don¡¯t understand,¡± I say, saddened. ¡°Draconians never wronged humans.¡±

    ¡°I-if I may,¡± Yrienne clears her throat. ¡°Your thinking is too European, Your Majesty, that¡¯s why it¡¯s so difficult for you to get the American mentality.¡±

    ¡°Celestial, not European,¡± I oppose.

    ¡°But you grew up here,¡± she insists bravely. ¡°You grew up in a political and social environment that supports diversity and provides certain social and health security to all. In the States, there¡¯s nothing of that sort. You either have money or you don¡¯t. People can do the strangest things when they don¡¯t feel safe and being antagonistic against anything unusual or foreign is one of them.¡±

    ¡°Like us,¡± Kaileen takes Yriennes¡¯s hand and kisses it. Oh, so they are a couple? I focus more intensely on their feelings and discover that under their surface nervousness and shyness that I¡¯m the cause of right now, I¡¯m catching warm love for each other.

    ¡°We grew up in slums and VR was our only way out, at least temporarily,¡± Kaileen says. ¡°We were neighbours, actually, and started dating when we were fourteen. Our families eventually came to terms with it somehow when we came out, but it wasn¡¯t this nice unconditional support you see in movies. More like don¡¯t shove it in our faces and we¡¯ll ignore it.¡±

    ¡°When we started changing,¡± Yrienne continues with their life story, ¡°it was too much for my grandfather. He never really acknowledged me being queer and when I sprouted wings, it messed him up completely. He considers himself to be a devoted Christian between all that drinking he¡¯s usually doing.¡±

    ¡°Messed? How?¡± I stop eating because Yrienne¡¯s emotional state changes drastically when she recalls that memory.

    ¡°He tried to smother me in my sleep,¡± she whispers and lowers her head. ¡°I survived only because I threw him back with telekinesis, it was pure instinct. He hit his head, was bleeding and then my mother lost it when she saw what I did with my new powers. She took out a gun and pointed it at me, shouting to get the hell out and that I¡¯m no longer her daughter.¡±

    ¡°My family was a tiny bit more understanding towards our change, but we knew we had to go,¡± Kaileen starts sobbing. ¡°We met with other Draconians, joined Soren and now we¡¯re here with you. Her Excellency was kind enough to make us both your new maids. It¡¯s a dream come true.¡±

    I¡¯m at loss for words when they finish retelling their story. Compared to them, my life before the Great Evolution was easy. Sure, my grandmother was a bitch, but I don¡¯t think she would ever physically hurt me. Thanks to my proficiency in gaming, I started earning some serious money when I was still in high school and European university education is free for all EU citizens. I was lucky to grow up here. The girls are right, no wonder I can¡¯t understand Americans.

    I stand up and decide to royally ignore the protocol. I spread my wings and give Kaileen and Yrienne my warmest hug. I touch their traumatised minds and send them my unconditional love and assurance that I¡¯ll do everything in my power to protect them. I can¡¯t heal their deep emotional wounds, but I can at least make them feel secure and accepted from now on.

    ¡°Look how quickly our Emperor exchanged us for pretty girls,¡± Gotrid suddenly speaks up, but he¡¯s amused, not annoyed.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Erik seconds, not less amused. It seems my partners woke up after all when they couldn¡¯t subconsciously feel me in their sleep anymore.

    I look up but keep Yrienne and Kaileen enveloped in my wings. They are shaking and need a moment to recover. I¡¯m well aware that my ¡®blessing¡¯ can be overwhelming to someone who¡¯s not used to my telepathy.

    ¡°Meet Yrienne and Kaileen, our new maids,¡± I introduce the newcomers. ¡°They are a couple as it turns out.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± Erik is genuinely relieved. ¡°I can¡¯t stand Ayala and Cien staring at you so lustfully every time they dress you up.¡±

    ¡°They are not,¡± I frown.

    ¡°They are,¡± he shrugs.

    ¡°Who says these two will be any better?¡± Gotrid raises his eyebrows, a grin on his face. ¡°Androgynous beauty of our beloved is universal.¡±

    ¡°Shush, you,¡± I purse my lips even though I know he¡¯s just joking to alleviate the tension. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare tease them, they¡¯ve been through a lot.¡±

    ¡°We know,¡± Gotrid sighs and gets serious. ¡°Luviael gave us their files for final approval.¡±

    ¡°Love, return to bed,¡± Erik begs me. ¡°It¡¯s still dead of night, the US government won¡¯t call us now in fear or antagonising us further.¡±

    ¡°I was hungry,¡± I point at my half-eaten sandwich and slowly open up my wings. The girls are still a bit shaky, but they calmed down and feel much better. ¡°Yrienne, Kaileen, go to sleep, my partners will take care of me,¡± I tell them and release them from my feathery embrace. They let go rather unwillingly.

    ¡°You were eating without us forcing you? That¡¯s a change,¡± Gotrid is pleasantly surprised and they both wait for me to finish that sandwich.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ don¡¯t you need to use a bathroom?¡± Erik asks me a weird question.

    ¡°Not really, why?¡± I drink the last drop of my orange juice.

    ¡°Well,¡± Erik blushes, embarrassed to bring it up. ¡°You haven¡¯t been to the toilet ever since you created the shield which is almost two days ago.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± I realise and it is quite shocking. ¡°I guess my body is burning everything without leftovers for the time being?¡±

    ¡°That would make sense,¡± Erik says reluctantly, but he¡¯s still not fully convinced. ¡°We just don¡¯t want to neglect anything; doctor Julia asked us to keep checking for that because she noticed that you haven¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Okaaaay, enough!¡± I stop him. Great, now my overzealous caretakers are checking my shit. Literally. If the world wasn¡¯t on the brink of war, I¡¯d start laughing. Just how absurd is that?

    We return to bed and, at first, my partners think that I¡¯m not in the mood for anything else besides snuggling for comfort, so I throw the guards out and prove them wrong. I made a promise to myself some time ago that I would use every opportunity to spend quality time with them and I mean to honour it. Because if I learned anything in the past few months, it¡¯s that love is the only thing that matters.

 75. Unprecedented

    The atmosphere is as tense as it gets when I¡¯m heading to the Royal Office the next morning. Everybody knows that I¡¯m about to take a super important video call that can either start a war or avoid it entirely. Nobody wants war, not even the most battle-hungry Draconians, because that¡¯s not our idea of conquest. In the game, it was always about discovering new lands and competing, not brainless killing and destruction.

    Although I feel Celestial wrath coming from all my subjects, I¡¯m not worried. Celestial wrath could potentially hinder peace talks, but what everybody wants right now is the truth. We all feel deep in our bones that we should be fighting monsters, not humans.

    I meet with Liana at the elevator and Soren is with her. I¡¯m glad because I wanted him to be present and it seems Liana thought the same thing¡ªhe can speak for American Draconians and present his point of view. Strangely though, I don¡¯t feel any wrath coming from him. Instead, he¡¯s feeling deeply saddened and despaired.

    I usually don¡¯t react to the emotions of other people, but something in Soren makes me halt. He looks at me with eyes that are begging me to reconsider, even though he wouldn¡¯t dare to oppose me.

    ¡°Wait,¡± I stop my entourage. ¡°I want to speak with Soren.¡±

    ¡°What? Now? Why?¡± Liana frowns. ¡°The meeting starts in twenty minutes.¡±

    ¡°Then we have twenty minutes, so find us an empty room,¡± I order with a voice not allowing any disobedience. I admit that it feels good to be the Emperor in times like these.

    Soren is looking at me both frightened and grateful that I¡¯m willing to hear him out. Liana realises that it¡¯s not a whim and in just a minute, we¡¯re sitting in one of the smaller lounges. I take only Soren, my partners, Liana and a few guards inside.

    ¡°Soren, speak freely,¡± I encourage him softly because I can feel his anxiety and desperation.

    ¡°Will you go to war, Your Majesty?¡± Soren lowers his head and his wings are shaking. ¡°I will follow your orders, of course, but the States is my homeland and there are good people despite what you experienced during your brief visit.¡±

    I still have the New York conference in my vivid memory¡ªthe way American politicians looked down on us, their hate and disgust and especially the way those protesters in the street felt like.

    ¡°Tell that Yrienne and Kaileen,¡± I sigh.

    ¡°I know those girls and I¡¯m well aware of what they¡¯ve been through,¡± he says. ¡°I took them under my wings when they ran away from home. Still, not all American Draconians have the same negative experience with their families, just as not all European Draconians have positive experience with theirs. And definitely not all Americans voted Delgado.¡±

    ¡°What about your experience then?¡± I ask him openly.

    ¡°I came to serve you, Your Majesty,¡± Soren swears. ¡°My family was supportive during my transformation and I left only to be with you. I profoundly apologise for being so daring, but how familiar are you with the political climate in the US, apart from your one unpleasant experience, my Emperor?¡±

    ¡°Only the stuff from the news,¡± I admit reluctantly. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±

    I look at Gotrid and clutch his hand. He¡¯s also American and his experience with growing up and transformation are overly negative. But I¡¯m willing to offer Soren my ear. Admittedly, my perspective might be biased because of what my beloved partner has been through.

    ¡°Before Delgado became a politician, he was a corporate man,¡± Soren explains. ¡°Yrienne and Kaileen probably told you that money is everything in the US and that much is true. Neither of us was even born at that time, but, in 2054, there was a huge economic crisis.¡±

    ¡°I obviously learned about that at school,¡± I assure him impatiently.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t affect Europe and Asia much, but it threw America into chaos,¡± Soren summarises for all of us just in case. ¡°Democratic principles were trampled over by merciless mega corporations who promised the poorest masses to take care of them in exchange for their digital privacy and loyalty. The poor uneducated class took it because there wasn¡¯t much that they could do except starve and started to support corporations.¡±

    ¡°But corporations didn¡¯t solve the problem of poverty, right?¡± I frown. ¡°Yrienne and Kaileen were born in slums decades after that.¡±

    ¡°In slums but with electricity and VR appliances?¡± Soren points out. ¡°Corporations are leasing VR headsets to those who otherwise wouldn¡¯t be able to afford them. Fortunately, Yrienne and Kaileen escaped into hardcore role-play gaming, which probably saved them from corporate influence, but most people use the internet to watch TV shows, porn, endless commercials in between and cleverly included corporate propaganda.¡±

    ¡°That still doesn¡¯t explain the hate for Draconians,¡± I don¡¯t understand.

    ¡°If you¡¯re hinting at those protesters in the streets during the conference, did you take a good look at them?¡± Soren implores me. ¡°I bet most of them were manipulated or downright paid to do it. Corporations wanted to show in the media that most Americans are against Draconians and thus sway the rest who were still hesitant. American corporations fear us because we threaten their position and established order.¡±

    I expect Liana to interrupt us, we have hardly ten minutes left, but she¡¯s listening attentively. It seems Soren¡¯s point of view is new even to her as well. Erik is really grateful for the explanation, he was never a study type, while Gotrid is feeling conflicted. I send him my love to calm him down.

    ¡°As for hatred, it wasn¡¯t always the same,¡± Soren continues. ¡°America of the first half of the twenty-first century had its own problems, but it was slowly trying to promote rights of sexual minorities, gender equality and finally deal with racism. However, the economic crisis had its tragic toll on that.¡±

    ¡°How does the economy relate to human relationships?¡± I¡¯m quite lost frankly, but then I recall what my new maids told me just a few hours ago: People can do the strangest things when they don¡¯t feel safe.

    ¡°Long story short, corporations needed a scapegoat¡ªsomeone to blame for America¡¯s fall from glory,¡± Soren concludes. ¡°They couldn¡¯t afford to appear racist, so they decided to blame everything on sexual minorities, other genders and generally people who were somehow different or lived alternative lifestyles, claiming they ruined a traditional family model and thus indirectly caused the crisis.¡±

    ¡°So corporations put Delgado on the pedestal to show off that they aren¡¯t racist and get additional support?¡± Liana is making sure she understood it right.

    ¡°Delgado was a third-generation immigrant, he was American enough for most,¡± Soren nods. ¡°He was a role model of a hard-working achiever with a foreign background but fully assimilated and straight, exactly what they needed.¡±

    ¡°But if what you¡¯re telling us is publicly known, why did so many people still give him their vote?¡± I frown.

    ¡°Because he promised to bring bread to their tables,¡± Soren sighs. ¡°And he did, however much I don¡¯t like to admit it. I come from a middle-class educated background, so I was never really struggling with money, but if you¡¯re fighting for survival, you want to find someone to blame for your misfortune. Being able to love freely regardless of gender is a luxury, Your Majesty.¡±

    Now I get it. I took several history classes at university because I was interested, so I know what his point is. Homosexuality was considered acceptable only within nations with a certain level of prosperity, education and high cultures such as Ancient Rome and Greece. When times were rough, humanity feared it would threaten their survival. People in the past rarely got married out of love¡ªit was a rational arrangement that was supposed to bring families prosperity and secure offspring.

    ¡°You have every right to be wrathful, Your Majesty,¡± Soren declares. ¡°But it¡¯s not true that most Americans want to see us dead. I¡¯m staying in contact with some of my human friends and they are simply scared. The world turned upside down and the previous government wasn¡¯t exactly good at comforting American citizens that humans and Draconians can coexist.¡±

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    I take a deep breath and think about everything Soren just told me. Some Americans might have chosen to be ignorant and just follow their corporate Big Brother, but I know that doesn¡¯t make them inherently bad people. It makes them desperate people and¡ªif anything¡ªme, Liana and Erik are guilty of being too Europe-centric and pampered by the generous European social system.

    ¡°Thank you, Soren, I¡¯ll certainly take it into consideration,¡± I assure him. ¡°I have to admit that my opinion is too one-sided and European, so I hope that I can rely on your guidance in these matters from now on.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not at war with the States, Soren,¡± Liana adds and looks at him almost admirably. ¡°We¡¯re at war with those from the government who fired the missiles.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Soren bites his lip. ¡°But there are innocent casualties in any war.¡±

    ¡°I promise to give the new President a fair chance,¡± I reassure him. ¡°If she convinces me that her new Cabinet had nothing to do with the attacks and Delgado¡¯s accomplices will face justice, I¡¯ll gladly take it. Still, it will take more than an apology to persuade me. She¡¯d better do her best.¡±

    ¡°Your openness is all I ask for, my Emperor,¡± Soren bows in the deepest respect.

    ¡°I appreciate you telling me this,¡± I manage a faint smile. ¡°Next time, don¡¯t be afraid to just speak up, okay? I value my subjects¡¯ opinions and it makes me sad when you feel hesitant to express yourself.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, I hate to interrupt you, but you really have to go now,¡± the Guard Captain Vermiel reminds us and his tone is urgent. ¡°The whole world is waiting.¡±

    *****

    Erik and Gotrid realise there¡¯s only one free chair left by my side because Liana automatically occupies the seat to my right. They stare at each other with pursed lips for a few moments and then look at me to decide.

    ¡°Sorry, Gotrid, but I need Erik right now,¡± I say. ¡°Having my human partner be seen next to me will be comforting for many.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Gotrid pouts a little and demands to be kissed before he settles for a chair next to Liana.

    We adjusted the fanciest conference room in the skyscraper for this historic event and it was decided that while the camera will primarily focus on me, Liana and Erik, it will occasionally show the Ministers sitting around the table. Humans and Draconians alike need to see that we have a fully functioning government now.

    Diplomatic negotiations are rarely streamed online, but I wanted the whole world to be present. I want everyone to see that we¡¯re open to peace talks and transparent, but, at the same time, there¡¯s no messing with us. We have to secure our position once and for all so that we can finally focus on fighting monsters and investigating rifts.

    I look at Liana and her expression is confident, but she feels tense inside. Despite her rather bossy personality, she¡¯s glad that the final decision isn¡¯t up to her. I expect at least some level of panic to overcome me, but nothing happens. Sure, I¡¯m nervous, but there are no doubts in my mind anymore. I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor and I¡¯ll do anything in my power to protect my people.

    Ingri, who¡¯s behind the camera, shows me a thumbs-up which means that we started streaming. Just a few seconds after that the projector lights up and President Behera appears as a hologram.

    ¡°Your Majesty, thank you for your patience,¡± she starts and looks like someone who hasn¡¯t slept for two days which she probably hasn¡¯t.

    ¡°Mrs President,¡± I nod respectfully.

    When she was taking care of us during the conference, she might have been overly cautious around us, but she never wronged us. In fact, it was Mrs Behera who sought me after the conference and begged me to stay open. She deserves a chance I¡¯m more than willing to give her.

    ¡°First of all, I want to assure you that the former President Delgado acted without the consent of the Senate,¡± President Behera claims strongly. ¡°Most of the government, me included, had no idea what he was planning to do.¡±

    ¡°Hacking a Korean military satellite would require tremendous resources and spies,¡± Liana purses her lips, not convinced. ¡°He couldn¡¯t have pulled it all by himself.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t, Delgado had the support of several highest-ranking military officers and four Secretaries,¡± President Behera admits surprisingly honestly. ¡°Three of the main culprits are dead, the rest arrested for treason.¡±

    ¡°Dead, including your ex-president,¡± I narrow my eyes in suspicion. ¡°How did that happen?¡±

    ¡°When we found out Delgado fired those missiles, we went to arrest him immediately,¡± Behera says slowly, weighing every word. ¡°He barricaded himself in the Oval Office with those most loyal to him. It was obvious he didn¡¯t expect that the attacks would fail. He must have thought that he would become a hero if he succeeded and all would be forgiven.¡±

    The new President pauses for a second or two. She genuinely acts like someone who became the President by totally unprecedented circumstances, is seriously sleep deprived and the fate of her country rests on the result of our diplomatic negotiation. I can¡¯t help it and find myself sympathising with her.

    ¡°There was a fierce fight between a part of the Secret Service that was loyal to Delgado and those who clearly saw his actions as treason,¡± Behera continues. ¡°For a few minutes, the White House became a battlefield which never happened before in our long democratic history. Delgado was killed when he refused to surrender. We tried to arrest him, but he was holding a gun and was firing around like crazy. I think he lost it when he realised that his plan had failed.¡±

    There¡¯s silence for a few moments, we all need a second to take it in. I have just one final inquiry that will decide everything.

    ¡°If Delgado succeeded, would you arrest him all the same?¡± I ask simply, but that one question contains everything. Everything depends on that one answer now.

    ¡°We would arrest him regardless, we don¡¯t support war criminals,¡± President Behera says and her voice doesn¡¯t shake. She¡¯s looking straight into the camera, bravely facing the whole world as someone who¡¯s gambling her very honour. And I do believe her, she won me over.

    I also think she¡¯s telling the truth, Liana agrees in her mind.

    I don¡¯t have the best memories of the States, but I don¡¯t wish to see my homeland burn, Gotrid voices his opinion as well. Bigoted people are everywhere and Americans were just encouraged to hate by manipulative corporations.

    I will keep supporting you, my love, whatever your decision is, Erik assures me. But if you at least partly believe that the States can be redeemed, I beg you to give them a chance.

    I realise that my silence must have been grilling President Behera. She¡¯s professionally keeping her appearance, but a sweat drop is pouring down her temple.

    ¡°Let¡¯s say I¡¯ll take you by your word and we¡¯re open to a peaceful solution,¡± I say slowly. ¡°How will you repent? The Earthborn ranch and the Dragonkin mansion were completely destroyed and several Draconians died. How will you make amends?¡±

    A huge relief shows on President Behera¡¯s face and she¡¯s not the only one. The pressing tension dominating the room is finally lifted and I bet that the people around the world watching us also sighed in relief right now.

    ¡°For the starters, we will provide all necessary funds to help the Earthborn and the Dragonkin rebuild,¡± the President proposes. ¡°Naturally, we¡¯ll ensure that Draconians in the States are protected.¡±

    ¡°I ordered Draconians to leave hostile countries, you¡¯ll face an exodus in the upcoming days,¡± I reveal because the order was conveyed only through Draconian channels. ¡°But I¡¯m grateful for your offer and we would appreciate it if you could make sure that Draconians are safe at the airports and possibly cover their moving expenses.¡±

    ¡°All Draconians?¡± she blinks, visibly taken aback.

    ¡°Did you hope to have a few around in case of another monster attack?¡± my voice is intentionally indifferent. ¡°Tough luck then. India and Brazil are currently offering Draconians lucrative jobs, so most of them will relocate there. I¡¯m willing to maintain peace between us, but unless I see it¡¯s really safe for us in the States, we won¡¯t be coming back.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± President Behera nods. ¡°We will help Draconians with relocation then, but, please, don¡¯t think of it as us happily getting rid of you. American citizens fear future monster attacks and we¡¯re not blind. We see how effective Draconians are at fighting those creatures and my government would like to cooperate with you from now on.¡±

    ¡°Mrs President,¡± I sigh because despite trusting her words, I don¡¯t have any other choice. ¡°I believe when you say that you and your new government weren¡¯t involved in the attacks, but a lot of Americans still hate us nonetheless. It¡¯s my duty to protect my people and I can¡¯t forgive you that easily. The best I can do is take you by your word, accept your compensation and label you a hostile country we won¡¯t be involved with. At least for some time, I¡¯m willing to stay open.¡±

    President Behera is evidently thinking hard.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ more than generous,¡± she admits. ¡°Still, I hope to convince you that my government will be different from Delgado¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Surprise me then,¡± I say positively. ¡°With Draconians gone, you can focus on your internal issues. Although I can¡¯t see you as our ally at this moment, I do wish you success. A lot of my people are Americans and they would love to see their homeland get better.¡±

    I expect no reaction from her, but she nods in agreement. Maybe I read her wrong at the conference. Maybe there¡¯s a good person somewhere under all those years of dirty politics and Delgado¡¯s influence. Perhaps she will make a difference after all, but I can¡¯t afford to wait that long. Draconians are leaving the States and that¡¯s final.

    And it¡¯s done. President Behera¡¯s projection disappears, Ingri turns off the camera and everyone can finally take a breather. We¡¯ve just avoided war and possibly made history. Erik and Gotrid kiss me and compliment me that I did amazing. Liana looks deeply impressed and the Ministers didn¡¯t expect anything less from me.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to fly now,¡± I stand up and stretch a bit. ¡°I feel strong enough and my wings are sore. Ready the guards, Vermiel. I¡¯m going and I won¡¯t hear otherwise. I put up thousands of shields around the whole skyscraper, I think I should be able to put up a few just for myself.¡±

    ¡°As should we,¡± Vermiel boasts and conjures up a shield in a blink of an eye. ¡°We¡¯ve been practising whenever we weren¡¯t on guard duty.¡±

    ¡°Damn, I¡¯m behind,¡± Gotrid laments.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been taking care of me non-stop,¡± I caress his feathers. ¡°And I can teach you personally after work.¡±

    I suddenly sense that Erik feels left out, so I switch my attention to him and envelope him in my wings. I¡¯m broken-hearted to discover that he felt useless for a moment, thinking that he won¡¯t be able to protect me from danger the way Gotrid is thanks to magic.

    I assure him that it¡¯s a silly thought he should throw away because he¡¯s saving me every single day just by being with me. He¡¯s my anchor, he¡¯s my bridge, he¡¯s my everything. Celestials underestimate it¡ªthey certainly don¡¯t protect him nearly as much as me¡ªbut the truth is that should something bad happen to him, I could possibly go destroy the world.

    You wouldn¡¯t, Erik disagrees and kisses me. You¡¯re the kindest person I know.

    I hope to never test that theory.

 Valentineâ€™s Special

    My heart skips a beat when I check the calendar. It takes my brain a few seconds to fully comprehend what the date means. Tomorrow is Valentine''s Day! I suddenly feel guilty that I let it slip because I was looking forward to celebrating it with my two wonderful partners, but I¡¯m always so busy that I can hardly keep track of the days, especially when my subjects are doing it for me.

    I look at Erik and Gotrid who are discussing our current task with the Minister of Foreign Affairs. I don¡¯t notice any disturbance in their minds so they must have forgotten as well. Or maybe they¡¯re not into celebrating Valentine¡¯s? They¡¯re both extremely romantic, but Erik doesn¡¯t like commercial holidays and I¡¯m not sure about Gotrid¡¯s preferences.

    I bite my lip. I wish to prepare something special for them tomorrow and I would even risk Erik thinking I¡¯m being cheesy. But how to go about it? I have barely one day left and I¡¯d like to surprise them. Which is the most difficult thing of all, I¡¯m never alone.

    Being the Emperor comes with many perks, but also a ton of disadvantages. I don¡¯t have any privacy, I can¡¯t just order stuff online, and I can¡¯t do anything outside the schedule. I have all this money, influence and numerous servants, yet preparing a surprise seems impossible. But I have to try.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking a coffee break,¡± I say nonchalantly and hope that my partners will ignore me. They don¡¯t. Of course, they don¡¯t. They immediately stop whatever they¡¯re doing.

    ¡°Can I have an introverted moment, please?¡± I ask, praying that I¡¯m not being weird because I¡¯ve never asked for something like that before.

    Naturally, I need introverted moments every now and then in order not to go crazy from all that attention I¡¯m constantly getting, but Erik and Gotrid always counted as part of my introverted space. I wouldn¡¯t want them to think that I need a break from them.

    ¡°Sure, the sooner we take care of this, the sooner we finish work today,¡± Erik waves his hand and continues discussing the issue with Minister Laurin. Gotrid feels a bit sad that I don¡¯t want his company, but he doesn¡¯t think too much of it, fortunately.

    I make sure my phone is in my robe and go to the relaxing lounge I call the chill area. I sit on the sofa, thank Cien for the latte she brings me automatically and I start browsing the Internet. It would be much quicker and more comfortable in the VR mode, but VR headsets aren¡¯t compatible with Draconian brains.

    ¡°What?¡± I frown and turn the phone¡¯s screen away from my adjutant Luviael who hardly ever leaves my side even when I want to be ¡®alone.¡¯ I sigh because I¡¯m pretty sure she caught a glimpse.

    ¡°A feed of inspirational Valentine settings?¡± she¡¯s raising her eyebrows and there¡¯s a grin on her face.

    ¡°S-so what,¡± I blush a little. ¡°I want to prepare something nice for Erik and Gotrid tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°And it didn¡¯t cross your mind to ask us for help?¡± Luviael shrugs. ¡°I¡¯ll happily become your partner in crime, Your Majesty. Just tell me what you need. I promise not to say anything to your Consorts if you want it to be a secret surprise.¡±

    ¡°Nothing too cheesy,¡± I say, happy that I will be able to make it work after all. ¡°A level nicer dinner than usual, candles on the dining table, a chocolate cake for a dessert, a bouquet and then a romantic bubble bath? I guess rose petals on our bed would be a nice touch.¡±

    We spend a few minutes browsing various inspirational feeds and Luviael is taking notes. I must be taking longer on my coffee break than normal because Gotrid stops by to pick me up.

    ¡°As much as I¡¯d love to let you rest, I¡¯m afraid we need you, love,¡± he says apologetically. ¡°We¡¯re almost finished, but Minister Laurin won¡¯t leave unless he gets your final approval. What are you doing anyway?¡± he narrows his eyes because Luviael is leaning too close to me.

    ¡°I was just showing her some random funny stuff,¡± I say and quickly hide the phone in my sleeve.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Gotrid murmurs, unconvinced, and offers me his hand to help me stand up. He uses it as an excuse to kiss me. ¡°So Luviael counts as your introverted space?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± I kiss him back. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever want a break from me?¡±

    ¡°Never,¡± he claims and we keep kissing until Luvi has to remind us that Minister Laurin is still waiting.

    *****

    ¡°Psst, Kaileen,¡± I hiss at the young maid, using the fact that Erik is shaving in the bathroom and Gotrid went to discuss our today¡¯s agenda with Luviael.

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡± Kaileen hurries toward me and is puzzled why I¡¯m whispering.

    ¡°Will it be ready in the evening?¡± I ask urgently.

    ¡°R-ready?¡± she twitches which is a reaction I certainly didn¡¯t expect. ¡°What should be ready?¡± she averts her gaze timidly. She still thinks that I can read her thoughts even though that¡¯s true only for Liana and my partners. I still need direct touch with anyone else.

    ¡°The dinner I¡¯m planning for Erik and Gotrid,¡± I explain impatiently. ¡°Didn¡¯t Luviael tell you about it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, that,¡± she¡¯s visibly relieved and I have no idea why. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty, but Cien and Ayala are taking care of that, so I don¡¯t know much.¡±

    Kaileen is acting seriously weird. She¡¯s refusing to meet my eyes and her emotions are jumbled. And then it hits me. She must be taking an afternoon off to spend it with her girlfriend Yrienne. Figures. Gosh, I¡¯m so slow sometimes. No wonder she isn¡¯t part of the secret preparations.

    ¡°Finished, hon,¡± Erik returns, perfectly groomed.

    I use this chance to caress his smooth face and a crazy idea of him growing a fashionable beard crosses my mind. Celestial men don¡¯t grow facial hair so there¡¯s no use in having this fantasy about Gotrid, but maybe Erik could one day?

    ¡°You would like that?¡± Erik is sceptical.

    I¡¯m startled that he sensed that. More often than not, I don¡¯t hide my thoughts from my partners, but right now I¡¯m guarding Valentine''s surprise. Luckily, it doesn¡¯t seem that he perceived more than this quick funny idea. Phew, saved.

    ¡°If you¡¯re ready, we can go,¡± I say hastily. ¡°We have that business agreement to go through and I¡¯d like to finish it today.¡±

    ¡°Sure, but did you forget what day it is?¡± Erik raises his eyebrows.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Day?¡± I hold my breath. Did he realise it¡¯s Valentine''s after all?

    ¡°Second Tuesday of the month, your regular medical check-up,¡± he reminds me.

    ¡°Oh, that,¡± I¡¯m actually relieved which might be the only case of me happily visiting the infirmary.

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re okay with it?¡± Erik doesn¡¯t believe his ears.

    ¡°I feel confident, I was eating a lot last week,¡± I lie. Erik rolls his eyes, but he buys it.

    *****

    My confidence dissolves the moment I step on the scale and it says the same number as last time. Doctor Julia is frowning at me because the special dietary plan she created for me evidently didn¡¯t work and is asking my partners a lot of questions. Then she demands to see the food journal in which my maids note down all the food I eat during the week.

    ¡°At least he didn¡¯t lose any weight,¡± Gotrid is trying to calm her down.

    ¡°Cookies aren¡¯t a nutritionally balanced snack,¡± she opposes and pinpoints several days when I had exactly that instead of a sandwich.

    She keeps arguing with my partners while Ayala dresses me up again.

    Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty, everything will be ready at six, she sends me a quick reassurance when she touches me, tying my robe.

    I hope nothing goes wrong today. Can¡¯t monsters and politicians get a day off on Valentine''s?

    *****

    After lunch, Erik is snatched away by the Czech Prime Minister the moment we finish the document and I sign it. I don¡¯t even have time to kiss him and he disappears into the meeting room to discuss the details with her. I get a bit nervous. Meetings of this kind rarely last only an hour or two.

    I go for my regular flying session with Gotrid and I¡¯m so nervous about the evening that I forget to watch myself and fly too far from the guards when using my Emperor speed at one point. I get scolded severely by Guard Captain Miruel and they don¡¯t let me off their sight even for a second after that.

    ¡°Love, I just got a message that something unexpected came up,¡± Gotrid says all of a sudden. We both hover in the air to talk.

    ¡°Is it important?¡± I worry. ¡°Something wrong with the document?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s urgent, but nothing that would require your attention,¡± he assures me. ¡°Would you be okay if I went to take care of it? It¡¯s only twenty minutes into your flight and we all know that you get super grumpy when you can¡¯t stretch your wings properly.¡±

    ¡°If I help you, it will be quicker,¡± I suggest, but Gotrid shakes his head.

    ¡°The Ministers have to learn not to bother you with everything,¡± he insists. ¡°Liana is right, we have to stay adamant about it or they will never get used to it.¡±

    He sends me an airy kiss and disappears before I can say more.

    ¡°Hi, Aefener,¡± Liana suddenly emerges from under the clouds, surprising me.

    She also goes for regular flying sessions as any other Celestial, but we¡¯re usually forced to go separately at different times so that there¡¯s always at least one of us present in the Royal Office.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there an emergency or something?¡± I¡¯m twice as shocked by her sudden appearance.

    ¡°It¡¯s no real emergency, just something urgent that has to be done by the end of the day,¡± she assures me. ¡°I would take care of it myself, but I got a nasty cramp in my left wing.¡±

    ¡°I keep telling you to fly more often,¡± I sigh with an ¡®I told you so¡¯ attitude. Celestials don¡¯t ever get cramps while flying, but we can get very unpleasant cramps when we aren¡¯t using our wings for too long.

    ¡°Can we depart, Your Excellency?¡± Soren catches up.

    ¡°You¡¯re flying somewhere in particular?¡± I tilt my head, a bit envious.

    ¡°Soren said that he discovered a nice, mostly deserted hill in the western part of Prague, so we¡¯re going to check it out,¡± she explains quite enthusiastically. Even the ever-serious Celestial Viceroy can get playful from time to time.

    ¡°A hill?¡± I frown because it sounds fishy and I¡¯m astonished that Liana doesn¡¯t think so.

    I analyse Soren¡¯s feelings and he starts gesturing at me wildly outside Liana¡¯s field of vision not to say anything. Oh, I get it now. It seems I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯s preparing a surprise today.

    I resist chuckling. Poor Liana isn¡¯t suspecting a thing. She¡¯s so dense when it comes to Soren¡¯s obvious romantic advances. I wonder if he has prepared a picnic there in advance? Prague tends to be quite chilly in February, but nothing a few heating spells around the area wouldn¡¯t solve.

    I¡¯m a bit sad that I can¡¯t go exploring Prague with them because I¡¯m not permitted to land anywhere outside the skyscraper. The guards are much calmer with me above the clouds, as far away from humans as possible. But then I realise that I don¡¯t mind it that much. I prefer it here; I enjoy the tranquillity. And I have no desire to walk if I can fly instead.

    *****

    The Royal Office is empty when I return. Of course, there are still guards and assistants, but Erik and Gotrid aren¡¯t here. Is that urgent issue more important than they were telling me? I sigh. They should have called me. While I have absolute trust in their judgment and abilities, things go much smoother when I¡¯m present. Ministers never argue with me. They give me their advice and make strong recommendations, but they would never oppose me.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to oversee the preparations, Your Majesty?¡± Luviael suggests. ¡°It¡¯s half past five already.¡±

    ¡°But my partners are still working,¡± I shake my head.

    ¡°Exactly, you will have time to check everything,¡± Luviael insists.

    I find myself standing in the hall, not quite sure what just happened. Did Luviael just push me out of my own office? I appreciate that she wants me to have more free time today, but I won¡¯t be able to enjoy it without my beloved partners.

    However, as I¡¯m getting closer to our apartment, I¡¯m starting to slowly realise that I don¡¯t feel Erik and Gotrid on the governmental floors. Are they both actually at home?! But that would totally spoil my surprise!

    I¡¯m tense when the guards open to door for me and I don¡¯t understand why it¡¯s so dark inside. I blink a few times, but it¡¯s not completely dark¡ªa line of candles is illumining the entrance. That certainly wasn¡¯t part of my Valentine¡¯s plan. There¡¯s no doubt anymore, Erik and Gotrid are straight ahead. And they¡¯re feeling excited.

    ¡°Erik, Gotrid¡­ what?!¡± I¡¯m taken aback because the whole living room is beautifully decorated.

    There are candles and petals everywhere, silent relaxing music is playing, Erik is wearing his best leisure suit and Gotrid is also dressed up. They must have been preparing it weeks in advance, unlike stupid me who forgot completely.

    ¡°Did you seriously think we would forget about Valentine¡¯s?¡± Erik bursts out laughing.

    ¡°Our Emperor can be so silly sometimes,¡± Gotrid is also laughing.

    ¡°How come I didn¡¯t suspect a thing?¡± I don¡¯t understand. ¡°Some telepath I am.¡±

    ¡°You never pry deep if we don¡¯t want you to,¡± Erik comforts me, petting my wings. ¡°We pretty much counted on that.¡±

    ¡°Still, it was a feat to hide it from you, I was sure you must uncover our plot sooner or later,¡± Gotrid grins. ¡°Instead, you were plotting a nice little surprise yourself. We were sure you forgot.¡±

    ¡°I almost did, or rather I didn¡¯t realise what day it is,¡± I admit. ¡°By the way, I think Liana is having a romantic date of her own.¡±

    ¡°Gosh, I hope Soren will finally get through her defences,¡± Gotrid chuckles. ¡°How can she be so sharp about everything, yet so dense when it comes to romance?¡±

    ¡°I think she got used to being on her guard all the time because of her wealth,¡± I ponder. ¡°I bet many gold diggers were trying to get to her so she¡¯s distrustful by default when it comes to dating.¡±

    ¡°Best of luck to Soren then, now back to us,¡± Erik puts his hands around my hips and pulls me closer. ¡°We have at least five hours to spend all lovey-dovey and I¡¯m not against cheesy gestures today.¡±

    ¡°Delicious food, cuddling, a bubble bath, sweet nonsense and lots of sex,¡± Gotrid teases me.

    We¡¯re having Italian and I wouldn¡¯t expect anything else from a romantic dinner. There¡¯s pasta with yummy vegetable sauce, a nice selection of cheese, a huge bowl of salad and sweet wine. As for the dessert, it¡¯s that chocolate cake I ordered. For once, Erik doesn¡¯t complain that it will ruin his figure and takes a big piece as well.

    Pleasantly full, we chill for a few minutes on the sofa and cuddle. Erik and Gotrid still don¡¯t want to do anything with each other, but at least they don¡¯t mind touching anymore. Erik doesn¡¯t freak out each time Gotrid brushes him accidentally with his wings and that¡¯s something. Maybe one day they will be willing to¡­? I gulp and get goosebumps.

    ¡°Hey, what are you imagining?¡± Erik pokes me, narrowing his eyes.

    ¡°Yep, our naughty Emperor just imagined two of us kissing,¡± Gotrid is amused. ¡°Moreover, it seems that idea aroused him.¡±

    ¡°Not happening anytime soon,¡± Erik has to disappoint me.

    ¡°Not soon, but there¡¯s a possibility¡­?¡± I get hopeful.

    ¡°No promises whatsoever,¡± Erik catches my chin and kisses me.

    We cuddle until the maids come to tell us that the bath is ready. I demand to make my own bubbles and use the whole bottle of a foaming product¡ªour bathtub is almost a small pool after all. When the water starts to cool down, Gotrid reheats it with a spell so we can spend more time inside cuddling.

    ¡°I love you, I love you, I love you,¡± I keep whispering because I like how it sounds.

    I know that they can feel it from me, but I still want to say those magical words aloud. Erik and Gotrid are my treasures. On this day and any other. Because they make every day special, not just Valentine¡¯s.

 76. At Peace

    ¡°Do you have any idea how difficult it is to contact you from the outside? Virtually impossible!¡± Emi¡¯s face appears on the screen and she looks annoyed. ¡°For safety reasons, we tossed our phones,¡± she gets to explaining. ¡°They were the only thing that could potentially make us a target. I bet Celestial network is as secured as it can be, but Clawfangs aren¡¯t exactly keen on that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you, too,¡± I say cheerfully because not even her foul mood could spoil how happy I am to see that she¡¯s okay. We haven¡¯t heard from Emi and her pack for two days and even though there were only three missile attacks, I was worried sick.

    ¡°I heard about what happened to Werden,¡± Emi becomes serious. ¡°And I watched the peace negotiations, of course.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think I decided right?¡± I tilt my head because Emi is visibly grinding her teeth.

    ¡°You did decide right,¡± she shakes her head. ¡°I¡¯m glad the decision wasn¡¯t up to me because I wouldn¡¯t be so forgiving. But that matter is thankfully over. How are Rien and Minoes doing at their jobs?¡±

    ¡°Rien is doing fine, he¡¯s just a bit nervous around me ever since I told him about my telepathy,¡± I shrug. ¡°I have yet to meet ambassador Minoes.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re meeting her in two hours,¡± Erik announces, checking my itinerary.

    ¡°Minoes is as wild as alpha females get, but she¡¯s good-hearted and has her way with people,¡± Emi says. ¡°She will make a fine ambassador and deal with European Clawfangs who wouldn¡¯t listen to anyone else but another strong alpha.¡±

    ¡°When will you return to Europe?¡± I ask because I¡¯d love to have her back.

    ¡°Not anytime soon,¡± she has to disappoint me. ¡°My people aren¡¯t like yours, Aefener. They don¡¯t obey unless I make them, but that¡¯s okay. It¡¯s in our nature and I love travelling and meeting new people.¡±

    ¡°No problems with local humans?¡± I worry.

    ¡°Nothing serious,¡± she assures me. ¡°Packs pretty much keep to themselves, but we¡¯re still very friendly and open. I think humans like us actually.¡±

    ¡°They do?¡± I¡¯m surprised because Clawfangs are known for their wildness and unwillingness to answer to authorities.

    ¡°Let¡¯s face it, we¡¯re just cute and irresistible,¡± Emi grins. ¡°Certainly not as scary as the Dragonkin, not as incomprehensible as the Earthborn and not as unapproachable as Celestials.¡±

    ¡°Celestials can be cute, look at our Emperor,¡± Gotrid says jokingly. ¡°His wings are inviting everyone to pet them.¡±

    ¡°Except nobody would dare to caress Celestial wings,¡± Emi rolls her eyes and her ears twitch in amusement. ¡°Your race built yourself quite a reputation for being out of this world.¡±

    We chat for a few more minutes and Emi updates me on what she¡¯s been up to. A tiny part of me envies her¡ªshe¡¯s free to do whatever she wants and every day feels like an adventure. But I know that Celestials aren¡¯t made for that kind of lifestyle. Our bodies are frail, we need to eat a lot and we require comfortable living conditions.

    And then even that tiny bit of envy dissolves and I realise that I¡¯m deeply satisfied with my current life. Sure, I¡¯d appreciate being able to fly more frequently and for longer, but I love working for the benefit of my people and I have two amazing partners who support me in everything I do.

    When Emi ends the phone call, I decide to contact Twyla and ask her about Werden¡¯s condition. I trust that the best Earthborn healers are taking care of him, but I still worry.

    ¡°Werden is doing great,¡± Twyla blurts out happily because it¡¯s obvious why I¡¯m calling. ¡°We¡¯re currently growing new skin cells for his burnt parts and his body is more than willing to accept the transplant. He should make a full recovery.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± I smile, relieved. ¡°What about your ranch? Will you start rebuilding it right away?¡±

    ¡°Nah, forget the ranch, it outlived its usefulness anyway,¡± Twyla waves her hand. ¡°We are going to build ourselves a proper Earthborn habitat in a suitable forest somewhere.¡±

    ¡°You plan to build Traevamdra in the real world?¡± my jaw drops.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Twyla smirks proudly. ¡°It will be much easier and cheaper than building your ambitious flying city.¡±

    ¡°Building real-life Assiath is far in future,¡± I sigh.

    ¡°Actually, we started preliminary preparations already,¡± Gotrid interrupts us. ¡°Ever since you suggested it, the idea didn¡¯t let us sleep. Sure, it will be a slow and lengthy process, but all Celestials are more than eager to contribute.¡±

    ¡°What preparations?¡± I frown because it¡¯s the first time I¡¯m hearing it.

    ¡°For instance, we¡¯re purchasing crystals like crazy so there¡¯s already a shortage of them in some countries. And Liana set up a transparent account for donations,¡± Gotrid recounts.

    To be honest, I get a bit anxious about that. Yes, I do think that building Assiath in the real world is possible, but it will take decades. I don¡¯t want to give my people false hopes that it will be soon. Moreover, I don¡¯t even want to think about the fact that once Assiath is finally finished, Erik probably won¡¯t be here anymore to witness it.

    ¡°We¡¯d better start our preparations as well then,¡± Twyla says. ¡°Good for us, we will mostly use organic materials and let almost everything grow. A small basic settlement should be a matter of just a few months. The real challenge will be to find a suitable place that humans would be willing to give us. Assiath will float somewhere above the sea but still rather close to the land I suppose?¡±

    ¡°Probably,¡± I chew my lip. Frankly, I didn¡¯t have any time to think about it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep updating you on Werden¡¯s condition,¡± Twyla concludes. ¡°As much as I¡¯d love to see those who did it suffer, you decided right. The Earthborn stand behind you, Aefener.¡±

    I¡¯m glad to hear that. I was particularly worried about Twyla¡¯s reaction considering her husband was seriously injured and several Earthborn died during the attack. But it seems Twyla¡¯s positive spirit wasn¡¯t broken, Werden will eventually recover and the Earthborn are happy that I maintained peace.

    *****

    ¡°Your Majesty, the Clawfang ambassador Minoes,¡± Luviael announces solemnly and lets the Ambassador in.

    She¡¯s very different from Emi apart from the fact that Emi is a fox and Minoes resembles a house cat with warm light-brown fur and fiery orange eyes. It¡¯s their minds¡ªtheir temperament couldn¡¯t have been more different. Minoes is indeed as wild as a female Clawfang alpha gets, but where Emi is reserved and strict, Minoes is affectionate and chill.

    ¡°No animals in the Royal Office,¡± Vermiel frowns at her.

    Only now I notice that there¡¯s a black cat following her like a second shadow.

    ¡°That¡¯s okay, Vermiel, I allow it,¡± I wave my hand and watch the cat curiously. I get to witness Clawfang legendary beast taming in action!

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Minoes bows to me while the cat timidly hides behind her legs. Is it afraid of me? Sadly, Minoes is also rather fearful despite her otherwise confident personality.

    ¡°Please, sit down,¡± I tell her and she slowly takes the chair in front of my desk, putting the cat on her lap. ¡°Does it understand your commands?¡± I ask to make some small talk first.

    ¡°He does,¡± Minoes confirms with a careful smile, studying me. ¡°It took me some time to train him, but it wasn¡¯t that difficult. I had him long before the Great Evolution started, so we have been bonded already.¡±

    ¡°How do you communicate with him?¡± I¡¯m super-curious at this point which finally relaxes Minoes. She never expected a Celestial to be genuinely interested in beast taming.

    ¡°I can perfectly understand his body language and the sounds he¡¯s making,¡± Minoes explains. ¡°And I smell more like him than humans now. I instinctively know how to motivate him to learn new things faster and he naturally likes to follow me around.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± I¡¯m impressed. ¡°Can you train any animal?¡±

    ¡°There are limits,¡± Minoes admits. ¡°Prey animals are generally afraid of us, but we bond well with feline, canine, vulpine, ursine and other predatory mammal species. Not birds or lizards, though. I guess because our smell and way of thinking are too different. But maybe Celestials could give birds a try?¡±

    ¡°Not likely,¡± I shake my head. ¡°We don¡¯t have a habit of keeping pets and taming birds wouldn¡¯t give us any advantage. I think the Dragonkin might try bonding with lizards, but they aren¡¯t great with animals either. I suppose the title of beast tamers belongs to Clawfangs exclusively.¡±

    ¡°Beast taming is certainly starting to trend among my people,¡± Minoes nods. ¡°Cats, dogs, foxes, bears, wolves¡­ all those species respond to us naturally. I wonder if we will be able to tame Draconian animals. Should they appear, of course.¡±

    ¡°Draconian animals?¡± Erik puts his hand on my shoulder, puzzled.

    ¡°There weren¡¯t only hostile monsters ingame,¡± I explain to him. ¡°Some Draconian creatures were rather friendly and Clawfangs were taming them.¡±

    Minoes then tells me about her upcoming travel plans. Whereas Rien will remain stationed in our headquarters, Minoes will act as the ambassador for the EU and travel a lot. However, she will be coming back regularly to report.

    ¡°I was appointed to be your connection to Clawfangs and directly serve the Draconian government,¡± Minoes states clearly. ¡°Emi is still my Supreme Alpha, nothing changes about that, but I¡¯m willing to take orders from Your Majesty, provided they aren¡¯t in opposition to my Alpha¡¯s wishes.¡±

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    I quickly check her feelings. Clawfangs are notoriously known for not taking orders from anybody who isn¡¯t a proven alpha and definitely not other races, but Minoes doesn¡¯t mind taking orders from me specifically. It seems she considers me a valid equivalent to the Alpha.

    ¡°Thank you, Minoes,¡± I nod gratefully and lean forward to try to pet her cat companion. I¡¯m surprised when the animal flinches and quickly hides under Minoes¡¯s vest.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that he¡¯s scared of you, Your Majesty,¡± Minoes apologises for the cat¡¯s behaviour. ¡°Animals can¡¯t feel Celestial mana directly, but they can instinctively feel when someone is dangerous.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not dangerous,¡± I purse my lips.

    Minoes blinks a few times, confused, while Gotrid and Erik can¡¯t help it and chuckle.

    ¡°Right, you¡¯re not dangerous at all, love,¡± Erik laughs. ¡°You can only take down a huge monster on your own without breaking a sweat and you command an army of fierce angels who are absolutely devoted to you. But besides that, not dangerous at all.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it in a rude way,¡± Minoes says hastily, both embarrassed and scared of crossing the boundaries of what¡¯s proper towards the Emperor. ¡°What I wanted to say is that Your Majesty is so powerful that even someone who isn¡¯t able to feel mana directly can sense it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Minoes, it was a pleasure to get to know you. I wish you safe travels,¡± I say when the meeting is officially over.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay in touch with both Your Majesty and Rien,¡± Minoes promises. ¡°My Supreme Alpha entrusted me with the role of a liaison officer and I mean to honour it.¡±

    And then a huge misunderstanding happens. Minoes gets up a little bit too quickly while leaning forward too much and before I explicitly say that she can go. But just that is enough to startle my guards. A protective shield appears in front of me in the blink of an eye and poor confused Minoes finds herself surrounded by numerous transfiguration symbols. All of them are potentially lethal if unleashed.

    ¡°Dissolve your spells immediately, she has no bad intentions,¡± I order, my voice perfectly regal.

    I repeat myself telepathically to persuade them faster. The guards dissolve all the transfiguration symbols and return to their posts as if nothing happened. I hope Minoes hasn¡¯t been traumatised because she certainly feels scared shitless.

    ¡°Minoes, I¡¯m sorry, my guards can be overzealous and jumpy,¡± I apologise for their actions because I know they won¡¯t. The guards are convinced that they acted right, even if they were jumping to conclusions.

    ¡°Over-reacting is a weak word for it,¡± Erik catches his breath because that apparent demonstration of strength startled even him.

    ¡°On the contrary, I¡¯m glad to see that the Royal Guard can react so quickly,¡± Gotrid approves and is satisfied with their performance.

    Minoes barely kept herself standing and her fur is all puffed. All of that was because she didn¡¯t wait for my dismissal and stoop up too quickly. No wonder other races feel anxious around me. I bet they figured out much quicker than me what the Royal Guard is capable of to protect their Emperor.

    When Minoes leaves the Royal Office, I can tell she¡¯s deeply relieved. I sigh. That¡¯s not the kind of first impression I wanted to make. Minoes is a good person, eager to work for the benefit of Draconians. She doesn¡¯t deserve to be treated with suspicion.

    ¡°Sorry, did it scare you?¡± I turn to Erik and take his hands.

    ¡°I know what they¡¯re capable of,¡± he says, his voice shaking a bit. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect they would be this jumpy, especially when it comes to another Draconian.¡±

    ¡°I hate to break it to you, Erik, but Draconians aren¡¯t one homogenous group of people,¡± Gotrid has to remind him. ¡°It might appear to humans that way because we have to stand together now and we were forced to unite under one government, but we are very different from each other and this certainly isn¡¯t our preferred way of running things.¡±

    ¡°But Draconian battle units consisting of all four races are considered to be perfect,¡± Erik opposes because it challenges his current understanding.

    ¡°Sure, fighting in mixed groups is most efficient and we can generally cooperate well,¡± Gotrid admits. ¡°What we don¡¯t like, however, is living too close to each other. Moreover, under normal circumstances, there¡¯s no way other races would be allowed to see our Emperor in person. Except for race rulers, of course.¡±

    ¡°I bet you would love to hide Ryuu in a palace high in the sky if you could,¡± Erik rolls his eyes.

    ¡°Ideally,¡± Gotrid doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s all that extreme. ¡°But, unfortunately, we can¡¯t, so we¡¯re doing everything in our power to protect our Emperor using different means.¡±

    Erik sighs, but this isn¡¯t anything new to him. He¡¯s still finding Celestial behaviour alien and often downright fanatical, but nothing can really astonish him anymore. His only concern is me¡ªhe¡¯s sad when he sees that my freedom is being limited further and further.

    It¡¯s okay, I hug him and let him sense my feelings on the matter. I don¡¯t mind anymore.

    He¡¯s sceptical at first, but he calms down when he verifies my emotions. I really don¡¯t mind. Not anymore. I love my people even if they are acting fanatical towards me and I enjoy being the Emperor. I finally love who and what I am. I feel like I could conquer the world if I put my mind to it. Figuratively speaking, hopefully.

    *****

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, love, but there¡¯s no sugarcoating it,¡± Erik says strictly when he pushes me onto the hospital bed. ¡°I know you have Celestial metabolism so you don¡¯t have to go as often, but you haven¡¯t been to the toilet in DAYS.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel any urge,¡± I fight with him, but he¡¯s much stronger than me so I remain seated.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way you wouldn¡¯t even need to pee,¡± Erik insists. ¡°Let Noage check you and Julia will give you some laxative, no shame in that.¡±

    ¡°It will be over before you know it, Your Majesty,¡± Noage approaches me with a kind smile while Julia is already analysing the scans of my digestive system she took just a minute ago. Even with amazing Earthborn abilities, it would do us no good to abandon modern science.

    Noage connects to my left arm with his rooty tentacles and is thoroughly analysing me with his eyes closed. At one point, he starts frowning. I get restless, but I don¡¯t dare to pry into his mind because I don¡¯t want to distract him.

    ¡°Is something wrong with our beloved?¡± Gotrid gets pale when he notices Noage¡¯s and Julia¡¯s concerned expressions.

    ¡°Give us a few more minutes,¡± Julia says, also frowning.

    Erik and Gotrid start caressing my wings, more to calm themselves than me. They both hope it¡¯s nothing either human medical science or Earthborn healing powers wouldn¡¯t solve, but they are nervous nonetheless.

    Noage releases his tentacles after twenty long minutes of silent concentration and he relocates to Julia to discuss his findings. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with me, I feel more than fine, but I do realise that I haven¡¯t visited the toilet for several days now and that¡¯s certainly unnatural.

    ¡°So? Is Ryuu okay?¡± Erik loses patience when the doctors have been whispering with each other for several minutes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty, we wanted to be sure before telling you,¡± Julia apologises. ¡°We compared our findings and we¡¯re pretty sure that you¡¯re perfectly healthy. Healthy as someone as unique as you can be.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± I don¡¯t understand.

    ¡°It seems your transformation hasn¡¯t quite ended five months ago,¡± Noage explains. ¡°It was very subtle so I overlooked it, but your body kept slightly adapting even after your wings grew to their full size. It¡¯s probably the case for all Draconians, but even slower, so it will take months to take effect.¡±

    ¡°Long story short, His Majesty¡¯s digestive system can transform everything into mana now,¡± Julia summarises. ¡°Everything is getting digested without a trace.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ Ryuuto simply doesn¡¯t have to go to the toilet anymore? Never again?¡± Erik widens his eyes.

    ¡°It might be the case for all Celestials in a few months,¡± Noage speculates. ¡°Your bodies can¡¯t afford to waste even a calorie if you¡¯re flying every day and casting spells. It was thought to be impossible for an organism not to excrete, yet living evidence is sitting in this very room. And it¡¯s all thanks to your mysterious mana circuit, there¡¯s no other explanation.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good news,¡± Gotrid realises. ¡°If we do build Assiath in the real world one day, most of our import will be food. We eat a lot, despite our thin bodies. It would be beneficial if every calorie eaten was transformed into mana and nothing got wasted.¡±

    I caress my underbelly. It¡¯s a bit weird to imagine that my intestines work differently now and my mana circuit is dissolving everything without a trace there. But I¡¯m healthy according to Celestial standards and that¡¯s all that matters in the end.

    ¡°So we¡¯re going to use the toilet less and less frequently over time until we won¡¯t need it at all?¡± Gotrid concludes, happy about the prospect.

    ¡°Probably, still too early to say,¡± Noage shrugs. ¡°As always, your Emperor is first at everything.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m okay, I can go, right?¡± I demand to be released.

    ¡°Still afraid of hospitals, Your Majesty?¡± Julia raises her eyebrows, a bit sad. ¡°Even if you have us as your private physicians and no one else can touch you?¡±

    ¡°I trust both of you,¡± I assure them. ¡°It¡¯s the environment that makes me uneasy. And almost every time I end up here, you discover something strange about me so don¡¯t blame me for being nervous in advance.¡±

    ¡°The fact that Ryuu can come here without being dragged is a huge improvement,¡± Erik compliments my efforts. ¡°Besides, who feels relaxed when being examined?¡±

    ¡°Okay, you can go, Your Majesty, but we want to keep you under closer watch from now on,¡± Julia makes a condition. ¡°If Draconian bodies are still slightly adjusting, we should keep track and document everything. Since Your Majesty¡¯s transformation is the quickest, it can help us predict future development.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for more frequent visits,¡± I refuse.

    ¡°Which is an ongoing problem, I know,¡± Julia clicks her tongue. ¡°I keep telling Her Excellency that she can¡¯t be overworking you like this. She assures me that she will make changes, but it¡¯s back to frantic workaholism almost immediately.¡±

    ¡°Too much to do, too little time,¡± I stand up.

    ¡°So soon I¡¯ll have the toilet all for myself?¡± Erik realises in a sudden epiphany and his expression brightens. He starts grinning. ¡°Sweet!¡±

    Good for Erik I guess, no more sharing one toilet between the three of us, especially in the morning.

    *****

    I¡¯m staring at the date and it takes me a moment to fully comprehend it. I¡¯m leaving for Japan in just ten days. It¡¯s not a hypothetical future anymore, I¡¯m going to visit my homeland and there¡¯s no talking my way out of it now. It¡¯s really happening.

    ¡°Your Majesty, we are perfectly prepared for your arrival,¡± Gavreel, our Celestial ambassador for Japan, assures me because he notices the concern written on my face.

    ¡°Gavreel is right, they did everything we asked them to do,¡± Liana goes through a long list of security procedures and everything is shining green. ¡°Damn, their mansion might be even safer than our headquarters.¡±

    ¡°Only because we¡¯re not in the city centre and we can easily secure the premises around,¡± Gavreel says seemingly humbly, but he¡¯s beaming with pride. ¡°We even managed to duplicate the shield technology thanks to Rina¡¯s research team.¡±

    ¡°Well done, really,¡± Liana praises him and she¡¯s not easy to impress. ¡°The Czech Prime Minister promised to lend us her private jet, so there¡¯s finally nothing standing in our way.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to visit Japan,¡± Erik puts his hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°The homeland of our beloved,¡± Gotrid is moved.

    ¡°Bohemia is my homeland as well, I¡¯m half Czech,¡± I have to remind them.

    ¡°Sure, but these are your roots you never had a chance to properly discover,¡± Gotrid insists. ¡°Gavreel, will we be able to go sightseeing? It would be a shame to visit Japan and be locked in the mansion the whole time.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re currently working on that,¡± Gavreel nods with a smile. ¡°Prime Minister Ichikawa allowed us to vacate some of the most famous sites across Osaka for our visit. They are very helpful and cooperative.¡±

    ¡°Naturally, they don¡¯t want Celestials to leave Japan,¡± Liana comments realistically. ¡°Seeing how effective we are at eradicating monsters, they would be fools to let us go.¡±

    ¡°I beg Your Majesty to consider Japan a special case,¡± Gavreel says slowly. ¡°Sunako¡¯s family offered us to use their mansion as our headquarters and, with the security we put in place, we hope Your Majesty will treat it as his second home and will be visiting Japan regularly from now on.¡±

    ¡°Regularly?¡± I¡¯m taken aback by his suggestion and so is Liana. It¡¯s obvious Gavreel didn¡¯t consult it with her beforehand. On purpose, I bet.

    ¡°Draconia Online was originally a Japanese game, so many Draconians live here,¡± Gavreel tries to explain. ¡°More Draconians are living in Asia than in Europe so it would be beneficial if you were visiting regularly. I¡¯m sure it would prevent Asian Celestials from desperately trying to immigrate to Europe just to be closer to our embodiment of magic.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s...,¡± I get silent for a moment, thinking frantically.

    Gavreel¡¯s argument makes perfect sense, so I can¡¯t just disregard it. Why does it make me so anxious, though? Because my father is probably in Japan and he might do something to me? Or because I feel comfortable with my current life in Prague?

    ¡°We will see about that after our visit,¡± Liana answers for me because she can see I¡¯m hesitant. ¡°Your arguments are sound, we won¡¯t deny it, but this is about the safety of our Emperor.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not saying that you have to decide right away,¡± Gavreel says amicably. ¡°We want to convince you with our hard work. All we ask is that Your Majesty stays open to this possibility.¡±

    ¡°I will stay open,¡± I nod. I can promise that much at least.

    When the call ends, I have to take a deep breath. I don¡¯t know why it affected me so much. I¡¯m strong enough to take on a heligorr, I can create a mega shield around the whole skyscraper, human governments fear me. Yet, I feel panicky about visiting my homeland. Erik and Gotrid, sensing my inner turmoil, hug me in comfort and I finally calm down. Because I can count on them being there with me.

 77. Sense of Direction

    ¡°Ryuu, the war was avoided, surely you can rest now?¡± Erik puts his chin on my shoulder and tickles me under my feathers.

    ¡°Just a minute,¡± I approve another funding order and check how many there are left. Twenty-seven. Our Minister of Finances Evaniel did a very good job at preparing everything, but the final decision still has to go through me. Even though I told her that she has my utmost trust and my blessing to authorise it herself, she claimed that she would feel much better with my approval.

    ¡°You said that half an hour ago,¡± Erik complains. ¡°It¡¯s almost dinnertime.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ve finished your itinerary for tomorrow,¡± Luviael approaches my table and hands me a tablet.

    ¡°I have an objection,¡± Erik frowns after studying it briefly. ¡°Only two short coffee breaks?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Royal Consort, but we don¡¯t have any time tomorrow, the diplomatic visit is approaching fast,¡± Luvi apologises. ¡°War has been avoided, but there are hundreds of other matters that require His Majesty¡¯s immediate attention.¡±

    ¡°Wait, where¡¯s my flying session?¡± I panic because there¡¯s no time slot for that anywhere.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ we could skip one day?¡± my adjutant bites her lip nervously. She must have anticipated I won¡¯t like it one bit.

    ¡°I will go crazy if you don¡¯t let me fly regularly,¡± I protest. ¡°And I won¡¯t be able to concentrate with sore wings. Give me at least twenty minutes.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s never only twenty minutes with Your Majesty,¡± Luvi sighs. ¡°First of all, you need to change your clothes, then the guards have to secure the perimeter in the air and it¡¯s a real chore to make you return after such a short time when you don¡¯t have nearly enough.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take not nearly enough over nothing,¡± I say vehemently. ¡°You can¡¯t keep me on the ground all day, I¡¯m the embodiment of air and I need my daily exercise. This is part of my well-being, just make time for it, I don¡¯t care how.¡±

    Luviael bows, apologises profoundly and runs off to make adjustments to the timetable.

    ¡°How come you don¡¯t feel the urge to fly every day?¡± I turn to Gotrid, annoyed with my adjutant and her attempt to rob me of my joy. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me your wings aren¡¯t sore when you can¡¯t use them for hours.¡±

    ¡°I can skip a day,¡± Gotrid shrugs. ¡°Sure, I would love to fly every day, but if that can¡¯t be done, we don¡¯t suffer nearly as much as you.¡±

    I puff irritably and stretch my wings to the sides. I did go flying today, yet I¡¯d welcome one more chance to fly before dinner.

    ¡°Hon, you¡¯re making a mess,¡± Erik scolds me because I accidentally swept a stack of papers with my feathers.

    ¡°Aefener, what¡¯s that?¡± Liana speaks up from her desk and rolls her eyes. ¡°Have I just felt a breeze? Casting air magic inside is dangerous.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± I shake my head.

    ¡°You often do magic subconsciously,¡± Liana stands up and walks to me, but instead of further scolding, she gently caresses my feathers. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she sighs. ¡°I know that you need to fly much more than we do, but there¡¯s just so much work only you can do and not enough time.¡±

    ¡°I do realise that,¡± I say, but I intend to stand my ground. ¡°And I¡¯m trying to stay calm and focused all the time, but this is torture.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t thinking much about the word I just let out of my mouth. People use serious words in not-serious or downright funny situations all the time. Yet, the word ¡®torture¡¯ lands heavily for some reason. Everybody in the Royal Office stops working and looks at me in panic. I blink, confused. Did I say something wrong?

    ¡°Is this how you feel about it?¡± Liana is shocked and her hand petting my wings freezes. ¡°Oh, Aefener¡­ I¡­ we¡­¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that,¡± I wave my hands because everyone started to feel seriously disturbed because of it.

    ¡°You did, love,¡± Gotrid laments. ¡°And we were too preoccupied to notice that we¡¯ve been torturing our Emperor all this time. We¡¯re freaking out about your well-being, yet we fail to give you the one thing that¡¯s most important to you. We should be ashamed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about this, Aefener,¡± Liana is deeply saddened. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Luviael and the Ministers and we¡¯ll find a way how to make it work.¡±

    ¡°How about¡ªinstead of finding time for flying sessions in between meetings and tasks which is tricky¡ªmake it the other way around?¡± Erik suggests practically. ¡°Make his flying session a priority and structure everything around it.¡±

    ¡°That will be challenging, but we¡¯ll do our best,¡± Liana approves. ¡°Aefener, please, tell us your wishes and be blunt about it. You¡¯ve been hiding discomfort for too long and we¡¯ve been too blind to see that we¡¯re hurting you.¡±

    I look at Liana, then at my partners and everybody currently present in the room. I guess now¡¯s the right time to let my wishes be heard.

    ¡°I want to be able to fly twice a day,¡± I say and bite my lip because I know I¡¯m asking for a lot considering my packed schedule. ¡°An hour before lunch and an hour before dinner.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­,¡± Liana gulps. She wants to fulfil my wish, but what I¡¯m asking for is too much.

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to combine afternoon flying sessions with training,¡± I add quickly. ¡°Besides, it would be much safer to cast advanced spells in the air where we have proper space and don¡¯t have to be afraid of freezing or putting on flame nearby objects.¡±

    Liana¡¯s face brightens.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Taranah, but that could actually work,¡± she says enthusiastically. ¡°I agree that training in the fitness suite is too limiting and suitable only for beginners. We need to be able to execute spells in the air when many things can potentially distract us.¡±

    ¡°Also,¡± I cough to clear my throat so that everyone in the room can hear me, ¡°we seriously need to strengthen our wings. Flying around the skyscraper isn¡¯t enough. Celestials should be able to fly for hundreds of kilometres without any problems, yet you barely caught up to me when I flew away from you in the States.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, of course,¡± Liana admits. ¡°Ideally, we should be using our wings more than our legs. I understand and get your message loud and clear, my Emperor. We¡¯ll make necessary adjustments.¡±

    Wait, I got through? That easily? I expected Liana to list a thousand reasons why it¡¯s not possible. What gives?

    ¡°Aefener,¡± Liana pronounces my name with sadness and slowly continues caressing my feathers. She¡¯s feeling what I¡¯m feeling right now. Just as with my partners, I don¡¯t usually hide my emotional state from her when she touches me.

    ¡°We know that we¡¯re being overprotective and we know that you don¡¯t have any freedom as a result,¡± she says slowly. ¡°But we want to see you happy regardless, the Emperor¡¯s wellbeing is our priority. Yet, we were stupid enough to deny you the one thing that makes you most happy if I don¡¯t count your partners¡ªflying. Please, forgive us.¡±

    ¡°You should have said so sooner, my love,¡± Gotrid takes my hand and kisses it. ¡°We had no idea the absence of regular flying was hurting you so much. You never say anything.¡±

    ¡°Does he ever?¡± Erik sighs. ¡°You know Ryuuto rarely complains. Imagine how insufferable it must have been for him to finally speak his mind.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I feel so ashamed right now, it¡¯s us who should have known better,¡± Liana lowers her head. ¡°Aefener is both the embodiment of magic as well as air, how could we have been so ignorant? We haven¡¯t been protecting our Emperor, we¡¯ve been torturing him all this time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that horrible,¡± I say quickly because I can feel that everyone is really shaken by it. My guards are stepping nervously in one place and Luviael is hiding her face behind the tablet, embarrassed to the bone.

    ¡°Frankly, I sometimes get cramps in my wings,¡± Miruel guarding the door dares to speak up. ¡°His Majesty is right, Celestials belong in the sky.¡±

    ¡°We lost a track of what¡¯s truly important under that pile of never-ending work,¡± Liana nods. ¡°Erik is right, we should structure our schedules around regular flying sessions, not trying to squeeze them in between.¡±

    ¡°Just to be clear, it¡¯s not only about my wish to fly more,¡± I emphasise. ¡°Our bodies are frail so we have to make sure we don¡¯t get hit in the first place. We should be able to do aerial acrobatics, fly for hours and hundreds of kilometres without a sweat. So far, I highly doubt we can.¡±

    ¡°The Emperor has spoken,¡± Erik claps his hand impatiently. ¡°All the same, today¡¯s work is over. I don¡¯t care that you still have documents to look at, hon. If it¡¯s not a matter of life or death, it can wait until tomorrow.¡±

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    *****

    I tell Vermiel to position the guards further away because I want to try my divine speed. Vermiel doesn¡¯t like it at first, but he has to admit that nothing could ever hit me when I¡¯m flying that fast. I wink at Gotrid before I fully spread my wings, flap them mightily and use the air itself to propel me upwards.

    It¡¯s chilly and tranquil when I emerge above the clouds, but my sporty robe is warm. I left the guards below me (I overdid it again), so I tell them telepathically where I am and wait. They catch up in a few moments, I get scolded by Vermiel and we continue our flight.

    They took my yesterday¡¯s order very seriously and finally agreed that we can venture beyond the city. It would be impossible just two weeks ago but since then all the guards mastered the shield spell. Confident that they can protect me anywhere now, Liana okayed long-distance flights.

    ¡°Your Majesty, we¡¯re getting too far from Prague,¡± the Guard Captain warns me. ¡°We¡¯ve been flying in the same direction for thirty minutes now, we should return.¡±

    I look down and realise that what I¡¯m seeing under me are fields and greenery. My first thought is to ask Vermiel if we can land and enjoy some nature, but that urge disappears as quickly as it appeared. It was just a momentary whim, I don¡¯t feel like landing and I don¡¯t need to rest my wings just yet. I feel most comfortable here, up in the sky.

    ¡°Let¡¯s return, love, we will be late for lunch,¡± Gotrid says.

    I nod and we head back. I have no idea which direction we came from because I never pay attention to my surroundings when I fly. Strangely, it seems everyone in my flock is generally good at telling cardinal directions even without looking at their GPS. I really suck at it, no kidding. I once read that birds possess some kind of internal compass and the same is apparently true for Celestials as well, but I have literally nothing.

    ¡°Gotrid, do you feel where to go?¡± I ask my partner because he doesn¡¯t look at his navigation either.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± he answers. ¡°You don¡¯t, hon?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± I sigh. ¡°How can you tell?¡±

    ¡°The north is there and we left Prague from north-west, so¡­,¡± he starts to explain.

    ¡°Wait, how do you know so precisely?¡± I frown.

    ¡°I just feel it somehow I guess?¡± he shrugs and flies playfully around me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything,¡± I bite my lip and try to focus more. Maybe it just doesn¡¯t come as naturally to me as magic does. Still, I get nothing even with intense focus.

    ¡°Where would you head if you didn¡¯t have us?¡± he tests me, intrigued that I¡¯m not good at something for a change, especially because it¡¯s supposed to be natural to Celestials.

    ¡°There?¡± I point, uncertain.

    ¡°Why south?¡± he tilts his head.

    ¡°It just feels interesting,¡± I say vaguely. ¡°Like an adventure. Like a rift opening.¡±

    ¡°You feel a rift opening nearby, Your Majesty?¡± Vermiel panics because he overheard part of our conversation.

    ¡°Our Emperor was just being imaginative,¡± Gotrid calms him down. ¡°Let¡¯s speed up, I¡¯m getting hungry.¡±

    We head back, but I can¡¯t shake off that weird feeling that I would like to fly south. It¡¯s faint, but I even feel my body getting battle-ready. Maybe I just had too much coffee in the morning? An anxiety-prone person such as myself shouldn¡¯t overdo the caffeine.

    We land on the balcony closest to the Royal Office. I feel a slight emotional disturbance in Draconians, so I go to the Royal Office straight away without changing my clothes.

    ¡°Hi, hon, sorry that I didn¡¯t wait for you, but we have a situation,¡± Erik explains and is standing in front of Liana¡¯s computer.

    ¡°A serious situation?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Another monster attack,¡± Liana announces, staring at the live streaming.

    ¡°Is it going to be okay?¡± I worry. Monster attacks are becoming a rather regular occurrence, but I still worry that innocent people will die each time it happens.

    ¡°Two heligorrs,¡± she reports. ¡°But local Draconians are managing. It¡¯s one of the professional battle units we established recently. They are doing more than fine.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡± Gotrid asks eagerly.

    ¡°Austria,¡± Liana says. ¡°It¡¯s a country¡­¡±

    ¡°I know where Austria is, Viceroy,¡± Gotrid gets offended. ¡°I¡¯m not your stereotypical American who sucks at geography. It¡¯s south of Bohemia. South!¡±

    ¡°So?¡± Erik doesn¡¯t understand why Gotrid is so bewildered about it. I¡¯m starting to understand, but it has to be a coincidence. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d feel it when it¡¯s so far away.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to mean anything,¡± I take Gotrid¡¯s hand, hoping he will drop it.

    ¡°It turns out that our Emperor lacks any sense for cardinal directions which should be innate to Celestials,¡± Gotrid pushes it despite my efforts. ¡°Instead, he can sense in which direction a new rift is opening, even if it¡¯s hundreds of kilometres away.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence,¡± I insist. ¡°I just told you the first random direction that came to my mind back then. Is it so hard to accept that I suck at something for a change?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s test it then,¡± he grabs my hand and before I can do anything, he spins me several times to the point I get almost nauseous.

    ¡°Which way is the rift?¡± he asks me with urgency in his voice.

    ¡°Uff, you stupid, my head is spinning now,¡± I whine and massage my temples. ¡°Why would you do such a thing?¡±

    ¡°Answer the question, Aefener,¡± Liana stands up and her emotional state changes drastically. She¡¯s dead serious and won¡¯t take any excuses from me.

    ¡°There,¡± I point my finger and feel stupid because I¡¯m pointing to the wall. I¡¯m simply saying where I¡¯d head if I could fly again.

    It takes them a few minutes to asses precisely where my finger is pointing.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly right,¡± Erik exclaims in disbelief and hugs me. ¡°If Ryuuto flew in that direction, he¡¯d get to the rift eventually.¡±

    ¡°But I had no idea south is that way,¡± I say feebly. ¡°I suck at telling directions.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to know cardinal directions to instinctively point where the rift is, hon,¡± Gotrid caresses my feathers to calm me down. ¡°We¡¯ve just discovered that you possess another super sense, why do you feel down about it? It¡¯s amazing, you¡¯re amazing!¡±

    That takes me aback and makes me think. Why indeed? I used to be scared of my powers before because I desperately wanted to be normal, even though I was never human in the first place. When I changed, I hoped to be normal among Celestials at least and, obviously, that never happened either. It seems I¡¯m still reluctant to fully accept my abilities because it alienates me from others.

    ¡°So every time Aefener got lost, it wasn¡¯t because he¡¯s just hopeless at paying attention while flying?¡± Liana ponders. I¡¯m grateful that she can see my weaknesses and isn¡¯t afraid to talk about them. That¡¯s what friends do and something my subjects would never do.

    ¡°Not every time, he¡¯s still hopeless at paying attention when flying,¡± Gotrid chuckles. I nudge him, but I¡¯m glad that he¡¯s making fun of me. Nobody else would dare.

    ¡°If I may,¡± Vermiel speaks up, ¡°I think His Majesty¡¯s ability to feel rifts from huge distances might be interfering with his sense for cardinal directions.¡±

    ¡°That would make sense,¡± Liana agrees. ¡°We¡¯ll be testing it from now on. Aefener, every time you feel even a little bit tense and yearning to fly in a certain direction, tell us, okay?¡±

    I look at the screen again. Austrian Draconians just defeated the first heligorr and are decimating the second one. It¡¯s amazing what proper training and coordinated teamwork can accomplish in such a short amount of time. It gives me hope that we will be able to keep people safe. Stronger monsters might appear in future, but we are getting stronger with each passing day.

    Naturally, everyone is excited about my newly found ability and there¡¯s zero chance it would remain secret by the end of the day. To be honest, I¡¯d exchange it for the sense of general direction immediately if I could because that¡¯s useful in everyday life. But my subjects don¡¯t operate in the terms of common when it comes to their Emperor.

    ¡°I¡¯ll gladly be your compass, honey,¡± Gotrid comments jokingly.

    *****

    ¡°Fefnir, I missed you!¡± I want to go for a hug the moment I see my dear friend enter the office, but I stop myself at the last second. Right, annoying Royal protocol.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to be back,¡± Fefnir smiles, revealing his spiky dragon teeth. ¡°Erik, Gotrid,¡± he nods at my Consorts.

    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m Artisa,¡± a Dragonkin woman with grey and yellow scales bows deeply, but she doesn¡¯t prolong it unnecessarily which I appreciate.

    I study her. I saw her picture when she applied for the job, of course, but the Dragonkin are much more impressive in person. Artisa is shorter and much leaner than Fefnir and her head horns aren¡¯t that big, but I notice strong horns growing on her tail, something that Dragonkin males don¡¯t possess. Do females use them to fend against obtrusive suitors?

    I¡¯m catching some vibes from Fefnir who feels rather restless next to her. As for Artisa, it¡¯s obvious she¡¯s annoyed with him and won¡¯t hesitate to use her tail to hit him if he tries anything funny. Frankly, the Dragonkin gender dynamics are a mystery to me.

    Females make up only 25% of the whole Dragonkin population which wasn¡¯t a problem in the game, but it will most probably cause significant problems in near future. I recall Haldis and their unfortunate fate¡ªbeing rejected by their own people for being non-binary because females are so rare so the Dragonkin see it as a waste.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Artisa,¡± I greet her. ¡°I¡¯m so glad we finally have all the Ministers present.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to start immediately,¡± she says and studies me in return. I wonder what other races think when they see me for the first time, but I can¡¯t just touch her to find out. At least I can sense that she¡¯s both impressed and a bit intimidated by me.

    ¡°Good, you can start with putting together crafting teams,¡± I suggest. ¡°Your people have formed guilds already, but I need you to organise other races as well.¡±

    ¡°As you command, Your Majesty,¡± Artisa feels honoured. ¡°It¡¯s my job to ensure that Draconian races share their discoveries and trade fairly.¡±

    ¡°And mine is to keep Draconians safe,¡± Fefnir says, also proud about his task.

    ¡°Artisa, can I ask you to coordinate the Celestial research team first?¡± I ask. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I told my people to listen to your suggestions and there aren¡¯t only Celestials on the team.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Artisa smiles. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see your shield technology. Just imagine what we will be able to do if we combine Celestial magic and the Dragonkin crafting techniques.¡±

    ¡°The Dragonkin weren¡¯t overly cooperative so far,¡± I sigh. ¡°It will be your job to change that. I also ask you to make sure our inventions won¡¯t get stolen again. We need to establish proper trade between our races.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Artisa clicks her tongue. ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed about my liege¡¯s behaviour, Your Majesty, believe me. What he did wasn¡¯t right, he should have asked you. Moreover, that ring was a gift to Lady Anya from Your Emperorship.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t approve, but we couldn¡¯t go against our Patriarch,¡± Fefnir says, waving his tail guiltily.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not blaming you two,¡± I shake my head. ¡°Take the rest of the day off to unpack.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to meet the Celestial research team right away if that¡¯s okay with Your Majesty,¡± Artisa asks carefully, afraid she¡¯s overstepping her boundaries.

    ¡°Sure, if you wish,¡± I shrug because I don¡¯t see any problem with that. ¡°Why the rush, though? Sleep off your jet lag.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I want to see my babies,¡± Artisa chuckles.

    ¡°Babies?¡± I tilt my head, confused.

    ¡°Namph and Rina,¡± Artisa explains quickly, realising she confused everyone. ¡°I was their mentor ingame when they started playing and, being almost a decade older than them, I somehow ended up being their virtual mamma. It¡¯s a running joke and I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s understandable for anyone outside our little party.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s cute,¡± I smile, genuinely moved. ¡°I¡¯m glad you can be reunited with them in the real world. Go hug them.¡±

    When Fefnir and Artisa leave, I have a sudden urge to kiss my partners and I do exactly that. I¡¯m not embarrassed about it in front of others because I have so little privacy that I would be always waiting for the right opportunity. Seeing Draconians reunited with their ingame friends or making new bonds is heart-warming.

    ¡°Not that we don¡¯t enjoy it, but you still have to approve the final version of your itinerary,¡± Erik reminds me when I finally lean back.

    The itinerary he¡¯s talking about is my schedule for Japan. I look at the list, trying to imagine all those places I¡¯m going to visit. Japan might be my homeland, but these names are just words on paper for me, I don¡¯t feel any connection to my roots just yet. I can¡¯t help wondering how that¡¯s going to change in just five days. Will it give me a new sense of direction perhaps?

 78. Japan Here We Come

    ¡°Ryuu¡­¡±

    I don¡¯t want to wake up. I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s morning already because I still feel like sleeping for three more hours. We had so much work yesterday, so many things we had to finish no matter what before¡ª

    ¡°Love, wake up!¡± Erik tickles me under my feathers because I ignored him completely the first time.

    I unwillingly open my eyes, disoriented for a moment because I don¡¯t recognise my surroundings and my back is a bit stiff.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re too anxious to fall asleep during the flight?¡± Erik teases me. ¡°Your ability to fall asleep anywhere and anytime never ceases to amaze us.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re landing in twenty minutes and the maids need some time to make you presentable,¡± Gotrid jokes and he caresses my ruffled bed hair.

    ¡°Landing¡­,¡± I yawn and in that very second my drowsiness finally wears off. ¡°WE¡¯RE HERE ALREADY?!¡±

    I hurry to the window and look outside. We¡¯re not above the sea anymore, Japan is stretching below us. I hardly remember my childhood in Japan, but that view still moves me somehow. My homeland.

    ¡°Your Majesty, we don¡¯t have much time,¡± Ayala and Cien kidnap me for a makeover session because my current robe is crumpled from the long flight.

    ¡°How am I supposed to fly in it?¡± I protest because I see them holding brand-new ceremonial attire.

    ¡°Carefully,¡± Cien shrugs and starts to put on me layer after layer. In times like these, I¡¯m really grateful that I don¡¯t need to pee anymore.

    ¡°At least tie my hair,¡± I plead.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty, but we won¡¯t have any time to change you later,¡± Ayama says apologetically and braids my hair. ¡°The Prime Minister will be waiting for you at the airport to officially welcome you and the biggest Japanese media agencies will be present as well. You have to look gorgeous.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t he already?¡± Gotrid sends me an air kiss while Cien is helping him with dressing up as well.

    I see Erik change his shirt and take out a new jacket, but he¡¯s done quickly. If anything, human fashion is definitely more practical.

    ¡°I hope you slept well because we¡¯re not hitting the bed anytime soon,¡± Liana appears in our cubicle, perfectly dressed already. ¡°It¡¯s only eleven in the morning here and we¡¯re having lunch with the Prime Minister in an hour.¡±

    ¡°Ryuuto might be the only person on the plane who actually managed to take a nap,¡± Erik smirks. ¡°Everyone else was too nervous to doze off even for a minute.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m nervous as well,¡± I set the record straight. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ my brain is always so overwhelmed that it happily takes every opportunity to shut down.¡±

    ¡°We know, hon, we¡¯re just teasing you,¡± Erik winks at me and, because Ayala is done with me, she takes a moment to style Erik¡¯s hair.

    ¡°So, it will go like this,¡± Liana starts explaining. ¡°The Prime Minister will welcome us at the airport, but we shouldn¡¯t spend too much time on it, it¡¯s just necessary politeness. We¡¯re meeting him properly at lunch. The Japanese Royal Guard will escort us to the estate while Erik rides with Ichikawa.¡±

    ¡°Time for some quality bonding,¡± Erik tries to joke, but I can tell he¡¯s very nervous about it.

    He might be used to politics by now, but he doesn¡¯t know proper Japanese manners that well. He did want to spend some time and prepare in advance, but Liana decided it won¡¯t be necessary. He¡¯s the Royal Consort and thus represents Celestials. And Celestials bow to no one but their Emperor even if it¡¯s just symbolic and out of politeness.

    ¡°You will do fine,¡± I kiss him. ¡°Just remember that bonding means two very different things, especially in the Japanese context, so better not use that word with Ichikawa or he might misinterpret it.¡±

    ¡°Two different¡­ oh!¡± Erik finally understands and blushes.

    ¡°Just be yourself, you¡¯re natural at representing,¡± I kiss him again quickly before we¡¯re forced to sit down. We¡¯re landing.

    I realise how tranquil it was up there in the sky when the telepathic pressure intensifies. I¡¯m not feeling just the cabin crew and my subjects anymore because we¡¯re low enough for me to feel the city. However, it¡¯s not any different from Prague so I calm down.

    Landing is smooth and soon we¡¯re told that we can get off the plane. I become a bit shaky with anticipation, but Erik and Gotrid are standing by my side and Liana is here as well. And with all the guards we took with us and the Japanese Celestials joining them, there shouldn¡¯t be anything to be afraid of. Hopefully, not even my father.

    First, the guards get off, when we do. I take a deep breath of Japanese air and look below. There¡¯s a huge crowd of Celestials waiting for us, the Japanese delegation with Prime Minister Ichikawa and countless soldiers, mostly trying to keep the journalists behind the barricades. I¡¯m catching so many jarred emotions that I hope I won¡¯t develop a migraine on my first day here.

    ¡°His Majesty is finally here!¡±

    ¡°Oh, his mana is overwhelming!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s so beautiful!¡±

    The view is both mind-blowing and a bit scary. Japanese Celestials are as fanatical as their European and American counterparts, the media is just as intrusive and Japan is watching my arrival being streamed live. It would actually be funny if I tripped over my hellishly impractical robe.

    There¡¯s a protective shield all around the plane already¡ªthe Japanese Celestials sure didn¡¯t lose any time or took any chances¡ªand it looks like Minister Ichikawa has to fight for his right to greet me first because the Celestials behind him start pushing.

    ¡°Calm down, I¡¯m meeting the Prime Minister first,¡± I say regally and because my voice can¡¯t be heard in that commotion, I convey my words to Celestials telepathically.

    They have yet to experience my telepathy, so it takes them aback unprepared. They freeze and I can tell that Prime Minister Ichikawa is deeply impressed. From his point of view, I barely let out one sentence not everybody could hear properly, but it disciplined my people completely.

    ¡°Your Majesty, on behalf of the Japanese people, I officially welcome you home,¡± the Prime Minister greets me solemnly.

    It¡¯s clever of him to use the word ¡®home¡¯ as if I¡¯m their citizen and therefore somewhat bound to Japan. He wants to make it sound like it¡¯s in my interest to keep Japan safe just because I was born here. It¡¯s ironic considering my citizenship was rejected and I was deported to the EU. But I let it go for now. There will be time for making things clear between us later.

    ¡°Ichikawa-san,¡± I nod and use an appropriate suffix. I say a few more sentences in Japanese to demonstrate that I speak fluently, but then I switch back to English so that everybody can understand.

    I study Ichikawa¡¯s expression and intentions and I have to commend him for not averting his eyes. Not many people can withstand a Celestial gaze, our piercing golden eyes unnerve humans and mine especially. I sense that he will probably be a bit pushy with his agenda, but nothing malicious. Ichikawa seems to be an honest man who just wishes to protect his country. My second impression of him is the same as when I first met him at the New York conference which is always a good sign.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to our future cooperation, Your Majesty,¡± Ichikawa says politely and he really means it which is rare when it comes to politicians I¡¯ve met so far.

    ¡°Likewise,¡± I say not less honestly.

    ¡°My Emperor, everything is prepared for your arrival,¡± Gavreel finally gets to me because he couldn¡¯t exactly pull the Prime Minister aside while he was still standing right in front of me.

    ¡°Hi, Gavreel, nice to meet you in person,¡± I smile at our Japanese liaison officer.

    ¡°Majesty, I humbly ask¡­,¡± Gavreel bows deeply and doesn¡¯t straighten up for some reason. It¡¯s as if he¡¯s waiting for something.

    Oh, sorry about that, Aefener, Liana sends me her thoughts quickly. I¡­ehm¡­ I promised them that the Royal Guard will get your blessing earlier than the others as part of their new privileges. I forgot to mention it.

    I want to roll my eyes ostentatiously, but I can¡¯t because the cameras are watching my every move. Besides, I don¡¯t feel Liana is lying to me. She forgot about it because she had so many things on her plate.

    I resist sighing and stretch my right wing to Gavreel. When our feathers touch, I give him my blessing. I don¡¯t feel comfortable about giving it out in public, but the whole world knows about it anyway. Celestials are great at keeping secrets, but there were other races present when I discovered I can do something like this.

    Gavreel¡¯s expression changes in absolute bliss which makes other Celestials even crazier for their turn. They start to nervously flutter their wings and human delegates have to make more space for them. I touch all of them one by one and try hard to remember their faces. I often forget names, but never telepathic imprints.

    Fanatical, Erik comments irritably in his thoughts because my current guards have to make sure that nobody touches me on their own and, gosh, they do want that. But, strangely, I don¡¯t mind anymore. If it¡¯s about my people, my Emperor nature can pretty much put up with anything. It might not be healthy but that¡¯s how I feel about it now.

    I know that Erik doesn¡¯t like it. He thinks that they are constantly overworking me and won¡¯t leave me alone even for a minute if he wasn¡¯t by my side. And he¡¯s right about that. I love him for stealing me away from them from time to time. He¡¯s the sole reason I haven¡¯t collapsed yet. But I have responsibilities as the Emperor and this is one of them.

    I finally bless the last Celestial from my new reinforced Royal Guard and then look back at the Prime Minister. He¡¯s been staring at me the whole time, his expression seemingly unreadable. I¡¯m surprised to discover that he understands. Is it a cultural thing? Maybe giving out blessings isn¡¯t weird in a culture with Buddhism and Shintoism as their main religions.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Your Majesty, please follow us,¡± Gavreel is about to spread his wings, but I¡¯m still holding Erik¡¯s hand so he folds them back. ¡°The Royal Consort will be protected by the Japanese government, you have nothing to fear, my Emperor.¡±

    I know that, of course, but I¡¯m still afraid to part with him. If my father wanted to hurt me, I have no doubt he would go after Erik.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be okay, love,¡± Erik himself has to assure me. ¡°Just look at my escort.¡±

    He¡¯s right, as always. Because he¡¯s riding with Ichikawa, he will get all the protection the Japanese can muster. Moreover, I almost forgot that Noage is also riding with him. Noage and Erik are the only non-Celestials in our delegation because Julia insisted that we need a doctor with us. Considering how often I tend to faint, I didn¡¯t dare to argue with her. I notice that Noage is getting off quite late and he looks on the verge of puking.

    ¡°Your Majesty, let me be personally responsible for your Consort¡¯s safety,¡± Ichikawa says resolutely when he sees how hard it is for me to part with Erik.

    ¡°It¡¯s only half an hour,¡± Erik kisses me and finally gets in the presidential limousine.

    ¡°Your Majesty, we¡¯re ready,¡± Gavreel flies up and hovers in the air a few metres above us together with other Japanese Celestials who are performing a perfect tactic formation to prove that they aren¡¯t any less capable than my current guards.

    I¡¯m not thrilled about the idea of flying in a full ceremonial robe but, with some telekinesis, it¡¯s manageable. I fly up, my entourage merges with the Japanese escort and we depart. The flight is as intoxicating for me as any other time and I also have so many new things to look at, but every time I try to deviate from the course, the formation pushes me back.

    ¡°You will have time to explore tomorrow, Aefener,¡± Liana assures me. ¡°For now, try to behave. Your new guards are nervous enough so don¡¯t make it harder for them.¡±

    Because I can¡¯t play, I spend the time watching the city below us. It¡¯s so different from Prague, yet the same in certain aspects. For instance, Osaka retained its traditional historical core just as Prague did. Are people below staring at us I wonder? What do they think when they see our flock? Are they intimated? Amazed? Hopeful that we will protect them? Do they welcome me or fear me?

    The flight isn¡¯t as long as I hoped it would be. Although we¡¯re flying pretty slowly because most of us are wearing impractical clothes, we still reach our destination in just fifteen minutes. The mansion is hard to miss because it¡¯s protected by a shield. It¡¯s one of those old Japanese estates you see in historical movies. Our benefactors must be pretty rich to live in a place like this even though they claim otherwise.

    We carefully land in the courtyard one by one, aware of the limited space. There are Celestials everywhere I look and every single one of them is bowing and ravenously bathing in my mana. I feel anxious for a moment, but I forbid myself to think about it. These are my people, there¡¯s nothing to be anxious about.

    ¡°Your Majesty, let me introduce you to Sunako,¡± Gavreel says and calls a young girl, not older than thirteen, from the crowd. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to her and her family that we can have this lovely place for ourselves.¡±

    I look at the girl gently, not wanting to startle her. She has dark hair with golden stripes and wings that resemble a falcon. She¡¯s staring at me and bowing just as anyone else, but I can tell that her mind is playful and she loves flying with all her heart just as I do. I warm up to her instantly and I bet that we will do a lot of mischief together up in the sky.

    ¡°Hajimemashite, Sunako-chan,¡± I say in Japanese and give her my kindest smile. ¡°Thank you for letting us use your house. Are your parents okay with it?¡±

    ¡°It was them who suggested it,¡± Sunako answers timidly, but her voice isn¡¯t shaking. She¡¯s a confident young lady. ¡°They were so happy when I started to walk that they didn¡¯t care I became a different species.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love to meet them,¡± I smile again and touch her wing with mine. It feels right to give her my blessing. It feels good not to be forced into it for a change.

    Sunako¡¯s mind is young as is to be expected but, considering her age, her thinking is very mature. I see a lot of suffering when I glimpse her memories. Whatever her illness was before the transformation cured her, it was causing her constant pain. I can¡¯t help myself and despite the Royal protocol, I hug her. At least she had her loving family taking care of her, but no child should go through such a harrowing experience. I hope Earthborn medicine will help all human children in near future.

    I feel Sunako¡¯s tears wetting my robe, but they are tears of joy. She loves being a Celestial and she¡¯s relieved to see that her Emperor is kind and cares about others. For once, I don¡¯t sense anyone getting jealous that I¡¯m giving Sunako special attention. They know Sunako deserves it and we¡¯re all grateful for her family¡¯s hospitality.

    ¡°Your Majesty, Your Excellency, Royal Consort, this way, please,¡± Gavreel shows us the way.

    We¡¯re led through the spacious estate and because we walk slowly, I have time to admire the architecture. Sunako¡¯s family must have been very rich in the past, but when I look more closely, I notice that some parts of the estate aren¡¯t in such great shape and desperately need renovation.

    It seems Gavreel wasn¡¯t being humble in Sunako¡¯s stead when he said that it¡¯s more about keeping old traditions than being wealthy. But since the mansion was offered to become my official seat in Japan, I do not doubt that we¡¯ll pour a lot of money into it and bring the estate back to its former glory.

    ¡°We redecorated the biggest room to serve as your throne room, Your Majesty,¡± Gavreel boasts and leads us to a spacious room with an elevated platform in the back and a seating area by the sides.

    ¡°Like straight out of some samurai movie,¡± Gotrid comments, astonished. ¡°Are we okay with sitting on cushions instead of proper chairs, though?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s surprisingly comfortable for our Celestial spines so we decided to give it a chance, Royal Consort,¡± Gavreel explains.

    The throne room looks impressive, but I¡¯m not sure I like it. They are literally putting me on a pedestal while my beloved partners have to either keep standing or sit below me next to the throne. Still, it seems Gotrid doesn¡¯t see anything wrong with it. On the contrary.

    ¡°Do you want to try the throne right away, love?¡± he nudges me, excited.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like His Majesty can sit anywhere else,¡± Gavreel laughs slightly.

    ¡°Where¡¯s my seat?¡± Liana looks around, confused.

    ¡°On His Majesty¡¯s right,¡± Gavreel points.

    ¡°Down with the others?¡± she purses her lips, a bit offended.

    ¡°You will still sit closest to His Majesty if we don¡¯t count the Consorts, Your Excellency,¡± Gavreel says amicably. ¡°Besides, this applies only to official receptions, seating in the Royal Office should be as you¡¯re used to from the headquarters.¡±

    ¡°Come on, love, try it,¡± Gotrid takes my arm and pulls me onto the throne.

    I sit down and it¡¯s the weirdest feeling. It¡¯s not that high up, the estate is hardly a palace, but with everyone sitting on the ground, I feel inappropriate. I want to stand up again, but the throne room is getting crowded with Celestials pouring in.

    ¡°The Prime Minister and Royal Consort Erik should arrive in ten minutes,¡± Gavreel reports, checking his phone. ¡°Would you be so exceedingly kind to give a few more blessings before lunch, Your Majesty?¡±

    It¡¯s just a rhetorical question. A short blessing session before lunch is part of today¡¯s itinerary and I agreed beforehand with it. Honestly, I¡¯d rather go unpack and rest, but I know that I have duties to attend to. This is one of them whether I like it or not. Japanese Celestials make an orderly queue in front of the throne and they step forward one by one. I hope I can finish quickly because I¡¯m getting super hungry.

    When Erik finally arrives, I hurry to hug him. It¡¯s a bit silly because we were separated for only half an hour, but I was still worried. Erik is happy to be reunited with me, but he frowns for some reason.

    ¡°The Emperor is hungry and you still let him give more blessings?¡± Erik gets furious because he feels what I feel right now.

    The commotion calms down in a second and it¡¯s dead quiet all of a sudden. It¡¯s obvious Erik¡¯s accusation shocked everyone. Gotrid and Liana, who were discussing something in the corner during the blessing session, stop whatever they were doing.

    ¡°Love, why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± Gotrid hastily returns to me. ¡°We were waiting for Erik and the Prime Minister to arrive, but if you told us you¡¯re that hungry, we wouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Does he ever?¡± Erik sighs and I sense that he¡¯s both sad and a bit irritated about it. He thinks that I should express my needs and wishes more often and he¡¯s right. Still, even though I know I should, it just doesn¡¯t come naturally to me. I¡¯m not the type to complain or demand. I¡¯d rather finish my task if that task involves my people than consider my well-being.

    ¡°I wanted to wait for you,¡± I take Erik¡¯s hand, begging him not to make a scene in front of everybody, especially the Prime Minister who¡¯s watching everything.

    ¡°We¡¯re really sorry, Your Majesty, we were too eager,¡± Gavreel apologises profoundly and ends the blessing session immediately. ¡°Lunch will be served in a few minutes.¡±

    I have no idea how lunch is supposed to be served in a throne room, but Celestial attendants bring small tables and I¡¯m given a cushion as well. It seems I¡¯m allowed to sit in front of the throne for the meal.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t they prepare a normal dining room?¡± Erik complains when he sits down next to me. I hug him with my wing to comfort him because he feels out of his element.

    I study the seating order which is apparently so important to the Japanese. I¡¯m sitting in front of the throne, Erik to my right, and Gotrid to my left. Liana is to my right on the side followed by Luviael and my European and American entourage consisting of Soren, Taranah and others. The left side is taken by Japanese Celestials and Ichikawa¡¯s entourage.

    The attendants start bringing trays with dishes and I¡¯m really glad that I can start eating right away without waiting for everybody to be served. It¡¯s the others who can¡¯t start before I do. I hungrily sip miso soup and it tastes heavenly. I was eating it regularly in Prague as well, but this is genuine miso soup prepared by a Japanese person using Japanese ingredients. No European restaurant can match that.

    I see that Erik is not that thrilled about it, though. He¡¯s quite fond of a few Thai and Chinese dishes and he loves sushi, but he was never a fan of traditional Asian cuisine. He¡¯s European through and through. I predominantly eat European cuisine in Prague, but I guess some things like acquired tastes in childhood are impossible to lose.

    You know, I never understood how you can eat plain rice like that, Erik comments in his thoughts when he sees me ravenously gobbling a bowl of rice.

    Dunno, Japanese genes doing their work I guess, I say between gulps.

    Well, we should be grateful that you¡¯re eating without protests, he concludes, content in the end because I even ask for another helping.

    ¡°I heard that you¡¯re considering making Japan your second headquarters, Your Majesty,¡± Ichikawa starts a conversation nonchalantly when we finish lunch and coffee is served.

    ¡°Where did you hear that speculation?¡± I frown. I¡¯m sipping my latte slowly, afraid that if I finish it too quickly, they will take the table away and I will have to sit back on the throne.

    Ichikawa twitches a bit. ¡°I just want you to know that the Japanese government would support that wholeheartedly.¡±

    ¡°To be clear, I¡¯m not here as the Draconian Emperor,¡± I say aloud so that everybody can hear me. ¡°I¡¯m here as the Celestial Emperor visiting his subjects. The Draconian government stays in Prague and that¡¯s final.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty,¡± Ichikawa is taken aback by my straightforwardness, but he recovers quickly. ¡°You¡¯re open to making Japan your residence, though?¡±

    ¡°I can promise only that I¡¯m open to that proposition,¡± I nod and I¡¯m not saying it to just the Prime Minister. Japanese Celestials need to hear it as well.

    ¡°That¡¯s all we ask, Your Majesty,¡± Ichikawa tries to smile a little. It¡¯s obvious he doesn¡¯t do it often because it comes out cringy.

    We keep talking, but we¡¯re not going into details. It¡¯s just a matter of getting to know each other today. Erik is great at small talk and Ichikawa gradually relaxes in his presence. In a room full of Celestials, he must see Erik as the only reference point. That¡¯s Erik¡¯s human power¡ªhe¡¯s our precious bridge.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I ask because I notice that Celestials are getting more and more restless over time.

    ¡°They don¡¯t like you still sitting on the ground when you¡¯re not eating anymore, Your Majesty,¡± Gavreel explains. ¡°Also, they hope you will finish blessing those who didn¡¯t get their turn yet.¡±

    I masterfully hide my discomfort when I¡¯m forced to return to the throne. Liana takes the Prime Minister to the Royal Office to discuss our tomorrow¡¯s agenda and I¡¯m left with my subjects. As much as I¡¯m happy about getting to know them, giving out blessings is far from having a pleasant chat over a cup of coffee with new friends.

    Still, I can¡¯t bring myself to say no when I see how important it is to them. How happy they are that I touch them for a few moments of a brief telepathic connection. I don¡¯t want to sit on the pedestal, but, at the same time, when I look at them, I do see them as my subjects I have to protect. No matter how tired I am, my love for them keeps me going.

    I glance at Erik when I have a second to spare and catch him intently watching me with a concerned expression. He¡¯s mad at Celestials for treating me like a god who doesn¡¯t need to rest or have a private life. He might not have any special magical powers, but he took it as his mission to protect me from them. All this time I thought that I was protecting him while it was the other way around.

    When he notices that I¡¯m starting to get exhausted because the blessing session took much longer than was anticipated and then we had to attend a two-hour long welcoming ceremony, he stands up and insists we call it a day. Gotrid supports him and, fortunately, nobody dares to argue.

    Celestials are sad to see me leave, but at least they understand that jet lag is a bitch. We don¡¯t have any energy to explore our beautiful suite and we fall asleep as soon as we land in bed. Something tells me that this will be no holiday.

 79. Love Undivided

    I slowly open my eyes and what I see is an unfamiliar ceiling made of wood. The curtains are closed around the bed, but the light breeze and brightness reveal that it¡¯s morning and the maids opened the window already.

    Erik and Gotrid are still sleeping. They usually wake up before me, but they were jet-lagged, unlike me who managed to take a nap on the plane. I decide to let them sleep a bit more and carefully slip from their grasp. I have to smile when I see that Erik hugged Gotrid¡¯s wing instead of mine.

    I open the curtain and I¡¯m silently greeted by Cien and Ayala. They quickly put a light morning robe on me and I get warm slippers. I¡¯m tempted to go on the porch to take a breath of fresh air which is leaking inside through a half-opened shoji screen and, surprisingly, I¡¯m allowed to do so. Bright sunlight doesn¡¯t hurt my Celestial eyes and I stretch to the sides, yawning.

    It feels surreal¡ªlike I woke up in a different world. And it took just a few steps from my bed to be outside. I didn¡¯t have to ask for lengthy permission and my mind isn¡¯t overwhelmed from the very morning. It¡¯s tranquil and the garden is beautifully minimalistic.

    I smile to myself. It¡¯s not true that Celestials hate greenery. We just don¡¯t like the overgrown chaos that the Earthborn prefer with things that can make our wings dirty and bugs that sting. This is perfect, though. Neatly cut lawn, a few trees and bushes, a small pond, clean benches to sit on, decorative rocks and some gravel.

    ¡°Your Majesty, I hope you slept well,¡± a Celestial woman with short black hair I blessed yesterday at the airport greets me, bowing in front of me on one knee like some medieval knight.

    ¡°I did, thank, you,¡± I say and gesture that she can stand up. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Sareash, Your Majesty, your new Guard Captain,¡± she introduces herself and happily flutters her brown wings. ¡°It was my duty to train the Japanese Royal Guard and now it¡¯s my duty to ensure Your Majesty¡¯s safety during your precious visit.¡±

    She¡¯s looking at me with anticipation, waiting.

    ¡°Please, continue to do so,¡± I nod and Sareash feels immensely relieved. It was Liana who was working on the Japanese Guard postings because I gave her that authority, but Sareash still feels at ease hearing it from my mouth directly.

    ¡°What¡¯s the time?¡± I ask Cien.

    ¡°Half past six, Your Majesty,¡± the maid answers. ¡°Would you like to have breakfast right away? The court reception starts at eight so we have a lot of time.¡±

    ¡°A bit later, I¡¯ll wait for my Consorts,¡± I shake my head and turn to my new Captain. ¡°Would it be okay for me to walk the garden a bit?¡±

    ¡°Of course, the whole estate is fiercely guarded and this inner courtyard is just for Your Majesty, the Consorts and the Viceroy,¡± Sareash says. ¡°We hoped you would enjoy some greenery.¡±

    ¡°I definitely would,¡± I admit. It¡¯s so different from my life in Prague. I could never visit the premises around the skyscraper. But here, there¡¯s a lovely garden right next to my bedroom and I can go exploring without a lengthy permission process.

    I walk around, feeling quite free. The courtyard is surrounded by the building complex from all sides and the whole state is protected by the shield so the guards aren¡¯t nervous about letting me roam a bit. I could get used to that.

    I sit on a bench next to the small pond and let my wings fall on the grass. I take a deep breath and try to enjoy the peaceful scenery. I¡¯m thankful that my subjects are giving me some space for a moment.

    I close my eyes and try to taste what Japan feels like. I mostly feel the Celestials in the mansion, but when I focus, I can catch the overall vibe of the city. It¡¯s astonishing to fully realise that I¡¯m nine thousand kilometres away from my home in a totally different culture¡ªa culture that¡¯s supposed to be mine as well. I do speak the language, but I¡¯m a foreigner here. Will that change?

    ¡°Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?¡± Erik says all of a sudden, standing on the porch with Gotrid. I was so lost in thoughts that I didn¡¯t notice my partners woke up.

    ¡°What?¡± I open my eyes and laugh. ¡°I¡¯m wearing pyjamas.¡±

    ¡°Celestial Royal pyjamas,¡± Erik reminds me and I notice he¡¯s pointing his phone at me.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t!¡± I stand up, horrified, and hurry to him, trying to steal the phone from his hands.

    ¡°I did,¡± Erik smirks and stretches his hand up. He¡¯s taller than me so I can¡¯t reach it.

    ¡°I took another one just in case yours came out blurry,¡± Gotrid chuckles so I turn to him, frowning. ¡°Enjoying a peaceful morning without us, love?¡±

    ¡°It was peaceful before you two showed up,¡± I purse my lips.

    ¡°What¡¯s the commotion?¡± Liana opens one of the shoji screens that leads to her suite and she¡¯s yawning. ¡°This estate isn¡¯t soundproof, you know. The walls are paper-thin, literally.¡±

    ¡°Hi, Li, sorry about that,¡± I greet her and give up the feeble attempt to steal my partners¡¯ phones to delete that bed-hair photo.

    ¡°Your Majesty, would you like to have breakfast now?¡± Cien asks me again because we¡¯re all awake.

    ¡°Yes, and I¡¯d like to eat with my Viceroy,¡± I say.

    ¡°As you wish,¡± Cien bows and runs off to fulfil my request.

    ¡°Thanks for inviting me,¡± Liana appreciates and my heart aches a little. She says that as if I¡¯m doing her a favour. As if it¡¯s not just a normal breakfast with friends but an honour.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid mornings will be the only tranquil time we will have here so we¡¯d better enjoy it,¡± Erik sighs. ¡°We start at eight and our itinerary is full till the evening.¡±

    ¡°What about a short flight before they bring the food?¡± I suggest hopefully. It feels so easy to just fly up when I¡¯m already outside. I look up and the sky is so tempting.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you even think about it!¡± Erik catches my wrist, panicking.

    Only now I notice that I spread my wings without intending to do so. It might seem like an insignificant body gesture, but I startled everybody, including Liana and my partners. My new Guard Captain Sareash is gasping for air, realising for the first time that if I really decided to fly, nothing in the world could stop me.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t,¡± I fold my wings again. ¡°It was just a reflex, geez.¡±

    ¡°There will be time for that in the afternoon,¡± Liana assures me. ¡°Until then, don¡¯t go repeating something like that, please. Japanese Celestials are nervous as it is because they are responsible for your safety.¡±

    Gotrid nudges me back inside, Liana joins us and we wait for breakfast to be served. It gives me a few minutes to study the interior d¨¦cor which I didn¡¯t manage yesterday because we were too tired. I have to admire once again how traditional everything is. We¡¯re sitting on the tatami flooring, the low table is antique and the wall scrolls as well.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think my body is made for sitting on the ground all the time,¡± Erik complains.

    ¡°Take my cushion so that you can sit higher,¡± I throw my cushion at him and sit on my calves instead of my butt. I straighten my back and let my wings fall on the tatami floor. Oh, it¡¯s so comfortable for my Celestial spine!

    I get two kinds of reactions. The European and American Celestials don¡¯t like the idea of their Emperor sitting on the floor while the Japanese are overjoyed that I¡¯m adopting their culture so well. Their culture¡­ or my culture?

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, Cien, really,¡± I say when the maid quickly brings me another cushion, but she won¡¯t take ¡®no¡¯ as an answer.

    Breakfast is served and while I cheer when I see it, Erik has to try hard not to roll his eyes. This isn¡¯t the typical continental breakfast he¡¯s used to, we¡¯re given traditional Japanese dishes again.

    How can anyone eat fish for breakfast? he complains in his thoughts because he doesn¡¯t want to offend the Japanese. Uch, and this egg omelette is sweet.

    I¡¯ll take it if you don¡¯t want it! I stretch to him and he delivers the tamagoyaki into my mouth.

    ¡°Aefener, we have more than enough food,¡± Liana scolds me for bad table manners. ¡°Also, no telepathy.¡±

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    I can¡¯t stick my tongue at her because the Japanese Celestials are watching us and they are horrified as it is by our lack of formality. I shrug and start to gobble rice. Pure carbohydrates, lovely. Erik tries the fish and he admits that it¡¯s delicious, the problem is that it¡¯s weird for him to eat something like that for breakfast.

    ¡°I might actually gain some weight here,¡± I boast when I see all those plates and tiny bowls I¡¯ve emptied. Gotrid and Erik look at each other with resigned expressions, but they feel a tiny bit hopeful.

    After breakfast, Liana returns to her suite to get changed and so do we. Our luggage is mostly full of clothes which take up a lot of space. Erik goes to take a quick shower because, unlike us, he naturally sweats, but when he returns, I¡¯m still not finished.

    ¡°Save me!¡± I beg dramatically.

    ¡°For real?¡± Erik allows himself to roll his eyes this time when he notices that my newest ceremonial attire has a long train of ornamented cloth I¡¯m going to be dragging behind me probably all day.

    ¡°There will be no flying in this dress so we could finally bring it out,¡± Ayala explains proudly. ¡°Isn¡¯t it beautiful? A masterpiece!¡±

    ¡°Gotrid¡¯s robe is ceremonial, but still okayish,¡± I comment venomously, looking at my second partner who¡¯s done changing already.

    ¡°Lord Gotrid needs to look representative next to you, but he won¡¯t get all the attention,¡± Ayala says. ¡°Nobody will be evaluating his clothes.¡±

    ¡°Wait, who¡¯s going to evaluate mine?¡± I freeze, confused.

    ¡°The Japanese,¡± Cien explains matter-of-factly, combing my hair, and her emotions flutter. ¡°We expect they will present you with new attires of their own making as gifts. We can¡¯t afford to look shabby.¡±

    ¡°Cien, we¡¯re the same race, what¡¯s that competition about?¡± I don¡¯t like it one bit. It¡¯s as if the Japanese Celestials want to show off that they are better subjects. But that¡¯s just¡­ absurd!

    ¡°No competition,¡± Cien hums, continuing to style my hair, but I can tell she¡¯s lying.

    ¡°I won¡¯t allow any rivalry,¡± I click my tongue. ¡°This is not a race in which the winner gets my favour. I love all my subjects equally.¡±

    ¡°Your Japanese subjects desperately want to impress you, it¡¯s natural,¡± Liana returns, dressed in a beautiful blue-silver dress.

    Evaluate? Desperately impress? Competition? Natural? I realise that I don¡¯t get it. I mean, I do understand the words separately, but I don¡¯t feel like I truly understand the whole concept. My heart aches again with inexplicable sorrow and, for some reason, I suddenly feel deep sadness and irritation.

    I try to keep those emotions contained inside me, but they pour out like a telepathic flood. I panic because there¡¯s no stopping it. My mana circuit reacts and amplifies it even further. The telepathic shockwave then hits all Celestials in the mansion and vicinity at the same time.

    ¡°Love?!¡±

    Both Gotrid and Erik hurry to me, startled. I¡¯m as confused as they are when my eyes get wet.

    ¡°Aefener, you¡¯re¡­ crying?¡± Liana opens her mouth, astonished. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± I try to dry my eyes into the sleeve of my new robe, but they keep coming because my heart keeps aching. ¡°I just feel so sad to see my people compete with each other for my attention.¡±

    I can¡¯t properly explain it, but that deep sadness seems to be coming from my Emperor¡¯s nature itself. I can put up with pretty much anything, even my non-existent freedom and lack of privacy, but this one thing I can¡¯t bear to see.

    ¡°Tell Gavreel we will be late for the morning reception,¡± Liana quickly tells Ayala and tries to keep calm despite everyone being on the verge of panic.

    I want to assure them that I¡¯m fine, but tears keep pouring down my cheeks and I can¡¯t stop my mind from touching the Celestials in the mansion. I feel that the Japanese are confident about their gift, hoping to win me over. I sense fear from my Prague entourage that I might choose Japan in the end. And I hate it.

    ¡°Sit down, hon,¡± Gotrid and Erik lead me back to the bedroom.

    I hug them and find refuge in their loving minds. It¡¯s been a long time since they competed against one another. Ever since they fully understood how I hate it and that I really love them equally, they simply stopped. They still tease each other, but it¡¯s friendly and often downright funny. Therefore, they know what I¡¯m going through right now and why it hurts me so much.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, what¡¯s wrong, Aefener?¡± Liana sits next to us and gently caresses my feathers. ¡°Please, talk to me.¡±

    ¡°This is the one thing I can¡¯t tolerate, Li,¡± I say between silent sobs. ¡°I can¡¯t bear to see my people divided. I can¡¯t choose between Europe and Japan, I just can¡¯t. I won¡¯t be swayed by gifts, bows and pompous gestures. I love all Celestials equally and nothing will change about that.¡±

    Liana is staring at me for several long seconds, biting her lip and thinking frantically. Then she performs an exemplary facepalm.

    ¡°We were so stupid!!!¡± she berates herself.

    ¡°I suggest you go explain the situation to the Japanese while we calm down our beloved,¡± Erik says, grinding his teeth.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Aefener, I¡¯ll make it right,¡± Liana tries to smile at me encouragingly, stands up and hurries to the throne room.

    ¡°We heard you loud and clear, love, you can stop crying now,¡± Gotrid dries my tears with a tissue. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a Celestial who wouldn¡¯t feel your emotional state just now. You have a way of giving us a hard lesson.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a very regal message. Some Emperor I am for breaking down like that,¡± I try to stop, but I sob a few more times.

    ¡°You¡¯re the Celestial Emperor, one of a kind, stop comparing yourself,¡± Erik tickles me under my feathers. ¡°You getting sad will give them a much stronger message than you getting wrathful. Your kindness isn¡¯t a weakness, Ryuu, it¡¯s your strength. Only someone like you can manage a race of powerful angels with a superiority complex.¡±

    ¡°With a ruthless Emperor, it¡¯s possible Draconians would be at war with humankind already,¡± Gotrid seconds. ¡°We¡¯re extremely lucky that we have you. I think even humans must have realised it.¡±

    That finally calms me down and I stop crying for good. Maybe tears are beneficial in certain situations. I don¡¯t think explaining the situation to my subjects rationally would get it across. If it tortures them to see their Emperor so saddened, hopefully, it will make them do some changes.

    ¡°Still, I¡¯d rather face my subjects and talk about what I don¡¯t like openly,¡± I sigh, disappointed with myself.

    ¡°Nevertheless, it¡¯s a big step forward that you didn¡¯t keep it suppressed this time,¡± Erik praises me. ¡°Don¡¯t feel embarrassed, you cried because you love your people so much and that¡¯s admirable.¡±

    I¡¯m a bit uncertain about appearing in front of my subjects when every Celestial in the mansion must have felt my momentary breakdown, but my partners assure me it¡¯s going to be fine. I wash my face, Ayala fixes my hair and we¡¯re good to go.

    ¡°We¡¯re forty minutes late,¡± I worry.

    ¡°So what,¡± Gotrid shrugs. ¡°You¡¯re the Emperor, love, when will you finally understand that it doesn¡¯t mean only a mountain of responsibilities, but also a ton of privileges? Nobody will even blink if you come late.¡±

    That leaves me wondering for a moment. I¡¯ve always thought Liana is the workaholic among us, yet I gradually slipped into the same mode without noticing. I love my free time, but I¡¯m not able to procrastinate anymore and I work long hours and think it¡¯s normal. At some point, I stopped considering my well-being and devoted everything to my people.

    I guess it happened around the time when I finally fully accepted that I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor. I was in denial for months and then I realised that it¡¯s not just a temporary role, but a part of who I am as much as what I am. And now I¡¯m not able to make any distinction.

    ¡°Of course, my love,¡± Gotrid catches what¡¯s going through my head and chuckles. ¡°You¡¯re the embodiment of magic. You¡¯re divine.¡±

    I poke him, embarrassed. I won¡¯t deny being the embodiment of magic anymore, but that doesn¡¯t mean I will be conceited about it. I will never feel comfortable on a pedestal. Never. Being the embodiment of magic is WHAT I am but my kindness and modesty are part of WHO I am.

    Still, a pedestal is waiting for me when we finally arrive at the throne room. Everybody gets absolutely quiet when I appear and stays in a deep bow until I cross the room and sit on the throne. Gotrid quickly helps me with my robe¡¯s long train of cloth and goes to sit on a cushion next to the throne with Erik. I nod at everyone so that they can sit down as well and spend a few moments analysing the atmosphere.

    I don¡¯t feel any rivalrous tension anymore, only anxiety and even guilt¡ªthey feel mortified about their actions. They made their Emperor cry which isn¡¯t something to take lightly or forget easily. It¡¯s obvious they would rather face my wrath than tears. Wrath is me disciplining them while tears mean that their Emperor is desperate.

    I see Sareash sitting behind Gavreel in the second row, whispering to him. When did she disappear from my side? I didn¡¯t notice for all that crying. Did she run to him to report what she witnessed first-hand? Their wings are shaking with distress.

    Liana moves from her seat into the middle of the room, right in front of me. I hate to see her kneeling. I clutch the handles of my throne to calm down. I can tell she switched her mindset just now. It¡¯s not my friend bowing in front of me, it¡¯s my Viceroy.

    ¡°Your Majesty, we beg your forgiveness,¡± she starts. ¡°It was stupid of us to compete for your love.¡±

    ¡°Do you understand why?¡± I ask simply. I have to make it clear once and for all.

    ¡°Because you have enough love for all of us,¡± Liana says with a hint of a smile. ¡°Gavreel?¡± she calls for our Japanese liaison officer.

    Gavreel stands up only to kneel next to her.

    ¡°Whether you will decide to make Japan your second residence or not, we understand now that it has nothing to do with your love towards Japanese Celestials,¡± Gavreel states firmly.

    I study everyone¡¯s feelings, hoping that they aren¡¯t saying it just to make me happy for the moment. I¡¯m immensely relieved to discover that my outburst of sadness really opened their eyes. They realised how silly their attempts to win me over were because there was never anything to compete about¡ªmy love for my people is undivided.

    ¡°We have a gift for you, my Emperor,¡± Gavreel says solemnly. ¡°Please, don¡¯t think that we¡¯re trying to buy your favour. We simply wish to give you something beautiful as a token of appreciation for all those things you¡¯re doing for us.¡±

    ¡°Present your gift then,¡± I allow because I feel that their new intentions are genuine. I can accept gifts if there are no strings attached.

    I¡¯m a bit afraid that they will give me something impractical and I will have to play polite enthusiasm, but what they bring amazes me. My jaw drops and I have to stand up and go touch it right away. I¡¯m looking at the exact replica of my ingame Emperor armour!

    ¡°This¡­ isn¡¯t a cosplay, right?¡± I ask and hope I don¡¯t sound stupid. The armour is black with gold lining and a white robe underneath. Metal parts are firm when I inspect them. Naturally, Celestials aren¡¯t strong enough to wear full-metal armour like the Dragonkin, so it¡¯s still mainly cloth, but certain strategic parts are reinforced.

    ¡°It¡¯s made of heligorr chitin, Your Majesty,¡± Gavreel explains, grinning and overjoyed that they managed to pleasantly surprise me.

    ¡°It¡¯s gorgeous,¡± I let out, caressing the armour. They replicated it to the last detail including the shoes. Sure, I still can¡¯t afford to get a direct hit from enemies, but it should be able to withstand some heat of a battle.

    ¡°Of course, we won¡¯t let you get hurt in the first place, Your Majesty,¡± Gavreel adds quickly. ¡°We just thought it would look great on you and add another layer of protection.¡±

    ¡°I want to try it on immediately,¡± I blurt out impatiently.

    ¡°In the afternoon, Your Majesty,¡± Liana smiles. ¡°When it¡¯s time for your flight, is that okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I nod, mesmerised by the gift.

    ¡°We can¡¯t wait to see you wearing it, love,¡± Gotrid takes my hand and leads me back onto the throne.

    The morning reception continues and it¡¯s much more relaxed than yesterday. Any traces of rivalry between my entourage and Japanese Celestials disappeared and the mood became elevated when the reason for the initial tension dissolved completely. I feel at ease. There¡¯s a ton of work waiting for me, but I have no doubt we can get through anything if we stand united.

 80. Heritage

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too tight, Your Majesty?¡± Ayala asks when she finishes tying my new battle armour.

    I slowly turn around, stretch my arms as well as my wings and take a few steps around. It does weigh much more than a normal sporty robe for flying, but it¡¯s still manageable and surprisingly comfortable. I shouldn¡¯t have any issues wearing it for a few hours and it doesn¡¯t look as menacing as the Dragonkin armour.

    I step in front of a mirror and study my reflection. And I love what I see. This is me and I don¡¯t care how alien I might look to humans. I won¡¯t try to make myself more approachable any longer. This is the genuine me in my full Celestialness and there¡¯s only one human whose opinion matters to me¡ªErik¡¯s.

    ¡°How do I look, hon?¡± Gotrid appears from behind a screen where Cien has been tying his battle armour to surprise me. He also got one as a present, a variant with a silver lining whereas mine is golden.

    ¡°Magnificent,¡± I grin at him. ¡°Hey, how come you look somewhat better in it than me?¡±

    ¡°I have more muscles,¡± he boasts, laughing. ¡°You look godly, love, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°No, take it off, I feel funny,¡± I suddenly hear Erik arguing with the maids in the adjacent room. ¡°Why can¡¯t I wear a suit? I bought a bunch of new ones.¡±

    ¡°It fits you really well, Royal Consort,¡± one of the Japanese maids is trying to persuade him. ¡°I know that it¡¯s just a gesture, but it would help to sway the general public if you showed you care about our culture.¡±

    Ayala finishes braiding my hair and I hurry to curiously spy on Erik changing. I freeze, astonished. Erik is someone who was just born to wear suits so how come he looks so natural in a traditional formal men¡¯s kimono as well? I have to try hard to suppress arousal. Erik catches my sudden burst of erotic excitement and turns to me.

    ¡°I look weird, don¡¯t laugh,¡± he whines, embarrassed.

    ¡°You-look-gorgeous!¡± I pause every word and, in a second, I¡¯m holding him and kissing feverishly.

    ¡°Okay, okay, I believe you,¡± he laughs. ¡°But I still feel weird.¡±

    ¡°You know, it¡¯s technically a three-piece you love so much,¡± I chuckle when I lean back. ¡°It consists of a kimono, hakama and haori.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± he clicks his tongue, not persuaded after all.

    ¡°Hey, how come I didn¡¯t get a kiss?¡± Gotrid complains loudly. ¡°Also, should I be sad that my Emperor didn¡¯t get arous¡ª¡±

    ¡°Quiet now,¡± I shut him up with a kiss.

    ¡°Messing around as usual?¡± Liana appears and she¡¯s also wearing battle armour with the same colours as Gotrid¡¯s.

    ¡°How many did they make?¡± I ask, tilting my head. ¡°They must have cost a fortune.¡±

    ¡°Three unique pieces for us, the Imperial Guard is going to wear matching uniforms,¡± she explains. ¡°Our entourage got them as well, the Japanese certainly don¡¯t fail to impress.¡±

    I quickly study her feelings, but I don¡¯t catch any jealousy anymore. Liana is genuinely impressed, but she stopped seeing it as competition. What I do feel, however, is strange sadness coming from Erik.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I take his hand, startled.

    ¡°Nothing evades you, does it?¡± he sighs. ¡°I can¡¯t share this with you. Usually, I don¡¯t mind, but today¡­ you will be exploring Japan from the sky.¡±

    Erik is not the type to cry (besides, there¡¯s been enough crying for the day because of me), but I can tell he feels down about it. He¡¯s always been proud to be human, but, lately, I sense that he¡¯s starting to feel left out on many occasions.

    I kiss him again, but this isn¡¯t something a kiss would solve. It¡¯s just feeble consolation. But what can I do? Erik is the Celestial Emperor¡¯s Consort, the whole world knows his face so he can¡¯t just go out and be a normal tourist. I worry for his safety so he¡¯s being guarded all the time and when I¡¯m not with him, he feels lonely despite his numerous guards.

    ¡°Maybe we could think of a way you could fly with me?¡± I suggest, hoping we could make it work somehow. ¡°A levitation platform perhaps?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of heights, but that would definitely scare me to death,¡± Erik shakes his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, hon, I¡¯m having tea with the Watanabes anyway.¡±

    The Watanabes are our benefactors, the owners of this estate and Sunako¡¯s parents. I¡¯m supposed to meet them tomorrow, but Erik is having a pre-meeting today. Maybe he can make friends with them? Or at least enjoy the company of other humans? Still, he feels down and that worries me.

    ¡°What about we have a romantic evening today?¡± I suggest. ¡°We could eat dinner in the garden, take a bath and cuddle.¡±

    ¡°That would be nice,¡± Erik brightens up.

    ¡°Your Majesty, we¡¯re ready,¡± Vermiel comes inside to pick us up. He¡¯s also wearing new battle armour, looking truly impressive. ¡°We have an hour and a half for a flight and we¡¯re meeting the Prime Minister at three.¡±

    ¡°See you later then,¡± Erik kisses me goodbye.

    I¡¯m relieved to see that the guards are cooperating well and chatting merrily with each other. Nobody makes any distinction between who¡¯s Japanese and who came with me from Europe. I have to let my wishes be heard more often. Hopefully, next time it won¡¯t involve tears.

    I spread my wings and wave them with mightier force than usual. I was a bit afraid the armour would weigh me down and I do feel like I have to put more effort into flapping my wings, but nothing dramatic. It¡¯s actually not that different from having to fly in full ceremonial attire.

    I love you! I send Erik a quick telepathic confession before we¡¯re too far away.

    I know! he answers jokingly with a Star Wars catchphrase.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    After that, I devote my full attention to the city below me. We have an hour and a half before our next diplomatic session, so we have to make the most out of it. Just like Prague, Osaka retained its traditional architecture, but it has a totally different vibe. This is no medieval Europe but an ancient Asian settlement.

    The guards are casting shields all around us, so I don¡¯t have to be afraid to descend a bit more down to get a better view. I¡¯m admiring the architecture as much as I¡¯m absorbing the overall atmosphere of the city and its inhabitants. I don¡¯t even mind that people are gathering in crowds, staring and taking photos of our flock. Let them see us.

    We cross the historical core several times before it¡¯s time for our official programme. We head to Osaka Castle, the first place the Prime Minister wanted to show me as a sort of introduction to my Japanese cultural heritage.

    That this will be no ordinary tourist visit becomes clear when the castle¡¯s premises come into my view. The whole park is surrounded by a fence, countless police officers are guarding it, there are people all around, hoping to get a glimpse of us, and the ever-present media people.

    We land on the central plaza right in front of the castle where the Japanese delegation is waiting for us. Erik is here already, still dressed in the kimono and so handsome. I hurry to him and take his hand. Japanese people generally aren¡¯t fond of publicly showing affection, but I don¡¯t care. I kiss Erik in front of the flashing cameras because I want the whole world to know that he¡¯s the person I love.

    I¡¯m by no means an exhibitionist, but I love you doing that, Erik purrs. I was a bit down before, but I¡¯m proud to be the Celestial Emperor¡¯s Consort. Never doubt that, okay?

    Okay, I answer and kiss Gotrid as well because I don¡¯t want him to feel left out. Besides, I enjoy shoving our polyamorous relationships into the faces of bigoted people.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Ichikawa coughs.

    ¡°Konnichiwa, Ichikawa-san,¡± I finally greet the Prime Minister. ¡°I¡¯ve read about the Osaka Castle before, but it¡¯s even more magnificent than in the photos.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re honoured you think so, Your Majesty,¡± Ichikawa bows. ¡°We prepared a guided tour just for you and your entourage.¡±

    We¡¯re escorted inside and an elderly Japanese man, who¡¯s obviously nervous but otherwise overly enthusiastic, starts a tour. I soon forget that this is a diplomatic visit and that selected media companies are here to take photos and stream it live. I¡¯m sucked into a fascinating history lecture about my homeland and become too busy studying beautiful artefacts all around me.

    It turns out that our guide, Uchida-sensei, is a professor at a local university. He was picked by the Japanese government to deliver the best possible lecture to the Celestial Emperor. I¡¯m not afraid to ask questions in Japanese which makes Uchida-sensei extremely happy and his fear disappears. In just a few minutes, we¡¯re engaged in a lively conversation about Japanese history. Gavreel is kind enough to quietly translate everything to Erik, Gotrid and Liana.

    ¡°Japanese Emperors in the past were kept protected in the palace and ordinary people couldn¡¯t meet them,¡± Uchida-sensei explains when I ask him about the position of ancient rulers of Japan. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware that Celestial society was based on Ancient Chinese and Japanese culture, so I consider myself lucky that I can speak to Your Imperial Majesty.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m glad that I can hear your lecture, sensei,¡± I smile. ¡°Can you tell me more about the Heian period? I read some articles about it but I¡¯m no expert.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± Uchida-sensei nods and continues his lecture. It takes three hours to finish the tour, but, to me, it went by in a blink of an eye.

    After that, the Prime Minister presents me with gifts the Japanese prepared as tokens of their goodwill. I¡¯m given a beautiful tea set, a decorated fan, a wall scroll and a writing set with several quality brushes and handmade paper for writing kanji. I¡¯m happy that I¡¯m not the only one who is being given presents. Liana gets a tea set and a decorated fan as well, Gotrid receives an exquisite matcha tea set and Erik¡­

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see you in this!¡± I grin because Erik received more kimonos, all of them evidently of the highest quality.

    ¡°Well,¡± he smiles hesitantly. It¡¯s not exactly a suit he¡¯s so used to, but I¡¯ll force him to try them on at least once.

    ¡°If you¡¯re interested in our history, Uchida-sensei could visit the Celestial mansion, Your Majesty,¡± Ichikawa offers amicably.

    ¡°Really? I don¡¯t want to impose,¡± I bite my lip because I¡¯m not sure the Prime Minister isn¡¯t pushing the professor into something he doesn¡¯t want to do. ¡°I¡¯m sure Uchida-sensei is busy with teaching at the university.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, it would be an honour,¡± Uchida-sensei blurts out and his genuine enthusiasm reveals that he doesn¡¯t feel pushed into it at all.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll gladly accept,¡± I nod. ¡°I do need a few lectures about your history to catch up.¡±

    ¡°We would be glad if you thought about it as your history as well, Majesty,¡± Ichikawa says carefully because he¡¯s on thin ice here.

    But I don¡¯t mind. I had a really good time and experienced part of my heritage in the best possible way. I might not have Japanese citizenship but I was born here. My roots are pulling me to Japan, I can¡¯t deny that.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Celestial now, but I¡¯ll gladly learn about my heritage,¡± I say diplomatically, but it¡¯s enough to make the Japanese delegates happy and hopeful.

    ¡°No, His Majesty isn¡¯t giving any interviews,¡± I suddenly hear Liana raising her voice and getting irritated. I turn left and see her standing with several delegates and two media people who got permission to take photos up close.

    I realise that I was never asked to do an interview ever since the Great Evolution started despite the media pursuing my every move. Did Liana send them away each time? Was there an embargo on interviews and I never noticed?

    ¡°Just ignore it, hon,¡± Gotrid shrugs. ¡°They are bolder just because they naively think we would make an exception for the Japanese press.¡±

    I take a moment to read the atmosphere. Always being the centre of attention is overwhelming, so I hardly have the capacity to notice everything that¡¯s going on. I never realised it could be much worse. For once, I appreciate that the access to me is limited.

    ¡°Could we see the park as well?¡± Erik says to divert my attention.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Ichikawa allows us.

    We go outside again and nothing has changed. There are still people desperately trying to take a photo of us even from a huge distance and the police guarding the premises. The guards put up the shield immediately but, fortunately, it doesn¡¯t get in the view that horribly.

    I try not to let it spoil my tour and admire the zen style surrounding us. Prague parks are beautiful as well, but this place has an entirely different vibe. I want to say ¡®exotic,¡¯ but this is supposed to be my culture. Nostalgic maybe then?

    I almost feel like a proper tourist if it wasn¡¯t for the Japanese delegation and their attempts to show everything in the best light and overexplain things. Nevertheless, I enjoy the tour. Even Liana is having a good time. I see her chatting with Soren and she¡¯s as relaxed as she can get. I¡¯m glad to see that she¡¯s slowly warming up to him, considering they started as almost enemies.

    Enemies to lovers, heh? Gotrid nudges me, grinning. What an overused trope.

    I¡¯ve never seen Liana romantically interested in anyone, Erik comments sceptically. She¡¯s a pro at keeping her guard.

    I smile to myself. I don¡¯t want to spoil anything or jinx it too soon, but it seems my Viceroy is becoming quite fond of Soren. She¡¯s vehemently claiming that Soren is getting on her nerves, but, lately, she¡¯s mostly faking her annoyance.

    ¡°It¡¯s so romantic here, yet we can¡¯t do anything,¡± Erik complains, piercing the media people with his gaze.

    ¡°We will make up for it in the evening,¡± I wink at him and our tour reaches the end.

    We get back to the castle¡¯s entrance where the governmental cars are parked and the Prime Minister assures me again that Erik will be guaranteed the best possible protection. I do believe him, but I order two of my guards to ride with them nonetheless.

    It happens when the presidential limousine is leaving the premises. Frankly, I was expecting it sooner rather than later, but it still takes me by surprise.

    WELCOME HOME, SON.

    My father¡¯s voice resonates in my head and I get goosebumps under my feathers. I almost forgot. This isn¡¯t the only heritage I came here to explore.

    Ryuuto in his battle armour by Heliodor

 81. My Other Heritage

    I immediately put up a mental shield, but my father¡¯s mind isn¡¯t pushing into mine this time. It seems he¡¯s just broadcasting his thoughts to me. I try to search for him in the crowd, but it¡¯s hopeless. His presence is like an empty void. How is he doing it? I have an opposite situation¡ªmy emotions and thoughts tend to leak out.

    I watch you grow stronger, but you still have much to learn, my father says as if we¡¯re having a normal conversation. Or do you seriously think you mastered your telepathy yet? You¡¯re barely scratching the surface. Your mother¡¯s DNA might have diluted our lineage, but the transformation should have awakened all your latent abilities.

    ¡°Love? Is something wrong?¡± Gotrid takes my hand because I froze all of a sudden and my wings started shaking.

    We will meet very soon, my son. I encourage you to enjoy Japan because it¡¯s the culture I decided to adopt, but don¡¯t get too attached to it. After all, you would be kidding yourself if you seriously thought that we¡¯re human, let alone Japanese.

    ¡°Aefener!¡± Gotrid panics at this point and envelops me in his wings because even the delegates notice something¡¯s amiss and are looking at me with startled expressions.

    My father¡¯s voice disappears as quickly as it appeared, leaving me with no clue how to follow him. Who knows, his telepathy might be strong enough to cover kilometres. I don¡¯t think he would humiliate himself by hiding in the crowd.

    ¡°Your Majesty, are you getting dizzy with hunger? We should have given you a snack, it¡¯s been ages since lunch,¡± Liana hurries to save the situation even though she doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. She readily takes a protein bar out of her belt and forces it into my hands.

    Aefener, what¡¯s wrong? she asks when our hands meet.

    My father¡­ he spoke to me just now, I explain and clutch Gotrid.

    Are we in danger? she widens her eyes.

    I don¡¯t think so, I shake my head. He¡¯s gone.

    Eat that bar, hon, we can¡¯t afford to alarm humans, Gotrid insists and helps me unwrap it.

    I force myself to eat it, but I don¡¯t feel like eating at all. It¡¯s just for the show.

    ¡°Your Majesty, will you be able to fly?¡± Gavreel is worried-sick. It seems our little ruse persuaded Celestials as well. Well played, Liana.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine now, my head just spun momentarily,¡± I try to sound firm. ¡°My doctors claim that my mana circuit is still developing. Occasional episodes of dizziness can be expected. I will feel better in the air.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re departing immediately!¡± Liana orders despite the chaos I caused.

    We take off and I insist we follow Erik¡¯s limousine. I don¡¯t think my father would try to harm my beloved¡ªfor some reason, I¡¯m convinced he¡¯s not even remotely interested in anyone else besides me and underhanded practices are below him¡ªbut I¡¯m still uneasy. I feel calmer only when we reach the mansion and are safely inside the shield dome.

    ¡°Ehm, I can see that something obviously happened?!¡± Erik is confused when I land in front of him the moment his car stops.

    ¡°My father happened,¡± I say and hug him. I always feel safe with him.

    ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s father?!¡± Gavreel overhears us and panics. ¡°How? When?¡±

    ¡°I got his telepathic message when we were leaving,¡± I explain. ¡°Gavreel, gather everyone in the throne room, we have much to discuss.¡±

    *****

    Within our expanded inner circle, it was no secret who my father is¡ªthe infamous magnate and the founder of Nebula, the company that developed Draconia Online. Still, not many Celestials made a connection between my telepathy and my family heritage. Most of my subjects seem to consider my telepathy to be something their Emperor is supposed to have, even though nothing of that sort is included in our lore.

    ¡°So Your Majesty wasn¡¯t human, to begin with?¡± Gavreel can¡¯t believe his ears.

    And he¡¯s not the only one. All the high-level Celestials who gathered in the throne room are astonished by that revelation. I have to hold myself back not roll my eyes. Did they really not think about my telepathy properly? Did they just take it for granted because I¡¯m their miraculous Emperor? Just how unrealistic their image of me is?

    ¡°Half-human,¡± I set the record straight. ¡°My mother was human, my father¡­ we have no idea what he is.¡±

    The Celestials start murmuring and jerking nervously in their seats, fluttering their wings.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we asked you to cooperate with the Japanese government and investigate Haruto Takeda, our Emperor¡¯s presumed father,¡± Liana stands up to calm down the commotion.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the investigation didn¡¯t yield any results so far,¡± Gavreel admits. ¡°We know only the things that are publicly known: Haruto Takeda is one of the richest people in Japan, the founder and CEO of Azuchi Group. He¡¯s spending a lot of money to keep his private life a total mystery.¡±

    ¡°But he has a connection to Nebula, right?¡± Erik frowns. ¡°The Japanese government was investigating all companies connected to the developers of Draconia Online and found a link.¡±

    ¡°Azuchi Group has a certain stock share in Nebula, but many financial companies do,¡± Gavreel says. ¡°This information alone wasn¡¯t enough to call Takeda for a testimony.¡±

    ¡°But somebody surely must have seen Takeda and Aefener¡¯s mother together? They were supposed to be colleagues in Nebula,¡± Gotrid recalls.

    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s mother is easy to track only during her first year in Japan. She started as a VR developer and since her talent was quickly recognised, she was recruited by Nebula shortly after,¡± Gavreel explains. ¡°Nebula guarded the privacy of their developers as fiercely as of their products and made sure nothing got out. They had their own campus with apartments for employees where no public camera could reach.¡±

    ¡°But still¡­ nothing at all?¡± Erik doesn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°Money can buy a lot of things, Erik,¡± Liana sighs. ¡°Especially privacy. Talking from my own experience here. If I didn¡¯t want to be seen or recognised, I simply wasn¡¯t. My people and high-tech technology made that possible.¡±

    ¡°Long story short, if His Majesty didn¡¯t tell us a few pieces of information, we wouldn¡¯t be able to make any direct connection between Haruto Takeda and Nebula in the first place,¡± Gavreel concludes.

    ¡°Your Majesty, sorry for interrupting,¡± Luviael speaks up. ¡°But how is it possible that your father had no idea you existed until quite recently? If he¡¯s a telepath, wouldn¡¯t he feel that your mother was pregnant?¡±

    ¡°He probably wouldn¡¯t,¡± I shake my head. ¡°I suspect he¡¯s not an empath and embryos don¡¯t have thoughts. I can feel them thanks to my empathy, he can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± That information takes everyone aback.

    ¡°I suspect,¡± I continue, ¡°that whatever my father is, his race has pure telepathy. As for why I can perceive emotions as well¡­ I guess my mother¡¯s human genes mixed with my father¡¯s genes in an unexpected way. As a result, my telepathy was weaker compared but my father¡¯s, but I developed empathy.¡±

    ¡°So¡ªand this will probably sound stupid and totally unnecessary¡ªbut does that mean you¡¯re technically not half-Japanese at all, my Emperor?¡± Gavreel realises only now.

    ¡°I do look half-Japanese,¡± I shrug, uncertain myself. ¡°I speak the language, I was born here and my father himself mentioned that he decided to adopt this particular culture, maybe because he could blend more easily. I still consider myself Japanese enough.¡±

    ¡°Never mind that,¡± Liana waves her hand. ¡°What does it matter anyway? We¡¯re all Celestials now. What we have to figure out is how to protect His Majesty. Takeda¡¯s intentions stay unclear, but it can¡¯t be anything good considering our Emperor¡¯s first encounter with him ended up with a nosebleed and fainting.¡±

    ¡°The Imperial Guard will do anything to protect His Majesty,¡± Sareash, my new Guard Captain, stands up only to go down on her knee in front of me. ¡°We will double the shield and reinforce the security perimeter immediately.¡±

    ¡°Be discrete,¡± Liana implores her. ¡°We can¡¯t alarm humans.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Viceroy,¡± Sareash nods and runs off to take care of it right away.

    ¡°Your Majesty, do we still proceed with your original itinerary?¡± Luviael asks.

    ¡°We do,¡± I insist. ¡°We can¡¯t know when my father appears again and where, so there¡¯s no use changing our programme. I would appreciate a free evening today, though.¡±

    Just a few days ago, I wouldn¡¯t dare to ask for something like that. I came to Japan to work, not for a holiday. But I promised Erik that we would have a nice romantic evening and because I don¡¯t know what happens when my father finally decides to strike, I want to spend as much time as possible with my partners.

    ¡°As you wish, my Emperor,¡± Luviael bows.

    Nobody argues that I was supposed to have dinner with the court. They are a bit sad that I¡¯m leaving prematurely, but they understand that I need to rest and devote some time to my Consorts. Discussing the matter further won¡¯t solve anything.

    ****

    I ask the Japanese maids to prepare a hot bath for us while Ayala takes off my battle armour and Cien helps Gotrid out of his.

    ¡°I love you in a kimono,¡± I try to smile as I untie Erik¡¯s knot myself.

    ¡°You love me naked, you love me in a suit¡­,¡± Erik laughs, but it¡¯s a bit cringy.

    We can¡¯t stop thinking about what happened. Nobody can. I can feel that everybody is tense. We¡¯re not afraid of humans anymore, not even another missile could hurt us because the mansion is protected against that. We¡¯re not particularly afraid of monsters anymore either. But I¡¯m afraid of my father and my subjects subconsciously sense that. They realise that he¡¯s a real danger to us.

    ¡°The bath is ready, Your Majesty,¡± one of the Japanese maids tells us. ¡°Dinner will be served after that if that¡¯s okay with you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯d rather go to bed earlier.¡±

    ¡°Love, you know we can¡¯t allow that,¡± Gotrid frowns. ¡°Come, you will feel better after a bath and hopefully get your appetite back.¡±

    I doubt that, but I follow him to the bathroom nonetheless. Naturally, the mansion isn¡¯t an outdoor hot spa Japan is so famous for, but the bath still doesn¡¯t fail to impress. Three people can fit easily and even our huge wings shouldn¡¯t be a problem.

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    ¡°Japanese bath is quite different from ours,¡± I stop Erik from hopping in. ¡°We should clean ourselves first.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Your Majesty, there¡¯s no way we would be reusing the water when it¡¯s for you,¡± the Japanese maid, who was helping Erik to put on a kimono earlier, assures us.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I ask. I remember blessing her and while it¡¯s almost impossible for me to forget somebody¡¯s telepathic imprint, I¡¯m not very good with names.

    ¡°Dalia, Your Majesty,¡± the maid bows. She has very long black hair, grey wings and all her movements are graceful and deliberate.

    I¡¯m way past being embarrassed in front of my maids, but Dalia is new and has never seen me naked before. The fact that she was allowed in here means that Liana made her my new permanent maid. I would get angry about it before, way too many things are decided for me. But, honestly, I don¡¯t care about trivialities anymore. I simply got a new maid.

    ¡°Come, hon,¡± Erik helps me out of the last layer of my robe. It¡¯s not like I need help, but Erik likes doing that.

    Gotrid throws our clothes to the maids and masterfully covers me with his wings in the process. Then we¡¯re finally given some privacy. I can still feel the guards all around us, but walls give some illusionary sense of enclosure even to a telepath.

    We dive into the hot water and I land on Erik¡¯s chest. Then I spread my wings over the bathtub because I don¡¯t want to soak them. Gotrid starts kissing my back.

    ¡°Ryuu, don¡¯t fall asleep,¡± Erik warns me because he can tell I¡¯m making myself too comfortable on him. ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯re skipping dinner.¡±

    ¡°And there¡¯s also no way we¡¯re skipping making love tonight,¡± Gotrid smirks and squeezes from behind.

    ¡°Maybe Ryuuto doesn¡¯t feel up to it considering¡­,¡± Erik says, but I interrupt him.

    ¡°I feel up to it exactly for that reason,¡± I puff. ¡°I won¡¯t my father¡¯s sudden appearances to ruin our precious time together.¡±

    ¡°Ryuu, why are you acting as if this is the last time we will able to enjoy ourselves?¡± Erik gets worried because it¡¯s hard for me to hide my fear.

    ¡°Is your father giving you such fright?¡± Gotrid caresses the feathers between my wings. ¡°You¡¯re the Celestial Emperor, the most powerful being on Earth and I¡¯m not exaggerating.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± that takes me by surprise because I¡¯ve never really thought about it that way. But¡­ I guess I am?

    ¡°You¡¯re so slow sometimes, hon,¡± Erik laughs, this time for real.

    We enjoy the evening to the fullest, trying to forget about the world. When it¡¯s just the three of us, there are no titles, responsibilities, monsters and politics. There¡¯s only love.

    *****

    Morning comes too soon and too abruptly.

    ¡°We¡¯re really sorry, Your Majesty, but we need you,¡± Cien is gently shaking me. It wasn¡¯t the movement that woke up me, though, it was her turbulent emotions.

    ¡°It¡¯s only five twenty,¡± Erik whines, yawning.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I sit up, rubbing my eyes. Because I¡¯m still half-asleep, I accidentally shove my feathers into Erik¡¯s face. Fortunately, Erik is used to it by now.

    ¡°An emergency?¡± Gotrid stands up first, ignoring the fact that he¡¯s naked.

    ¡°An emergency,¡± Ayala confirms. ¡°Let¡¯s get you dressed quickly.¡±

    ¡°Battle armour?¡± I ask, suddenly wide awake.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not anywhere near, Your Majesty,¡± Ayala shakes her head and starts putting on me layers of my royal robe.

    We¡¯re dressed in record time, have barely time to wash our faces at least and in just a few minutes, we¡¯re in the throne room. Celestials are pouring inside and there¡¯s a nervous flutter of countless wings. Liana is here already, her expression grim.

    ¡°A new monster has been spotted in three different places in the last four hours, Your Majesty,¡± Vermiel positions a 3D projector in the middle of the room and shows us footage.

    ¡°It¡¯s a wyvern,¡± Gotrid gasps for breath and adds just for Erik: ¡°A level 30 beast.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the average level of Draconians at the moment?¡± Liana asks Luviael.

    ¡°The average level is 18, but our battle units consist of warriors with an average level of 25,¡± Luviael reports. ¡°There¡¯s a five-level difference, but we have strength in numbers.¡±

    ¡°Not in all countries,¡± Vermiel says and shows us footage from Spain, Vietnam and Colorado.

    I clutch the handles of my throne. The wyvern in Spain has been slain without any casualties, but countless people were injured and a whole city block was badly damaged. The fight in Vietnam had twenty-six casualties because the monster appeared in a highly-populated area, but the beast was killed rather quickly. As for Colorado¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s still on the loose?! When did the rift open?¡± I ask, horrified by the carnage it has done so far.

    ¡°Thirty minutes ago,¡± Vermiel informs. ¡°Because we don¡¯t have any battle units in the States, or rather we don¡¯t have any Draconians there at all, the President called for the army.¡±

    ¡°Where are they then?¡± I don¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Still getting there, Your Majesty,¡± Vermiel bites his lip. ¡°I didn¡¯t happen near any military bases and the local police couldn¡¯t do anything.¡±

    ¡°Maybe they will finally see why cooperating with us is a necessity,¡± Gavreel clicks his tongue.

    ¡°Not at this price,¡± I give him a wrathful look, so he shuts up immediately, but most Celestials gathered here have the same opinion on the matter.

    The police drone finally finds the wyvern which took roost on the roof of one of the high buildings and, fortunately, isn¡¯t doing anything for a while. It looks confused by where it has emerged.

    The army finally makes their grand entrance, but it couldn¡¯t be more obvious that they simply aren¡¯t equipped and trained to fight monsters. The helicopters are too slow in their turns while the agitated wyvern isn¡¯t, so they miss more often than not. Because machine guns aren¡¯t harming the wyvern much, they are forced to switch to rockets which is never good in a populated area.

    The first two rockets miss because the wyvern is simply too quick and evades them, but the third finally hits and the wyvern starts falling down, damaging the building in the process and I can only hope there isn¡¯t anyone standing below. Americans managed to kill their first beast without Draconian help, but there will be many casualties.

    ¡°Your Majesty, the race rulers are calling,¡± Luviael announces.

    ¡°Connect them,¡± I nod.

    Holographic projections of Deminas, Emi, Twyla and even Werden, who looks recovered enough, appear in the middle of the room.

    ¡°We demand those dead wyverns for research purposes,¡± Twyla blurts out without any greeting.

    ¡°The Dragonkin need their skin and bones for crafting,¡± Deminas grunts. ¡°It will benefit all races in the end.¡±

    ¡°Our research will also benefit all races,¡± Twyla insists.

    I frown. Did they call just to argue over new resources? Do they feel nothing towards humans who lost their lives?

    ¡°What about our battle units? Was anyone injured?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Six Draconians lightly injured, two more seriously,¡± Werden says. ¡°Our people are tending their wounds as we speak.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you will have to decide, Aefener,¡± Emi sighs. ¡°The Dragonkin and the Earthborn will never find a reasonable compromise when it comes to biological resources. On the other hand, Celestials are neutral in the matter, you¡¯re not interested in monster loot.¡±

    ¡°We have to trust each other and cooperate,¡± I say firmly. ¡°I suggest we let the Earthborn do their job first because we need those samples fresh, but everything that remains can go to the Dragonkin. Clawfangs can help with the transport and oversee the process. My people will focus on damage control and after-battle evaluation.¡±

    It seems everybody is pretty content with my suggestion. Are Celestials really a neutral party here? Or is this just their excuse to push all responsibility on me again? I hope they won¡¯t start considering me to be the Draconian Emperor for real. It¡¯s supposed to be a purely representative function when it comes to human-Draconian political relations.

    ¡°Our battle units proved highly effective even when fighting a foe above their level,¡± Deminas reports proudly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we had three attacks in just four hours,¡± I point out because it¡¯s too early to celebrate. ¡°We might have a problem with keeping up should monster attacks become this frequent.¡±

    ¡°We have battle units in all cities of allied countries, they will finally have a chance to earn their pay,¡± Emi isn¡¯t concerned much. ¡°We¡¯re twitching to fight. Training is one thing, but honing our skills in real battles is what matters the most.¡±

    She¡¯s right. She couldn¡¯t be more right. If only that battle experience wasn¡¯t built on innocent casualties. Why do monsters appear only in populated areas, though? There¡¯s never been a monster spotted in the wilderness. And what force has the power to tear the fabric of reality itself? Does my father have answers to those questions?

    *****

    The situation in the world is tense the whole day. Two more rifts appear, but, fortunately, no more wyverns come out and the monsters are defeated quickly by Draconian units. I order my research team back in Prague to make a chart of all the attacks we had so far and try to find a pattern if there is one.

    To keep things as normal as possible, I decide to stick to my original itinerary and meet Sunako¡¯s parents in the late afternoon for a cup of tea. It¡¯s not like I can fight monsters hundreds of kilometres away anyway. I refuse to let the Watanabes sit on the ground in front of the throne and insist we have our snack in the garden gazebo.

    ¡°Your Majesty, the Watanabes are here,¡± Gavreel introduces the owners of the estate, a nice couple in their forties.

    ¡°Hajimemashite, douzo yoroshiku onegishimasu,¡± I say in formal Japanese. It¡¯s probably overkill for the Emperor to say something like that, but I want to be polite towards our benefactors.

    The Watanabes bow to me in the Japanese way, not Celestial, which is understandable. Mrs Watanabe is wearing a traditional kimono and has her black hair tied into a perfect knot while Mr Watanabe chose a modern well-fitted suit and his hair is turning grey already. It seems that they got used to having Celestials in their mansion, but hosting the Celestials Emperor is a totally different matter. Their nervousness is reaching astronomical levels.

    ¡°Your house is lovely, Mr and Mrs Watanabe,¡± I say in English. ¡°Thank you for your hospitability.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an honour to host you, Your Majesty,¡± Mrs Watanabe says timidly while Sunako is grinning and playfully poking her anxious mother.

    We¡¯re interrupted because the maids bring us afternoon tea and some snacks. I was looking forward to those. While I love everything sweet, there¡¯s something nostalgic about the specific taste of traditional Japanese candy. I bet my Mom was giving me these when I was a child.

    I watch Erik as he takes a piece of mochi and is chewing it with an undecided expression whether he likes it or not. As for me, I love these rice cakes with pretty much any filling. Moreover, these are freshly made and not out of a box that was being stored somewhere for months. It¡¯s so yummy! I might actually gain some weight in Japan!

    ¡°Do you like them, Your Majesty?¡± Sunako asks with a wink. ¡°My Mom and I made them for you.¡±

    ¡°You did?¡± I¡¯m surprised. ¡°They are great!¡±

    Gotrid also takes one and while he likes them much more than Erik, he puts the plate right in front of me with a clear instruction that I¡¯m free to eat all of them. I won¡¯t say no to that, these marvels are wasted on my European and American husbands.

    When we¡¯re past pleasantries, I ask the Watanabes about their family history. Mr Watanabe is enthusiastically retelling a shortened version of their family background that dates back to the establishment of the shogunate. Their ancestors had an important political function at that time and even though Mr Watanabe himself is just a middle-rank official working at the Ministry of Agriculture, the tradition lives on.

    Sunako then tells me about her rare disease that made her almost completely bedridden and how her father got special permission for her to start using VR when she was just eight years old. VR gaming freed her from everyday pain and showed her the world.

    ¡°So you can imagine how happy my parents were when my condition started to get better,¡± Sunako recalls. ¡°They thought it was a miracle. When I started to sprout wings, they even thought I was an angel sent to them.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t care that our baby girl is a different species,¡± Mrs Watanabe says and her eyes get wet. ¡°She can walk, she can run¡­ she can fly!¡±

    ¡°I prefer flying,¡± Sunako says. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to boast, but nobody has ever beaten me in a flying competition.¡±

    ¡°Challenge accepted,¡± I laugh.

    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be fair, love, nobody can match your divine speed,¡± Gotrid nudges me, but we¡¯re all laughing at this point, even the nervous Watanabes.

    We talk and talk until it¡¯s time for dinner. Because skipping to dine with my subjects wouldn¡¯t pass twice in a row, I¡¯m forced to return to the throne room. But eating with my people isn¡¯t as bad if I don¡¯t have to be on a pedestal so I quite enjoy myself in the end. Tiredness comes too soon, though, we woke up extremely early today after all and were working nonstop.

    ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t think¡­,¡± I yawn when we finally get to our suite, ¡°that I can keep my eyes open for much longer.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay, love,¡± Gotrid yawns ostentatiously after me. ¡°I¡¯m exhausted as well.¡±

    ¡°Erik isn¡¯t,¡± I envy.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need as much sleep as Celestials,¡± Erik shrugs, grinning and feeling superior for a change.

    We snuggle to each other and I fall asleep the moment I close my eyes because I feel safe in their loving presence.

    *****

    I¡¯m standing on some sort of platform, wearing a simple three-layered white robe and my feet are bare. I expect the stone to be cold, but I don¡¯t feel anything. I look around and my surroundings look strangely familiar. It looks¡­ like the world of Draconia! But how is that even possible? How did I end up here?

    ¡°So, we meet at last,¡± a voice resonates in the space.

    I turn around wildly and see my father standing just a few metres away from me. Only he doesn¡¯t look the same as at the conference. He has the same features, but he looks younger, taller and much stronger. I panic and my first reaction is to spread my wings and fly away.

    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t,¡± he smirks and a strong gravitation pull throws me on the ground. ¡°My world, my rules.¡±

    I gasp for breath out of pure reflex, but it¡¯s as if the air doesn¡¯t exist here. I have no idea what¡¯s going on, so I desperately try to push him away in my mind. He freezes for a moment but breaks through my attack easily and clicks his tongue in annoyance.

    ¡°Still so much to learn,¡± he sighs. ¡°And we¡¯re running out of time.¡±

    ¡°W-what¡­ where am I?¡± I don¡¯t understand and try to sit up. I couldn¡¯t have been kidnapped, could I? I just appeared here out of nowhere.

    ¡°Where do you think?¡± my father shrugs. ¡°Does this feel real to you?¡±

    ¡°N-no?¡± I answer carefully. ¡°I can¡¯t feel temperature or the air flowing.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not dumb after all,¡± he smirks, content, and towers above me. ¡°Let¡¯s begin with the training, shall we?¡±

    ¡°W-what? Training? Now? But¡­ aren¡¯t we¡­,¡± I try to find the right words for my suspicion. ¡°Aren¡¯t we inside of my dream? I¡¯m sleeping, am I not?¡±

    ¡°Dreams are shared among our people and your mind is hopelessly unguarded,¡± he clicks his tongue again, this time impatiently. ¡°I mean to change that.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­ who are you? I mean really? I have so many questions! What am I?!¡± I demand to know.

    ¡°You will have to earn those answers, my son,¡± he leans down only to catch my chin and study my face. ¡°You look so much like her.¡±

    ¡°My mother¡­?¡± I tremble. His presence is like a void, threatening to suck me in.

    ¡°Now, get out of those shackles first and then we can talk,¡± he says almost matter-of-factly.

    I suddenly feel something metallic wrapping around my wings. I try to shake it off, but I can¡¯t spread my wings anymore. Any resistance is met only by tightening the grip. I cry in pain, turn my head and see chains trapping my wings. This place might not be real but the pain is. And I have no idea how to wake up.

 82. Illusive

    The chains are tightening their grip around my wings and I can¡¯t break free. My Celestial instincts shout alarm and I start panicking. Because I don¡¯t feel the gravitation pull anymore, I try to stand up and position my wings to somehow slip out. However, the moment I do so, heavy shackles appear on my back around my wings, squeezing me even more painfully. I collapse back on the ground.

    I don¡¯t feel temperature and my lungs don¡¯t need air here. Yet, the pain is as real as it gets and I feel my wings as I would feel them in the real world. I feel every single feather and I dread my wing bones getting crushed. My brain refuses to believe that this is just a dream.

    ¡°Your inner mental image is strong,¡± my father says calmly, undisturbed by my sufferings. ¡°You think of yourself as a Celestial, therefore you look Celestial even in your dream and rely primarily on your wings. You have to shift that paradigm. Unthink.¡±

    Unthink that I¡¯m a Celestial? That very idea is strangely alien to me and I used to like pretending that I¡¯m someone else when immersing in fictional gaming worlds before. Not anymore. Ever since I transformed, I never wished to be anything else than I am now.

    ¡°Difficult, I know,¡± he shrugs. ¡°Especially for a Draconian. You¡¯re supposed to be proud of who you are after all. We made sure of that.¡±

    ¡°Made sure?¡± I try to hold my head straight at least, bravely facing him.

    ¡°We couldn¡¯t have had people dissatisfied with the race they turned into, could we?¡± he explains. ¡°Those personality tests all players had to undergo to make their avatar weren¡¯t just for fun. Our best psychologists were working on them and, later in the game, we were carefully instilling much-needed racial awareness and the sense of pride.¡±

    I twitch and the chains squeeze my wings tighter, but when I¡¯m still, the shackles don¡¯t react. That gives me a second to (metaphorically in this case) catch my breath and try channelling my mana. I do feel my mana circuit reacting, but nothing happens. A transfiguration symbol doesn¡¯t appear.

    ¡°You feel your body¡¯s mana in the real world, but that isn¡¯t transferable here,¡± my father says when he notices what I¡¯m trying to do. ¡°Forget that you¡¯re a Celestial and use your inborn powers. This is just a mental construct, so use your brain.¡±

    I try to push him telepathically with all my might, but he doesn¡¯t even waver. It¡¯s as if he isn¡¯t here at all.

    ¡°This is just as I want you to see me,¡± he sighs, disappointed by my attempt. ¡°But I can appear anywhere.¡±

    Suddenly, his body multiplies and surrounds me. There are dozens of him.

    ¡°This is your dream, not mine, yet I rule over it,¡± he says, his voice echoing as it comes out from each projected body. ¡°Seize control or you will never get rid of those chains.¡±

    But how? I¡¯ve never manipulated dreams before because I had no idea that I can. Sure, I¡¯m able to peek when my partners are sleeping and I can even stimulate them to deepen their sleep and make it more pleasant and restful, but that¡¯s about it.

    ¡°Pathetic¡­ pathetic¡­ pathetic¡­, my father¡¯s voice echoes. ¡°Are you really my son?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m starting to hope that I¡¯m not!¡± I retort.

    ¡°Disappointingly, you are,¡± he clicks his tongue and his multiple projections merge back into one. ¡°I¡¯ve confirmed it.¡±

    ¡°So it was you who stole my feather!¡± I accuse him.

    ¡°Of course, I needed to be sure,¡± he shrugs. ¡°Back then, I couldn¡¯t know that you¡¯re a telepath, but it was publicly known who your mother was and your age overlaps with the time we were still together so I decided to investigate just in case. Honestly, I was convinced that she found another lover and had you.¡±

    ¡°Because she would never want to have a child with such a sicko?¡± I want to spit on him, but I don¡¯t have any saliva.

    ¡°Because our genes aren¡¯t compatible,¡± he rolls his eyes ostentatiously. ¡°Yet, here you are, a hybrid that shouldn¡¯t exist in the first place. Under normal circumstances, you would be considered an abomination.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine normal circumstances, you¡¯re an alien or something,¡± I frown, trying to hold still so that I can focus on the conversation. I need to get some information out of him.

    ¡°Or something,¡± he repeats after me mockingly. ¡°Do you want to know what am I? What you are? Get out of these chains.¡±

    The grip tightens again even though I¡¯m perfectly still. He was manipulating the chains the whole time, giving me the illusion that there was some pattern. I cry because the pain becomes excruciating. He certainly knows how to torture a Celestial.

    ¡°The wings are both your asset and your weakness,¡± he leans down and grabs my feathers. ¡°Even a slight injury and you¡¯re immobilised. Harness your telepathic power instead. Nobody can take that away from you.¡±

    I realise that I finally feel something from him. His touch, however unpleasant, creates a tangible connection between us. I muster my remaining strength, put all my frustration into it and mirror it at him. It¡¯s obvious that he wasn¡¯t expecting me to succeed because there¡¯s an astonished expression on his face. He staggers, lets go of my feathers and the chains around my wings get loose.

    ¡°An empathic attack,¡± he raises his eyebrows. ¡°Exploiting direct touch, you used emotions to hit me?¡±

    I quickly shake off the chains and anxiously flutter my freed wings to the sides. Forgetting that there¡¯s no actual air, I wave them mightily and actually manage to float. I expect him to get angry and try another of his mind games, but he just laughs.

    ¡°See? You can fly even though there¡¯s no air to hold you,¡± he says, content. ¡°You can fly because you strongly believe you can. Your mind is convinced that there¡¯s no way you wouldn¡¯t be able to take off when you flap your wings.¡±

    I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s giving me a hint since I can¡¯t imagine someone like him being careless, but I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ll take every opportunity I can get.

    ¡°Then I believe that I can do magic here,¡± I hiss and materialise twelve transfiguration symbols at the same time.

    I hit him with my full arsenal of spells, but it just goes through him as if he¡¯s a hologram.

    ¡°Impressive,¡± he transports behind me.

    I quickly turn around and find him hovering in the air. I didn¡¯t seriously think that my attack would be enough to expel him from my dream, but I¡¯m disappointed that there¡¯s not a scratch on him. Despite everything, he doesn¡¯t look concerned. He doesn¡¯t look like someone who¡¯s about to lose.

    ¡°However,¡± he shakes his head, ¡°using magic wasn¡¯t in the assignment. Magic won¡¯t help you when¡­,¡± he stops himself.

    ¡°When what?¡± I narrow my eyes. ¡°I got out of your stupid chains, answer my questions now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a man of my promises,¡± he smiles, but there¡¯s no warmth in it. ¡°Ask away then, but think carefully. I¡¯ll answer only one question a day.¡±

    ¡°A day?¡± I widen my eyes, terrified by what it implies.

    ¡°Your mind is hopelessly unguarded, you lack even the most basic telepathic training,¡± he states, crossing his arms. ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll be training you every night until you¡¯re able to expel me from your dreams.¡±

    ¡°And then what?¡± I frown.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have no other way than to finally meet you in person and we continue your training in the real world,¡± he reveals. ¡°By the way, I suppose that counts as a question. Our session is therefore concluded. See you tomorrow, my son.¡±

    Our surroundings are starting to get blurry and I feel like my body is waking up.

    ¡°W-wait! What do I¡­!¡± I shout, but I¡¯m losing control over my dreamy body.

    ¡°Just a piece of advice,¡± he says, his body already transparent. ¡°I suggest you don¡¯t say anything to your subjects just yet. I see how they behave towards their precious Emperor, protecting you but also limiting severely. We don¡¯t want to freak them out, do we? Think about what you would like to know next time we meet and I¡¯ll answer you honestly after you finish another assignment.¡±

    Everything dissolves and I¡¯m disoriented for a few moments before my eyes open and I¡¯m staring at the ceiling of our Japanese suite. Gotrid is hugging me from the front and Erik is squeezed between my wings from behind.

    They are sleeping soundly, suspecting nothing and I plan to leave it like that. I don¡¯t want to listen to my father, but he¡¯s right. Telling my partners would only freak them out and they can¡¯t protect me in my dreams anyway. This is something I have to face alone. It¡¯s just between me and my father¡ªa battle of two telepaths.

    *****

    ¡°Love, you haven¡¯t eaten anything,¡± Erik nudges me during lunch when I tell the maids to take away the leftovers. My plate is still mostly full.

    ¡°Sorry, I just can¡¯t,¡± I shake my head, hoping they won¡¯t force me this time.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    I somehow survived the whole morning without letting anyone suspect a thing. Attending two important meetings required my full attention and took my mind off thinking about my dreamy torturous training, but another night is inevitably approaching.

    My wings in the real world are just fine, of course, but I can¡¯t get rid of that unpleasant after-feeling. I still vividly remember the chains crushing my precious feathered limbs. If I could, I would just curl under a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate, snuggle with my partners and let them comfort me. However, that wouldn¡¯t solve a thing and I have important work to do.

    ¡°Do you feel sick, my love?¡± Gotrid put his hand on my forehead, checking my temperature.

    ¡°No, just a bit tired and without appetite,¡± I shake my head, trying to sound convincing. ¡°I promise to eat a snack later. Is the Prime Minister coming?¡±

    ¡°In fifteen minutes,¡± Luviael reports, always staying by my side. ¡°The meeting should take two hours, a flying session after that.¡±

    My mood gets brighter when she mentions that. I have something to look forward to even though I dread the evening. My stomach tightens painfully whenever I think about what¡¯s coming. Will my father use torture as a means to train me again? And what should I ask him? It has to be something clever this time, I can¡¯t waste another opportunity.

    We move to the office and I catch Erik and Gotrid watching me intently. I can tell they are slightly worried. I will have to force myself to eat normally to avoid further suspicion. The fact that I¡¯m constantly focusing on hiding a part of my mind from them isn¡¯t exactly helping either.

    ¡°Your Imperial Majesty,¡± the Prime Minister bows deeply when the guards let him enter the Royal Office. I¡¯m glad that we can all sit around the table like in Europe.

    Liana joins us and we start discussing the conditions of a significant number of Celestials staying in Japan indefinitely. The Prime Minister is quite pushy with his agenda, but I understand his motivation. He just wants to protect his country and he knows that pride has no place in this matter. Japan doesn¡¯t have any military force the way the United States do.

    ¡°Enjoy the flight, hon,¡± Erik sees me off when the meeting ends and I quickly change into a sporty robe. ¡°In the meanwhile, I¡¯m having an afternoon tea with the Prime Minister.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re amazing, you know that?¡± I kiss him.

    Erik might not have any executive power, but his representative role is invaluable. Humans never relax in my presence so an informal meeting with the Celestial Emperor¡¯s Consort is exactly what we need to deepen friendly relations.

    ¡°I know,¡± he grins and playfully squeezes my right wing.

    I have to exert all my willpower not to twitch. Erik¡¯s touch isn¡¯t painful, of course, but it reminds me of last night.

    Then I spread my wings and fly up. Flying always helps me take my mind off difficult things and clear unnecessary thoughts. Gotrid asks me if I want to play a game, but I shake my head and continue ascending. I stop only when I¡¯m above the clouds. No matter how proficient my father¡¯s telepathy is, I highly doubt he can reach that far.

    Wanting to use every opportunity to spend some quality time with my partner, I engage Gotrid in an aerial courtship dance. He joins me enthusiastically and, for a moment, I forget about my father and everything. However, Gotrid eventually gets out of breath, so I hover for a while to give him time to rest.

    ¡°L-love?!¡± Gotrid exclaims and is staring at me for some reason.

    ¡°Feel free to rest more, should I conjure a levitation platform for you?¡± I offer even though a Celestial should be able to effectively rest when gliding.

    ¡°No, I mean¡­ you¡¯re not flapping your wings!¡± Gotrid widens his eyes.

    At first, I have no idea what he¡¯s talking about. Then I realise that he was right. While waiting for him to catch his breath, I stopped flapping my wings to get some rest as well, yet I¡¯m effortlessly hovering. That realisation startles me, whatever was keeping me afloat gets disturbed and I start falling. Naturally, I spread my wings again and fly up in no time, but something unusual just happened and I have no idea how I did that.

    ¡°Your Majesty, what was that?!¡± Vermiel and Sareash hurry to me. Of course, I had to be seen by almost everyone.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I say honestly. ¡°Subconscious air magic?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± my Celestial entourage starts flying around me in circles, celebrating another achievement. ¡°Will we be able to do that as well soon?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I repeat.

    I have a nagging feeling that it has something to do with my secret training last night. My father was surprised that I was able to fly in my dream just because I believed that I could. How hard can it be in the real world where the air is abundant and my trust is even stronger? I¡¯ve always felt that the air is my ally, something I can rely on. Holding me in one place doesn¡¯t seem so difficult.

    We land and before I can tell them not to say anything to anyone just yet, Vermiel runs off to report to Liana.

    ¡°It¡¯s astonishing, love, why aren¡¯t you happy?¡± Gotrid takes my hand and kisses me. ¡°I thought we had you finally overcome your unwillingness to demonstrate your powers.¡±

    ¡°I have no idea how I did it,¡± I sigh. ¡°It¡¯s premature to celebrate.¡±

    ¡°You did it once, you can do it again,¡± Gotrid isn¡¯t put off at all. ¡°Do you think we will be able to hover like that as well?¡±

    ¡°Maybe?¡± I¡¯m not sure.

    How much does it have to do with my Celestial powers? And how much of it is a result of my last night¡¯s training? What held me effortlessly in the air was pure magic, but I have a feeling that I used the non-Celestial part of my brain to do so. Is that what makes me the embodiment of magic? Is that the question I should ask my father this night?

    *****

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty, we doubled the security,¡± Sareash assures me when I¡¯m being escorted to our suite after a day full of meetings.

    I nod approvingly, hoping my cringy smile won¡¯t give me away. The shield has been reinforced and Celestial guards doubled which gave my subjects an illusionary sense of safety. But the truth is that they can¡¯t protect me against my father. All that impressive Celestial magic is useless when compared to someone who can invade minds.

    Erik goes to take a quick shower while the maids change me into a light sleeping robe. Gotrid is already getting excited because we have a full hour before we should call it a night. Erik returns and surprises me because he¡¯s wearing a yukata he got from the Prime Minister. He¡¯s so handsome. Both of my amazing partners are.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, love? Tired?¡± Gotrid grabs me around my waist and pulls me closer.

    ¡°Hon, you¡¯re lost in thoughts, but we can¡¯t read you,¡± Erik pokes me between my eyebrows.

    ¡°Sorry, just thinking about tomorrow¡¯s agenda,¡± I lie. ¡°I don¡¯t want to burden your minds with my mess.¡±

    ¡°You know that¡¯s never the case,¡± Gotrid kisses my left wing gently. ¡°Let us share your burden.¡±

    ¡°Even better, don¡¯t think about tomorrow when we have an hour to cuddle,¡± Erik suggests. ¡°Let tomorrow happen tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I force myself to smile. ¡°Would you give me a massage?¡±

    Erik and Gotrid grin at each other, symbolically crack their knuckles and pull me onto our bed. I lie on my stomach, spread my wings to the sides and sigh out in relief when they start working on my back and wings. Their touch is pure heaven to my weary body and I project my enjoyment out to let them feel pleasure in return.

    I¡¯m afraid to fall asleep, but I eventually do.

    *****

    ¡°Do you want jam or syrup on them, hon?¡± Erik asks, putting a huge pile of pancakes on the plate in front of me.

    ¡°I have a feeling our beloved is salivating for an entirely different reason,¡± Gotrid laughs and leans forward to take a few for himself.

    ¡°What, am I too sexy in an apron?¡± Erik smirks and flirtatiously turns around.

    ¡°So sexy,¡± I smile, spread strawberry jam on the first pancake and bite into it. ¡°Are there more?¡±

    ¡°Coming,¡± Erik nods and runs back to the stove. ¡°I made a ton of dough so be sure to eat a lot.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s in charge of washing the dishes today?¡± I ask, gobbling Erik¡¯s delicious pancakes.

    ¡°That would be you, love,¡± Gotrid kicks me gently under the table. ¡°There¡¯s no flying before the chores.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m almost always in charge of the dishes,¡± I puff.

    ¡°Well, since somebody here can¡¯t even boil eggs without devastating the entire kitchen¡­,¡± Erik starts.

    ¡°I like washing the dishes,¡± I quickly take that back. ¡°Can I go flying right afterwards? I need to train for the match.¡±

    Erik turns back to me, but his expression gets frozen. I blink, confused, and look at Gotrid. He froze in the middle of putting a fork into his mouth. I want to get up and hurry to them, but the table dissolves and the figures of my beloved follow in just a second.

    I cry in horror, but the realisation comes to me almost immediately. None of this was real, it was just a sweet dream¡ªmy wishful thinking was projecting an illusion.

    ¡°Is that what you wish for?¡± my father appears next to me. ¡°Normal life?¡±

    ¡°So what!¡± I retort and take a step away from him.

    ¡°Then why are you dressed like that?¡± he tilts his head and a big mirror materialises in front of me.

    ¡°Like what?¡± I don¡¯t understand and check my reflection. I¡¯m wearing a multi-layered royal attire and there¡¯s a diamond tiara on my head.

    ¡°There¡¯s a disharmony between your mundane wishes and how you inevitably see yourself,¡± he says. ¡°You have a mind of a true ruler, but it doesn¡¯t quite agree with your personality. I¡¯m afraid you got that from your mother. She was also too kind for her own good.¡±

    ¡°Did you make me see that dream to torture me again?¡± I get angry.

    ¡°No, that was all a manifestation of your mind,¡± he shrugs and doesn¡¯t seem to be lying. ¡°Now, this is my doing.¡±

    He invades my mind with a force much more brutal than ever before. He has no intention to hold back this time and goes after my most cherished memories.

    *****

    ¡°I just want to buy you a glass of wine, beauty, why are you so evasive?¡± a man a head taller than me and once my weight is blocking the only way out. ¡°I saw you at the bar, wasting time with losers. Why don¡¯t you go on a date with me instead?¡±

    ¡°No, thank you,¡± I say clearly, sensing his dark intentions. The guy is drunk already and just looking for an easy target to hook up with. It was my grave mistake for not noticing that he followed me to the bathroom.

    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll show you a good time,¡± the man smirks unpleasantly and grabs my wrist. ¡°Gosh, how many hours a day are you spending on taking care of that pretty face of yours?¡±

    ¡°N-no, l-let go!¡± I start panicking, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯m a match for him. His touch is disgusting and almost makes me vomit when his thoughts hit me. That guy is seriously dangerous.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m calling the police!¡± another man suddenly shows up and is holding a phone at his ear. ¡°Hi, I want to report an attempted rape. I¡¯m at the Fiesta bar¡­¡±

    ¡°Tss,¡± my attacker clicks his tongue, finally lets go of my wrist and runs off.

    I sigh in relief and collapse on the floor. My head is spinning from the forced telepathic encounter and I¡¯m not throwing up only because the last meal I had today was breakfast.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± my saviour drops to his knees. ¡°Sorry, I was only pretending to be calling the police, I didn¡¯t have time to dial their number. Phew, I don¡¯t believe that worked so well. I was so scared!¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I dry my tears to the sleeve of my hoodie and try to focus my sight in the dimly lit hall. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Erik,¡± the man smiles at me encouragingly and I notice how beautiful his green eyes are. ¡°I noticed that guy looking at you strangely and following you when you were passing by my table. Can you stand up?¡±

    He offers me his hand. I¡¯m afraid of another touch, but he isn¡¯t grabbing me. He¡¯s actually waiting for my consent. I accept his support and he pulls me up. Our bare skin touches and a wave of comfort runs through me. Whoever this person is, he¡¯s genuinely a good guy.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I mutter and let go of him hesitantly.

    ¡°Can I call you a taxi home?¡± he smiles at me again. ¡°Don¡¯t take me wrong, but I don¡¯t think someone like you should be walking alone at night.¡±

    ¡°Someone like me?¡± I frown.

    ¡°Sorry, I feel like whatever I might say right now, I will end up no better than that guy I¡¯ve just chased off,¡± he laughs nervously. ¡°You¡¯re too cute, mysterious stranger.¡±

    I frown again, but it doesn¡¯t make me feel gross hearing it from him.

    ¡°That was probably inappropriate,¡± he apologises, waving his hands frantically. ¡°You must still be in shock. Let me call you that taxi.¡±

    I study his broad shoulders and neatly cut brown hair as he escorts me through the noisy bar outside. He even stays with me until the taxi arrives. How can his mere presence be so soothing?

    ¡°Feel free to blow your nose into it,¡± he says when I get in the car and he hands me a tissue with a number written on it. ¡°But maybe if you ever feel like it, we could meet in some nice caf¨¦ during the day so that you feel safe?¡±

    I¡¯m staring at the number, then I stare at him. He¡¯s looking at me, hopeful, but expecting nothing in return for saving me. My chest gets tight, I could be staring into those green eyes for hours.

    ¡°Thanks again, Erik,¡± I whisper, recalling his name. ¡°I¡¯m Ryuuto and a huge fan of pumpkin spiced latt¨¦.¡±

 83. My Alien Half

    I smile at my saviour, feeling strangely warm inside. I rarely feel a real connection with someone after spending just a few minutes with them. I can usually tell right away if a person is safe to approach or rather to be avoided, but I¡¯ve never felt so relaxed in anyone¡¯s presence before.

    I clutch the napkin in my hand. I definitely want to see Erik again. I just hope he will be okay with my polyamorous tendencies. After all, I can¡¯t get too attached to just one person, it would pose a serious problem. But, for some reason and for the first time ever, I let myself feel a tiny spark of hope. What if it will be different with Erik? Maybe I can finally open up to someone?

    The taxi starts moving and Erik disappears from my sight. I suddenly feel inexplicable dread as claustrophobia hits me. It¡¯s too small here! I hate cars! There¡¯s no way my wings would fit! Everything comes to me in a split second. I was reliving a memory. No, to be precise, I was forced to vividly relive a memory. That realisation breaks the illusion and everything dissolves.

    ¡°Realising that something is an illusion is just the first part,¡± my father says, materialising next to me. ¡°Yet, you didn¡¯t break it on purpose. Your Celestial self did it for you when claustrophobia hit you. We will have to try again.¡±

    Again?! Oh, no! NO WAY IN HELL I¡¯M GOING TO LET HIM RUMMAGE THROUGH MY MEMORY LIKE THAT!

    I don¡¯t care that he doesn¡¯t want me to use my emphatic powers. I love being a Celestial and I can combine both if I wish so! I accept Celestial wrath with open arms this time. My mind gets clear and I know what I need to do. I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor and to protect my people, I have to be able to first protect my mind.

    I create a shield around myself and even though it¡¯s just another mind construct, everything here is. It will work because I decide it will. My method might not be to my father¡¯s liking, but casting spells I¡¯m used to helps me focus. I imagine the shield being able to block telepathic attacks and¡­ it just does. I feel the intrusive telepathic pressure becoming much weaker.

    ¡°Not what I had in mind, but if the result is the same,¡± my father shrugs and it looks like he¡¯s actually content. ¡°It seems I do need to take into account the fact that you¡¯re both an empath and a Celestial and adjust your training accordingly.¡±

    ¡°Will you answer my questions now?¡± I purse my lips and take a few steps away from him just to feel more comfortable.

    ¡°I promised that, didn¡¯t I?¡± he smirks. ¡°Only one question a day, though.¡±

    I take a deep breath out of habit. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s air here. I was thinking about it the whole day and I came up with more than ten super important questions I need answered, but the question I should ask first is about finally not running away from my true heritage.

    ¡°What are you? What am I?¡± I demand to know.

    ¡°Let¡¯s sit down for that,¡± he points to the left and two expensive-looking armchairs appear out of nowhere.

    I¡¯m staring at him with distrust, but he simply sits down and is waiting for me to join him. The armchair isn¡¯t ideal for a Celestial, but I slowly sit down as well, spreading my feathered limbs to the sides.

    ¡°Humans would probably call us Mentalists,¡± he starts slowly, watching my reaction. ¡°However, we don¡¯t like that term. We don¡¯t rely on tricks, our powers are real. Some may also call us Dream Walkers or Mind Readers, but that isn¡¯t accurate either. In our language, we call ourselves the Divementis.¡±

    ¡°The Divementis,¡± I repeat in a daze. It¡¯s just a name, but it still strikes me somehow. ¡°So that makes me¡­?

    ¡°You used to be half-human, half-Divementis,¡± he helps me. ¡°Now, you¡¯re half-Celestial and still half-Divementis. The transformation didn¡¯t change that, because it wasn¡¯t designed to change someone who is a Divementis in the first place. Our brains naturally resist any outside intervention that would mess with our DNA.¡±

    ¡°Where are you from? Are the Divementis aliens?¡± I ask, hoping he won¡¯t take it as another question but rather an expansion of my original inquiry.

    ¡°In a sense that we¡¯re not from this Earth,¡± he nods. ¡°We didn¡¯t come in spaceships, though.¡±

    ¡°Did you come through the rifts then?¡± I¡¯m eager to learn more.

    ¡°We did,¡± he nods again.

    ¡°What are the Divementis? I mean really? You look human enough,¡± I narrow my eyes.

    ¡°Enough,¡± he laughs. ¡°We learned to adapt and blend more easily. Humans see what they want to see, we didn¡¯t have to try extremely hard. Just as you didn¡¯t have to before you turned into a Celestial. You put on human mimicry subconsciously to survive. It wasn¡¯t perfect because you lack proper training, but it protected you.¡±

    ¡°I was perfectly human,¡± I frown. ¡°Except for the telepathy.¡±

    ¡°Were you?¡± he tilts his head and looks genuinely amused. ¡°What humans consider androgynous features are one of our main appearance traits. You kept it contained enough to pass for an unusual human, but the transformation brought that out in its full grace.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Celestial now,¡± I state firmly. ¡°Sure, I¡¯m a telepath, but¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still deceiving yourself like that?¡± he sighs. ¡°Why do you think humans and even other Draconians are so nervous in your presence? They might take comfort in persuading themselves that the Celestial Emperor is supposed to look like that, but, on the subconscious level, they sense that your features aren¡¯t human, nor Draconian. And that unnerves them.¡±

    ¡°But you look¡­!¡± I oppose feebly. My wings start shaking.

    ¡°Human enough?¡± he says mockingly. ¡°This face is how I want the world to see me. You saw me like that at the conference so you expect me to look the same even here. But I don¡¯t. When will you finally notice that?¡±

    I blink, confused. He looks like a dignified man in his late fifties, just as I first saw him in New York. What does he mean?

    ¡°Clear your eyes and unthink,¡± he gives me a hint. ¡°Turn your head if it helps you, and when you look again, forget what your image of me is.¡±

    I don¡¯t see any other way than to do as he suggests. I turn my head, take another deep symbolic breath and try to persuade myself that the person in the armchair next to me is someone I¡¯m meeting properly for the very first time. I honestly don¡¯t expect anything, but it still takes me by surprise.

    The elderly man is gone. Instead, there¡¯s a being of uncertain age with androgynous features similar to my own. He is human enough, but his face is too perfect. His body is too slim. His hair is long and too silky. He¡¯s wearing something that resembles a kimono, but I can¡¯t identify the material.

    ¡°A Divementis!¡± I finally fully understand. He¡¯s humanoid in shape, but he¡¯s definitely not human.

    ¡°Do I unnerve you?¡± he asks. His voice has changed as well and it¡¯s much more neutral now. ¡°I find that it would be more comfortable for humans if we actually looked more alien. This way, humans try to see a resemblance and they do, but they don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You look way too young to be my father,¡± I say, realising I probably sound stupidly defensive.

    ¡°Long lifespan,¡± he explains. ¡°Human lives are ridiculously short, that¡¯s why we made Draconians to live longer. As for your lifespan in particular¡­ to be honest, I don¡¯t know. There was never a Divementis hybrid before, let alone a Celestial-Divementis hybrid.¡±

    ¡°Did my mother know that¡­,¡± I open my mouth, but I don¡¯t get to finish that sentence.

    My voice doesn¡¯t come out. I suddenly feel light and my body turns transparent. Everything starts dissolving.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we ran out of time, you¡¯re waking up,¡± my father still somehow manages to speak, semi-transparent himself. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±

    *****

    ¡°Love, it¡¯s half past eight already,¡± Erik is shaking me gently. ¡°We let you sleep in because you looked like it¡¯s still midnight for you, but we have a meeting at nine.¡±

    I slowly sit up, rubbing my eyes. I feel tired like I didn¡¯t sleep at all. Is this because my brain is too active during the night so I can¡¯t rest properly? I was okay yesterday, but now it¡¯s two nights in a row. I desperately crave coffee.

    ¡°Any chance we could reschedule that meeting?¡± I yawn.

    I try to act normal despite the shocking revelation. My father¡¯s race is called the Divementis which makes me half-Divementis. My telepathic part has a proper name now. It¡¯s confirmed and there¡¯s no sugarcoating it¡ªI¡¯m half-alien. How do I tell my partners? How do I tell my subjects? When? Is there such a thing as a suitable opportunity to come out with something like that?

    ¡°No chance, the Japanese Minister of Defence is here already,¡± Erik says and narrows his eyes. ¡°Do you feel okay, hon? Should I call Noage?¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m just a bit drowsy, you interrupted my sleep cycle,¡± I stretch my wings, hoping my voice isn¡¯t trembling.

    ¡°Are we overwhelming you again?¡± he bites his lip. ¡°We double-checked it and your itinerary isn¡¯t that different from your usual workload. Do you feel under pressure perhaps?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just this different time zone, my body hasn¡¯t fully adjusted yet,¡± I wave my hand to dispel his suspicion.

    I wash my face with cold water and let the maids dress me up. That leaves me with only fifteen minutes for breakfast. I¡¯d gladly skip it, but there¡¯s no way they would let me.

    ¡°Where¡¯s coffee?¡± I ask while quickly gobbling a homemade sandwich because there¡¯s no time for a proper Japanese breakfast full-course.

    ¡°Dalia is brewing a pot just for you and the Consorts, Your Majesty,¡± Ayala assures me. ¡°Highest quality beans. She will bring it to the meeting since you overslept.¡±

    ¡°Does she know that I like¡­,¡± I start, but Ayala interrupts me.

    ¡°She¡¯s well aware of how you like your coffee, my Emperor,¡± she laughs, amused. ¡°Everybody who serves you does.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t you ask where Gotrid is?¡± Erik nudges me and forces me to eat some fruit salad as well. ¡°Not that I don¡¯t enjoy having you just for myself.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s with Liana,¡± I say between munches. ¡°They are preparing for the afternoon¡¯s presentation with Gavreel and argue about what colour the slides should have. They are so pumped up early in the morning. Sorry that I overslept, now it seems the Celestial Emperor is lazy.¡±

    I suddenly feel a mixture of disbelief and awe coming from the maids and guards who overheard our conversation.

    ¡°What?!¡± I look up from my salad. ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Where should I even start?¡± Erik sighs, shaking his head resignedly. ¡°You do realise that you know what¡¯s happening dozens of metres away from you?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m connected to Gotrid, he¡¯s my partner,¡± I don¡¯t understand the commotion.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°Hon,¡± Erik performs an exemplary facepalm. ¡°There¡¯s a big difference between knowing that you¡¯re a telepath and actually seeing you demonstrating it. You have no idea how divine it looks, do you?¡±

    ¡°Ehm¡­,¡± I hesitate. Maybe I got too comfortable with everyone knowing the truth and not having to hide it anymore. Am I being too casual about it? For all my life, I was desperately hiding it from the world. Well, look at me now.

    ¡°And the moment of divinity is gone,¡± Erik bursts laughing.

    I frown, confused. Then I noticed that a piece of fruit fell from the spoon on my robe when I was lost in thoughts. I take a napkin, trying to clean it right away, but it was a piece of watery melon and left a huge stain.

    ¡°That¡¯s good, hon, seeing you clumsy makes you more approachable,¡± Erik can¡¯t stop giggling.

    ¡°That¡¯s not good, Royal Consort, we have five minutes before the meeting starts and we have to change His Majesty¡¯s clothes now,¡± Ayala panics.

    I¡¯m dragged back into the bedroom and the maids start to browse the closet frantically, trying to find something that fits with my lilac under-robe so that they don¡¯t have to start from scratch and save time.

    I usually have little need to check myself in the mirror because the maids take care of my daily wardrobe as well as styling my hair. But I have a few moments while waiting for them to decide how to change my royal attire and the mirror is right in front of me.

    I stare at my reflection with a bit of apprehension because I¡¯m trying to see the Divementis in me. Ever since my father showed me his true form, I can¡¯t unsee it. Humanoid enough, but not human. In my case, Celestial enough, but not fully.

    I check my eyes first. My father¡¯s eyes are pitch-black, but mine are as Celestial as they get. Beautiful golden colour, perfectly adjusted for flying in the brightest sunlight. Naturally, I also possess a pair of fluffy Celestial wings I love so much. But that¡¯s where it ends.

    My facial features are totally androgynous and too symmetrical. Soft, but, admittedly, unnervingly inhuman. My body is too sleek for a male and I¡¯ve always been unable to put on any muscle. My father was right. The world somehow came to terms with that because they are comforting themselves with the wrong assumption that it¡¯s how the Celestial Emperor is supposed to look like.

    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking something again,¡± Erik catches me off-guard and pokes me between my eyebrows.

    ¡°Erik, do I look weird?¡± I ask, chewing my lip.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he raises his eyebrows.

    ¡°I mean¡­ all Draconians changed tremendously, but Celestials should have retained their previous faces, right?¡± I explain and hope that my strange question won¡¯t make him even more suspicious of my behaviour.

    ¡°You mean except for the fact that all Celestials magically got younger and Celestial men lost their beards?¡± he grins. ¡°Well, you do look slightly different. You got even prettier. I guess it¡¯s the silver hair and golden eyes? They really suit you.¡±

    ¡°And my face in particular?¡± I pull his sleeve.

    ¡°What¡¯s bugging you, Ryuu?¡± he finally gets serious, a suspicion brewing inside him again.

    ¡°I¡­ I think I look scary to humans and maybe even other Draconians,¡± I mumble.

    ¡°Really, what¡¯s going through that telepathic brain of yours sometimes?¡± Erik rolls his eyes and symbolically slaps my head. ¡°Who gave you that idea?¡±

    ¡°Nobody, I observe,¡± I clutch his hand. ¡°Please, Erik, answer me honestly.¡±

    He¡¯s staring at me for a moment, thinking about it. He doesn¡¯t want to lie to me, but he doesn¡¯t want to hurt my feeling either.

    ¡°If anything, it¡¯s scary how beautiful you are,¡± he says in the end and caresses my face. ¡°Ryuu, is something wrong? Did somebody tell you something nasty?¡±

    ¡°As if they would have a chance to do that,¡± I shake my head.

    ¡°I love you exactly as you are,¡± he smiles at me encouragingly. ¡°But moreover, I love you for who you are.¡±

    That confession almost moves me to tears. I hate keeping secrets from him. I want to tell him everything. I want him to hold me and tell me that it¡¯s going to be okay and he will protect me from my father and the Divementis. But he can¡¯t. Nobody can. There¡¯s only one solution¡ªI have to get stronger and not only for myself. I¡¯m determined to do so for the people I love and the future of my race.

    *****

    Because of my little incident during breakfast, we arrive slightly late. The throne room is already full and the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence are waiting. I met Minister Hayashi only very briefly at the airport when I was greeting the Japanese delegation, but I didn¡¯t have any time to analyse him back then.

    It surprises me when I realise how young he is¡ªhe can¡¯t be over forty yet. His skills and ambitions must be exceptional otherwise he would never acquire such a high posting so young. I remind myself that the Minister of Defence is second only to the Prime Minister so I should treat him with respect.

    Hayashi is piercing me with his gaze when I¡¯m passing him to get to the throne. He bows out of pure politeness and habit because it¡¯s the Japanese custom and I sense that he won¡¯t be nearly as amicable as Ichikawa. I can tell that he disagrees with the decision of the Japanese government to let Draconians protect their country.

    ¡°Good morning, I apologise for my lateness. We can start now,¡± I sit on the throne and nod so that everyone can sit down as well. I wink at Gotrid, happy to be reunited with my beloved, and I also give a reassuring smile to Liana and Gavreel who have been working hard since early morning.

    The meeting starts and my suspicion proves right. Hayashi hates the idea of Draconians being primarily in charge of protecting Japan against monsters and the Japanese Self-Defence Forces just assisting us with damage control. He¡¯s willing to cooperate with us only because there¡¯s no other way and he has to comply with the final decision of the Japanese government.

    I don¡¯t hold it against him, though. Unlike Delgado, I can feel that he doesn¡¯t hate Draconians by default. He just doesn¡¯t like the idea of losing control. He wants to be the one to protect his homeland, it¡¯s only understandable. I make it a priority to talk to him informally during a coffee break. Maybe part of the problem is that he doesn¡¯t like negotiating with someone who¡¯s literally sitting on a throne.

    At ten, Liana finally calls for a break. I drank one cup of coffee during the meeting and I go for another at the buffet tables the first chance I get. I feel so tired. If I take a nap after lunch, will my father use that opportunity for a short training session? I hope not.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t drink that much coffee, love, you know it makes you jittery,¡± Gotrid is worried when he sees me drinking my second latt¨¦ in just a few gulps.

    ¡°I crave caffeine today,¡± I shrug it off and look for an opportunity to make small talk with the Minister of Defence.

    I see him standing next to his entourage, ignoring the delicious refreshments we had prepared for our esteemed guests. Instead, he¡¯s whispering something to his assistant and looks annoyed. The Prime Minister, on the other hand, is chatting quite merrily with Liana. Good, that¡¯s one thing taken care of.

    I try to mingle, but there¡¯s no such thing as the Emperor casually mingling. The Celestials seem to think that break from the meeting means that I have time for them now. As much as I¡¯d love to spend more time chatting with my subjects, I have a mission. I tell the guards to make a passage and they do.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Hayashi gets startled when he notices that I¡¯m confidently heading to him.

    I want to say it¡¯s impossible that someone like the Minister of Defence would be afraid of me, but he is. He sees the Celestial Emperor approaching with his Royal Guard and my pretty face that Erik and Gotrid love so much isn¡¯t helping. My attempted smile is probably only making it worse. I¡¯m alien in his eyes and he knows only half of it.

    ¡°These are pretty good, Hayashi-san,¡± I say, taking one of the canap¨¦s from the buffet table and putting it into my mouth, hoping to break the ice.

    ¡°I¡¯m vegan,¡± he informs me dryly.

    ¡°Oh,¡± his answer genuinely surprises me. I thought that he was not eating anything because he doesn¡¯t want to accept our hospitality. But, in reality, he can¡¯t eat anything. With Noage being the only Earthborn in the mansion and him not attending the meeting, we didn¡¯t take vegan options into account. All of these fancy treats have either cheese or eggs on them to suit Celestials.

    ¡°Did nobody ask about the dietary needs of our guests?¡± I turn to Luviael who¡¯s almost always by my side. Honestly, I¡¯m annoyed that we made such a stupid mistake.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t expect¡­ I mean¡­ not many Japanese¡­,¡± Luviael gets pale, realising her blunder.

    ¡°Get to the kitchens right away and personally make sure there will be a vegan option for lunch,¡± I hiss, my voice uncompromising.

    Luviael bows several times and runs off, flustered. I didn¡¯t want to be harsh on her, but she¡¯s in charge of these things and even tiny mistakes might influence the overall atmosphere during official meetings.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that, Hayashi-san,¡± I apologise. Luviael might have made that mistake, but I¡¯m responsible for my subjects.

    ¡°That¡¯s okay, Your Majesty, I¡¯m not a fan of snacking between meals anyway,¡± he says indifferently, but I just know that he was complaining about non-vegan options to his assistant a few minutes ago. Time to change the topic.

    ¡°I¡¯m really glad to have friendly relations with Japan, Hayashi-san,¡± I start lightly. ¡°I might not be a citizen, but I was born here.¡±

    ¡°Born, yes. I suppose you¡¯re still investigating on your own and trying to find out who your father is, Your Majesty?¡± Minister Hayashi narrows his eyes.

    I frown. Why in the world is he mentioning that? Is he suspecting something? Did the Japanese government make a connection and didn¡¯t share it with us?

    ¡°Naturally,¡± I answer and all the friendliness from my voice is gone. Hayashi might not hate Draconians by default, but it¡¯s obvious that he doesn¡¯t trust me specifically. He¡¯s studying my face intently as if looking for signs of me not being who I claim to be.

    ¡°Allow me to be blunt, Your Majesty,¡± he says openly. ¡°We don¡¯t know who your father is, but he was clearly involved in developing Draconia Online. It¡¯s difficult to get any information about Nebula, but considering your mother hardly ever left the company¡¯s premises during that time, I somehow find it hard to believe that she met your father in some random bar.¡±

    His hunch is correct, of course, but I¡¯m more impressed with his bluntness. Politicians are never this direct. Minister Hayashi is sharp, there¡¯s no fooling him with excuses and pretences. I have to be careful.

    ¡°You¡¯re probably right,¡± I simply nod, surprising him with being blunt in return. ¡°So? Are you implying that I had something to do with the Great Evolution? I was just a child when you deported me and I haven¡¯t visited Japan until now.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m implying nothing of that sort,¡± he denies quickly, realising that he probably crossed the line and potentially insulted the Celestial Emperor. ¡°I just think that a proper investigation of your family background could possibly shed some light on the whole situation.¡±

    ¡°What makes you think that we¡¯re not looking into it? Are you not investigating Nebula yourself?¡± I look straight into his eyes, being well aware that it makes people uncomfortable.

    I just wanted to intimidate him a bit and test if he will avert his eyes, so I¡¯m taken aback when my brain establishes a telepathic connection.

    He knows something. I know he does! Celestials are not telling us everything. How can we trust them?

    I have to exert all my willpower not to flinch. It takes much more focus and isn¡¯t nearly as clear as with my partners and Liana, but I can read his thoughts when looking straight into his eyes! Is it the result of my father¡¯s training?

    Now he¡¯s looking at me strangely. Did I insult him? I have no idea what he¡¯s thinking. I¡¯d rather deal with a bunch of scary Dragonkin in a frenzy than talk face-to-face with the Celestial Emperor. He could crush me with a single thought if he wanted. That beautiful face of his makes him only more terrifying.

    I hide my fists in the long sleeves of my robe because I can¡¯t show that I¡¯m clutching them. My dark premonition was right¡ªI do look scary. Hayashi doesn¡¯t manage to keep eye contact for too long and looks at Erik instead which instantly breaks the connection.

    ¡°We¡¯re not taking over the JSDF, Hayashi-san,¡± Erik says because I stayed quiet for too long, still absorbing the fact that I can probably do indirect telepathy with anyone now while my partner is desperately trying to save the situation.

    ¡°Jiro, is something wrong?¡± the Prime Minister unexpectedly shows up, addressing Hayashi by his first name. Are they friends? It¡¯s not common for the Japanese to be on a first-name basis with colleagues.

    Only now I notice that we have quite an audience. It¡¯s not like we were raising our voices, we kept the tone professional, but Celestials must have sensed a burst of wrath coming from me. Liana catches up to me, afraid that diplomacy has failed because of a misunderstanding. She¡¯s shouting at me in her mind to just let it go.

    ¡°Ichikawa-san, the Minister of Defence seems to think that I have personally something to do with the Great Evolution,¡± I explain coldly, having no intention of letting it go. I have to stand my ground.

    ¡°What?¡± the Prime Minister looks at his colleague with disbelief. ¡°Jiro, did you offend His Majesty in any way?¡±

    ¡°Why is everyone deliberately ignoring the fact that His Majesty¡¯s mother was a VR developer working for Nebula and his father most probably as well?¡± Hayashi-san clicks his tongue and even though he makes me angry, I have to admire his courage.

    ¡°So what if they are?¡± Liana frowns. ¡°Do I have to remind you that our Emperor was just four when his mother died and you deported him to the EU?¡±

    ¡°That might be true, but it can¡¯t be a coincidence that a child of two Nebula developers became the Celestial Emperor,¡± Hayashi insists, unshaken. ¡°Everyone is too scared to even hint at it, but I won¡¯t be intimidated. Just look at him! Consider what he can do and he¡¯s barely scratching the surface of his powers!¡±

    He bravely looks straight into my eyes again which establishes a direct connection. He means every single word because his thoughts are exactly the same. The man in front of me is scared of facing the Celestial Emperor because he truly believes that I could kill him with a single telekinetic wave. But he¡¯s not backing down. Despite his fear, he decided to voice what everyone else is afraid to even mention. He¡¯s looking at me and he isn¡¯t fooled by my pretty face.

    I can feel my subjects becoming dangerously wrathful, ready to jump in and protect their Emperor against any insult. However, my own wrath disappears completely. I¡¯ve never met a politician so direct and transparent before. I feel a wave of sympathy towards the Japanese Minister of Defence.

    I also see¡­ an opportunity to be more honest with our allies.

    ¡°Li, I wish to speak with Hayashi-san and Kinishima-san in private,¡± I demand. ¡°Prepare a meeting room for us right away.¡±

    ¡°What? But Aefener, it¡¯s not¡­,¡± Liana opposes.

    I know that she means well, but I can¡¯t have her questioning my authority in front of the Japanese. I have to act as the Emperor towards her whether I like it or not.

    I recall the moment when my mind came up with that dreamy scene of me and my partners peacefully eating pancakes without a care in the world. That was my wishful thinking as my father pointedly called it, yet I was still wearing my royal attire. He was right after all. The kind personality I inherited from my Mom is clashing with the ruler in me.

    I am kind and I hope that will never change. But I have to face it¡ªbeing kind doesn¡¯t always go well with being the Emperor and doing what¡¯s necessary. For the benefit of my people, I have to combine kindness with wisdom. And right now, it means to become uncompromising.

    ¡°You will address me as His Majesty and that was an order,¡± I look at her and don¡¯t even have to apply any telepathic pressure to make her shiver. I do consider her to be my closest friend, but I painfully realise now that there are limits to our relationship. She¡¯s not my equal to question me.

    ¡°As you command, my Emperor,¡± Liana bows and, for the first time ever, she¡¯s afraid to meet my eyes.

 84. Ryuuto No More

    Erik and Gotrid follow me into the meeting room without saying anything. I¡¯m still projecting my love to make them feel comfortable, but I closed off my thoughts from them completely. I know that it¡¯s hurting their feelings, but I can¡¯t afford to be distracted.

    Liana doesn¡¯t meet my eyes even once and keeps her head down. Even though I don¡¯t need direct touch or eye contact to read her thoughts because I¡¯m perfectly attuned to her, I decide not to pry and respect her privacy.

    I feel careful enthusiastic anticipation coming from the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence. They suspect that I¡¯m going to say something extremely important and sensitive. I seat myself in the best chair available and order the guards to keep the rest of the Japanese delegation outside. They protest, but Ichikawa waves at them and the door is closed.

    ¡°The information I¡¯m about to share,¡± I start, giving them both a strict gaze, ¡°is for the Japanese government only. Is that clear?¡±

    ¡°Perfectly clear, Your Majesty,¡± the Prime Minister nods and nudges his colleague. The Minister of Defence nods after a few seconds, his expression tense.

    ¡°Hayashi-san was right, we aren¡¯t telling you the whole truth,¡± I admit, but my tone isn¡¯t apologetic. I¡¯m just static a fact. If I have to learn that I don¡¯t need to explain myself, I¡¯d better start practising right away.

    ¡°About¡­?¡± the Prime Minister gulps because there are so many mysteries still left unsolved. It can be any of them.

    ¡°We do know who my father is,¡± I reveal, ¡°and you do as well, you just didn¡¯t make that connection, Ichikawa-san. There¡¯s no shame in that, I wouldn¡¯t know either if he didn¡¯t tell me himself at the UN summit in New York.¡±

    ¡°Wait, it¡¯s someone I know?¡± Ichikawa widens his eyes. ¡°Who?¡±

    I take a deep breath. I¡¯m putting my trust in these two politicians I barely know. It¡¯s a gamble, but I¡¯m willing to take that risk.

    ¡°Haruto Taketa,¡± I say simply.

    Ichikawa and Hayashi exchange panicked glances and their distress doesn¡¯t come from the fact that they both know the person in question and failed to make that connection. There¡¯s something more to that. It¡¯s almost as if they are genuinely afraid of him.

    ¡°Are you sure, Your Majesty?¡± Ichikawa¡¯s voice is tense.

    ¡°He arranged for my severed feather to be stolen to do a DNA testing,¡± I nod. ¡°There¡¯s no doubt.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re Ryuuto Takeda, the only heir to the Azuchi Group?¡± Hayashi shakes his head in disbelief. He certainly didn¡¯t expect that when he accused me of my father being involved.

    ¡°I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor Aefener,¡± I correct him. ¡°But yes, I guess I am also that.¡±

    Ichikawa and Hayashi look at each other again and I notice that they start sweating.

    ¡°That¡¯s all we know, though,¡± I conclude as I have no intention to tell them about my telepathy.

    ¡°Why telling us now?¡± Hayashi narrows his eyes.

    ¡°I hate to admit it, but we lack resources so our investigation didn¡¯t uncover anything that isn¡¯t publicly known,¡± I sigh. ¡°As for why I¡¯m coming out with it now¡­ well, let¡¯s say you persuaded me with your honesty, Hayashi-san.¡±

    The Minister of Defence studies me for a second, and then his pursed lips relax. It seems I finally managed to gain his trust.

    ¡°Ichikawa-san, I might be wrong, but I noticed that the name of my father startled you,¡± I choose my words carefully to avoid suspicion.

    ¡°It did, I won¡¯t hide that, Your Majesty,¡± the Prime Minister says openly. ¡°Azuchi Group and their CEO in particular have quite a history with the Japanese government.¡±

    ¡°Bad history?¡± I lean forward.

    ¡°It¡¯s more complicated than that,¡± Ichikawa shakes his head. ¡°Could we please ask for some time to discuss the matter with the rest of our government? I¡¯m afraid that Haruto Takeda being Your Majesty¡¯s father changes a lot of things.¡±

    ¡°I understand, take all the time you need,¡± I allow. ¡°Tell whoever you need within your government, but I ask for your discretion.¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t fail your trust, Your Majesty,¡± the Prime Minister assures me.

    The meeting room grows unnaturally quiet when the Japanese ministers leave because Liana is too shaken to speak up without permission. I use quiet time to think for a moment. What if the Japanese will need to know about my telepathy to follow up with the investigation? Am I prepared to tell the world and face the consequences? Will that make my father and the Divementis angry? I hope it won¡¯t come to that.

    ¡°Love?¡± Gotrid pulls my sleeve gently, not sure if he can interrupt me, but I¡¯ve probably been quiet for too long.

    ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± I sigh because exhaustion overcomes me like a wave now that the adrenaline is gone. I realise that my head is pounding slightly. ¡°Li, see to it that all our guests leave the mansion and we will talk after I take a short power nap.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, Your Majesty,¡± Liana bows and goes to fulfil my order. I hate to see her being afraid of me and using honorifics instead of my name, but changes need to be made. I was soft for too long.

    ¡°Hon? Would you open up to us again? Your head is hurting, isn¡¯t it?¡± Erik helps me stand up.

    ¡°A bit,¡± I confess. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just tired.¡±

    They both bite their lips at the same time. Seriously, how can they be so different in almost everything, but, at the same time, so similar when it comes to taking care of me? They suspect I¡¯m not telling them something, but they don¡¯t push me about it which I really appreciate.

    We walk to our suite in silence, but when it comes to me lying down, I open up to them a little and we snuggle which brightens their mood. I connect to their minds and I hope that my father doesn¡¯t monitor all my sleep and he will let me have this brief period of rest I desperately need.

    *****

    I wake up with Noage¡¯s rooty tentacles stuck to my forearm. I fell asleep the moment I closed my eyes and it seems my short power nap wasn¡¯t so short after all. I don¡¯t remember dreaming about anything, did my brain shut down completely?

    ¡°Sorry about that, love, but we couldn¡¯t help being worried sick,¡± Gotrid apologises because I frown at him. ¡°Something¡¯s going on with you.¡±

    ¡°I was just tired,¡± I insist, annoyed that they called Noage on me.

    However, I know that I can¡¯t do anything about that. I can be all scary in the court, uncompromising when it comes to politics and nobody can question my decisions, but even my power and influence have limitations. Just as Celestials have to obey my orders when it comes to the ruling, I have to obey when it comes to my health and protection because it¡¯s the Celestial priority and the highest state interest to protect their embodiment of magic.

    I can be angry about it all I want, but, for some strange reason, I¡¯m never able to effectively protest. It¡¯s as if they hold some mysterious power over me. I suspect it¡¯s somehow connected to my complete inability to use my powers against my people. Something in my mind just blocks me. Is it because of the racial behavioural programming the Divementis instilled in us? Or just something that developed unexpectedly?

    I slowly sit up, but it seems Noage has no intention of letting go of me.

    ¡°Enough, I¡¯m okay,¡± I click my tongue.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± Noage is adamant. ¡°You haven¡¯t been sleeping well lately, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just this different time zone, doesn¡¯t it usually take people a few days to get used to it?¡± I try to reason with him. ¡°Or did you find something else wrong with me?¡±

    ¡°Well, no,¡± he admits reluctantly. ¡°Just serious sleep deficit.¡±

    ¡°See?¡± I dramatically roll my eyes. I was never good at acting, but I have to do my best now. I need to meet my father in my dreams again and they can¡¯t interfere.

    Gotrid sighs and nods at Noage that he can let go of me now. I massage the place where Noage¡¯s tentacles pierced my skin, but there¡¯s barely any trace left. The Earthborn produce some kind of substance that closes the skin extremely quickly after their intervention.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°Celestials weren¡¯t sure what to do while you were napping,¡± Erik informs me. ¡°Liana refused to take the initiative and the Japanese government is still in a session.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the time?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Three already,¡± Gotrid says. Oh, I was napping for four hours? No wonder I worried them.

    ¡°We can¡¯t do much until the Prime Minister¡¯s cabinet decides on their course of action,¡± I shrug. ¡°We may as well just continue with our tasks.¡±

    ¡°A late lunch is such a task, you skipped a meal again,¡± Erik reminds me. ¡°Nobody in the mansion has had lunch yet. It was supposed to be a special course for the delegates so it somehow felt weird to eat it separately.¡±

    ¡°Cien, go tell the staff that I¡¯ll dine with my subjects in fifteen minutes,¡± I tell the maid who¡¯s patiently awaiting my orders.

    I stand up, stretch my wings and nod at Ayala to adjust my robe and hair.

    ¡°What will you do about Liana?¡± Erik asks carefully.

    ¡°Do?¡± I don¡¯t understand the question.

    ¡°The Viceroy didn¡¯t take your scolding well, love,¡± Gotrid explains. ¡°She did just what you asked of her directly and then hid in her apartment, leaving Celestials second-guessing. They think she¡¯s in your disgrace now.¡±

    I feel a wave of sympathy towards her. Maybe I was too harsh? Did I humiliate her? But then I realise what I set myself to do. I did what I had to do, kindness wouldn¡¯t be beneficial in that particular situation. I have to show my subjects that while I¡¯m forced to comply when it comes to my protection, I won¡¯t tolerate them questioning my decisions.

    Celestial society isn¡¯t based on democracy, I have to finally let go of that human idea. The Emperor rules with absolute power and appoints people he trusts to take care of lower levels of the government. My subjects are here to advise me, nothing more. Whether my kind personality likes it or not, I¡¯m the embodiment of magic and they aren¡¯t my equals.

    ¡°Ryuu¡­?¡±

    My father was right, I¡¯ve been kidding myself all this time. I can¡¯t have both. I should stop pretending that there will be a time when everything will work out and the world will leave me be. There won¡¯t be a future for me and my partners in which we can eat pancakes without a care in the world.

    ¡°Hey, Ryuu¡­?¡±

    I was never human and now I¡¯m not fully Celestial either. My father said that there has never been a Divementis hybrid before. What that makes me? My body is mostly Celestial and my feelings towards my people are fiercely protective. Half-Divementis or not, I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor and making sure my race has a future will always be my life purpose.

    ¡°Ryuuto!¡± Erik grabs my chin and forces me to look at him.

    I have no idea why he¡¯s addressing me like that. Then it finally comes to me. Right, Ryuuto was my human time. It seems so distant now. I no longer automatically respond when he calls me like that. I still like that name because it¡¯s coming from him and because my Mom named me, but it¡¯s only nostalgia talking. I don¡¯t identify as Ryuuto anymore. I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor Aefener.

    ¡°I was lost in thoughts,¡± I try to smile at him, but he isn¡¯t fooled. He senses the change in me. He¡¯s studying my face and gets startled when he realises that I¡¯m looking at him as fondly as ever, but there¡¯s no recognition in my eyes when he uses my human name.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Erik, there¡¯s nothing human in me left,¡± I feel my eyes getting wet. I can still allow myself to be vulnerable in front of them. I don¡¯t have to put up a stiff upper lip in their presence.

    I don¡¯t feel sad for myself, though, I no longer identify with my previous life. I feel sad for my partner. Erik is the only human in the court and his position isn¡¯t easy. While Celestials treat him with utmost respect, he misses his kind and an occasional coffee with Elizabeth isn¡¯t enough. He¡¯s just as trapped as I am.

    Words can¡¯t describe how much I love my partners so I use telepathy instead. I channel my emotional state to them, only hiding the truth about the secret training with my father.

    ¡°Silly,¡± Erik kisses me so gently that it stops my tears. ¡°You should have told me that you want me to use your Celestial name. I thought you liked me calling you Ryuu.¡±

    ¡°I like it from you,¡± I assure him. ¡°But today I just couldn¡¯t respond anymore. I didn¡¯t recognise my old name.¡±

    Erik sighs heavily, but he isn¡¯t sad about the name. He¡¯s sad that I was hesitant to tell him. He leans close to my left ear and whispers:

    ¡°Aefener¡­¡±

    Shivers go down my spine and spread through my wing bones, making all my feathers stand up. I thought that I loved Erik calling me Ryuu, but it turns out that him calling me by my Celestial name is incomparably more intimate. Still, I feel like I want to keep my previous name as something special I only share with him¡ªa playful nickname we use only in private perhaps?

    ¡°My Emperor,¡± Gotrid, not wanting to be left behind, whispers to my right ear. Everybody else calls me that, but only he can make these two words sound erotic.

    My tense body finally relaxes. Sitting on a throne and making difficult decisions suddenly doesn¡¯t seem so hard when I realise that I have them standing by my side.

    ¡°Your Majesty, everybody has gathered in the throne room already,¡± Vermiel reports from behind the door because he suspects that we¡¯re cuddling.

    ¡°Not everybody,¡± I gently push Erik and Gotrid away. ¡°Liana is still sulking in her apartment.¡±

    ¡°Well, the Viceroy wasn¡¯t sure if you want to see any more of her today,¡± Vermiel says.

    ¡°Nonsense, I just had to discipline her, that¡¯s all,¡± I shake my head. ¡°Tell everyone that I¡¯ll come in a minute. It seems I have to personally drag my Viceroy out.¡±

    *****

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Liana¡¯s guards bow to me when I appear in front of her suite.

    ¡°Open,¡± I say simply and they do.

    I confidently enter Liana¡¯s lounge, but she isn¡¯t there. Then I notice two voices coming from the bedroom¡ªLiana¡¯s and Soren¡¯s. Oh? The mighty Viceroy who¡¯s always on her guard let Soren into her bedroom? Unlike me, the guards don¡¯t have to follow her every step so she has much more privacy than me. Letting Soren inside means that she trusts him and doesn¡¯t consider him to be only her bodyguard.

    ¡°Are things between them finally¡­,¡± Gotrid smirks, but I shush him.

    It might not look very regal, but I sneak closer to the bedroom door, not ashamed of eavesdropping. Erik rolls his eyes, but he¡¯s just as eager to find out if something is going on between them. However, after just a few words, it becomes evident that they¡¯re talking about me. Damn, Soren, when will you finally make a move on her? Liana is too dumb in this area, but she obviously likes you!

    ¡°What if His Majesty hates me now?¡± Liana sulks and I feel that she¡¯s really miserable. I sigh. I didn¡¯t mean to crush her spirits, that was never my intention.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible, the Emperor loves you. Everybody sees that,¡± Soren tries to comfort her. ¡°You just said something you shouldn¡¯t have so he was forced to discipline you.¡±

    ¡°I was so stupid,¡± Liana cries. ¡°What was I thinking? Questioning the Emperor¡¯s decisions, moreover in front of our guests. I deserved much worse, His Majesty is still too kind.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what we adore about him, don¡¯t we?¡± Soren points out. ¡°Only someone like him can keep our racial vices in check. If it wasn¡¯t for him, we would be at war with humans already.¡±

    I want to keep eavesdropping a bit longer because it looks like Soren might find some courage and hug her eventually, but then Liana mutters:

    ¡°Maybe it would be for the best if I resigned and became a regular state official. This wasn¡¯t the first time I was questioning the Emperor,¡± she laments. ¡°I¡¯m too egoistic to be the Viceroy.¡±

    That finally forces me out of hiding and I open the door with a loud thud, startling both of them.

    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± I shout, horrified. ¡°I won¡¯t accept your resignation, don¡¯t you even think about it, Liana.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Liana and Soren jump from the bed and drop to their knees.

    ¡°Have I ever said that I don¡¯t want you to be my Viceroy?¡± I purse my lips and spread my wings as much as the room allows.

    ¡°N-no,¡± Liana whispers. ¡°B-but¡­¡±

    ¡°I see that you realised your mistake and regret your actions,¡± I observe. ¡°I forgive you and that concludes the matter. We have a ton of work to do, stand up.¡±

    Liana dries her eyes and slowly gets up. She wobbles, so I take pity on her and go for a comforting hug. It wasn¡¯t my wish to devastate her like that, but, with her stubborn personality, I had to use harsh words to penetrate her thick skull.

    ¡°Li, you dumb,¡± I caress her wings. ¡°I value your advice and opinions, but there is a huge difference between advising me and questioning my direct orders.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I was dumb,¡± she says and I can feel her tears wetting my shoulder.

    We stay in a feathery embrace for a few long moments until she collects herself. Something significant has changed, though, and our relationship will never be the same again. She might be the person I trust the most to be my deputy and I do love her, but I understand now that I¡¯m the Emperor and she¡¯s my Viceroy. I accept that there are certain things I have to sacrifice to be a good ruler¡ªfamiliarity with my subjects being one of them.

    ¡°You¡¯re beaming with undeniable authority, Your Majesty,¡± Liana finally manages a smile.

    ¡°I had to grow into it,¡± I smile back at her. ¡°I have to admit that I took my time and I was in denial for months. But that¡¯s over now, I assure you.¡±

    The solemnity of the situation is ruined by my loudly grumbling stomach.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go for that lunch, I¡¯m starving,¡± I whine and we hurry to the throne room in an elevated mood, knowing that everything is mended between us.

    *****

    I can¡¯t say that I suddenly became thrilled about sitting on the throne, but I don¡¯t mind it that strongly anymore. Managing a race of conquest-hungry magic casters will require all the effort I can muster and if they want to see me sitting on the throne, so be it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t plan to tell the Japanese about my telepathy,¡± I assure everyone present in the throne room. ¡°However, telling them about my father was necessary. Now that they have a clue, they can finally investigate properly. They have the resources we lack.¡±

    There¡¯s a rustle of fluttering wings in the hall. Everybody is nervous about that.

    ¡°What if they somehow find out on their own, Your Majesty?¡± Vermiel voices his concern on behalf of everybody.

    ¡°If they will, I do not doubt that you will protect me,¡± I answer simply, being well aware of what kind of reaction that will provoke in Celestials.

    ¡°Of course, we will,¡± Vermiel drops on his left knee in front of me.

    ¡°Rest assured, my Emperor,¡± Miruel and Sareash hurry to do the same.

    It¡¯s strange to think that just a year ago, telling anyone about my telepathy was my biggest fear. First, I told my friends which was a huge leap for me. Then I told all my subjects and it was the most liberating thing I¡¯ve ever done. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s smart to tell the whole world because politicians would be too nervous to deal with me but, should it get out, I¡¯m not nearly as terrified as I used to be.

    I meet Sareash¡¯s eyes to test if I can read her thoughts without direct touch the way I did with Minister Hayashi this morning. I¡¯ve been able to project my thoughts to Celestials for quite some time now, but reading anyone besides my partners still required a contact.

    His Majesty has nothing to be afraid of. He has us protecting him.

    So I can do it, it wasn¡¯t just a whim. Is it a result of my father¡¯s brutal training? Or did I develop it naturally? I hope it stays with eye contact. I don¡¯t want to be hearing everyone¡¯s thoughts all the time, I¡¯d go crazy for sure. When should I tell them? What if it makes my subjects anxious?

    I¡¯ve been probably staring for too long because Sareash timidly looks down which breaks the connection. I have to find a way how to prevent unwanted mind reading. The Emperor can¡¯t be afraid to look people in the eyes and I don¡¯t want to be reading everyone just by looking at them. For now, I¡¯ll have to try focusing my attention on people¡¯s foreheads or noses.

    Suddenly, I feel a strange tingling sensation in my feathered limbs. All my instincts start shouting that I should spread my wings and fly in the direction it¡¯s pulling me towards. There¡¯s no doubt¡ªanother monster attack and near.

 85. The Enemy at the Gates

    ¡°But we don¡¯t feel anything, Your Majesty,¡± Guard Captain Vermiel is confused and he¡¯s not the only one. Everyone in the throne room is whispering to each other, anxiously fluttering their wings.

    ¡°No monsters yet, a rift forming,¡± I try to explain.

    ¡°Love, how can you tell with such certainty?¡± Gotrid stands up and clutches my hand.

    ¡°I just feel it,¡± I admit that I have no rational explanation. ¡°Just as you feel cardinal directions. It¡¯s pure instinct I guess?¡±

    ¡°Your Emperor instinct?¡± Erik raises his eyebrow.

    ¡°My¡­ other instinct,¡± I bite my lip, hesitating. This has definitely something to do with my half-Divementis brain.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Liana bows in front of the throne. ¡°Give us your orders.¡±

    I study her for a moment. The shift in her is remarkable, but the shift in me is even more so. I have no doubts anymore. Half-Divementis or not, I am the Celestial Emperor. And right now, every fibre in my body is battle-ready. Celestials indeed are heavenly warriors by nature.

    ¡°Gear up, we¡¯re departing in five minutes,¡± I order with no hesitation in my voice. ¡°I know that there¡¯s a battle unit in Osaka, but this is a perfect opportunity to explore the rift itself before it closes.¡±

    ¡°As you command, my Emperor!¡± the hall roars and, for the first time, it makes me feel truly good as the Emperor.

    We rush to our apartment where the maids quickly help me and Gotrid into our brand-new armour that has yet to experience a battle.

    ¡°You¡¯ll need to learn how to do it faster next time,¡± I tell them because we¡¯re behind our scheduled departure by three minutes when they finish braiding my hair. This time I look at my reflection in the mirror with confidence. I love how I look in Celestial armour.

    ¡°We will, Your Majesty!¡± the maids bow.

    I turn to Erik who¡¯s nervously stepping by the door, feeling a bit left out. He knows that this is one of those things that he will never be able to share with me.

    ¡°You¡¯re in charge, Erik,¡± I tell him and kiss him urgently. ¡°The Celestials staying in the mansion will listen to everything you say as if that order was from me.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he nods resolutely. ¡°I¡¯ll hold the fort until you return.¡±

    I kiss him again on the porch and spread my wings immediately after that. The Imperial Guard is already hovering above the mansion. I spot Liana and Soren at the very upper part of the flock.

    ¡°Your Majesty, you have to lead the way, we still can¡¯t feel anything,¡± Miruel tells me. We¡¯ve notified the local authorities. They will try to follow our formation and send the JSDF to assist us.¡±

    ¡°Follow then,¡± I say simply.

    As always, I¡¯m strategically positioned in the middle of the flock, but that¡¯s okay because I¡¯m sending them the direction where we should head through telepathy anyway. I feel that the rift shouldn¡¯t be far because the mysterious pull I¡¯m experiencing is super strong. So strong that I have no idea why they can¡¯t feel anything. I set the speed to the highest the Imperial Guard can manage and we cross ten kilometres in just six minutes.

    Listen, everyone, I address the whole Royal Guard. Our mission today isn¡¯t to only defeat the monsters that come through. We have a unique opportunity to explore the rift itself. For that, I need you to protect me from incoming attacks as I won¡¯t be joining the battle unless it becomes absolutely necessary.

    ¡°As you command, Your Majesty,¡± Vermiel shouts back against the wind. ¡°However, we need you to respect that should the situation turn dangerous, we won¡¯t hesitate to escort you to safety.¡±

    Noted, I answer. There¡¯s nothing I can do about it anyway. The highest Celestial priority will always be protecting their embodiment of magic.

    It turns out that the rift is about to open in the suburbs of Osaka. Miruel immediately notifies the local authorities to start evacuating the area while I¡¯m trying to pinpoint the exact location. It¡¯s not that difficult in the end because the closer I get, the more unsettled I feel. And when I get goosebumps under my feathers, I do not doubt that we¡¯ve reached our destination.

    I conjure up a levitation platform so that I don¡¯t have to be flapping my wings all the time and start slowly getting closer to the spot. Nothing is visible at first, but then the space itself starts bending. Fearing that monsters can start flooding at any moment, I stay hovering at the highest tip of the rift where the monsters shouldn¡¯t be a threat after their immediate appearance. At least before they notice me and start spitting venom or something. Which, hopefully, will be deflected by my protectors.

    ¡°I thought we would be able to see through to the other side,¡± Gotrid lands on the platform next to me. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not a two-way portal?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s collapsing already, I can feel its power diminishing,¡± I realise. ¡°It won¡¯t stay open for long. Whatever comes through stays trapped here.¡±

    ¡°How are you going to analyse it?¡± Gotrid scratches his chin.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try sending my mind to the other side,¡± I tell him my plan. ¡°If it¡¯s a portal that connects two places and there¡¯s life, I should be able to feel something.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t that be dangerous?¡± Gotrid gets startled.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t an astral projection,¡± I assure him. ¡°I¡¯ll search the space with my mind, but I won¡¯t leave my body.¡±

    ¡°Do what you must then and leave your protection to us,¡± he says confidently and puts up a shield around us like a huge bubble.

    I sit down in a meditation posture to focus better and half-close my eyes. The rift is connecting to somewhere unknown, but what if it¡¯s actually the world of Draconia and the game was its exact replica? Is that what I should ask my father tonight?

    I send my consciousness into the rift, trying to reach beyond the distorted horizon. I expect difficulties, but the minds of beings on the other side are already jumping to our dimension through the distortion, making it easy for me. I reach out to them. While they lack higher intelligence, I discover that they also feel pulled towards the rift. Some of them are entering right now!

    ¡°A heligorr incoming!¡± I hear Vermiel shouting alarm, but I try not to let it disturb me.

    I reach further, but, sadly, I can¡¯t see the alien dimension. I can only feel its inhabitants. And they are vicious, unlike anything I¡¯ve seen before. Real monsters, not animals. I momentarily lose focus when something hits the shield Gotrid put up and several guards are sustaining. But the shield holds, so I close my eyes again.

    I can feel that the rift is destabilising quickly so I have to hurry. The Divementis came from that dimension, I need to find out more. However, all I can feel so far are monsters. What¡¯s making them so aggressive without a reason, though? Do they want to eat or just kill? I try to reach even further, stretching my telepathic range to its current maximum.

    And then suddenly something pushes into my mind. It¡¯s not testing my defence, it¡¯s not curious. Whatever that is, it¡¯s going for a kill. I put up a mental shield just in time when a telepathic surge comes through the rift. Luckily, my mental barrier blocks it successfully, but it still shakes me. Would I be able to stop it just a few days ago? I have a feeling that it¡¯s thanks to my father¡¯s torturous training methods.

    What was that?! Is there a Divementis on the other side? But that force didn¡¯t resemble my father at all. It wasn¡¯t cold and calculative¡ªit was a crude force and raw menace.

    A DIVEMENTIS!

    An inhuman voice echoes in my head. I¡¯m pretty sure these were not actual words, but a mental interpretation of what that thing imagines when it comes to the race of my father.

    What are you? I try to send him a message in a similar way.

    How can you not know? the voice stops pushing, curious now.

    How can I know when I¡¯ve never seen you? I answer, hoping maybe that thing can be reasoned with after all.

    I can see now that your mind is very young, the voice is surprised. How can a child defend itself against me?

    I¡¯m not a child, I retort. I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor!

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    I probably shouldn¡¯t have said that, but he offended me and my Emperor nature doesn¡¯t take that well. Besides, I¡¯m proud to be the Celestial Emperor. I won¡¯t hide my identity.

    Nonsense, Celestials are extinct and they were not telepaths, the voice argues. Are you a Divementis who was born on the other side? Did your people tell you nothing about me?

    The telepathic pressure gets stronger again. That thing is trying to peek into my memories! I do the same as I did with my father¡ªI push it away with my emotions. I expect to be half-successful at the very least, but that being pulls itself back almost completely.

    You¡¯re not a Divementis! it exclaims, astonished. The Divementis can¡¯t project emotions.

    I told you that I¡¯m not, I say. I¡¯m the Celestial Emperor.

    Oh, I understand now! it laughs. You¡¯re half-Divementis! But how is that possible? The proud Divementis would never stand so low to breed with lesser races. Are they that desperate?

    What are you? I demand to know.

    No answer. Instead, it starts pushing again. It¡¯s testing all my defences, trying to find a way into my brain. I¡¯m holding the best I can, but that thing has centuries of experience I simply don¡¯t have. I¡¯m afraid it will break through sooner or later.

    ¡°Love, your nose is bleeding!¡±

    Gotrid shakes me, trying to get me out. That¡¯s a fatal mistake because I connect to him automatically. When that being feels Gotrid¡¯s consciousness, it goes after him instead. In a panic, I pull Gotrid to my chest and kiss him, trying to mingle our minds so that he gets the same protection I have. Gotrid doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but his default is to trust me completely so he doesn¡¯t struggle with me.

    That¡¯s a pure Celestial mind! the voice roars. So the Divementis succeeded after all? They resurrected the ancient extinct races to oppose me?!

    It¡¯s too much, I feel my defences crumbling. It¡¯s attacking me with everything it can and even though it¡¯s not going for a kill but information, I can¡¯t let it. However, all my amazing Celestial magic is useless in this battle of two minds. Is that what my father meant when he mentioned that magic won¡¯t help me? Did he mean this?

    But then I realise that powerful presence isn¡¯t resonating within our world. It¡¯s attacking me through the rift, but it actually can¡¯t cross the border between our dimensions the same way I can. It can hurt me only because I¡¯m sending my conscience out there. I pull back immediately and¡­ I¡¯m free! I can¡¯t feel it anymore. Whatever that thing is, it can¡¯t get through.

    Naturally, it¡¯s a huge relief, but I realise that I didn¡¯t get out unscathed. My head is pulsating with an insane migraine, I¡¯m extremely dizzy and my nose won¡¯t stop bleeding. I collapse into Gotrid¡¯s feathery embrace as my brain shuts down to escape the maddening pain.

    *****

    I regain consciousness, but it¡¯s not a pleasant waking up. My head is still hurting badly and everything is spinning. It seems that monstrous conscience from another dimension managed to hurt my very brain. Even connecting to the minds of my beloved is torturous.

    Erik is holding me, trying to make me drink, but I spit everything out. I scream in pain because Noage is attached to my arm with his rooty tentacles and his presence in my mind feels like thousands of needles.

    ¡°Viceroy, we have to limit the number of people that can approach him,¡± I hear Gotrid saying. ¡°His Majesty needs as little telepathic stimuli as possible.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t risk reducing the guards,¡± Liana opposes.

    ¡°Then position them further away, make sure that the barrier stays impenetrable,¡± Gotrid suggests. ¡°And talk to the residents not to occupy the garden in front of the Royal suite. I know that everyone is worried-sick, but their mere presence is hurting him.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s try that,¡± Liana agrees in the end and runs off.

    ¡°Love, you will be okay,¡± Erik kisses me on my forehead. ¡°Noage says that you received a telepathic equivalent of a concussion, but you should recover.¡±

    It takes a lot of effort to decipher what they¡¯re saying, so I give up eventually. Even though every tiny telepathic wave is hurting me right now, I hug Erik and fall asleep.

    *****

    I¡¯m standing on an ancient stone platform. The world isn¡¯t spinning anymore, but I feel my head hurting all the same. I¡¯m sleeping, but it doesn¡¯t bring me the usual escape from pain, probably because my brain is too active. Lucid dreams evidently don¡¯t count. I collapse on the ground and curl into my wings.

    ¡°You met it,¡± my father appears next to me.

    ¡°It?¡± I repeat weakly, hugging my feathers.

    He materialises a cushion and sits down next to me. He sighs and tries to touch my wings. When he sees that I get goosebumps and twitch, he stops.

    ¡°To be honest, I had no idea you would try sending your mind to the Draconia dimension,¡± he says worriedly. ¡°If I did, I would warn you against it. You¡¯re far from being ready. How did you get to the rift so quickly anyway?¡±

    ¡°I felt it forming,¡± I whisper and massage my temples, but as if that would do anything in a dream.

    ¡°You felt the rift before it tore the space apart?¡± he widens his eyes. ¡°No Divementis has such acute senses.¡±

    ¡°Do I have to remind you that I¡¯m a Celestial as well?¡± I frown at him. Having a discussion takes a lot of effort, but the pain is somewhat more manageable here so I can speak.

    ¡°All Draconians can feel the rifts, but not even a Divementis can feel a rift that hasn¡¯t torn the space yet,¡± he shakes his head, astonished.

    ¡°What was that thing?¡± I just need to know.

    ¡°That, my son, was the enemy,¡± he explains with a sigh.

    ¡°The¡­?¡± I notice the solemnity in his voice.

    ¡°Yes, the one,¡± he nods. ¡°The reason why we came to the Earth in the first place. The reason why we lost our home. The reason why four sentient Draconian races disappeared. They didn¡¯t go extinct, they were annihilated.¡±

    I want to ask more questions, but the pain gradually becomes unbearable. My brain is supposed to be resting, not being lucid.

    ¡°That Earthborn healer is right,¡± he peeks into my fresh memories because I can¡¯t muster any strength to oppose him. ¡°It¡¯s a telepathic equivalent of a concussion. You need time to recover so I won¡¯t be visiting you for a few days until you do.¡±

    ¡°Wait, I still have so many questions¡­!¡± I try to stop him, but his body is transparent already.

    ¡°There will be time for that. For now, focus on recovering,¡± he insists. ¡°You being able to feel forming rifts is potentially a huge game changer, I have to discuss it with my people. In the meanwhile, don¡¯t refuse treatment from that Earthborn doctor and let your Consorts comfort you. I know it¡¯s seemingly more painful to connect to them in your current state, but I promise it¡¯s going to speed up your recovery.¡±

    When he disappears, my mind gets cloudy and I fall into blissful sleep where there is no pain.

    *****

    I see little stars when I regain consciousness again. I hate the sensory symptoms a migraine often brings, it¡¯s so disorienting. However, I find out that I feel a tiny bit better. Liana did limit the number of people in my immediate vicinity which is a huge relief.

    ¡°Love, please, just a few gulps,¡± Erik puts a glass to my lips. ¡°At least to wet your throat, okay?¡±

    I try drinking the water and this time I manage to let it slip to my stomach. My throat is very dry and I¡¯m not dehydrated only thanks to Noage¡¯s hard work.

    ¡°What happened after I fainted?¡± I whisper.

    ¡°If you worry about the monsters, they were eradicated quite easily,¡± Gotrid assures me. ¡°Three heligorrs and two tripoderras got out, but the Osaka battle unit arrived just in time to help us. Thanks to your early warning, there were no casualties.¡±

    ¡°You collapsing with a nosebleed caused much greater panic, though,¡± Erik caresses my face tenderly. ¡°The Celestials know that you tried to explore the alien dimension telepathically, but the world is left second-guessing.¡±

    ¡°Let them second-guess then,¡± I murmur, but I don¡¯t have the energy to even wave my hand. Everything takes a lot of effort, even thinking. I feel so weird.

    ¡°Love, your mana is leaking!¡± Gotrid warns me.

    ¡°So¡­?¡± I say indifferently. I feel so sluggish. I can¡¯t focus properly on anything. I can¡¯t seem to keep my mana contained, I have so much of it.

    ¡°Not good!¡± Gotrid starts to panic at this point, but he has no idea what to do.

    ¡°Hon, you have to stop it!¡± Erik kisses me urgently.

    The guards hurry inside, feeling my immense mana going berserk. The atmosphere gets heavy with my magical energy and lighter objects start levitating. I¡¯m dizzy. So dizzy.

    ¡°Noage, do something!¡± Gotrid implores the Earthborn healer. ¡°Put him to sleep!¡±

    I feel a sting in my left arm and the world goes dark.

    *****

    ¡°It¡¯s extremely dangerous for a Celestial to suffer from a concussion,¡± I hear Noage explaining to Liana whose presence I feel right next to me.

    ¡°How so? I thought our main weak spot is wings,¡± Liana is confused.

    ¡°That¡¯s true, a mana circuit is connected directly to your wings, but it¡¯s your brain that controls mana channelling,¡± Noage says. ¡°While injuring your wings is very painful and heals slowly, a concussion can drive a Celestial out of control.¡±

    ¡°Our Emperor is waking up,¡± Erik informs everybody because he can feel my mind coming out of haziness.

    I slowly open my eyes and find myself on Erik¡¯s lap, leaning against his chest. This time connecting to him doesn¡¯t hurt my brain, my father was right. His presence is comforting again. Despite lingering nausea and pain, I relax and melt into his embrace.

    ¡°I think it will be okay now, Noage, he¡¯s calm,¡± Erik says to the Earthborn healer who¡¯s ready to apply another dose of a sleeping substance should my mana go berserk again.

    ¡°Love, how do you feel?¡± Gotrid hurries to snuggle to me as well.

    ¡°A bit better,¡± I say weakly. ¡°Did I damage anything?¡±

    ¡°Well, you did, but don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he caresses my wings. ¡°Is your head still spinning?¡±

    ¡°Not if I don¡¯t turn my head too suddenly,¡± I say. ¡°I feel so weird, though.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a concussion in a nutshell,¡± Noage summarises and slowly lets go of my arm.

    ¡°Your Majesty, do you feel strong enough to tell us what happened?¡± Liana sits closer, tense. ¡°According to Gotrid, you were attacked by some kind of alien telepathic force.¡±

    ¡°That sounds about right,¡± I confirm. ¡°When my mind got into the other dimension, I encountered a powerful presence. It was telepathic like me, but, at the same time, not like me at all. It attacked me immediately, but I managed to defend myself against it. Then it got curious and we talked.¡±

    ¡°You actually talked?!¡± Liana opens her mouth. ¡°What about? It speaks our language?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t speak our language,¡± I set the record straight. ¡°We talked through images and symbols. It¡¯s hard to explain if you¡¯re not a telepath.¡±

    ¡°What does it want?¡± Gotrid asks and his hands caressing my feathers tremble.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, the world dominance?¡± I sigh tiredly. ¡°It sounds clich¨¦, but I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s exactly what it wants. I suspect that it reached supremacy in its home world and now it wants to conquer ours. Luckily, I discovered that its consciousness can¡¯t pass through dimensions the way I could.¡±

    ¡°Oof, that¡¯s a huge relief,¡± Liana calms down a bit. ¡°Still, you did something extremely dangerous, Your Majesty. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t let you repeat it.¡±

    ¡°Trust me, I don¡¯t want to,¡± I whine because another wave of throbbing pain runs through my temples. ¡°At least not before I learn how to defend myself properly.¡±

    Cien enters the bedroom, bringing me a glass of protein banana smoothie. Erik and Gotrid are very patient with me, but I have to empty it whole. It takes me a few minutes and exhausts me completely. I had no idea that everything is so difficult with a concussion.

    ¡°If our Emperor comes from that dimension, it must mean that the inhabitants of that place are telepaths,¡± Liana is thinking aloud.

    ¡°I was born here,¡± I remind her and yawn. Drowsiness is overcoming me and I can barely fight incoming sleep. ¡°Besides, four Draconian species are not telepaths, only my race is. And also, apparently that¡­ thing.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± everybody looks at me, confused.

    It¡¯s becoming really hard for me to think clearly. What do they not understand?

    ¡°Love, what do you mean exactly by ¡®your race¡¯?¡± Erik clutches my hand.

    I feel like I can¡¯t avoid sleep for much longer. My head hurts too much, I feel so weak and information becomes a bit jumbled in my concussed head.

    ¡°The Divementis,¡± I whisper and my eyes close.

 86. Owing an Explanation

    I¡¯m standing on that ancient stone platform again, but my father is nowhere to be seen. That¡¯s strange for two reasons. First, he promised to give me a few days off before I recover from my concussion and I believe his word, however weird that might sound. Second, I have never experienced a lucid dream on my own.

    I can still feel my head hurting, but I¡¯m not dizzy in this dream. I walk around a bit, not sure what to do. I have no idea how to wake up and it doesn¡¯t seem like my father is coming. Now what? I look up and discover that the platform is part of a much bigger structure.

    The dreamy surroundings that my father created have been hazy so far so I thought they are just a decoration, but what if there¡¯s more to them? It¡¯s not easy to muster enthusiasm for exploration with a migraine, but I push myself. If I can discover more about the secrets my father is hiding, I need to take that chance.

    I walk for as long as the platform leads me and the closer I get, the less hazy the structure seems to be. I eventually reach the wall and touch it. It feels solid enough, definitely not just for decoration. I walk along it and, to my surprise, discover an opening with a wide staircase. Not willing to bother with something as unnatural to Celestials as climbing, I spread my wings and fly up, following the stairs.

    I get startled when I¡¯m suddenly enclosed between walls that seemingly appear out of nowhere. Everything looks even more solid now. I land on a marble floor and look frantically around. It might look ancient and alien, but it somehow resembles¡­ a library?!

    ¡°Welcome supreme administrator!¡±

    I twitch after the voice, but it echoes, giving me no hint of its origin. It sounds almost perfectly natural, but I suspect that it must be pre-recorded. What is this place?!

    ¡°Please, state your query,¡± the voice says politely.

    Oh, so I was right¡ªit is a machine. What is it doing in my dream? Is it real or just a figment of my dreamy imagination?

    ¡°Ehm¡­ can you tell me about Draconia?¡± I ask, not sure how to formulate the query.

    ¡°Language not recognised,¡± it answers.

    ¡°Draconia dimension,¡± I try again. Maybe it doesn¡¯t understand complex sentences.

    ¡°Language not recognised,¡± it repeats stubbornly.

    ¡°How can you not recognise the language when you clearly speak it?¡± I frown.

    It takes me a few seconds to realise the truth and the revelation makes me shudder¡ªit has been speaking in an alien language all this time and I just didn¡¯t notice! Is that the Divementis language? And I can somehow understand? Understanding is one thing, though, how do I speak it?

    ¡°Draconia dimension,¡± I try, but English comes out of my mouth instead.

    ¡°Draconia dimension,¡± I repeat, but this time it¡¯s Japanese.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± I get angry because the migraine is still killing me and I can¡¯t focus properly. ¡°Stupid machine, learn human languages!¡±

    ¡°Accessing information about human languages,¡± the voice surprises me by cooperating.

    Wait, did I actually speak Divementis just now?!

    ¡°Human languages refer to the languages spoken in the dimension called by the locals the Earth,¡± it starts explaining. ¡°Just like four ancient Draconian races, humans aren¡¯t telepathic so they have to rely on vocal sounds to communicate.¡±

    ¡°Stop!¡± I interrupt it because that¡¯s not what I¡¯m interested in. I¡¯ve confirmed at least one thing, though. This place is like the Divementis equivalent of Wikipedia!

    ¡°Tell me about Draconia,¡± I ask.

    ¡°Language not recognised,¡± it repeats.

    I roll my eyes, sit down and envelop myself in my wings. I can understand the voice so well that I had no idea it was speaking to me in an alien language at first, but I can¡¯t seem to reproduce it at will. Why did my father never mention it? If I can understand it, he didn¡¯t have to bother using Japanese during our conversations.

    A shiver goes down my spine and spreads to my wings. Now that I think about it¡­ maybe he didn¡¯t? Did we speak Divementis all this time and I just didn¡¯t notice? What did that feel like? I¡¯m trying to recall that feeling and it¡¯s almost at the tip of my tongue. It¡¯s as if that knowledge was somewhere deep within me all this time and I just wasn¡¯t aware of it because I never got an opportunity to use it.

    ¡°Tell me about Draconia,¡± I repeat and this time I¡¯m confident that I speak Divementis.

    ¡°Draconia is a world that was originally home to five sentient races¡­¡±

    I want to celebrate that I¡¯ll finally be able to learn something useful, but I suddenly get that familiar feeling of my body waking up in the real world.

    ¡°No, please¡­ not yet!¡± I want to stop myself from waking up, but my body is transparent already. There¡¯s no stopping it.

    *****

    I find out that it¡¯s not my body naturally waking up, but my partners trying to wake me up by force. For the very first time, I get seriously angry at them. How dare they? I could have finally learnt something! Who knows if I¡¯ll be able to reproduce lucid dreaming on my own any time soon? They ruined this rare opportunity!

    Because my head is still hurting badly, I forget to watch my mana channelling and accidentally push Erik and Noage away with telekinesis. I don¡¯t push Gotrid only because there¡¯s a natural barrier in my mind that won¡¯t let me use my powers against Celestials. I regret it immediately because I see genuine shock in their eyes. However, guilt doesn¡¯t mitigate my irritation.

    ¡°Ude maa te vor!¡± I hiss angrily and envelop myself in my wings. My feathers are all puffed, mirroring my annoyance.

    Erik and Gotrid look at each other, even more shocked now.

    ¡°Your Majesty¡­?¡± Liana slowly approaches our bed and even slower sits in the corner. She¡¯s bewildered. ¡°Was that Japanese?¡±

    ¡°That was no Japanese, Viceroy,¡± Gotrid shakes his head.

    Shocked, I put a hand in front of my mouth. Did I just speak Divementis to them? Did languages get jumbled in my concussed brain? Or was I too influenced by my lucid dream?

    ¡°Love, we¡¯re truly sorry, but we had to wake you up. You¡¯ve been sleeping for fifteen hours straight, we were scared,¡± Erik explains quickly.

    My partners try to slowly approach me again. They know quite well that puffed-up feathers are a sign of a Celestial being irritated, but they aren¡¯t the type to give up when it comes to me. They snuggle to me from both sides and tickle me until I open my wings again. Seeing an opening, Erik grabs me around my waist and puts me on his lap. Gotrid hugs my wings and starts to pet them.

    ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s us who have a good reason to be angry right now, not you,¡± Erik purses his lips, but his hand on my wings stays as gentle as ever. ¡°It seems you were keeping secrets from us.¡±

    ¡°M-maybe,¡± I admit hesitantly, this time carefully watching the language I¡¯m using.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the basics, Your Majesty,¡± Liana says slowly but resolutely. ¡°Who are the Divementis and what is the language you just spoke?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­,¡± I clutch Erik¡¯s shirt, feeling desperate. While Liana is genuinely angry with me for keeping secrets, my partners are deeply saddened and disappointed that I was keeping things from them and that breaks my heart.

    ¡°You can tell us now, love,¡± Gotrid encourages me. ¡°It must have been occupying your mind for these past few days, right? Of course, we noticed that you¡¯ve been distracted and tired for no apparent reason.¡±

    ¡°Was I that bad at hiding it?¡± I sigh.

    ¡°Well, not really,¡± Erik shakes his head, ¡°but we could see how exhausted you¡¯ve been ever since we came to Japan. Even though Noage confirmed that you¡¯re otherwise healthy, we were still worried.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, why did you feel that you couldn¡¯t tell us?¡± Liana lowers her head, devastated that I didn¡¯t put my trust in them.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to worry you, yet that¡¯s exactly what happened,¡± I murmur, embarrassed.

    ¡°So,¡± Gotrid caresses my feathers. ¡°What¡¯s the Divementis?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how my father¡¯s race is called,¡± I answer slowly.

    ¡°And that language you spoke?¡± Erik pokes me.

    ¡°The Divementis language,¡± I say. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I can suddenly speak it. I just can.¡±

    ¡°And how do you know all of that?¡± Liana tilts her head.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ my father has been giving me training,¡± I bite my lip because there¡¯s no good way how to say it.

    ¡°What?! When? How?¡± Gotrid¡¯s hand caressing my wings freezes.

    ¡°During the past few nights when I was sleeping,¡± I try to explain as simply as possible. ¡°It turns out the Divementis can visit each other¡¯s dreams. That¡¯s why I was so tired, my brain couldn¡¯t rest properly.¡±

    There are a few seconds of absolute silence during which everybody has to digest what I¡¯ve just said. I can feel the maids and guards present in the room getting restless.

    ¡°I think Celestials, the Dragonkin, the Earthborn and Clawfangs were the original inhabitants of the dimension those monsters are coming from,¡± I continue when nobody¡¯s saying anything. ¡°According to what I¡¯ve heard from my father and that monstrous alien presence, they were annihilated, possibly centuries ago.¡±

    ¡°So those Divementis, your father belongs to, managed to bring them back to life through us?¡± Liana summarises. ¡°That makes you half-Divementis then?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why my appearance was never fully human and now I¡¯m not fully Celestial either,¡± I nod. ¡°I saw my father¡¯s real body and it turns out that androgynous features are the main Divementis racial trait. He said that the transformation wasn¡¯t supposed to work on someone who¡¯s a Divementis so only my human part changed.¡±

    ¡°Love, were you afraid to tell us?¡± Erik kisses my hair.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I admit, ¡°but I was mostly afraid that you would try to prevent me from meeting my father. If you knew, you would surely make Noage drug me with something that prevents having dreams or you would make me leave Japan immediately.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, we would,¡± Liana doesn¡¯t hide the fact and is clutching her fists. ¡°Did he hurt you?¡±

    ¡°He was training me,¡± I say, but because I avert my gaze, she can tell that I¡¯m not telling the whole truth. I was always a bad liar.

    ¡°Show us your memories, love,¡± Erik asks simply.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not,¡± I shake my head. ¡°Besides, we don¡¯t speak English in my dreams anyway.¡±

    ¡°Was he hurting you?¡± Gotrid takes my hand and kisses it.

    ¡°His methods might have been questionable, but it was only thanks to his harsh training that I was able to defend myself against that thing,¡± I claim vehemently. ¡°If I didn¡¯t learn how to use emotions to push back intruders, I would die yesterday.¡±

    Everybody shudders at that thought. They realise now that their embodiment of magic could have died and that¡¯s deeply disturbing for Celestials. Their jittered emotions make my head throb with intensified pain. I whine because excitement is never good during a migraine.

    ¡°His Majesty is getting exhausted, Your Excellency,¡± Gotrid observes. ¡°I know that we¡¯re all hungry for answers and angry that our Emperor was hiding the truth, but he¡¯s hurt and needs to rest.¡±

    ¡°Further questions will have to wait until our beloved recovers,¡± Erik seconds.

    Liana sighs, but she agrees and stands up. Ayala immediately takes her place, holding a bowl in her hands.

    ¡°I know that you¡¯re still feeling nauseous, Your Majesty, but Noage insisted that he can¡¯t be feeding you intravenously all the time,¡± the maid says persuasively. ¡°Your intestines need to be moving and you¡¯re eating very little as it is, we can¡¯t risk your stomach shrinking.¡±

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    Gotrid takes the bowl from her and starts feeding me sweet rice porridge. They are very patient with me, I can take breaks, but I have to empty it whole. Liana oversees the process, frowning and thinking frantically, no doubt about what she¡¯s going to tell the Celestial Council. I¡¯m too tired to read her thoughts. I fall back to sleep the moment I finally finish eating.

    *****

    I hope to have another lucid dream, but I¡¯m sleeping too deeply this time. I guess it¡¯s for the best because when I wake up again, my headache is much more manageable. I¡¯m really glad that I don¡¯t need to go to the bathroom anymore because I¡¯m lying squeezed between Erik and Gotrid.

    I¡¯m relieved that they took me being confirmed to be half-alien well and I feel sorry about hiding the truth from them. Maybe I should have told them after all. Who else should I ultimately trust than my partners? They support me in everything I do and are taking care of me all the time, no wonder I hurt their feelings by hiding things from them. Will they forgive me?

    However, while I do regret it, I also don¡¯t. Liana said it clearly¡ªif they knew, they would try to stop me for sure. I did what I had to do for the benefit of Draconians and Celestial overprotectiveness would only get in the way.

    ¡°Are you awake, my Emperor?¡± Cien asks from behind the curtain that envelopes our bed, whispering.

    ¡°How could you tell?¡± I don¡¯t understand because I hardly moved.

    ¡°Your mana emanation changes a tone based on whether you¡¯re awake or asleep, Your Majesty, we can tell for quite some time now,¡± Cien explains and silently opens the curtain. ¡°Are you thirsty?¡±

    ¡°A bit,¡± I admit and, careful not to wake up my partners, I sit up. So they can tell, huh? That¡¯s potentially problematic, there¡¯s no faking sleep anymore.

    Cien hands me a glass of water using telekinesis and I drink it to the bottom. I do feel much better and my current headache is at the intensity I¡¯m able to tolerate. I hand over the emptied glass and thank her.

    ¡°Are you angry with me as well?¡± I ask even though I can feel it from her.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she admits openly. ¡°I¡¯m angry that our embodiment of magic is constantly throwing himself in danger. I might not be in the Imperial Guard, but I do consider myself to be your protector, my Emperor. How would you feel if the person you wish to protect with all your being always tries to sabotage your efforts?¡±

    I bite my lip. She has a point. Gotrid can protect himself, but if Erik tried to run away on a whim the way I sometimes forget myself during my flights or refuse the guards I assigned to him, I¡¯d be seriously angry and worried-sick.

    ¡°We know that you do things only with the Draconian best interest in heart,¡± she continues. ¡°You hid the truth from us because you wanted to get information from your father and you knew that we would stop you. Yes, we would. Your safety is much more important to us than getting intel, when will you finally understand that?¡±

    ¡°I know that I¡¯m the embodiment of magic, but you¡¯re over¡­¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re not overprotective,¡± she doesn¡¯t let me finish. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who can handle a race of proud conquest-hungry magic casters. With you gone, Celestials would go berserk and we would be at war with humans already. You lead by example and we¡¯re honoured to keep our vices in check when following you. Nobody else can give us that. Just look at other Draconian races.¡±

    My first reaction is to ask what she means by that, but then I realise that I do know. I just don¡¯t want to see it. Patriarch Deminas keeps to himself in Russia and generally doesn¡¯t care about his people in other countries. The Dragonkin are forming guilds, happily trading with each other, but seeing only crafting and technological advancement that goes with it.

    The Earthborn King and Queen Werden and Twyla have their people much more united, but their only concern is the environment and bioengineering. There isn¡¯t a day humans don¡¯t see the Earthborn rallying against the exploitation of nature and they are gradually retreating into forests, starting to build their unique habitats.

    Clawfangs are as wild as it gets, having no interest in politics and often antagonising the locals. While they generally respect their Supreme Alpha Emi, the packs are scattered across the world and Emi can¡¯t oversee them all. Regrettably, Clawfangs don¡¯t listen to orders Emi would convey to them impersonally.

    Celestials are in total opposition to that. My word is the law for them so I have no problem coordinating Celestials all over the world. The Celestial Emperor holds absolute power. If I died, would they be able to choose another Emperor to replace me? Would they accept Liana for that role? Or does it have to be the embodiment of magic and they wouldn¡¯t accept anyone else? What¡¯s the embodiment of magic to them anyway?

    I still fail to fully comprehend its meaning. In the game, it was just a fancy title that was mentioned in our lore, but nobody took it seriously. I was respected and admired as the best player, but I certainly wasn¡¯t revered. I bet the Divementis themselves didn¡¯t count on the ingame Celestial Emperor becoming a literal embodiment of magic after they launched our transformation.

    The embodiment of magic. I know that I am that because all my cells are overflowing with mana and when I connect to Gotrid or Liana, they don¡¯t come even close to how I experience magic. Did I develop such a mana capacity thanks to my perfect immersion ability? Or because I¡¯m half-Divementis? Both?

    ¡°Go back to sleep, Your Majesty, you¡¯re still hurting,¡± Cien says gently. ¡°You need to gather your strength.¡±

    ¡°In a minute,¡± I say and close my eyes.

    I just want to quickly check on everyone. I must have been sleeping for at least two days so I¡¯m concerned for our safety. The shield is holding just fine, several guards are retaining it and there are crystals strategically positioned across the mansion to power it up.

    I don¡¯t feel anything suspicious or hostile so I relax and send my mind outside the premises. It seems to me that I¡¯m gradually able to reach further and further. I wonder how far a trained Divementis can reach. How far does my father have to be to enter my dreams?

    When I reach my current limit, I hover there for a while. I can feel the whole neighbourhood and I¡¯m surprised to find out how many Celestials there are. Did my subjects, who didn¡¯t fit in the mansion, desperately try to find a rental in nearby houses? Just how devoted are they to me?

    I try to look for a Divementis mind, but I get nothing. Either they are positioned even further or they can shield themselves somehow.

    ¡°What are you doing, hon?¡± Erik startles me by suddenly speaking up and hugging me. I was so focused on the distance that I didn¡¯t notice he woke up.

    ¡°Oof, don¡¯t scare me like that,¡± I twitch.

    ¡°You were somewhere we can¡¯t reach you again,¡± he gets saddened.

    ¡°Just checking our surroundings,¡± I say, ¡°making sure we¡¯re safe.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s three in the morning and you¡¯re working?¡± he raises his eyebrow.

    Then he doesn¡¯t say anything and just keeps hugging me. He wants to make sure that I know he¡¯s fine with me being half-alien. He doesn¡¯t understand what a Divementis is, but he¡¯s still prepared to accept everything about me, even the parts I¡¯m not aware of yet. I get so moved by it that my eyes get wet.

    ¡°I could always see it, you know,¡± he whispers.

    ¡°See what?¡± I ask because I don¡¯t want to be reading his thoughts all the time. Some things are better to be said aloud.

    ¡°Your thinking,¡± he explains and gently rubs the feathers between my wings. ¡°You have the Emperor¡¯s mindset, but you don¡¯t think like a pure Celestial¡ªlike Gotrid does. And don¡¯t let me get started on how I can never comprehend the way you experience the world. Half-Celestial and half-Divementis¡ªwhat a divine combination.¡±

    ¡°Y-you!¡± I blush and my jittered emotions wake up Gotrid.

    ¡°Love? What are you doing in the dead of night?¡± he yawns and sits up.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep anymore,¡± I admit.

    ¡°But you¡¯re still hurting,¡± he hugs me from behind and envelops me and Erik in his wings. I¡¯m happy that Erik doesn¡¯t protest about it anymore.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for keeping things from you,¡± I feel like I need to properly apologise.

    ¡°We¡¯re scared, love,¡± Erik sighs. ¡°How can we protect you in your dreams?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s something I have to do on my own,¡± I say, trying to sound determined, but I realise that my wings are shaking.

    We stay in Gotrid''s feathery embrace for a long while until I calm down. I wonder if it¡¯s the Divementis thing to rest in the partner¡¯s mind or exclusively mine. How does it work when they can¡¯t feel each other¡¯s emotions? What do they share? I¡¯m so glad to be an empath on top of being a telepath. It was always a burden for me, but not anymore.

    Despite the late hour, we don¡¯t feel like going back to sleep. Our cuddling gradually transforms into making love and when we eventually fall asleep, I keep all of us connected.

    *****

    ¡°Okay, so here¡¯s the strangest thing ever,¡± Erik says when he wakes up in the morning.

    ¡°What thing?¡± I yawn and I¡¯m happy to find out that my headache is gone entirely. Gotrid is also slowly waking up, we¡¯re perfectly synchronised.

    ¡°I think I was experiencing your dream, hon,¡± he says and caresses my hair.

    ¡°Oh?¡± I¡¯m wide awake all of a sudden. ¡°What did you see?¡±

    ¡°Not only see,¡± he says. ¡°I could feel what it¡¯s like to have wings and fly. Do you always fly in your dreams?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, mostly,¡± I nod.

    ¡°Me too,¡± Gotrid seconds. ¡°What else should a Celestial dream about?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, normal stuff,¡± Erik shrugs. ¡°Dreams rarely make sense.¡±

    ¡°Well, I do sometimes dream about nonsense, but I always have wings in them,¡± I shrug. ¡°You were lucky to see one of my carefree dreams. Did you like it?¡±

    ¡°I loved it,¡± he smiles. ¡°As I said already, if I played Draconia Online, I would definitely pick a Celestial.¡±

    I want to ask if he regrets that he didn¡¯t play Draconia Online, but I know it¡¯s a sore topic. Erik isn¡¯t a gamer, he considers video games to be a waste of time or a quirky hobby at best. Still, it will probably never stop bothering me¡ªdoes he regret that he didn¡¯t transform into a Draconian?

    I never really felt a real regret from him, but I do sometimes sense a strange undertone in his subconscious every time he can¡¯t accompany me because he doesn¡¯t have wings and can¡¯t do magic. He doesn¡¯t feel inferior being human, but, at the same time, he¡¯s painfully aware of his limitations.

    ¡°It was a really interesting feeling,¡± Erik continues and stretches his hand to rub his back. ¡°The experience was dreamy, but I could vividly feel having wings. I¡¯ve always wondered what that feels like.¡±

    ¡°I can let you share my dreams more often,¡± I propose.

    ¡°That would be nice,¡± he nods and gets more serious. ¡°Since you¡¯re mostly recovered already, I¡¯m afraid you will have a lot of explaining to do today, love.¡±

    ¡°I guess,¡± I lower my head.

    I¡¯m not looking forward to it at all. My partners might have forgiven me after our making love, but the same can¡¯t be said about Liana and the rest of the Celestials. Their priority is to protect their embodiment of magic and I was kind of sabotaging that for days. Now that everyone in the mansion is awake, I can feel their discontent.

    I eat breakfast but only because my partners force me. My stomach is tight, I¡¯m nervous about facing my subjects. I wasn¡¯t exactly lying to them, but I was hiding important facts. No wonder they are angry with me. I would also be angry if I found out that, for instance, Liana was hiding something super important from me.

    Dalia, my new Japanese maid, dresses me into a beautiful robe with embroidered petals, which I got as a gift from the Japanese, and styles my hair with a traditional hairpin. My attire suddenly got a Japanese vibe and I really like it.

    But then I realise that I¡¯m not actually Japanese. I was born here, but only because my father chose this country to best suit the Divementis in their disguise. There¡¯s nothing Japanese in me just as there¡¯s nothing human in me.

    ¡°Love,¡± Gotrid takes my hand. ¡°You just started to feel sad for some reason.¡±

    ¡°Because all of this,¡± I touch my robe, ¡°reminds me that I¡¯m not actually Japanese. I never was.¡±

    ¡°You were born here,¡± Erik adjusts his tie and also hurries to take my hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay to feel that this is your homeland.¡±

    I nod. Half-alien or not, I was born in Japan.

    Noage appears, coming to check my condition. He¡¯s frowning when he attaches his rooty tentacles to my forearm.

    ¡°The worst is behind you, Your Majesty, but you¡¯re still not fully recovered,¡± he says, more to my caretakers than me. ¡°I can¡¯t allow you to fly for at least two more days and while you can go talk to your subjects, work is out of the question and you need to take a nap immediately after the audience.¡±

    I want to prove him otherwise, but I get up too quickly, my head spins and I wobble. Erik catches me readily, anticipating it.

    ¡°You¡¯re just going to explain yourself to the Celestial Council, not work,¡± he sets the record straight. ¡°You need to give them some answers and then you go back to bed.¡±

    ¡°How angry are they with me?¡± I¡¯m almost afraid to ask. I can feel the overall mood in the mansion and it¡¯s not good at all.

    ¡°Furious,¡± Gotrid offers me his support, ¡°especially after you told Liana that you could have died during the monster attack.¡±

    ¡°Figures,¡± I sigh. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go then. I¡¯m prepared for scolding.¡±

    The guards lock to me closely the moment I leave our apartment. They are also angry with me for hiding the truth and putting myself in danger, but they soften up once they see me leaning onto my partners.

    ¡°Your Majesty, we wouldn¡¯t insist you talk with the Council today if you still don¡¯t feel okay,¡± Sareash says, bowing to me.

    ¡°The pain is gone, I¡¯m just feeling a bit weak, that¡¯s all,¡± I assure her. ¡°I owe you answers and an apology.¡±

    Sareash chews her lip, only partly convinced, and orders the guards to walk slowly. It seems everyone was counting on Noage to heal me quickly, but poor Noage couldn¡¯t do much except for providing me with nutrients. My Divementis brain resists any external intervention and heals at its own pace.

    The throne room is unnaturally quiet when I enter. My weakened state softens the Celestials to a certain extent, but not entirely. Liana must have given our inner government the gist of what happened, but I still have a lot of explaining to do.

    First and foremost, I went against the Celestial law that concerns my protection. I put myself in danger and that¡¯s something Celestials won¡¯t tolerate. Something tells me I won¡¯t be forgiven easily this time. It¡¯s almost as if it suddenly doesn¡¯t matter that I¡¯m the Emperor. Right now, I¡¯m their precious embodiment of magic that was hiding the truth and got seriously hurt. They have every right to scold me.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Liana is standing in front of the throne.

    She patiently waits for me to get seated and bows as the protocol dictates, but she straightens her back right away. I can tell from her strict expression that she¡¯s deeply disappointed. I twitch nervously in my seat. I deserve their anger and I do plead guilty.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told the Council what happened, but that was just a shortened version. We demand a lengthy explanation, Your Majesty. Don¡¯t omit any details, please,¡± she says resolutely.

    I take a deep breath and tell them everything. There¡¯s no use hiding anything from them anymore and I wish to come clean. It didn¡¯t feel good hiding the truth from them anyway.

    I tell them about my father approaching me in my dreams, his torturous training methods and all the information I¡¯ve learnt so far. Then I tell them everything about my encounter with that monstrous consciousness from the Draconia dimension, the Divementis equivalent of Wikipedia and that I can apparently speak an alien language like a native.

    There¡¯s a period of silence after I finish my long speech which gives me a little breather to sip a cup of coffee. I felt quite okay after the good night¡¯s sleep and making love with my partners, but just this much managed to exhaust me again. Having suffered a concussion is no joke. Ignoring the protocol, Erik moves right next to me and hugs me.

    ¡°Your Excellency, don¡¯t be too harsh on His Majesty,¡± Gotrid stands up to my defence when nobody¡¯s saying anything, still digesting what they¡¯ve just learnt.

    ¡°We do realise that His Majesty did it for us, Gotrid,¡± Liana gives me a stern look. ¡°That¡¯s why it pains us twice as much. What¡¯s worse, he let himself be tortured by his father.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t let myself be tortured, I had to learn how to oppose him,¡± I object. ¡°Also, and I hate to give him credit for that, it¡¯s only thanks to his harsh training methods that I was able to protect myself against that monstrous consciousness and get away only with a concussion.¡±

    ¡°Li, you can¡¯t blame him for putting himself in danger during that monster attack,¡± Erik states matter-of-factly. ¡°Yes, our Emperor got hurt, but he didn¡¯t expose himself to danger on purpose. Nobody could have anticipated that there would be some kind of telepathic monster waiting on the other side.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, we won¡¯t blame His Majesty for that,¡± Liana admits. ¡°Still, His Majesty got seriously hurt and caused a global panic. We can¡¯t let that happen ever again.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, it pains us that you didn¡¯t feel like you could confide to us,¡± Gavreel stands up and also approaches the throne.

    ¡°And I¡¯m sorry for that, I really am,¡± I apologise profoundly, sending out my regret telepathically to convince them.

    I see Liana pursing her lips. Here it is, my scolding. She starts loudly expressing everyone¡¯s frustrations with me and there¡¯s no space for any excuses on my part. She stays extremely polite, but otherwise, she¡¯s not holding anything back. All her points are valid so I can only take it head on and repent the best I can.

    ¡°I think His Majesty gets it, Viceroy,¡± Gotrid waves his hands when Liana pauses to catch her breath.

    I still fortify myself against another salve, but Luviael suddenly storms into the throne room, saving me from another round of scolding.

    ¡°The Japanese government wishes to speak with His Majesty,¡± she announces. ¡°They finally reached an agreement and are asking to see our Emperor in the afternoon.¡±

    So much for no work today.

 87. Enough

    ¡°Tomorrow, His Majesty has to rest,¡± Liana says before I can even open my mouth.

    I frown. What gives her the right to answer for me?

    ¡°That meeting has to take place today,¡± I insist. ¡°My father might visit my dreams tonight and I need to find out what the Japanese government knows about the Azuchi Group.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still recovering, Your Majesty,¡± Gavreel supports Liana and he¡¯s not the only one, everyone is nodding. ¡°It¡¯s not good to have an audience with them in your current state.¡±

    I take a moment to analyse the mood in the room. It¡¯s one of those situations when Celestials think that they can dictate everything to me. Any other time, my order would have to be obeyed without a debate, but not when I¡¯m injured and they are concerned about my health.

    Just as I have a blocker that prevents me from using magic against my subjects, they have some kind of releaser that allows them not to follow my orders if they are firmly convinced that it could hurt their embodiment of magic.

    I hate feeling weakened and powerless. Ever since I fully accepted to be the Emperor, it became twice as hard for me. It means that I can¡¯t be the ruler I need to be. Their overprotectiveness gets in the way once again. I naively thought that we were finally behind that, but apparently not. While I do understand their concern, I have to stand my ground. I came here to apologise for keeping the truth from them, not to have my direct orders questioned.

    ¡°Love, we¡¯re just worried to let you work so soon after your injury,¡± Gotrid says softly because he can tell that I¡¯m getting pissed.

    ¡°Do you mean to tell me that you won¡¯t obey my direct order?¡± I click my tongue and everybody twitches anxiously. It makes me angry that they just won¡¯t listen. I hate the fact that protecting me can get in the way of me protecting Draconians. Seriously, I¡¯ve had enough.

    I leak my tremendous mana on purpose to make them respect me. I hate doing it, but I have to. Being the Emperor also means making unpleasant decisions. It also means to put my subjects in their place if they¡¯re reluctant to obey. They aren¡¯t my equals to question me.

    ¡°While I do apologise for keeping things from you, I won¡¯t tolerate you preventing me from literally doing my job as the Emperor. I¡¯m your sovereign, not some treasure for you to lock up,¡± I say regally and I don¡¯t even have to raise my voice, the room is absolutely quiet.

    The Celestials shudder, but Liana is not wavering. She¡¯s strongly convinced that she must, first and foremost, protect their embodiment of magic. I admire her determination, but she¡¯s wrong in this case. I¡¯m just temporarily weakened, not unable to rule.

    I take a deep breath and project my frustrations with them into my mana emanation with an intensity I¡¯d use to oppose my father. Everybody gasps for breath and falls to their knees. I realise that I overdid it when I notice the fear in their eyes. They aren¡¯t telepaths, I can¡¯t use the same intensity I¡¯d use on the Divementis.

    I pull my mind back, a bit scared by what I¡¯ve just done. I¡¯ve never used my telepathy as a weapon before. I didn¡¯t know that I could. Sure, my father is capable of that, but me? No, I don¡¯t want to! Still, it seems that while I can¡¯t use my magical powers against Celestials, I can use my Divementis powers. I learned something valuable.

    ¡°I came here to apologise for not telling you everything and that takes care of it,¡± I purse my lips. ¡°I¡¯ll have an audience with the Prime Minister at three in the afternoon so excuse me for now, I need to rest until then. Erik, Gotrid, can you help me stand up?¡±

    I look at my partners and only now it comes to me that I forgot to exclude them. They are gasping for breath just as everybody else, shaking. I don¡¯t feel fear from me, but I did affect them all the same.

    ¡°M-my Emperor,¡± Gotrid lets out, his voice trembling.

    I clutch my hands. I probably didn¡¯t exclude them subconsciously because part of me was angry with them as well for being overprotective, but they didn¡¯t deserve a full salve. They¡¯ve been taking care of me nonstop for three days and it was them who was hurt the most by me hiding the truth.

    I¡¯m sorry, I sent them a sincere apology. I had to berate my subjects, but I was being unfair to my partners just now.

    Erik manages to stand up, gently slips his arm behind my back and around my wings and pulls me up. He¡¯s just as shaken as everyone else, but he doesn¡¯t let it interfere with his care. Gotrid quickly joins him, helping with my wings.

    That makes me feel twice as bad about it. They are giving me unconditional love all the time and I wasn¡¯t even willing to confide to them about my dreamy encounters. Retrospectively, I¡¯m sure that if I explained the situation to them properly, they would still be worried sick, but they would have supported my decision in the end.

    Everyone in the throne room is so shocked that nobody stops me from leaving. Only the guards join me automatically, their training kicking in as a reflex. The tension is almost tangible and it makes my head pound.

    Erik and Gotrid aren¡¯t saying anything on the way to our apartment and I don¡¯t force a telepathic connection. We should talk about things properly and I want to talk to them about it, but my headache returns. Noage forbade me to work for a good reason, I know that. The audience with my subjects was very short, but it still managed to exhaust me.

    ¡°Rest for now, love,¡± my amazing partners don¡¯t mind that our super important conversation will get postponed and let me close my eyes.

    *****

    When I wake up again, I¡¯m happy to discover that the headache is gone. It was just from a strain so early rest helped. I sit up and find myself positioned between Erik and Gotrid. They are both sitting and while Gotrid is thoughtlessly caressing my feathers with one hand because my wings are occupying his lap, he¡¯s reading something on a tablet. Erik is typing furiously on his laptop.

    ¡°You¡¯re up, hon?¡± they manage a tired smile.

    I bite my lip. I might be injured so I need rest, but my partners are working hard while taking care of me nonstop. I need to give them a break, but would they even listen? Would they stay in the apartment and rest while I go out?

    ¡°I¡¯ll set the table for lunch,¡± Dalia says, stepping by the door and just waiting for me to wake up. I notice that she¡¯s afraid to meet my eyes when I look at her. She wasn¡¯t in the throne room when I let my frustrations and mana pour out, but every Celestial in the vicinity must have felt it all the same.

    I resist sighing and decide to focus on my partners for now. We had so much work ever since we came to Japan and I feel that I wasn¡¯t giving them the attention they deserve. But then again, we¡¯re always busy so it¡¯s no excuse.

    I kiss them both and inspect what they are doing. Erik is writing a report for the Draconian government in Prague and Gotrid is reading various messages from our embassies all over the world, filtering them by their significance and sorting them out for me. If anyone thinks that Erik and Gotrid are just my spouses, they are so wrong.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ do you want to talk about it?¡± I ask because I feel that they are giving me space.

    ¡°The Viceroy and the Celestial Council needed to be put in their place,¡± Erik shrugs. ¡°And we feel from you that you regret including us.¡±

    ¡°Still, I¡¯m really sorry,¡± I kiss them again. ¡°I should have controlled myself better.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re also toxically overprotective of you,¡± Gotrid admits. ¡°We deserved some of that.¡±

    ¡°No, you deserved my trust,¡± I shake my head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t tell you. It¡¯s true that you tend to be overprotective, but I¡¯m sure that if I explained the situation to you properly, you would have backed me up.¡±

    ¡°Did your father advise you against telling us?¡± Erik suspects.

    ¡°He did,¡± I confess. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I listened to him. It seemed like a good idea back then, but, looking at it now, I feel manipulated by him.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your opinion on him so far?¡± Gotrid is curious. ¡°Your very first encounter ended up with you bleeding out of your nose and fainting and he was training you using torturous methods.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know,¡± I say frankly. ¡°I thought that he was dangerous and he is, but he showed mild concern for me during our last dreamy encounter.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t trust him easily,¡± Erik warns me. ¡°Your mother did everything she could to hide you from him and the Divementis.¡±

    ¡°I know that,¡± I nod. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ it might not be as black and white as we thought.¡±

    ¡°What about that Wikipedia-like place you mentioned?¡± Gotrid recalls.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t access it again,¡± I sigh. ¡°I need to have another lucid dream, but I have no idea how to induce one on my own.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, is it in your brain?¡± Erik gently pokes my head. ¡°Do you have an entire alien encyclopaedia in there and you just don¡¯t know how to access it?¡±

    ¡°I doubt that,¡± I have to disappoint them. ¡°Maybe my father had to plug me into the Divementis telepathic network or something when he visited me in my dreams for the first time.¡±

    ¡°Every time we discover something, there are only more questions,¡± Gotrid laments and plays with my feathers.

    ¡°Also, sorry to scare you like that,¡± I add because there¡¯s one more thing I want to apologise for and I don¡¯t want to brush it off as nothing. ¡°Did I overdo it?¡±

    Gotrid and Erik look at each other and come to a mutual understanding even without telepathy. They decide that honesty is always the best approach.

    ¡°It¡¯s not pleasant, but we can endure your Emperor¡¯s wrath,¡± Gotrid says slowly. ¡°However, what you did back there¡­ You did include your mana emanation to make us feel that you¡¯re indeed our embodiment of magic, but that telepathic pressure you applied¡­,¡± his voice dies out and he looks at Erik for help.

    ¡°There wasn¡¯t anything even remotely Celestial about that,¡± Erik finishes for him. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that if anyone still had some reservations about fully accepting that you¡¯re half-alien, that problem ceased to exist.¡±

    ¡°That bad, huh?¡± I chew my lip.

    ¡°The thing is,¡± Gotrid finds words again, ¡°you¡¯re not just the Celestial Emperor. You¡¯re also a Divementis and we have yet to come to terms with that. We Celestials understand our Emperor¡¯s wrath, but what we have experienced back there was something totally alien. No wonder everyone was so scared.¡±

    I lower my head, saddened. I might have produced the intended effect, but I overdid it. I wanted to subdue the Council with my Emperor¡¯s wrath, not scare them shitless with my Divementis powers. I want my subjects to respect me, not fear me.

    ¡°They will get over it,¡± Erik gently pushes my chin up. ¡°You did it because you were desperate to get your message finally across and they know it.¡±

    Erik puts away his laptop and lets me on instead. I hug him, envelop him in my wings and Gotrid embraces me from behind. We stay like this for a few minutes, simply enjoying our intimate connection. They¡¯ve been experiencing my Divementis half all this time and if they are fine with it, I don¡¯t care what anyone else thinks.

    ¡°You¡¯re both exhausted,¡± I murmur. ¡°You¡¯re taking care of me nonstop and working at the same time. Stay here and rest, I¡¯ll manage without you. I took a very good power nap so I should be able to walk for a few dozen metres without getting dizzy.¡±

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°And missing such an important meeting? I don¡¯t think so,¡± Gotrid tickles me under my feathers.

    ¡°I could order you so,¡± I warn them.

    ¡°For the record, I¡¯m not a Celestial so I don¡¯t have to listen to you,¡± Erik smirks and joins Gotrid in tickling me.

    ¡°Oof, you!¡± I burst laughing. They certainly have their way with me. ¡°Okay, you win, but we¡¯ll call it a night early today no matter what the Japanese government comes up with.¡±

    *****

    The atmosphere in the mansion hasn¡¯t become any more relaxed while I was napping and everyone is extremely nervous around me. The maids and the guards keep their expressions strictly professional, but their movements are mechanical and they are afraid to meet my eyes.

    The Celestials I encounter on my way to the throne room are bowing to me a bit too deeply and the usual excited chatter is gone entirely. It seems that the final realisation that their embodiment of magic isn¡¯t purely Celestial hit them hard. The Emperor is considered to be magic itself so they¡¯re used to me doing miraculous stuff, but they tasted a full salve of my alien part. I hope that they will recover quickly because their current emotional state is suffocating.

    They will come over it eventually, Gotrid and Erik keep assuring me. In the end, I¡¯m glad that I have them by my side and didn¡¯t leave them in our apartment. Despite always being surrounded by dozens of people, it¡¯s not the same as being in the company of my beloved. Not even the maids come close to the comfort they provide me with their mere presence.

    ¡°Your Majesty, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence arrived five minutes ago,¡± Luviael announces when I sit on the throne and she¡¯s also afraid to meet my eyes. She keeps staring into her tablet. ¡°Her Excellency went to fetch them.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Luvi,¡± I appreciate and look at the Celestials standing by the sides of the hall. Everyone is fluttering their wings nervously, but otherwise, they stay absolutely quiet. ¡°I would like to talk to the Japanese representatives in private. I¡¯m afraid that they won¡¯t open up easily with too many Celestials present.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, Your Majesty,¡± Gavreel obeys even though I can tell that he would like to oppose that. Still, with so many guards staying with me no matter what, he can¡¯t say that I¡¯m not properly guarded.

    I¡¯m surprised to see that the Japanese delegation consists of only two people this time¡ªthe Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence. And they are both as tense as it gets. Whatever they are about to reveal to me, it¡¯s definitely no small matter.

    Naturally, Liana arrives with them as well and I study her emotional state. She looks into my eyes confidently and a bit defiantly, but I¡¯m actually glad for that. The Viceroy, of all people, should be someone who isn¡¯t afraid to give me honest feedback if need be. I can¡¯t have her be afraid of me.

    Do you feel strong enough, Your Majesty? Did you manage to get some rest? she asks in her thoughts, knowing that I can hear her if she focuses on it.

    I did, I assure her. Please, don¡¯t worry, I feel much better.

    It¡¯s my job to worry about Your Majesty¡¯s health, she retorts slightly.

    I know, Li, but I¡¯m fine, I reassure her. There¡¯s a huge difference between me being unable to rule and just being temporarily weakened. You need to learn how to distinguish between those two and let me do my job when it¡¯s the latter case.

    That¡¯s hard to do when my Celestial instincts panic in both cases, she pouts but shows the ministers where to sit without letting nothing show on her face.

    ¡°Your Majesty, are you okay? What happened?¡± the Prime Minister Ichikawa asks with genuine concern. ¡°You fainted during the battle without any apparent cause and shocked the whole world.¡±

    ¡°I was trying out a new spell,¡± I quickly come up with a cover story. ¡°I thought that I could close the rift before more monsters came through. Unfortunately, I overestimated my current strength, channelled too much mana and fainted as a result.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what happened?¡± he¡¯s visibly relieved. ¡°But it is really possible? Closing rifts with Celestial magic?¡±

    ¡°That remains to be seen,¡± I shrug. ¡°However, that¡¯s not what you came here to discuss today.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Ichikawa nods and looks at his colleague, the Minister of Defence Hayashi.

    ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the chase,¡± Hayashi coughs to clear his throat. ¡°Your Majesty being the son of Haruto Takeda is a much bigger deal than it might seem. What do you know about your father, Your Majesty?¡±

    ¡°Not much,¡± I admit. ¡°I saw him for the first time at the New York conference. When he approached me for the second time, he confessed that he¡¯s my father.¡±

    ¡°Are you absolutely sure?¡± Hayashi narrows his eyes.

    ¡°He stole my feather from our Prague embassy and did a DNA testing. He told me himself,¡± I explain. ¡°I have no reason to believe that he¡¯s lying.¡±

    The Japanese representatives look at each other nervously and visibly twitch in their seats. Why is it such a huge deal for them? Do they suspect that something around Haruto Takeda is off? I can feel that they became even more anxious after I insisted that he is indeed my father.

    ¡°Our dealings with the Azuchi Group have always been quite unusual,¡± Ichikawa says slowly. ¡°The Azuchi Group helped Japan tremendously when rebuilding the country after the Second World War and they also helped when the Great Financial Crisis hit, but they didn¡¯t lend us money for free, of course.¡±

    ¡°They wanted political influence?¡± I take a guess.

    ¡°Among other things,¡± the Prime Minister nods. ¡°We promised the Azuchi Group total independence in their business and research. That¡¯s why it¡¯s almost impossible to investigate them. All their premises have the same status as foreign embassies so we can¡¯t just barge in.¡±

    ¡°You brought Haruto Takeda to the New York conference,¡± Liana points out. ¡°Aren¡¯t you on friendly terms?¡±

    ¡°Hardly,¡± Ichikawa laughs nervously. ¡°He just let us know that he¡¯s coming so that we would issue him a diplomatic permit. At that time, I thought that he just wanted to be present at a historic moment, but now we know the real reason¡ªhe wanted to meet his son.¡±

    The Prime Minister pauses for a moment, hesitating.

    ¡°You can speak freely, it¡¯s only the Viceroy and my spouses present and the guards are sworn to absolute secrecy,¡± I say amicably. ¡°If the information you¡¯re about to disclose to us is strictly confidential, I promise to keep it that way.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty, we appreciate it,¡± Ichikawa is relieved, but it¡¯s still evidently hard for him. ¡°The reason why we needed time to discuss the matter was that just a year ago we would never even consider telling anyone else about it. However, the situation has changed drastically with four new races suddenly emerging.¡±

    ¡°The seemingly impossible became possible,¡± Hayashi continues. ¡°Our wild suspicions are no longer suspicions and it all makes sense now. Long story short, we¡¯ve always suspected that Haruto Takeda and the people around him aren¡¯t¡­ ehm¡­ human. Every time the Japanese government wanted to stand up to the Azuchi Group¡¯s growing influence, they showed us what they can do to intimidate us.¡±

    That revelation lies heavily for two reasons. First, the Japanese government has always suspected that aliens are living in their country and influencing politics from the shadows. They suspected it long before the Great Evolution, maybe for decades. Did Japanese leading politicians get to experience the Divementis telepathy first-hand?

    Second, if I still insist that Haruto Takeda is my father, I will openly admit that I haven¡¯t been human to begin with. What a predicament. Hayashi and Ichikawa are piercing me with their gaze, waiting tensely for my answer.

    ¡°We checked the security cameras from that day,¡± Ichikawa adds and his voice is trembling. ¡°You clearly didn¡¯t have a chance for direct contact with your father back then, Your Majesty. How exactly did he approach you? Did he maybe use some¡­ extrasensory means of communication?¡±

    I freeze. Do they know about my father being a telepath?! I certainly didn¡¯t expect that, but it explains why they are so nervous in my presence. They suspect that I might be one as well. I look at Liana and, for once, she looks as if she lost the ground beneath her feet. She¡¯s just as shocked as I am. Then I look at Gotrid and Erik and they aren¡¯t able to keep an expressionless face either.

    I take a deep breath and quickly weigh my options. I have only two: I either come up with a lie or come out. I know that it¡¯s extremely dangerous to come out as a telepath to the humans who represent a government, but the alternative goes against my feathers. I want the Japanese to be our close allies and a quality relationship can¡¯t be based on lies and half-truths. I¡¯ve learnt that the hard way.

    Li, Erik, Gotrid, I want to put my trust in Ichikawa and Hayashi, I send my decision to Liana and my partners to prepare them a few seconds before I say it aloud. I¡¯m tired of lies. I¡¯m tired of hiding. I¡¯ve had enough.

    Do what you think is best, Your Majesty, Liana surprises me with unconditional support.

    Don¡¯t worry, hon, the Imperial Guard will protect you, Gotrid says confidently.

    We love you no matter what, Erik adds to give me courage.

    ¡°Yes, he did,¡± I slowly answer Ichikawa¡¯s question. ¡°We talked telepathically.¡±

    Ichikawa and Hayashi widen their eyes and gasp for breath. I bet they thought that I would deny it. It seems a part of them hoped that it was not true. Hearing it so clearly confirmed must be mind-blowing.

    ¡°S-so¡­ you really are Haruto Takeda¡¯s son,¡± the Prime Minister starts shaking, probably imagining all those things I can do apart from magic. ¡°And you inherited his¡­ ehm¡­ special powers?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve always been half-alien and a telepath,¡± I nod, trying to keep the information simple in order not to overwhelm them. I can sense that they are on the verge of a panic attack. Seriously, what did Taketa do to them to make them so scared?

    ¡°You knew from the beginning?¡± Hayashi wants to accuse me, but it comes out weak. He wants to look brave, but he¡¯s just as panicky as his political colleague.

    ¡°I was born a telepath, but I didn¡¯t know what I was until my father approached me,¡± I set the record straight. ¡°My Mom was a VR developer at Nebula and that¡¯s where she must have met my father. However, I was really just a kid back then. I didn¡¯t know more than you when the Great Evolution started.¡±

    ¡°Really? Nothing at all?¡± Ichikawa makes sure.

    ¡°I have no reason to lie to you at this point,¡± I say. ¡°In fact, it turns out that my Mom didn¡¯t tell my father that she was pregnant on purpose. She wanted to protect me from him. I was sent to Europe and was kept in the dark about my origin until now. All I knew was that I wasn¡¯t completely human.¡±

    ¡°Still, it¡¯s too much of a coincidence that not only you played Draconia Online, but you became the Celestial Emperor on top,¡± Hayashi frowns.

    ¡°Is it?¡± I shrug. ¡°Recently, I¡¯ve realised that I have a faint memory of possibly testing an early version of Draconia Online when my Mom was still alive. I do remember playing a game in which I had wings. My perfect immersion ability most probably comes from the fact that my brain had a chance to adapt to VR while it was still developing. Also, my Mom studied behavioural psychology. She may have conditioned me to stay interested in games and Draconia Online in particular.¡±

    ¡°Your mother was preparing you to become the Celestial Emperor from the beginning?¡± Ichikawa opens his mouth.

    ¡°My Mom¡¯s intentions are still unclear,¡± I shake my head, ¡°but it¡¯s possible. She might have thought that I would be able to protect myself better if I was both a telepath and a magic caster.¡±

    ¡°Who else knows about Your Majesty¡¯s family background and special ability?¡± Hayashi is curious.

    ¡°Only Celestials and race rulers,¡± I inform them. ¡°You¡¯re the first government in the world I decided to disclose this information to and I hope that you won¡¯t betray my trust. The world hardly came to terms with four new races and monsters appearing and isn¡¯t ready for telepaths.¡±

    Ichikawa and Hayashi look at each other, but their resolve is stable.

    ¡°We understand, Your Majesty,¡± Ichikawa nods solemnly. ¡°We deal with Taketa and his people regularly, but we¡¯re still freaked out every time, knowing that we¡¯re facing real telepaths. If other governments or the general public found out¡­ well, let¡¯s say that we¡¯re perfectly aware why you keep it secret and we¡¯re honoured that you decided to tell us.¡±

    ¡°I hope that you won¡¯t be afraid to deal with me from now on,¡± I voice one of my concerns. ¡°I assure you that I¡¯m not like my father.¡±

    ¡°Is your telepathic power weaker because you¡¯re only half-alien?¡± Hayashi asks a bit too eagerly.

    ¡°Not necessarily, but it¡¯s different,¡± I set the record straight. ¡°For instance, I¡¯m also an empath. I can feel people¡¯s emotions while my father can¡¯t. You could say that my power is more empathic while my father¡¯s power more aggressive.¡±

    ¡°You can feel other people¡¯s emotions?¡± they are taken aback. ¡°All the time?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an extra sense I can¡¯t turn off,¡± I admit. ¡°It gets overwhelming at times, but I¡¯m glad that I have it and you should be as well.¡±

    Both Ichikawa and Hayashi tilt their heads in confusion.

    ¡°What His Majesty is trying to say,¡± Liana says rather dramatically, ¡°that all those times His Majesty prevented a conflict between humans and Draconians was mainly thanks to his empathic ability. He doesn¡¯t want to feel anyone suffer unnecessarily. A pure Celestial Emperor that would be exactly according to our lore would never be so kind, understanding and benevolent.¡±

    I cough because I don¡¯t want the conversation to turn into Liana blatantly praising me, it¡¯s embarrassing.

    ¡°Anyway, could you please tell us in a nutshell when the Azuchi Group first approached the Japanese government and your dealings with them so far?¡± I ask.

    Ichikawa nods and starts by telling us how the Azuchi Group first emerged in the second half of the twentieth century as a manufacturer of computer parts and quickly became the leading power of innovation. Before anyone knew it, they were the richest corporation in Japan that generously offered their money to rebuild Japan after the war. The Japanese government took it and got caught in their web.

    Ichikawa also reveals that the knowledge of the Azuchi not being human gets passed from the Prime Minister to their successor and that only a very limited number of people in the government who deal with them directly know about it. With a heavy heart, he tells us that every time a new enthusiastic Prime Minister tried to oppose them, they openly demonstrated their power.

    ¡°You never sought help from your allies?¡± Liana frowns.

    ¡°And tell them what exactly?¡± Ichikawa sighs. ¡°That the Japanese government is being influenced by telepathic aliens? We would be laughed at. Besides, and I hate to admit that, the Azuchi Group has been helping Japan so tremendously that most of my predecessors were more than happy to give them what they wanted. Moreover, they never mess with our state affairs too excessively so turning a blind eye to their operations has never been a problem.¡±

    ¡°Money can buy many things,¡± Liana notes from her own experience. ¡°An eccentric billionaire can get away with almost anything and having aliens living in your country doesn¡¯t seem like such a big issue if they¡¯re sponsoring your country¡¯s technological advancement and pay taxes.¡±

    We stay quiet for a while. Liana pinpointed it well. After that, I answer a few more questions before it¡¯s time for Ichikawa and Hayashi to leave. They are still shocked that the Celestial Emperor is a confirmed telepath, but I can feel genuine trust slowly brewing between us. Still, it¡¯s obvious how relieved they are that the court protocol doesn¡¯t allow them to shake my hand when saying goodbye.

    ¡°That went well,¡± I say, no sarcasm intended, and turn to my partners. ¡°How about we take a bath to finally relax and¡­¡±

    I notice that something¡¯s wrong with Erik only when I see how pale he is. I was so focused on the meeting and ensuring its success that I completely forgot to pay any attention to my partners who had just been listening and giving me their quiet loving support as always. I did notice how tired Erik had been, but I was comforted by his confidence so I disregarded it.

    In that second when I see Erik collapsing, it all comes to me: I just might be the worst telepathic partner ever.

 88. The Other Way Around

    I somehow manage to cushion Erik¡¯s fall with telekinesis so he doesn¡¯t bump his head at least. My concussed brain spins because I stand up too quickly, but I don¡¯t care about that. I jump to my beloved and pull his unconscious body to my chest. My heart is pounding wildly and it takes me a few seconds to realise what just happened. Did Erik¡­ faint?

    ¡°Love, let me help,¡± Gotrid is trying to take Erik off me, but I don¡¯t let him.

    ¡°Call Noage!!!¡± Liana shouts at the guards.

    I try to connect to Erik¡¯s mind, but it¡¯s shut down completely. He isn¡¯t sleeping, he¡¯s unconscious. I try again and again and, after that, I try kissing him, but he isn¡¯t waking up. I must have been panicking and not responding because what finally slaps me out of it is a combined effort of Vermiel and Miruel tearing me from Erik by force.

    I scream, but I¡¯m not able to use telekinesis against my subjects and I¡¯m too unfocused for a telepathic push. My eyes water when I see Noage connecting to Erik¡¯s arm with his rooty tentacles and I calm down a bit only when Gotrid hugs me.

    ¡°Let the doctor do his job, love,¡± Gotrid says softly. ¡°Earthborn powers are much better suited for this.¡±

    Those few minutes when Noage is examining Erik feel like hours. I¡¯ve never been so scared in my entire life, not even when facing my father for the first time or battling monsters. What if it¡¯s not just fatigue? What if there¡¯s something seriously wrong with Erik?

    ¡°The Royal Consort is just exhausted and overworked,¡± Noage finally says his verdict. ¡°I¡¯ve checked everything, Your Majesty, he¡¯s going to be okay after he rests properly.¡±

    I sigh in relief, but my heart is still pounding wildly. How come I didn¡¯t anticipate it? Was I so focused on the meeting that I didn¡¯t notice Erik started feeling dizzy? Isn¡¯t Erik my absolute priority? Seriously, I just might be the worst telepathic partner ever.

    ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself, hon,¡± Gotrid forbids me, takes me into his arms and stands up.

    Vermiel takes Erik even though I want to be the one to carry my beloved. Instead, I¡¯m being carried myself. I hate to be weakened like that, but there¡¯s nothing I can do about it right now. When we finally reach our suite and we¡¯re both put on the bed, I can finally touch Erik again.

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t he waking up, Noage?¡± I don¡¯t understand and my eyes water. The shock is gone, but I¡¯m still in panic mode.

    ¡°He will wake up naturally when his body rests a bit, Your Majesty,¡± Noage assures me. ¡°Please, be patient, the Royal Consort isn¡¯t in any danger.¡±

    I lie down and hug my beloved tightly. I can¡¯t help blaming myself. I should have insisted on him resting. I should have paid more attention.

    ¡°Love, that¡¯s not helping,¡± Gotrid shakes his head because he can read my thoughts. He lies down behind Erik¡¯s back and uses his right wing as a blanket to cover us both.

    ¡°Li, take a break for the rest of the day,¡± I order my Viceroy who¡¯s nervously stepping by the bed, not knowing what to do for a change. ¡°Tomorrow, I need you to take care of the Celestial Council and all meetings for me and you have to be well-rested.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, Your Majesty,¡± Liana bows, gives Erik a worried look and leaves.

    ¡°Tell the cooks to prepare a European-style breakfast for tomorrow,¡± I order Ayala. ¡°Everything that Erik likes.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty,¡± the maid nods. ¡°Should we prepare some wellness procedures for tomorrow as well?¡±

    ¡°That would be nice,¡± I appreciate.

    Noage tells us that he will check on Erik in the morning and leaves as well. When the guards take their position outside the door, we finally have privacy. I¡¯m trying to slow down my still wildly beating heart.

    ¡°Love, seriously, it¡¯s no use blaming yourself,¡± Gotrid caresses my feathers.

    ¡°What about you? Are you okay?¡± I worry. ¡°You¡¯re working just as hard.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been with you for that long,¡± he reminds me. ¡°Erik has been with you from the beginning and he¡¯s always under tremendous pressure. Much more than me, I do realise that.¡±

    ¡°More than you?¡± I don¡¯t understand.

    ¡°He¡¯s always trying to be perfect and the world is expecting that,¡± he sighs.

    ¡°He¡¯s perfect just as he is,¡± I emphasise. ¡°Just as you are.¡±

    ¡°Oh, love,¡± Gotrid is deeply moved. ¡°You love us so much that it brings me to tears. I guess that¡¯s why you don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Make me understand then,¡± I beg because I¡¯m really lost here. Being a telepath doesn¡¯t automatically make me an expert in human behaviour and social cues. Now that I think about it, maybe I¡¯ve never been good at comprehending certain things because part of my mentality is Divementis.

    ¡°Both Erik and I have to try hard to be worthy of the Celestial Emperor,¡± he starts slowly, suspecting that I won¡¯t like his answer. ¡°Your powers are divine and you¡¯re naturally beautiful, but Erik is an ordinary human and I¡¯m an ordinary Celestial.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing ordinary about you two,¡± I frown and poke Gotrid¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°We do our best to match you, at least, to some degree,¡± he catches my hand and kisses it. ¡°We try to always look our best next to you and flawlessly represent the Draconian government during official events. We do our best to ease your workload. It can¡¯t compare the pressure you¡¯re under all the time, but¡­¡±

    ¡°It sounds like much more pressure than I am under,¡± I interrupt him, disagreeing. ¡°I¡¯m always making so many mistakes, I¡¯m messy, I lose myself during my flights, I get scolded all the time for not acting regally enough when it comes to the court protocol, I¡¯m not effective at work and¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop right there,¡± Gotrid puts his finger in front of my mouth. ¡°Not effective at work? How in the world did you think of that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not even able to give you and Erik free Sundays every week,¡± I mumble, embarrassed. ¡°I tend to sleep in, I¡¯m either injured or weakened way too often, my headaches sometimes prevent me from working entirely, I still haven¡¯t fully figured out my telepathy so I get overwhelmed easily and because of all those things I don¡¯t work effectively. I admire your patience with me and I often wonder why my subjects don¡¯t complain about that from time to time.¡±

    Gotrid rolls his eyes and pulls a few of my feathers. Not strongly enough for it to truly hurt, but it makes me flinch all the same.

    ¡°Ouch, what gives?¡± I frown.

    ¡°Well, you needed to be punished for that nonsense you just let out of your mouth and meant seriously,¡± Gotrid frowns even more strongly at me. ¡°I¡¯ve never met a more hard-working person than you. Not even our workaholic Viceroy comes close.¡±

    ¡°Liana works way harder than me,¡± I insist.

    ¡°Longer hours don¡¯t have to mean harder,¡± Gotrid opposes. ¡°For instance, you can never relax even for a second in public because all eyes and cameras are always on you. Celestials constantly ask for your blessing and you¡¯re so kind to never reject anyone. And don¡¯t let me start on how you¡¯re scanning our surroundings with your telepathy all the time to make sure we¡¯re safe.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not some security scanner,¡± I purse my lips.

    ¡°Yet, you¡¯re doing exactly that without even realising,¡± Gotrid stretches his hand over Erik and caresses my face. ¡°Heh, Erik acts as our divider.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s always me in the middle,¡± I point out. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s much more comfortable this way. It makes more sense for the one without wings to be in the middle.¡±

    ¡°As if logic has anything to do with love and passion,¡± Gotrid laughs silently. ¡°I bet Erik will throw a tantrum when he wakes up and finds out that I¡¯m hugging him from behind.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he will,¡± I ponder. ¡°He¡¯s gradually warming up to you. Much faster than he realises.¡±

    ¡°Only thanks to you,¡± Gotrid grins. ¡°I think it¡¯s impossible to be connected to you on the deepest level and not develop feelings towards the other person in your mind.¡±

    ¡°Am I influencing you?¡± I bite my lip. ¡°I don¡¯t want to end up like my father. I don¡¯t want to use telepathy as a weapon or a tool to manipulate others.¡±

    ¡°Not like that,¡± he assures me. ¡°It¡¯s more like I can understand why you like Erik so much and then I can also see Erik¡¯s mind and I can¡¯t help not feeling attracted.¡±

    Suddenly, I yawn. It¡¯s been an exhausting day and it¡¯s nicely warm under Gotrid¡¯s wing. I close my eyes and finally relax. Erik¡¯s mind has just slipped from being unconscious into regular sleep so I feel much calmer now. He¡¯s going to be okay.

    ¡°Love?¡± Gotrid whispers. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± I yawn again, drowsiness slowly overcoming me. Being connected to Erik¡¯s sleeping mind is putting my own mind to sleep as well.

    ¡°You really panicked back there,¡± he says, carefully considering his words. ¡°Would you do that for me as well?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I would,¡± I answer, battling incoming sleep.

    ¡°If something really bad happened to the two of us,¡± he continues, his tone urgent for some reason, but I¡¯m too sleepy to take it seriously. ¡°If somebody hurt me or Erik, what would you do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d have no mercy with whoever did it, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to wage war,¡± I say and my eyes close. I merge with Erik¡¯s mind, trying to give him pleasant dreams.

    *****

    I stay connected to Erik the whole night and I have another dream about flying. I wake up a few moments before him, our minds in perfect synchronicity. I¡¯m glad that he could experience my dream once again because he seemed to enjoy it.

    I gently push Gotrid¡¯s wing aside, sit up, lean over Erik and use this rare opportunity that I woke up earlier to greet him with a kiss on his forehead. Erik, slowly awakening, smiles widely. His hands trap me and he pulls me to his chest.

    ¡°Sorry that I scared you,¡± he says. ¡°I don¡¯t know what followed after I collapsed, but I imagine that you must have made a scene.¡±

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°You bet I did,¡± I hug him tight. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything when you started feeling dizzy?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to interrupt the meeting,¡± he sighs. ¡°Besides, I didn¡¯t think it was that serious until my vision went dark. I¡¯m glad that I somehow managed to pull through the whole meeting and the Japanese delegates didn¡¯t see it.¡±

    ¡°Stupid, you¡¯re more important to me than some meeting,¡± I scold him.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything exactly because I know that,¡± he caresses my hair. ¡°We needed that meeting to go smoothly, it was super important.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re both up already?¡± Gotrid yawns and pulls his right wing behind his back. His chin is leaning against Erik¡¯s shoulder, but Erik doesn¡¯t protest.

    I quickly analyse his emotional state. He¡¯s slightly annoyed with Gotrid, but mainly out of habit. Will the time come when I get to witness my two partners kissing each other? That mere idea arouses me.

    ¡°Seriously, Ryuu?¡± Erik rolls his eyes and my human name slips out of his lips, but I don¡¯t mind. It sounds playful coming from Erik and I want to keep using it as my nickname in private.

    ¡°Forget about working today,¡± I straighten myself, sitting on him. ¡°You will be only resting for the whole day.¡±

    ¡°As you command, my Emperor,¡± he laughs.

    ¡°Oh, now you listen to my orders?¡± I click my tongue. ¡°What about yesterday when you insisted that you don¡¯t have to because you¡¯re not a Celestial?¡±

    ¡°Let bygones be bygones,¡± Gotrid chuckles, sits up as well and embraces us with his wings. ¡°Since we¡¯re up and we have a day off, what about¡­¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, Royal Consorts, are you awake?¡± Ayala asks from behind the door. They are paper-thin, literally, so the question was only rhetorical. She might not have heard what exactly we¡¯re talking about, but she must have heard our voices.

    ¡°Damn, no privacy anywhere,¡± Gotrid swears.

    ¡°Noage is here to check on Lord Erik,¡± Ayala continues. ¡°Can he come in?¡±

    I sigh, push Gotrid¡¯s wings aside and free Erik. Since we fell asleep almost fully clothed, I don¡¯t have to worry about looking for a nightrobe.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Noage bows when the maid lets him in. ¡°How is the Royal Consort feeling?¡±

    ¡°I feel okay,¡± Erik waves his hand. ¡°I just didn¡¯t get enough sleep, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not all, you collapsed from overworking,¡± I nudge him. ¡°Noage, please, examine him thoroughly.¡±

    Erik is looking dissatisfied when Noage attaches his rooty tentacles to his forearm, but he has to hold.

    ¡°At least you know how we feel every time you faint,¡± Erik comments venomously. ¡°Now, it¡¯s the other way around.¡±

    I sigh. He has a point. If that¡¯s how Erik and Gotrid feel when I¡¯m injured or hurting (and that happens to me a lot), it¡¯s not to be taken lightly. I don¡¯t want to make them feel like that too often. Preferably never, but, in my case, that¡¯s impossible to accomplish.

    ¡°A balanced diet and rest will do the trick,¡± Noage says when he finishes the examination. ¡°Lord Erik is perfectly healthy, just fatigued. Please, make sure he rests and eats a lot today.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see to it,¡± I assure the doctor. It¡¯s really the other way around now and I quite like that.

    ¡°The same goes for you as well, Your Majesty,¡± Noage narrows his eyes at me. ¡°You do still remember that you suffered a concussion just a few days ago? Normally, it takes humans up to several weeks to fully recover from it.¡±

    ¡°I feel almost okay today,¡± I assure him. ¡°Draconians heal faster than humans.¡±

    ¡°We do, but the problem is that you¡¯re not fully Celestial, Your Majesty,¡± Noage reminds me. ¡°I can¡¯t properly examine your brain even with my Earthborn powers and since we don¡¯t know how your unique brain works, we have to be careful and not to underestimate anything.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see to that,¡± Erik throws my sentence mockingly back at me.

    I nudge him and call the maids to serve us breakfast to bed.

    ¡°I can walk just fine, but I won¡¯t say no to that,¡± Erik purrs. ¡°Seriously, though, I slept like a log so I feel completely revitalised. Did you do something to me, love?¡±

    ¡°Nope, I just projected my dreams to you because you liked it last time,¡± I shake my head. ¡°The rest is all your body¡¯s doing. You were sleeping for twelve hours straight.¡±

    ¡°I strongly advise you to sleep at least 8 hours a day no matter what, Royal Consorts,¡± Noage says strictly to both of my partners. ¡°If there¡¯s a need to watch over His Majesty during the night, take turns.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to watch over me during the night,¡± I puff. ¡°It makes me feel guilty that I¡¯m the only one getting enough sleep. Do my guards and maids get enough sleep? Does everyone? Celestials might not need to go to the toilet anymore, but we still need to sleep just as much as humans do.¡±

    ¡°I assure you, my Emperor, that we do,¡± Cien says, bringing us our breakfast. ¡°We realise that we need to be as fresh as possible for the important task of guarding and serving you, so we work in shifts.¡±

    ¡°Do you plan to fatten me up or something, hon?¡± Erik rolls his eyes when he sees how much food I¡¯m putting on the plate.

    ¡°Just for today,¡± I take a tray and put it on his lap. ¡°Eat, I¡¯ll hear no protests.¡±

    ¡°If only you were so enthusiastic when we tell you to eat properly,¡± Erik protests, but happily digs into his scrambled eggs.

    I prepare a full plate for Gotrid as well and he accepts it with a smile on his face. Erik might be the one currently weakened, but I need to dote on both of them. I quickly check how Liana is doing because the Celestial Council should be in an assembly by now. I¡¯m prepared to intervene should they not want to listen to my Viceroy.

    ¡°Love, stop it,¡± Erik suddenly pulls my sleeve.

    I blink, disoriented for a moment. It¡¯s not as if I completely stop perceiving what¡¯s going on around me when I send my mind away, but I can¡¯t pay proper attention to my surroundings either.

    ¡°I was just making sure Liana is okay on her own,¡± I explain. ¡°When I return to work, I will order her to take a day off as well.¡±

    ¡°See? That¡¯s what I meant when I said that you¡¯re working all the time without even realising it,¡± Gotrid points out. ¡°Don¡¯t wander off, sweetheart.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I can¡¯t possibly eat all this food by myself,¡± Erik cries.

    We dig in and, for a while, there¡¯s only a sound of clinking cutlery. When we finish eating, Erik wants to get out of bed, but I don¡¯t let him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sick, I just fainted because I didn¡¯t sleep enough for a few days,¡± he protests.

    ¡°You¡¯re also deaf to my pleas whenever I¡¯m weakened,¡± I remind him.

    ¡°That¡¯s because when you faint, there¡¯s always a much more serious reason behind it,¡± Erik argues. ¡°I¡¯m just tired, you suffered a telepathic concussion.¡±

    ¡°What about I keep you in bed with this?¡± I kiss him.

    ¡°I might reconsider,¡± he grins. ¡°Still, you do realise that humans have to use the bathroom, right? I desperately need to pee and taking a shower would be nice.¡±

    ¡°Okay then, but I¡¯ll take a shower with you,¡± I insist.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make it a bath, all three of us,¡± Gotrid suggests. ¡°I know that it feels weird to have a bath in the morning, but consider it to be a wellness procedure.¡±

    I want to help Erik get up, but he doesn¡¯t want to lean on me, so Gotrid helps him instead. I notice that Erik doesn¡¯t have any remarks about that and accepts Gotrid¡¯s touch as if it¡¯s the most natural thing to do. I¡¯m glad about that. I want them to like each other and maybe even love in future. I hide that thought from them for now, though. I don¡¯t want to make Erik self-conscious about it and endanger the progress those two have made.

    ¡°Your wings need to be washed anyway, Your Majesty,¡± Ayala says when I tell her our wish. ¡°The Japanese gave us some bathing salts that are suitable for our feathers so let¡¯s try them.¡±

    Erik goes to the toilet while I insist on helping the maids with the bath. It¡¯s annoying that they won¡¯t let me do anything that would even remotely resemble a house chore. I get it most of the time because I¡¯m always so busy that I can¡¯t waste any time, but today is different. Still, at least they let me apply the salts.

    Love, stop checking on me here, it¡¯s embarrassing, Erik sends me his thoughts from the toilet booth.

    Just making sure you¡¯re not dizzy, I explain and pull my mind back, realising that it was indeed super embarrassing.

    Erik takes his sweet time which is okay because it¡¯s not easy to fill a bathtub this big.

    ¡°Your Majesty, I know that it was an emergency, but we can¡¯t let you sleep in your royal attire next time,¡± Ayala sighs when she takes my upper robe off, noticing how wrinkled the fabric is. ¡°The same goes for you as well, Lord Gotrid.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I say, but I¡¯m happy that she¡¯s able to scold me like that despite my yesterday¡¯s telepathic emanation. ¡°Ayala?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡± she looks up from the folding.

    ¡°I overdid it yesterday, I didn¡¯t mean to include everyone,¡± I apologise. ¡°I really appreciate the care you¡¯re giving me, my partners and our home. I¡¯d like to give you my blessing if you want.¡±

    ¡°If I want?¡± Ayala giggles. ¡°Your Majesty, how can someone as powerful as you be so clueless at the same time?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s our Emperor,¡± Gotrid smirks.

    It¡¯s a bit strange to give my blessing in the bathroom, but I don¡¯t care about pompous ceremonies. Ayala doesn¡¯t either for once. She¡¯s so excited about the blessing that she forgot where we are. I know her well, so I don¡¯t stay with a simple touch of our wings. I kiss her on her forehead, sending her my deepest gratitude.

    Erik arrives at that exact moment and raises his eyebrows at the sight. There¡¯s not even the tiniest hint of jealousy coming from him, though. The kiss is as innocent as it gets.

    ¡°My Emperor,¡± Ayala¡¯s eyes water. I¡¯ve never seen her cry before. Unlike me, Ayala is one of those people who can always keep a stiff upper lip and isn¡¯t sentimental about things.

    ¡°I¡¯ve brought a change of clothes for His Majesty and¡­,¡± Cien enters the room and narrows her eyes, quickly analysing the situation.

    I don¡¯t let her feel jealous of her colleague even for a second. I don¡¯t want feelings like that among my subjects.

    ¡°Thanks for always taking care of us, Cien,¡± I say and before she can even comprehend what I¡¯m about to do, I kiss her on her forehead as well.

    ¡°Careful there,¡± Gotrid has to catch her because she was completely unprepared for a sudden telepathic connection.

    ¡°Tell Dalia to come to me after the bath, I¡¯ll give her my blessing as well,¡± I say. ¡°Oh, the bath is ready!¡±

    Gotrid pushes the dazed maids out of the room, the guards stay outside the door and we¡¯re finally alone. At least as alone as the Celestial Emperor can be. We hop in and the huge bathtub doesn¡¯t seem so huge anymore with two winged beings trying to squeeze in. I lean on Erik, Gotrid hugs me from behind and we stay like this for an hour, just enjoying the hot water and each other¡¯s company.

    ¡°I can reheat it,¡± I offer when the water starts to get cold.

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good,¡± Erik shakes his head. ¡°Let¡¯s wash your wings and don¡¯t tell me that I shouldn¡¯t because it¡¯s super relaxing for me. I love cleaning your feathers.¡±

    I turn around and tell Gotrid to turn as well so that I can wash his wings. For beings who don¡¯t like getting wet, we love to keep our feathers spotless so we learned to tolerate getting our wings soaked in the name of necessary maintenance.

    ¡°Seriously, Ryuu, how do you always manage to get your wings so dirty?¡± Erik comments, scrubbing the tips of my primary feathers.

    ¡°My snow-white colour is like a dirt magnet,¡± I lament. ¡°Liana has it easiest, nobody ever notices when her wings get dirty.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a mystery,¡± Gotrid laughs. ¡°The maids are trying to keep everything around our Emperor super clean, but it¡¯s a lost battle.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s because you use your wings too often for things that have nothing to do with flying,¡± Erik ponders. ¡°When you give blessings, you always touch other Celestials with your wings and you don¡¯t like folding them too closely to your body in general.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I noticed that as well,¡± Gotrid nods. ¡°On the ground, we fold our wings as much as possible so that they don¡¯t get in the way, but our cute Emperor never does. He uses every opportunity to spread them, especially now in Japan when we¡¯re sitting on the floor all the time.¡±

    ¡°It gives me cramps when I fold them too closely,¡± I frown and use telekinesis to fetch another bottle of shower gel for Gotrid.

    ¡°Hmm, are your wing bones built a bit differently?¡± Erik ponders and massages my back. ¡°Or is it just your bad habit?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re teasing me,¡± I whine and make soap bubbles to distract them. It works like, well, magic.

    After the bath, we spend half an hour drying our feathers which always takes a lot of time even when one is using spells that produce hot air. After that, we get dressed in light robes and Erik willingly puts on a kimono. When we get out of the bathroom, Dalia is waiting for us.

    ¡°Ayala asked me to give Lord Erik a massage. I assure you that I¡¯m qualified,¡± she says, but that¡¯s obviously not the only reason why she¡¯s here. She hasn¡¯t been my maid for long, but I don¡¯t want her to feel left out.

    When I lean towards her to kiss her forehead, it¡¯s evident that she didn¡¯t expect that and she twitches away instinctively. Realising her mistake, she widens her eyes, furiously apologises and bows. I kiss her then. I try not to overdo it so that she¡¯s still able to do her job. When she comes to her senses, she tells Erik to lie down.

    ¡°Just for the record, I wouldn¡¯t allow a male masseur to touch me,¡± Erik remarks, but when Dalia starts working on his back, he shuts up.

    We spent the whole day resting and cuddling and it¡¯s a small miracle that nothing happened. Liana took care of the Council for me and because I didn¡¯t show up in public, it gave everyone time to calm down after my yesterday¡¯s telepathic tantrum.

    ¡°Ryuu?¡± Erik pokes me gently when we¡¯re falling asleep, all three of us utterly satisfied.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± I yawn.

    ¡°What if your father shows up tonight?¡± he worries. ¡°Do we wake you up if he starts hurting you again?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure you¡¯ll be able to tell,¡± I have to disappoint him. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll do my best to guard my mind against him. I think I¡¯m getting the hang of it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, love,¡± Gotrid snuggles to me.

    ¡°You¡¯re my absolute priority,¡± I whisper. ¡°Both you and Gotrid. I¡¯ll get stronger for the two of you.¡±

    ¡°Feels good to be the Celestial Emperor¡¯s priority,¡± Erik smiles and we fall asleep at the same time.

    *****

    I get annoyed when I find myself standing on that ancient stone platform again. Couldn¡¯t my father give me generously one more day? But I¡¯m ready to properly face him today. I¡¯ve survived an encounter with the force that drove the Divementis out of their home dimension. I¡¯m sure that I can fend against my father now.

    I freeze when I turn around and discover that my father isn¡¯t alone. Three more figures are standing next to him, studying me. They don¡¯t bother with any disguise so they look Divementis right from the start. All of them are as androgynous and ageless as me and I finally understand why my looks must be so unnerving to people.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally letting us meet him,¡± one of the Divementis says and I have trouble recognising whether it¡¯s a man or a woman. Not that it matters.

    ¡°Your real biological offspring,¡± another Divementis contemplates.

    ¡°You mated with a lower species,¡± the third Divementis spits. ¡°Tell us why we shouldn¡¯t kill that thing on the spot. It¡¯s an abomination!¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t because he¡¯s our best shot at reclaiming our lost home,¡± my father clicks his tongue and looks at me with a hint of pride, ¡°and because he¡¯s my son which makes him your prince.¡±

 89. Double Royalty

    I instinctively hold my breath, even though there¡¯s no actual air in this dreamy dimension. What did my father just say? Did I hear right? Me, a Divementis prince?

    I stare at my father, then at those three Divementis who came to accompany him today. Who are they anyway? Did they invade my dream just to confirm that I¡¯m indeed what my father claims I am? I have no reason to think that he would be lying, but still¡­ it¡¯s hard to believe.

    ¡°You know that he¡¯s mine, you saw the results of the DNA test,¡± my father says calmly and gives me a strange look. It¡¯s not a disgusted or disappointed look, though. There¡¯s a hint of¡­ pride? No, my eyes must be playing tricks on me.

    ¡°That may be, but he¡¯s still a half-breed that shouldn¡¯t exist in the first place,¡± one of the Divementis looks at me with contempt. ¡°Besides, he has no claim to the throne if he can¡¯t even access the Archive.¡±

    ¡°Actually, he can,¡± my father answers with a victorious smirk. ¡°I let him roam the dreamscape on his own a few days ago to see what he would do and not only did he discover the Archive, he managed to access it. The system even recognised him as the Supreme Administrator as if it was me.¡±

    That leaves the three Divementis speechless. It¡¯s obvious they didn¡¯t expect that. My father moves closer to me which makes me flinch. I want to say something, but I just gasp for the illusionary air instead. All of this is¡­ too unreal.

    ¡°His looks might be Celestial, but his brain is that of a Divementis,¡± my father continues. ¡°He learns quickly, just as someone from the royal bloodline would. He even managed to defend himself against our Enemy which isn¡¯t something an average Divementis would be able to do.¡±

    The three Divementis look at each other, frowning.

    ¡°Aefener needs to stand before the Divementis Council first,¡± another Divementis insists. ¡°Even if he¡¯s Your Majesty¡¯s son, there are procedures to follow if we are to accept him.¡±

    ¡°You will address him by his rightful title,¡± my father clicks his tongue.

    ¡°His Highness Prince Aefener,¡± the Divementis makes a correction, not daring to disobey their sovereign. That title feels wrong somehow. I¡¯m not a prince, I¡¯m an emperor!

    The three Divementis give me their last scrutinous look, then bow submissively and disappear with a flicker. It¡¯s only me and my father now. We stay quiet for a while¡ªmy father considering his next words, me trying to calm my wildly beating heart and trembling wings.

    ¡°I understand this must be a huge surprise for you, Aefener,¡± he addresses me by my name for the very first time and tries to slowly cut the distance between us. ¡°It¡¯s true, I¡¯m no ordinary Divementis. I rule whatever is left of our once glorious empire.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I ask. I realise only now that I actually don¡¯t know. I know only his fake human name.

    ¡°Althorion Lorthane Serthorius Dralthor Morvandus,¡± he articulates carefully, using the Divementis pronunciation that doesn¡¯t sound alien to me at all.

    ¡°Ehm¡­,¡± I bite my lip because I forgot it immediately.

    ¡°Your mother called me Orion,¡± he benevolently gives me a shortened version. ¡°She found it funny to call me after a star and that part is in my first name anyway so I didn¡¯t mind. Still, I would prefer you call me ¡®father.¡¯¡±

    I¡¯m sceptical about that, but I guess it would be weird to call him by the nickname my Mom used. I keep staring at him, unsure what to do or say. It¡¯s difficult to process that my father isn¡¯t only an alien from another dimension; he¡¯s royalty on top of that. Does it make me a double royal I wonder?

    ¡°You earned to have another question answered when you managed to enter the Archive,¡± my father gives me a hint. ¡°Ask away.¡±

    I have so many things to ask. What¡¯s the Archive? Who or what is the Enemy? How many Divementis live in Japan? How did the Divementis manage to transform so many humans into entirely different species? Does the Draconian dimension look the same as in our game? What¡¯s expected of the transformed players? How do I fit in?

    However, the question that leaves my lips has nothing to do with any of that.

    ¡°I want to know about Mom,¡± I blurt out. ¡°How did you two meet? Why did you break up? Where were you when they deported me to the EU? And how was I even born in the first place when I¡¯m being constantly told that human and Divementis genes aren¡¯t compatible?¡±

    ¡°Okay, that will take a while,¡± he conjures an armchair and a sofa with a simple hand gesture. He takes the armchair and nods at me to take the sofa.

    I slowly sit down and spread my wings comfortably to the sides. He¡¯s being unnaturally considerate tonight and even took my wings into account when making this imaginary furniture. Still, I glare at him suspiciously. Who knows what he¡¯s really up to?

    ¡°I had to be strict with you when we first met,¡± he says, noticing that I don¡¯t trust him a bit. ¡°I managed to covertly hire humans to steal your feather from the Draconian embassy, but my subjects suspected that I was up to something. When I told them that I wanted to personally attend the New York conference, their suspicions only grew.¡±

    ¡°You tried to hide the truth about me from your own people?¡± I narrow my eyes. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because if I didn¡¯t get to you first to test your powers, they wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to kill you,¡± he says darkly. ¡°Fortunately, I managed to confirm that you indeed inherited the Divementis royal bloodline.¡±

    ¡°What kind of sick test was that?¡± my face darkens. ¡°You gave me a nosebleed and made me faint.¡±

    ¡°A normal Divementis would have died instantly from that attack, Aefener,¡± he sets the record straight, not sugarcoating it. ¡°If I didn¡¯t go for the most brutal test and didn¡¯t promise to carry it out myself, the Divementis were prepared to abduct you after the conference.¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± I flinch. ¡°B-but¡­¡±

    ¡°A weak half-breed wouldn¡¯t be allowed to live even if you are my son, the Divementis doctrine forbids diluting our gift,¡± he explains. ¡°Only by proving to them that your telepathic powers are worthy of the royal bloodline, I could protect you.¡±

    ¡°How did you even know I would survive that?¡± I shake my head.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t, but I hoped,¡± he says honestly. ¡°Human and Divementis genes shouldn¡¯t be compatible, we thoroughly examined that. Still, somehow you are here, despite all the odds. Amelia¡­ she¡­ Out of all humans, I hoped that if anyone would be strong enough to pass on my royal genes, it would be her. And I was right.¡±

    ¡°Yet, you abandoned her,¡± I accuse him and I take a deep breath. I¡¯m still uneasy about the fact that he would kill me mercilessly if I wasn¡¯t a strong enough telepath according to the Divementis standards.

    ¡°I assure you that I did not,¡± he insists, ¡°and, for the record, I didn¡¯t know that she was pregnant. As you already guessed, we¡¯re telepaths, not empaths. Embryos don¡¯t have thoughts, so I couldn¡¯t know. Amelia didn¡¯t know either at that time or I would have been able to read it in her mind. As for the reason why we broke up in the end, she didn¡¯t agree with the course the Divementis wanted to take with Draconia Online and she had enough of hiding our relationship.¡±

    ¡°Hiding?¡± I tilt my head.

    ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but I think that Celestials aren¡¯t thrilled about you dating a human either,¡± he points out. ¡°While you¡¯re lucky enough that they do tolerate your lover, the same can¡¯t be said for the Divementis, so we had to keep our relationship secret. Fortunately, I¡¯m not as anxiously guarded as you inside our premises. We could make it work even if Amelia hated it.¡±

    ¡°Did you love her?¡± I ask directly because I just need to know. Do the Divementis even have the same idea of love?

    ¡°Do you seriously think I would bother to plan secret meetings and lie to my subjects if I didn¡¯t love her?¡± he clicks his tongue, clearly offended by my accusation. ¡°Amelia was the only person I have ever loved, despite her being human. She was really special and she wasn¡¯t afraid of me at all.¡±

    ¡°But you still broke up in the end,¡± I say feebly.

    ¡°I let her go exactly because I loved her,¡± he states firmly. ¡°My subjects started to suspect that something was going on between us. If she stayed any longer and we were found out¡­ I fear that not even me, the Divementis Emperor, could have stopped them from harming her.¡±

    I clutch my hands into fists and feel my eyes water.

    ¡°She still died,¡± I murmur. ¡°Did you investigate the real cause?¡±

    ¡°Her body was claimed by the Japanese government,¡± my father sighs and I can see that it¡¯s genuinely painful for him. ¡°They suspected that the brain tumour was caused by her testing experimental VR headsets excessively.¡±

    ¡°And was that the case? I mean¡­ really?¡± I gulp.

    ¡°Yes and no,¡± he shakes his head. ¡°Even twenty years ago, VR headsets were perfectly safe to use. However, Amelia stole an unfinished copy of Draconia Online. After she left, she was testing the game for two years without the Divementis supervision and it initiated a genetic transformation of her body. The game was far from being finished at that time, though. Instead of a proper transformation, it gave her cancer.¡±

    ¡°I vaguely remember playing Draconia Online when I was a child,¡± I get startled.

    ¡°Your brain is half-Divementis, I suppose you were safe from side effects,¡± he calms me down. ¡°Besides, Amelia couldn¡¯t know. I bet she sincerely believed that she was reliving your migraines. Do you remember what race you played as?¡±

    ¡°A Celestial,¡± I say proudly with a tone suggesting ¡®what else.¡¯

    ¡°I see, no wonder you became the race ruler,¡± my father smiles slightly. ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you, Aefener. You being both the heir to the Divementis throne and the Celestial Emperor able to wield powerful magic is a big deal. You could help us win the war and make a real difference. That¡¯s part of the reason why my people will be forced to acknowledge you. Losing you would mean losing a huge asset.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not an asset, I¡¯m a person,¡± I hate that he thinks of me that way. ¡°And what did your people mean by standing before the Divementis Council?¡±

    ¡°That¡­,¡± my father starts, but I suddenly sense the familiar feeling of my imaginary body losing its form, ¡°is the topic for another meeting,¡± he quickly finishes a sentence because my real body is inevitably waking up.

    *****

    ¡°Sorry, hon, we had to,¡± Erik apologises profoundly when I open my eyes and find out that it was them who interrupted my sleep.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°I was meeting my father, we had a super important conversation,¡± I snort.

    ¡°We figured as much, it¡¯s ten already and you weren¡¯t waking up,¡± Gotrid caresses my feathers to comfort me.

    ¡°So why did you¡­?¡± I frown, but Erik pokes me between my eyebrows.

    ¡°Because your brain isn¡¯t resting when you¡¯re having your dream encounters,¡± he says. ¡°We don¡¯t want you to collapse. We woke you up so that you can have a long afternoon nap. Hopefully, your father isn¡¯t taking naps into account.¡±

    I slowly sit up and rub my eyes. Erik is right, of course, I don¡¯t feel well-rested. My body relaxed a bit, but my brain was working relentlessly. Maybe even harder than it normally would, these dream meetings sure are taxing.

    ¡°Did you learn something interesting today?¡± Gotrid asks and starts petting my wings because he can tell that I¡¯m upset about being forced to wake up.

    ¡°Well¡­,¡± I bite my lip. The idea of hiding the truth from them again doesn¡¯t cross my mind, but where do I even start?

    ¡°Yep, it¡¯s evidently super important,¡± Erik guesses and gently kisses my right wing.

    ¡°I¡¯d better call Liana and the Celestial Council should also know,¡± I consider. ¡°Damn, they will freak out for sure.¡±

    ¡°Tell us first, we want to have a private audience,¡± Gotrid tickles me under my feathers. ¡°In a nutshell is enough for now.¡±

    ¡°In a nutshell, my father is the Divementis Emperor which makes me a Divementis prince,¡± I say slowly, nervously waiting for their reaction. They just stare at me for a few long seconds. They expected something big, but not this.

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding!¡± Erik opens his mouth wide.

    ¡°Oh, our Emperor is double royalty,¡± Gotrid celebrates because, in his shock, he fails to see the gravity of that revelation.

    ¡°Wait, but¡­ wouldn¡¯t that mean that the Divementis could try to claim you?¡± Erik starts to panic properly.

    ¡°That¡¯s why my subjects will freak out when they find out,¡± I sigh. ¡°Seriously, now that I think about it, maybe we should keep it a secret after all.¡±

    ¡°Nope, just nope,¡± Gotrid shakes his head as it finally comes to him. ¡°That¡¯s out of the question, love. The Imperial Guard needs to know so that they can take precautions.¡±

    ¡°I must agree with Gotrid on this,¡± Erik nods. ¡°Until now, you¡¯ve been meeting your father only in your dreams, but what if he tries to take you away from us?¡±

    ¡°I have both magic and telepathy, I¡¯m confident that I should be able to protect myself,¡± I assure them.

    ¡°You can¡¯t protect yourself in your sleep,¡± Erik argues. ¡°We¡¯re telling the Celestial Council and that¡¯s final.¡±

    ¡°Oh, love,¡± Gotrid hugs me, ¡°what if they try to get you by force?¡±

    ¡°Then we will show them what Celestials are capable of,¡± I say confidently. ¡°Still, I don¡¯t think it will come to that. My father might be many things, but he¡¯s not stupid. The Divementis desperately need Draconians to become their allies.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t rule out that they could try abducting you,¡± Erik snuggles to me as well. ¡°Besides, I warned you not to trust your father easily.¡±

    ¡°He loved Mom, though,¡± I whisper. ¡°I¡¯m certain that he wasn¡¯t lying about that. He might not be the dad of the year, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯s the villain here. The Divementis came to our dimension to hide from that monstrous thing that occupies their homeland.¡±

    We stay in a feathery embrace for a few comforting moments until the Celestials waiting outside grow too restless and the maids quietly open the door.

    ¡°Your Majesty, are you okay?¡± Ayala asks anxiously. ¡°It¡¯s ten already, we were worried.¡±

    Gotrid releases his wings, uncovering us.

    ¡°We will have breakfast now,¡± he says. ¡°In the meanwhile, please tell the Viceroy to assemble the Council in advance.¡±

    Ayala pales, sensing that something important must have happened. I must admire her composure in such situations. She doesn¡¯t ask any questions and hurries to do her job. I stand up so that Ayala and Dalia can quickly dress me up.

    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Liana is waiting for me in the lounge already when we emerge from the bedroom. ¡°Is it an emergency? What happened? I called for the Council just as you ordered.¡±

    ¡°After breakfast,¡± Erik insists. ¡°You know our Emperor has a bad habit of skipping meals or not eating as much as he should when he¡¯s stressed. Let¡¯s stuff him with food first and talk later.¡±

    We eat in silence. Erik and Gotrid focus on encouraging me to eat while Liana is barely holding her questions bottled inside.

    ¡°At least tell me if it¡¯s good or bad,¡± she cries after a while.

    ¡°Potentially both,¡± I admit and let Erik feed me a piece of pancake. ¡°I met my father tonight again and a few other Divementis.¡±

    ¡°Other Divementis?¡± Liana bites her lip. ¡°They didn¡¯t hurt you, did they?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I shake my head. ¡°We talked and¡­¡±

    ¡°At the assembly,¡± Erik purses his lips and delivers me another mouthful. Admittedly, without his intervention, I wouldn¡¯t have much appetite to eat on my own.

    By the time we get outside, all Celestials in the mansion know that something is going on. I can feel their restlessness.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Gavreel bows deeply when we reach the throne room. ¡°Everybody is waiting for you.¡±

    I nod and quickly walk across the hall to my throne. It seems that one day of my absence gave my subjects time to recuperate from my Celestial wrath. They are still extremely careful around me, but they can meet my eyes again.

    I sit down, my beloved partners get seated next to me and start caressing my wings which are shaking a bit. I don¡¯t care that it might not look regal. I really need it right now and appreciate that Erik and Gotrid aren¡¯t embarrassed.

    ¡°My father visited me in my sleep again,¡± I say slowly, carefully articulating each word. ¡°What I¡¯m about to tell you will shock you, but I don¡¯t want you to freak out. Please, sit down on the cushions.¡±

    The councillors and guard captains look at each other, confused. Liana gives me a panicky look because my tone is even more serious than during breakfast.

    ¡°That was an order,¡± I add to make myself clear. Everybody sits down in a hurry and for a few moments, there¡¯s only a sound of rustling wings.

    ¡°It turns out,¡± I say extremely slowly, ¡°that my father isn¡¯t just any Divementis. He revealed to me last night that he¡¯s the Divementis Emperor.¡±

    Everybody in the hall gasps for breath. I bet now they appreciate that I made them sit down.

    ¡°As you probably guessed, that makes me a Divementis prince,¡± I add simply, generously giving them time to let it sink in.

    I look at Liana and I can tell that she¡¯s freaking out in her mind, but she¡¯s doing her best to remain calm at least from the outside. When the worst shock is over, she immediately starts to consider the consequences of me being both the Celestial Emperor and a Divementis prince.

    ¡°What else did your father say?¡± Liana asks sharply while everyone else is still trying to come to terms with it.

    ¡°We talked about my Mom and he confirmed that she indeed worked directly for the Divementis in developing Draconia Online,¡± I continue. ¡°She left when still neither she nor my father knew that she was pregnant which explains why nobody suspected a thing. After that, she continued to keep my existence secret to protect me.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­,¡± Gavreel speaks up, his voice shaking, ¡°what if the Divementis raise a claim to Your Majesty?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid my father already did,¡± I sigh. ¡°However, it doesn¡¯t have to be necessarily a bad thing. I could finally learn why and how the Great Evolution happened directly from the source.¡±

    ¡°Directly?¡± Captain Vermiel widens his eyes. ¡°You mean entering the Divementis premises?¡±

    ¡°It might come to that,¡± I admit.

    That causes an even bigger uproar among my subjects than the revelation itself. It seems that coming to terms with me being double royalty is easier for them than the idea of me possibly leaving them for the Divementis.

    ¡°I assure you that I consider myself to be, first and foremost, the Celestial Emperor,¡± I say firmly to calm the commotion down. ¡°I might be half-Divementis, but I feel no responsibility towards them whatsoever. You are and always will be my absolute priority.¡±

    ¡°And if the Divementis try to take you away from us by force?¡± Gavreel gulps.

    ¡°They can try,¡± I hiss. ¡°If we are to cooperate with them, it must be on equal footing. When my father reaches out to me again, I¡¯ll make that clear to him.¡±

    The assembly continues for three long hours. Liana wants to know the details of everything that happened in my dream last night and everybody voices their opinion on the course of action we should take. The Guard Captains go to reinforce the protection of the mansion immediately while our diplomats start coming up with strategies we could try when dealing with the Divementis.

    Erik and Gotrid have to push really hard to give me that afternoon nap I was promised. I¡¯m a bit apprehensive that my father will bother me every time I close my eyes, but nothing of that sort happens and I manage to get some rest. We return to our suite late in the evening after the whole day spent analysing, strategizing and debating.

    ¡°Love, if you don¡¯t feel like it¡­,¡± Erik tries not to be pushy about tonight¡¯s sex when it¡¯s time for bed and the maids finally leave the bedroom.

    ¡°I do feel like it,¡± I assure both him and Gotrid. ¡°I won¡¯t let the Divementis ruin our nightlife. You are my beloved partners and I¡¯ll make love to you every opportunity I get.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re all tense, love,¡± Gotrid notices, tells me to lower my wings and massages my shoulders.

    I accept it gratefully, melting under his care. When I relax a bit, I fully connect with them to find out what they desire the most at the moment. I pity the Divementis for not being empaths. Reading one¡¯s thoughts in such a precious situation like making love is only half the pleasure. I decide that I should consider empathy to be my biggest strength and, with that proud thought, I fall asleep.

    ****

    Strangely, my father didn¡¯t visit me that night. I wake up well-rested, vaguely remembering a nice dream in which I was flying above Prague, but that¡¯s about it. I stretch all my six limbs and give Erik and Gotrid a morning kiss.

    ¡°Nothing?¡± Erik asks curiously.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± I shrug. ¡°I guess they need time to discuss the matter. Who knows how the Divementis make decisions and whether my father is an absolute monarch or not.¡±

    We get dressed up and have breakfast as usual. My appetite returns a bit and I eat without being forced. Liana comes to check up on me about the night and when I tell her that nothing happened, she runs off to take care of the morning agenda.

    ¡°What time does she wake up anyway?¡± I ponder.

    ¡°At least an hour before us,¡± Gotrid guesses. ¡°Don¡¯t let it bother you, hon. She must go to sleep earlier than us because she has no obligations in bed.¡±

    ¡°I hope that soon she will have,¡± I sigh, annoyed that Soren is taking his sweet time in asking her out properly. ¡°It¡¯s not obvious only to me, is it?¡±

    ¡°You mean Soren?¡± Gotrid chuckles. ¡°Nope, the whole mansion has been gossiping and speculating about those two ever since we came here. It seems our otherwise sharp Viceroy is dumb when it comes to romance.¡±

    ¡°I heard that Soren did try to ask her out once already,¡± Erik recalls. ¡°Liana misinterpreted it, though, so nothing happened.¡±

    ¡°That dumb,¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°How do you know about it anyway? How come I didn¡¯t hear any rumours?¡±

    ¡°Nobody dares to gossip in front of their Emperor,¡± Eriks smirks. ¡°I heard it from Miruel who was guarding her that day.¡±

    I puff, annoyed that I miss all the fun stuff just because Celestials are too shy around me. When we finish breakfast, we attend yet another assembly. The debate is much more productive today because everybody had some time to process yesterday¡¯s revelation.

    ¡°Vermiel, I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t manage another day without flying,¡± I tell the Guard Captain after the assembly is over. ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to fly for several days now and I¡¯m reaching my limit. Prepare the flock, we¡¯re taking off in twenty minutes.¡±

    ¡°Is that wise, Your Majesty?¡± Liana overhears us. ¡°We should be safe inside the shield, but outside¡­¡±

    ¡°Air is the Celestial element, we¡¯re unsurpassed when flying,¡± I interrupt her. ¡°The Divementis are dangerous, but they can¡¯t do anything to us high in the sky. Besides, I¡¯m seriously getting cramps in my wings, you can¡¯t keep me grounded any longer.¡±

    Liana resists sighing and nods, approving in the end.

    ¡°In twenty minutes then, I¡¯ll join you,¡± she says and goes to change her clothes.

    We return to our suite and I insist that the maids put my new armour on me instead of a much lighter sporty robe.

    ¡°We have to get used to flying with extra weight,¡± I explain. ¡°Our wings need to get stronger. Dalia, can you tell everyone who¡¯s going to accompany me to put on their armour as well?¡±

    ¡°As you wish, Your Majesty,¡± Dalia bows and runs off to relay my message immediately so that everyone has time to dress accordingly.

    When we gather in the inner courtyard, I¡¯m happy to discover that everyone present is indeed wearing their armour. I think that the guards would do so even without my order, but the same can¡¯t be said for a few councillors who also decided to join me. They look uneasy wearing all that extra weight, but I don¡¯t feel like being benevolent today. Their wings need to get stronger, it¡¯s for their own good.

    We fly up and most Celestials get anxious when we leave the safety of the shield. They quickly conjure their own personal shields, but everybody truly relaxes only when we reach the clouds. Nobody feels like playing an aerial game, though, which is understandable given the circumstances.

    They would like to let me fly to my heart¡¯s content, but it¡¯s obvious that flying in the armour is quickly depleting their stamina. Naturally, the guards are in a much better shape than politicians, but when even Gotrid begs me to land, out of breath, I mercilessly comply.

    However, as we¡¯re descending, I suddenly feel that something is off. I¡¯m not sure what that something is, but I decide to stop the flock anyway.

    ¡°WAIT!¡± I shout the command using both my voice and my telepathy.

    ¡°Love? Is something wrong?¡± Gotrid gets startled because he can¡¯t feel anything.

    I take a deep breath and momentarily close my eyes to focus better. If there were monsters nearby, others would be able to feel them as well. Maybe there¡¯s a rift opening further away? Still, I get nothing, so it can¡¯t be a new rift.

    ¡°DESCEND SLOWLY,¡± I shout another command.

    As we get closer to the ground, my uneasiness only grows. It¡¯s as if something is hiding from my senses and I mean both my telepathy and eyes. We descend even further and the mansion below us starts to be visible. At first glance, nothing seems amiss. The mansion is there and the shield is intact.

    Yet, it¡¯s as if there¡¯s a void below me. It¡¯s as if something is hiding right in front of our noses and we just can¡¯t see it. I recall the time when I met my father at the New York conference. I noticed him only because I noticed a significant lack of something. I focus hard on that ambiguous feeling and, to my surprise, I start to recognise it. It¡¯s not a void after all, it¡¯s a Divementis mental shield.

    I try to see with my mind rather than my eyes and the ease of that surprises me. It¡¯s the same as when I became suddenly able to see my father¡¯s real form¡ªa matter of not believing in an illusion and giving things a fresh unbiased perspective.

    The moment my thinking shifts, I can finally see it. There¡¯s a huge Divementis cruiser silently hovering above the mansion.

 90. Finally Face to Face

    The Divementis spaceship is hovering above the mansion in absolute silence. Its silver colour and thin shape make it look really elegant, but the absence of any sound is eerie. I realise that I can¡¯t see any visible seams in the ship¡¯s construction, how the hell did they put something like that together? Just how advanced is the Divementis technology?

    Still, its cloaking device isn¡¯t technological, I can guess that much¡ªit¡¯s actually a mental shield of gigantic proportions. I suspect that not even my father is capable of sustaining something like that on his own which means that it¡¯s probably the work of several Divementis focusing in unison. They are trying to persuade onlookers in the vicinity that there¡¯s nothing to see here.

    ¡°Your Majesty, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Liana flies to me in panic.

    ¡°The Divementis are here!¡± I say tensely, but I¡¯m not sure how to make her see. I see it just fine because I managed to look through the trick, but my subjects are blind to it.

    ¡°The Divementis? Where? How?¡± Liana gets only more confused and she¡¯s not the only one. It¡¯s like a chain reaction and, in just a few seconds, the whole flock gets restless.

    There¡¯s a cloaked Divementis spaceship hovering above the mansion, I switch to telepathy to address everybody at the same time without the need to shout. Stay where you are and I¡¯ll try¡­

    I don¡¯t have a chance to finish that sentence, though. My father¡¯s mind pervades my consciousness and I can feel that he¡¯s simultaneously projecting his thoughts to everybody in the mansion and the flock.

    I¡¯m the Divementis Emperor Althorion Lorthane Serthorius Dralthor Morvandus, he starts strong but his tone is polite. Noble Celestials, I know that you¡¯re alarmed, but there¡¯s no need to panic. We come in peace, I simply wish to speak with my son face to face. We¡¯re currently hovering above your embassy in a cloaked ship and kindly ask you to deactivate the shield so that we can come down in a shuttle. I guarantee your safety, you have my word.

    I notice several guards breaking the formation, totally freaked out. I¡¯m not surprised, but I can¡¯t have them panicking so I gently touch their minds to calm them down and bring them back. It helps to a certain extent, but everyone is still scared shitless. I bite my lip, not knowing what to do because I¡¯m scared myself.

    I naively thought that my father would visit me again in my dreams and we would arrange some kind of real-world meeting on neutral ground. I had never expected he would dare to come to fetch me so aggressively.

    Desperate, I send my mind to the Divementis ship, trying to penetrate their mental shield, but it¡¯s futile. The shield is too strong and I¡¯m still too inexperienced when compared to the Divementis with possibly centuries of training. I can¡¯t even perceive whether their intentions are friendly or hostile, I get nothing.

    ¡°Love, what are we supposed to do?¡± Gotrid flies a circle around me to catch my attention because he knows that when I¡¯m half-immersed in telepathy, I don¡¯t watch my surroundings that much.

    Aefener, my father addresses only me now. I really didn¡¯t want to appear without prior notice and startle your people, but the Divementis Council decided that we can¡¯t put this off any longer. We¡¯re barely suppressing the rifts as it is and you being able to feel them before they break into this dimension is a game-changer.

    You¡¯re suppressing the rifts?! I can¡¯t believe what I¡¯m hearing. I¡¯ve always suspected that it¡¯s them who causes them to appear in the first place.

    What, did you seriously think it¡¯s us endangering humans? We¡¯re trying to stop the Enemy from invading the Earth, he answers, a bit offended by my indirect accusation. We¡¯re running out of fuel, though, our reactor is on the verge of collapse. Let¡¯s talk properly face to face. Please.

    I bite my lip, but something in his voice and choice of words makes me pause. I don¡¯t want to let the Divementis enter the mansion when I can¡¯t even check their intentions, but the urgency in my father¡¯s mind is apparent. It¡¯s just my intuition, but¡­ I don¡¯t think that he¡¯s lying.

    ¡°Your Majesty!!!¡± Liana gets desperate at this point. She knows that I must be negotiating with my father telepathically, but the flock got extremely restless in the meanwhile.

    I take a deep breath. I need to make a decision. Trust my father and let him in¡­ or not?

    ¡°Be careful when descending, the ship is invisible to your eyes, but it¡¯s physically there so don¡¯t bump into it!¡± I shout an order. ¡°Follow my lead closely!¡±

    I fly around at a reasonable distance so that nobody is in danger of accidentally colliding with the ship. I feel a tiny bit safer when we get inside, but the barrier can repulse only physical objects that don¡¯t emit mana. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s effective against telepathic attacks.

    My first concern is to find Erik so that I can shield him with my mind. Fortunately, I don¡¯t have to look for him. He was waiting for me in our apartment the whole time and ran to the patio when he heard my father¡¯s telepathic message. We get reunited immediately and I hug him with my wings, making sure our minds are fully mingled.

    ¡°Where is it?¡± Erik is breathing frantically, panicking. ¡°Is there really an invisible spaceship?¡±

    ¡°Just above,¡± I point upwards.

    ¡°Can you make us see?¡± Gotrid lands just a few seconds after me. He quickly folds his wings and I welcome him into my embrace, mingling our minds thoroughly. My partners should be safe from the Divementis telepathic influence now.

    ¡°I can show you the image, but I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t dispel the illusion for you,¡± I have to disappoint them.

    ¡°Show us then,¡± Liana lands as well and touches my feathers.

    I send them a mental image of the ship, a bit like sending a telepathic photograph. The image is crystal clear and makes them gasp.

    ¡°Damn!¡± Gotrid lets out, astonished. ¡°A real fucking spaceship!¡±

    ¡°Are we safe?¡± Erik is worried.

    ¡°If they could descend on their own, they would do it already,¡± I say firmly, but I¡¯m well aware that it¡¯s just my wishful thinking.

    ¡°Your Majesty, how should we handle it?¡± Liana cries, not knowing what to do which is rare for her and she hates it.

    ¡°Give me a few minutes to negotiate the terms,¡± I decide and quickly head to our apartment. Wasting time could offend the Divementis which we can¡¯t afford to do.

    ¡°Love, do you need anything?¡± Erik asks when I grab my favourite meditation pillow and land on it.

    ¡°You can caress my wings, that¡¯s always welcomed,¡± I shrug because there¡¯s nothing any of them can do right now. Still, I need to distract them with something so that they stop panicking.

    Gotrid puts a folded blanket under my knees so that I¡¯m comfortable and they both start caressing my wings to make their hands busy.

    I close my eyes to focus better and take a deep breath. The ship is shielded, but I¡¯m sure that if I focus really hard, my father will take notice. I send my mind to the Divementis ship.

    Do you hear me? I try.

    Yes, he answers immediately.

    I need you to promise me that you won¡¯t hurt my people in any way, I demand. I¡¯m not sure what your word is worth so I count on the Divementis honour, hoping you have one.

    We do, he answers in all seriousness. You have my word, son.

    I¡¯ll create an opening in the shield just for your shuttle and I¡¯ll seal it off immediately so don¡¯t you dare send more than one, I set a condition.

    I¡¯m sure you understand that my people won¡¯t let me come alone, he says. I¡¯m just as anxiously guarded as you are.

    Just you and your envoy, I do understand that. For the record, I¡¯ll be protecting my Consorts and several other subjects from your influence so the moment you or any of your people try anything funny, they won¡¯t hesitate to use the most destructive spells in their arsenal.

    Noted, he agrees, his tone slightly amused, but not in a bad way. It seems he¡¯s content that I¡¯m cautious.

    Give us a few minutes to prepare, I conclude and end the telepathic connection.

    ¡°Your Majesty, how did it go?!¡± Liana asks eagerly the moment I open my eyes again.

    ¡°Luvi,¡± I call my adjutant who¡¯s nervously stepping at the door. ¡°Go prepare the meeting room immediately.¡±

    ¡°So we¡¯re doing it?¡± Liana makes sure, all tense.

    ¡°We¡¯re doing it,¡± I nod. I can¡¯t run away from my alien heritage any longer.

    *****

    I want to keep the armour on, but Liana worries that it might look aggressive so I decide to change my clothes and put on my most expensive royal attire. The maids are so nervous that Cien messes up the binding which has never happened before.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty,¡± the poor maid is on the verge of a panic attack. ¡°L-let me redo it¡­¡±

    ¡°Cien,¡± I stop her for a while and take her shaking hands. ¡°I promise to protect you all should anything go wrong.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s us who should protect you, my Emperor,¡± Cien insists, ¡°but the Divementis¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not any worse than them,¡± I assure her. ¡°We just need to find a way to defend ourselves against their telepathy.¡±

    ¡°Is that even possible?¡± Erik ponders and lets Ayala adjust his necktie so that his visage is perfect for the historic meeting.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet, but I¡¯m willing to put everything into researching that possibility,¡± I promise.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Liana returns, changed already, and raises her eyebrows because I¡¯m still holding Cien¡¯s hands and my robe is loose.

    ¡°Almost,¡± Cien quickly resumes work. Seriously, is she more afraid of Liana than me?

    Erik and Gotrid are done much faster than me so Dalia and Ayala help Cien with dressing me up. We must impress the Divementis so I can¡¯t afford to look shabby next to my father. Just this once, I don¡¯t complain that the upper robe my maids decided to go for has a long train and that the hairpin looks like a small crown.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re ready,¡± Cien finally announces.

    ¡°Luviael just sent me a message that the meeting room is also ready,¡± Liana nods.

    I give myself one last check when I¡¯m passing the mirror. I want to look as Celestial as possible to proudly represent my race, but I can¡¯t do anything about my Divementis features. I do have a pair of huge wings and golden eyes, but my face is hopelessly Divementis. Ever since I¡¯ve seen my father¡¯s real body, I can¡¯t unsee it now. I hope my subjects will take it well when they see the Divementis.

    I take Erik¡¯s and Gotrid''s hands and I step outside. The inner courtyard is the largest open space the mansion has available so I guess the Divementis will literally land in our garden.

    ¡°Everyone, to the sides!¡± I order. ¡°Retreat to patios or patrol above the roof, but don¡¯t get close to the middle.¡±

    They retreat immediately as nobody wants to be hit by an invisible spaceship.

    ¡°Liana, Luviael, Gavreel, Vermiel, Soren, Miruel a Sareash,¡± I address seven of my subjects specifically, going after the best casters. ¡°No matter how stupid it might look, I want you to be touching my wings all the time. Just a finger on my feathers should be enough. This way I can provide you with the same mental protection I have. Should the Divementis try anything funny, don¡¯t hold back.¡±

    They gulp, but their resolve is overflowing. I spread my wings so that they don¡¯t have to squeeze and there¡¯s no need to mention Erik and Gotrid because that goes without saying¡ªI¡¯m never letting go of their hands. Then I take a deep breath and send my father a simple message:

    We¡¯re ready, I¡¯m opening the shield.

    I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m doing anything miraculous when I send my mana to the crystals strategically positioned around the mansion and deactivate them temporarily so it surprises me when Gavreel gasps for breath.

    ¡°Wait, it¡¯s that easy to turn them off?¡± he refuses to believe it even though the shield is dissolving in front of his very eyes.

    ¡°Only for our embodiment of magic,¡± Liana calms him down. ¡°While the rest of us, including me, can at least feel their location because such powerful mana sources are impossible to hide from our senses, turning them off remotely is beyond anything we can ever dream of. You can rest assured that we¡¯re perfectly safe.¡±

    I bite my lip. Once again, I failed to grasp what¡¯s considered normal by the Celestial standards. I no longer deny that I¡¯m the embodiment of magic, but I still have no idea what actually makes me the embodiment of magic. Is it my half-Divementis brain? Or the fact that I played Draconia Online when I was a child so my brain could adapt better? Or both of these factors combined?

    I look up and see what nobody else can. The Divementis spaceship opens up and releases a smaller vessel. It¡¯s not making any sound or gusts of wind. I don¡¯t see any propellers either. It just flies on its own, defying gravity. It slowly descends, taking almost all of the courtyard upon landing. I hope it won¡¯t damage the garden too much.

    I show the image to everyone who¡¯s touching me because it doesn¡¯t seem like the Divementis have any intention of uncloaking their shuttle. They are probably afraid of being observed by spy drones or detected by orbital satellites. Everybody twitches when ten figures appear seemingly out of nowhere, getting out of their invisible shuttle.

    The Divementis are humanoid and, unlike Draconians, they have only two hands and two legs¡ªcertainly no tails, horns or wings¡ªbut calling them similar to humans would be totally wrong. It¡¯s exactly that tendency of the brain to find similarities that makes the whole process eerie. The Divementis are as different from humans as Draconians are.

    Their bodies are very thin, but they are surprisingly tall which is something I failed to notice during the dream encounters. I inherited an average human height from my mother, but the Divementis seem to attack 190 centimetres easily.

    Their skin is very smooth without any flaws and their features are androgynous. Even now I don¡¯t see any gender distinctions, certainly nothing that would resemble breasts. They all have long black hair, pitch-black eyes and are wearing multi-layered robes which is the only thing in which they are similar to Celestials.

    I spot my father in the middle and there¡¯s no doubt that he¡¯s the boss of them. It¡¯s not only about his rich robe and an intricate tiara in his hair¡ªhis whole demeanour and telepathic presence are regal.

    ¡°They look like our Emperor!¡± I hear someone whispering anxiously.

    I clutch Erik¡¯s and Gotrid¡¯s hands. I know it¡¯s super obvious, but it still hurts my Celestial pride to have it pointed out so mercilessly.

    Don¡¯t let it get to you, hon, Gotrid comforts me in his thoughts.

    You¡¯re perfect just as you are, Erik supports him.

    The envoy slowly walks towards us, stopping two metres away from the guards who are bravely guarding the front. My father doesn¡¯t open his mouth, but I can tell that he¡¯s saying something to his guards telepathically. They let their sovereign step forward and with that I¡¯m finally properly facing my father in the real world. His expression is hard to read and his pitch-black eyes are studying me carefully.

    My Mom fell in love with this alien. She wasn¡¯t afraid of him so she must have seen something in him. I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m scared of him, but I¡¯m certainly wary. I need to be constantly reminding myself that despite his seemingly humanoid features, he¡¯s not human at all. I can¡¯t assume that we share the same values.

    ¡°My son,¡± he opens his mouth to speak aloud, ¡°with respect to your people, we will conduct this diplomatic visit orally in English even though it¡¯s limiting to us.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate it,¡± I say a bit stiffly, not used to his real voice. ¡°We have the meeting room ready. Please, follow me.¡±

    We walk extremely slowly, inspecting each other¡¯s movements every second. I keep checking that the Divementis are not trying to influence the minds of my subjects, but it seems they are using telepathy only among themselves.

    The meeting room is nothing fancy, just the second biggest room in the mansion that Gavreel transformed into our operation centre. However, receiving the Divementis in the throne room is out of the question since my father is also royalty and I can¡¯t have them sitting on pillows on the ground.

    There are only ten seats in the meeting room. First, me and my father sit down, facing each other across the table. Liana then sits automatically to my right and I push Erik to my left because he¡¯s the most vulnerable person in the room whether he likes it or not. Gotrid sits next to him without any complaints. The seat next to Liana is taken by Gavreel who¡¯s our chief Japanese representative.

    My father¡¯s envoy takes the remaining four chairs, the rest have to keep standing by the wall and outside. I spread my wings to hug those sitting while Luviael, Vermiel, Soren and Miruel approach me from behind, not letting go of my wings even for a second.

    ¡°No need to be so wary, you have my regal word that we won¡¯t try anything,¡± my father says. ¡°I assure you that we came in peace.¡±

    I don¡¯t answer anything to that, pondering whether my father could intercept if I spoke to my subjects telepathically. I certainly can¡¯t hear them, I just sense that there is some telepathic communication going on between them. In the end, I decide to close my mind completely and don¡¯t dare to share my thoughts with my Consorts and subjects.

    ¡°I¡¯ll start then,¡± my father decides assertively. ¡°It¡¯s really nice to finally meet you in the real world, son.¡±

    I narrow my eyes, trying to analyse his feelings as I always do with humans and Draconians. Just a second later I realise that I could never feel his emotions before so I want to stop my futile attempt, but then I notice that I can feel something.

    It¡¯s not my father, though¡ªhis mind is like a fortress¡ªit¡¯s his companions. The emphatic imprint is faint so I decide to push harder. With humans and Draconians, who don¡¯t guard their minds in any way, it¡¯s super easy because their emotions are leaking out all the time. With the Divementis, I have to dig and really go for it.

    Only a moment later from their startled expressions do I realise that, unlike humans and Draconians, they can detect when someone is telepathically analysing them. They try to fortify their mental defences, but just a second of their panicked hesitation is enough for me to get in.

    I¡¯ve always thought that the Divementis are cold by nature and their emotional responses are weak, but nothing could be further from the truth. They hide their emotions, but they are just as strong as any human or Draconian would have.

    That discovery relaxes me a bit. I¡¯m not facing psychopaths after all; they have a conscience so they can be reasoned with, hopefully. However, what disturbs me is how anxious they feel right now. From the outside, they look unreadable, confident and so unnervingly alien. From the inside, they are scared. Is that even possible? Are all my assumptions about them wrong?

    ¡°Aefener,¡± my father hisses, snapping me out of my frantic thinking. ¡°We promised not to hurt you in any way in good faith that you will abide by the same rule.¡±

    I blink, confused for a moment. What is he talking about? Only then I notice that several Divementis started to bleed from their noses and their facial expressions changed from unreadable to obviously panicked.

    I freeze, horrified. Did I¡­ do that? B-but¡­ I never wanted to hurt anyone, I just wanted to peak a little¡ªmake sure that their intentions were true. I can¡¯t hurt anyone through telepathy, can I? I don¡¯t know how! I don¡¯t want to!

    ¡°This just proves how desperately you need proper telepathic training,¡± my father comments bitterly. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m amazed that you¡¯ve never accidentally hurt anyone before.¡±

    I clutch Erik¡¯s and Gotrid¡¯s hands under the table. Of course, I haven¡¯t. The very idea of using telepathy as a weapon is downright disgusting to me. I love using telepathy to connect to my partners and it¡¯s also handy when commanding my subjects, but that¡¯s where I draw the line.

    ¡°P-please, here!¡± Liana tries to save the situation by passing the Divementis a box of tissues. ¡°I¡¯m sure our Emperor didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± I apologise, shaken by what happened.

    I want to keep a stiff upper lip and act as the Emperor I am, but I can¡¯t deny what I¡¯ve just done. I hurt these Divementis because I forced entry. I¡­ invaded their minds. Frankly, I feel disgusted with myself right now.

    Humans and Draconians are like open books to me so I¡¯m just effortlessly picking up whatever is leaking out, but the Divementis seem to work fundamentally differently. I¡¯m almost sure there¡¯s no telepathic or emphatic noise among them. Maybe it¡¯s even considered rude to bother others with one¡¯s constant thoughts.

    ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s okay,¡± the Divementis next to my father says softly, quickly wiping their bleeding nose into the offered tissues. ¡°We needed direct proof that His Highness indeed inherited the royal bloodline and we got the best proof we could possibly get just now.¡±

    ¡°Still, this is a diplomatic negotiation and my son breached your privacy,¡± my father purses his lips. ¡°I needed to discipline him.¡±

    I stop feeling guilty in an instant and frown when my Emperor¡¯s pride is offended. Discipline me? What gives him the right to suddenly act all fatherly towards me? I might be his son, but my rank isn¡¯t any lower than his. We¡¯re both Emperors, sovereigns of two distinct and proud nations.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try again, please,¡± the Divementis who spoke earlier pleads and puts a hand on my father¡¯s shoulder.

    Wait, are they close or something?! It wouldn¡¯t be weird if my father found another lover because it¡¯s been more than twenty years since my mother died, but didn¡¯t he vehemently claim that my Mom was the only person he had ever loved?

    ¡°Unfortunately, the Crown Prince didn¡¯t grow up among his kind so he doesn¡¯t know what he should and shouldn¡¯t do,¡± that Divementis actually defends me. ¡°He pushed entry out of pure ignorance, not intentionally. Moreover, it was so easy from his perspective that it didn¡¯t occur to him that he could be hurting us. What better proof of his royal bloodline could we get?¡±

    My father finally calms down. Whoever that Divementis is, it must be someone he respects and is willing to listen to. Moreover, it seems that he¡¯s more than content that his companion openly called me the Crown Prince. As for me, I don¡¯t know what to think about it. Is it a good thing or bad?

    ¡°Your Highness¡­ I mean, Your Majesty,¡± the Divementis rather decides to go for my Celestial title, ¡°allow me to introduce myself. My name is Erevan Thalion Kaelen Nyx Draven, but feel free to call me Nyx. I¡¯m the Chancellor of Defence.¡±

    Is that Divementis a man or a woman? Damn, I can¡¯t tell, I hear Erik lamenting in his mind.

    When Nyx¡¯s mouth slightly twitches into a faint smile, I¡¯m pretty sure that she could hear Erik crystal clear just now. I might be shielding my Consorts and subjects from their telepathic influence, but it seems I¡¯m not able to block their strong thoughts from pouring out.

    ¡°The Divementis have little need to distinguish between genders from the linguistic point of view, but since we¡¯re using English, you can call me ¡®she¡¯,¡± Nyx sets the record straight.

    Erik turns red, realising that Nyx could hear him. I feel Liana get even tenser. Nyx played it well indeed. She was amicable while clearly stating that my companions are still hopelessly exposed even under my protection.

    My father then introduces the rest of his companions. Five of them are here as his bodyguards, but he also took four of the highest-ranking Divementis with him. They all have impossibly long names but benevolently offer their shortened versions.

    Sythara, the male Divementis sitting to my father¡¯s left with a rather stern look, turns out to be the Chancellor of Science. Since my father positioned someone like him right next to his left hand, I conclude that the Divementis must really value science. I¡¯m happy for that. It¡¯s nice to discover that we have something in common, even though our magical technology is fundamentally different and unlike anything humans or even other Draconians understand under the term science.

    Solarae, another female Divementis sitting next to Sythara, is the Chancellor of Trade and Resources. I guess she¡¯s the person who manages the Divementis finances and takes care of business relationships with humans. I wonder what kind of fairytale-like funds the Divementis possess.

    The last person my father introduces is Zalvial, a male Divementis sitting next to Nyx. I¡¯m surprised to hear that he¡¯s not a chancellor but the lead developer of nothing smaller than Draconia Online! Did he know my mother well? I bet they must have been cooperating closely when she was still working for Nebula. I hope to have a serious chat with him later on.

    ¡°Now then, we have two main issues to discuss today,¡± my father clears his throat. ¡°Firstly, I¡¯d like to officially ask for your cooperation with the monster invasion. I assure you that we¡¯re not the cause of it and that we¡¯re trying to stop it with everything we have. We¡¯re prepared to fully cooperate with you and answer all your questions regarding the Great Evolution.¡±

    I nod slightly, barely hiding my eagerness. Finally, we¡¯ll get the answers we so desperately crave. Finally, this mystery will be solved and we will be able to find our place in all of this.

    ¡°Secondly,¡± my father continues and looks straight at me, ¡°I¡¯m officially asserting a claim to my son. No, to be more precise, the Divementis are officially asserting a claim to their Crown Prince.¡±

 91. Decision

    Everyone is so shocked that nobody knows what to say and the room grows silent for a few suffocating moments. I expect Liana to burst out first, but it¡¯s Erik who doesn¡¯t manage to hold his anger.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡± he hits the table in front of him and stands up. ¡°What gives you the right to even propose something ridiculous like that? Assert a claim? How dare you!¡±

    ¡°Erik!¡± I hiss and pull my beloved back in the chair because I¡¯m too afraid of offending the Divementis if we don¡¯t behave diplomatically. ¡°I¡¯m sure they didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡±

    ¡°I meant every word, but it seems there¡¯s a misunderstanding,¡± my father says calmly. ¡°As the Royal Consort pointed out, we wouldn¡¯t dare to take the embodiment of magic away from his people. We do respect that Aefener is the Celestial Emperor, but it¡¯s undisputable that he¡¯s also the Divementis Crown Prince. He¡¯s just as Celestial as he is Divementis.¡±

    ¡°W-what do you propose then?¡± Liana finally catches her breath.

    ¡°We want to show His Majesty his Divementis heritage and give him proper telepathic training,¡± Nyx explains.

    I chew my lip and my wings shiver. As much as I feel Celestial to the core, I would be lying if I said that I¡¯m not curious about the Divementis culture.

    ¡°Does that mean His Majesty would have to come to your premises?¡± Liana purses her lips.

    ¡°Yes,¡± my father answers openly. ¡°Naturally, we¡¯re more than willing to accommodate whoever comes as his entourage.¡±

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s the entire Imperial Guard?¡± Liana gives an impossible demand on purpose to see their reaction.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s be reasonable here,¡± my father sighs. ¡°We can comfortably accommodate around forty people. Any more would come at the expense of your comfort and practicality.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that His Majesty can take thirty-nine subjects with him and you will be okay with it?¡± Liana doesn¡¯t believe her ears.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he confirms.

    Love, are you getting anything? Do they really mean it? Can we trust these aliens? Gotrid nudges me under the table.

    They can hear you, I remind him, nudging him back.

    ¡°There seems to be another misunderstanding,¡± my father raises his eyebrows. ¡°We indeed come from a different dimension which makes us aliens compared to humans, but we¡¯re Draconians, just as you are.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re Draconians?!¡± Liana opens her mouth wide and she¡¯s not the only one.

    ¡°It seems an explanation is in order, at least in a nutshell for now,¡± he admits. ¡°We created Draconia Online to simulate our home dimension and that included the four extinct races we hoped to bring back to life: Celestials, the Earthborn, Clawfangs and the Dragonkin.¡±

    ¡°Therefore, we¡¯re all Draconians here,¡± Nyx says and adds quickly: ¡°I mean, except for the Royal Consort.¡±

    Erik frowns and I feel a slight change in his emotional state. It¡¯s subtle so he probably isn¡¯t even aware of it, but he feels a bit embarrassed. Does he feel threatened perhaps? Does he regret that he¡¯s not one of us?! But he was always so proud of being who he is! I don¡¯t want him to start feeling bad about it now.

    I try sending him a ton of love, assuring him that he¡¯s perfect, but it doesn¡¯t have the effect I hope it would. Nyx made him painstakingly aware that he is the only human among us.

    ¡°Son,¡± my father coughs to get my attention. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re doing with your Consort, I¡¯m sure you can do later.¡±

    ¡°Right, you can¡¯t feel it,¡± I realise and look back at him. ¡°You¡¯re not empaths.¡±

    I see the Divementis getting anxious and eager at the same time. They are born telepaths, but empathy is something they can¡¯t do. I bet they must be super curious to find out how it works for me. I¡¯ve just discovered that they do have emotions just as strong as anyone else, but they can¡¯t project them, nor can they feel them from each other. Their telepathy is only sensory and auditory.

    ¡°What do you mean extinct?¡± Liana demands more answers.

    The Divementis look at each other with saddened expressions. It seems to be a sore topic for them.

    ¡°Other sentient Draconian races were completely wiped out by the Enemy,¡± my father says and I notice uneasiness in his voice. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it was because we couldn¡¯t unite in time. If only we found a way to cooperate and were able to put our differences aside earlier¡­ Anyway, we couldn¡¯t afford to make the same mistake twice so we made sure resurrected races were more than eager to cooperate this time.¡±

    ¡°Why? How? Who¡¯s the Enemy? How could some VR game change us in the first place?¡± Gotrid gets impatient.

    ¡°I promise to answer all your questions,¡± my father swears. ¡°Only we would prefer to tell you everything safely at our premises where we can¡¯t be overheard and we can show you.¡±

    ¡°How convenient for you!¡± Erik speaks up again, still angry. ¡°If Ryuuto wasn¡¯t such a strong telepath, you wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill him, labelling him as an abomination. However, since Ryuuto can wield telepathy, empathy and magic on top, you¡¯re suddenly very interested in making him your Crown Prince. You just want to use him!¡±

    ¡°Aefener,¡± my father insists on using my Celestial name, ¡°can indeed potentially make a huge difference. We have no intention of hiding that. He could help us win the war.¡±

    ¡°The war which you brought here!¡± Erik accuses him.

    ¡°WE DID NO SUCH THING!¡± my father raises his voice and I don¡¯t need my empathy to see that he¡¯s deeply offended. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for our intervention in suppressing the rifts for almost two hundred years, this planet would be overrun with monsters already. The Enemy conquered the Draconian dimension and now they want to conquer this one.¡±

    ¡°Erik, I can¡¯t read him because his mental defences are too strong, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯s lying,¡± I try to calm my partner down.

    Erik is always really collected during diplomatic meetings, a perfect representative, but he¡¯s extremely anxious now and not only because we¡¯re dealing with the Divementis for the very first time. He¡¯s upset that he¡¯s the only human in the room. He¡¯s afraid that his opinion won¡¯t be taken seriously because of that. He¡¯s feeling insecure so he¡¯s lashing out.

    ¡°You want to make him your Crown Prince, but what does that even mean?¡± he refuses to calm down. ¡°Can¡¯t you see that he has a throne of his own already?¡±

    ¡°Royal Consort,¡± Nyx tries to sound amicable, ¡°His Majesty is still in his prime so the Crown Prince won¡¯t be expected to overtake the reign anytime soon anyway. For now, all we ask is that he learns about his heritage, receives proper telepathic training and helps us form an alliance with other Draconian races.¡±

    ¡°If I come with you, will you tell us absolutely everything?¡± I make sure. ¡°No more secrets?¡±

    ¡°No more secrets,¡± my father nods. ¡°You can even share what you learn with other race rulers.¡±

    His offer makes sense and he¡¯s more than generous about the terms. I certainly didn¡¯t expect that.

    ¡°Where is it? Your main base, I mean,¡± I ask.

    ¡°In Tokyo. Our base is Nebula itself, the place your mother worked at,¡± he reveals. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t be forcing you to use our ship if that¡¯s your wish. We¡¯re willing to accept your conditions in almost every respect.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s five hundred kilometres away from Osaka,¡± Gavreel quickly informs me. ¡°We can make it, but¡­ well¡­ it is quite far, we would have to take a lot of stuff with us and Lord Erik can¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°We need time to discuss it,¡± I decide so that we don¡¯t say anything we might regret later.

    ¡°Of course, but I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t give you all the time in the world to think it through, son,¡± my father says grimly. ¡°The rifts are getting more and more frequent; we can¡¯t suppress them anymore.¡±

    ¡°Eight hours then,¡± I concede.

    ¡°Reasonable,¡± he nods and stands up. ¡°When you¡¯re ready, just say so.¡±

    We accompany the Divementis delegation back to their shuttle and everyone catches a breath only when they take off and I put up the shield up again.

    ¡°Your Majesty, are you really considering it?¡± Liana asks anxiously.

    ¡°Can I talk about it with my partners first?¡± I request.

    I see disapproval on my Viceroy¡¯s face, but there¡¯s nothing she can do about it. I take Erik¡¯s and Gotrid¡¯s hands and lead them to our suite, demanding privacy. We hide in our bedroom because it¡¯s the only place where I can be without the guards who have to stay outside.

    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous,¡± Erik starts lamenting the moment the door closes behind us. ¡°I know that you¡¯re curious about your heritage, but you can¡¯t trust that alien.¡±

    ¡°That alien is my father which makes me half-alien,¡± I point out, hurt a tiny bit.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that,¡± he caresses a few of my feathers to comfort me. ¡°What if he¡¯s not telling the truth? What if he snatches you the first opportunity he gets?¡±

    ¡°And antagonises the entire Celestial race? I don¡¯t think so,¡± Gotrid shakes his head. ¡°I know it¡¯s a huge disadvantage that our beloved can¡¯t check their intentions, but they are a few thousand at best while we¡¯re millions.¡±

    ¡°I agree with Gotrid, they wouldn¡¯t risk it,¡± I nod. ¡°Still, I won¡¯t put you in danger.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Erik frowns.

    ¡°Both you and Gotrid are staying here,¡± I say resolutely.

    They are staring at me for a very long moment, unable to speak. Erik collects himself first.

    ¡°Then I absolutely won¡¯t approve,¡± he clicks his tongue, his eyebrows forming a huge frown. ¡°You want to leave us behind? For real? Do you seriously consider us your weakness?¡±

    ¡°W-what? I don¡¯t mean it like that,¡± I shake my head violently.

    ¡°Yes, you do,¡± Gotrid supports Erik. ¡°Lately, you don¡¯t fear anything. Not anymore. Your only fear is that somebody would try to hurt us.¡±

    Now it¡¯s me who is taken aback. I don¡¯t fear anything anymore? Surely, that¡¯s not true! I¡¯ve always had so many fears, I¡¯m a naturally anxious type. I¡¯d always feared that people would find out about my telepathy, I¡¯d feared being judged because of my androgynous appearance, I¡¯d feared that I was too weird to find true love, I¡¯d feared¡­

    I try to recollect that feeling of dread that¡¯s been with me my entire life, but I get nothing. It all seems like a distant memory. I accepted my telepathy and embraced it. I have two amazing husbands. I even came to terms with my looks because Erik and Gotrid love it. I don¡¯t fear politicians anymore and Draconians are growing stronger with each passing day.

    Yet, when I look at my partners, I feel uneasy. My strongest fear now is losing them. I can¡¯t bear to see them hurt because of me. They are in danger simply because they married the Celestial Emperor. If anyone wanted to attack me indirectly, they would go after them.

    ¡°Ryuuto,¡± Erik uses my human name on purpose, ¡°let¡¯s make two things clear once and for all. Firstly, both me and Gotrid knew well what we were getting ourselves into by becoming the Celestial Emperor¡¯s Consorts. Secondly, we¡¯re your partners, not your subjects. You have no right to command us.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ I¡­,¡± I¡¯m taken aback again.

    I shiver when the revelation finally gets under my feathers. Of course, I have never considered Erik and Gotrid to be my subjects, but I guess that I tend to decide things for them when I worry about their safety. And I worry about their safety a lot.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I lower my head in an apology. ¡°Would you please think about it at least? You would be safe here and you could rule in my stead.¡±

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°We¡¯re not your weakness, Aefener,¡± Gotrid berates me harshly which is the first. ¡°Honestly, it offends us that you think of us that way. You¡¯re upset with your subjects when they are trying to protect you too anxiously, but you¡¯re doing exactly the same thing to us, don¡¯t you understand?¡±

    I stare at him with my mouth open wide. How come I have never noticed that my partners are gradually growing frustrated with me? Is my love towards them turning obsessive?

    ¡°Stop overthinking it,¡± Erik rolls his eyes and pulls a few of my feathers which makes me flinch. ¡°Yes, we are frustrated, but there¡¯s no need for any catastrophic scenarios that are going through your head right now. You lost most of your fears, but you¡¯re still an overthinker.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true that we have to make lots of compromises daily,¡± Gotrid admits. ¡°We have to respect that you don¡¯t belong only to us which is the hardest part. We have almost no privacy or free time. We chose that, though. We don¡¯t regret anything in that regard. Still, do you know what bothers us the most?¡±

    I shake my head. I might be the most clueless telepath ever.

    ¡°That you wouldn¡¯t hesitate to wage war for us,¡± Erik explains, pursing his lips. ¡°Yes, I fainted and that ideally shouldn¡¯t have happened, but Gotrid told me that you lost it. You were in full panic mode and your mana was leaking dangerously.¡±

    ¡°W-what? It didn¡¯t!¡± I oppose feebly. ¡°Nobody said anything and¡­¡±

    ¡°Only because my fainting episode shocked everyone and you got it under control quickly when Noage assured you that I¡¯m going to be okay,¡± Erik sighs.

    ¡°And then I asked you what you would do if somebody seriously tried to hurt us,¡± Gotrid adds.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ when?¡± I¡¯m unsure.

    ¡°You were falling asleep so I guess I caught you off-guard,¡± Gotrid says. ¡°You scared me shitless when I learnt what you would do. I told Erik about it afterwards.¡±

    That haze memory finally comes to me. Sure, I was only half-conscious at that time, but I did claim, and so casually on top, that I would wage war against anyone who would dare hurt them. It wasn¡¯t a figure of speech. I meant it. I felt it. I feel it even now.

    Suddenly, I get really scared. This emotion and thought process aren¡¯t Celestial. Celestial wrath is highly logical and cold. This is anything but that. This is¡­ a Divementis emotion. My whole body starts trembling when I allow myself to feel it consciously.

    It turns out that my telepathy and facial features weren¡¯t the only things I inherited from my father¡¯s side. I was suppressing it all this time, but there¡¯s no doubt about it anymore¡ªI do think and feel like a Divementis in certain aspects. I indeed am half-alien.

    ¡°Why do I feel this way? I don¡¯t want to,¡± my eyes get wet. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, but I can¡¯t help myself. I would wage war for you without hesitation.¡±

    ¡°Would you kill innocent people?¡± Erik tries me.

    ¡°What? N-no, never!¡± I shake my head, ¡°but I would kill those who wronged you without mercy.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the better alternative at least,¡± he says, relieved a bit. ¡°Still, we don¡¯t want you to kill anyone. Do you seriously think either of us fancies a good old-fashioned revenge?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ guess not,¡± I¡¯m half-crying at this point. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?!¡±

    ¡°Love, you¡¯re both the Celestial Emperor and the Divementis Crown Prince,¡± Gotrid hugs me with his wings and lets Erik join. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that comes with some fucked-up baggage by default as well as an insane amount of pressure. Before, your only priority was to make sure that Celestials prosper. Now, you might have another race to handle. That¡¯s way too much for one person.¡±

    ¡°Besides,¡± Erik dries my tears into his sleeve, ¡°how could we leave you alone even for one night? Who knows what you might do if a telepathic craving overcomes you? Your father could try to force a handsome young Divementis man on you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I stop crying and frown. ¡°I would never!¡±

    ¡°Hon, while we don¡¯t doubt that you love us deeply to the point of obsession, we¡¯re also well aware of your polyamorous tendencies,¡± Erik pokes me. ¡°Who knows what a few days of telepathic craving and sexual abstinence might do to you? You might suddenly find Divementis men attractive and decide to take another Consort in the spur of the moment.¡±

    ¡°I can go celibate for a few weeks,¡± I puff, unsure if they are making fun of me or if they are serious.

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t,¡± Gotrid answers with a raised eyebrow. ¡°You can barely go two nights without making love to us and that¡¯s only when you¡¯re extremely tired or hurt. It¡¯s not that we¡¯re complaining, far from it, but you can¡¯t be left spending nights alone.¡±

    My feathers puff up with irritation, but now that I think about it¡­ was there ever a time after the Great Evolution when I went more than two or three days without having sex with Erik and later on also Gotrid?

    ¡°There, you have your answer,¡± Gotrid pets my feathers to flatten them. ¡°There¡¯s no scenario in which we wouldn¡¯t accompany you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still hesitating whether to go at all,¡± I admit. ¡°I might be able to persuade my father to train me here.¡±

    ¡°I was upset because I didn¡¯t want you to trust your father too easily, but I didn¡¯t expect to talk you out of it,¡± Erik kisses my right cheek. ¡°If the Divementis speak the truth and your contribution could stop the rifts from opening, how could I stop you?¡±

    ¡°Besides, risks naturally come with the job description, silly,¡± Gotrid kisses me from the other side, ¡°it¡¯s not like presidents, ministers and monarchs don¡¯t take spouses just because someone could potentially target their beloved. Also, aren¡¯t we safest by your side?¡±

    ¡°You just want to keep an eye on me,¡± I accuse them jokingly now that the tension is over.

    ¡°We¡¯re not hiding that,¡± Erik chuckles. ¡°So¡­ should we start packing?¡±

    ¡°I guess,¡± I agree. ¡°We still have to decide how to get there, though.¡±

    ¡°Cars are out of the question,¡± Gotrid says. ¡°There¡¯s no way we could handle it for three or more hours and it¡¯s not safe either.¡±

    ¡°Our private jet is still available,¡± Erik reminds me.

    ¡°Nah, it can¡¯t land like the Divementis shuttle so we would have to deal with a complicated transport from the Tokyo airport,¡± I reject that idea.

    ¡°That leaves us with the Divementis offer, though,¡± Erik clicks his tongue. ¡°Not that I¡¯m not curious what an alien spaceship looks like from the inside, but we¡¯ll be at their mercy.¡±

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t risk anything in the air,¡± I Gotrid hopes. ¡°We could easily crack their ship open the moment they try anything funny and easily escape while they would crash. Their telepathy might be amazing, but they don¡¯t have magic and wings.¡±

    I know that we still haven¡¯t seen everything that the Divementis can do, but I have confidence in our abilities. Celestials aren¡¯t any worse than them, I¡¯m sure of it.

    *****

    ¡°Start packing, we¡¯re going,¡± I announce when we finally emerge from our bedroom and find our maids and guards nervously stepping in front of the door, anxiously waiting for our decision.

    ¡°Today?!¡± the maids get startled by the sudden urgency.

    ¡°Would tomorrow be any better?¡± I shrug. ¡°Besides, the Divementis are hovering above the mansion already and don¡¯t seem to have any intention of leaving. We¡¯d just be unnecessarily prolonging the inevitable and if what my father said is true, we should hurry.¡±

    ¡°We still have to decide who comes with us,¡± Gotrid reminds me.

    ¡°Riiight,¡± I chew my lip. This will undoubtedly make some Celestials unhappy if they aren¡¯t picked, but my father said that forty is the limit. Wait, what?! I have to facepalm myself in my mind. When did I start thinking that forty is too few when it comes to my entourage?

    ¡°Your Majesty, the Celestial Council is waiting for your decision,¡± Vermiel comes to pick me up and he¡¯s extremely tense.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s¡­,¡± I don¡¯t get to finish that sentence, though, Ayala interrupts me.

    ¡°His Majesty will come in half an hour,¡± she says uncompromisingly.

    ¡°Eh? Why? It¡¯s not like I have to change my clothes,¡± I tilt my head.

    ¡°Maybe because it¡¯s three o¡¯clock already and you still haven¡¯t had lunch?¡± Ayala raises her eyebrows.

    ¡°We have more important things to attend to,¡± I take a step towards Vermiel, but both Gotrid and Erik grab my sleeves and stop me.

    ¡°Love, don¡¯t forget that the Emperor¡¯s health is the Celestial priority,¡± Gotrid has to be strict with me. ¡°You have to eat properly no matter the circumstances.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ hungry,¡± I murmur. Why is it that every time I get stressed over something, my appetite disappears? Is it a Divementis thing? I¡¯ll have to ask my father about it when I have a chance.

    ¡°Honestly? We don¡¯t care,¡± Erik pushes me down on a pillow in our living room and the maids quickly serve us a Japanese full-course.

    ¡°We saw the Divementis today and while they were all super slim, you were the thinnest among them,¡± Gotrid laments. ¡°We can¡¯t have you skipping meals.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± I take a bowl of rice with vegetable curry and start gobbling it quickly.

    It¡¯s obvious that my caretakers aren¡¯t happy about my speed, but at least I¡¯m eating without protests. I know that they are right; my eating habits are horrible. It got significantly better over the last few months, but it¡¯s still far from ideal. I might sometimes act annoyed, but I¡¯m actually grateful that they are watching over my diet and nagging me about it.

    After the late lunch, we get to the throne room which is packed with high-ranking seraphs. Evidently, they worry that if I don¡¯t see them in person, I will forget to include them.

    ¡°I started with the pre-selection process already, my Emperor,¡± Liana informs me. ¡°This is the list of candidates I recommend to take with us.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t wait for me to announce if we¡¯re going?¡± I¡¯m surprised.

    ¡°Nah, there was no doubt,¡± she waves her hand. ¡°Sure, we¡¯re scared whether we will be able to protect our embodiment of magic, but there¡¯s a fucking spaceship hovering above us, aliens claiming that they are barely suppressing the rifts and calling you their Crown Prince. I don¡¯t see in which alternative universe we could stop you.¡±

    ¡°I also decided that, for the sake of convenience, we will accept the Divementis offer and use their spaceship,¡± I add slowly.

    ¡°Figured as much,¡± Liana nods without any complaints. ¡°Please, choose your entourage.¡±

    I sit on the throne to preside over a room full of anxious and zealous Celestials. Everyone wants to join my entourage and when I go through the list name by name, they step forward and argue why I should choose them over others.

    It¡¯s a tiring and lengthy process. I¡¯d prefer to leave the governmental representatives here to rule in my stead and take just the Imperial Guards, but they oppose that they do their jobs remotely anyway and I need skilled diplomats to negotiate with the Divementis.

    In the end, I decided to take eight officials which sounds reasonable enough, five maids (three for me, two for Liana), Noage as my private physician, my partners are coming as well, of course, and then I have to also count me and my Viceroy. That means I still have room to bring twenty-two battle mages as our protection.

    That¡¯s when the selection process gets especially heated. Naturally, every Imperial Guards demands to go so that they can fulfil their duty¡ªeverybody wants to be there to protect their Emperor. I leave it to my Viceroy for a moment and sip a cup of exquisite green tea Dalia just brought me.

    Father, do you hear me? I try sending out a telepathic message even though I can¡¯t focus properly. Still, I think that I¡¯ve already established a link between us.

    Of course, son, he answers immediately.

    I decided to go with you, I inform him, trying to sound confident. I¡¯m bringing thirty-nine subjects with me as my entourage and protection.

    Sure, as was our limit, he confirms. I promise not to harm you or your subjects in any way. On the contrary, the Divementis will do anything in their power to protect their Crown Prince.

    That sounds funny considering that the Divementis were prepared to kill me if I didn¡¯t meet your crazy telepathic standards, I retort. So excuse me for being overly cautious.

    Your thinking is too Celestial; you don¡¯t understand our point of view, he sighs. I hope to show you new perspectives.

    My thinking is too Celestial? If that was meant to be a subtle insult, I¡¯m happy to hear it. I desperately want to be more Celestial than Divementis; waging war for my partners isn¡¯t a rational Celestial way of doing things.

    Can you cloak us as well? It would look suspicious if we suddenly disappeared into thin air when entering your vessel. There could be drones from the press lurking, I ask.

    That can be done easily, he agrees. When you take off, we¡¯ll cloak you immediately and render our ship visible to the Celestial eyes so that your subjects know where to enter. Are you packing already? If possible, we¡¯d prefer to depart today.

    ¡°Love, are you¡­?¡± Gotrid suddenly puts a hand on my wing and interrupts our telepathic link.

    I notice that the throne room grew quiet. I thought that I had a few moments over the tea because several battle mages who weren¡¯t chosen started arguing with Liana, but, as always, I¡¯m under constant scrutiny.

    ¡°Yes, I was talking to my father,¡± I nod. ¡°They are ready to receive us, ideally by the end of the day. Start packing, I¡¯ll hear no more protests.¡±

    And that takes care of that and nobody tries to argue anymore. Those chosen run off to pack and I ask those who weren¡¯t to stay in the throne room for a little longer. I want them to know that I didn¡¯t choose them because they aren¡¯t good enough, but simply because there¡¯s a limit to my entourage and their skills are better used elsewhere. They feel much better after my reassurance.

    ¡°Wait, what is all that?¡± I frown when we return to our suite and find our three maids waiting on the porch with a ton of baggage.

    ¡°Mostly your clothes, Your Majesty,¡± Cien shrugs nonchalantly. ¡°We don¡¯t know how many days we will spend there so we packed for two weeks.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t know how big our guest room is going to be, you have to minimise,¡± I oppose.

    ¡°We did, this is the minimal viable option,¡± the maid purses her lips.

    I sigh resignedly. There¡¯s no arguing with the maids about my clothes, it¡¯s a losing battle.

    I¡¯m afraid you will have to send a shuttle for our baggage, I quickly send my father another telepathic message. It feels so easy now. Natural even.

    No problem, give us an opening, he answers readily.

    I focus on the crystals all over the mansion and deactivate the shield. The shuttle slips through and I close it again. Four Divementis appear and start bringing our baggage inside without uttering a single word. They don¡¯t even frown at the amount of stuff we want to bring. Fortunately, the shuttle is big enough to take everyone¡¯s baggage so we can fly light. Are they really able to accommodate so many of us comfortably? I don¡¯t want my guards to sleep in bad conditions.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I feel about flying in that thing,¡± Erik hesitates when everyone is ready to take off. Only Noage is forced to take the shuttle and doesn¡¯t look thrilled about it.

    ¡°You¡¯re going with me,¡± I smirk and hug him. ¡°You¡¯re not getting out of it this time, let¡¯s finally try that levitation platform.¡±

    ¡°Pff, special treatment,¡± Gotrid picks on Erik jokingly because I¡¯m not offering the same service to him.

    ¡°Whaaat?¡± Erik panics. ¡°W-wait, I¡¯m not ready!¡±

    ¡°Trust me,¡± I kiss him and envelop him in my wings while I conjure a levitation platform under our feet.

    Erik cries out and wobbles when we go up a few centimetres, but I¡¯m holding him tightly. As a pilot, he isn¡¯t afraid of heights, but he isn¡¯t a Celestial either. Humans don¡¯t feel comfortable when hanging on seemingly nothing.

    ¡°Love, open your eyes,¡± I encourage him. ¡°There¡¯s no scenario in which you would fall when I¡¯m with you.¡±

    ¡°I-I know, b-but¡­,¡± he slowly opens one eye and then another. ¡°Oh my god, we¡¯re that high up already?¡± he gulps when he sees that we¡¯re above the roofs.

    I continue ascending slowly so that he can get used to it. I¡¯m using my wings to cushion him and give him a sense of stability. It seems to work because he gradually calms down.

    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s not as scary as I expected,¡± Erik admits when we¡¯re fairly high in the air and his nausea mitigates. ¡°Now I regret we didn¡¯t try it sooner.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re comfortable with it because you experienced a few of my flying dreams,¡± I speculate and I¡¯m proud of him. ¡°Still, this isn¡¯t our preferred way of transport. Maintaining a levitation platform is quite taxing on mana consumption and flying on it is extremely slow when compared to our wings.¡±

    ¡°We can try it occasionally,¡± he suggests, eager now. ¡°This is the only thing I can¡¯t share with you and even though I try to look like it doesn¡¯t bother me¡­ well¡­ it does.¡±

    ¡°Erik¡­,¡± I whisper his name and my heart sinks.

    I want to ask him if he regrets that he didn¡¯t transform, but I don¡¯t dare to open that complicated and possibly sore topic now. Our levitation platform might be slow, but we¡¯re almost at the spaceship. I quickly close the shield so that the Celestials who stayed in the mansion are safe and come inside through an opening the Divementis prepared for us.

    I dissolve the levitation platform and we smoothly land on a metal floor. It seems this is a docking station of sorts. The shuttle is here already and the hall is full of Celestials who stand in sharp contrast with the Divementis who are here to receive us. I release my feathery embrace and I look around. A real alien spaceship, no kidding.

    I study a random Divementis in the crowd of onlookers. I get a feeling that it¡¯s a woman. Afraid that I¡¯d hurt her like those diplomats before, I don¡¯t dare to dig, but I still touch her mind¡ªslightly, really gently. I¡¯m just curious, that¡¯s all. The Divementis woman gives me a panicked look, fortifies her mind and bows to me deeply.

    ¡°The Crown Prince¡­ he really has the Royal bloodline!¡± the crowd roars excitedly.

    It¡¯s like an avalanche. Suddenly, every Divementis in the hangar kneels in unison. I clutch Erik¡¯s hand and shiver. At that moment, the gravity of being the Divementis prince finally sinks in.

 92. Arrival

    I have no idea what to do. Should I tell them that it¡¯s okay to stand up? What if there¡¯s some alien custom I¡¯m unaware of and I end up offending them? Do the Divementis greet each other telepathically or verbally? Fortunately, I¡¯m saved by my father showing up. He sends them some kind of telepathic signal and they slowly stand up again.

    ¡°My son, welcome to Aurora,¡± he greets me. ¡°The journey will take only thirty minutes so we didn¡¯t prepare a cabin for you. Instead, I¡¯d like to show you around to pass the time.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, I won¡¯t say no to that,¡± I appreciate, super curious about the Divementis spaceship. ¡°I won¡¯t be separated from my people, though. Can we all go?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would and the halls should be spacious enough for your entourage to follow,¡± he permits.

    His expression is unreadable and his mind is as impenetrable as ever. He raises his eyebrow because he can tell that I¡¯m checking his defences, but he doesn¡¯t say anything. Chancellor Nyx is standing closely by his side which makes me wonder again whether they are a couple.

    I try to read her emotions, but I encounter a barrier stronger than before. It seems she fortified herself since our last encounter. She also notices that I¡¯m checking her defences but, unlike my cold father, she smiles at me. I don¡¯t know why, but I suddenly feel a strange familiarity. There¡¯s something about Nyx I can¡¯t quite describe that makes me feel comfortable in her presence.

    I step forward and my entourage quickly makes a neat formation with Liana and Soren walking behind my back and touching my wings to get my telepathic protection. However, my entourage soon forgets about guarding their every move¡ªthey are overwhelmed by the Divementis ship which doesn¡¯t fail to impress.

    ¡°If you have ships like these, why didn¡¯t you evacuate your world?¡± I ask directly. ¡°You could have relocated to a different planet instead of another dimension.¡±

    ¡°Son, it seems to me you¡¯ve read too much science fiction,¡± my father sighs. ¡°Do you have any idea how many resources and work it takes to build just one spaceship like this one? How huge distances in the galaxy are? Unfortunately, Aurora can¡¯t travel faster than light which means that it would take several generations to reach the nearest hospitable planet.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean to tell me that travelling through dimensions is easier than surpassing the speed of light?¡± I frown.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t invent the travel through dimensions, the Enemy did,¡± my father reveals. ¡°We just slipped through when we had the last chance to save the remains of our civilisation.¡±

    ¡°Your Celestial Majesty, can we leave this complicated and painful topic for tomorrow?¡± Nyx implores me. ¡°We want to explain everything properly.¡±

    ¡°Okay then,¡± I agree and only now do I notice that one of the Divementis in the front is opening a door that looks like a damn elevator. If there¡¯s something I wasn¡¯t missing in the Osaka mansion, it was the complete absence of those wretched things.

    Bear with it, Your Majesty, don¡¯t show any weakness, Liana begs me in her thoughts.

    ¡°I know that Celestials hate confined spaces, but our elevators are spacious,¡± my father says, noticing my distress. ¡°If your protectors feel nervous about dividing the group, I can ride with you without any entourage of my own.¡±

    ¡°They would let you do that?¡± I don¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°Only when they are convinced it¡¯s safe,¡± she shrugs. ¡°I don¡¯t see how riding an elevator with my son could be dangerous.¡±

    I frown. Is he that confident about his abilities or does he mean to demonstrate that he trusts me? We still barely know each other; this is only our second meeting in the real world. He steps inside confidently so I do the same even though I feel uneasy. His black eyes are studying me intently, but before I manage to ask another question, the elevator stops.

    ¡°Come, I¡¯d like to show you the bridge,¡± he invites me. ¡°This is our main command centre when we are on the move. Normally, it¡¯s not so crowded, but our people are eager to see their Prince in person.¡±

    I slowly step outside and cautiously look around, trying not to look so blown away. If this isn¡¯t straight out of Star Trek, I don¡¯t know what is! How come the Divementis weren¡¯t able to stop the Enemy with this level of technology? And what about other Draconian races? Were they also this advanced?

    ¡°Son, could you sit over here?¡± my father asks me. He phrases it as a polite question, but the urgency in his voice tells me that he wants me to obey.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the journey going to take only half an hour? I¡¯m not tired,¡± I frown and inspect the chair he¡¯s pointing at. This is obviously no ordinary chair for guests to rest. Being right in the middle of the bridge with control panels all around, it must be the commander¡¯s chair.

    ¡°Your Majesty, just for a little while, please?¡± Nyx pleads.

    ¡°Is this supposed to be some kind of test?¡± Liana steps bravely in front of me. ¡°Isn¡¯t this your chair, Your Divementis Majesty?¡±

    ¡°It indeed is,¡± my father doesn¡¯t hide it. ¡°My people would like to see how it fits their Crown Prince. We might need to make some adjustments for his wings later on.¡±

    I frown again. Adjustments my ass, this IS some sort of test!

    ¡°Son, please,¡± my father looks straight into my eyes. I assure you that it¡¯s safe, we just need to confirm something, he adds telepathically.

    A test it is, then. On the other hand, what¡¯s the worst-case scenario if I fail? I don¡¯t care about disappointing the Divementis, I care only about Celestials. Maybe they won¡¯t put any responsibility on me if I don¡¯t meet their expectations.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I hiss indifferently and let go of Erik and Gotrid¡¯s hands and I tell them to keep touching my wings instead.

    The chair looks comfortable enough, but it wasn¡¯t made for Celestials. I have to stretch my wings to the sides to somehow fit around all these control panels.

    ¡°Satisfied? Should I take a selfie or something?¡± I say mockingly on purpose.

    Suddenly, the control panels come to life and the seat starts to warm up which is actually quite nice. I gasp for breath when my mind gets overwhelmed by the ship¡¯s interface magically popping into my brain.

    ¡°Welcome Your Imperial Majesty, all systems online, awaiting your orders,¡± the computer announces solemnly for everybody to hear.

    I get up quickly because my head spins from the information overload. The chair deactivates as soon I leave it.

    ¡°Thank you, that¡¯s all we needed to hear,¡± my father smirks, content, and he¡¯s not the only one. All the Divementis on the bridge are smiling and look relieved.

    ¡°What was that supposed to mean? I mean really?¡± I purse my lips. ¡°I thought that you¡¯ve already confirmed that I have the Royal bloodline.¡±

    ¡°When it comes to the strength of your telepathy, we did,¡± my father nods. ¡°The only thing we still needed to check was that your Divementis genes are dominant enough to operate our tech. Other races can¡¯t activate our technology, Aefener. Moreover, this chair responds only to the Royal genes.¡±

    I ostentatiously move back to my Celestial entourage. I feel that my people are growing anxious, afraid that the Divementis might start usurping me. I project my love to them to assure them that I won¡¯t let it happen. I might be half-Divementis, but Celestials will always be my absolute priority.

    ¡°Your ability to project emotions and make others feel them is unprecedented,¡± my father comments, visibly impressed. ¡°It goes beyond mere empathy.¡±

    ¡°Did you feel it?¡± I tilt my head.

    ¡°We felt¡­ something,¡± he answers uncertainly. ¡°You didn¡¯t target us, but we could tell that you¡¯re using your emphatic abilities on others.¡±

    I open my mouth to ask about that, but I¡¯m interrupted by Nyx.

    ¡°Your Majesties, we¡¯re here,¡± she announces. ¡°We¡¯re going to land in a minute.¡±

    ¡°We will have more time to show you the ship later,¡± my father concludes. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go accommodate you.¡±

    *****

    Everything proceeds a bit too fast for me to analyse properly. In just a few minutes, we leave the ship and we find ourselves on a runway, surrounded by buildings from all sides. Nebula¡¯s premises would be a typical complex of administrative buildings and small factories if it weren¡¯t for all those small details that make the place look alien.

    I notice something that looks like a levitation platform transporting huge containers, almost everything is in the Divementis writing and, most importantly, the workers here are Divementis. I¡¯m surprised to see quite a few human faces in the crowd of onlookers, but then I remember that my Mom also used to work here. I guess even the mighty Divementis need help from the locals to survive.

    My father tells us to follow him. We navigate the complex and enter one of the super modern administrative buildings. All the buildings here have human architecture, most probably so that the Divementis don¡¯t attract unwanted attention from the orbit.

    ¡°Knowing that Celestials love heights, we reserved the top three floors just for Your Majesty and your entourage,¡± Nyx explains. ¡°I¡¯m afraid your companions will have to share rooms, but everybody should fit comfortably. We didn¡¯t have much time to prepare, but we managed to adjust some furniture to your specific needs.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ more generous than we expected,¡± I admit hesitantly. ¡°Are we given autonomy here?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Nyx nods. ¡°Normally, we would assign guards to protect our Crown Prince, but your battle mages should be more than enough.¡±

    ¡°We are,¡± Soren speaks up and orders his subordinates to start checking all rooms immediately and take positions.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Still,¡± Nyx coughs, ¡°we will be sending our people here to clean the rooms and deliver you food. We kindly ask for your cooperation.¡±

    I assure her that we will cooperate and then she shows us our apartment. The guards check it thoroughly before they let us come in. I¡¯m pleasantly surprised that we have three rooms at our disposal. The apartment might not be as big as our entire floor in the Draconian skyscraper, but it isn¡¯t shabby either. The living area is spacious enough for holding meetings and there¡¯s a smaller study.

    ¡°Have a good rest, son, we will start in the morning,¡± my father tells me and simply leaves, just like that.

    ¡°That went surprisingly smoothly,¡± Liana comments when the last Divementis disappears. ¡°They¡¯re trying hard to build mutual trust by giving us some freedom here.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, Your Excellency, we checked all three floors and didn¡¯t find anything suspicious,¡± Soren comes with a report. ¡°We¡¯re getting settled and I stationed the first guard shift.¡±

    ¡°Are we really safe here?¡± Liana asks anxiously, still gently touching my feathers to benefit from my telepathic protection.

    ¡°I think so,¡± I nod. ¡°Go rest, Li. Who knows what awaits us tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Okay, my apartment is just next door,¡± she reminds me and leaves to settle as well.

    ¡°My Emperor, Cien is unpacking and Dalia is preparing a bath for you and your Consorts,¡± Ayala informs us. ¡°You will have to squeeze a bit, but the bath should be large enough.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s check the bedroom,¡± Erik pushes me for a little tour.

    ¡°Right, I worry about the bed size,¡± Gotrid chews his lip.

    We find Cien already there and stuffing our clothes into the wardrobes. The Divementis obviously didn¡¯t have time to custom-made a bed that would fit two Celestials and one human, but they did their best and put two double beds together. There¡¯s not much space left in the room as a result, but it should be reasonably comfortable like that.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like a secret alien base,¡± Gotrid comments, ¡°more like a hotel.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down, we¡¯re still surrounded by telepathic aliens,¡± Erik sighs worriedly and pets my wings. ¡°How does it feel, love?¡±

    ¡°Quieter,¡± I say. ¡°Unlike humans and other Draconians, the Divementis don¡¯t leak their thoughts and feelings.¡±

    ¡°Is it less strenuous for your brain?¡± he wonders.

    ¡°You could say so,¡± I shrug. ¡°Celestial minds don¡¯t bother me, though. To be honest, I don¡¯t think I would be able to withstand telepathic silence.¡±

    ¡°We thought that you wish for it?¡± Gotrid is surprised. ¡°We saw you overwhelmed and with a headache so many times.¡±

    ¡°I did experience telepathic silence in the States,¡± I remind them. ¡°When I flew away, I was alone for several hours.¡±

    ¡°And? How did it feel?¡± Erik is curious.

    ¡°It was stifling and unnerving,¡± I admit. ¡°I hate being surrounded by too many minds that are too different from mine, but I love the company of Celestials.¡±

    ¡°What about me? I¡¯m human,¡± Erik traps me in his arms and pulls me closer.

    ¡°That goes without saying, silly,¡± I kiss him and taste both his lips and his mind.

    Erik might be human, but his mind has always been like a safe harbour for me. I wonder if it¡¯s the same for the Divementis. Do they also become telepathically addicted to their partners? Is Nyx my father¡¯s new lover because he can¡¯t stand being alone? I have so many questions about everything.

    Dalia calls that the bath is ready so we go wash after a very long and tiring day. When we return, dinner is waiting for us in the living room. Gotrid jokingly remarks that it could be poisoned, but we¡¯re too tired to even consider it and just accept the Divementis hospitality. Falling asleep in an unknown environment feels weird, but tiredness wins.

    *****

    It takes me a moment to realise where I am when I wake up. I¡¯m still resting in Erik and Gotrid¡¯s minds as well as their warm embrace, but it¡¯s my automatic morning routine to telepathically reach out and make sure that we¡¯re safe.

    I feel that Liana is up already and she¡¯s discussing something with Luviael. I reach further and feel the presence of Soren, Gavreel and the others. Everybody seems okay which calms me down. I spread my consciousness and I¡¯m amazed at how quiet the building feels.

    I focus and finally trace the presence of the Divementis. They are shielding their minds but, at least, I can tell where they are¡ªI count more than two hundred Divementis in the vicinity. Suddenly, those minds try to fortify their defences as if they were panicking. Did they find out that I was scanning the building? I¡¯m not used to others being aware of my telepathic exploration.

    ¡°Love, what are you doing?¡± Erik startles me by speaking up out of the blue.

    ¡°N-nothing,¡± I mumble and open my eyes. ¡°When did you wake up?¡±

    ¡°Just now,¡± he kisses my shoulder.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t look like nothing,¡± Gotrid is also awake and caresses my right wing that¡¯s covering him instead of a blanket.

    ¡°What I always do¡ªchecking our surroundings,¡± I admit.

    ¡°Why do you start working from the moment you wake up?¡± Gotrid gently taps my forehead and then kisses me as his good morning greeting. Erik doesn¡¯t stay behind.

    I stretch my wings and yawn. I hope there will be a chance for us to fly in the afternoon and I wonder what kind of programme the Divementis prepared for us. We get up, Erik goes immediately to the bathroom while the maids assist me and Gotrid with dressing up.

    ¡°The Divementis fashion is quite similar to ours,¡± Ayala remarks. ¡°Their style is different, but they also like long robes with rich layers.¡±

    I don¡¯t protest even though the robe they chose for me today is quite heavy. I guess they don¡¯t want me to look shabby next to my father. With him being the Divementis Emperor and me being the Celestial Emperor, the maids probably consider it a fashion competition of sorts.

    ¡°Your Majesty, Chancellor Nyx is here,¡± Dalia comes with an announcement. ¡°She kindly asks you, Her Excellency and your Consorts to have breakfast with them on the tenth floor.¡±

    ¡°We pretty much anticipated that,¡± Erik returns from the bathroom, smoothly shaved.

    ¡°Ten minutes,¡± Ayala says, combing my hair.

    Dalia nods and comes to relay the message. I can feel that she¡¯s nervous about dealing with the Divementis even though Nyx seems amicable. I want to speed up the process, but Ayala insists on creating an intricate hairstyle into which she carefully weaves a heavy hairpin.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I frown and touch it.

    ¡°A new headwear,¡± Ayala giggles mysteriously. ¡°Her Excellency had it custom-made recently. You were supposed to wear it for the first time when you show up in public again, but we guessed that there¡¯s no better time than now. We need to impress the Divementis after all.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Gotrid exclaims excitedly. ¡°Love, it¡¯s a replica of your crown from the game!¡±

    Ayala finally puts a mirror in front of me and I touch the hairpin again, refusing to believe it. It does look like a replica of my ceremonial crown.

    ¡°I hope Liana didn¡¯t spend a fortune on it,¡± I chew my lip because it looks real. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t like us wasting money on jewellery.¡±

    ¡°It has gold-plating, but the base is titanium,¡± Cien assures me. ¡°As for the stones, they are only semi-precious. It was the best the jewellers could do given the budget and deadline. We hope to give Your Majesty a real crown in future. For now, this has to do.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need a real crown,¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°I bet this one cost a lot already.¡±

    ¡°It looks marvellous, love,¡± Erik flatters me and inspects the crown up close. ¡°It can¡¯t accidentally fall off, can it? Cien weaved it into your hair.¡±

    ¡°It should hold without problems, but that¡¯s not the issue here. It¡¯s heavy!¡± I complain.

    ¡°It¡¯s so pretty, love,¡± Gotrid gently pokes the crown to test its firmness.

    ¡°It never ceases to amaze me that creatures with wings who are supposed to fly more than walk are so fond of highly impractical robes and jewellery,¡± Erik chuckles, takes my hand and kisses it. ¡°My princess, let me be your modern prince.¡±

    ¡°Y-you!¡± I nudge him and stand up. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we shouldn¡¯t keep the Divementis waiting.¡±

    *****

    Nyx is waiting for us patiently in the hall and I see that she¡¯s trying to have a conversation with Liana who finished her morning preparation faster than us. The emphasis is on the word ¡®trying¡¯ because Liana is nervous around her.

    ¡°My Prince,¡± Nyx bows to me. ¡°I mean¡ªYour Majesty,¡± she corrects herself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s hard to address you when you¡¯re both.¡±

    ¡°I prefer my Celestial title,¡± I set the record straight. ¡°I¡¯m here to learn about my Divementis heritage, but I consider myself first and foremost a Celestial.¡±

    ¡°Of course, as you wish, Your Celestial Majesty,¡± Nyx nods. ¡°Please, follow me.¡±

    The guards join us and they are as restless as Liana. It looks like most of them didn¡¯t get enough rest because they were too anxious to fall asleep last night. I¡¯m also uneasy about our stay here, but my brain is always so exhausted that I never have any difficulties sleeping no matter what¡¯s going on. Erik and Gotrid would most probably be prone to sleepless nights as well, but my sleepy mind seems to work as the most effective lullaby.

    We leave the floors that were assigned to us and soon we are surrounded by the Divementis from all sides. I try to look confident, but I feel anything but that. They allowed me to take thirty-nine subjects with me which seemed a lot yesterday, but it certainly doesn¡¯t feel that many now. We¡¯re hopelessly overnumbered.

    ¡°Son, why do you startle our people the first thing in the morning?¡± my father accuses me the moment we show up in the dining hall.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± I¡¯m confused. ¡°I just woke up and got dressed.¡±

    ¡°Do you deny scanning the building with your mind then?¡± he raises his eyebrows. ¡°The Royal bloodline has a unique sensation to the Divementis, there¡¯s no such thing as the Crown Prince sending his mind out anonymously.¡±

    ¡°I always check our surroundings each morning, making sure we¡¯re safe,¡± I purse my lips. ¡°Is it considered rude among your people?¡±

    ¡°Our people,¡± he corrects me sharply. ¡°No, it¡¯s not rude. On the contrary, that kind of behaviour is expected of someone with the Royal bloodline. It¡¯s literally in our genes to be always concerned about the safety of our race. Our subjects were startled because they didn¡¯t expect it from you.¡±

    I don¡¯t know how to respond to that. I thought that I was doing something that would meet with their disapproval, but my father is telling me that I behave as a Divementis prince should. Are these really my inborn instincts? Am I even more Divementis than I¡¯m aware of?

    ¡°Your Majesties, breakfast is ready,¡± Nyx coughs to dispel the tension and shows us to our seats. Everybody gets a pre-designated chair and there are fifteen seats for my entourage and fifteen for the Divementis. Since most of my entourage are the guards who are on duty and must have eaten earlier, we fit without problems.

    We sit around a huge table and it¡¯s the strangest experience. We¡¯re dining with aliens, literally. I¡¯m seated opposite my father and see him putting a huge heap of rice into his bowl. In fact, all the Divementis that were chosen to eat with us are putting a ton of food on their plates.

    ¡°Do the Divementis also have fast metabolisms?¡± Noage speaks up and the tone of his voice is unnaturally high. He¡¯s scared.

    The doctor was seated at the very end of the table and he¡¯s been quiet until now, but, as an Earthborn, he can¡¯t resist a scientific question. He twitches when the Divementis stare at him as if they haven¡¯t acknowledged his presence until now.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Nyx answers readily and gives Noage a warm look. ¡°Moreover, human brains take up to 20% of total energy consumed while ours take 50%.¡±

    ¡°50?!¡± Noage is taken aback. ¡°It was estimated that Celestial brains take up to 40% and that¡¯s when they aren¡¯t actively casting spells. No wonder His Majesty can¡¯t put on any weight no matter what kind of diet we try to force on him. The calorie intake of his Celestial-Divementis brain must be insane.¡±

    Gotrid¡¯s hand freezes over the pancakes he¡¯s neatly arranging on my plate and, after hearing that, he puts three more on top.

    I can¡¯t possibly eat all that! I send him a desperate thought and kick him under the table. Don¡¯t forget that my stomach gets upset easily.

    ¡°It does?¡± my father overhears us. ¡°We suspected there might be some drawbacks to Divementis hybrids. Is your digestive system perhaps extremely delicate, Aefener?¡±

    I purse my lips. It upsets me that he¡¯s able to pronounce my name with such familiarity and simplicity. Celestials rarely use my name when addressing me and, if they do, it¡¯s always with a proper honorific. Erik still prefers my human name and Gotrid either calls me ¡®my Emperor¡¯ or comes up with romantic nicknames. My father is, therefore, the only person who uses my name so directly.

    ¡°It is,¡± I admit because there¡¯s no point in lying about it.

    ¡°Divementis stomachs aren¡¯t that big, we need to eat more frequently than humans. Your people have to make sure that you¡¯re having snacks between meals,¡± he says and looks at Noage who, as he assesses, must be the one making dietary recommendations to me.

    ¡°Your Celestial Majesty, this is just a suggestion because we know that we can¡¯t force you, but we could examine your body and possibly find out how to alleviate your difficulties,¡± Nyx proposes extremely carefully. ¡°Our medical technology is very advanced.¡±

    I get goosebumps under my feathers like I do every time someone mentions a medical examination in front of me. Mom conditioned me against it a bit too well. However, there¡¯s something else as well. Frustration. Strong feelings of injustice. Anger even.

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you use it to cure my Mom?¡± I snap.

    That sentence came out of me so suddenly that I didn¡¯t have a chance to think it through. As an overthinker, I rarely speak spontaneously so it surprises me twice as much. Have I always wanted to accuse someone of my mother¡¯s death that I still haven¡¯t fully come to terms with after all these years?

    The dining room grows absolutely quiet. That wasn¡¯t very diplomatic, I know that. I take my father¡¯s intense gaze head on and, when our eyes meet, I get hit by a telepathic wave. He¡¯s not attacking me, though. I get hit unintentionally by deep sadness coming from him. He still has his defences up, but it seems the emotion is too strong for him to contain fully.

    ¡°Son, finish your breakfast, you need all the calories you can get,¡± he says quietly. ¡°When you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll take you to our research centre and tell you everything¡ªabout Draconia Online, about the Great Evolution, about our home world¡­ and about Amelia.¡±

    I keep staring into those pitch-black eyes and I have to cling to Erik and Gotrid¡¯s minds or I would drown in his pain.

 93. The Truth

    If my father knows that I can feel his leaking emotions, he doesn¡¯t let it show. His expression is cold, but his deep sadness tells me otherwise. I don¡¯t know what to make out of it. I have to find refuge in the minds of my partners to calm down.

    I don¡¯t have much appetite, but I obediently eat everything Gotrid put on my plate because my father is watching me with narrowed eyes. It¡¯s quite irritating and, honestly, too late for him to act all fatherly towards me, but something tells me that he won¡¯t show me the Nebula research facility unless I finish my breakfast.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± he stands up when my plate is empty, ignoring the fact that some people sitting around the table are still eating. Do the Divementis also have this stupid etiquette rule that when their sovereign stops eating, everyone else must immediately stop as well?

    Nevertheless, the Divementis Emperor tells us to follow him so we do. He leads us outside which is highly unusual for me. If I don¡¯t count my regular flying sessions during which I¡¯m strictly forbidden to land, I never really left the Draconian Embassy. We¡¯re not in the heart of Prague anymore, though, I need to get used to the fact. This is the Divementis base and all the buildings here belong to them.

    It turns out that the research facilities are in a different part of the complex and we were accommodated in the residential quarter. As a result, we have to walk quite a bit, but I don¡¯t mind because there¡¯s so much to see.

    ¡°How are you keeping this place hidden?¡± Liana asks, amazed. ¡°It¡¯s huge.¡±

    ¡°Officially, these premises belong to Nebula Corporation,¡± Nyx explains more than willingly. ¡°We pay taxes and operate as any high-profile IT company would. This place looks like a normal company complex from the outside. Naturally, we¡¯re using our technology and our mental abilities to conceal any traces of alien presence.¡±

    That piques my interest so I spread my consciousness to see if I can find any mental barriers. Wouldn¡¯t that be incredibly demanding for the casters I wonder? Can the Divementis use something similar to our crystals to keep the shield running without their constant supervision? All I feel are countless Divementis minds all around, though, nothing that would resemble any sort of shield.

    ¡°Son, can you stop it, please?¡± my father scolds me. ¡°You¡¯re making everyone more nervous than they have to be.¡±

    ¡°You felt that?¡± I frown because I wasn¡¯t going after him. ¡°Besides, I can¡¯t help it. How do you stop your mind from going after things that are new and are asking to be explored?¡±

    ¡°With proper training and discipline,¡± he answers dryly. ¡°Moreover, it¡¯s considered rude to be constantly checking the defences of others and trying to invade their privacy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not invading anyone¡¯s privacy,¡± I oppose. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I find this telepathic silence stifling. Don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°No, the Divementis don¡¯t leak their thoughts and emotions,¡± he sighs, ¡°but you grew up among humans who don¡¯t have a concept of mental guard so I understand why it must feel unnatural to you. Still, I ask you not to go after every Divementis you meet so aggressively just because they aren¡¯t presenting their feelings and thoughts on a silver plate.¡±

    ¡°Aggressively?¡± I¡¯m surprised by that word.

    ¡°You don¡¯t realise it because your telepathy is too powerful even in its current untrained raw state,¡± he explains. ¡°A common Divementis of average talent would have no defence against that if you really pushed. Our subjects have the deepest respect towards the Royal bloodline, but you might end up making our people afraid of you if you don¡¯t control yourself.¡±

    I shiver and clutch Erik and Gotrid¡¯s hands tighter. Making people afraid of me is the last thing I want even though I know that most humans are afraid of me already. We spend the rest of the journey in silence. Liana doesn¡¯t dare to ask another question and I¡¯m desperately keeping my mind from reaching out.

    I can feel that my father and Nyx are discussing something telepathically, but I don¡¯t dare to eavesdrop. I notice that while everyone is keeping a respectful distance from him, Nyx certainly isn¡¯t. Just what is their relationship?

    I¡¯m pretty sure that I¡¯ve guarded my mind properly, but I still twitch nervously when Nyx suddenly turns back and looks at me. She probably didn¡¯t catch my exact thoughts, but she must have felt that I was thinking intensely about her. She smiles and despite her face being so alien, it¡¯s a warm and reassuring smile that makes me relax. There¡¯s something about her that makes me put my guard down.

    ¡°Love!¡± Erik warns me all of a sudden and grabs my right wing.

    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± I murmur, embarrassed. I unconsciously spread my feathered limbs. We¡¯ve been walking outside for more than ten minutes now. It feels weird to use my legs instead of my wings when I can feel the breeze blowing into my feathers.

    ¡°You¡¯re so Celestial when it comes to flying, son,¡± my father comments and he looks amused. ¡°Frankly, we¡¯ve always envied Celestials their ability to fly.¡±

    ¡°What was your relationship with them? I mean us. I mean¡­ you know, back then,¡± I ask and I¡¯m surprised to hear flattery from him.

    ¡°Diplomatic at best,¡± he shrugs. ¡°They kept to the skies and magic, we kept to technological advancement and telepathy.¡±

    ¡°We were rivals of sorts,¡± Nyx adds. ¡°They were the only Draconian race we considered our equal.¡±

    ¡°I want them to hear the full story, not just bits and pieces out of context,¡± my father interrupts her. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re here.¡±

    The building doesn¡¯t look impressive from the outside, just a normal administrative building Tokyo is full of. Nyx invites us inside and heads to the elevators. The elevators are pretty spacious, capable of transporting fifteen people at once but, in the case of Celestials, it comes down to ten and we have to squeeze. My father nonchalantly joins our ride.

    ¡°Only a Divementis can operate this elevator to reach the underground floors,¡± he explains his presence and touches the button without any visible dial-up. Yet, a number pops up on a little display. ¡°The labs are twenty floors underground,¡± he announces.

    ¡°Thirty,¡± I correct him, checking the number. Why is he lying about that?

    ¡°Right,¡± he smirks.

    ¡°Love, you can read that?¡± Erik pokes me.

    Only now do I realise that I didn¡¯t even think about the script. I just read it automatically without thinking.

    ¡°You keep testing me!¡± I protest.

    ¡°Better do it this way without forcing you,¡± he shrugs. ¡°I bet you¡¯re the type that doesn¡¯t perform well on formal tests.¡±

    ¡°What would you know about that? You weren¡¯t there when I was growing up,¡± I retort. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even go to normal school because¡­¡±

    ¡°Love,¡± Gotrid pushes me to his chest and pets my wings. ¡°You just started leaking mana.¡±

    ¡°I know that I wasn¡¯t there for you,¡± my father¡¯s voice gets tense and I can feel another wave of sadness coming from him. Maybe even a hint of regret? ¡°Do I have to remind you that I didn¡¯t know you existed? Amelia left before she discovered that she was pregnant so I couldn¡¯t read it in her mind.¡±

    I force myself to calm down, partly thanks to Gotrid¡¯s petting, partly because I have to admit that he¡¯s right about that. He had no idea that he had a son until recently. I don¡¯t like the fact that he dares to act fatherly towards me now, but it¡¯s true that his absence wasn¡¯t his fault. I wonder how different my life would have turned out if I had grown up among the Divementis.

    You wouldn¡¯t have met me, Erik joins the hug.

    Or me, Gotrid adds.

    I catch my father studying our interaction intently. He¡¯s not just staring, he seems to be analysing us.

    ¡°What?¡± I frown and then I realise that I can actually ask about anything. He promised to answer all my questions. ¡°Don¡¯t the Divementis bond with their partners?¡±

    ¡°We do,¡± he nods. ¡°The thing that fascinates me, and not only me, is the fact that you¡¯re able to bond with more partners at the same time.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that?¡± I¡¯m astonished.

    ¡°No, we¡¯re fiercely loyal to a single partner,¡± he states. ¡°We can bond with another one only when the previous partner dies or disappears for a long time and that entails years of excruciating grief and loneliness before the bonding wears off.¡±

    ¡°Did you bond with Mom?¡± I ask directly. I want to know. I need to know. Was she truly important to him? I¡¯m afraid that he won¡¯t answer, but he just takes a few moments.

    ¡°I did,¡± he whispers.

    I chew my lip. Why do I feel sorry for him? Even if he did experience mental anguish, he wasn¡¯t there for Mom when she was dying of cancer. He could have fought for their relationship even if the Divementis disapproved. The Divementis acknowledged me in the end, surely, they could have made an exception for Mom.

    ¡°Is Nyx your new partner then?¡± I decide to ask without mercy even though I can feel that it¡¯s a sore topic for him.

    ¡°What?¡± he raises his eyebrows. ¡°Oh, gods, no, Nyx is my sister.¡±

    That information lands heavily and leaves me speechless for a few seconds. W-wait! So¡­ does that mean? She¡¯s actually my¡­?

    ¡°She¡¯s my aunt?¡± I open my mouth wide in disbelief. I have another living relative?!

    ¡°That she is,¡± he confirms. ¡°Sadly, she didn¡¯t inherit the Royal gift. She¡¯s my biological sister, but she¡¯s not royalty.¡±

    ¡°How could she not inherit it when she¡¯s your sister?¡± I don¡¯t understand.

    ¡°It¡¯s not so easy to explain,¡± he sighs and the elevator stops. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±

    We¡¯re reunited with the rest of my entourage, the Divementis chancellors and also Nyx. Is that why I found her so strangely familiar? Because she¡¯s family? How am I going to address her now? Do the Divementis have special names for aunts and uncles? And do I have other relatives?

    ¡°Please, leave it for later, son,¡± my father says when he notices me eyeing Nyx. ¡°There will be time for getting to know the rest of your Divementis family.¡±

    We pass several corridors until we reach huge open-space laboratories that are full of the latest VR equipment and futuristic-looking computers humans can only dream of. I expected that I was about to meet the real developers of Draconia Online¡ªDivementis scientists. I certainly didn¡¯t expect that the person who would rush towards me, pushing everybody aside quite rudely, would be a Celestial.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Your Majesty!!!¡± a young woman with grey black-patterned wings and short blue hair cries and bows deeply in front of me.

    ¡°Ehm, what?!¡± I instinctively step back. What is one of my subjects doing here? I¡¯m so confused right now.

    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t recognise me, Your Majesty?¡± the woman panics. ¡°It¡¯s me¡ªUriel.¡±

    ¡°Uriel,¡± I repeat and it takes me a few moments to recognise her wing pattern. ¡°One of the missing dungeon masters?!¡±

    ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t exactly missing,¡± she admits nervously. ¡°I¡¯m actually one of the Nebula¡¯s VR developers.¡±

    Celestial wrath mixed with my Emperor¡¯s nature unfolds within me in an instant and I get furious with Uriel. How could she conspire with the Divementis? She knew about their plot since the beginning and left us in the dark for all those months! It feels like betrayal and I have to try hard to remind myself that she was human when she signed the contract.

    Still, I need to verify her story. I pull her up, grab her chin and connect to her instantly. I don¡¯t bother with being gentle, she deserves to be punished. I decide to scrutinise everything I need to see without mercy or any regard for her privacy. Privacy is reserved for those who have my trust.

    ¡°Aefener!¡± my father warns me, but Uriel isn¡¯t in his jurisdiction anymore.

    ¡°She¡¯s my subject,¡± I hiss. ¡°Besides, you promised no more secrets so I take it you¡¯re not afraid I¡¯m going to see something you wouldn¡¯t want.¡±

    The Divementis Emperor frowns, but he doesn¡¯t move to stop me. I dive into Uriel¡¯s mind and fast-forward check her memories before and after the transformation. I don¡¯t have time to go into detail, of course, but I can get a good overview of what she¡¯s been up to.

    I discover that she was a brilliant VR programmer and that¡¯s how she caught the attention of the Divementis who needed to outsource part of the project. She got hired and proved herself after a year of relentless work so they decided to tell her the truth and invite her to the Nebula headquarters.

    She knew from the beginning what she was signing up for. Little did she know, however, how much the transformation would change her thinking. Just as any other Celestial, she desperately wanted to flock to the embodiment of magic and the Divementis had to even lock her up. When my father learned that I was his son, she was promised to meet me eventually which calmed her down and she became reluctantly cooperative again.

    ¡°Y-Your M-Majesty, I¡­,¡± Uriel is shaking and there¡¯s shame in her eyes.

    ¡°Uriel was forbidden to contact you, Your Celestial Majesty,¡± Nyx stands up for her because she can see how angry I am. ¡°Believe me, she wanted to. She might have started as a human collaborator, but she¡¯s a Celestial now. She continued to cooperate with us again only because she didn¡¯t have any other option.¡±

    ¡°I want her contract with Nebula terminated,¡± I click my tongue.

    ¡°Done,¡± my father approves instantly and it¡¯s as simple as that.

    ¡°My Emperor¡­,¡± Uriel starts crying. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I¡­ really didn¡¯t mean¡­ I¡­¡±

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t fly enough,¡± I frown and inspect her wings. They look okay from the outside, but when I touch her wing muscles, I can easily tell that they are atrophied.

    ¡°She tried to fly away every time we wanted to let her get some exercise,¡± Nyx explains quickly. ¡°Your Majesty, we assure you that we weren¡¯t trying to torture her. We just couldn¡¯t let her go because she knew all our secrets. Wiping out one¡¯s memory isn¡¯t in our power.¡±

    ¡°Vermiel, take her to my maids and tell them to calm her down,¡± I order. ¡°She will probably be disoriented for a few hours, I dug into her memories a bit too forcibly. I bet she has accommodation on the premises, but I want her to stay with us from now on. She¡¯s not used to being around her kind so assign her a friendly flatmate.¡±

    I see panic in Uriel¡¯s eyes, but also huge relief. She¡¯s not bound to the Divementis anymore and no matter how she started, she¡¯s one of us now. Yes, I am angry with her, but I would never give up on my subject.

    ¡°Uriel, go with Vermiel, I¡¯ll visit you in the evening,¡± I promise because Uriel is hesitant to go and is clutching the hem of my robe. Her hand is shaking, her breath is rapid and she¡¯s afraid to get separated from me again. From my own experience, I can recognise someone on the verge of a panic attack.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay,¡± I say, softly now. I kiss her on her forehead, giving her my strongest blessing.

    Uriel faints, but that was my intention. I catch her and give her to Vermiel. When I look up again, I realise that every Divementis in the room is staring at me, shocked.

    ¡°His Highness can do THAT without prior training?¡± Chancellor of Science Sythara, standing with a group of the Divementis scientists nearby, gasps.

    ¡°I projected some of my mana as well,¡± I set the record straight because I don¡¯t like the way they¡¯re looking at me. ¡°My blessings are half-Divementis, half-Celestial.¡±

    ¡°I have to thank you, son, for taking her off our hands,¡± my father appreciates. ¡°Celestials are fiercely loyal to their race and almost impossible to contain. We didn¡¯t have it as difficult with other dungeon masters.¡±

    ¡°Right, one dungeon master in disguise for each race,¡± I recall. ¡°What about them? Will you finally release them as well?¡±

    ¡°We already did, just yesterday,¡± he surprises me. ¡°Their last mission from us is to find their race rulers and tell them what I¡¯m about to tell you now. We need all Draconian races on board to have at least a chance to win. With you, my son, those chances rose even higher.¡±

    ¡°Start explaining then,¡± I encourage him.

    He nods and makes a hand gesture above some console. The lights dim and a huge hologram appears in the middle of the room. It¡¯s a planet that¡¯s more green than blue so it¡¯s definitely not Earth.

    ¡°This is Draconia, our home,¡± my father starts. ¡°Unlike this planet, it was inhabited by five sentient races. We didn¡¯t always see eye to eye, but after centuries of conflicts in our early history, we reached fragile peace, established trade and divided our spheres of influence. The Earthborn took over deep rainforests, the Dragonkin claimed mountains, Clawfangs thrived in thinner forests and grassy plains, Celestials ruled the skies and the Divementis took the mildest climates.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s admirable that you were able to coexist in peace considering that humans can¡¯t even coexist with each other,¡± Liana comments bitterly.

    ¡°Draconia is twice as big as Earth and bountiful, we could make it work,¡± my father summarises. ¡°We do have our bloody history, we just had longer to evolve than humans. We coexisted in peace for one millennium until one day a rift opened from another dimension and the Enemy came to invade our home world.¡±

    ¡°War,¡± I twitch.

    ¡°A global planetary war,¡± he nods. ¡°We were defending Draconia bravely and were holding for ten long years, but we were too divided and uncoordinated. Every race just wanted to protect their territory and people and that was our downfall.

    First, the Earthborn fell¡ªthe Enemy burned down their rainforests. Clawfangs were next; the Enemy took over the minds of their animal companions who turned against their masters. The Dragonkin held resiliently in the mountains and fortified themselves, but their rations eventually ran out. As proud warriors, they didn¡¯t want to die of starvation so they organised one last glorious battle. They were wiped out almost overnight.

    Celestials defended for the longest. Their flying cities had protective shields and their elemental magic was nothing to trifle with. However, even flying cities started to fall one by one. After their Emperor, the embodiment of magic, was killed during a fierce battle with the Enemy, the rest of his subjects couldn¡¯t hold on for much longer.

    As for the Divementis, we had the best protection against the Enemy who was also telepathic. Nevertheless, this advantage soon turned out to be our ruin. The Enemy found a way how to invade our minds and either instantly kill us or make us lose our sanity. After my mother, the previous Divementis Empress, was killed, I was still too young to properly defend my people.¡±

    ¡°How did you escape then?¡± I blurt out. ¡°How did you know about the Earth in the first place?¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t,¡± he shakes his head. ¡°We were desperate and just miraculously managed to seize one of the Enemy¡¯s dimensional transport devices during a raid on one of their strongholds. With other Draconian races completely extinct and the Divementis counting barely ten thousand individuals left, we decided to flee. We evacuated on our remaining ships, opened a rift and jumped.¡±

    ¡°Blindly?¡± Erik tilts his head.

    ¡°Partially,¡± my father answers. ¡°There were two dozen coordinates recorded in the dimensional device¡ªworlds which the Enemy had on the lists after Draconia as next targets. So, before you ask¡ªno, we didn¡¯t bring the war here. The Enemy would come here sooner or later. The Enemy knew we stole the device and fled, but they didn¡¯t know where. We came here in 1924 so it took the Enemy almost two centuries to find us. During that time, we had time to prepare.¡±

    ¡°Prepare,¡± Gotrid murmurs. ¡°You mean to resurrect the extinct Draconian races.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he confirms. ¡°Humans were too underdeveloped when we came, it was impossible to count on their help. They surprised us with their rapid advancement, but we still needed Draconians. This time, we wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake, though. This time, we would make sure that Draconians are eager to cooperate. Sythara, can you take over?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty,¡± the Chancellor of Science nods. ¡°We created a game, an exact copy of our home world, in which Draconians were forced to cooperate from the beginning, hoping it would change their mindset, and we were successful. Races of Draconia complemented each other brilliantly during simulated fights as well as in the real world when monsters started appearing here.¡±

    ¡°You mentioned once that you were suppressing the rifts,¡± I remember. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°By studying the dimensional device we stole,¡± Sythara explains. ¡°We found a way how to use it to prevent rifts from opening. Unfortunately, it requires a tremendous amount of energy and it stopped working 100% when the Enemy started to really push entry, finally convinced that we hid here. Still, if it wasn¡¯t for our efforts, the Enemy would have invaded this dimension five years ago when we just barely launched the game.¡±

    ¡°A game capable of changing one¡¯s very DNA,¡± Liana shakes her head in disbelief. ¡°How is such a thing possible in the first place? Don¡¯t take me wrong, you¡¯re much more advanced than humans, I just don¡¯t see how it would be possible even with your amazing tech.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, it wouldn¡¯t be possible using conventional science,¡± Sythara admits. ¡°However, Divementis tech works differently. You might have noticed already that we don¡¯t use buttons or voice commands. That¡¯s because we send these commands telepathically.¡±

    ¡°Your tech is telepathic?!¡± Erik widens his eyes. Oh, I guess I forgot to mention that to them. When I was forced to sit in that special chair on Aurora, the ship¡¯s interface popped directly into my mind.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Royal Consort,¡± Sythara nods. ¡°I know it¡¯s a difficult concept to grasp for anyone who isn¡¯t a Divementis. You can imagine it like this: Humans store data online, but it¡¯s still on a physical server somewhere. We store data in the telepathic matrix¡ªin the consciousness of our entire species.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain how Draconia Online managed to change us,¡± Gotrid purses his lips.

    ¡°Mind is much more powerful than you think,¡± Sythara explains patiently. ¡°I know that it might sound esoteric, but the principle behind it was to convince a player¡¯s brain that they are the race they play as. For that, we needed to make the game as realistic as possible¡ªto convincingly simulate that one has extra limbs, scales or fur. We made players eat in VR, we made them clean their avatars, change clothes and, most importantly, we made them feel pain. And not just any pain, we made them feel pain in body parts they didn¡¯t have in real life.¡±

    ¡°But there are many games similar to Dragonia on the market,¡± Liana opposes. ¡°Maybe not as gore when it comes to pain, but similarly detailed.¡±

    ¡°True, but hidden in the game¡¯s code, there was Divementis telepathic architecture and hundreds of Divementis powering it each day,¡± Sythara reveals. ¡°We were carefully instilling belief systems in the form of lore and DNA sequences of extinct Draconian races. We gave you the input, but the rest is the job of your own brains.¡±

    ¡°Son, I said that humans were underdeveloped when we came here, but I didn¡¯t mean it as an insult,¡± my father sets the record straight. ¡°In fact, we were extremely lucky that humans, as a species, were still developing.

    Human brains have amazing plasticity and, unlike Draconian races, they aren¡¯t that closely adjusted for a single biotope. Human brains are ready to embrace any beneficial change and their plain humanoid bodies are the best neutral canvas we could hope for. It¡¯s difficult to get rid of something, but quite easy to grow new body parts.¡±

    ¡°How come everybody changed at the same time? Each player had a different starting point,¡± Gotrid points out. ¡°My beloved started the game with its launch while I jumped in much later.¡±

    ¡°A year of intense gameplay is actually quite enough,¡± Sythara says. ¡°What we needed was to reach a critical mass. The VR world needed to be as vibrant as real life. Six years after launch, we finally had 15 million active players who were logging in almost every day and spending at least four hours in the game on average. We were confident that if we gave your brains the final push at that peak, we could hope for 10 million transformed players. In the end, we got 12 million¡ªa huge success.¡±

    ¡°That is quite an esoteric explanation,¡± Erik frowns.

    ¡°Is it really?¡± my father shrugs. ¡°For us, telepathy is as natural as breathing, it¡¯s the power of our brains. It only seems esoteric to you because it¡¯s beyond human comprehension. Ask your husband if he considers Celestial magic to be esoteric.¡±

    ¡°What? Of course, it¡¯s not,¡± I shake my head and Erik gives me a raised eyebrow. ¡°Magic is just a fancy term for the power of Celestial brains to harness the energy our bodies naturally produce and project it outwards. We call it spells for simplicity, but it¡¯s a manipulation of elements. We use mana as a power source and manipulate matter with our minds. It¡¯s more science than actual magic.¡±

    ¡°See?¡± the corners of my father¡¯s lips twitch into a smile. ¡°Admittedly, it¡¯s difficult even for the Divementis to understand. Celestials were always mysterious to us just as we were to them. My son is the first person in the Draconian history who can understand both.¡±

    Ryuu, you never mentioned that magic isn¡¯t really magic, Erik pulls my sleeve and pouts. I must have looked stupid just now.

    I haven¡¯t thought about it in this way either, Gotrid notes. As always, our beloved is in a different league.

    Sorry, I didn¡¯t realise you didn¡¯t realise, I apologise and chew my lip. I thought it became obvious ever since we started creating magical technology and using crystals. Rina and our research department are aware of it. They¡¯ve been calling it Celestial Science for quite a while now.

    Guiltily, I look at Liana. I¡¯m afraid to be scolded by her for keeping important information, but my Viceroy doesn¡¯t act surprised at all. Phew, at least she knew.

    ¡°Now then,¡± my father claps his hands to catch my attention because he can tell that I¡¯m lost in thoughts with my partners. ¡°I guess now¡¯s the time for the big reveal.¡±

    I frown. What can be possibly bigger than this?

    ¡°It¡¯s time to introduce the Enemy,¡± he says solemnly.

 94. The Enemy Unveiled

    For several long moments, I have no idea what I¡¯m looking at. The holographic image is floating in front of me, showing us an alien being which the Divementis call the Enemy. I don¡¯t know what I was expecting, to be honest. Probably just another alien race that is technologically more advanced than Draconians since they can travel through dimensions. Definitely not¡­ ¡®that¡¯.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Enemy,¡± my father repeats as if we haven¡¯t heard him the first time. ¡°The emphasis on a singular and a capital letter.¡±

    Everybody is too shocked to react. I feel Erik almost crushing my left hand and Gotrid is desperately trying to calm himself by clutching my feathers. I keep staring at the projection, dumbfounded. The Enemy¡­ that¡­ thing¡­ isn¡¯t even remotely humanoid.

    If I had to compare it to anything I knew to get my head around it, I would have to go back to twentieth-century horror fiction, especially H. P. Lovecraft¡¯s myth of Cthulhu. And that would still be too humanoid and friendly-looking compared to the Enemy.

    ¡°How b-big is that thing?¡± I manage to ask, stuttering.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have a precise measurement because we¡¯ve never seen it stretch, but we guess around sixty metres in this state,¡± Sythara says.

    I gulp and study its countless tentacles and numerous red glowing eyes. I don¡¯t see any mouth, but I don¡¯t doubt it¡¯s there somewhere, hidden and lurking. How does something monstrous like this even move? How does it build things?

    ¡°As you already know, the Enemy is also telepathic,¡± my father continues. ¡°It controls the monsters who serve it. In case you¡¯re wondering, monsters aren¡¯t a natural part of Draconia¡¯s fauna. They came with the Enemy through the rifts.¡±

    I try to imagine how hellish the Enemy¡¯s home dimension must be to give birth to something like this. That being isn¡¯t some magical mystical creature. It must have undergone evolution just as Draconians and humans.

    ¡°And you expect Ryuuto to fight that thing?!¡± Erik loses it. ¡°He would be squished like an ant instantly!¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± my father shakes his head. ¡°Not directly I mean. The Enemy is extremely sturdy, cutting off a few tentacles accomplishes nothing. Trust me, the Dragonkin and Clawfangs tried to attack it head-on many times. Besides, it¡¯s protected by a hoard of ferocious monsters. The only method of defeating it is to invade its very mind and kill it telepathically.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s its objective?¡± Liana finally manages to catch her breath and her analytical thinking kicks back in.

    ¡°We never had an actual chat with it, there was never any room for negotiations even though the Enemy did learn our language,¡± Nyx speaks up. ¡°Still, it¡¯s obvious that the Enemy is after resources and dominance. We assume that its home dimension must have been rough, but one species was able to merge into one super consciousness. When it invented dimensional travel, it started jumping from one dimension to another, conquering, feeding and taking what it needed.¡±

    I recall when the Enemy invaded my mind. If I didn¡¯t pull back immediately and didn¡¯t receive basic telepathic training, it would kill me almost instantly and I had the Royal bloodline. I can¡¯t imagine a regular Divementis standing a chance.

    ¡°Son, we do have a real chance now,¡± my father assures me because he can see the panic in my eyes. ¡°We¡¯ve been working relentlessly on bringing back extinct Draconian races and this time we are sure to cooperate. We¡¯ve been also working on a technology capable of shielding our minds from its telepathic influence. Last but not least, we have you now.¡±

    ¡°How could I make a difference?¡± I shudder. ¡°I¡¯m just a bit stronger telepath than other Divementis.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not just a bit stronger, Your Majesty,¡± Nyx claims vehemently. ¡°You managed to talk to the Enemy and not go insane. We estimated that with the combined power of all revived Draconian races, we had a 20% chance of winning. With you, it might be 40%. You raised the odds astronomically.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Chancellor Sythara addresses me with my Divementis title, ¡°after we learned about your existence and confirmed your strength, we re-evaluated the entire battle plan. With you leading the united Draconian forces, our chances might go even higher than 40%. For the first time ever, we have real hope.¡±

    ¡°I¡­,¡± my throat gets dry and my heart is beating wildly. Are they really putting all their hope on me?! 20% without me, 40% with me. The odds are still against us no matter how I look at it. I do want to protect Draconians, but when I look at the Enemy, confidence leaves me. My legs start shaking and it¡¯s suddenly hard to breathe.

    ¡°I think our Emperor is having a panic attack!¡± Gotrid raises an alarm and pushes me to his chest before I lose balance.

    ¡°I need¡­ air¡­,¡± I gasp for breath.

    They somehow get me into the elevator, my partners trying to calm me down without much effect. I do feel less dizzy when a breeze blows into my feathers, but I can¡¯t shake off the dread. All this time I thought that we were going to fight an alien species similar to us or maybe resembling ingame monsters, but the Divementis want me to fight a 60-metre-tall telepathic Cthulhu himself?!

    ¡°You aren¡¯t alone in this, son,¡± my father squeezes through the Celestials who flocked in panic around me and puts his hand on my right wing. ¡°I might not have been there for you when you were growing up, but I am here now.¡±

    I realise that this is the first time he has ever touched me, but I can¡¯t stop my mind from automatically connecting to him. I expect him to have his mental shield up and repel me so it takes me by surprise when I effortlessly access his mind.

    *****

    ¡°You¡¯re not afraid of me?¡± my father asks a young woman with blue eyes and messy red hair who is standing in front of him. He just revealed his true appearance to her and she didn¡¯t even flinch.

    ¡°No,¡± she answers confidently. ¡°I knew you were an alien.¡±

    ¡°Knowing and actually seeing are two different things,¡± he studies her intently. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re telepaths. Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯m going to invade your mind?¡±

    ¡°Can you erase my memories? Or force me to do something against my will?¡± she asks.

    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± he shakes his head, mesmerised by this brave human.

    ¡°Then why should I be afraid?¡± she shrugs. ¡°Sure, I have some embarrassing memories and quirky hobbies, but I have nothing to hide.¡±

    ¡°Humans find our appearance unnerving,¡± he points out.

    ¡°I find you beautiful,¡± she says cheekily.

    The Divementis Emperor ponders. Did she mean the Divementis in general or him? And why is her tone flirty? Does this human have no instinct for self-preservation? She should know by now not only what he is, but also who he is.

    ¡°Is my rite of initiation over then? Did I pass?¡± she tilts her head. ¡°If so, I¡¯d like to move to the Divementis premises immediately and start working on Draconia Online.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you passed, Amelia,¡± he smiles. ¡°Come with me.¡±

    *****

    ¡°Do you feel better, son?¡± my father pulls his mind back and fortifies himself again. He wanted me to see this particular memory to calm me down.

    I take a deep breath and feel my heart slowing down. The worst of a panic attack seems to be over. My beloved partners would be able to calm me down eventually, but certainly not so quickly.

    ¡°We¡¯re not putting all the responsibility on your shoulders, Aefener,¡± my father assures me. ¡°Yes, our chances increased significantly thanks to your unique abilities, but we still need all Draconians and possibly even humans to back you up. You¡¯re not alone in this, far from it.¡±

    I look at him and my father doesn¡¯t look as alien and unapproachable as he did before. Now I see him for what he truly is¡ªthe last leader of a decimated nation desperately struggling for survival who lost his partner and didn¡¯t even know that he had a son.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay now,¡± I say to Erik and Gotrid. ¡°Let¡¯s go back and listen to the rest.¡±

    *****

    ¡°The Enemy doesn¡¯t feel like one single being,¡± Chancellor of Science Sythara continues his explanation as if there was no interruption. ¡°That¡¯s why we came to believe that the Enemy is ¡®they¡¯ rather than ¡®it¡¯. We think they are a conglomerate of their whole race which merged, creating not only one monstrous body but also a uniform super consciousness.¡±

    ¡°Which is both an advantage and a disadvantage,¡± Nyx points out. ¡°Sure, the Enemy is extremely powerful in this state, but they make a single target. We take that colossus down and the remaining monsters will lose their coordination and revert to the autonomous creatures they used to be, much easier to kill.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the plan then?¡± I ask. I¡¯m still shaken, but I can think rationally again.

    ¡°Our problem was that Draconian races, in their hubris, refused to cooperate which was foolish of us,¡± Nyx sighs. ¡°When we finally realised our mistake, it was too late. We won¡¯t make the same mistake twice, though. Thanks to the ingame training and meticulous conditioning, we made sure that the transformed players would be more than eager to cooperate.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°You want to combine the forces of all five races and take that thing head-on?¡± Gotrid frowns, trying to imagine that.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that simple,¡± my father shakes his head. ¡°The Enemy might be a single target, but there are many obstacles in between. First of all, we don¡¯t know their current location so we¡¯ll have to send secret recon missions to learn about their hideout. Secondly, the Enemy is protected by countless monsters that plague Draconia and must have multiplied even more during our absence. We can¡¯t avoid fighting on multiple fronts.¡±

    ¡°The Enemy doesn¡¯t have unlimited brain power, it¡¯s still a living organism,¡± Nyx says optimistically. ¡°The plan is to keep the Enemy occupied enough to make it distracted. While part of our forces will be battling monsters, other squadrons will attack it head-on to distract it further. The Divementis will then use the commotion and try to fry its brain telepathically.¡±

    ¡°How do we stay protected from its telepathic influence?¡± Liana asks. ¡°Our Emperor has been in contact with the Enemy for just a minute or so and suffered a telepathic concussion.¡±

    ¡°Non-telepathic races are actually safe,¡± Sythara admits reluctantly. ¡°The Enemy can¡¯t control sentient races, only animals and monsters. The Divementis are extremely vulnerable to the Enemy¡¯s telepathic influence because we function on the same mental wavelength, but our single minds are much weaker than their united super consciousness.¡±

    ¡°How do we protect our Emperor if he¡¯s supposed to be an essential part of your battle plan then?¡± Liana frowns.

    ¡°As we hinted already, we¡¯ve been working on a shielding device,¡± Sythara reminds us. ¡°When attached to one¡¯s temples, it should protect its bearer from the Enemy¡¯s telepathic influence.¡±

    ¡°Should?¡± Liana doesn¡¯t miss the uncertainty in the chancellor¡¯s voice.

    ¡°We need a much stronger power source than we currently have,¡± the Divementis chancellor admits. ¡°Our technology would normally be enough, but we escaped with just one cruiser, a few smaller vessels and a handful of scientists. We hope that the device could be powered by Celestial mana crystals.¡±

    ¡°We send for our research team,¡± I propose. ¡°I might be the embodiment of magic and do spells intuitively, but I¡¯m no scientist. How secretive do we still need to be?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve sent the former dungeon masters to their race rulers and they are allowed to tell them everything,¡± my father says. ¡°We¡¯re also considering telling the whole truth to the Japanese government and possibly even the European Union. As for involving common Draconians, we want to do so very soon, but not yet. We can¡¯t afford global panic.¡±

    ¡°The Royal research team is fine then,¡± I conclude. ¡°Can you accommodate twelve more Celestials?¡±

    ¡°We can, we have allocated extra capacity,¡± my father nods. ¡°I told you that forty is the limit for your entourage because we needed to save space for other races and we also counted on you bringing more of your subjects eventually. Besides, you¡¯re absolutely safe here. There is no need for your protectors to be so wary.¡±

    None of my protectors show any signs of easing. They don¡¯t trust the Divementis.

    ¡°You said that you were trying to prevent the invasion of Earth before,¡± Liana coughs to change the subject.

    ¡°We still are,¡± Sythara sets the record straight. ¡°The Earth is not flooded with monsters because we¡¯ve been blocking the rifts from opening. However, it was only a temporary solution. Once the Enemy started to truly push because they discovered that we hid in this dimension, we couldn¡¯t always block all rifts. That¡¯s when monsters started appearing randomly around the world.¡±

    ¡°Was it really random?¡± Gotrid doubts. ¡°Monsters appeared three times in our close vicinity¡ªfor the first time in New York during the conference, then when we returned to Prague and last time when we arrived in Japan. Most Draconians either haven¡¯t had a chance to fight at all or they participated in only one battle so far.¡±

    ¡°We think the Enemy can sometimes successfully detect where¡¯s the densest accumulation of Draconians and sends their forces there,¡± Sythara presents a hypothesis. ¡°Since our Prince has always many Celestials accompanying him and he alone possesses very strong magic, the Enemy primarily targets that. Until recently, the Enemy had no idea that we resurrected the extinct Draconian races so they must have thought it was only the Divementis.¡±

    ¡°I thought that the Enemy can¡¯t telepathically enter this world?¡± I ask, scared by that.

    ¡°Not, not directly,¡± Sythara assures me. ¡°They can reckon through the monsters under their control, though.¡±

    ¡°Our powers are different,¡± my father takes the word again. ¡°The Enemy can control less developed minds like those of animals and monsters. We can¡¯t do that. However, the Divementis can store the knowledge of our entire race in our consciousness while staying individual beings. The Enemy can¡¯t, they had to merge into one.¡±

    ¡°What about illusions?¡± Erik is curious.

    ¡°Right, we¡¯re very proficient at that,¡± my father smiles proudly. ¡°The Enemy is capable of casting illusions as well, but, fortunately, they can influence only other telepaths. It seems they have evolved in a world where they were the only sentient race. They didn¡¯t have to adapt to non-telepaths so they lack in this aspect.¡±

    ¡°So, Celestials and other races are relatively safe?¡± Liana summarises.

    ¡°Relatively,¡± my father emphasises that word. ¡°The Enemy will throw all kinds of monsters at you, but, at the very least, they can¡¯t hack your minds.¡±

    ¡°What about me?¡± I ask and a shiver goes down my spine. I might be the embodiment of magic and the Divementis Prince, but as I got the strongest powers of both races, I also got their weaknesses doubled.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know yet,¡± he admits honestly. ¡°You¡¯re certainly vulnerable towards the Enemy as any other Divementis or you wouldn¡¯t have suffered that telepathic concussion. At the same time, you defended yourself against the Enemy for much longer than even the previous Divementis Empress could. If anyone can oppose the Enemy¡¯s direct telepathic attack, it¡¯s you, my son.¡±

    ¡°Not right away, of course, with training,¡± Nyx adds quickly when she notices my sceptical expression. ¡°Now then, I believe it¡¯s time for lunch, let¡¯s take a break.¡±

    *****

    We demand to eat in private and the Divementis allow it. They just bring food to our apartment and leave us. Liana, Soren, Gavreel and other Celestial political representatives we took with us squeeze into our small lounge because we need to discuss how to approach our cooperation with the Divementis.

    I¡¯d prefer to start right away, but everyone is too hungry for that. For several minutes, there¡¯s only a sound of cutlery hitting plates. I don¡¯t have any appetite after seeing the Enemy, but I eat without protest so that my father can¡¯t accuse my subjects again for not feeding me properly. I make sure that Erik eats a lot as well so that he doesn¡¯t faint again. The same goes for Gotrid, of course.

    ¡°Your Majesty, are we going to cooperate with the Divementis?¡± Gavreel asks openly after we¡¯ve eaten.

    ¡°Do we have any other option?¡± I sigh.

    ¡°If you refuse, I think other race rulers will follow your lead,¡± Liana says.

    ¡°If we don¡¯t cooperate, we might end up as our predecessors,¡± I remark darkly. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that I trust the Divementis just because I¡¯m one of them, but I¡¯m willing to give them a chance to prove their genuine intentions. I don¡¯t think that they are lying to us.¡±

    ¡°Are you able to tell for sure, Your Majesty?¡± Soren doubts.

    ¡°I can¡¯t read my father unless he lets me,¡± I admit. ¡°However, I can detect emotions from the people around him. They might look alien to you, but believe me, they are scared shitless just as we are. Their feelings aren¡¯t any different from ours. Besides, there¡¯s no reason to keep calling them aliens¡ªthey are fellow Draconians.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Liana chews her lip.

    I notice that Erik gets stiff when he hears that. Shit, it slipped my mind¡ªthey are still aliens to him because he¡¯s human. I take his right hand and kiss it, trying to reassure him that it¡¯s going to be fine. He usually smiles when I do that, but, this time, he gives me a painful look.

    At first, I think that it¡¯s because he¡¯s still shaken about the Enemy and he is, but it¡¯s not only that. More than ever before, Erik is painfully aware that he¡¯s the only human among us.

    ¡°Not now, Ryuu,¡± he shakes me off when I want to connect to him. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Except he¡¯s not ¡®fine,¡¯ I can feel it.

    You¡¯re my absolute priority, I send him a tender thought. That will never change.

    ¡°My Emperor,¡± Gavreel calls out to get my attention. ¡°How do we proceed?¡±

    ¡°We get our research team here ASAP,¡± I decide. ¡°Let¡¯s contact Rina, Nestelle and the others and tell them everything. I guess the Divementis could send their cruiser to pick them up.¡±

    *****

    Since our research team knew nothing about my involvement with the Divementis in Japan, they are astonished when I tell them to pack their stuff and equipment and wait for an alien spaceship to pick them up above the Draconian embassy.

    ¡°Is it safe, Your Majesty?¡± Rina is extremely nervous about the endeavour and she¡¯s not the only one. ¡°Weren¡¯t the Divementis our enemies until now or have I missed something?¡±

    ¡°It turns out they were never our enemies to begin with,¡± I explain. ¡°I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t hurt you nor they will invade your minds during the journey or they would antagonise me and they can¡¯t afford that.¡±

    ¡°Are you really their prince, my liege?¡± Nestelle squeezes into the camera¡¯s scope.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I am,¡± I say with a heavy heart because Celestials don¡¯t like hearing that. They want me for themselves which is understandable¡ªthe Emperor¡¯s attention shouldn¡¯t be divided. Also, they might be worried about a potential conflict of interest in future.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start packing then,¡± Rina says enthusiastically to the rest of the team. ¡°If our Emperor says it¡¯s safe, it¡¯s safe. Guys, we have a rare chance to see alien tech!¡±

    I smile faintly. Rina sure knows how to motivate her fellow scientists.

    Father? I send a telepathic message, wondering if he¡¯s tuned to me all the time.

    Yes, son? he answers without any delay.

    My research team agreed to come, I tell him. Can you send the cruiser to the Draconian embassy to pick them up?

    I will send a smaller vessel if that is alright with you. It¡¯s very taxing to shield a ship this big outside our premises.

    Okay, no problem. Just keep in mind that my whole research team is coming, Celestials take much more space than the Divementis and they are bringing scientific equipment, I remind him in case he wanted to send just a small transporter like the one they used to transport Noage and our luggage from the mansion to their flagship.

    Noted. If you¡¯re finished consulting with your people, we would like you to join us again, he says. We still have a lot of explaining to do.

    ¡°Ryuu,¡± Erik shakes me all of a sudden and looks bewildered. ¡°Who are you talking to?¡±

    ¡°My father?¡± I say as if it wasn¡¯t obvious. Who else besides them is there?

    ¡°Is it that effortless for you now?¡± he narrows his eyes. ¡°I thought it¡¯s just us, your husbands.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ and my father,¡± I say guiltily and look at Gotrid. He doesn¡¯t look happy about it either. ¡°Sorry, I keep forgetting that I¡¯m spacing out when I do that.¡±

    ¡°We never minded before because it was with us,¡± Gotrid says. ¡°Now we see it from the other perspective. No wonder it¡¯s making the Viceroy crazy.¡±

    After the strategic meeting, we reunite with my father and Nyx and go back to the laboratories. It¡¯s a nice change to be walking outside after a year of being confined in a skyscraper if only there weren¡¯t so many Divementis all around staring at me.

    Is it just my feeling or have they been waiting for you to show up? Erik complains in his mind.

    Our beloved is their newly found Prince, Gotrid comments. The Divementis seem to revere their rulers almost with the same intensity as Celestials.

    ¡°They are just curious, Your Majesty,¡± Nyx turns to us, overhearing our telepathic conversation.

    I frown for two reasons. First, Nyx is supposed to be my aunt and she¡¯s using honorifics with me. Second, how the hell do I shield against being overheard? I can hide my private thoughts, but every time I reach out to my partners, we¡¯re hopelessly exposed.

    The session continues and chancellors present their battle plans to us. The strategy looks promising, the Divementis weren¡¯t wasting those two hundred years since they came to Earth. Still, all those clever plans count on peerless cooperation between all Draconian races and human governments backing us up with funding and material support.

    Can we make it work somehow? It¡¯s hard to make humans cooperate and we¡¯re supposed to establish cooperation between six very distinct races which is something our predecessors tragically failed to do.

    ¡°Let¡¯s finish here for today,¡± my father says when the afternoon progresses and it¡¯s almost half past six.

    I expect us to go back to our apartment, have a meal there and go to sleep, but my father stops me from leaving just yet.

    ¡°Aefener, I wanted to ask you and your Consorts to have dinner with us,¡± he invites us.

    ¡°With the Divementis?¡± I wrinkle my nose. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for a reception, Father. I might be the Crown Prince, but I won¡¯t let you parade me and¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I mean¡­,¡± he bites his lip and it¡¯s the first time I see him flustered. ¡°I meant with your family. Just me, Nyx and your cousins.¡±

    I freeze. Wait, I have cousins?!

 95. A Family Dinner

    ¡°Son, is there really no chance we¡¯re doing this with as few people as possible?¡± my father sighs. ¡°I acknowledge your Consorts as my sons-in-law, but your Viceroy has no connection to our family.¡±

    ¡°Either she goes or I don¡¯t,¡± I insist stubbornly. ¡°She¡¯s like family to me.¡±

    ¡°We have one vacancy at the table,¡± Nyx saves the situation. ¡°Let the Celestial Viceroy come if it makes your son happy.¡±

    ¡°Alright then,¡± he concedes in the end. ¡°Let¡¯s meet in an hour so that we have some time to prepare and you can change your clothes. I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up.¡±

    We ride the elevator together, but we go our separate ways after that. My entourage and I are guided to our accommodation and my father with Nyx head towards their homes. I wonder what a Divementis home looks like. I guess I¡¯ll see that in an hour.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯d let you go the lion¡¯s den alone, but, gosh, I feel like I will be intruding,¡± Liana laments.

    ¡°Li, I really consider you to be my family,¡± I give her an encouraging smile. ¡°My Divementis relatives will either accept you or I won¡¯t accept them.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± she laughs and because we arrive at our apartments, she goes to her room to prepare.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that I need to change my clothes,¡± I say to the maids because my guards messaged them in advance to let them know about my evening program.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, Your Majesty, of course, you need to change your clothes,¡± the maids strongly disagree.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can beat this,¡± I touch the crown on my head and add quickly: ¡°Please, don¡¯t take it as a challenge.¡±

    ¡°We finally have a chance to try an evening robe!¡± Cien celebrates. ¡°Also, why would you wear the crown for a family dinner? That would be awkward and uncomfortable. You¡¯re not attending a business meeting, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°I have an evening robe?¡± I tilt my head.

    ¡°Naturally, we just didn¡¯t have a chance to put it on you just yet,¡± Ayame giggles. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so glad we packed it after all.¡±

    I resist rolling my eyes. No wonder we had so much luggage. I want to turn to Erik, but he disappears in the bathroom. Right, he¡¯s the only one who needs to use the toilet from time to time.

    ¡°Do your worst then,¡± I say resignedly because I stopped caring what they put on me months ago. I accepted that I have no power over my wardrobe. On the other hand, Gotrid seems excited that he also gets an evening robe.

    At first, I don¡¯t see how it¡¯s different from my usual royal attire, but then the upper materials start to get glossy until I end up with a dark blue over-robe with silver spots that look like the night sky. I¡¯d never wear something like this to a meeting, but the maids are right that it¡¯s perfect for dinner. They also take off my crown and give me a much smaller matching hairpiece.

    ¡°Do you like it, Your Majesty?¡± Ayame and Cien beam at me.

    ¡°I love it,¡± I grin and inspect myself in the mirror.

    I notice that Erik¡¯s tuxedo is still hanging on a rack and realise that he¡¯s not back yet even though the maids took their sweet time with me. I don¡¯t want to bother him in the bathroom, but I get worried. Erik has been unusually quiet on our way back.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ Erik?¡± I softly knock on the door because I don¡¯t want to pry telepathically. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Just a sec,¡± he calls back.

    I wait patiently until he¡¯s ready to come out. When he does, he looks normal, but I can sense that his emotions are jumbled and he feels anxious.

    ¡°A new robe?¡± he gives me a faint smile. ¡°You look so beautiful, love.¡±

    ¡°Erik, you¡¯re not okay,¡± I shake my head and go for a comforting hug. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Talk to me. Are you upset about what my father said? About what I said?¡±

    He hugs me around my back and clutches my feathers. I want to give him space, but I can¡¯t avoid connecting to him when he does that. His emotions intensify and flood my mind. I feel things I have never felt from him before because he kept them suppressed. He might not have been even aware of them, but he is now and it¡¯s tearing him apart. I¡¯ve never seen him this insecure about being the only human among us.

    ¡°I¡¯ll cancel the dinner,¡± I kiss him tenderly and shower him with my love.

    ¡°What? No!¡± he protests. ¡°I¡¯m not thrilled about it, but they are your family, Ryuu.¡±

    ¡°You, Gotrid and Liana are my family,¡± I assure him. ¡°You don¡¯t feel okay and you¡¯re my absolute priority. Let¡¯s have a nice relaxing evening, what do you say? Just the three of us.¡±

    ¡°No, I want to go,¡± he insists. ¡°Not because it¡¯s part of my obligations as the Royal Consort, but because they are your family and you should get to know them. I should get to know them. Damn, they are my in-laws!¡±

    I watch him as he¡¯s dressing up in haste and my heart is aching. I feel his resolve, he genuinely does want to go, but he¡¯s pushing himself. It¡¯s no use telling him to stop, though, he¡¯s very stubborn once he decides on something.

    ¡°My modern prince,¡± I hug him with my wings when he¡¯s done. ¡°You¡¯re so handsome.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he finally smiles.

    ¡°My Emperor, what about me?¡± Gotrid joins us and covers us both with his feathers.

    ¡°That goes without saying,¡± I tease him.

    ¡°Your Majesty, Her Excellency is waiting for you with the Divementis envoy,¡± Luviael enters the room to convey the message and sees our feathered cocoon. ¡°Ehm, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Comfort cuddling before the family drama,¡± Gotrid jokes.

    ¡°No drama!¡± I whine and untangle my wings. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I give them both a quick kiss and pray there won¡¯t be any drama.

    *****

    The building they lead us to looks quite different from other residential houses. This isn¡¯t a remodelled office building but a proper apartment complex and luxurious on top. I bet that only the most prominent Divementis officials live here. We enter the elevator and our escort takes us to the highest floors.

    ¡°Welcome,¡± my father is waiting for us already at the entrance. He also changed his robe to a more informal one. ¡°Please, follow me.¡±

    We try not to stare, but it¡¯s impossible. While the furniture is mostly human, there are many distinctly alien things all around from technology to art. In the case of some objects, I can¡¯t even begin to speculate about their purpose.

    The dining room is quite normal, though. I guess there¡¯s nothing a humanoid race would change about a table and chairs. I¡¯m relieved to see that three chairs are Celestial-friendly. Nyx is waiting for us and there are two Divementis I haven¡¯t seen before nervously standing next to her.

    I realise that I can recognise a certain unmistakable resemblance. Those two do look similar to Nyx and are much younger so she must be their mother. I also realise that I can easily tell their genders. It¡¯s very subtle, but they are a boy and a girl. I wonder how old they are. Maybe the same age as me?

    I give them an inquisitive look and I suddenly feel them panicking and hastily fortifying their minds. Why are they so anxious? It should be us feeling nervous. We might have six guards with us, but we are at the mercy of the Divementis here.

    ¡°Son, what did I tell you about your telepathic pressure?¡± my father raises his eyebrow.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± I oppose.

    ¡°You send out your mind on reflex,¡± he sighs. ¡°That habit will be difficult to break.¡±

    ¡°Not now, Althorion,¡± Nyx coughs to change the subject. ¡°Your Majesty, this is my daughter Nala and my son Advin. I was told that you know already that I¡¯m actually your aunt. That makes my children your cousins.¡±

    ¡°Hello,¡± I try to smile amicably at Nala and Advin, but they are still looking at me as if I¡¯m going to invade their minds. I feel like I haven¡¯t made the best first impression.

    ¡°Let¡¯s sit,¡± my father says and sits down first. Nyx sits right next to him and her children take the sides.

    We don¡¯t have much choice about the seating order because there¡¯s only one non-Celestial chair at our side of the table and that¡¯s reserved for Erik. Erik ends up sitting to my right, Gotrid to my left and Liana next to Erik. It seems my father wanted to make sure that I sat right in front of him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how the Divementis address their aunts,¡± I start politely. ¡°Also, can you please stop using honorifics with me?¡±

    ¡°We use the word atea,¡± Nyx smiles, ¡°but you can keep calling me Nyx. As for dropping honorifics, I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t do that. Only most direct relatives or spouses can call the members of the Royal bloodline informally. Besides, Your Majesty is also the Celestial Emperor.¡±

    ¡°So, you can address my father by his name, but not me¡ªhis son?¡± I can¡¯t believe my ears. What kind of messed up hierarchy is that?

    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken about how it works among Celestials, only your Consorts are allowed to be on a first-name basis with Your Majesty,¡± she answers patiently. ¡°That¡¯s not any different from our tradition.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re my aunt, it¡¯s weird,¡± I say desperately.

    ¡°Ehm, love?¡± Gotrid pulls my sleeve and I feel that both of my partners and Liana panicked for a second. ¡°You didn¡¯t say that last sentence in English.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I look at him, confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You used our language just now,¡± my father explains sharply and there¡¯s a hint of satisfaction in his voice. ¡°I guess your brain is trying to subconsciously wire itself towards us.¡±

    I chew my lip. I hope that I won¡¯t do that again during the evening. I felt how it startled my beloved just now. Fortunately, I¡¯m saved by the first course being served. I pay attention to the plate in front of me and notice that there¡¯s nothing even remotely Divementis about the dishes or the utensils.

    ¡°What are you surprised about, son?¡± my father tilts his head. ¡°Did you expect something more alien? There¡¯s no reason to forcefully change something that works perfectly as it is. Yes, the Divementis eating etiquette used to be a bit different, but we escaped Draconia two hundred years ago. We adopted many parts of the human culture.¡±

    ¡°Maybe too many,¡± Nyx sight and looks at her children. They look as Divementis as it gets, but I notice that the air around them is somehow different.

    ¡°Were they born here?¡± I ask openly.

    ¡°Yes, they are only a few years older than you, Your Majesty,¡± Nyx nods. ¡°I hope that you will want to get to know them better.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± I say enthusiastically. I¡¯m still coming to terms with the fact that I have two cousins, but I like it. I wonder if we can get closer or if the bridge between us is too wide to cross since I¡¯m only half-Divementis.

    I finish my starter, it¡¯s a really good mushroom stick with some special sauce. I notice that Erik got pieces of smoked salmon and so did the Divementis. Oh, so they can eat meat just as I could when I was still half-human.

    ¡°Your eating preferences are Celestial, but it seems you inherited our rather small stomach,¡± my father comments. I don¡¯t think he heard my thoughts just now, but he could tell from the way I¡¯m analysing our plates. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you just have to eat more often. I bet you¡¯re the type who doesn¡¯t like snacking between meals, but as I¡¯ve already told your Earthborn doctor, you should.¡±

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    I don¡¯t like him giving me a lecture, but when I automatically get a smaller portion of soup than my partners and Erik¡ªthe same portion as my Divementis relatives¡ªI honestly feel relieved. I hate feeling overstuffed after a meal. I simply can¡¯t stomach Celestial portion sizes.

    The soup is the same for everyone, my favourite asparagus. I wonder if it took the Divementis a lot of time to get used to human cooking and ingredients from Earth. There are so many things that interest me. Will I ever have time to ask about everything?

    ¡°Is this your apartment, father?¡± I ask to break the momentary silence.

    ¡°No, it belongs to Nyx and her family,¡± he shakes his head. ¡°Mine is more frugal, I don¡¯t need a huge dining room and I prefer to eat with my sister anyway.¡±

    Right, I kind of guessed that my father doesn¡¯t have a partner so it means that he lives alone if I don¡¯t count his servants and guards.

    ¡°Ask away,¡± he sighs. ¡°Since you started to guard your mind, I can¡¯t read you easily, but I can tell when you have a million questions going through your head. Don¡¯t ask me about the game or the invasion, though. Now it¡¯s finally time to ask about your family.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you find a new partner?¡± I blurt out. I know that it¡¯s very insensitive of me, but I have to know.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never found another person I¡¯d love as much as I loved Amelia,¡± he answers and his voice is a bit cracked. ¡°Love doesn¡¯t come easily to the Divementis, son. We were shocked when we first came here and discovered that humans practised arranged marriages. The Divementis can¡¯t bond to people they don¡¯t truly love.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t? Really?!¡± Gotrid widens his eyes and I have no idea why he¡¯s so taken aback by that information. No, he¡¯s not just taken aback¡ªhe¡¯s ecstatic about the revelation for some reason.

    ¡°We¡¯re physiologically and mentally incapable of it,¡± my father confirms.

    ¡°But our cousin is clearly different,¡± Nala frowns and it¡¯s the first time she finds the courage to speak up. Her expression even shows slight defiance. ¡°He has two partners! We can¡¯t bond to more partners at the same time.¡±

    ¡°Nala,¡± Nyx hisses and nudges her. ¡°Use proper honorifics, His Majesty is your Prince.¡±

    ¡°True, my son is peculiar in that aspect,¡± my father admits. ¡°It must be because of his Celestial half because Celestial Emperors were known to be polyamorous. Still, he can¡¯t bond with people he doesn¡¯t love.¡±

    Again, Gotrid¡¯s emotional state reacts wildly, but I don¡¯t have space to ask him about it. Besides, my father would hear it.

    ¡°So¡­ they didn¡¯t force you to take another partner even though you lack an heir,¡± I summarise to make things clear.

    ¡°They couldn¡¯t, it doesn¡¯t work that way with us,¡± he sighs. ¡°The best they could do is to arrange a date with every unbonded Divementis woman in our community. I didn¡¯t fall in love with any of them, unfortunately, so my subjects ran out of options. Frankly, the Divementis were slowly coming to terms with the Royal bloodline ending with me, but then we learned about your existence.¡±

    ¡°The thing is,¡± Nyx adds because she can feel the next question coming, ¡°we can¡¯t produce offspring with a person we don¡¯t love. We can have sex, sure, but our reproductive system doesn¡¯t react unless we release special love hormones. As for artificial reproduction¡­ well, that never resulted in producing a child with Royal genes. Trust me, we tried many times.¡±

    ¡°Then the Royal bloodline ends with me,¡± I say darkly. ¡°I¡¯m not pure Divementis anyway and since I can¡¯t bond to a person I don¡¯t love, I will never bond to a woman since I¡¯m gay.¡±

    ¡°I have two hundred years to live, I¡¯m still in my prime,¡± my father snorts and it¡¯s the first time I see him annoyed. There are lots of first times ever since we came here.

    ¡°Even if we win this, I can¡¯t promise that I will take over,¡± I say strongly so that there¡¯s no misunderstanding. ¡°Besides, two hundred years¡­ gosh, I can¡¯t even imagine living for that long. How long do Celestials live anyway?¡±

    ¡°They were the most long-lived Draconian race,¡± my father reveals. ¡°They could live up to six hundred on average, depending on how well they were able to control mana in their bodies that was rejuvenating their cells. Naturally, their emperor was immortal unless killed because the embodiment of magic was one with mana.¡±

    Liana coughs and spits out the soup she is sipping, Erik drops his spoon, Gotrid¡¯s wings twitch and I just stare at my father, dumbfounded. Is he implying that I might be¡­? No, that¡¯s impossible!

    ¡°I¡¯m only half-Celestial,¡± I say quickly and look at my shocked partners and Viceroy. ¡°I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ll live as long as any Celestial.¡±

    ¡°Aefener, do your feathers store mana?¡± my father narrows his eyes. ¡°We did steal your feather for DNA testing, but we couldn¡¯t test that. We can¡¯t feel it, you have to tell me.¡±

    ¡°Ehm¡­ yes?¡± I say extremely slowly, scared by where this is going.

    ¡°Then you¡¯re immortal because that¡¯s the main sign of the true embodiment of magic,¡± he smiles victoriously, looking both content and relieved. ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy about it? We certainly have a reason to celebrate, the Divementis Royal bloodline won¡¯t end with me.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ that¡¯s not¡­ I mean¡­ I can¡¯t be¡­,¡± I stutter and my wings start trembling.

    The ability of my feathers to store mana isn¡¯t that miraculous, right?! I¡¯ve always thought of it as a handy battery of sorts, nothing else. I can¡¯t be immortal, can I? Because that would mean¡­ I look at Erik and Gotrid and my heart skips a beat.

    I still haven¡¯t come to terms with the fact that Erik will die in a few dozen years, but, at least, I was comforted by the fact that Gotrid has the same lifespan as me. Except now I¡¯ve learned that maybe he doesn¡¯t. No one has. Am I destined to spend eternity alone?

    ¡°I thought that you suspected already,¡± my father remarks when he sees our shocked expressions. ¡°The embodiment of magic is one with mana which means that their cells are being rejuvenated constantly whereas, in the case of normal Celestials, it happens mainly during sleep.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe it!¡± I decide and shake my head stubbornly. ¡°I¡¯m half-Divementis anyway.¡±

    I stretch my hands to the sides and clutch both Erik and Gotrid. They still haven¡¯t overcome the initial shock and even though nothing¡¯s confirmed yet, their heads are full of potential scenarios about our future together. Erik especially is thinking frantically and his thoughts are so fast and chaotic that I have a problem deciphering them.

    I try showering them with love, but I can¡¯t calm them down when I¡¯m not calm myself. I feel Liana more distantly because I¡¯m not directly touching her, but, unlike my partners, I can sense careful optimism coming from her. Is she actually happy about it? I focus on my guards, who are silently standing by the walls, and they feel more excited than shocked.

    ¡°Well, we will know for sure when we check your body,¡± he shrugs it off for now. ¡°We planned a thorough medical examination for tomorrow morning. Your research team should arrive in the afternoon so we¡¯d better do it as early as possible.¡±

    I turn pale when he says those words: medical examination.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, son? Aren¡¯t you curious about which parts of you are Divementis and which Celestial?¡± he doesn¡¯t understand my reaction.

    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s mother conditioned him to be afraid of hospitals and doctors and avoid them at all costs,¡± Liana explains instead of me because I don¡¯t say anything. She managed to digest the shocking news surprisingly fast.

    ¡°She conditioned you?¡± that astonishes him. ¡°Well, I guess that makes sense. She was good at behavioural psychology and she needed to protect you. What else did she condition you to avoid?¡±

    ¡°You,¡± I whisper, my wings still trembling.

    ¡°What?¡± my father frowns, confused.

    ¡°She told me to never look for my father,¡± I explain in a shaky voice, ¡°and I never did. Every time I thought of you, I felt dread.¡±

    That leaves the Divementis Emperor speechless. I wish I could read his emotions and thoughts right now. What is he thinking? Is he remorseful? Angry at my mother? Disappointed? Irritated?

    ¡°I¡­ I see,¡± he says heavily after a few long moments, ¡°Amelia must have been afraid of what my subjects would do to a human-Divementis hybrid.¡±

    The soup plates are taken away and we¡¯re served the main dish. Surprisingly, it¡¯s European cuisine. Erik and my Divementis relatives get a steak with potatoes while Liana, Gotrid and I get pasta with stir-fried vegetables and grated cheese. I have to let go of my partners¡¯ hands, so I stretch my wings and hug them with my wings instead.

    All my appetite left me after that unexpected revelation, but I force myself to eat. I chew slowly, trying to think how to get out of tomorrow¡¯s medical examination. I know that my fear is stupid now because I have no more use for it, but I can¡¯t help it.

    ¡°Love, you should go,¡± Gotrid finally speaks up, having recovered a bit. ¡°We have to confirm it. Besides, we need to finally know how your body works. They might help you with your indigestion and migraines. Don¡¯t worry, I will be holding your hand during the whole process.¡±

    Erik stays silent, still thinking things through.

    ¡°Son, our medical examination doesn¡¯t hurt,¡± my father assures me. ¡°We won¡¯t do anything invasive. We will just scan your body and if we need to go deeper, we can ask your Earthborn physician for help.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I say, but I know that I don¡¯t sound enthusiastic. At least I can hope that the examination will prove that I¡¯m not immortal.

    I eat a mouthful of pasta so that I don¡¯t get scolded for not eating properly, but I keep checking the mental states of Erik and Gotrid. Their expressions are stiff and they still feel bewildered, but it seems each of them is for a different reason. Not wanting to pry, I look down to my plate.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you ask about your mother?¡± my father surprises me by suggesting that so openly.

    ¡°I wanted to, but¡­,¡± I bite my lip because I don¡¯t feel comfortable about it when there are Divementis servants and my guards around.

    ¡°I understand, we will talk in a dream state then,¡± he says as if it¡¯s the most natural thing in the world. Maybe it is for the Divementis. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m assigning you Nala and Advin as your adjutants. They will start tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°You what?¡± I almost drop the fork.

    ¡°Their job will be to take care of your needs and comfort, make sure that coordination between Celestials and Divementis runs smoothly and help you with your daily agenda,¡± he explains matter-of-factly. ¡°It¡¯s customary for relatives who didn¡¯t inherit the Royal bloodline to proudly take up such functions and help the sovereign. Nala and Advin might be young, but I think that you will find the company of Divementis close to your age and born here refreshing.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­,¡± I try to oppose, but Nyx interrupts me.

    ¡°Your Majesty, it would shame my family if you rejected them,¡± she pleads. ¡°It¡¯s our tradition that cousins without the gift help their Prince or Princess. Besides, you won¡¯t get a better chance to get to know your people than this.¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess¡­ okay?¡± I say uncertainly.

    ¡°I promise you that they won¡¯t get in your way,¡± Nyx smiles encouragingly. ¡°Still, I beg you to keep them close. They have a lot to learn about politics and other Draconian races. Seriously, I swear that sometimes they behave more like humans since they were born here. If you need to discipline them, feel free. As their Prince, you are naturally their superior.¡±

    ¡°More like humans?¡± I raise my eyebrows because I don¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°Son, I know that you see yourself more as a Celestial than a Divementis, but I¡¯d like to teach you about our rich culture and history,¡± my father proposes. ¡°Your schedule will be packed, but we can¡¯t underestimate this part of your Divementis heritage.¡±

    I would be lying if I said that I¡¯m not curious, so I nod. Nevertheless, it¡¯s so strange. Just a week ago the Divementis were still a total mystery to us and now we¡¯re having dinner with them and they are willing to tell us all their secrets. I even stopped seeing them as aliens. Maybe we can cooperate after all?

    When we finish the dinner, it¡¯s already nine. If I¡¯m to meet with my father in a dream state, I should call it a night early today so that I get enough sleep. My father doesn¡¯t try to hold us for longer exactly because of that.

    ¡°See you soon, Aefener,¡± he says instead of a goodnight.

    *****

    We¡¯re quite tired so we don¡¯t talk much on our way back. Both Erik and Gotrid need more time to think so I decide to give them space and only Liana can¡¯t stop babbling about my apparent immortality which I adamantly refuse to believe in. I insist that my mana-storing feathers are just a handy power source which has nothing to do with my lifespan.

    ¡°Thank you for coming there with me,¡± I say to Liana in front of her apartment that¡¯s just opposite ours.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t as tense as I expected,¡± she admits. ¡°Not that it was short of shocking discoveries. Immortal, geez. One more reason for our people to go crazy about Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°I hope not,¡± I sigh and wish her goodnight.

    ¡°Bathroom,¡± Erik mumbles the moment we step into our apartment and runs off.

    I¡¯m left on the doorstep, confused. Sure, it¡¯s been almost three hours and Erik has his human needs, but he¡¯s clearly running away from our inevitable follow-up conversation, not just to empty his bladder. I can feel his emotions and they are super turbulent. I look at Gotrid who, on the other hand, feels relieved for some reason.

    ¡°We should talk,¡± I say simply and he nods.

    I briefly tell the maids that the dinner went rather well and let them change us into our sleeping robes. Maybe it¡¯s for the best that Erik isn¡¯t here for now so that I can focus on Gotrid first.

    ¡°Gotrid, you reacted strangely during the dinner when we were talking about Divementis partnership bonds,¡± I say, unsure how to phrase it. ¡°We need to talk about it. I mean properly talk. Is there something you aren¡¯t telling me? I¡¯m sorry, but my telepathy isn¡¯t omniscient. Also, I don¡¯t pry into places of your consciousness which I feel that you guard.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate that,¡± he says, takes my right hand and kisses it to express his gratefulness.

    ¡°So, what was that about?¡± I poke him.

    ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± he¡¯s slightly surprised.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t,¡± I assure him.

    ¡°Aefener,¡± his eyes suddenly get wet and he uses my name which he rarely does. ¡°The truth is I was afraid that I forced myself on you.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ what?¡± I tilt my head, astonished.

    ¡°I mean,¡± he grabs a few of my feathers and plays with them to calm himself, ¡°I was pretty forceful with my flirting and romantic advances. In my stupidity, I almost made Erik my enemy. You accepted me in the end, but I haven¡¯t been able to stop pondering whether you just took pity on me.¡±

    I¡¯m staring at him with my mouth open wide. I certainly didn¡¯t expect that out of everything he could have been hesitant about.

    ¡°Gotrid, you¡­,¡± I chew my lip. ¡°Have you been worrying about it all this time? How come I didn¡¯t notice? Some telepath I am.¡±

    ¡°As you said, you don¡¯t go into places of our minds which you feel that we guard,¡± he reminds me. ¡°It was the one thing I¡¯ve never wanted you to know. I hid my insecurities behind my cheerful personality. I was afraid that you didn¡¯t love me as much as you love Erik. I was afraid that I would always be the second one¡ªyour compulsory Celestial Consort you were forced to take in to make your subjects happy.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­ that¡¯s ridiculous!¡± I shake my head violently. ¡°How could you even think that? I¡¯ve opened my heart to you and surrendered to you completely.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± his eyes get wet. ¡°I realised how stupid it was only now. It¡¯s just¡­ maybe it¡¯s my selfish thinking, but you seem to pay more attention to Erik than me. You¡¯re always so overprotective of him.¡±

    ¡°Only because Erik doesn¡¯t have magic and can¡¯t protect himself,¡± I explain eagerly. ¡°I don¡¯t have to worry about your safety as much as I have to worry about Erik¡¯s. You became one of the best casters, Gotrid.¡±

    ¡°R-really?¡± he sobs, but his eyes brighten up.

    ¡°Of course, you rank right after Liana, Taranah, Miruel, Soren and Vermiel,¡± I assure him vehemently.

    ¡°Wait, I¡¯m number six in your ranking?¡± he suddenly stops crying and frowns instead.

    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have time to train all day long,¡± I shrug and smile. ¡°Gotrid, you silly, why did you need the Divementis to assure you about my love? Can¡¯t you feel it from me? Should I be even more lovey-dovey with you?¡±

    ¡°I certainly wouldn¡¯t say no to that,¡± he finally smiles back. ¡°Still, I feel relieved to know that you can¡¯t bond with someone who you don¡¯t truly love.¡±

    ¡°Dummy,¡± I poke him again, but then I lean for a kiss. I hope Erik returns soon so that we can cuddle together.

    Erik does return eventually, but he takes his time. He appears at the door with an expression I¡¯ve never seen him have before and it frightens me.

    ¡°Ryuu, I¡¯m sorry, but I decided to sleep on the sofa tonight,¡± he whispers and his voice is tense. ¡°I need more time to think and I can¡¯t have you influencing me.¡±

    ¡°Sleep¡­ on the sofa?¡± I repeat after him and the meaning of those words is only slowly starting to decode in my confused brain. When it finally does, I forget to breathe for a moment. ¡°Erik, please¡­ we can talk about it and¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Ryuu, I need to be alone,¡± he shakes his head, turns around and simply leaves.

    I look at Gotrid and Gotrid looks at me. What has just happened?!

 96. Without Erik

    ¡°Love, Erik just needs some alone time,¡± Gotrid hugs me because he can see that I¡¯m starting to freak out. ¡°I know that this is the first time Erik wants to be separated from you, but why do you automatically blame yourself you did something wrong? You didn¡¯t. Erik is overwhelmed by what he learned today and feels the need to think out of your telepathic influence, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­ what if he¡­. because I might be¡­,¡± I have difficulties saying it out loud and want to get out of bed, but Gotrid doesn¡¯t let me.

    ¡°Probably and who wouldn¡¯t be shocked?¡± he embraces me tighter. ¡°Gosh, I¡¯m still in shock myself. I take it more easily only because I have hundreds of years ahead of me to spend with you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be immortal!¡± I finally say that word. ¡°It means that I¡¯ll be watching both of you die.¡±

    ¡°Shh,¡± he covers me with his wings. ¡°You have us now. Why think about the distant future?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my job as the Emperor to think about the distant future,¡± I remind him. ¡°I can¡¯t help it.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± he sighs and caresses my face. ¡°Close your eyes, hon, try to match your erratic breathing with mine.¡±

    The moment I close my eyes, I send my mind to Erik on reflex. Gotrid grabs my chin and kisses me to make me pull my mind back. I force myself to fully connect to Gotrid so that I¡¯m not tempted anymore to reach out. I don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll be able to fall asleep this anxious, but his comforting mind soothes me eventually.

    *****

    ¡°Welcome back, son,¡± my father greets me when I regain consciousness in a dream state. It seemed to me as if I appeared here the moment I closed my eyes, but I think that I must have been sleeping for a few hours before that because one doesn¡¯t have dreams in the early stages of a sleep cycle.

    My father is wearing the same clothes as he did during the dinner, but I guess he chose that. I hope that I¡¯ll learn how to control the dream state soon because I¡¯m at his mercy here. How does a Divementis induce a ludic dream anyway? However, for once, I don¡¯t feel enthusiastic about the exploration.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± he asks, noticing my grim expression.

    ¡°Erik didn¡¯t take the news well even though It¡¯s not even confirmed yet,¡± I decide to tell him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that, son, I really am,¡± he expresses sympathy and sounds honest. ¡°But rest assured¡ªit takes an exceptional human to make a Divementis fall in love. So far, you¡¯re only the second Divementis after me who bonded with a human. I¡¯m sure your husband will come around.¡±

    ¡°My Mom left, though,¡± I point out, crushed just thinking about the possibility of it. ¡°Erik could leave, too. Do the Divementis have divorces?¡±

    ¡°No, we don¡¯t, it¡¯s unthinkable for us,¡± he shakes his head. ¡°Unless one partner dies, our bonds last forever. We¡¯re locked both mentally and chemically. We never stop loving our partners. You might have the unique ability to bond with more partners at the same time, but I¡¯m afraid this applies to you without a change.¡±

    ¡°But Mom¡­ she left you,¡± I bite my lip, fearing the worst.

    ¡°It seems that humans can leave if they use all their willpower,¡± he confirms slowly. ¡°Amelia did leave from her own initiative even though it must have been tearing her apart. I wonder if her anguish was as painful as mine. For apparent reasons, we lack data on the subject.¡±

    ¡°I want to see more memories of her,¡± I demand.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you then,¡± he agrees.

    *****

    Amelia takes off the VR helmet and ruffles her red hair. The Divementis have an indifferent opinion on the standards of human beauty, but Althorion finds this woman immensely beautiful. He¡¯s been interested in her ever since she joined the internal development team and hasn¡¯t missed a chance to cooperate closely with her.

    ¡°It was much better than before, but I still encountered too many glitches,¡± Amelia reports. ¡°Also, the surroundings blurred every time I turned my head too quickly. Admittedly, it¡¯s way beyond current human technology, but I was still fully aware that it¡¯s just a game. As far as immersion goes, I¡¯d rate it twenty-five percent at best.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a prototype, we will make it better,¡± the Divementis Emperor says firmly, happy that his newest human coworker isn¡¯t afraid to give honest feedback.

    ¡°You will need humans to design quests, though,¡± Amelia says critically. ¡°The quest I tried to complete was too¡­ Divementis. I didn¡¯t feel engaged and the objective was confusing.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re working on getting more human developers involved,¡± he assures her. ¡°It¡¯s a lengthy process because there are too many security risks.¡±

    ¡°Right, they would be working with aliens¡ªliterally,¡± Amelia laughs and stands up.

    Too quickly. Her head spins because experimental VR helmets often cause nausea (something they haven¡¯t been able to fix yet) and she loses balance. Without thinking, Althorion automatically rushes to catch her. Despite his meticulous training, he connects to her on reflex and gets a taste of her mind.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± the Emperor mumbles, desperately trying to hide the fact how much he liked it. After making sure that she can stand straight, he unwillingly lets go of her.

    ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Amelia gasps for breath and blushes. ¡°It just caught me unprepared. I hope you didn¡¯t see anything too embarrassing. How does it work anyway? Can you see in more detail when you touch people? Can you make it a two-way channel even with humans?¡±

    ¡°We can,¡± he nods slowly, a bit hesitant about how much he should tell her. ¡°Sure, there are things we can¡¯t share with humans, but we evolved in a world with four other sentient races. Unlike the Enemy, we adapted so that we¡¯re able to connect to non-telepaths.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to try it,¡± she suggests eagerly.

    ¡°Try¡­ it?¡± Althorion tilts his head, confused.

    ¡°A full telepathic connection,¡± she explains. ¡°Preferably with Your Majesty who is the strongest telepath.¡±

    ¡°A full telepathic connection is too intimate,¡± he shakes his head. ¡°We¡¯ve never tried that with humans.¡±

    ¡°I might be an exception?¡± she winks at him. ¡°Isn¡¯t Your Majesty curious about what it feels like to connect fully to a human mind? Who knows¡ªyou might discover something that will help with our research. We aim to alter human perception, after all.¡±

    ¡°I am¡­ curious,¡± he admits and chews his lip. She has a point.

    ¡°Consider it part of work, Your Majesty,¡± she teases him. ¡°You want to start influencing human brains in twenty years through a videogame which is something unheard of even for your highly technologically advanced race.¡±

    Althorian can¡¯t take his eyes off this human woman. How can she be so bold? Does she have no fear? He can¡¯t wait to explore her mind.

    *****

    The vision dissolves and we¡¯re back. I study my father¡¯s expression because he looks moved by reliving that particular memory. I realise how far he is from that emotionless alien I initially took him for.

    ¡°Your mother was so bold,¡± he says with a faint smile. ¡°She was never afraid of me. On the contrary, she was constantly challenging me.¡±

    ¡°Did you fall in love during that full connection?¡± I blurt out, dying with curiosity. ¡°How did you manage to hide your relationship?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a story for tomorrow,¡± he concludes the session. ¡°As much as I¡¯d love to show you everything, I decided to limit our meetings in a dream state for one hour each night. You will be training and working hard in the upcoming weeks, so you need to be well-rested.¡±

    ¡°No, wait, we can do one more¡­!¡± I try to stop him, but everything blurs and my brain slips into deep sleep again.

    *****

    I wake up covered in Gotrid¡¯s warm feathers. I might be half-Divementis and perceive the world differently thanks to my extra sense, but I¡¯m as Celestial as it gets when it comes to this. I can¡¯t imagine my life without wings and that will never change no matter how much the Divementis may try to persuade me to start preferring them instead.

    ¡°How long have you been awake?¡± I yawn, suspecting that I overslept.

    ¡°For a while now, but don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he kisses me into my hair. ¡°Did the dream meeting with your father go well?¡±

    I want to answer him, but the moment I shake off drowsiness, I recall last night and my stomach tightens. I get out of Gotrid¡¯s wings, put on slippers and hurry to the living room. In the door, I realise that not only the sofa is empty, but I don¡¯t feel Erik anywhere. My heart skips a beat.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Erik?¡± I yell at the guards in panic. ¡°Where¡¯s my husband?!¡±

    ¡°Lord Erik left an hour ago, demanding to see Chancellor Sythara,¡± Vermiel reports. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty, he has Miruel and five other guards with him.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± an unfamiliar voice addresses me all of a sudden, using my Divementis title.

    A bit startled, I turn around and stare at my cousin Advin. His expression is tense and so is his emotional state because he¡¯s not able to hide his feelings from me and he¡¯s painfully aware of that. What is he doing inside of our apartment?

    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m your adjutant starting today,¡± he reminds me when he notices my confusion. ¡°My sister Nala would be here as well, but she¡¯s accompanying the Royal Consort who demanded to see our father first thing in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Your father?¡± I blink.

    ¡°Chancellor Sythara,¡± Advin reveals.

    ¡°Chancellor Sythara is Nyx¡¯s husband and your father?!¡± I¡¯m astonished because I didn¡¯t notice any romantic interaction between my aunt and him whatsoever.

    ¡°It¡¯s not customary for our people to publicly show off affection, especially when working,¡± Advin explains, answering my unspoken but obvious question.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Damn, it¡¯s so weird. Sythara has been my uncle all this time and I had no idea. I feel overwhelmed already and the day has barely started. However, Erik takes absolute priority. I need to find him and make sure that he¡¯s okay.

    ¡°Love, I¡¯m sure Erik is safe and you¡¯re standing in front of your cousin in pyjamas,¡± Gotrid comes to fetch me and pulls me back to the bedroom.

    My so-called pyjamas are a nice sateen two-layered robe covering me from shoulders to toes, but everybody still thinks that I shouldn¡¯t be seen in it outside of bed. I resist rolling my eyes and suppress sighing¡ªthat¡¯s typical Celestial mentality. The maids capture me to dress me up and take their time despite my vehement attempts to speed up the process.

    ¡°Li, Erik is missing!¡± I tell my Viceroy desperately instead of good morning when I meet her in the hall. ¡°I need to find him so I¡¯m leaving immediately.¡±

    ¡°I know, Erik visited me before he left,¡± Liana say, perfectly calm about it. ¡°He¡¯s fine, Your Majesty, trust me. He just wanted to discuss something with Chancellor Sythara in private.¡±

    ¡°Discuss what?¡± I frown, a bit hurt that Erik went to Liana and not me.

    ¡°It¡¯s not up to me to say,¡± she refuses to answer. ¡°I¡¯m sure he will tell you when he¡¯s ready. Please, Your Majesty, stop panicking, your husband is safe and sound. Besides, he has Nala with him to show him around.¡±

    I flutter my wings. How can I not panic? Erik must be hurting and I¡¯m not there for him. Or does it bother me because he needs space from me? I know that we¡¯ve been together practically non-stop for more than a year now and every psychologist would claim that it¡¯s not healthy and a clear sign of a co-dependent relationship.

    ¡°Love, you¡¯re overthinking again,¡± Gotrid pets my feathers. ¡°Whatever Erik is going through right now, I¡¯m sure that he will make the right decision. Damn, I¡¯ll say it, but only because he¡¯s not here and don¡¯t you ever tell him, okay? I think he¡¯s amazing and I secretly look up to him.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re both amazing,¡± I insist and kiss him tenderly. I love you so much, Gotrid, I add in my thoughts.

    Some telepath I am, seriously. How could I not notice how insecure Gotrid had been all this time? I need to make the necessary changes towards both of them. If what Erik needs most is space and the company of humans, I¡¯m prepared to give him that. If Gotrid needs more affection, I¡¯ll be doting on him from now on.

    ¡°Ehm,¡± Liana coughs, ¡°it warms my heart to see you lovey-dovey, but have some restraint, Gotrid. You¡¯re in public, geez. Look at poor Advin.¡±

    I realise that Gotrid managed to slip his hand between my wings during our kiss and my cousin Advin turned completely red. I forgot that the Divementis are very reserved in this aspect. I wonder if Advin has a girlfriend or a boyfriend. Maybe young Divementis don¡¯t date casually and just wait until they find their soulmate?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go find Erik,¡± I gently push Gotrid away, but keep his fingers entangled with mine.

    ¡°Nope, we¡¯re all going to have breakfast now,¡± Liana forbids me to leave. ¡°Erik is as safe as he can be. The best Your Majesty can do for him right now is to let him do what he needs to do and fill your stomach in the meantime.¡±

    ¡°Her Excellency is right, hon,¡± Gotrid agrees with her. ¡°Erik is okay and there¡¯s no way you¡¯re skipping a meal. The Divementis didn¡¯t say anything about having the medical examination on an empty stomach which means they aren¡¯t going to measure your blood sugar.¡±

    My stomach is tight because I¡¯m anxious, but there¡¯s no arguing with both my husband and my Viceroy. Advin, Soren, Luviael, Vermiel and Gavreel join us and we go to the dining hall downstairs. Neither my father nor Nyx show up, but I meet a few chancellors and some new Divementis I haven¡¯t seen before. They bow to me deeply and there¡¯s hope in their eyes when they look at me.

    My initial plan is to gobble everything as quickly as possible, but I know that it would upset my stomach for the rest of the day, so I¡¯m forced to slow down. I eye Advin who sat down right in front of me in the seat my father occupied yesterday.

    I almost choke on a piece of toast when I notice that Advin is chewing his scrambled eggs without much interest and is paying more attention to his mobile phone which looks completely normal and, by normal, I mean human.

    I pretend that I want another slice of bread and stand up because it¡¯s rude to use telekinesis when dining with non-Celestials. I catch a glimpse of Advin¡¯s screen and discover that he¡¯s browsing social media. Damn, he¡¯s even liking some posts! Is this what Nyx meant when she complained that her children were behaving too humanly?

    ¡°What?¡± Advin purses his lips because he catches my scrutinous look. ¡°I mean¡­ what is it, Your Highness? Do you need something?¡±

    If I didn¡¯t feel so anxious about Erik not being here, I would chuckle. Advin¡¯s behaviour is so cutely defiant. I don¡¯t know anything about him, but I like him already. My cousin. I love how that word sounds because it means that I still have a biological family.

    ¡°Advin, do you like human culture?¡± I ask curiously.

    He frowns and hides the phone in the binding of his robe.

    ¡°What if I do?¡± he retorts. ¡°Geez, don¡¯t be like my Mom, always nagging me and Nala about it.¡±

    The Divementis sitting around the table give him a scornful look for using such a tone with their prince, but I find it refreshing. Advin is around the same age and my relative so it¡¯s really weird to hear honorifics from his mouth.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that,¡± I shake my head. ¡°I¡¯m a huge fan of fantasy books and video games myself.¡±

    ¡°I prefer music and movies,¡± he reveals carefully. ¡°I was never into books, Divementis or human, but human music is much more fun than the Divementis idea of it. Don¡¯t let me start with movies, the Divementis don¡¯t have them at all!¡±

    I feel like Advin opened up to me a little which makes me happy. My cousin doesn¡¯t seem to be so different from me, Divementis or not. I turn back to Gotrid and notice that my husband got upset. He¡¯s not the only one. Liana and the others look visibly upset as well.

    ¡°I¡¯m eating,¡± I say quickly and stuff my mouth with tomatoes.

    ¡°Aefener,¡± Gotrid puts his hand on my thigh. ¡°Once again, you spoke Divementis.¡±

    ¡°I-I did?¡± I widen my eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with both English and Japanese, but that¡¯s not the issue here,¡± Advin shrugs. ¡°You subconsciously wire yourself towards us, my prince.¡±

    I bite my lip. Switching languages isn¡¯t a problem, we do it in Europe all the time. The problem is that I do it without realising and that it¡¯s an alien language nobody besides the Divementis understands. No wonder my partner, Liana and my subjects feel awkward. They have no idea what we¡¯ve been talking about.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll be more careful from now on,¡± I apologise.

    I pretend to be busy with the food on my plate so that I can quickly check everyone¡¯s emotions. As expected, my people are extremely distressed whenever I act too Divementis in their eyes. They don¡¯t have a problem with me being half-Divementis; that¡¯s not what this is about. They just feel threatened every time there¡¯s even a slight sign I might start preferring the Divementis instead.

    As for the Divementis, it¡¯s quite hard to say. Some of them leak their emotions so I can pick them up and analyse them. The more skilled Divementis, however, are unreadable to me unless I¡¯d really push which I won¡¯t do for obvious reasons. Still, it seems that it makes the Divementis happy when I seamlessly switch to their language.

    ¡°Zetraya asked to come together with our research team,¡± Liana announces out of the blue. ¡°I approved his request because I assessed that having a psychologist would provide invaluable insights. Celestial mentality is quite different from Divementis and since other races will soon come as well, it can¡¯t hurt to be prepared for possible clashes of views.¡±

    ¡°Why do I feel that there¡¯s another reason?¡± Gotrid gets suspicious.

    ¡°Well,¡± Liana gulps a spoonful of porridge, ¡°Zetraya might or might not have decided to come after he spent several hours on call with Erik last night. Still, whatever the reason, I think it¡¯s a brilliant idea. Our transformation was as physiological as it was mental and we have to take it into account if we are to cooperate closely with other races.¡±

    I look at Advin again and ponder how different his thinking is from Celestial or human thinking. He might enjoy social media and human entertainment and he was born here, but he¡¯s pure Divementis who grew up in the Divementis community. Is he allowed to go outside I wonder? Can he disguise himself as a human and go explore Tokyo?

    ¡°Your Highness, could you please not to¡­?¡± Advin twitches nervously. ¡°Your telepathic pressure is too strong.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I murmur. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to pry or anything.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he nods. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ you were thinking about me right now, weren¡¯t you? I could tell because you subconsciously sent your mind to me. I have to admit that I¡¯m still in training when it comes to telepathic mastery and your raw power is too much.¡±

    ¡°How does it work with the Divementis? Do you have to train your telepathy from an early age?¡± I ask and pull my mind back.

    ¡°Naturally,¡± Advin confirms. ¡°An untrained telepath is not only potentially dangerous but also easily susceptible to other telepaths and prone to migraines because of telepathic noise from other races.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why Your Majesty has been suffering from headaches,¡± Liana is happy about the discovery. ¡°With proper training, you could get rid of them entirely.¡±

    ¡°Well, maybe not entirely,¡± Advin has to mitigate her enthusiasm. ¡°When it¡¯s too much, it¡¯s simply too much. It¡¯s not unusual even for a well-trained telepath to get a headache from a telepathic overload.¡±

    ¡°Are the Divementis permitted to go outside the premises?¡± Liana is interested to know.

    ¡°We are¡­ under certain conditions,¡± he says slowly. ¡°We have to always go in pairs and carry a tracker. It happened more than a few times that a Divementis fainted from a telepathic overload. Tokyo especially is an overpopulated area that¡¯s high-risk to us.¡±

    I can see why that would be dangerous. If a Divementis ventured out alone and fainted, they could be taken to a hospital¡ªthe same thing I was so afraid of. It actually happened to me several times, but I always managed to regain consciousness before the ambulance arrived and fled. Still, it would be much worse for a sole Divementis who would probably lose their cloaking if unconscious.

    ¡°Advin, can I ask you how old you are and how your age compares to the Divementis lifespan?¡± I ask openly, hoping it¡¯s not rude to ask a Divementis about their age.

    ¡°I¡¯m thirty-seven, considered to be a young adult,¡± Advin seems unfazed by the question. ¡°This is my first serious work assignment. Normally, I¡¯d continue my education, but relatives of the Royal bloodline are expected to intern as adjutants quite early to get practical training in politics and statecraft.¡±

    Huh, so Advin is ten years older than me and the Divementis still consider him to be a young adult in training? I guess it¡¯s understandable considering their super long lifespans. The gap will probably be even bigger for Celestials once we start having babies. Of course, provided that we win this war and survive as a species.

    This reminds me that I haven¡¯t heard from Julia recently about the progression of Brina¡¯s pregnancy. I need to ask her about that when we call our headquarters again. Maybe there are even more Draconian babies on the way? It¡¯s been over a year, after all, and I doubt Draconians have been living in celibacy.

    ¡°Have you finished eating, my prince?¡± Advin asks because I haven¡¯t touched the food on my plate for a while now. ¡°I don¡¯t want to rush you, but His Majesty said that we should try to arrive at nine and it¡¯s half past eight already.¡±

    ¡°Finished,¡± I nod and wipe my mouth with a napkin. ¡°Let¡¯s not be late for your first assignment.¡±

    Advin gives me a grateful look for the very first time. Had he been afraid that we would arrive late and he would be in trouble? It certainly seems so. However, my main motivation to finish breakfast quickly is a bit different¡ªI can¡¯t wait to be reunited with Erik.

    Advin acts as our guide, telling us to follow him. The Royal Guards still watch over me closely, but they are much more relaxed today. They don¡¯t trust the Divementis just yet, but they seem to accept that they aren¡¯t going to hurt us.

    ¡°Is this really necessary? I feel like a spectacle,¡± I lament because a crowd of Divementis is waiting for me outside again.

    ¡°You kind of are, though?¡± Advin comments venomously. ¡°A Celestial-Divementis hybrid and possessing the Royal bloodline no less. I meant no disrespect, Your Highness, I¡¯m simply stating a fact.¡±

    ¡°Simply a fact, huh?¡± I sigh and struggle with two things at once.

    First of all, my automatic reflex to send my mind out to explore. Every time I do so and just gently brush any Divementis, I feel them hastily strengthening their mental defences and getting apprehensive. Secondly, I haven¡¯t flown for two days in a row now and my wings are starting to get sore. The breeze pushing against my feathers and tempting me isn¡¯t exactly helping.

    ¡°Vermiel, I¡¯ll need to fly in the afternoon,¡± I tell the Guard Captain so that he can make the arrangements.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that doesn¡¯t depend solely on the Royal Guard, Your Majesty,¡± Vermiel has to disappoint me. ¡°The Divementis have some kind of cloaking device over the premises. You have to ask your father for permission and have him explain to us how it works because we can¡¯t risk being seen by humans. Don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re supposed to be in Osaka.¡±

    ¡°You can safely fly as high as the highest building here,¡± Advin answers readily. ¡°That¡¯s the minimum scope of our cloaking device. The question is whether you have the discipline to do so, my prince. I¡¯ve seen your flying sessions and they are usually pretty wild.¡±

    I purse my lips. It seems Advin doesn¡¯t miss even one opportunity to tease me.

    As we get close to the underground laboratories, I start to sense Erik¡¯s presence again. I¡¯m relieved that he¡¯s okay, but he¡¯s still too far away from me to feel his emotional state. When we get to the building, I can tell that he¡¯s in the upper levels while we go down to the underground floors. I have to muster all my willpower not to run after him and give him the space he needs.

    ¡°Good morning, son, I have good news,¡± my father greets me, waiting for us in front of the elevator. ¡°One of our smaller vessels picked up your research team early in the morning and they are on their way. They should arrive in the late afternoon.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, if you will follow me,¡± Nyx is here as well and gives Advin a strict look, probably hoping he didn¡¯t offend me. ¡°Our medical bay is ready for you.¡±

    I nod and turn pale. Gotrid clutches my hand encouragingly and has to drag me or I wouldn¡¯t move. I know that my fear of doctors and hospitals was instilled in me by my Mom for a good reason¡ªto protect me¡ªand I don¡¯t need that anymore, but I still can¡¯t help not being afraid.

    I really hope that I will overcome it after today. I did overcome the fear of my father so why not this one? But then I realise that Erik isn¡¯t here to hold my hand and my resolve wanes.

 97. Triple Heritage

    ¡°Your Majesty, please,¡± Nyx points towards a futuristic-looking bed that¡¯s been prepared for me. It¡¯s surrounded by numerous medical equipment whose purpose I don¡¯t even dare to guess.

    I slowly look around and gulp when I realise that more than five Divementis doctors are going to oversee the process and there are quite a few high-ranking Divementis who came just to watch. Their emotions are leaking and it¡¯s pure curiosity. They can¡¯t wait to find out how peculiar a Celestial-Divementis hybrid is.

    ¡°It¡¯s so fascinating, Your Majesty!¡± Noage is here as well, his eagerness overflowing. ¡°The Divementis let me explore their DNA overnight which means that I can finally assess your genes properly. Let¡¯s uncover all the wonders of your body!¡±

    ¡°Noage, not helping,¡± Gotrid frowns and he has to trap me in his wings or I would run away. I¡¯m on the verge of a panic attack.

    I want to send my mind to Erik because feeling his presence has a calming effect on me. He¡¯s not that far away, I could do it with a bit of effort. Something stops me, though. I finally come to a painful realisation that I rely too much on him. I mean, I¡¯ve always known, of course. It just never hit me this hard.

    With Erik gone, I still have Gotrid. I have Liana. I have all my subjects. Who does Erik have? Becoming the Royal Consort had cut him off completely from his human friends and his family. Even if he wanted to leave me, he would have to live under the constant watch of a security service. I ruined his chances for a normal life.

    ¡°Love¡­?¡± Gotrid caresses my feathers, sensing my mental struggles.

    I look at him, then I look at Liana. I think about all the Celestials who rely on me. I also consider the Divementis. Whether I like it or not, I am their Crown Prince. When I think about Erik and the possibility of him leaving, my heart aches. Still, I make a resolution that whatever Erik decides in the end, I¡¯ll support him wholeheartedly.

    Once again, I need to grow and become stronger. For Erik and Gotrid. For the survival of my species, both of them. But, first and foremost, for myself. And I need to start with this damned medical examination.

    I take a deep breath and gently push Gotrid away. I inspect the bed again and see that it looks comfortable enough even for a Celestial¡ªit¡¯s quite spacious and they didn¡¯t forget about wing rests.

    ¡°Do I have to take off my clothes?¡± I ask shyly.

    ¡°No need, my Prince, our scanner has no problem going through the fabric,¡± Nyx shakes her head with an encouraging smile. ¡°The only thing we need you to take off is any metal in your hair as we will be thoroughly scanning your brain.¡±

    ¡°Right, the maids didn¡¯t take that into account,¡± Gotrid says and helps me with the hairpin.

    ¡°Try to relax, Your Majesty, it won¡¯t hurt at all,¡± Nyx assures me when I lie down because I can¡¯t stop shivering. ¡°Your husband can hold your hand if it soothes you. We¡¯ll take a sample of your blood first.¡±

    Gotrid rolls up my left sleeve and I look away when one of the Divementis doctors pins a needle into my vein. It stings a little, but there¡¯s no pain. Then the doctor puts sensors on my temples and some sort of headband.

    ¡°Now, we¡¯ll be scanning your whole body,¡± Nyx tries to explain the process to me step by step. ¡°It should take an hour during which we ask you to be as still as possible. We will try to find out which parts of your body are Celestial, which are Divementis and which are a combination of both.¡±

    ¡°Feel free to use your telepathy, though,¡± my father adds. ¡°We¡¯re interested in your natural brain activity. Once we¡¯re done with the scan, Doctor Noage will take over. The Earthborn have always been best at this kind of thing.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re starting,¡± one of the doctors announces.

    I twitch, surprised, when the doctors release tiny drones that start hovering above my body, mapping me a millimetre after a millimetre. A few minutes into the scan it becomes obvious that it¡¯s going to take a while, so I finally relax and close my eyes.

    Gotrid? I connect to my husband.

    Yes, love?

    Thank you for being here with me, I say simply. I want to tell you how much I appreciate that you¡¯re always there for me. I hate that work is getting in the way of our relationship and that we don¡¯t have much private time.

    I knew what I was signing up for, hon, Gotrid assures me. I accepted that you wouldn¡¯t belong just to me and that I would have to share you not only with Erik but with our entire race. I accepted that my role is to support you unconditionally so that you can work for the benefit of Celestials as our Emperor.

    You chose that, but Erik didn¡¯t, I say, broken-hearted. I bonded with Erik long before we knew what it meant.

    Erik has the same resolve as me, Gotrid claims firmly. He¡¯s been with you despite so many adversities. There¡¯s no way he¡¯s quitting now just because you turned out to be the Divementis prince and might be immortal on top.

    ¡°Astonishing brain activity,¡± I hear muffled whispers from the Divementis doctors who are glued to the screens just a few metres away from me.

    I try not to let it stress me and decide to meditate instead. I haven¡¯t done it for several weeks and I know that I shouldn¡¯t underestimate my mental hygiene¡ªnow more than ever. I manage to calm down my slightly erratic breathing after a few minutes of taking steady long breaths and Gotrid¡¯s mere presence is doing wonders as well.

    ¡°We¡¯re done with the scan,¡± Nyx announces after an hour which passed relatively quickly. ¡°Doctor Noage, can you please take over?¡±

    I open my eyes and see Noage¡¯s thrilled expression. I guess the Earthborn really can¡¯t help it, they are just super excited about exploring unusual genes and I¡¯m probably the best test subject an Earthborn could hope for.

    ¡°It will be much different this time, Your Majesty,¡± Noage boasts. ¡°I know what the Divementis DNA looks like now.¡±

    ¡°Do your thing then,¡± I sigh resignedly and close my eyes again.

    Having an Earthborn fully connected is the strangest thing, especially for a telepath. Not only I can feel him rummaging through my body¡ªI can pick up his thinking process. Noage doesn¡¯t use a verbal internal monologue much, though. He¡¯s thinking in genetic formulas, scents and cell structures which are undecipherable for me. No wonder the Earthborn are so difficult to understand.

    ¡°Oof, o-okay,¡± Noage finally lets go of my arm. He surely took his sweet time, longer than the Divementis examination. ¡°Admittedly, I¡¯m overwhelmed and I need some time to process all the information I just gathered.¡±

    ¡°So do we,¡± Nyx says. ¡°At least two hours for us to present the early results of the scan.¡±

    ¡°I guess His Highness could go for a flight now?¡± Advin suggests. ¡°He¡¯s been asking me about it in the morning.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± my father agrees. ¡°We have to think about the Celestial needs of my son and his entourage and not torture our allies by keeping them on the ground for too long.¡±

    ¡°How do we go about it?¡± Liana asks. ¡°Advin mentioned that we shouldn¡¯t fly higher than the highest building.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± my father nods. ¡°Once you fly higher than ten metres above the highest building on the premises, you risk becoming visible. That¡¯s the scope of our cloaking device. Please, son, try to behave.¡±

    ¡°Emphasis on the try,¡± Advin comments and his mother slaps him slightly.

    I jump down the bed, excited that the examination is over and I¡¯m allowed to fly sooner than I expected. I quickly send my mind to Erik to check up on him, but it seems he and my uncle are far from being finished. Hopefully, a flight will take my mind off worrying for a short while.

    *****

    We quickly go back to our apartment to change into robes more suitable for flying and even though I can¡¯t stop thinking about Erik, my wings are trembling with excitement. It¡¯s a part of my personality that¡¯s 100% Celestial, so I can¡¯t help myself. I¡¯m already spreading my wings on the balcony when I realise that my entourage is missing someone.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Uriel?¡± I look around because I don¡¯t see her anywhere. She might be a former dungeon master who conspired with the Divementis, but that¡¯s in the past. She¡¯s one of us now and in desperate need of exercising her atrophied wing muscles.

    ¡°Uriel feels too embarrassed to appear in front of Your Majesty,¡± Luviael reports. ¡°I tried talking to her, but she wouldn¡¯t leave her room.¡±

    I sigh, fold my wings and decide to fetch her myself. I don¡¯t know where she¡¯s accommodated, but I can easily follow her telepathic presence. It¡¯s quite interesting that I¡¯m not particularly good at remembering people¡¯s names, but I never forget their unique telepathic imprint. Another Divementis thing? I¡¯ll have to ask my father about it.

    It turns out that Uriel is flat-sharing with Miruel¡ªwho¡¯s currently accompanying Erik and therefore absent¡ªand, as expected, she¡¯s startled when she opens the door after I knock it quite forcibly and she finds me standing there.

    ¡°Y-Your Majesty,¡± she bows so deeply that I¡¯m afraid she might fall over.

    ¡°Uriel, we¡¯re going for a flight,¡± I announce. ¡°I told you that you need to strengthen your wings, why didn¡¯t you come?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not¡­ good¡­ I¡­,¡± she mumbles and turns red with shame.

    ¡°Of course, you wouldn¡¯t be good if the Divementis didn¡¯t let you fly properly,¡± I say matter-of-factly. ¡°Borrow Miruel¡¯s sporty robe if you don¡¯t have your own and we¡¯re taking off in ten minutes from my balcony.¡±

    I don¡¯t wait for her answer and head back to my apartment. For once, I don¡¯t even think about using those ten minutes to catch up with some tasks and decide to devote this precious little time window to Gotrid.

    ¡°I could get used to that,¡± he purrs when I push him onto the sofa, sit on his lap and start kissing him feverishly.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Get used to that then,¡± I caress his feathers and I have to sigh when I feel that someone in the room is getting super embarrassed.

    ¡°Advin, you don¡¯t have to be with me all the time, you know,¡± I turn around because my cousin is stepping nervously just three metres away from the sofa.

    ¡°I have nowhere else to go,¡± he admits, blushing. ¡°As your adjutant, I¡¯m not permitted to stop working until you do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not working,¡± I set the record straight. ¡°Go for a coffee or something, take a break. I¡¯m sure you can do that if I¡¯m taking a break as well.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ I can,¡± he nods slowly. ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll be in the cafeteria downstairs, but I¡¯ll come immediately when I get notified that the results of your examination are ready.¡±

    ¡°Brilliant,¡± I appreciate and turn my attention back to Gotrid.

    We keep cuddling and stop only when Uriel finally shows up. Unlike Advin, she doesn¡¯t show any discomfort seeing us being intimate with each other. Celestials and the Divementis are total opposites when it comes to showing off affection publicly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uriel, I¡¯ll be watching over you,¡± I assure her because I can feel that she¡¯s super nervous. ¡°We can¡¯t fly too high up anyway so if you get tired, just land and rest for a while. Are you proficient with air magic? Did the Divementis let you practice spells at least?¡±

    ¡°Just the most basic ones that couldn¡¯t do any harm,¡± she gulps and a gust of wind pushes against her feathers. I can tell that she just got goosebumps. No Celestial can possibly resist the call of the wind.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be holding you with an air pillow then,¡± I offer to calm her down. ¡°I know that it might seem scary for beginners to take off from a balcony and not from the ground, but it¡¯s easier this way. Taking off is much harder than gliding. Once you get the air under your feathers, your wings will know what to do instinctively.¡±

    My guards fly up first, then I spread my wings and take off as well, followed by Gotrid. Liana joins us shortly after that, taking off from her own balcony and closely followed by Soren. He surely doesn¡¯t leave her side, does he? I wonder when my thick-headed Viceroy will finally notice Soren¡¯s obvious intentions.

    I look below and see Uriel anxiously flapping her wings, but she stays glued to the floor. I sigh, saddened. Uriel¡¯s wing muscles are even weaker than I thought. I conjure an air pillow which helps her take off much more easily. She shrieks in horror when she drifts away from the balcony, but she trusts me, so she doesn¡¯t panic completely.

    I want to advise Uriel how to position her wings, but she does so herself in just a moment¡ªit¡¯s pure Celestial instinct. Her wing muscles might not be strong enough for a take-off without assistance, but gliding seems to be no problem so I gradually dissolve the air pillow until Uriel is flying only by herself. When she notices that I¡¯m not supporting her anymore, but she¡¯s still flying, her fear quickly changes into excitement.

    ¡°Your Majesty, no higher than that!¡± Vermiel shouts at me because I momentarily forgot to watch out for the height limit.

    I descend and go explore the Divementis premises. The area is quite large when crossing it on foot, but not that big for someone with wings. I reach the fence in just five minutes of flying slowly. I cross the premises several times which does stretch my wings nicely, but I realise how much I long for the freedom of the whole sky.

    Still, I force myself to stay strictly within the boundary so that I don¡¯t give Advin another reason to tease me. Seeing that Uriel is getting tired, I decide to return early. We land neatly one by one back on the balcony and I help Uriel with a safe landing. It¡¯s quite easy to sprain one¡¯s ankle if the landing doesn¡¯t go well.

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty, it was amazing!¡± Uriel is gasping for breath, exhausted but immensely happy.

    ¡°Don¡¯t wait for me, train every day from now on, okay?¡± I order her. ¡°Always take someone with you, though, for safety reasons. I¡¯m sure you will be able to fly freely in a month. After that, you will focus on building your stamina.¡±

    ¡°As you order, my Emperor,¡± she bows to me, but I know that she would be training meticulously even if I didn¡¯t tell her. Once you get the taste of the sky, you just crave more and that¡¯s true for every Celestial.

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Advin is waiting for me in the living room. ¡°I¡¯ve just been notified that our scientists are ready to present the results. Please, change your clothes so that we can return to the labs.¡±

    I nervously chew my lip. Here it is.

    *****

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so anxious, son, really,¡± my father tells me when we reunite and he shows us into one of the lab meeting rooms. I quickly check Erik¡¯s whereabouts, but he¡¯s still with Chancellor Sythara. It¡¯s been hours, what on Earth is he discussing with my uncle?

    ¡°Let me present you our findings,¡± Noage takes the spotlight when we sit down around a table and Nyx activates a projection screen. ¡°First of all, and that¡¯s not surprising because we pretty much anticipated it, His Majesty¡¯s overall build is mostly Celestial because his body needs to be light for flying. That entails hollow bones, lungs with more capacity and other related things.¡±

    ¡°You said mostly,¡± I clutch my stomach.

    ¡°Well,¡± Noage sighs, ¡°I¡¯m afraid your digestive system took the heaviest toll of hybridisation and, as a result, is the most chaotic combination of genes in your entire body, Your Majesty. You inherited a rather small Divementis stomach but Celestial dietary requirements. A Celestial metabolism is much faster and even though the Divementis brain takes 10% more calories than the Celestial one, we have to take into account magic casting and flying which are both extremely energy demanding.¡±

    ¡°Meaning?¡± Liana frowns.

    ¡°Meaning His Majesty should eat a lot, but he can¡¯t,¡° Noage just says it plainly because there¡¯s no sugarcoating it anyway. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say that His Majesty won¡¯t ever be able to put on weight. It¡¯s physiologically impossible for him.¡±

    ¡°B-but what if we feed him nutritionally rich food instead?¡± Liana suggests desperately.

    ¡°That would prevent him losing weight, but not him put on weight, at least not significantly,¡± Noage shakes his head. ¡°If we keep overstuffing His Majesty, we will just upset his stomach and he might throw up. I¡¯m afraid that there¡¯s no other way than to be extremely careful with his diet. His Majesty has to eat balanced meals with uncompromising regularity. We can downsize portions a bit to make him more comfortable, but there¡¯s no skipping snacks anymore.¡±

    I get scared because eating has always been my weak spot even way before the transformation. I might not have an eating disorder by definition, but since I¡¯ve experienced an upset stomach countless times, I developed peculiar eating coping mechanisms.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry, son,¡± my father tries to calm me down. ¡°You will be eating Divementis portion sizes from now on so snacking won¡¯t be such a chore. Besides, Celestials burn sugar like no other race. You can look forward to many sweet and delicious snacks.¡±

    ¡°Are sweets balanced meals?¡± Gotrid doubts.

    ¡°No issue there, I wanted to suggest the same,¡± Noage states. ¡°His Majesty can forget about a dessert right after a meal because that¡¯s when he will have to eat as much protein, fat and fibre as his small stomach allows, but snacks can be cookies, cakes and fruit so that he has enough quick energy for spellcasting and flying.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be so bad after all, hon,¡± Gotrid tries to encourage me because I still have a doubtful expression on my face.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be watching over my diet ever more fiercely now,¡± I mumble, annoyed.

    ¡°As your father said, we won¡¯t be forcing you to eat huge portions,¡± Liana comforts me. ¡°We¡¯ll just add snacks and insist on regularity, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Noage, and Aefener¡¯s wings?¡± Gotrid asks something entirely else all of a sudden.

    ¡°What about them?¡± I pull his sleeve, not liking where this is going.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t like folding them too tightly,¡± Gotrid doesn¡¯t feel ashamed to tell on me. ¡°In fact, he uses every opportunity to spread them. He gets cramps after just two days without flying whereas the rest of us can manage a week if it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°That has nothing to do with the Divementis hybridisation,¡± Noage dismisses it. ¡°His Majesty¡¯s wings are purely Celestial. I suspect it must have something to do with him being the embodiment of magic. Isn¡¯t your Emperor considered to be also the embodiment of air? It¡¯s your racial element, after all. Don¡¯t scold His Majesty for not folding his wings properly and feeling uneasy on the ground, I don¡¯t think he can help it.¡±

    ¡°We would never berate our Emperor for being genuine to himself,¡± Liana assures everyone because the Divementis give her a scornful look. ¡°It¡¯s often difficult to find time for a long flying session that would satisfy our embodiment of magic.¡±

    ¡°Regular exercise is important for any Celestial,¡± Noage reminds her. ¡°Celestials don¡¯t move as much on the ground so you have to find means how to schedule your flying sessions around work, not the other way around.¡±

    ¡°Noted,¡± Liana agrees obediently. ¡°What about His Majesty¡¯s eyes?¡±

    ¡°Another purely Celestial feature,¡± Noage confirms. ¡°As a creature born to fly, he needs to be able to withstand bright sunlight and not be blinded easily. His Majesty¡¯s facial bones are mostly Divementis, though, that¡¯s why his looks are so androgynous.¡±

    ¡°And¡­ his brain?¡± Gotrid finally asks the most important question because I¡¯m reluctant to do so myself.

    ¡°That took us the longest to analyse,¡± Nyx speaks up. ¡°If all human DNA mutated into the Celestial DNA as was the case with other transformed Draconians, His Majesty should have lost the emphatic part of his telepathic ability. However, he retained it. To do so, His Majesty¡¯s unique brain had to withstand the transformation and hold onto a fraction of human DNA.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still partly human?!¡± I¡¯m astonished to hear and I¡¯m not the only one.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a really tiny part and detectable only in Your Majesty¡¯s brain,¡± Nyx explains. ¡°Nevertheless, there¡¯s a distinctive trace of your mother¡¯s genes. It¡¯s a shocking discovery especially because a year after the transformation, there¡¯s no trace of any residual human DNA in Draconians.¡±

    I¡¯m so moved that my eyes get wet. I have never really thought about it, but now I¡¯m happy that I still have a part of my mother inside of me. It was she who gave me the emphatic ability I value so much.

    ¡°What about immortality?¡± I¡¯m almost afraid to ask, but I have to. ¡°You disproved that, right?¡±

    ¡°I think a lengthy explanation is in order,¡± my father says before giving me an answer. ¡°All Draconian races are much more resistant and longer-lived than humans so let me explain how that works first so that you truly understand.¡±

    ¡°Okay then,¡± I sigh resignedly and the anticipation is making me anxious.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with Clawfangs whose lifespan is closest to humans,¡± he says. ¡°Their bodies resemble feline, canine and vulpine animals and even though they aren¡¯t that sturdy, they are extremely agile, their saliva has anti-bacterial properties and they heal fast. However, they live only up to a hundred years and age just as humans do.¡±

    ¡°I know that it sounds racist, but we¡¯d always considered them to be sentient animals and not much more,¡± Nyx admits. ¡°We mean to change our outdated way of thinking, of course. Clawfangs are smart, quick, excellent fighters and experts in recon, stealth and beast taming. We certainly won¡¯t underestimate their abilities in the upcoming war. The initial success of our endeavour is going to depend primarily on them.¡±

    I¡¯m glad to hear that. I would be angry at the Divementis if they didn¡¯t consider Clawfangs to be equal partners just because Clawfangs have an entirely different way of living.

    ¡°As for the Dragonkin,¡± my father continues, ¡°they developed bodies that are almost impossible to hurt. They have slow metabolisms, the ability to hibernate and they can generate fire within their bodies so they aren¡¯t reliant on outer sources of heat as other reptilians are. They age more slowly and can live up to a hundred and fifty. Maybe a bit longer, depending on how often they hibernate.¡±

    Huh, the Dragonkin have the ability to hibernate? That¡¯s new to me. There might have been a mention of that in the game, but I haven¡¯t studied the Dragonkin lore in detail. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing new to the Dragonkin themselves, though. I¡¯ll have to ask Fefnir about it.

    ¡°Let me explain the Earthborn,¡± Noage demands to speak about his people. ¡°We possess enhanced DNA repair mechanism and optimised cellular metabolism. As for illnesses, we can heal pretty much anything not only in ourselves but also in other living organisms. We do age but extremely slowly. The Earthborn have the potential to live up to four hundred years.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Doctor Noage,¡± my father appreciates and takes over again. ¡°The Divementis might not be natural genetic engineers, but we have the unique ability to store knowledge in the shared consciousness of our entire species. We quickly became the most technologically advanced race and significantly prolonged our lifespans through the power of our minds and technology, giving us the same longevity as the Earthborn have.¡±

    That leaves Celestials then¡ªthe only race which the Divementis considered to be their equal. Frankly, I¡¯m more curious about my winged ancestors than the Divementis.

    ¡°Celestials were also a technological race even though it might not have been so obvious from the outside,¡± he says. ¡°For other races, their magic seemed to be, well, magic. Unless one is born a Celestial, it¡¯s impossible to understand how it works. They built flying cities and based their technology entirely on the mana power source.¡±

    ¡°Is our mana circuit responsible for giving us miraculous longevity?¡± Liana asks eagerly.

    ¡°Yes, the energy your bodies naturally produce is rejuvenating your cells which significantly slows down the shortening of chromosomal telomeres,¡± he confirms. ¡°Celestials are slowly ageing inside, but since your skin retains its plasticity, you look young no matter the age. Generally, the better the caster, the longer lifespan they have. However, even the clumsiest Celestial can live for at least six hundred years.¡±

    ¡°Damn, we will have so much time to spend together, just imagine it, hon,¡± Gotrid takes my hand and kisses it, feeling thrilled about the prospect.

    ¡°Only you will, Royal Consort,¡± Noage says and looks at my father who nods approvingly. ¡°As for His Majesty, I¡¯ve just checked it and the Divementis double-checked it. His telomeres are stable.¡±

    ¡°What does that even mean?¡± I frown because I have zero knowledge of genetics.

    ¡°It means that you¡¯re indeed immortal, son,¡± my father concludes with a content smile.

    He says it so simply, yet it¡¯s anything but that.

 98. Erikâ€™s Wish

    I¡¯m staring at my father and it¡¯s the first time I see him genuinely smiling. For once, he forgets to guard his mind and even leaks his emotions. He feels immensely relieved that the Divementis Royal bloodline won¡¯t end with him. Everyone starts celebrating, Celestials and the Divementis alike, both for the same reason¡ªtheir ruler is guaranteed now.

    I look at Liana and I catch dozens of excited thoughts going through her head. As usual, she¡¯s a few steps ahead of everyone else and starts to come up with numerous possible implications of my confirmed immortality and a bright future for the whole Celestial race. After all, most empires fall apart when a strong ruler dies, but that won¡¯t happen to us.

    Gotrid is still clutching my hand, so he is super easy to read. I expected him to feel upset because it means that we¡¯re not sharing the same lifespan, but he¡¯s just as overjoyed as Liana and other Celestials. He doesn¡¯t care that he will die before me if it means that our race keeps its embodiment of magic forever.

    I¡¯m absorbing everybody¡¯s emotions like a sponge and I almost start to feel excited as well because immortality means that I will be able to work for the benefit of Celestials for thousands of years. For a moment, I even feel a spark of responsibility towards the Divementis. With unlimited time, I could accomplish a lot and possibly rule two races at once.

    My head spins which, ironically, centres me again. Overwhelmed by the avalanche of emotions all around me, it takes me a while to realise how I truly feel. When I finally separate others from myself, dread overcomes me and I shudder.

    I try to imagine living for thousands of years, but all I can think of is that I¡¯ll inevitably lose Erik, Gotrid, Liana and everyone I know. If I somehow persevere and keep on ruling so that Celestials prosper, it will be a lonely and hollow life. I wouldn¡¯t dare to fall in love only to have my heart broken again and again.

    ¡°Gotrid, can we go out, please? I need fresh air,¡± I pull his sleeve, my voice weak. I feel nauseous and it¡¯s suddenly hard to breathe.

    ¡°Love, it¡¯s so amazing! You¡¯re amazing!¡± Gotrid is celebrating, ignorant of my inner turmoil.

    ¡°Our Emperor is the true embodiment of magic!¡± Liana is so ecstatic that she even hugs Soren out of pure excitement. ¡°Divine!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, Viceroy, that my son is just as Divementis as he is Celestial, the examination confirmed it,¡± my father reminds her strongly. ¡°His claim to the Divementis throne is undeniable now, so we will have to negotiate how to divide his time between us. He might be immortal, but a day still has only twenty-four hours.¡±

    ¡°Gotrid, please,¡± I pull my husband¡¯s sleeve again because I¡¯m starting to get seriously dizzy. It¡¯s just too much to take in. I feel hopelessly overwhelmed by everything and everyone.

    Gotrid finally notices that I¡¯m not feeling well, just in time to catch me when I can¡¯t take it anymore and my vision goes dark. My last thought before I lose consciousness is that of Erik.

    *****

    Do people experience dreams when they faint? I don¡¯t think so. Yet, I must be in a dream right now because the person holding my hand and calling my name is Erik. If that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t want to wake up.

    ¡°Ryuu, you silly, it¡¯s really me, you¡¯re not dreaming,¡± Erik says, gently tapping my cheeks. ¡°You scared me. I sensed you were about to faint, so I hurried here.¡±

    ¡°Erik¡­,¡± I open my eyes, but my vision becomes blurry almost immediately because I start crying. It¡¯s not royal at all, but I don¡¯t care.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Erik hugs me to calm me down. I hungrily accept his embrace. ¡°Did you skip lunch again? Unbelievable, I¡¯m away from you for just a couple of hours and that¡¯s what happens?¡±

    ¡°His Majesty fainted from a shock,¡± Noage explains and only now do I notice that his tentacle is stuck to my left forearm. ¡°Although, I detect that his blood sugar is low. He did skip lunch.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t have time,¡± Gotrid admits and Noage gives him a scornful look. ¡°We went for a flight and were called back right after we returned.¡±

    ¡°Obviously, we would wait for you with the results,¡± my father grunts and turns to my new Divementis adjutant. ¡°Advin, this can¡¯t repeat ever again, you will see to that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty, I thought that we needed to come immediately,¡± Advin apologises profoundly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to disobey you.¡±

    ¡°Under normal circumstances, you would be right, but not in the case of my malnourished son,¡± my father sighs. ¡°Never mind, your negligence is forgiven. Just be more mindful of the prince¡¯s delicate health from now on.¡±

    ¡°Slowly, love,¡± Gotrid warns me when I want to sit up. They put me back on the examination bed which I¡¯m not thrilled about, but Erik is back which beats anything.

    ¡°Were you overwhelmed when they confirmed your immortality, hon?¡± Erik asks softly.

    ¡°You know about that?¡± I clutch his hand tighter. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°They informed me and Chancellor Sythara as soon as the scientists made the discovery,¡± he says. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I wasn¡¯t there for you when they told you, but I didn¡¯t anticipate you would take it so hard and I still had a lot of things to discuss with your uncle.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not bothered that I¡¯m¡­?¡± I find it difficult to say it out loud.

    ¡°Honestly, it changes nothing for me,¡± he shrugs. ¡°You will live longer than me either way.¡±

    ¡°R-right,¡± I chew my lip and shiver. Eventually, I¡¯ll outlive everyone in the room.

    ¡°Nevertheless,¡± Noage raises his voice to be heard by everyone present, ¡°His Majesty is immortal in the sense that he doesn¡¯t age, but he¡¯s not invulnerable. Far from it, he inherited the weaknesses of both Celestials and the Divementis. His body might not decay over time, but it¡¯s extremely delicate.¡±

    ¡°We know, doc,¡± Liana nods. ¡°We know that better than anyone.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to emphasise the fact that if we indeed want His Majesty to live forever, maybe we should start rethinking a few things,¡± Noage points out.

    ¡°Like what?¡± I frown and finally shake him off me. I just fainted, I¡¯m not sick.

    ¡°Like letting Your Majesty participate in battles,¡± Noage suggests carefully but adamantly.

    ¡°What?!¡± I get upset in an instant.

    ¡°You don¡¯t age, my Emperor, but you can still be killed,¡± Noage says. ¡°Neither Celestials nor the Divementis can boast that their bodies can withstand rough treatment, unlike the remaining Draconian races who are sturdy.¡±

    ¡°I can cast shields and I¡¯m the most powerful battle mage!¡± I state proudly. ¡°You can¡¯t be seriously suggesting that I won¡¯t be allowed to participate in battles, Noage.¡±

    ¡°Yet, one unlucky hit and Celestials could easily lose their precious embodiment of magic and the Divementis their only successor,¡± Noage says matter-of-factly.

    ¡°Son, I wanted to suggest the same,¡± my father approaches the bed and puts his hand on my right wing. I don¡¯t shake him off, his touch isn¡¯t uncomfortable for me anymore. ¡°Even though your magical abilities are truly miraculous, real battles are unpredictable no matter how well your people try to protect you.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t forbid me to¡­!¡± I finally stand up so that my protest has more authority, but I wobble as I do so. My brain could shut down only for a few minutes, I¡¯m still hopelessly overwhelmed and dizzy. Dammit, I wanted to look strong and the only thing I accomplished was showing them how frail I am.

    ¡°Son, please, you misunderstand,¡± my father pushes me back. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t forbid you to join battles altogether, we would just re-evaluate your participation.¡±

    ¡°How exactly?¡± I narrow my eyes.

    ¡°As the Celestial Emperor and the Divementis Crown Prince, you shouldn¡¯t be joining the front lines anyway,¡± he declares. ¡°You could do so only in the early stages because Draconians couldn¡¯t defeat strong monsters without your help. However, the situation is different now and Draconian battle units are more than capable. You can finally assume your rightful position.¡±

    ¡°Which is?¡± I still don¡¯t understand where this is going.

    ¡°You should start acting as a general you are,¡± he explains a bit impatiently. ¡°Your role is to command armies, not stand in front of them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m no tactician,¡± I refuse. ¡°I¡¯m a battle mage.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the Divementis Prince, it¡¯s literally in your blood,¡± he insists. ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but I think that you¡¯ve already used telepathy to coordinate your people during a battle. Besides, tactics can be taught and I¡¯ll gladly provide you with tutoring.¡±

    Command my people telepathically? I want to outright reject that idea, but then I remember that I did that. During the battle of Prague, I stayed high up in the sky to have a good view of the whole battlefield and I was coordinating the Celestial forces with my telepathy. It was, admittedly, really efficient and I enjoyed it.

    ¡°But I want to actively cast spells and deal damage,¡± I find something else bothering me. ¡°I have so much mana. I would go crazy if I couldn¡¯t release it from time to time.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re well aware of that,¡± Liana assures me. ¡°The revised strategy would be Your Majesty commanding the forces and casting only the highest-tier spells from a safe distance. You would have the opportunity to cast spells that would never be possible in the heat of a battle. Isn¡¯t that a good deal?¡±

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°I agree,¡± Erik seconds that. ¡°Every time you went to a battle, we were dreading you would get hurt which would have catastrophic consequences.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­,¡± I want to come up with some other argument, but Erik clutches my hands and shakes his head.

    ¡°This is not negotiable,¡± he says in a tone that concludes the matter.

    Since he¡¯s touching me, it¡¯s much easier for me to see his mind. I get glimpses of him talking to Chancellor Sythara. Right, I momentarily forgot about that. I decide to change the subject.

    ¡°Erik, what did you talk about with my uncle?¡± I ask and it feels a bit strange to address Sythara like that. Things are different now, though. I have not only my father but also an aunt, an uncle and two cousins.

    ¡°Well,¡± he chews his lip, ¡°it¡¯s all still very theoretical at this point, but there¡¯s a certain hope.¡±

    ¡°Hope for what?¡± I tilt my head. I sense from Liana and my father that they know what this is about but me and Gotrid are in the blind here.

    ¡°Ryuu, I can¡¯t take it anymore,¡± he whispers and his voice breaks. ¡°I know that you love me exactly as I am and I appreciate it, but I want to share everything with you. I asked Chancellor Sythara if there¡¯s a possibility for me to become a Celestial.¡±

    ¡°Change you¡­ into a Celestial?¡± I gasp for breath. ¡°But Erik¡­ you don¡¯t have to¡­ just because you feel pressured¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand, love?¡± he sighs. ¡°I want to have six hundred years to spend with you. I want to be able to defend myself. I long for the sky. I don¡¯t care about losing my humanity if it means that I can share everything with you.¡±

    My heart aches. Erik being pressured into becoming a different species is the last thing I want. I wrap him in my wings, determined to check his true wish. Does he really mean it? I clutch him tight and send him my love. I need to make sure that I haven¡¯t influenced him against his will. The Divementis might not be able to control people, but they can influence them.

    See everything, I don¡¯t care anymore, he tells me and opens the parts of himself he was keeping hidden from me and I respected that.

    His pain overcomes me like an avalanche. All this time I naively thought that Erik was okay while he was just keeping his frustrations bottled inside so that I could focus on work. He was suffering in secret every time I went for a flight. Every time I was training dual-casting with Gotrid. Every time he was left behind for his own protection.

    He hates that he doesn¡¯t understand what happens when people around him do magic. He hates how overprotective I am of him because it makes him feel like a burden. He¡¯s jealous of Gotrid who will be able to spend centuries with me. Erik truly and desperately wishes to become a Celestial not only for me but for himself as well.

    I cut the connection and open my eyes. I lower my wings a bit so that I can see the others, but I keep Erik in my feathery embrace. Everyone is waiting in silence.

    ¡°Sythara, is it possible? Is this what you¡¯ve been discussing with my husband?¡± I turn to my uncle who is the Chancellor of Science, meaning the person mostly responsible for creating Draconia.

    ¡°Well,¡± he coughs to clear his throat. ¡°Theoretically, sure, we still have the technology for that. However, practically¡­¡±

    ¡°Just reboot the servers, plug Erik into the game and let him play all day long for a few months?¡± I say impatiently because I don¡¯t see a problem. Now that I know Erik¡¯s deepest wish, I want to grant him that wish as soon as possible.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not so simple, my prince,¡± Sythara has to disappoint me. ¡°For the brain to believe in a new reality, you need total immersion which means a vibrant world full of other living people, not NPCs. We had to gather millions of players for that to happen. Besides, we had thousands of Divementis working relentlessly on the telepathic network that made it possible in the first place.¡±

    ¡°Many people envy Draconians, why not offer the transformation openly then?¡± I suggest. ¡°This time humans would know what they are signing up for and we would have more people to help us fight the Enemy.¡±

    ¡°Because we¡¯re out of time,¡± my father declares sharply. ¡°It would take at least a year to transform another batch of players and another half a year for them to fully develop their new bodies, not talking about training them. We simply don¡¯t have time for this.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­,¡± I caress Erik¡¯s hair. I don¡¯t want him to lose hope.

    ¡°There might be another way,¡± Sythara says carefully. ¡°We haven¡¯t tested it because it was deemed extremely ineffective and difficult, but it should be possible. In theory, at least.¡±

    ¡°What way?¡± I ask eagerly.

    ¡°If it¡¯s just a matter of transforming a single person, one Divementis could theoretically do it,¡± my uncle explains. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be entirely through the game, but through many telepathic connections that would simulate having a different body. It should work, but it would be extremely taxing on the Divementis doing it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± I offer without hesitation. ¡°I should be the one to do it anyway. I don¡¯t want another Divementis connecting to my husband.¡±

    ¡°Would it be similar to when you include me in your flying dreams?¡± Erik smiles because he can see tangible hope now. ¡°In them, I can feel as if I have wings of my own and I love it,¡±

    ¡°Wait, you what?¡± my father almost jumps up which doesn¡¯t fit his composed character at all. ¡°Son, explain it to me!¡±

    ¡°I sometimes project my pleasant dreams to Erik, especially those in which I fly,¡± I say, confused as to why he¡¯s so taken aback by it. ¡°Is it something the Divementis don¡¯t do?¡±

    ¡°We do share dreams with our partners,¡± he waves his hand. ¡°However, we¡¯re both Divementis and we aren¡¯t trying to change the other person¡¯s perception of themselves. Son, don¡¯t you understand? What you¡¯ve been doing without knowing is exactly what we¡¯d instruct you to do if you wanted to change your husband into a Celestial.¡±

    I¡¯m staring at him, dumbfounded.

    ¡°Are you telling me that I¡¯ve been trying to change Erik into a Celestial all this time?!¡± I open my mouth in disbelief.

    ¡°You have,¡± my father performs an exemplary facepalm. ¡°Of course, your efforts have been unfocused and random so it would take many years, but you would change your husband eventually. On a certain subconscious level, you must have been desperate to prolong your husband¡¯s life or you would have just shown him a nice vision without altering his perception.¡±

    I¡¯m left speechless. Even though it¡¯s great news, I feel guilty about altering Erik¡¯s perception without his consent. What if he wanted to stay human? Would he blame me for changing him? Could he ever forgive him for violating his very nature? The Divementis changed us forcefully without asking, but I don¡¯t want to be like them.

    ¡°Ryuu, don¡¯t be silly,¡± Erik rolls his eyes because he can tell what¡¯s going through my head right now. ¡°I¡¯d take any chance to spend more years with you.¡±

    ¡°Even if it means becoming a different species?¡± I make sure because Erik has always been proud of being human.

    ¡°Even if it means becoming a different species,¡± he nods confidently. ¡°Or maybe not. Not just any species. I wish to become a Celestial and share the sky with you. I love flying, you know that. If I had played Draconia Online, I would have chosen Celestials for sure.¡±

    For a moment, I¡¯m so happy that I forget where we are and I start kissing him feverishly to make up for our lost time this morning. I¡¯m brought back to reality only when my father coughs irritably to catch my attention. Right, the Divementis don¡¯t show their affection publicly and we¡¯re in the middle of a serious discussion.

    ¡°Son, turning your husband into a Celestial will be extremely taxing on you,¡± he makes it clear. ¡°I suggest we wait with that after the war is over.¡±

    ¡°What time frame are we talking about?¡± Erik asks tensely. Now that his secret wish is out, he wants to undergo the transformation without delay.

    ¡°We can¡¯t know that,¡± my father sighs. ¡°The war has been covertly on ever since we came here and we¡¯ve been suppressing the rifts for two hundred years. The fabric between the two dimensions is getting thinner as the Enemy is pushing more than ever and we¡¯re running out of resources to suppress the rifts, but we don¡¯t suppose this war to be over quickly.¡±

    Erik bites his lip. He doesn¡¯t want to put more pressure on me, but it¡¯s obvious that he doesn¡¯t want to wait for who knows how long either.

    ¡°Sythara, tell me how to transform Erik as fast as possible,¡± I demand. ¡°I don¡¯t care that it¡¯s going to be taxing. My husband wants to become a Celestial and I mean to fulfil his wish.¡±

    Sythara sighs and nudges his wife Nyx.

    ¡°We actually have an alternative solution that wouldn¡¯t exhaust the Crown Prince as much so that he can focus on training his telepathy and learning strategy,¡± Nyx suggests slowly.

    ¡°What alternative?¡± I ask eagerly.

    ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, my prince, but is the main reason why you insist on doing it personally that you can¡¯t stand another Divementis connecting to your husband?¡± she needs to make this clear.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ pretty much,¡± I admit.

    ¡°First of all, your husband is bonded so there¡¯s no way another Divementis would be able to come between the two of you,¡± she assures me. ¡°Secondly, what if it wouldn¡¯t be a random Divementis doing it? What about someone you can¡¯t be even a tiny bit jealous of?¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± I flutter my wings anxiously.

    ¡°I know that you haven¡¯t had a chance to get to know each other yet, but my daughter Nala is a very skilled telepath and since she¡¯s both family and a woman, there wouldn¡¯t be any tension,¡± Nyx proposes.

    ¡°Nala?¡± I blink and try to look for my cousin in the crowd.

    She has been accompanying Erik since early morning and because both him and my uncle are here, she must have come with them. I find her timidly hiding in the corner. She has a startled expression now that all eyes are suddenly on her.

    ¡°Nala could take the heaviest load off your shoulders,¡± Nyx continues explaining. ¡°She could be working on altering your husband¡¯s perception while you train and study. Besides, your husband would be plugged into VR most of the day. Let Nala guide your husband through it, we simply can¡¯t waste Your Majesty¡¯s precious time on this.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ could work,¡± my father agrees. ¡°Aefener could alter his husband¡¯s perception in a dream state while Nala would take care of waking hours. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t even take a full year since my son has started the process already without knowing and Nala would be focusing on a single person instead of several hundred as was in the original game. That could even compensate for the lack of a vibrant world so we could deploy NPCs.¡±

    ¡°I still need the game?¡± Erik is surprised. ¡°You said Ryuu would change me eventually.¡±

    ¡°Eventually¡­ after two decades maybe,¡± my father shrugs. ¡°Besides, the game wasn¡¯t only for establishing a believable world and stretching our telepathic network. It was the best battle simulator there is. That¡¯s the main reason why Draconians don¡¯t need as much training in the real world. They trained for hundreds of hours in VR. The game might not have trained their physical bodies, but it trained their reflexes and other mental skills.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I know that you hate VR, but¡­,¡± I try to persuade Erik, but he stops me.

    ¡°I understand,¡± he says with determination. ¡°I¡¯ll undergo whatever needs to be done so that I can transform as soon as possible. I¡¯m ready to start immediately. I don¡¯t mind connecting to Nala telepathically. Nyx is right, she¡¯s both family and a woman and I¡¯m bonded anyway.¡±

    ¡°What about asking Nala if she wants to do it?¡± I frown that nobody asked the person in question. I hate when things are decided for someone else because it happens to me way too often.

    ¡°If I can ease my prince¡¯s burden then I¡¯d be¡­,¡± Nala starts but she stops when she notices me pursing my lips. I don¡¯t want her to be forced into doing something against her will. Moreover, a full telepathic connection is very intimate.

    ¡°Nala, we haven¡¯t had a chance to get to know each other yet,¡± I release Erik from my feathery embrace, slowly stand up so that my head won¡¯t spin again and approach my cousin.

    She¡¯s much shyer than her brother. Despite her height, she¡¯s slouching in front of me, but she isn¡¯t leaking her emotions as much as Advin. It seems she must be more skilled than him at telepathy. She¡¯s staring at my face, which is mostly Divementis, and it¡¯s obvious my golden eyes are unnerving her because it¡¯s the total opposite of the Divementis pitch-black colour.

    ¡°Nala, whatever your mother or my father say, I won¡¯t force you,¡± I assure her. ¡°I¡¯m prepared to bear Erik¡¯s transformation on my own.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay with it, really,¡± she tries to sound confident. ¡°I helped many players to transform so I have the necessary experience. I had a chance to spend only a few hours with Your Highness¡¯s husband this morning, but I admire his determination. Nobody has to force me, I volunteer. I should be asking if Your Highness is okay with me accessing your partner¡¯s mind.¡±

    I think about it for a moment if I¡¯m really okay with it, but facing my cousin this close, all my doubts disappear. It might be a genetic familiarity, but I trust Nala. There¡¯s no way she would ever harm my beloved.

    ¡°I put my trust in you then,¡± I smile at her encouragingly. ¡°Erik will be in your care.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t disappoint your trust, my prince,¡± she bows.

    I don¡¯t like the sight of my family member bowing to me, but I suspect that nothing I say would convince her to drop formalities. Advin might be teasing me on every occasion, but he wouldn¡¯t start addressing me by my name either. They can sense my Royal bloodline which is so important to the Divementis.

    ¡°Your Majesties!¡± a Divementis suddenly runs into the lab, looking for us. I don¡¯t know his name, but I noticed him twice because he was bringing us our meals. ¡°We have a huge problem!¡±

    ¡°What problem?¡± my father frowns.

    ¡°The Japanese delegation is waiting in front of the Celestial Embassy and they are confused as to why the Emperor won¡¯t grant them an audience,¡± he says, panting. ¡°The Celestials who stayed at the mansion are running out of excuses.¡±

    ¡°Damn, what should we tell them?¡± Liana laments. ¡°We should be in Osaka.¡±

    I look at my father and we understand each other even without telepathy.

    ¡°Simple, we tell them the truth,¡± I decide.

 99. Family Bonds

    ¡°Ichikawa-san, Hayashi-san, I¡¯m really sorry that I can¡¯t grant you an audience right now, but I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯m too far away,¡± I say to the Japanese Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence through a laptop Taranah is holding in front of them.

    ¡°Far away?¡± they are confused and for a good reason. I¡¯m obviously not somewhere in the clouds above the Celestial embassy flying because my wings are folded and there¡¯s a room behind me.

    ¡°A lot happened since our last meeting,¡± I say slowly. ¡°I¡¯m in Tokyo right now with my father.¡±

    ¡°Tokyo?! And with Haruto Takeda?!¡± Ichikawa widens his eyes. ¡°How? Where exactly?¡±

    ¡°Nebula headquarters,¡± I reveal because there¡¯s no point in hiding it anymore. ¡°I apologise for that. I know that we shouldn¡¯t have left Osaka without telling you, but it all happened fast.¡±

    ¡°Why telling us so openly?¡± Hayashi frowns.

    ¡°Because my father¡¯s race decided to come out of hiding,¡± I proclaim. ¡°These monster attacks aren¡¯t random, there¡¯s a war that¡¯s been going on for two hundred years.¡±

    ¡°A war?¡± Ichikawa and Hayashi look at each other, startled.

    ¡°I assure you that Draconians haven¡¯t started it,¡± I set the record straight before they get weird ideas. ¡°We¡¯re trying to stop it, but we can¡¯t do it alone. There¡¯s no sugarcoating it so I¡¯ll just say it. We need your help.¡±

    ¡°Aliens need help¡­ from the Japanese government?¡± Ichikawa shakes his head in disbelief.

    ¡°We need help from humanity to be precise,¡± I correct him. ¡°But you¡¯re the first human government we decided to turn to. My father is prepared to tell you everything.¡±

    ¡°How can we trust you?¡± Hayashi narrows his eyes.

    ¡°You have no choice,¡± I bet on brutal honestly. ¡°Either you help us win this war or there won¡¯t be a future for Draconians and humans alike.¡±

    *****

    ¡°Well, that was¡­,¡± Erik is looking for the right words.

    ¡°Exactly what they needed to hear,¡± my father finishes the sentence. ¡°Marvellously done, son.¡±

    ¡°I hope I haven¡¯t overdone it,¡± I sigh and massage my temples. My head is pounding.

    ¡°Your Majesties, the shuttle with the Celestial research team is here,¡± Nyx announces when her wristband vibrates.

    ¡°I¡¯d better welcome them, they will be nervous among so many Divementis,¡± I slowly stand up. My head spins, but I keep my balance.

    ¡°You, my Emperor, are going straight for lunch and then to bed,¡± Noage frowns. ¡°If we don¡¯t treat your headache now, it will develop into a migraine and that can incapacitate you for many hours.¡±

    ¡°Your doctor is right, it¡¯s not worth overstraining yourself on your second day here, son,¡± my father agrees. ¡°A Divementis migraine is a nasty thing that can last for more than twenty hours. It¡¯s better to prevent it whenever possible. The Japanese government will need some time to decide how to proceed anyway.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, that wasn¡¯t a polite request, Doctor Noage has the right to order you rest,¡± Liana says strictly.

    ¡°Okay, geez,¡± I roll my eyes even though their overprotectiveness is justified this time. ¡°Let me at least greet our research team and assure them that they are safe here. They must be freaking out.¡±

    I¡¯m allowed just that and nothing more. The Celestial research team is waiting for us, nervously stepping, looking around with alarm and I can tell that they have their spells ready. They relax only when they see me. I greet Rina, Nestelle, Zetraya and others and let Liana and Soren take over.

    I expect my father to go his separate way because Nyx and Sythara stayed at the labs, but he silently accompanies us to our apartment. It gets awkward when the maids serve us a late lunch and he doesn¡¯t seem to have any intention of leaving.

    ¡°Are you going to watch me eat?¡± I frown when he sits on the chair in front of me.

    ¡°I just want to spend time with you,¡± he says seemingly innocently.

    ¡°Eat, love,¡± Erik nudges me.

    I start eating obediently, but I keep watching my father. I can¡¯t read him, but I can tell he¡¯s up to something. Erik and Gotrid try to pretend that the presence of the Divementis Emperor doesn¡¯t bother them, but they are as tense as me. He left the Divementis guards outside and we still can¡¯t relax.

    ¡°You don¡¯t trust me,¡± he sighs after a while, saddened.

    ¡°What are you doing here, father? I mean, really,¡± I purse my lips.

    ¡°I want to try alleviating your pain,¡± he reveals.

    ¡°You can do that?¡± I raise my eyebrows. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°I can comfort your brain,¡± he explains. ¡°It¡¯s a procedure that can be done only with partners or family members. Sadly, your partners aren¡¯t telepaths.¡±

    ¡°They are doing a great job,¡± I defend them. ¡°It helps me a lot if I can rest in their minds.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that,¡± he nods at my husbands approvingly. ¡°Still, they aren¡¯t telepaths.¡±

    I don¡¯t answer anything to that and quickly finish my meal. I hope that he takes a hint and finally leaves when I stand up, wish him a good night and head to our bedroom, but he follows me. The Royal Guards and the maids watch it helplessly, not daring to speak up.

    ¡°Aefener, please,¡± he pleads. ¡°Let me help you. If I soothe your brain, there¡¯s a high chance you will wake up fully refreshed and your headache will be gone entirely.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re like a void, I hate it,¡± I retort. ¡°Unless you open up to me, I won¡¯t let you.¡±

    I don¡¯t expect him to give in to my request so it astonishes me twice as much when he smiles benevolently and his telepathic imprint lights up. The cold void is gone and I can suddenly feel all kinds of emotions coming from him.

    Pain.

    Regret.

    Sadness.

    Careful optimism.

    Care.

    Love.

    I¡¯m staring at him, unable to react for a long moment. Does he feel concerned about me? I thought that he saw me only as an asset the Divementis could use to fight the Enemy. He went for the most brutal test at the New York conference that could kill me. It¡¯s hard to believe such a person can genuinely care about me.

    ¡°Why bother hiding your emotions when you aren¡¯t empaths anyway?¡± I ask instead to hide my confusion.

    ¡°Because it makes us vulnerable,¡± he explains. ¡°We can either hide everything or be hopelessly exposed. We build mental shields around our minds, but we aren¡¯t able to distinguish between feelings and thoughts so we lock both.¡±

    ¡°So, right now you¡¯re exposed?¡± I make sure I understand it correctly.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he answers simply.

    ¡°I could¡­ read you?¡± I gulp, excited about the prospect and afraid at the same time.

    ¡°Well, I can still kick you out,¡± he smirks confidently. ¡°The mental shield is our automatic defence mechanism that¡¯s always on and we don¡¯t even think about. The better the telepath, the more impenetrable. That¡¯s why I feel like a void to you, my defences are perfect.¡±

    I have so many questions for him, but my brain gives me another surge of pain, reminding me that I should close my eyes and mitigate visual stimuli.

    ¡°Son, let me help you,¡± he repeats his offer, this time including the emotions. Care. Care. Care. One can maybe fake thoughts but not feelings. Is it safe to trust him? Ever since I came here, it¡¯s getting progressively harder and harder to stay on guard with him. It¡¯s as if something deep inside of my Divementis part is prompting me to open up to him whether I like it or not.

    ¡°Okay then,¡± I resign. My brain is killing me and I don¡¯t have the energy to argue.

    Erik and Gotrid give me startled looks because they didn¡¯t expect me to agree. I take their hands and pull them to the bedroom. My father follows. I release the maids who would normally change me into a night robe, but I don¡¯t want to get undressed in front of my father so I just take the upper embroidered robe off.

    I slowly lie down, not sure what to expect. Erik immediately takes the position right in front of me, hugs me and looks at my father defiantly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you need to soothe my brain, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting go of my husband after being reunited with him,¡± I state clearly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need much,¡± he assures me, sits behind me and¡­ touches my wings.

    I get goosebumps. He touched my wings just an hour ago for the very first time, but a lot was going on so I didn¡¯t have time to think about it. I expect to feel repulsed. I want to feel repulsed. I want to shove my repulsion into his face and make him see how much I don¡¯t like him. Instead, my wings relax under his touch. My Divementis part takes dominance and I can¡¯t help it.

    ¡°Aefener, you have to let me in, I¡¯m not forcing entry this time,¡± he says. ¡°This is not training and you¡¯re hurting.¡±

    ¡°What about Erik?¡± I worry.

    ¡°I won¡¯t connect to your partner,¡± he promises.

    I don¡¯t know how much his word is worth, but his emotions aren¡¯t lying. I slowly open my mind, dreading to be invaded by him as I was so many times in a dream state. He enters my mind so gently that it¡¯s almost suspicious. Is this calming presence really my father? Is this the real person behind the imperial demeanour my mom fell in love with?

    Physically, I¡¯m snuggling to Erik, but I don¡¯t pull him in as I usually do. Instead, I take comfort in the mind of my father which is so Divementis. For once, I¡¯m not the one who has to take an active role in a telepathic exchange, so I can relax my brain completely. I don¡¯t understand why I trust him. I just do.

    I¡¯m sorry that I wasn¡¯t there for you, son, he tells me when I¡¯m almost on the verge of sleep. But I am here now.

    *****

    I wake up rested as never before. I don¡¯t know what my father did, but he managed to shut the parts of my brain that were always active so I could truly rest. Erik and Gotrid are both sleeping deeply and, judging by the soft light coming into the room, it¡¯s very early morning.

    I slept blissfully for half a day, but the same can¡¯t be said for my partners. I fell asleep in the late afternoon, but I doubt they followed me. I bet they were working on their laptops, taking care of some overdue tasks. I kiss Erik¡¯s forehead, then carefully turn around, free my wings and kiss Gotrid¡¯s forehead as well. I was right, they aren¡¯t fully rested yet.

    I pass my phone with telekinesis to check the time. It¡¯s only half past five. Both Gotrid and Erik are light sleepers so I have to resort to a trick if I don¡¯t want to wake them up. I caress their faces, send them my love and try to induce a peaceful state of mind that will continue comforting them when I¡¯m gone.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    I don¡¯t think the Divementis can make someone fall asleep if that person doesn¡¯t want to, but if it¡¯s just a matter of comforting someone like a telepathic lullaby, it¡¯s not actually that difficult. I carefully slip from their embrace and I have to laugh silently when Erik automatically grabs Gotrid¡¯s wing and uses it as a blanket. Brilliant, that should take care of it. I hope Erik won¡¯t throw a tantrum when he realises whose wing he¡¯s holding.

    ¡°Your Majesty?¡± the guards are startled when I appear in the hall.

    ¡°Shh,¡± I shush them and close the door behind me. ¡°Let my husbands sleep, they need to rest.¡±

    I hope for a quiet introverted morning so I¡¯m surprised when I find Advin and Nala in the lounge, working already. They are sitting around a low table on cushions in a very Japanese way. Do they have to follow me like a second shadow? Did my father order them to do so?

    ¡°Your Highness!¡± they are taken aback to see me so early and use my Divementis title. They quickly stand up and bow. I don¡¯t like to see my cousins bowing to me, but I don¡¯t think that I would be able to talk them out of it.

    ¡°How many hours do the Divementis need to sleep?¡± I tilt my head.

    ¡°Nine, the same as Celestials,¡± Nala says. ¡°We just went to sleep early last night because we couldn¡¯t be of use to Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°What are you working on?¡± I eye their laptops.

    ¡°The training regimen for you and your partners,¡± Advin explains.

    ¡°My partners as well?¡± my frown. ¡°They have too much work as it is. With me spending most of my time with my father, they will have to take care of politics and administration.¡±

    ¡°Lord Erik will be spending most of his time plugged in VR,¡± Nala corrects me. ¡°If you want him to transform as soon as possible, he will be either training in the game or having me alter his perception. You will have to leave politics to the Viceroy.¡±

    ¡°And Gotrid?¡± I sit down on a cushion and wave at them to do the same. I hope to have a proper conversation with them. The ground is spotless and the carpet under the table is fluffy so I don¡¯t have to worry about staining my wings.

    ¡°As your bonded partner, he¡¯s expected to train with you,¡± Advin says, making himself comfortable. ¡°He might not be a Divementis, but he¡¯s still a Draconian. Our uncle thinks that magical dual-casting has great potential if done with perfect telepathic coordination.¡±

    ¡°I know, I¡¯ve tried that already,¡± I nod.

    ¡°Not only that. We¡¯ve never trained non-telepaths with our methods, but we believe that your consort might help you even on a telepathic level,¡± Nala reveals. ¡°Acting as an anchor and your balancer in case of telepathic attacks.¡±

    At first, I can¡¯t imagine it, but then I realise that she¡¯s just using different terminology. I do use my partners as my anchors and balancers. Their presence has a calming effect on me, they help me stop overthinking and I know that I can rely on them. Can there be more? I give Nala an inquisitive look.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know much about that, though, it¡¯s only for bonded couples,¡± she admits. ¡°We¡¯re not mature enough to bond.¡±

    ¡°Huh? When is a Divementis mature for a relationship?¡± I¡¯m dying with curiosity all of a sudden. ¡°Do you date before that?¡±

    ¡°Not before we turn forty,¡± Nala says. ¡°As for dating, we can do that to experiment and gain some experience, but that¡¯s about it. We can like the other person, but it¡¯s not true love so young relationships never last and are just for fun.¡±

    ¡°But my sis loves human romantic movies,¡± Advin nudges his sister, grinning. ¡°She¡¯s hooked on them. She even fancies human men.¡±

    ¡°S-stop it, y-you!¡± she nudges him back and turns red. ¡°As if I haven¡¯t seen you watching those stupid streams of Korean models.¡±

    I can¡¯t help myself and burst laughing. My cousins are pure Divementis, but their interests are so human. No wonder my aunt doesn¡¯t know what to do with them¡ªthey are like human teenagers.

    ¡°Have any other Divementis apart from my father and me ever fallen in love with a human?¡± I ask.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s proven to be physiologically impossible,¡± Nala shakes her head. ¡°I might fancy human men, as my annoying brother pointed out, but it¡¯s just fantasy. I wouldn¡¯t be able to seriously fall in love with a human. As for why our uncle could¡­ we don¡¯t know. The Royal bloodline has special qualities and this might be one of them.¡±

    ¡°Still not as crazy as a polyamorous Divementis,¡± Advin comments venomously.

    I give him an irritated look and he flinches. He tries to act nonchalant and cheeky, but is he afraid that I might try to invade his mind? My father mentioned that I create telepathic pressure without knowing when just thinking about a particular person. I wonder what it feels like.

    ¡°You stupid!¡± Nala pokes his brother hard. ¡°Our cousin might be younger than us, but he¡¯s the Royal bloodline and the Celestial Emperor. Stop provoking His Highness or you will regret it. He could fry your brain this easily,¡± she snaps her fingers.

    ¡°What?! I could not,¡± I frown. Is she exaggerating?

    ¡°Well, maybe not right now, but with some training¡­,¡± Nala sounds almost optimistic about it.

    ¡°I could not!¡± I insist, horrified. ¡°I¡¯m not a monster.¡±

    ¡°The Enemy is a monster,¡± Advin shrugs. ¡°I hope you will fry its brain so that we can go home.¡±

    A sudden realisation comes to me. If we win this war, however unimaginable that might seem right now, the Divementis will return to their home dimension. What would it mean for other Draconian races? Would they happily relocate as well? Would we abandon Earth and go to live on Draconia with no humans?

    ¡°Your Majesty, why are you up so early?¡± Ayame appears and she looks like someone who¡¯s just been woken up. Her feathers are dishevelled and she¡¯s yawning.

    I give the guards a disapproving look. My guardians are taking shifts as usual, but I didn¡¯t take enough maids with me so we decided to cancel a night shift which I hardly ever need anyway. Seriously, did they have to wake her up?

    ¡°Your Majesty, your robe is all crumpled,¡± she notices right away.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to change in front of my father,¡± I explain. ¡°Don¡¯t go to the bedroom, Erik and Gotrid are still sleeping. Don¡¯t you dare wake them up for something as trivial as clothes.¡±

    ¡°Let me get you tea at least,¡± she offers now that she¡¯s awake anyway.

    ¡°Thank you, three cups, please,¡± I appreciate and turn back to my cousins. With almost everyone else sleeping, I have a rare opportunity to get to know them.

    ¡°Nala, do you like Earth?¡± I decide to ask directly.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she nods. ¡°I was born here and human culture is much more fun. I know that the elders want to return, but young Divementis aren¡¯t so thrilled about the prospect. Still, when the time comes, we will all return. We might like Earth, but we don¡¯t have much freedom here.¡±

    ¡°I see. When you return¡­¡±

    ¡°We,¡± Advin corrects me and sounds angry that I¡¯m talking about the Divementis in the second person as if I¡¯m not one of them. ¡°There¡¯s no scenario in which we¡¯re leaving our Crown Prince behind.¡±

    ¡°I thought you especially would love to get rid of me,¡± I grimace.

    ¡°What?! Why would you say that?!¡± he acts sincerely shocked. ¡°You¡¯re both our cousin and our prince. You¡¯re one of us.¡±

    ¡°His Highness has a bad opinion of you because you¡¯re teasing him too much,¡± Nala clicks her tongue at her brother.

    ¡°I can¡¯t help it, he¡¯s so Celestial about things,¡± he purses his lips.

    ¡°Duh, His Highness is half-Celestial,¡± Nala rolls her eyes and stares longingly at my wings.

    I don¡¯t have to be a telepath to guess when someone is dying to touch my feathers. For a few seconds, I¡¯m considering whether I should indulge her or not. I barely know her, but Nala is my relative and I feel irresistibly drawn to both her and Advin.

    ¡°That¡¯s okay, you can touch them,¡± I allow it in the end and spread my left wing towards her. I would never let a stranger touch me, but Nala is no stranger. She¡¯s family.

    Nala eagerly stretches her hand to me, but Advin slaps her.

    ¡°He will be able to see everything if you touch him, you stupid,¡± he hisses. ¡°You might be a proficient telepath, but you have no defence against someone with the Royal bloodline.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± Nala retorts. ¡°I have nothing to hide and His Highness is our cousin.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t pry into places where you don¡¯t want me,¡± I promise, full of anticipation. What is it going to be like?

    Nala impatiently pushes her brother away and buries his palms into my fluffy feathers. She gasps for breath when my presence enters her mind, but she doesn¡¯t flinch and even tries to relax. I also gasp for breath but for an entirely different reason¡ªit¡¯s the very first time I get to fully experience an inviting Divementis mind. My father last night doesn¡¯t count, it was me letting him in and I was too hurting to pay attention.

    I try not to pry and I don¡¯t, but it¡¯s impossible not to read her surface thoughts and feelings. I expect something alien, but it¡¯s the exact opposite. Nala¡¯s mind is soothing and so familiar. Moreover, she¡¯s also a telepath which means that she knows what I¡¯m doing and she¡¯s actively cooperating.

    I don¡¯t have to navigate her like I have to do with my partners. I don¡¯t have to be careful about what I¡¯m not supposed to see, Nala simply locks those places and hopes I won¡¯t force entry. The feeling of familiarity deepens and I finally understand why the Divementis family bonds are so strong. They get to share everything on every possible level. My Divementis nature flutters excitedly as something buried deep inside of me opens up.

    ¡°Ehm, Your Majesty¡­?¡± Ayame speaks up, disturbing our exchange. Nala twitches away which breaks the connection. I come out a bit disoriented and annoyed. It was so comforting.

    I want to give the maid an angry look, but I stop myself just in time. Ayala was woken up early because of me and she kindly brought us refreshments. She couldn¡¯t know what we were doing.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I smile at her gratefully and watch as she puts a tray with a teapot, three cups and some mini sandwiches on the table in front of us.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you want to return to bed and sleep for two more hours,¡± I tell her because she¡¯s stepping nervously in one place.

    ¡°I can¡¯t change your clothes, so let me comb your hair at least, my Emperor,¡± she offers, giving Nala a strange stare.

    Before I can tell her that it¡¯s not necessary, she quickly digs a comb out of the belt of her robe, sits down on a cushion behind me and starts working. Her emotions hit me when she touches my hair and it¡¯s the most conflicted mixture. Only my partners, Liana, the doctors and the maids are normally allowed to touch my wings and I looked so relaxed with Nala doing it.

    I chew my lip. Even the guards got unnaturally quiet and the chill atmosphere suddenly turned sour. Ayame is making it a bit too obvious to my cousins who I really belong to. Nala looks at Advin and I can feel that they are talking telepathically, but their communication is too fast for me to catch. Still, I sense that both Celestials and my cousins feel extremely jealous of each other right now.

    ¡°Ayame, something simple, please,¡± I lament because she starts styling my combed hair into braids. I can tell she¡¯s doing it on purpose so that she can stay longer.

    There¡¯s no way I¡¯d start preferring the Divementis over Celestials, I send her my tender reassurance. Nala and Advin are my family, though, and I want to get to know them. I probably won¡¯t have any time during the day so I have a rare opportunity.

    Ayame nods, simplifies my hairstyle and stands up. She still doesn¡¯t like seeing me fraternising with the Divementis, but I persuaded her for now. I sent her a ton of love which calmed her down a bit. She knows that emotions can¡¯t be faked.

    ¡°Nala, do the Divementis connect to each other daily?¡± I ask to disperse the moment of awkwardness.

    ¡°Sure, but only with family, partners and close friends,¡± she says. ¡°We don¡¯t like connecting to strangers any more than you like strangers touching your wings.¡±

    ¡°Strangers? Don¡¯t you know everyone here?¡± I tilt my head.

    ¡°How could I? We are almost twelve thousand, Your Highness,¡± she reveals. ¡°Everybody knows me because I¡¯m the Emperor¡¯s niece, not the other way around.¡±

    ¡°Twelve thousand?¡± I¡¯m surprised by the number because I expected much less.

    The Divementis are still the least populous Draconian race, but if we win this war, reviving the entire species should be possible. I feel immensely relieved¡ªmy people have a future! I stretch for a cup of tea and my hand freezes when I realise that I¡¯ve just called the Divementis ¡®my people.¡¯

    ¡°You should eat something, cousin, I don¡¯t want His Majesty to scold me again,¡± Advin says.

    ¡°It¡¯s only six, I can¡¯t possibly eat this early,¡± I shake my head.

    ¡°Why not?¡± he doesn¡¯t understand, finishes one sandwich and takes another.

    ¡°I¡¯m used to eating around half past seven and, besides, my husbands aren¡¯t awake yet and I always eat with them,¡± I explain.

    ¡°You will have proper breakfast later, this is just a snack,¡± he pushes the plate close to me. ¡°The doctors clearly said you have to snack from now on.¡±

    I sigh and take one mini sandwich. So now both Celestials and the Divementis will watch over my diet? How bothersome. I bite into it and it¡¯s delicious. I take one more to make my adjutants happy and I have to admit that it isn¡¯t difficult. Celestials were constantly overstuffing me which I hated. Snacking on smaller portions might be a much better alternative.

    I almost drop the cup when Nala touches my wings again, this time without prior asking. She seems so fascinated by my feathered limbs and Advin probably as well, but he¡¯s too proud to admit it. I relax and stretch both my wings comfortably over the fluffy carpet. I catch Advin looking at my wings with a badly hidden desire to touch them.

    ¡°Gosh, Advin, just swallow your stupid pride,¡± Nala shakes her head. ¡°The prince¡¯s wings are so soft; you¡¯re missing a lot.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not having my mind read,¡± he refuses adamantly.

    ¡°Your loss then,¡± she smirks and continues petting me.

    I half-close my eyes, enjoying both petting and the telepathic connection between us. Nala¡¯s mind just feels like family. I feel so safe in her presence. Yesterday, I felt safe in my father¡¯s presence for the very first time as well. Are Divementis family bonds something I can¡¯t resist? Advin might be teasing me, but I like his company as well.

    I felt something deep inside of me open up just a few minutes ago so I go to explore that feeling. I have two natures in me, but they aren¡¯t clashing. My Celestial Emperor¡¯s nature seems to be in perfect harmony with my Divementis royal bloodline nature. I shiver with joy when I discover that I have room in my heart to love both Celestials and the Divementis.

    ¡°Oh, t-that¡¯s¡­,¡± Nala widens her eyes, astonished. ¡°Is this what projecting emotions feels like? Can you do it with anyone?¡±

    I open my eyes again. I realise that I¡¯ve just sent her my love without knowing. I couldn¡¯t help myself. I do it with my partners all the time and Nala feels like¡­ home.

    ¡°Only Celestials and people I like,¡± I say. ¡°I can¡¯t project a loving emotion towards someone I¡¯m indifferent to or I straightforward don¡¯t like.¡±

    ¡°So, does it mean you like me?¡± Nala blushes.

    ¡°I can¡¯t explain it, but you and Advin feel so familiar,¡± I also blush a little. ¡°I barely know you, but it¡¯s as if we¡¯ve known each other for a long time. Is it normal among the Divementis?¡±

    ¡°Perfectly normal, Divementis family bonds are very strong and we naturally feel drawn to similar genes,¡± she nods. ¡°Advin might tease you, but he can¡¯t help it either. By the way, bonded partners, even though not sharing the same genes, feel the same to us. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t hesitate and volunteered to transform Lord Erik.¡±

    I¡¯m happy to hear that; it means that Nala won¡¯t have a hard time connecting to my beloved. I nonchalantly spread my right wing to Advin, pretending to stretch, in case he might want to pet my feathers after all. However, he sees right through me and frowns. Stubborn, I get it. Still, he doesn¡¯t sit away even though my wing is super close to him which I consider a good sign.

    ¡°Do we expect the Japanese government to visit Nebula premises today?¡± I ponder.

    ¡°Hard to say, the Japanese always take their time when making important decisions,¡± Advin shrugs. ¡°I bet they haven¡¯t calmed down yet since yesterday and are still freaking out. Moreover, they were invited to meet aliens at their secret base. They must be scared shitless.¡±

    ¡°Figures,¡± I sigh. ¡°What do we¡­¡±

    I don¡¯t get to finish that sentence because Erik and Gotrid storm into the room. At first, it looks like Erik just wants to complain that he woke up holding Gotrid¡¯s wing instead of mine and Gotrid doesn¡¯t look thrilled either about being used as a blanket.

    However, they don¡¯t manage to voice their protest because they freeze when they see me sitting on the ground with my Divementis cousins. Nala is still petting my left wing and my right one is so close to Advin that I¡¯m almost hugging him.

    I can feel panic growing inside of them. It turns into bewilderment, jealousy and then fear. All that in just a few seconds. Seeing me sitting comfortably next to my cousins and looking so relaxed in their presence does something to them. They start to feel seriously afraid that I might prefer the Divementis in the future.

 100. Reconciliation

    I want to quickly get up and assure Erik and Gotrid that it¡¯s silly to feel jealous of my cousins, but I trip over my robe and fall right onto Advin¡¯s lap. Advin is so surprised that it takes him a while to react and we resist a telepathic connection only by both of us mustering all our willpower. I feel my partners getting angrier with each passing second.

    Before I manage to collect myself, they jump to me and pull me up. I gasp for breath when their emotions intensify upon direct touch. The last time I experienced Erik this jealous was when Gotrid appeared at the New York conference and was openly flirting with me. Frankly, I don¡¯t understand how that is comparable to socialising with my biological family.

    ¡°T-too much,¡± I push them away because their emotions make me nauseous. ¡°Erik, Gotrid, calm down! There¡¯s no reason to feel this way.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there?¡± Gotrid clicks his tongue. ¡°Nobody should be allowed to touch your wings in such a way except for us. It¡¯s our privilege and ours only!¡±

    I¡¯m staring at them, dumbfounded. If they got jealous that another man petted my wings with ulterior motives, I would understand their jealousy. However, Advin and Nala are my cousins¡ªmy blood relatives.

    ¡°Gotrid, Erik,¡± I take their hands, trying to withstand their intense emotions. ¡°What is this really about? I haven¡¯t done anything wrong.¡±

    Their anger slowly transforms into guilt. They finally realised that they snapped at me without a valid reason except for their own insecurity. Now they feel embarrassed about it.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Erik is too ashamed to meet my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ you looked so content in the company of your cousins.¡±

    ¡°We got jelly,¡± Gotrid admits, chewing his lip.

    I can¡¯t be angry at them. They overreacted because they felt threatened by my cousins. They are afraid that I might start preferring the Divementis, but that¡¯s just impossible. I¡¯m probably slowly and inevitably falling in love with the Divementis, but I¡¯ll never start preferring them. I¡¯m just as Celestial as I am Divementis.

    ¡°Let¡¯s sit together,¡± I pull my husbands down on the cushions. I spread my wings and hug them.

    Nala and Advin are giving my husbands unsure looks, but they stay seated. Erik and Gotrid are my bonded partners which means that my cousins should feel drawn to them whether they like it or not. Advin is frowning, but I can tell he¡¯s open to accepting my partners in the end.

    ¡°I¡¯ll say it once and for all¡ªI won¡¯t allow any jealousy or rivalry between you four,¡± I state clearly.

    ¡°B-but, love, we¡¯re your¡­,¡± Gotrid wants to protest so I clutch his hand.

    ¡°Naturally, you¡¯re my partners so you¡¯ll always be my absolute priority,¡± I assure him. ¡°However, that doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t want to spend time with my cousins as well. Erik, Gotrid, don¡¯t you understand? I finally found my biological family. With my grandma dead, I thought that I didn¡¯t have any left.¡±

    ¡°We do understand,¡± Erik answers slowly. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ we have so little time for each other as it is and your attention is going to be even more divided from now on.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only temporary,¡± I claim vehemently. ¡°Hopefully, if we win the war, we will have centuries to spend together. Erik, your goal right now is to transform as quickly as possible so that we have those centuries ahead of us.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± he sighs resignedly and looks at Nala. ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care then.¡±

    I smile at him encouragingly and lean for a kiss. As expected, Advin is embarrassed seeing us kissing right in front of him, but I don¡¯t feel anything coming from Nala. She must be used to public displays of intimacy from those Korean TV shows she likes so much. I kiss Gotrid as well because I can sense that our private morning is coming to an end.

    ¡°Your Majesty, the Divementis Emperor just arrived,¡± Vermiel enters the lounge to report.

    ¡°What? So early?¡± I check the time. It¡¯s barely seven.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re up already, he said that he didn¡¯t have a reason to wait,¡± Vermiel shrugs.

    ¡°He felt that I was awake from his apartment?¡± I widen my eyes. ¡°Advin, is the Divementis telepathy so far-reaching?¡±

    ¡°Only when it comes to family bonds,¡± Advin explains. ¡°We¡¯re finely tuned to the minds of our partners and family members.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell him to wait for a few minutes? I need to put on some decent clothes,¡± I ask.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Advin nods and goes to relay my message.

    I guess that I could have just sent my father that message telepathically, but I don¡¯t want to feel him in my mind so early in the morning. I want to keep my defences against him for as long as possible even though I know that they are crumbling already.

    ¡°Aefener, are you well-rested?¡± my father greets me when I¡¯m done and doesn¡¯t seem bothered that I had him wait in the hall.

    ¡°Thanks to you,¡± I have to give him merit for that.

    His mind touches me lightly, but I have my defences back up, so he can¡¯t get through. He looks saddened that I won¡¯t let him in, but he doesn¡¯t say anything. Did he think that I would suddenly warm up to him only because he helped me with a migraine?

    We ride the elevator together, but I push Gotrid in front of me so that his wings are between me and my father. I let my father enter my mind yesterday and I don¡¯t know how to face him now. He could see so many things while he was comforting my fatigued brain. I shouldn¡¯t have let a moment of weakness cloud my judgment.

    I find Liana and Soren already eating in the dining room and they sit right next to each other. Normally, Liana always sits either next to me or next to Luviael. Did something happen between them yesterday evening while I was blissfully out? Finally, some progress in their relationship?

    ¡°Good morning, Your Majesty,¡± Liana stands up and bows to me. Soren does the same.

    I wave my hand so that they can sit down immediately and give them an inquisitive look. Liana doesn¡¯t feel any different than usual, but I sense careful hope coming from Soren. Unfortunately, with my father watching me, I don¡¯t dare to ask Soren telepathically about it.

    ¡°Li, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to ask you to take on most governmental tasks for me,¡± I tell her.

    ¡°Suspected as much,¡± Liana nods. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my Emperor, I¡¯m sure that our people will understand why you can¡¯t waste any time except for the most important matters.¡±

    ¡°Soren, can I ask you to help Liana?¡± I ask him specifically on purpose even though it goes without saying that everyone will support her in my stead.

    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty,¡± Soren beams at me, no doubt looking forward to spending more time with my romantically dumb Viceroy.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you then,¡± I smile. ¡°Make sure that Liana doesn¡¯t overwork herself.¡±

    ¡°Naturally,¡± Soren nods in all seriousness.

    Liana rolls her eyes and nudges him. She¡¯s trying to appear annoyed, but I can feel that she¡¯s not. Moreover, she normally never nudged people because that would ruin her image as my ruthless deputy. It seems Soren is slowly taking down her defences one layer at a time and I have to commemorate him for that.

    Someone puts a plate with breakfast in front of me and the portion is indeed smaller than before, just as was agreed. I get the same number of eggs and veggies, but only one piece of bread and no side dishes. The amount of food seems manageable so I dig in without protests.

    ¡°Did you have enough, hon?¡± Gotrid is a bit doubtful when I finish everything.

    ¡°Enough,¡± I assure him. I realise only now that I will have to slow down next time so that my Celestial companions, who need to eat more than me, have time. I certainly can¡¯t stand up or that would end breakfast for everyone so I slowly sip my coffee.

    Aefener, my father addresses me telepathically all of a sudden even though he¡¯s been silent so far.

    Y-yes? I try not to flinch.

    You¡¯re still afraid of me, I saw it in your mind yesterday, he says and shows me how sad he is about it.

    What did you expect? I mean, really? I retort irritably. When we met for the very first time, you went for the most brutal telepathic test to prove me. Then you started invading my dreams without my consent and training me using merciless methods. I have every right not to trust you.

    I had to do it to protect you, he answers apologetically. My people were prepared to abduct you if I didn¡¯t prove to them that you inherited the Royal bloodline. As for the training, I needed you to be able to protect yourself and this was the only way to teach you fast in just a few sessions.

    While I rationally do understand his arguments, my father was like a void to me since the beginning. I¡¯m just starting to perceive his emotions and only to the extent he lets me. How can I be sure that he¡¯s sincere? From what I know, he sees me only as a valuable resource that might help the Divementis win the war.

    I know that I don¡¯t deserve your forgiveness just yet, Aefener, he speaks up again when he doesn¡¯t hear my answer. All I ask is that you give me a chance.

    I wouldn¡¯t be here if I wasn¡¯t prepared to give you a chance, I finally reply.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Thank you, son, I really appreciate that¡­

    ¡°Love, are you with us?¡± Erik nudges me when he notices my blank expression.

    ¡°Sorry, I was talking to my father,¡± I admit.

    Erik chews his lip. He can tell when I¡¯m communicating telepathically, but I usually do it with either him or Gotrid. He hates it when I do it with anyone else.

    ¡°Son, I think everyone pretty much finished eating,¡± my father observes. ¡°We should start immediately before the Japanese government decides how to react.¡±

    *****

    ¡°A pod? Why do I have to lie in a pod?¡± Erik protests when Nala shows him the VR device he¡¯s going to be plugged in. ¡°Ryuu could deep dive from his bed.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll also need to wear this,¡± Nala hands him a futuristic-looking overall. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s necessary. You¡¯ll be spending in VR twelve hours a day. There won¡¯t be any time for lunch, bathroom breaks or exercise. The suit will be stimulating your muscles and absorbing liquids.¡±

    ¡°Twelve hours a day without any breaks,¡± Gotrid shudders. ¡°Not even the most hardcore gamers do that.¡±

    ¡°Since we want Lord Erik to transform as soon as possible, it¡¯s the only way,¡± Nala says and sends Erik into a cabin so that he can change clothes.

    ¡°Is it really safe, Nala?¡± I¡¯m starting to have doubts.

    ¡°It¡¯s safe with that suit,¡± she assures me. ¡°Also, we¡¯ll be monitoring Lord Erik¡¯s health all the time. You have nothing to fear, Your Highness.¡±

    Erik returns and looks surprisingly sexy. The suit isn¡¯t very different from his helicopter overall and he has the perfect body type for it.

    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine peeing in that, though,¡± he still complains.

    ¡°Like astronauts,¡± Gotrid smirks.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Royal Consort, you won¡¯t know a thing,¡± Nala tries to comfort him. ¡°Your mind will be fully in VR and the suit will take care of your body functions. There are sensors installed so we will know immediately should anything be amiss.¡±

    Erik sighs, but his determination doesn¡¯t waver. He lies down in the pod and Nala puts a VR helmet on his head. It¡¯s a model I have never seen before, probably an advanced prototype that¡¯s not on the market.

    ¡°Starting the combability analysis,¡± Nala begins the procedure. ¡°Please, don¡¯t be startled if you lose consciousness for a few seconds, Lord Erik.¡±

    We¡¯re waiting nervously for the results. It¡¯s estimated that 20% of the population isn¡¯t able to full-dive at all. Fortunately, it¡¯s usually only older people, but Erik never liked VR to begin with.

    ¡°Compatibility level 67%,¡± Nala announces and we¡¯re all relieved. ¡°Not great, not terrible, but it¡¯s a solid start. Have you tried VR before, Lord Erik?¡±

    ¡°A few times when I was a teenager, but I always hated the experience. Does it mean that my transformation will take longer?¡± Erik sounds dissatisfied with the number.

    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Nala calms him down. ¡°Once your brain gets used to VR, your compatibility level should gradually go up. I can help you get a more pleasurable experience if you let me.¡±

    ¡°Erik, VR isn¡¯t so bad,¡± I smile at him encouragingly. ¡°It¡¯s like being in a dream, but with full control.¡±

    ¡°Says someone whose compatibility was 100%,¡± Gotrid coughs. ¡°67% is barely enough for hardcore RPG gaming.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care, I¡¯m doing it,¡± Erik says resolutely. ¡°Oh, by the way, can I choose my avatar?¡±

    ¡°Sure, but we should keep your facial features the same for better immersion,¡± Nala nods.

    ¡°Have you decided on your wing colour and pattern?¡± I¡¯m curious. ¡°Go for anything you like, I don¡¯t have preferences.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± he doesn¡¯t believe me. ¡°Gotrid¡¯s wings arouse you.¡±

    ¡°The bone structure of your future wings will be based on your current physique so I expect a fabulous result,¡± I poke him. ¡°As for colour, I really don¡¯t care. Everything is more interesting than my boring snow white.¡±

    ¡°Dummy, you have the most beautiful pair of wings,¡± Erik rolls his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll probably take forever in the character creation, is that okay? After all, I¡¯ll be choosing my new body.¡±

    ¡°Take your sweet time,¡± I lean over and kiss him deeply. ¡°Just remember that regardless of what you decide to go for, it will still be you.¡±

    ¡°Initialising the full dive,¡± Nala says.

    I watch as Erik¡¯s body goes numb and his consciousness travels to the world of Draconia Online for the very first time. I remember how excited I was when Draconia launched and I started playing it on day one. Erik might not like video games, but I have no doubt he will fall in love with Draconia eventually.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness, your husband is in good hands,¡± Nala assures me.

    She lies next to my beloved, clutches his hand and closes her eyes. She doesn¡¯t have to put on a VR helmet because she will be experiencing the game through Erik¡¯s mind. I keep watching them for a little longer until Advin comes to fetch us, reminding me that we have a packed schedule.

    *****

    ¡°We don¡¯t have the luxury of time I¡¯m afraid, so we will have to use unorthodox training methods,¡± my father says.

    He leads us into a soundproofed room with only soft pads on the ground and meditation cushions. He sits down immediately and instructs me to sit in front of him. Gotrid lands right next to me and hugs me with his left wing. He¡¯s super nervous because he doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s expected of him.

    ¡°Normally, a Divementis trains their telepathy from a very early age,¡± my father starts explaining. ¡°You have the advantage of possessing the royal bloodline so your telepathy is naturally super strong, but that also comes with many tolls. You never learned how to properly shield your mind so you suffered from frequent headaches. Your mind was hopelessly unguarded and your only luck was that you never encountered another telepath.¡±

    ¡°Yet, I withstood a telepathic attack from the Enemy,¡± I point out proudly.

    ¡°That you have,¡± he admits. ¡°You haven¡¯t escaped unscathed, though. You could have also endangered your partner.¡±

    I chew my lip and look at Gotrid. The Enemy went after him the moment Gotrid touched me back there.

    ¡°You have great potential, son, you just lack formal training,¡± my father says optimistically. ¡°It usually takes many years to fully train one¡¯s telepathy to the proficient level, but we have only a few months at best. Therefore, we have to use unorthodox methods and harness the power of your unique empathy as well.¡±

    ¡°How do I fit in?¡± Gotrid twitches anxiously.

    ¡°You will act as Aefener¡¯s anchor,¡± my father reveals. ¡°The Divementis don¡¯t bond until they come of age at forty so they can¡¯t train with their partners. You two can.¡±

    ¡°Even if I¡¯m not a telepath?¡± Gotrid doubts.

    ¡°You can help stabilise Aefener and be his safe harbour,¡± he states. ¡°The Royal bloodline carries great power, but those who inherit it tend to get easily overwhelmed. It helps us to rest in the minds of people we love.¡±

    ¡°Father, whatever strict training method you plan to go for, I forbid you to mentally torture my partner in any way,¡± I set the record straight. ¡°I mean it¡ªone slip and we¡¯re done.¡±

    My father¡¯s face darkens.

    ¡°I never wanted to hurt you, son,¡± he whispers and there¡¯s guilt written all over his face. ¡°It was the only way how to teach you to put up sturdy mental shields as fast as possible. Originally, I wanted you to be able to protect your mind when you meet our people for the first time, but it saved your life when facing the Enemy.¡±

    ¡°You wanted to protect me against the Divementis?¡± I frown.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he nods. ¡°Your telepathy is possibly even stronger than mine, but your mind was hopelessly unguarded. I couldn¡¯t risk you meeting our people in that state.¡±

    I¡¯m staring at him, still doubtful. The Divementis have been welcoming so far and nothing indicated that they would see me as an abomination. If anything, they are timid around me. Would that be different if I couldn¡¯t protect my mind?

    ¡°Aefener, don¡¯t you understand? The Divementis are afraid of you for a good reason,¡± he sighs deeply. ¡°You¡¯re not only the strongest telepath but also the embodiment of magic. Once you fully master your powers, you might become even more powerful than the Enemy.¡±

    Now I¡¯m staring at him in shock.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡± I shake my head violently.

    ¡°Moreover, you clearly prefer Celestials,¡± he continues. ¡°With your Celestial Emperor¡¯s wrath, there¡¯s no telling what you might do in future should the Divementis displease you. The fact that you go after every Divementis you meet so aggressively isn¡¯t helping.¡±

    ¡°I would never harm¡­,¡± I try to oppose, but he stops me.

    ¡°I know, son,¡± he assures me. ¡°I saw your mind and I know how kind you are. Still, you¡¯re the Celestial Emperor¡ªthe leader of the most conquest-hungry and advanced Draconian race.¡±

    ¡°I thought the Divementis were on par with Celestials and there was peace on Draconia before the Enemy invaded,¡± I tilt my head.

    ¡°We were on par with them only thanks to our telepathy,¡± he sets the record straight. ¡°As for the rest of Draconian races, they were lucky that they inhabited environments unsuitable for Celestials so your people weren¡¯t interested in conquering those. The truth is that peace was fragile and possible only thanks to careful diplomacy.¡±

    ¡°How close was the game to the original state of things?¡± Gotrid asks curiously.

    ¡°We altered the parts connected to collaboration,¡± my father admits. ¡°Draconian races were tolerant towards one another, but they rarely mingled. They happily traded their racial-specific resources, but that was about it. Forget about mixed battle units, those didn¡¯t exist before¡ªit was unthinkable. Especially Celestials would never team up with races they considered to be lesser.¡±

    ¡°Lesser?¡± I shudder.

    ¡°They acknowledged only the Divementis and the Earthborn,¡± my father states. ¡°The Dragonkin and Clawfangs were just intelligent beasts to them, not worthy of their interest.¡±

    ¡°Did Celestials have a bad reputation?¡± I¡¯m almost afraid to ask.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say bad, more like mysterious,¡± he shakes his head. ¡°They inhabited flying cities outsiders weren¡¯t allowed to visit, they lived for hundreds of years and could do magic. It was difficult to understand them. My people were hesitant about whether we should revive them, but we knew that we wouldn¡¯t have a chance without them. Besides, my mother promised that to the late Celestial Emperor.¡±

    ¡°Promised?¡± I narrow my eyes.

    ¡°We told Celestials about our plan a few weeks before Assiath fell,¡± he says. ¡°The Emperor knew that they were fighting a losing war so he entrusted my mother with a Celestial genome imprint which was the last piece we still missed.¡±

    ¡°Your mother¡­ my grandmother,¡± I realise. ¡°How did she die?¡±

    ¡°She died stealing the dimensional travel device from the Enemy,¡± my father lowers his head. It seems to be a sore topic for him still. ¡°She was able to confuse the Enemy for a few moments which gave our people a chance to seize the device and flee. I was only twenty-one at that time, still a child when it comes to the Divementis lifespan. I couldn¡¯t do anything.¡±

    He opens up to me and lets me feel his emotions. He lost his mother in the war and took the throne at an unprecedented young age for a Divementis. Now he rules what is left of once a glorious empire. He¡¯s simply scared that his people will perish.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you everything if you let me,¡± he whispers. ¡°I loved your mother deeply and I regret that I wasn¡¯t stronger as a ruler to come up proudly in front of my subjects and announce that I bonded to her. I¡¯ll regret it for the rest of my life.¡±

    His confession seems genuine so I slowly nod. I decide that I shouldn¡¯t judge him by our first encounter, however unfortunate it might have been. The Divementis have a different idea of morality and there has never been a Divementis hybrid before.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start then,¡± I say eagerly. ¡°What kind of telepathic training have you prepared for me, father?¡±

    ¡°You should start building smarter defences,¡± he states. ¡°Your current mental shield is very strong for someone without formal training, but it limits you.¡±

    ¡°Limits?¡± I don¡¯t quite understand.

    ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but I assume that so far you¡¯ve been doing everything you could think of to limit the input,¡± he explains. ¡°It¡¯s understandable, you were forced to live among non-telepaths so you had to develop coping mechanisms. These mechanisms limit the power of your telepathy, though, especially when it comes to long-distance perception.¡±

    ¡°So, it¡¯s possible to keep my guard up while reaching out?¡± I get hopeful.

    ¡°Of course,¡± he nods. ¡°Long-distance telepathy is quite taxing on one¡¯s brain so we don¡¯t have it on at all times, but it¡¯s super important when it comes to coordinating battle units or sensing danger.¡±

    ¡°Sensing danger,¡± I realise that there¡¯s something that has been bugging me for weeks. ¡°Father, when the missile attacked the Draconian embassy in Prague, I was somehow able to sense it coming. How is that possible when there was no living being steering it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that,¡± he recalls. ¡°That was actually our doing. We were monitoring the air space above the skyscraper and learned about the incoming missile. The Divementis who were on the watch that day in the adjacent skyscraper warned you telepathically. We hoped that you could save yourself by jumping out of the window and maybe taking your partners with you. We would have never even dreamed of you trying to protect the whole embassy and succeeding.¡±

    ¡°I would never abandon my people!¡± I get offended.

    ¡°We know that now,¡± he assures me. ¡°You amazed us, son. Your magical ability is truly on the level of the embodiment of magic. Nobody doubted your skills and motivations after that, you dispelled all our doubts and gave us new hope.¡±

    ¡°Still, you knew about the missile and only warned me,¡± I accuse him.

    ¡°We learned about it literally three minutes before the impact,¡± he defends himself. ¡°I know what you¡¯re trying to say, Aefener, but it was impossible to evacuate the entire building. Warning you was the best thing we could do in that situation. Now, grab your husband¡¯s hand and close your eyes. I¡¯ll teach you how to send your mind further than ever before.¡±

 101. Erikâ€™s Avatar

    It takes Erik a while to overcome nausea. His brain might be 67% compatible with VR, but he hasn¡¯t deep-dived since he was a teenager. When his head finally stops spinning, he slowly looks around. He¡¯s inside a dimly lit space and there are four faceless avatars representing the Draconian races floating in front of him.

    ¡°Normally, a player would be given a thorough psychological test to determine which race is their best fit,¡± Nala materialises next to him just a few seconds later. ¡°We can skip this part for obvious reasons.¡±

    ¡°Is there any chance I might not be good material for a Celestial?¡± Erik worries.

    ¡°Not likely,¡± she waves her hand. ¡°I know that you used to be a helicopter pilot so you¡¯re not afraid of heights which is an essential prerequisite for a Celestial. As for your personality, you¡¯re definitely not a type for a Clawfang or a Dragonkin. Do you feel drawn to the Earthborn?¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Erik shakes his head. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in genetics, biology and plants.¡±

    ¡°The test is not needed in your case, Lord Erik,¡± she assures him. ¡°Besides, His Highness has already started transforming you. Say ¡®I choose¡¯ and the name of your desired race to initialise the process.¡±

    Erik steps closer to the faceless avatars, trembling slightly in anxious anticipation. This choice will determine his future. Is he really prepared to do it? Does he truly want to become a different species? He considers his parents and his heart aches. This will certainly alienate him from them.

    But then he thinks of his beloved and all doubts disappear. He wants this with burning passion not just for Ryuuto¡¯s sake but for his own sake as well. He wants to protect Ryuuto as much as he wants to be able to defend himself. He wants to have six hundred years to spend with the love of his life and he wants to be strong.

    ¡°I choose Celestials!¡± he says without any hesitation and gasps for breath when his body starts floating and gets enveloped in a strange tingling energy.

    ¡°In the case of Celestials, a body type is pretty much predetermined to be a lean build, but it will be based on your current physique,¡± Nala explains. ¡°Expect to be thinner than you currently are, but nothing dramatic since you¡¯re lean already. Also, we¡¯re keeping your real facial features for better immersion so let¡¯s skip to the hair customisation.¡±

    ¡°I want something natural,¡± Erik ponders when a colour palette shows up in front of him and he notices blue and violet.

    ¡°These are perfectly natural hair colours for Celestials, Lord Erik, the Viceroy has violet hair,¡± Nala reminds him.

    ¡°Still,¡± he¡¯s browsing the palette for a long time, comparing various shades carefully.

    If he¡¯s dissatisfied with his choice later on, he can still dye his hair, but that would be an unnecessary bother. He has to choose something he will like for centuries if possible. What would suit him best? Nala materialises a virtual mirror for his convenience so that he can try on various colours. What would good nice next to Ryuuto?

    He discards black, blue and violet right away and tries various shades of brown. Some of them look nice and he would like them as a human but they are simply too plain. Should he try blond then? It was never his preferred colour before, but considering he¡¯s changing his entire species, he might as well radically change his hair.

    ¡°Oh, Royal Consort, that really suits you,¡± Nala exclaims when he tries an even brighter blond out of pure curiosity.

    ¡°You think so?¡± he inspects his hair in the mirror.

    ¡°Try longer hair,¡± Nala suggests and shows him how to adjust the length. ¡°Not that it¡¯s important now, you can always grow your hair later, but just to see it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­!¡± Erik widens his eyes when the bright blond he tried on a whim starts to stand out. It looks flashy but still reasonably natural. He ruffles his hair which is reaching slightly under his shoulders.

    He would never go for the kind of hair Ryuuto possesses since something like that fits only his androgynous beloved, but maybe something he could tie into a ponytail isn¡¯t a bad choice. Damn, golden hair would look gorgeous next to Ryuuto¡¯s silver, right?! Erik would be nicely complementing his husband.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with that,¡± he decides after carefully considering all the pros and cons and taking forever in front of the mirror.

    ¡°Let¡¯s proceed to wings then,¡± Nala nods happily, content with his choice. ¡°Brace yourself, Lord Erik.¡±

    ¡°Brace¡­?¡± Erik doesn¡¯t understand when suddenly something starts violently pushing into his spine.

    He¡¯s astonished that he feels a sharp pain. Fuck, he forgot that Draconia was a hardcore game with pain perception! Fortunately, the pain doesn¡¯t last for too long and, in just a few seconds, he feels something weighing heavily on his back. He turns his head to check, but his new limbs are covered with pulsating energy so he can¡¯t see much.

    ¡°You need to choose the colour and the pattern of your wings first before the system can generate them fully,¡± Nala explains. ¡°Choose wisely because this process can¡¯t be reversed.¡±

    When Erik gets presented with the options, his head spins again. He had no idea there were so many combinations. He tries to imagine what would Aefener like the most, but then he remembers that his beloved has no preference for colours or patterns. This is something Erik has to choose for himself because he will be stuck with it for centuries.

    He tries various combinations one by one. The pulsating energy disperses each time and shows him what he chose, but nothing quite clicks with him. Moreover, Erik isn¡¯t a Celestial just yet. He has no idea what exactly makes wings beautiful or average-looking.

    ¡°Take your time, no rush,¡± Nala tells him when he looks at her desperately. It¡¯s been over an hour, but she doesn¡¯t seem bored.

    ¡°Nala, I¡¯m lost here,¡± Erik sighs. ¡°How did the players choose before?¡±

    ¡°They didn¡¯t care about it as much because they considered Draconia to be just another game,¡± she shrugs. ¡°They either had their favourite bird in mind for inspiration or they asked the system to randomise.¡±

    ¡°I should have asked Ryuuto after all,¡± Erik regrets.

    ¡°The Prince went for the snowy owl,¡± Nala says and materialises a picture to show him.

    ¡°Huh? Ryuuto didn¡¯t have pure white wings from the beginning?¡± Erik is confused when he looks at the picture. The snowy owl¡¯s wings are also mostly white, but they are black-patterned.

    ¡°Every Celestial has unique wings,¡± Nala starts explaining. ¡°It wasn¡¯t permitted in the character creation to choose pure colours because that would result in repetition. However, since the late Celestial Emperor also had white wings, we wanted to keep the tradition. We decided that the player who earns the title of the embodiment of magic gets a makeover. The same for the second-best player.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why Ryuuto often complains that his wing colour is boring, it was forced upon him,¡± Erik finally understands. ¡°He likes white, but he prefers patterned wings. How did he become the Celestial Emperor anyway?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?!¡± Nala frowns.

    ¡°Ehm,¡± Erik feels embarrassed about it. ¡°I mean¡­ it was just a game so it never seemed important to ask.¡±

    ¡°Lord Erik, Draconia Online isn¡¯t just a game, it¡¯s a simulator,¡± Nala has to remind him. ¡°The system takes one¡¯s latent abilities and inner tendencies, amplifies them and manifests them fully. His Highness didn¡¯t become the Celestial Emperor just because he¡¯s such a good gamer. The Imperial Guard is full of super proficient gamers. He became the Emperor because he was born to rule.¡±

    ¡°That he was,¡± Erik admits. ¡°So, there was a competition or something?¡±

    ¡°We planned for that, but it wasn¡¯t needed in the end,¡± Nala smiles proudly. ¡°His Highness soloed ten entry-level dungeons in a row before other players even managed to leave the tutorial zone. He ranked first with an overwhelming score and gained millions of followers on Vortex in just one week.¡±

    ¡°Got it, holding a competition after that would be a joke,¡± Erik understands. ¡°He didn¡¯t catch your attention with that feat?¡±

    ¡°Of course, he did, we were astonished,¡± Nala nods. ¡°However, at that time nobody could have anticipated that the player known as Aefener is half-Divementis and His Majesty¡¯s lost heir. We were just looking forward to having a strong Celestial Emperor to help up in the upcoming war.¡±

    ¡°And the Viceroy? How was she chosen?¡± Erik is curious.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°As the Celestial tradition dictates, we left that decision to the newly appointed Emperor,¡± Nala says. ¡°His Highness continued conquering dungeons one by one and when he finally teamed up with someone who could keep up with him, it was Her Excellency Liana. It was her who convinced him to start a proper guild and claim the palace.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like Ryuuto,¡± Erik chuckles and looks at the picture of the snowy owl again. He likes those wings, but choosing them might be too sore for his beloved since it was his preference originally.

    ¡°What about something exotic?¡± Nala suggests and shows his various pictures of colourful tropical birds.

    ¡°That would be a nightmare to coordinate with my outfit,¡± Erik rejects that idea. ¡°Can you show me hawks? I¡¯ve always liked hawks.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Nala overwhelms Erik with many different subspecies of the hawk.

    ¡°There are this many?¡± Erik sighs and starts going through patiently them one by one. ¡°Oh, what species is that?¡± he stops when one particular kind catches his attention.

    ¡°Northern Goshawk,¡± Nala looks up quickly.

    ¡°It is both white and grey,¡± Erik considers. ¡°It would look great next to both Ryuuto and Gotrid. Not that I need to consider Gotrid, but still¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s try it on then,¡± Nala smiles and makes Erik¡¯s wings transform in an instant. ¡°I know that you can¡¯t move your new limbs just yet so let me do it for you.¡±

    Erik¡¯s wings spread to their full size so that he can better appreciate their colours. A virtual mirror shows him different angles and he spends several minutes evaluating himself. He has to admit that he likes what he¡¯s seeing.

    ¡°Are these unique? Really?¡± he makes sure. ¡°Ryuuto will be able to tell that they belong to me and me only?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a Celestial perception, but these wings are definitely unique, Lord Erik,¡± Nala assures him. ¡°You will be able to tell the difference when your brain adjusts. Are you happy with the choice? Can we proceed?¡±

    ¡°Wait, what about clothes?¡± Erik realises. ¡°Do I have to wear a robe?¡±

    ¡°Clothes aren¡¯t important now, you¡¯ll be changing your gear as you progress through levels,¡± Nala waves her hand.

    ¡°Clothes are important,¡± Erik mumbles under his breath. He was always into fashion but ever since he started to earn some serious money thanks to working for the Celestial government, it transformed into an obsession of sorts. Part of the reason is that he¡¯s desperately trying to look elegant next to his husband who¡¯s naturally beautiful without even trying.

    CONFIRM YOUR CHOICES

    A window pops in front of him. Erik gives himself a few extra minutes to double-check everything. He took several hours in the character creation, but his choices will affect the rest of his life. Hopefully, a very long life.

    He touches the holographic confirmation button and everything around him including his body dissolves.

    *****

    There¡¯s no real air in VR, but Erik gasps for breath all the same out of pure reflex. It surprises him when his virtual lungs get filled. Just how realistic is this game? He slowly opens his eyes and wobbles when he gets full control of his avatar just a second later. The weight of his new limbs pulls him backwards and he almost loses balance.

    ¡°Careful, it takes a while to get used to your new body,¡± Nala materialises nearby. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t help you physically because I¡¯m not actually here. I¡¯m experiencing the game through you. Draconian brains aren¡¯t compatible with the VR technology.¡±

    ¡°Oof, I had no idea wings were this heavy,¡± Erik tries to straighten himself. ¡°I won¡¯t take lightly ever again when Ryuu complains about back pain. This is no joke.¡±

    ¡°You probably won¡¯t be able to move your wings just yet, but they should be sensitive to touch already. Try it, please,¡± Nala tells him.

    Erik pulls his right wing closer and caresses the feathers. He lets out an astonished cry because he can feel it. What a strange sensation to suddenly have an extra pair of limbs! He tries moving them, but they don¡¯t budge. It won¡¯t be easy, that¡¯s for sure.

    Then he inspects his clothes. Celestial fashion certainly wasn¡¯t something he was looking forward to. He¡¯s wearing a dark green three-layered robe that¡¯s very simple compared to what Ryuuto usually wears, but it¡¯s comfortable and surprisingly easy to move in. Erik curiously rolls up the robe and finds that his avatar is wearing leggings and high boots underneath.

    He isn¡¯t super enthusiastic about his attire, but at the very least, it doesn¡¯t feel like he¡¯s wearing a dress. Now that he thinks about it, the robe isn¡¯t that different from wearing a Japanese kimono and he somehow got used to that after a few attempts. He should be fine with a robe after all.

    ¡°We won¡¯t do much today,¡± Nala says when he stops studying his clothes. ¡°Walk around a bit to find a new centre of your balance and try interacting with whatever interests you. Most things are just objects you can touch, hold or destroy, but some have special properties and you can put them into your inventory.¡±

    ¡°Where am I?¡± Erik takes a good look around. He¡¯s standing on a marble platform that¡¯s connected to other platforms with bridges, but he can¡¯t see much because there are clouds all around.

    ¡°Assiath, the Celestial capital city,¡± Nala reveals. ¡°This is the starting point for new players¡ªthe tutorial zone. By the way, Assiath doesn¡¯t need bridges because all inhabitants can fly. They are only in the starting location for beginners who can¡¯t fly yet.¡±

    ¡°How long is the tutorial?¡± Erik asks.

    ¡°That depends on you,¡± Nala shrugs. ¡°The tutorial ends when you¡¯re able to leave the area, meaning fly away. For the Crown Prince, it took only a few hours. The Viceroy spent two days here. On average, it takes around four to six days. Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s plenty to do. You will be getting used to your new body and learning the basics of spellcasting.¡±

    Erik takes a few unsure steps, trying to balance himself. Walking with wings this huge is like walking with two cumbersome backpacks on each shoulder. No wonder Celestials get frustrated when they are forced to walk for an extended period of time.

    ¡°There wasn¡¯t much walking on Assiath I presume?¡± Erik sighs when he identifies one bar in his left field of vision as his stamina. It¡¯s getting depleted quite fast.

    ¡°Not really,¡± Nala shakes her head. ¡°Celestial cities needed to be considerably light so there wasn¡¯t any excess infrastructure. Buildings were floating on platforms and connected by a magical network that was keeping the distances. Well, to be brutally honest, we don¡¯t know how that worked. This is just a digital replica.¡±

    Erik walks to the edge of the platform and looks down. The clouds aren¡¯t as thick as he thought so he can recognise other structures floating below him. Then he looks up and his eyes widen in awe when he spots an intricate system of platforms and majestic buildings.

    ¡°I will be here all alone, won¡¯t I?¡± he regrets a bit.

    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± Nala has to disappoint him. ¡°We activated various NPCs so the city shouldn¡¯t feel completely abandoned, though. Under normal circumstances, NPCs wouldn¡¯t be enough for proper immersion, but I¡¯ll be focusing solely on your transformation so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±

    Erik nods and decides to explore the tutorial area. Whenever he tries to interact with a new object, he gets a mini-quest. After two hours, he¡¯s able to confidently walk without wobbling and interact with his surroundings.

    ¡°Greetings, cherub,¡± an NPC Celestial suddenly comes flying and lands on the platform in front of him. It¡¯s a woman with long blue hair and exotic-looking yellow wings. ¡°I¡¯m here to assist you with your flying practice.¡±

    Erik looks at Nala, unsure how to communicate with this NPC lady.

    ¡°Just speak normally, it¡¯s an AI language model so it should understand you,¡± Nala advises him. ¡°It¡¯d better leave your flying training to an AI instructor since I don¡¯t have wings myself.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m ready to learn,¡± Erik mumbles in response.

    The NPC woman smiles and takes two meditation pillows out of her inventory. She puts them on the ground, sits on one and tells Erik to sit on the other.

    ¡°When trying to move wings for the very first time, it¡¯s better to sit so that you don¡¯t have to focus on your legs and you don¡¯t fear losing balance,¡± she explains.

    ¡°How do I start?¡± he asks eagerly.

    ¡°First of all, you have to realise that you possess an additional pair of blades,¡± an NPC trainer instructs. ¡°Try to feel them.¡±

    Erik does as she says and, after several minutes and some twitching, he senses unknown bones under his skin. It¡¯s the strangest experience.

    ¡°Moving them is similar to moving your hands,¡± she clarifies. ¡°For now, any movement will do. We can¡¯t continue until you accomplish that.¡±

    He tries really hard but another hour goes by and his wings don¡¯t move an inch. That frustrates him even though Nala assured him that it normally takes quite some time. He tries to recall the feeling when Ryuuto was sharing his flying dreams with him, hoping it would give him a hint, but he wasn¡¯t exactly in charge of that so he gets nothing.

    Suddenly, an NPC trainer leans towards him and scratches his left wing without warning. The tingling sensation is so vivid that it makes Erik twitch instinctively. Oh?! His left wing did move just now! A small victory.

    ¡°Did you do it on purpose?¡± he asks, feeling much more hopeful now.

    ¡°It¡¯s a simple test,¡± she grins. ¡°If you didn¡¯t react, I¡¯d make you reconsider your choice of a race. Fortunately, you had a perfectly natural response for a Celestial.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ready to try again,¡± Erik says happily.

    ¡°Lord Erik, it¡¯s been twelve hours already,¡± Nala announces all of a sudden. ¡°We need to unplug you now.¡±

    ¡°What? It couldn¡¯t have been,¡± he frowns. ¡°Give me another hour, I think that I will soon get the hang of it and then I can¡­¡±

    ¡°Initialising the logout process,¡± Nala insists and Erik¡¯s virtual avatar dissolves.

    *****

    The moment Erik starts to feel his real body again is disorienting. He stays in a pod for a minute or two until his head stops spinning. He has to admit that VR wasn¡¯t so bad after all. Sure, he¡¯s motivated mainly by the prospect of transformation, but he quite enjoyed his time there.

    ¡°You did well, Lord Erik,¡± Nala praises him. ¡°His Highness should have finished by now as well so feel free to pick him up. I implore you to eat a lot from now on because you will be skipping lunch every day.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± he slowly sits up, takes off the helmet and massages his temples. He feels a bit sore but otherwise okay.

    Nala gives him some privacy so that he can change clothes and take a quick shower. He doesn¡¯t feel particularly unpleasant or sweaty, but it¡¯s just weird to realise that his body must have been peeing in that special suit without him knowing.

    ¡°Nala, does a full dive count as sleep? I don¡¯t feel tired at all,¡± he asks when he¡¯s done.

    ¡°Partly,¡± she nods. ¡°Your body is resting, but your brain isn¡¯t. I still advise you to sleep properly, only now you probably won¡¯t need as many hours. It¡¯s a good opportunity to catch up with whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°What I want is to spend time with my husband, but I¡¯m afraid that, unlike me, he will be exhausted,¡± Erik sighs.

    Nala leads him through the labs to another part of the building. Erik is surprised at how many humans work here side by side with the Divementis. Everybody stares at him, but nobody dares to stand in their way so they proceed quickly.

    They arrive at a quiet meditation room and find the Divementis Emperor, Aefener and Gotrid sitting on cushions. Their eyes are closed and they show no signs of reacting to the door opening. Aefener and Gotrid are hugging with their wings which makes Erik jealous. Not as much as before, though. In a few months, he should have wings of his own.

    ¡°They are training overtime,¡± Nala observes. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to keep track of time when one¡¯s mind is far away so I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to pull His Highness back.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Erik tilts his head.

    ¡°Simply touch your husband and call him to come to you,¡± Nala smiles encouragingly. ¡°You¡¯re bonded, there¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t come.¡±

    Erik nods, sits next to his beloved, gently caresses his left wing and sends him an urgent thought.

    Please, return to me, love.

    It takes a while, but Aefener opens his eyes eventually and immediately showers Erik with his love as he always does. Erik kisses him deeply and finally feels at peace after so many months of anxious uncertainty. Hopefully, he will have centuries to spend with his husband. He¡¯s going to become a Celestial.

 102. Telepathic Tutoring

    I send my mind to the outskirts of the building and hover there. I feel at my current limit, stretching further would be unpleasant. I want to return, but my father¡¯s consciousness gently nudges me to continue.

    You went through the rift, this is much easier than that, he tells me. You¡¯re just afraid because you don¡¯t want to expand the radius of people whose feelings you perceive. I assure you that¡¯s not the case. Long-distance telepathy requires effort and proper concentration.

    Love, I¡¯m here, Gotrid assures me. I know that you feel far away, but I¡¯m right next to you.

    That gives me some courage and I dare to venture further. Every time I want to stop, thinking this must be my limit, my father nudges me again. Before I know it, I reach the border of Nebula¡¯s base.

    I don¡¯t want to go further, there are humans, I refuse to budge no matter how much my father tries to encourage me.

    Fair, you need to put up smarter defences first, he stops pushing me. Just remember that this isn¡¯t your limit and we will be working on expanding it.

    What¡¯s your limit? I¡¯m curious.

    Approximately a radius of two kilometres, he boasts. That¡¯s for general telepathy, though. If there¡¯s a Divementis attuned to me, we can communicate even at a distance twice as far.

    Will I be able to do it with my partners who aren¡¯t telepaths? I ask eagerly.

    I could do it with your mother, so there¡¯s no reason it wouldn¡¯t work for you, he says encouragingly. Now, try to explore the Divementis premises but don¡¯t go after anyone specifically. We don¡¯t want to startle our people.

    Will they feel my presence?

    They will, but unless you go after a specific individual, it shouldn¡¯t bother them, he explains. I do it regularly to check if everything¡¯s okay.

    I stretch without opening my eyes and clutch Gotrid¡¯s hand. It¡¯s only thanks to his calming presence that I was able to venture so far. Ever since I can remember, I¡¯ve been always desperately suppressing my telepathy. Now, I¡¯m supposed to do the exact opposite. It will be hard to break that habit.

    ¡°Love, your stomach has been rumbling for quite a while now,¡± he says aloud. ¡°We should take a break.¡±

    I pull my mind back and slowly open my eyes. It¡¯s not as if my mind leaves the body for long-distance telepathy, but it dulls the perception of my surroundings.

    ¡°You did well, son,¡± my father opens his eyes as well and stands up. ¡°Your husband is right, let¡¯s take a short break.¡±

    Gotrid and I stand up supporting each other and we devote a moment to stretch our wings. I hope it will be possible to fly in the afternoon. I explicitly asked Advin to squeeze it into our schedule somehow. However, when Advin storms into the room with a bewildered expression, my hopes get crushed.

    ¡°The Japanese government finally reached a decision,¡± he blurts out. ¡°Ichikawa-san wants to meet both Your Majesties in person. They also demand to visit our headquarters.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they afraid to enter the Divementis premises?¡± Gotrid raises his eyebrows. ¡°I figured they would insist we return to the Celestial Embassy.¡±

    ¡°The Earth is being invaded by monsters, so meeting telepathic aliens pales in comparison, hemaya,¡± my father shrugs. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re on the same side and they know it.¡±

    ¡°What did you just call me?¡± Gotrid tilts his head.

    ¡°Hemaya is the Divementis term for one¡¯s children¡¯s partners,¡± he clarifies. ¡°It means ¡®bonded into the family.¡¯ You might be a different species, but since you¡¯re bonded to my son, you feel the same to me as a Divementis spouse would.¡±

    Gotrid feels proud about that and grins.

    ¡°Your order, my Emperor?¡± Advin coughs.

    ¡°We will welcome them, of course,¡± my father decides. ¡°Let¡¯s invite them for tomorrow so that we have some time to prepare. Advin, take my son and his husband to get some rest, I¡¯ll take care of the Japanese government in the meantime. I met the Prime Minister in person several times, so I¡¯d better be the one to arrange it.¡±

    Advin nods and leads us into a lounge that¡¯s been vacated just for us. Ayala is here already, preparing drinks and snacks. We get comfortable on a sofa and I¡¯m surprised to see Uriel helping out.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Uriel¡¯s eyes get wet when seeing me.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I get startled even though I don¡¯t feel anything bad coming from her.

    ¡°She¡¯s just happy to finally get reunited with Your Majesty,¡± Ayala waves her hand and serves us coffee and sandwiches. ¡°She volunteered to help around the Royal Quarters until she levels up and rejoins the Imperial Guard.¡±

    ¡°Right, Uri used to be one of the guard captains,¡± I realise and watch her as she¡¯s serving us a plate of cookies. Gotrid immediately goes for one and stuffs it into my mouth.

    I almost choke on it when I notice a group of Divementis staring into the lounge through the glass. My guards don¡¯t want to let them inside when I¡¯m here, so they start arguing with Vermiel. At first, it looks like they are just unsatisfied that their staff room is currently occupied because of me. Then the argument becomes more heated and it doesn¡¯t look like a simple misunderstanding anymore.

    Your Highness, please, let us talk to you! I get a desperate telepathic message. Alarmed, I quickly get up and hurry to the door.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ why do you want to talk to me?¡± I ask uncertainly and order Vermiel to stop blocking the entrance.

    ¡°We just want to talk to our Crown Prince,¡± one of them steps forward, speaking Divementis. ¡°His Majesty proclaimed that there won¡¯t be any official audience in the near future which we strongly disagree with. You should meet your people, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Please, use English,¡± I say because Gotrid and the others can¡¯t understand a thing and I don¡¯t want them to feel awkward. ¡°As for audiences, I¡¯m here to train my telepathy before the Enemy strikes the Earth for real. We don¡¯t have time for unimportant things.¡±

    ¡°Unimportant?!¡± the Divementis whom I finally make out to be a woman shakes her head violently. ¡°My Prince, I know that you didn¡¯t grow up among us, but this is of utmost importance. You have to bond with your people! It¡¯s unprecedented for a prince of the Royal bloodline not to do so immediately after reaching maturity.¡±

    ¡°Bond?¡± I¡¯m confused now.

    The woman wants to explain, but my father storms into the room. He must have sensed that something was wrong so he hurried here despite his meeting with the Japanese representatives. My aunt Nyx is with him.

    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± he gets angry and releases a threatening telepathic wave. ¡°I told you that the Crown Prince is not giving audiences.¡±

    The intruding Divementis shudder, but they don¡¯t retreat.

    ¡°As the Crown Prince, His Highness has to undergo the Bonding Ceremony,¡± the woman insists bravely.

    ¡°Father, I don¡¯t understand,¡± I frown. ¡°I¡¯ve bonded with Erik and Gotrid already. I don¡¯t care if the Divementis have a special ceremony for it.¡±

    ¡°Tell him, Althorion,¡± Nyx sighs resignedly. ¡°He needs to know and our people should get a clear statement.¡±

    My father bites his lip, but he concedes.

    ¡°Son, the Bonding Ceremony is something only the Royal bloodline can do,¡± he starts explaining. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you because I didn¡¯t want to put even more pressure on you, but it seems our subjects won¡¯t take ¡®no¡¯ from me as an answer.¡±

    ¡°What kind of bonding?¡± Gotrid clutches my hand possessively. ¡°Just to be clear, we won¡¯t allow our beloved to take another partner.¡±

    ¡°Not that kind of bonding,¡± my father shakes his head. ¡°Members of the Royal bloodline are expected to bond with their subjects when they come of age. For the Divementis, it¡¯s when we turn forty. However, Aefener is a hybrid so he matured as fast as a human would. Therefore, he¡¯s mentally and physically capable of undergoing the Bonding Ceremony.¡±

    I¡¯m staring at him, dumbfounded. Bonding to all Divementis?! Are they serious? There¡¯s simply no way I would be able to do something like that and stay sane!

    ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s not the same as bonding with your partners,¡± he quickly sets the record straight when he notices my expression. ¡°The Bonding Ceremony is about connecting to the Divementis telepathic matrix and touching every Divementis for a split second. It¡¯s something only someone with the Royal bloodline can do.¡±

    ¡°W-what are the effects?¡± I stutter, trying to imagine that. Didn¡¯t Nala mention that there are more than twelve thousand survivors?

    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you because I suspected you wouldn¡¯t like it,¡± my father lowers his head. ¡°The Bonding Ceremony is a true coming of age for us of the Royal bloodline. Bonding with your subjects means that you¡¯ll take responsibility for the prosperity of our entire race. As the Celestial Emperor, I¡¯m sure you understand what I mean because you feel the same towards Celestials.¡±

    I do understand. I understand so perfectly it makes me shiver. While I appreciate that my father was trying to save me from it, he should have told me. Still, I guess I must be grateful that he wasn¡¯t trying to force me into it against my will.

    ¡°I won¡¯t do it,¡± I say clearly for the crowd to hear. ¡°I have a throne of my own if you haven¡¯t noticed.¡±

    ¡°You heard the Prince,¡± my father purses his lips. ¡°Besides, we have more important matters to deal with right now. We won¡¯t have a future if we don¡¯t win this war.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­,¡± the Divementis look stricken.

    ¡°Your Highness, do you mean that you won¡¯t undergo the Bonding Ceremony now because the time isn¡¯t right, but you are open to it after we win the war?¡± the Divementis woman asks pleadingly.

    I realise that I have to be extremely careful with my response. I don¡¯t want to promise the Divementis something I won¡¯t be able to fulfil only to disappoint them later, but my words can either totally dishearten them or give them hope. And they really need hope right now.

    ¡°I¡­,¡± I start extremely slowly, ¡°I¡¯m willing to reconsider it when things calm down.¡±

    I catch my father watching me intently, but he closes himself to me again so I can¡¯t tell what he¡¯s feeling. I can feel the other Divementis, though. While I did refuse them, it wasn¡¯t a flat-out rejection. I promised to stay open and it seems to be good enough for them. At least for now.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Go now, the Prince needs to rest,¡± Nyx shoos the crowd away and they reluctantly disperse.

    ¡°Damn,¡± Gotrid collapses back on the sofa and pulls me next to him. ¡°As if you weren¡¯t under pressure already. What do they take you for? You¡¯re not some godly idol that can work non-stop and doesn¡¯t have feelings.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, son, I wanted to save you from that,¡± my father apologises on his subjects¡¯ behalf. ¡°I had no idea they would be so audacious to bother you during your coffee break. I clearly stated to all Divementis beforehand that you won¡¯t be giving audiences.¡±

    ¡°For two centuries, we thought that the Royal bloodline would end with you, brother,¡± Nyx is more understanding. ¡°No wonder they can¡¯t help it when they finally got the Crown Prince.¡±

    ¡°Son, I don¡¯t want you to feel pressured,¡± he reassures me. ¡°You¡¯re here to train and learn about your Divementis heritage. As I said, I¡¯m still in my prime. Even if you eventually take over the Divementis Empire, it won¡¯t happen for at least two hundred years.¡±

    I nod. I still feel uneasy about it, but I choose to trust my father on this. With the incident taken care of, my father and aunt return to the meeting with the Japanese government, leaving me with just my Celestial escort.

    ¡°I feel safest with you around after all,¡± I murmur. ¡°I know that you¡¯re worried I might start preferring the Divementis, but that won¡¯t happen.¡±

    I envelop my arm around Gotrid¡¯s back and pet his feathers. I can¡¯t imagine not having wings and should we ever build Assiath in the real world, I will settle in the clouds and never come back. My perception might be Divementis, but my physical needs are Celestial.

    ¡°Your Majesty, the Earthborn rulers are calling,¡± Luviael enters the lounge. ¡°I heard you¡¯re on break, but would you be so kind and talk to them? Her Excellency is dealing with the Dragonkin Patriarch at the moment.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a proper break if you¡¯re still working,¡± Gotrid doesn¡¯t like it.

    ¡°They are my friends,¡± I take a tablet from Luviael. ¡°The Earthborn dungeon master who was working for the Divementis must have reached them by now, told them about the current situation and they must be freaking out.¡±

    I tap the icon and the call gets connected. As expected, both Twyla and Werden are squeezed to fit the screen and they look bewildered.

    ¡°Aefener, are there really aliens behind Draconia Online?¡± Werden blurts out without any greeting.

    ¡°There are,¡± I nod. ¡°Sorry for not reaching out to you myself, but I was told the Earthborn dungeon master is on his way to tell you everything.¡±

    ¡°He did tell us everything, at least in a nutshell,¡± Twyla confirms. ¡°We refused to believe it until we heard it from you, though.¡±

    ¡°I was just as surprised when I found out¡­ which I did just a few days ago,¡± I add quickly. ¡°As if being the Celestial Emperor wasn¡¯t enough, now I have to deal with being the Divementis Crown Prince and¡­¡±

    ¡°Hoooold on!¡± Twyla and Werden widen their eyes. ¡°You¡¯re what now?!¡±

    ¡°The Earthborn dungeon master didn¡¯t tell you?¡± I tilt my head and watch as the Earthborn ruling couple looks outside the scope of the camera, looking seriously pissed.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to overwhelm you, Your Majesties,¡± I hear a male voice vehemently apologising. ¡°The Celestial Emperor is indeed the son of the Divementis Emperor which is the only reason why they told Celestials first.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ where are you?¡± Twyla narrows her eyes.

    ¡°At the Divementis base,¡± I reveal, hoping they won¡¯t get even more pissed because I didn¡¯t tell them. ¡°I didn¡¯t have much choice in the matter, my father came to fetch me with a spaceship. It¡¯s just my second day here. Sorry for not telling you immediately, but there simply wasn¡¯t any time.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re half-alien,¡± Werden gulps.

    ¡°The Divementis are Draconians just as we all are,¡± I set the record straight in case the Earthborn dungeon master didn¡¯t emphasise it enough.

    ¡°Are we invited to the Divementis secret base as well then?¡± Twyla bites her lip nervously.

    ¡°I suppose you are,¡± I shrug.

    ¡°To a lair of telepathic aliens?¡± Werden shakes his head. ¡°I know that they are your people, Aefener, but we would have no defence against them. We might send an ambassador, but I doubt our people will allow us to go personally. It¡¯s too risky.¡±

    ¡°Send an ambassador then,¡± I agree. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to have all rulers gathered in one place anyway.¡±

    I have to assure them several times during our chat that I¡¯m really fine because Twyla suspects that I was abducted (which is partly true, I guess) and the call ends with Werden promising to send their ambassador to Nebula in a few days and keep regular contact. So much for a break.

    *****

    My father doesn¡¯t push me to leave the Divementis premises, but he insists I must get comfortable with stretching my consciousness. To a certain extent, it does resemble mental flying so I even start to enjoy it a little bit. Still, my body doesn¡¯t move during the meditation and my wings soon get sore.

    ¡°I have to stretch,¡± I refuse to continue after lunch. ¡°I¡¯m not able to focus with sore wings.¡±

    ¡°Your physical needs are indeed Celestial,¡± my father observes. ¡°The Divementis don¡¯t require excessive physical activity. Advin, take the Crown Prince outside for a flying session. I¡¯ll catch up with some minor tasks in the meantime.¡±

    I¡¯m relieved that I¡¯m allowed outside because I was afraid my father would try to overdo it with training. My cousin leads us outside and, in just a few minutes, I¡¯m happily spreading my wings. I send a quick telepathic message to Liana to join me and she eagerly does so. I bet she needs a break as well since our government stands primarily on her now.

    ¡°Li, how are you managing?¡± I ask and I start hovering to have a quick chat with her. ¡°Are Celestials listening to you?¡±

    ¡°They are because it¡¯s been a direct order from you,¡± she nods. ¡°We¡¯re currently trying to tell all Celestials the whole story without startling them too much. As for the Dragonkin, Deminas is sending Fefnir to Japan to act as his deputy.¡±

    ¡°Fefnir is coming?!¡± I get excited. ¡°Who¡¯s going to hold the fort in Prague?¡±

    ¡°Artisa,¡± Liana says. ¡°She proved to be very reliable and I bet she will be happy to get rid of Fefnir.¡±

    ¡°Is he bothering her?¡± I roll my eyes. The last time I saw those two, Fefnir¡¯s interest in Artisa was super obvious¡ªto Artisa¡¯s annoyance.

    ¡°Fefnir volunteered, actually,¡± Liana smirks. ¡°I heard that Artisa beat him up pretty badly when he tried to court her so he must be embarrassed.¡±

    Gotrid chuckles, but he doesn¡¯t comment on it. Since the ratio of male to female in the Dragonkin population is 3:1, Dragonkin ladies can be pretty picky about their suitors. Not wanting to embarrass Fefnir further, I change the topic.

    ¡°We should practice spells,¡± I suggest. ¡°The training with my father is Divementis, but I can¡¯t forget about levelling up my spellcasting.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that exhaust you, Your Majesty?¡± Liana worries.

    ¡°Nope, I¡¯ve been sitting the whole day so I have so much mana to burn!¡± I say enthusiastically. ¡°I want to do something that¡¯s purely Celestial for a change. Let¡¯s do magic!¡±

    Calling it magic is inaccurate, though, as my father already tried to explain to Erik. Celestial bodies naturally produce energy we call mana that can, in combination with willpower, affect matter itself. Telekinesis is essentially just the ability to move matter with one¡¯s mind which ultimately means that I¡¯m moving atoms to do my bidding.

    Of course, not that anyone who isn¡¯t a Celestial can actually understand how that works. Moreover, while every Celestial can do telekinesis (probably even little children once we start having them), delicate manipulation of matter is something we have to train. Right now, the average level of my subjects is around twenty which is hardly enough for fighting tough monsters, not to mention the Enemy.

    I fly up as high as the Divementis shield lets me and hover. Practising spells on the ground might be easier, but we need to be able to cast spells while flapping our wings and when many things can potentially distract us.

    I carefully channel a portion of my mana, just enough for this particular spell I want to test and try to condense moisture from the air above me. I can¡¯t produce water out of nothing, that would defy the laws of physics, but I can easily collect water droplets from around me. It¡¯s the same as using the Ice Barrier, only this one particular spell doesn¡¯t involve lowering the temperature and concentrating the spell into a single spot.

    I don¡¯t expect to succeed because I failed a few times before, but when I feel the water condensing, I gain confidence and push on. My father¡¯s training surprisingly comes in handy here. When I stretch my consciousness, I can draw water droplets from far away, much further than a normal Celestial would be able to do.

    ¡°Love, whatever you¡¯re doing right now, you¡¯d better stop it before¡­!¡± Gotrid¡¯s alarmed voice disrupts my concentration, but it¡¯s too late.

    I look up and there¡¯s a black cloud gathering above us. I admire it for exactly two seconds before raindrops hit my feathers and I panic. Celestials are scared of getting soaked since we can develop hypothermia easily. At first, it¡¯s only drizzle, but it soon develops into a proper downpour.

    Not knowing how to stop it, I order everyone to retreat. It doesn¡¯t look very dignified because we fly back in a frenzy, but it is what it is. By the time we reach the nearest shelter, everyone is dripping wet and cursing.

    ¡°Are you kidding me?!¡± Liana is furious and isn¡¯t afraid to scold me. ¡°We have yet to master repulsion spells, Your Majesty!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± I frantically apologise to everyone because it¡¯s a sad sight to see graceful Celestials resembling wet chickens.

    Son, where are you?! my father sends me a telepathic message. Are you the cause of this sudden rain? The cloud is just above our premises, it¡¯s suspicious. Disperse it this instant!

    I chew my lip because I have no idea how to do it instantly. One way could be dispersing it with air currents but for that, I need to get closer. I spread my wings, but both Gotrid and Liana catch my wrists.

    ¡°You¡¯re not flying anywhere soaked like this!¡± my Viceroy forbids me. ¡°We need to dry ourselves before we catch a cold.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s clearing on its own already,¡± Gotrid points up.

    I sigh in relief. I might have created a rain cloud, but it seems I didn¡¯t gather enough matter for it to last. It¡¯s indeed dispersing before our eyes. I hope nearby humans haven¡¯t noticed this unusual weather phenomenon.

    Everybody flatters their wings as much as they can to get rid of excess water. The guards conjure fireballs to keep us warm, so I don¡¯t think we¡¯re in danger of hypothermia, but my maids are still mad when we finally get to our accommodation.

    ¡°Soren, take care of Liana for me,¡± I order the guard captain who didn¡¯t come with us and stayed behind to hold the fort. ¡°Dry her wings even if she protests.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not necces-¡­,¡± Liana protests all the same, but I command Soren to take her to her apartment immediately. Soren looks very pleased about his task and even winks at me¡ªa silent thanks. That¡¯s one thing taken care of.

    I make sure that everybody from my entourage has someone who will help them with drying. When we finally get to our apartment as well, away from prying eyes, I start stripping Gotrid¡¯s wet robe. If he catches a cold, it¡¯s going to be my fault entirely.

    ¡°Love, you¡¯re the priority,¡± he objects.

    The maids roll their eyes, divide us and take care of us both at the same time.

    ¡°We really need to learn those repulsion spells,¡± Gotrid sighs. ¡°This rain might have been caused by you on purpose, but there will be times when we will have to fight in bad weather conditions.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t agree more. After drying our wings and changing clothes, we head back to the labs. I expect my father to scold me and it looks like he would very much love to do so, but he lets it go in the end. It¡¯s as if he doesn¡¯t dare to do anything that could potentially damage our fragile relationship.

    We sit on the meditation cushions and I automatically hug Gotrid with my right wing. I feel much calmer and safer with him by my side during my telepathic ventures. He does act as an anchor just as my father promised he would. Gotrid smiles at me encouragingly as I take a deep breath and my mind wanders.

    I carefully inspect the Divementis premises once more and gently touch the Divementis I randomly encounter. Most of them flinch, but when they make sure that my father is tutoring me, they relax and open up to me a little.

    Good, let them get used to your presence, he instructs me. As their prince, your presence should be comforting to them. They are uneasy only because they read your Celestial thinking.

    Is it really that different? I doubt.

    You have no idea, he laughs. Your sensory perception is Divementis, but the way you think about things is so hopelessly Celestial. That¡¯s okay, though. We shouldn¡¯t forget that you¡¯re also the embodiment of magic. Whether we like it or not, it¡¯s an undeniable truth we have to come to terms with.

    Do you know what makes me the embodiment of magic? I ask, but I suspect the answer.

    Unfortunately, no, he has to disappoint me. Truth be told, we didn¡¯t anticipate that the real embodiment of magic would emerge with the Great Evolution. We have no idea what makes the embodiment of magic so adept at magic.

    I feel one with mana, I try to give him a feeble explanation. I don¡¯t know either.

    That you do, it¡¯s the thing that makes you immortal, he confirms. Your mana circle is so well-developed that it showers your cells with rejuvenating energy all the time. You even have the ability to store extra mana in your feathers. Still, knowing all that brings us no closer to ¡®why¡¯.

    Are there no Celestial records that would maybe explain that?

    The Celestial Imperial Library was destroyed when Assiath fell, my father says. Celestial technology isn¡¯t compatible with ours so we didn¡¯t bother saving any data crystals. Besides, there wasn¡¯t time for that. We hardly managed to secure the Celestial gene imprints the late Celestial Emperor entrusted to us.

    Can you show me what he looked like? I suddenly get super curious.

    I didn¡¯t meet him in person, my mother did, but I can show you his picture from the Divementis Archive, he pulls a mental image and projects it directly into my mind.

    I¡¯m taken aback. While his face isn¡¯t as androgynous as mine because that¡¯s a Divementis trait, the late Celestial Emperor had very handsome features and possessed the same hair and wing colour as me.

    Did he have more partners just as the lore says? I¡¯m burning with curiosity.

    Emperor Asteraoth indeed had a harem consisting of twelve consorts, my father recalls.

    T-twelve?! I¡¯m left speechless. Erik and Gotrid can never hear about this or I¡¯m toast. I¡¯m lucky that Gotrid can¡¯t follow our telepathic exchange because we switched to the Divementis language which feels much more natural to use during full telepathic immersion.

    But you¡¯re half Divementis, my father adds quickly. You bond to your partners so deeply that, while having polyamorous tendencies, you wouldn¡¯t handle such a number.

    I¡¯m not taking more partners, two is just right for me, I say adamantly.

    Anyway, let¡¯s continue, he prompts me. We won¡¯t have much time tomorrow with the Japanese delegation coming.

    I continue my venture under his tutoring until a familiar mind touches me. It¡¯s a mind I can¡¯t resist because it belongs to the person I love. I pull my consciousness back and open my eyes. Erik is squatting in front of me, smiling widely. He¡¯s the type to smile a lot, at least when it comes to me, but it¡¯s been some time since I¡¯ve seen him so relaxed.

    I melt in his embrace and shower him with my love. While I was training my telepathy, he¡¯s been training hard in VR. He¡¯s working towards becoming a Celestial. Hopefully, in a few months, we will share the sky. He will have hundreds of years to live and I want to spend them with him and Gotrid. We have to win this war.

 103. Initial Preparations

    ¡°How was it?!¡± I ask Erik eagerly at dinner. Since he skipped lunch, being plugged in VR the whole day, he¡¯s now ravenously gobbling noodles with fried vegetables and pieces of chicken. I¡¯ve never seen him this hungry.

    ¡°I was surprised that I enjoyed the experience,¡± he tells me between munches. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I looked down on video games before, it was really something else.¡±

    ¡°Well, Draconia Online is cutting-edge when it comes to VR gaming,¡± Gotrid comments, chewing slowly. ¡°At the peak of its popularity, it had millions of players.¡±

    ¡°I did enjoy it very much, but I still see it as a means to an end,¡± Erik admits and stretches for a cup of tea. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to grow wings in the real world.¡±

    ¡°How did it feel?¡± I caress his back.

    ¡°Surreal,¡± he grins and nudges me so that I don¡¯t forget to eat as well. ¡°I really felt like I had wings there. Their weight and size are no joke, no wonder you complain when you can¡¯t fly for too long¡ªit¡¯s like carrying a cumbersome backpack on each shoulder blade. It took me a long time to even walk straight because my centre of balance shifted significantly.¡±

    ¡°Could you move them?¡± Gotrid asks curiously.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± he sighs. ¡°I twitched them when an NPC tutor tickled me which is a good sign, but I couldn¡¯t make them move.¡±

    ¡°No rush, it usually takes a few days,¡± I comfort him. ¡°I¡¯ll share my dreams with you again tonight, it might help.¡±

    ¡°What about tomorrow?¡± he takes a second helping of chicken. It seems he¡¯s trying to eat as much meat as possible while he¡¯s still able to digest it. ¡°I should be by your side when the Japanese delegation comes.¡±

    ¡°My father told me that it¡¯s not good to skip days if we aim to change you as fast as possible,¡± I shake my head. ¡°Let me and Gotrid handle it.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he doubts. ¡°I bet it would help to break the ice quite a bit with me present.¡±

    ¡°It would, but you won¡¯t be human in a few months anyway, so we shouldn¡¯t rely on your humanity so much,¡± I point out. ¡°Besides, there are a lot of human employees at Nebula. The Japanese delegation shouldn¡¯t feel too awkward.¡±

    ¡°Okay then,¡± he concedes in the end. ¡°You¡¯re right, I should focus on my transformation.¡±

    I expect Erik to be tired after the whole day of new experiences, so I decide we should call it a night early. Unless we¡¯re extremely exhausted, we always cuddle before falling asleep, but this time Erik surprises me by going after my wings.

    ¡°E-Erik,¡± I sigh, confused, when he showers my wings with kisses.

    ¡°I know that Celestial wings are very sensitive, but experiencing it first-hand gives it a different dimension,¡± he snuggles to my feathers. ¡°Can I groom you?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± I make sure.

    ¡°Nala told me that VR partly counts as sleep, I¡¯m not tired at all,¡± he assures me, gets up and runs to the bathroom.

    ¡°Do I get grooming from my lovely Emperor as well?¡± Gotrid purrs and leans to kiss me. ¡°I doubt Erik would be willing.¡±

    Admittedly, I feel quite tired after the telepathic training, but grooming wings is a relaxing procedure for both the groomer and the one being groomed. Erik returns in a few moments, bringing combs and a bottle of natural oil. While Celestials don¡¯t moult because our feathers are being repaired by our mana circles, regular preening is a must.

    We sit on the bed with Gotrid in front of me and Erik behind me. When Erik starts brushing my wings gently, I get excited about the future. Soon, I¡¯ll be able to do the same for him. I love Erik as a human, but there are many things we can¡¯t share like grooming each other¡¯s wings, flying and casting spells.

    The prospect of getting all that sends shivers down my spine. What excites me even more is the fact that Erik will also gain Celestial longevity. I do worry about his parents, though. He hasn¡¯t told them yet. I¡¯m brushing Gotrid¡¯s feathers and thinking about how to ask him about it. I¡¯m a bit afraid that he forgot to consider them.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they will be fine with it,¡± Erik answers because I accidentally sent that thought to him. ¡°I¡¯ll tell them when I start changing. I don¡¯t want them to worry unnecessarily.¡±

    I progress work on Gotrid¡¯s wings, oiling the skin under his feathers, when I realise that Erik stopped grooming me. For a while now, he¡¯s been gently squeezing my wing muscles and poking my wing blades.

    ¡°Ehm¡­ what are you doing?¡± I turn my head.

    ¡°Studying,¡± he chuckles. ¡°I have never properly paid attention to Celestial anatomy even though I pet your wings all the time. Your body is very slim, but your wing and back muscles are super firm.¡±

    ¡°I exercise every day for an hour,¡± I say proudly.

    ¡°I saw Assiath today and realised that the city is impossible to navigate without wings,¡± Erik tells me. ¡°You should be using your wings much more than your legs, shouldn¡¯t you? Is the current situation unnatural to Celestials?¡±

    ¡°Quite a bit,¡± I admit. ¡°In the game, we were using our wings almost as much as other races would use their legs. If there was a dungeon too narrow to fly inside, we wouldn¡¯t venture there.¡±

    ¡°And your particular need to fly is much stronger than it is for common Celestials,¡± Erik sighs. ¡°We¡¯re torturing you by keeping you on the ground.¡±

    ¡°I can manage with you two keeping me company,¡± I assure him and continue oiling Gotrid¡¯s skin. I don¡¯t want Erik to worry too much over something we can¡¯t change anyway.

    ¡°Oh!¡± I slap my forehead when the grooming procedure is done. ¡°I forgot to ask you¡ªwhat wing colour and pattern have you decided to go for? I told you that I would be happy with anything you choose and I mean it, but I¡¯m super curious.¡±

    ¡°What about we leave it as a surprise?¡± Erik smiles mysteriously.

    ¡°Eeeh?!¡± both me and Gotrid whine.

    ¡°A surprise,¡± Erik puts a finger in front of his lips and grins.

    *****

    I¡¯m wearing formal royal attire to meet the Japanese representatives while Erik is dressed in a futuristic overall so we couldn¡¯t look more different. I¡¯m trying to imagine him in Celestial clothes, but my imagination fails me. The image of him in a well-fitted suit is rooted too deeply in my mind. Still, in a few months, Erik will put on a robe. I should get used to that idea.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± he waves his head. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to accompany me. The Japanese delegation is here already, you should go.¡±

    I insist on staying a little longer and kiss him when he lies down and puts on a VR helmet. I wait until his consciousness gets transferred into the virtual world of Draconia Online before I¡¯m willing to leave him. Erik is working hard on his transformation and I want him to know that he has my full support.

    <i>Son, you¡¯re the only one we¡¯re missing</i>, my father sends me an urgent telepathic message.

    I give Erik one last worried look, but I know that he¡¯s in good hands. Nala is with him and I trust her completely. It¡¯s the strangest thing. I¡¯ve known her only for a few days, but she¡¯s family and that seems to mean everything to the Divementis. I look at Advin and even though I haven¡¯t had a chance to connect to him yet, I trust him as well.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, better not keep them waiting,¡± Advin says and we get to the elevator. We ride up to the floors above the ground and I¡¯m happy to see the sky again. I feel uneasy in the underground labs¡ªthat¡¯s no place for Celestials.

    Advin leads us to a spacious meeting room and we¡¯re indeed the last participants to arrive because only two chairs remain unoccupied. The Japanese delegation stands up quickly and they bow to me. Aunt Nyx does the same, but my father stays seated and impatiently points to an empty seat right next to him. I slowly sit down, careful not to brush him with my wings. Liana is sitting to my left so Gotrid has to sit two seats away from me.

    I study Prime Minister Ichikawa¡¯s emotional state and he feels as nervous as he looks. He took Minister of Defence Hayashi with him and four more representatives, but they know that they are at our mercy here. With the world being invaded, they are taking their chances.

    ¡°Ichikawa-san, Hayashi-san, I guarantee your safety,¡± I try to smile at them amicably.

    ¡°Can you guarantee our privacy, though?¡± Hayashi taps his temples.

    I want to say ¡®yes¡¯, but I can¡¯t speak for the Divementis so I stay awkwardly silent. Fortunately, my father is a much better diplomat than I am and swiftly takes over.

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    ¡°Naturally, we would never invade the minds of our allies,¡± he declares. ¡°We¡¯re prepared to tell you everything, no more secrets. Let¡¯s start from the very beginning.¡±

    He says ¡®beginning¡¯ and he means it. He starts by introducing Draconia so I listen tentatively because I suspect that I might learn something new as well. Surprisingly, though, I don¡¯t hear anything I haven¡¯t known already. It seems the game copied the real world of Draconia almost to the letter.

    Then my father talks about the Enemy¡¯s invasion and the war that dragged on for eight years. He tells them how the four Draconian races were annihilated one by one and the Divementis were lucky to escape to Earth. He expresses his deep gratitude that this planet could serve as their refuge.

    ¡°Unfortunately, the Enemy didn¡¯t stop with our world and who knows how many worlds before us they had conquered,¡± he clutches his hands into fists. ¡°For the record, we didn¡¯t accidentally lure the Enemy here. Our dimensions are very close to each other so the Enemy would get here sooner rather than later.¡±

    ¡°And the Great Evolution?¡± Ichikawa finally takes a deep breath because he was mostly holding it during the explanation.

    ¡°That was our attempt to revive the four extinct Draconian races in the hope it would give us a fighting chance,¡± he says and continues with a more detailed explanation.

    He isn¡¯t saying anything new to me, so I have a chance to send my mind out and check on Erik. I reach him successfully, but his mind is too deep in VR so I can¡¯t catch anything solid. He seems okay, though. I also catch hints of excitement. Is he enjoying the game?

    ¡°No, my son didn¡¯t know anything,¡± my father coughs to get my attention, answering Hayashi¡¯s question. He knows that I¡¯ve been drifting during the diplomatic talks. ¡°In fact, I had no idea that I had a son until quite recently. Aefener¡¯s mother and my dear partner Amelia left Nebula before any of us knew that she was pregnant.¡±

    Hayashi looks satisfied with the answer and I feel a wave of newly formed trust towards me. He¡¯s the type who appreciates honest people and I¡¯ve been transparent towards the Japanese. Besides, I might be half-Divementis, but I grew up among humans. He must be counting on me still having some remaining loyalty towards humanity. Well, he¡¯s not wrong.

    ¡°So, we¡¯re really at war,¡± Ichikawa gulps. ¡°Are we the first country you told?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± my father confirms. ¡°In the upcoming weeks, we plan to approach countries that accepted Draconians, starting with the European Union, but the whole world has to unite for the common cause eventually. Our downfall was in not uniting in time. We can¡¯t repeat the same mistake.¡±

    ¡°How much time do we have to prepare? The rifts are becoming more and more frequent,¡± Hayashi nervously drums his fingers against the table.

    ¡°A year and hopefully a few more months on top, but no more than two years,¡± my father doesn¡¯t sugarcoat it.

    ¡°Can we make it longer somehow to give us more time?¡± the Prime Minister asks eagerly. ¡°You mentioned that you¡¯ve been suppressing the rifts until now. Can¡¯t you continue to do so?¡±

    ¡°We lack the energy required to continue running the dimensional device at its full potential, our reserves are almost depleted,¡± Nyx takes the word. ¡°If you provided us with a stable source of energy, we could get those two years. We¡¯re talking about nuclear power here.¡±

    Ichikawa laughs hysterically and something in him breaks a little, but he withstands it.

    ¡°Considering we¡¯re facing an apocalypse, entrusting aliens with nuclear power is the least of our concerns,¡± he says with a shaky voice. ¡°We¡¯re prepared to give you our full support. There¡¯s no room for doubts and lengthy discussions with the monsters upon us. If we don¡¯t help you win this war, we all die.¡±

    What I¡¯m sensing from him is a mixture of fear and resolve with an undertone of hysteria. The Minister of Defence keeps his cool much better, but he¡¯s also experiencing high levels of anxiety. In comparison, Liana and Gotrid are just mildly tense. Are Draconians coping better because we were trained for this? While I¡¯m also afraid of what¡¯s to come, I know that when it comes to the decisive battle, I will face it head-on. I¡¯m a battle mage after all.

    ¡°Your Majesty, are you staying in Japan?¡± Hayashi turns to me so that it¡¯s clear that he¡¯s addressing me and not my father.

    ¡°For now,¡± I nod. ¡°I¡¯m currently undergoing a Divementis telepathic training.¡±

    Both Hayashi and Ichikawa seem relieved to hear that. Am I somehow more approachable to them than the Divementis? Or do they hope that Japan gets the best protection with me staying here?

    ¡°We swear to complete transparency, we have nothing to hide at this point,¡± my father says to assure them. ¡°In just a few months, the whole world will know. In two years, there will be an open war.¡±

    ¡°What are our chances?¡± Ichikawa gulps. ¡°Do you have some predictions?¡±

    ¡°With only Draconians fighting, we had only a 20% chance of winning,¡± Nyx admits openly, not hiding anything. ¡°The existence of the Crown Prince is a game-changer, though. With his extraordinary abilities, we have a 40% chance of winning. If human countries decide to support us, this chance could be as high as 50%.¡±

    ¡°Wait, the entire humanity helping out will amount only to a 10% increase?¡± Hayashi frowns. ¡°It¡¯s still only a fifty-fifty chance!¡±

    ¡°Human weapons aren¡¯t effective against monsters,¡± Nyx reminds him.

    ¡°Why not sending atomic bombs through the rift and nuking the Enemy?¡± Hayashi suggests.

    ¡°That¡¯s human thinking,¡± my father rolls his eyes ostentatiously. ¡°The monsters are spread all over Draconia, we can¡¯t wipe them out with a few focused strikes and we¡¯re not contaminating our planet with radioactivity in the process. Besides, we don¡¯t even know where the Enemy is located.¡±

    ¡°Hayashi-san, I know that you¡¯re concerned that the Earth might get destroyed during the upcoming war, but we assure you that when we¡¯re ready, we will take the main fight to Draconia,¡± Nyx tries to calm down the Japanese delegation. ¡°We will need resources and supplies, thought, and that¡¯s where humanity comes in.¡±

    ¡°You will take the fight¡­ to Draconia?¡± Ichikawa blinks and he¡¯s not the only one. It looks like some of my Celestial subjects also failed to understand what fighting the Enemy directly means. Liana¡¯s emotional state doesn¡¯t change and Soren also stays calm, but Gotrid twitches.

    ¡°There¡¯s no use just fighting monsters that come through the rifts, we have to suppress the source,¡± my father states. ¡°Obviously, that entails crossing dimensions and going back to our home world. We desperately need rations, materials, tech and logistic support. We have the list ready. It¡¯s quite long and only for the first few months of our cooperation.¡±

    ¡°Send the list then, I¡¯ll present it to the Cabinet immediately,¡± the Prime Minister sighs resignedly. ¡°Also, we want to appoint an ambassador who would stay at Nebula permanently if that¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°Of course, they will be our honoured guest,¡± my father assures him. ¡°Please, choose someone open to us, so that they are easy to work with. We can¡¯t afford to waste time.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I know exactly the person perfect for this job, her daughter is a Draconian,¡± Ichikawa sounds a tiny bit optimistic. ¡°Can she take her daughter with her?¡±

    ¡°Naturally,¡± he nods. ¡°We won¡¯t separate families.¡±

    <i>Love</i>, Gotrid nudges me telepathically. <i>Will we really fight the Enemy on Draconia? I thought that we would protect the Earth.</i>

    <i>My father is right, we need to address the cause</i>, I answer back. <i>Suppressing the rifts and battling monsters that come through isn¡¯t a solution. I¡¯m sorry, Gotrid, I thought you realised what fighting the Enemy means.</i>

    <i>I hoped you would do it from afar¡­ through the rifts from here</i>, he suddenly develops doubts and his resolve flutters.

    <i>My telepathy isn¡¯t that far-reaching</i>, I have to disappoint him and quickly send him my love before his doubts turn into panic.

    ¡°Son,¡± my father clears his throat. ¡°We¡¯re still in the middle of negotiations.¡±

    I look up and see the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence watching me intently. When someone doesn¡¯t know what to look for, I guess I must look like I¡¯m lost in thoughts, but as Liana pointed out several times already, it¡¯s easy to notice when I¡¯m engaged in a telepathic discussion when they know I¡¯m a telepath.

    ¡°Ichikawa-san, Hayashi-san,¡± I address them apologetically. ¡°I know that I was half-alien from the beginning, but I was born here. So were the transformed players and the young Divementis. We will do everything in our power to protect the Earth. You have my word.¡±

    ¡°I believe you,¡± Ichikawa surprises me because they aren¡¯t just polite words. I can feel that he genuinely trusts me. ¡°Your actions speak for themselves. If you wished humanity any harm, we would be at war with Draconians when Delgado attacked the Prague embassy.¡±

    I shudder at that thought and also blush a little. I¡¯m still not used to being praised, especially by strangers.

    <i>You do keep Celestial vices in check</i>, my father sends me a quick comment. <i>The Celestial Emperor being half-Divementis is a blessing. </i>

    I blush even more. Despite my many weaknesses caused by unpredictable genetic mutations, it seems I got the best of all three worlds¡ªhuman empathy, Divementis telepathy and Celestial magic. It¡¯s certainly a good match for someone who is supposed to manage a race of magic-wielding winged beings with a god complex and fight a telepathic Cthulhu monster.

    Liana gives me a grateful look as well. I realise that she¡¯s been unnaturally quiet during the negotiations. Is she letting me and my father handle it? Does she think it¡¯s inappropriate to intervene with two emperors present? Or maybe she¡¯s just tired and happy that she doesn¡¯t have to do anything for a change. I hope Soren is taking care of her properly.

    The meeting ends with the Prime Minister assuring us that he will send the ambassador to Nebula as soon as possible. I feel tangible relief and I¡¯m not alone. No matter how telling other countries turns out, we can count on Japan at least.

    *****

    ¡°Li,¡± I have to grab my Viceroy by her sleeve or she would run away as soon as the negotiations ended. ¡°How are you managing?¡±

    ¡°Somehow,¡± she says tiredly and yawns. ¡°Damn time zones.¡±

    ¡°What time did you have to wake up?¡± I get worried.

    ¡°More like I couldn¡¯t go to sleep till 3 a.m.,¡± she complains.

    ¡°Soren,¡± I turn to the guard captain. ¡°Make sure she eats a lot, takes naps whenever possible and Noage checks on her regularly. We can¡¯t afford to have the Viceroy collapse on duty. You¡¯re responsible for the Viceroy¡¯s health and wellbeing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m doing as you ordered, my Emperor,¡± Soren bows and it seems that I didn¡¯t have to remind him, judging by how annoyed Liana feels when she looks at him.

    ¡°Do Celestials listen to you, Li?¡± I keep asking.

    ¡°Well, mostly,¡± she sighs. ¡°They know that you asked me to act on your behalf so they don¡¯t dare to argue too much, but gosh, our people are a handful! I don¡¯t understand how you were managing to put them in their places all this time.¡±

    ¡°The only problem I have with my subjects, including you, is how overprotective you are of me,¡± I shrug. ¡°I never had any issues with disobedience.¡±

    ¡°Duh, Your Majesty is the embodiment of magic,¡± Liana waves her hand. ¡°Please, excuse me, my Emperor, I¡¯ll find a sofa and collapse on it for a few hours.¡±

    I watch her leave, chewing my lip. Maybe I can ask my father to give me a timeslot for ruling after all, but the moment that idea crosses my mind, I meet his disapproving gaze. He¡¯s been waiting for me patiently nearby, giving me and Liana a few moments to catch up.

    ¡°You should deal only with the most important issues,¡± he shakes his head. ¡°I know that Celestials are very dependent on their embodiment of magic, but you can¡¯t waste your time with administration right now.¡±

    ¡°The Divementis don¡¯t rely on you as much?¡± I¡¯m curious.

    ¡°Our statues are different,¡± he sets the record straight. ¡°My genes are special which makes me royalty, but I¡¯m still one of them. However, Celestials revere the embodiment of magic as their god. Quite literally. Being the Celestial Emperor can¡¯t compare to being the Divementis Emperor when it comes to expectations. You have it tough, son.¡±

    On the contrary, that gives me some hope. Should I inherit the Divementis throne one day, hopefully in a very distant future, I could try transforming them into a constitutional monarchy so that they can rule themselves. It¡¯s a nice prospect, but for that to happen, we first need to win this war.<b></b>

 Extra chapter: Celestial Christmas

    ¡°Ugh, I¡¯ve had enough!¡± I burst out. ¡°I want to go shopping and see the Christmas markets!¡±

    Liana is watching my childish ruckus with a raised eyebrow, totally unimpressed.

    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no alternative universe in which you visiting a Christmas market won¡¯t cause an incident that would make it to the front page of all newspapers and social media globally,¡± she sighs.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t let me out for two days in a row now,¡± I keep ranting.

    ¡°My Emperor, it¡¯s been snowing heavily almost nonstop,¡± Liana tries to reason with me. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to go flying in that kind of weather. Everyone is forbidden to fly, not just you.¡±

    ¡°Gotrid, help!¡± I beg my husband to take my side.

    ¡°What am I supposed to do about it, love? Her Excellency is right,¡± he shrugs, but he stops working, stands up and gives me a comforting hug. ¡°Are you having a winter spleen, my Emperor? Days are short and we can¡¯t go flying whenever we want.¡±

    ¡°Maybe a little bit,¡± I admit and enjoy his warm embrace.

    ¡°The forecast says that snowing should stop around four,¡± Luviael informs us. ¡°Let¡¯s quickly finish our work.¡±

    I get a motivational boost and sit back behind the table to finish my tasks. Erik returns at half past three. He smells like gingerbread and he brings us a jar of Christmas cookies.

    ¡°Elizabeth and Catherine baked these,¡± he explains because he was at the meetup with the Czech Prime Minister and her wife, not in the kitchens. They mostly come for diplomatic visits, but ever since Erik became their best friend, they have been visiting informally as well.

    ¡°Oh, sweet, gimme,¡± I stretch after the jar, but Vermiel stops me.

    ¡°These have to be checked first,¡± he says uncompromisingly.

    ¡°Come on, Elizabeth and Catherine would never try to poison me!¡± I oppose, my mouth salivating.

    ¡°I sampled them already, it¡¯s okay,¡± Erik vouches for their harmlessness.

    Vermiel resigns and lets me pick a cookie. The cookies are freshly baked, crunchy and full of cinnamon. I sometimes envy Elizabeth and Catherine. They are also prominent political figures, but they get to enjoy normal life. I bet they can go to the Christmas market if they disguise themselves and their bodyguards walk nonchalantly a few metres behind them wearing casual clothes.

    After that, I quickly finish two remaining tasks because it really looks like it¡¯s about to stop snowing soon. Ten minutes after four, it does stop. Yay!

    ¡°Won¡¯t you reconsider, hon? It stopped snowing, but it¡¯s still cold out there,¡± Erik tries to talk me out of it.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting cramps in my wings,¡± I say resolutely and stand up. ¡°I¡¯ll get warm by exercising, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    We get to our apartment where the maids change me into a sporty robe, a winter model. It¡¯s quite heavy and not as comfy, but nicely warm so I don¡¯t complain. Naturally, Gotrid joins me, but Liana passes this time. I honestly have no idea how my fellow Celestials can pass on the opportunity to fly, it¡¯s a mystery to me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you with a cup of hot cocoa,¡± Erik teases me.

    ¡°Enjoy,¡± I kiss him, spread my wings and I¡¯m off.

    Flying during winter isn¡¯t pleasant, but one can get warmer when moving their body. Also, it¡¯s romantic to watch Prague that¡¯s buried under snow. I fly over the Old Town on purpose to admire this year¡¯s decorations at least from the distance. I can see a huge Christmas tree on the square and decide to fly a bit closer.

    ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t you dare!¡± I¡¯m stopped immediately by the Imperial Guard. ¡°You¡¯re already causing a ruckus down there. Look!¡±

    I look at the square and I¡¯m indeed causing a ruckus even though we¡¯re still quite high in the sky. People are taking pictures of us and shooting videos, especially tourists because locals are used to regularly seeing us in the air. I sigh and ascend again. How I¡¯d love to land, browse those numerous stalls and buy something nice.

    To distract me, Gotrid takes an enchanted ball out of his robe and we start to play fetch. Twenty minutes into the game, it starts slightly snowing again. At first, we ignore it because it¡¯s just flurries, but it gradually transforms into light snowing.

    ¡°Your Majesty, we should return,¡± Miruel pleads.

    ¡°Just a little longer, it¡¯s so much fun!¡± I beg because I haven¡¯t got enough exercise after two days of being confined.

    The flock¡¯s formation starts to force me back, but I decide to be stubborn today. I change my course rapidly, shooting up like a rocket. I wouldn¡¯t dare to lose them because I¡¯d hear endless nagging from Liana afterwards, but I¡¯m not letting them make me go back too early either.

    I smirk and try to mould snowflakes into snowballs with telekinesis. It¡¯s quite easy to do and soon I have several dozens of them. Without hesitation, I propel them towards my protectors and I hit successfully more often than not. The guards are confused, not knowing what to do with me because every time they get closer, I hit them with another salve.

    ¡°Try it, it¡¯s easy!¡± I tease them.

    Suddenly, I¡¯m hit by a snowball right into my right wing. I turn around and see that it¡¯s Gotrid¡¯s doing. We start flying around, trying to hit each other and evade as much as we can. As my brain releases dopamine, I subconsciously let my joy out and it affects my guards who finally join the game as well.

    We play and play and I snap out of it only when it¡¯s really hard to see. I lose focus, my telepathic influence weakens and the guards come to their senses. I notice that my wristband has been blinking like crazy and I have twelve missed calls.

    ¡°Where are you?! Why aren¡¯t you back already?¡± Erik screams at me when he finally gets through. ¡°They¡¯ve just announced that there¡¯s a snowstorm coming and Miruel hasn¡¯t been picking up!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, we got caught up in a game,¡± I apologise guiltily.

    The gravity of the situation gets to me only when I feel my subjects panicking. I can still feel everyone¡¯s location thanks to my telepathy, but it¡¯s getting harder and harder to see so my subjects are blinded. I bite my lip when I realise that this could turn potentially dangerous and that I¡¯ve been acting irresponsibly.

    <i>Everyone, follow my lead!</i> I order the flock after I carefully check my GPS.

    It¡¯s difficult to make sure that nobody gets lost and such precise coordination with low visibility is possibly only thanks to my special sensory ability. I relax only when I get everyone safely back to the skyscraper.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fly around and land on my balcony, that¡¯s an order,¡± I say uncompromisingly because only Guard Captains have permission to land directly in the Royal Chambers.

    ¡°Ryuu, what the heck¡­?¡± Erik is waiting for me, furious. ¡°You were supposed to return thirty minutes ago! We¡¯ve been worried sick!¡±

    ¡°Oh no!¡± the maids start freaking out because thirty soaked Celestials are standing in the lounge. Our wings are dripping, causing a little flood.

    ¡°S-sorry, I didn¡¯t realise we¡¯ve been away for so long,¡± I murmur and turn pale when Liana storms in.

    ¡°ARE-YOU-FUCKING-KIDDING-ME?¡± she leashes out. She would never dare to use such a rude word towards me, so her fury is aimed at my protectors.

    ¡°Li, it¡¯s my fault this time,¡± I stand up for them.

    My Viceroy ignores me, though. She¡¯s berating the guards for several minutes and nobody dares to oppose her, not even me.

    ¡°Do you have any idea how scared we were?¡± Erik gives me a lecture of his own and he looks seriously pissed. Well, at least he¡¯s pissed at me. ¡°You weren¡¯t picking up our calls and the snowstorm was approaching Prague fast.¡±

    ¡°And you made the news today,¡± Liana rolls her eyes. ¡°What were you thinking flying over the Christmas tree?¡±

    ¡°I just wanted to take a look,¡± I lower my head. It does seem stupid now. I feel stupid.

    I want to apologise more profoundly so that she lets the guards off the hook, but I suddenly sneeze. Only now do I realise how soaked I am and that I¡¯m starting to tremble.

    ¡°Everyone, go dry yourself immediately or you¡¯ll catch a cold,¡± Liana orders and the guards disperse in panic.

    ¡°Gotrid, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I stretch my hands toward my partner to quickly get his wet clothes off, but I¡¯m apprehended by Erik and the maids.

    When it comes to Celestial hypothermia, it can get serious pretty quickly. Time is of the essence, especially when our feathers are soaked. They wrap us in blankets and Ayala starts applying hot air to our wings while Cien runs off to prepare a hot bath.

    ¡°I hope you learned your lesson,¡± Liana grunts, but she kindly helps Ayala with drying. ¡°What were you doing anyway?¡±

    ¡°A snowball fight,¡± I explain. ¡°I got too immersed in the game, let my playfulness manifest and it influenced the guards. Please, don¡¯t be mad at them, it¡¯s my fault entirely.¡±

    ¡°Catching a cold is stupid, but flying in a snowstorm is dangerous,¡± she keeps scolding me. ¡°Someone could have got hurt.¡±

    ¡°I managed to steer everyone back safely, but you¡¯re right,¡± I admit, ashamed.

    ¡°Love, I think you¡¯re developing a fever,¡± Gotrid puts a hand on my forehead.

    ¡°How come you seem okay?¡± I frown. Of course, I¡¯m glad that Gotrid is okay, but why do I always get it worse? Well, I guess I do deserve it this time.

    ¡°The bath is ready!¡± Cien calls us.

    Still wrapped in blankets, we stand up and eagerly run to the bathroom. A hot bath is always the best fix for Celestial hypothermia. I quickly check on my guards and relax when I make sure that everybody is getting proper treatment.

    ¡°Ah, this is heaven,¡± Gotrid moans happily.

    ¡°I might as well join you,¡± Erik smirks because he doesn¡¯t want to leave Gotrid having a private bath with me. He tears off his clothes in an instant and hops in.

    ¡°Li, no need to stay,¡± I say to my Viceroy who¡¯s discreetly standing behind the screen.

    ¡°What if you get sick?¡± she worries.

    ¡°He¡¯s sick already,¡± Erik sighs after checking my temperature himself. ¡°You¡¯d better make adjustments because there¡¯s no way he will be in a shape to work tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I feel quite okay,¡± I oppose. ¡°I promise to sleep it off.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, hon,¡± Gotrid has to disappoint me. ¡°You¡¯re still shivering and we¡¯re in a hot bath.¡±

    ¡°Let me know if it gets worse,¡± Liana demands and finally leaves.

    *****

    ¡°So¡­,¡± Erik sighs after accurately taking my temperature with a thermometer. ¡°I thought fools seldom catch a cold as the old saying goes?¡±

    ¡°Y-you!¡± I poke him, but my strength left me twenty minutes ago so he barely felt it.

    ¡°Thirty-eight degrees,¡± Gotrid laments. ¡°You got a Celestial hypothermic fever, love.¡±

    ¡°Who else caught a cold?¡± I ask, worried.

    ¡°Nobody, you¡¯re the only one,¡± Erik shrugs.

    ¡°Why only me again?¡± I cry, but I¡¯m happy that I¡¯m the only victim of my irresponsible behaviour.

    ¡°Your body is very delicate, Your Majesty,¡± Noage is also here and pushes Erik to the side so that he can treat me with his rooty tentacles. ¡°I keep telling you, but you¡¯re deaf to my pleas.¡±

    ¡°Was it worth it, hon?¡± Erik rolls his eyes.

    ¡°Are you kidding me? That snowball fight was epic!¡± Gotrid laughs, but he gets serious almost immediately when he looks at frowning Noage. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t worth having our Emperor get sick afterwards.¡±

    ¡°His Majesty should be okay after his temperature gets back to normal, but I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have an unpleasant night,¡± Noage informs us. ¡°I order bedrest tomorrow and I¡¯ll tell the cooks to prepare nutritious soups. Celestial cold isn¡¯t caused by viruses, but a vitamin shot never hurt anybody. Please, relax and let me do my job.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want it,¡± I start struggling. ¡°It makes me super drowsy.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to sleep anyway, hon,¡± Erik holds my left arm down.

    Noage smirks because he loves doing this. The Earthborn have the unique ability to store vitamins in their bodies and use enzymes to make a remarkable mixture. Noage analyses my current condition and prepares a shot tailored to my needs. The only unpleasant side effect is that it¡¯s a shock for the receiver, so the body shuts down to process it. I fall asleep before Noage even finishes the procedure.

    *****

    ¡°It would be potentially a huge issue if our Emperor could influence us so easily,¡± Liana ponders, dissatisfied. ¡°I know that his telepathy can¡¯t make us do anything that¡¯s against our will and core beliefs, but still¡­¡±

    ¡°Our beloved has to learn how to keep his emotions from leaking out, but he didn¡¯t do it on purpose and it was really subtle,¡± Gotrid stands up for me. ¡°I was perfectly aware of what I was doing, I was just too thrilled to join the game and lost track of time and our surroundings.¡±

    ¡°Li, we have to let him experience at least some level of freedom,¡± Erik insists. ¡°Coming back with a cold isn¡¯t an ideal outcome, but he had fun.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m certainly not having fun,¡± Liana pouts. ¡°I had to explain to the Celestial Council how it¡¯s even possible that we let our Emperor catch a cold in the first place.¡±

    I¡¯m listening to their silent conversation, hidden under a blanket. I¡¯ve been awake for a few minutes now, but I didn¡¯t let them know because it¡¯s always interesting for me to discover what they talk about behind my wings. I¡¯m glad that Erik and Gotrid aren¡¯t making a fuss and agree that I can have my fun.

    ¡°Let him off the hook this time, Viceroy,¡± Gotrid begs. ¡°It¡¯s almost Christmas and he wanted to get into a festive mood.¡±

    ¡°Just this time then,¡± Liana decides to be benevolent for once. ¡°See to it that he¡¯s nursed back to full health as soon as possible. Many high-ranking seraphs from all over the world are coming for the holidays and they all want to see the Emperor.¡±

    Erik suddenly tickles me under my feathers which makes me twitch.

    ¡°You woke up our beloved, stupid,¡± Gotrid berates him.

    ¡°I got a feeling that he wasn¡¯t asleep at all,¡± Erik explains and pulls the blanket off me. ¡°See?¡± he says victoriously when he reveals that my eyes are wide open.

    ¡°Cold!¡± I shiver and pull the blanket back.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been sleeping for three hours, love, your fever hasn¡¯t had a chance to drop yet,¡± Gotrid says. ¡°Now that you¡¯re awake, let¡¯s have some soup.¡±

    I want to disappear under the blanket completely, but Erik pulls me up without mercy, leaning me against his chest. I don¡¯t feel like eating, but the soup Ayala brings me is pumpkin cream, my absolute favourite, so I empty two bowls without protest.

    ¡°Have you learnt your lesson, Your Majesty?¡± Liana wants to hear my clear answer.

    ¡°I won¡¯t do it ever again,¡± I swear. ¡°Catching a cold is one thing, but I could have endangered my protectors.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she nods approvingly and finally forgives me.

    *****

    Celestial hypothermia is quick to develop, but once a Celestial is warm again, the fever goes away just as fast as it came. It¡¯s a clever safety mechanism. I feel much better the next day, but Noage insists I stay in bed, so we decide to use that precious free time to choose Christmas decorations.

    ¡°Purple is the royal colour,¡± Gotrid tries to persuade me to change this year¡¯s theme.

    ¡°That might be, but it¡¯s not very Christmassy,¡± I shake my head. ¡°Let¡¯s go with the classic.¡±

    ¡°What about these for the main tree?¡± Erik chuckles and shows me his phone.

    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Gotrid is horrified because the decorations Erik looked up have angels everywhere.

    ¡°Just easing you,¡± Erik laughs.

    ¡°By the way, I¡¯ll need some alone time,¡± I warn them. ¡°I can¡¯t buy your presents with you staring over my shoulder all the time.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need anything, my Emperor. Just being your Consorts is the best present ever,¡± Gotrid sings.

    ¡°Not mentioning our generous monthly budget,¡± Erik adds smugly.

    ¡°If I could, I¡¯d buy you both a luxurious vacation by the sea,¡± I dream. ¡°You really deserve in.¡±

    ¡°Both? You wouldn¡¯t go?¡± Gotrid tilts his head.

    ¡°I would be sleeping the whole time in our comfy bed,¡± I purr, happily snuggling under two fluffy blankets. ¡°That would be my holiday.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you need a break from us!¡± Gotrid plays horrified.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°As if,¡± Erik chuckles and caresses me between my wings.

    ¡°Y-you! I¡¯m still recovering,¡± I shake him off, trying to hide that his touch aroused me. But there¡¯s no hiding my true feelings from my partners. Our Christmas planning session suddenly transforms into a cuddling session.

    *****

    ¡°I want to go with you,¡± I complain, frowning.

    ¡°It¡¯s not safe for your wings, hon,¡± Erik shakes his head uncompromisingly. ¡°The kitchen wasn¡¯t made for Celestials. Your huge wings could accidentally touch hot surfaces or bump into something when you turn around.¡±

    ¡°Pchm,¡± I decide to mope a bit.

    ¡°Your beloved husband baking cookies himself isn¡¯t enough?¡± Erik raises his eyebrows.

    ¡°It¡¯s more than enough, of course, it¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯d like to share this with you,¡± I explain, saddened.

    ¡°I know,¡± Erik nods and I can tell that he¡¯s reminding himself of all those things he can¡¯t share with me. It¡¯s a sore subject for both of us, so I decide to change the topic.

    ¡°I want almonds, cinnamon and chocolate,¡± I make demands.

    ¡°As you order, my Emperor,¡± Erik nods happily. ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that they will be as good as our chef Tateena would make them, but I¡¯ll do my best.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that,¡± I assure him. ¡°I¡¯ll love them because they are from you.¡±

    Erik smiles at me, kisses me and he¡¯s off to the kitchens, leaving me alone with Liana and the rest of my ministers and adjutants.

    ¡°Wait¡­ where¡¯s Gotrid?¡± I widen my eyes when I realise that I can¡¯t feel him in the skyscraper. He was supposed to meet the Czech Minister of Commerce, not leave the premises.

    ¡°He went to fetch something,¡± Luvieal explains. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty, Taranah is with him and he took fifteen guards.¡±

    ¡°Fetch?¡± I¡¯m confused. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a secret,¡± Luviael puts a finger on her lips. ¡°Please, don¡¯t be distracted and return to work, Your Majesty. We still have three more tasks to finish today.¡±

    I obey, but I can¡¯t shake off nervousness. Gotrid has never gone outside on his own before and fifteen doesn¡¯t sound that many to me. How come my partners aren¡¯t as anxiously guarded as me? Don¡¯t my subjects realise how precious they are to me?

    ¡°He¡¯s back!¡± I stand up quickly when I can feel Gotrid again.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Liana catches a hem of my robe when I try to flee the Royal Office. ¡°Gotrid asked me to keep you here for at least two more hours after his return.¡±

    ¡°Whaat? Why?¡± I purse my lips.

    ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t you understand that he¡¯s preparing a surprise for you?¡± Liana rolls her eyes. ¡°Give him a chance.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± I sit back, embarrassed. I feel stupid for being so clingy. Still, when do I get some time off to prepare something for them?

    I keep working, but it¡¯s pure torture. I can feel both Erik and Gotrid getting all excited and meeting in the Royal Chambers. Apparently, my maids are in it with them. Well, it¡¯s only two weeks until Christmas so I guess it¡¯s high time to get everything ready.

    I look sideways at Liana and she¡¯s discussing something with Minister Forent. My adjutant Luviael is rescheduling a few meetings for the rest of this week and isn¡¯t paying attention to me. With everybody occupied, I decide to use this rare opportunity to check out some presents on my computer.

    Last year, I gave Erik a helicopter and I honestly don¡¯t think that I can top that. Besides, we have everything we can think of. Erik has a huge collection of brand suits, quality shoes and expensive watches, so I don¡¯t want to add to that. Gotrid has a ton of robes as well.

    Absent-mindedly, I browse the jewellery section, realising only a minute later that I¡¯ve never seen my husbands wearing anything of that sort. I want to close it, but a pop-up window hits me and announces a new collection of wedding rings. My finger freezes over the close button. Wedding rings?!

    Weddings are not a Celestial custom as we find making vows unnecessary, but Erik is human. He became my Consort, but there was no ceremony to officially ratify that. Maybe he would like to have a ring as proof at least?

    I browse the ring collection and filter only the most expensive ones. I don¡¯t want to save even a Euro on something as important as this. When I finally choose the one I like, the shop asks me automatically if I want two of them. I hesitate. Should I get one for Gotrid as well? I¡¯m thinking so hard about it that I stop paying attention to my surroundings.

    ¡°Hee, wedding rings, huh?¡± Luviael comments, peeking over my shoulder.

    I twitch, startled, and accidentally hit Luviael¡¯s chin with my left wing. She moans in pain, but she doesn¡¯t get annoyed. She knows that it was entirely her fault for sneaking up on me.

    ¡°Wedding¡­ what?¡± Liana stops working, intrigued.

    ¡°S-so what!¡± I turn red. ¡°I want to give Erik and Gotrid something nice.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a Celestial custom, Your Majesty,¡± Luviael reminds me. ¡°We can¡¯t throw you a human wedding, Lord Erik is your lawful husband already. We have no use for marriage vows, especially when it comes to our Emperor. Lord Erik and Lord Gotrid are as devoted to you as Royal Consorts should be.¡±

    ¡°On the other hand, it¡¯s just a nice accessory,¡± Liana shrugs. ¡°I can¡¯t see why not go for it if His Majesty wants to make his partners happy. Still, I¡¯d strongly advise you to choose a ring with a precious stone. That way, you can enchant it.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± I slap my forehead. ¡°I can imbue it with a protection spell. Why didn¡¯t I think of it sooner?¡±

    ¡°Enchanting is still in active research, Your Majesty,¡± Liana points out. ¡°I know that it feels longer than that but we transformed merely two years ago.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a good idea, though,¡± Luviael admits. ¡°Lord Erik can consider it to be his wedding ring while it will also have a practical usage.¡±

    ¡°I want to make them myself,¡± I state. ¡°Luvi, order just base golden rings, two diamonds and I¡¯ll engrave them and enchant myself.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, Your Majesty,¡± Luviael bows.

    *****

    ¡°Surprise!¡± Erik and Gotrid greet me cheerfully when I finally finish my work for the day and get home.

    ¡°You did all this in just two hours?¡± I can¡¯t believe how lavishly decorated every corner of our huge apartment is.

    ¡°We did our best,¡± Erik grins. ¡°Do you like it? I know that last year we decorated our apartment together, but we wanted to surprise you.¡±

    ¡°If I like it? I love it!¡± I kiss both of them on their cheeks.

    ¡°And that¡¯s not all,¡± Gotrid takes my hand and leads me to our living room.

    ¡°That¡¯s the thing you went to fetch? A real tree?¡± I open my mouth wide. ¡°Aren¡¯t real trees super expensive and hard to get these days?¡±

    ¡°They sure are,¡± Gotrid nods, ¡°but this one was a courtesy of the Czech Prime Minister. Besides, it¡¯s in a pot. We wouldn¡¯t dare cut it down.

    ¡°It¡¯s not decorated?¡± I realise.

    ¡°We figured you¡¯d like to decorate at least something yourself,¡± Erik says and points toward several boxes that are still full of decorations.

    ¡°You bet!¡± I smile and start right away.

    I use mainly my hands and resort to telekinesis only for spots I can¡¯t reach. When the tree is lit, my eyes get wet. I¡¯m so lucky to be able to spend Christmas with my two amazing partners. When it¡¯s time for bed, I notice that there¡¯s mistletoe hanging above the doorframe which is a nice touch. I use it as an excuse to kiss my husbands right there and not wait until we reach the bedroom.

    *****

    ¡°There¡¯s no snowstorm forecasted for today, but it¡¯s very cold so we implore you to return in an hour,¡± Luviael reminds me.

    ¡°I promise,¡± I nod, spread my wings and take off. Erik and Liana are taking care of something at the Dragonkin embassy so there¡¯s no use waiting for him.

    I want to head up immediately, but I notice a strange uproar below me. I stop my ascend and hover for a while, straining my eyes to focus hundreds of metres down. It¡¯s always empty around the Draconian skyscraper because unauthorised people aren¡¯t allowed in the vicinity so I¡¯m confused when I see a huge crowd.

    ¡°Gotrid, what¡¯s that?¡± I ask, but Gotrid is just as confused as me. However, for some reason, our guards stay perfectly calm.

    ¡°Love, look over there,¡± Gotrid points. ¡°Aren¡¯t those wooden stalls?¡±

    And then I realise that I can feel both Erik and Liana in the crowd. I position my wings to descend and because the guards aren¡¯t stopping me, I go all the way down even though normally I¡¯m not allowed to. The people below make space so that we can land on a small square between office buildings.

    ¡°Surprise!¡± Liana says, grinning.

    ¡°Li, what is all that?¡± I look around in a haze.

    ¡°What does it look like?¡± she winks at me. ¡°We couldn¡¯t let you attend the city Christmas market so I figured we could make our own.¡±

    I gasp for breath. That¡¯s¡­

    ¡°¡­the best present ever!¡± I cry and hug my Viceroy.

    ¡°I know,¡± she grins. ¡°Go explore, my Emperor, everything is safe to either eat, drink or buy.¡±

    ¡°Did you know about this?¡± I turn to Erik and Gotrid.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Gotrid shakes his head, just as surprised.

    ¡°Liana told me just two hours ago when we went to the embassy. She was afraid that if we knew, you could see it in our minds,¡± Erik explains and takes my hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go exploring!¡±

    It¡¯s only Draconians from the skyscraper here so our guards don¡¯t have such a hard job. Besides, we¡¯re still within the shield. I can¡¯t believe that Liana was able to put up something like this.

    ¡°Oh, hi, Tateena,¡± I greet my chef at one of the stalls that sells fried potato pancakes, a traditional Czech street dish. ¡°Can I have one?¡±

    ¡°Make it two!¡± Gotrid says quickly.

    ¡°Three!¡± Erik adds.

    ¡°I was hoping you would,¡± Tateena smiles at me, revealing her spiky Dragonkin teeth.

    I watch as she fries three pancakes right in front of us. I appreciate that the Draconians around us are giving us space. Liana must have made it a condition for them to attend. Knowing that they are forbidden to bother us, Draconians start shopping and chatting, creating a pleasant natural ambience for such an occasion.

    ¡°Oooooh, please, can I have a cup?¡± I rush to the stall that sells mullet wine when we finish eating. ¡°It¡¯s not only for non-Celestials, right?¡±

    ¡°One cup,¡± they allow hesitantly.

    It¡¯s not like Celestials can¡¯t drink at all, but we have very low alcohol tolerance and get drunk easily. The staff carefully prepares three cups for us.

    ¡°So hot,¡± I warm my hands against the cup and sip slowly. The mullet wine is sweet and strongly spiced.

    ¡°Your Majesty, we have a short cultural event prepared for you,¡± Liana announces and our eyes turn towards a small podium in the middle.

    My subjects bring us wooden chairs and a small table so that we can sit comfortably and the concert starts. The singers are nervous to perform in front of the Celestial Emperor and I¡¯m pleasantly surprised to see that the choir consists of all races.

    They start singing acapella and their voices elegantly complement each other. Celestials aren¡¯t able to produce deep sounds while it¡¯s super easy for the Dragonkin and vice versa. I keep watching and sipping my wine until the cup is empty.

    I sigh because I didn¡¯t have enough. Erik is holding his cup, but I see that Gotrid barely touched his and placed it in front of him on the table. Everyone is watching the show so I decide to be naughty a bit. I slowly push Gotrid¡¯s cup towards me with telekinesis. Then I craftily exchange them and pretend that I¡¯m still drinking my own.

    I¡¯m usually allowed just half a cup at formal dinners and I don¡¯t miss it. However, the sweetness and spiciness of mullet wine is something special to me, maybe because I¡¯d never really celebrated Christmas before I met Erik.

    Surely one more cup won¡¯t do anything to me, right? It¡¯s not like this is hard alcohol, it¡¯s more like candy. Gotrid is watching the carols so intently that he completely forgets about his drink. Thanks to that, I¡¯m able to empty his cup whole. I giggle when the group performs a variety of famous pop carols and they slightly adjust the lyrics to reflect the existence of Draconians.

    ¡°Let¡¯s ring the Christmas bell over there!¡± I stand up energetically when the performance is over, but my head spins and I wobble. Fortunately, I land safely on Erik¡¯s lap which makes me laugh even harder. I hug my partner around his neck and kiss him.

    ¡°Love, did you drink Gotrid¡¯s cup when he wasn¡¯t looking?¡± Erik gets suspicious.

    ¡°Maybe I did, maybe I didn¡¯t,¡± I giggle.

    I notice that there¡¯s a bubble maker machine nearby and it seems like a good idea to stir it with telekinesis. Suddenly, there are bubbles everywhere which makes me giggle even harder.

    ¡°His Majesty got drunk?!¡± Liana slaps her forehead. ¡°Gotrid, why weren¡¯t you watching your cup?¡±

    ¡°I never suspected our Emperor would do such mischief,¡± Gotrid refuses to take responsibility and pinches me under my feathers. ¡°Love, you¡¯ll feel so embarrassed about it tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be so strict for once!¡± I giggle.

    ¡°We¡¯re returning immediately before more Draconians notice what¡¯s going on,¡± Liana decides resolutely. ¡°Gotrid, Miruel, Vermiel, cover His Majesty with your wings and make sure that nobody sees him in this ungraceful state.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna go,¡± I protest, but Erik lifts me and there¡¯s no arguing with him.

    I let myself be carried and I don¡¯t think about the consequences. I¡¯m smelling Erik¡¯s perfume, touching his mind and enjoying that Gotrid is carrying my wings. I don¡¯t want to leave the Christmas market, but I want to be alone with my partners as soon as possible.

    ¡°Your Excellency, I think it¡¯s no use to scold our Emperor until he sobers,¡± Gotrid assesses when we¡¯re safely hidden from prying eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll save it for the morning then,¡± Liana sighs and wants to leave, but I catch her sleeve.

    ¡°Li, I love you sooo much,¡± I chuckle. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m not saying it often enough.¡±

    ¡°Y-Your Majesty,¡± Liana turns completely red. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that it will save you from scolding.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so glad our beloved isn¡¯t bisexual,¡± Gotrid is shaking his head.

    ¡°Yeah, being polyamorous is a handful already,¡± Erik agrees.

    ¡°I¡¯d better leave you to it then,¡± Liana quickly leaves, still red.

    At first, Erik and Gotrid naively think that I¡¯m too drunk and they want to make me lie down, but I persuade them with several kisses that it¡¯s not the case. I want them and I want them now. I¡¯m whispering lewd words into their ears¡ªthings I¡¯d never say when sober. I¡¯m making love to my beloved partners and it¡¯s the best Christmas gift I could ever hope for.

    *****

    I wake up with a hangover and, regretfully, a perfect memory of all those embarrassing things I did and said yesterday. Fortunately, Liana is too busy to come to scold me and Erik and Gotrid generously let me off because they suspect that I¡¯m preparing something special as their Christmas present.

    I get some Earthborn herbal remedy for a hangover from Noage and when my head stops throbbing, I declare that I want to spend the day in the Celestial research centre. Luviael informed me at breakfast that the materials arrived which means that I can start working on the rings. I sent my husbands to help Liana in my stead while I head to the magical workshop.

    ¡°It¡¯s much easier to make than my gift to Liana last year,¡± I comment happily when I run a few preliminary tests on much cheaper semi-precious stones.

    ¡°Naturally, we know about enchanting much more than we did back then,¡± Rina, the Head of Celestial Magic Research, is assisting me. She swore to secrecy however much Erik and Gotrid might pester her.

    ¡°What are you getting Her Excellency?¡± Nestelle, Rina¡¯s assistant, asks eagerly.

    ¡°I arranged for several wellness procedures and I¡¯ll force her to take three days off,¡± I say because it¡¯s impossible to impress my Viceroy with material gifts. ¡°On top of that, I¡¯ll give her my blessing each day for a week.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± both Nestelle and Rina are taken aback. Not by the wellness programme, but because I mentioned seven blessings in a row.

    ¡°A-anyway, let¡¯s continue with the imbuing,¡± I cough because the atmosphere has suddenly turned awkward. Once again, I forgot what a privilege receiving even one blessing from the embodiment of magic is.

    I run a few more tests and when I stop failing, I feel confident enough to imbue real diamonds. I get a bit nervous because these little precious stones cost a small fortune, but they are perfectly polished and respond easily to my attempt to imbue them with a transfiguration. It seems the better the stone is, the more sensitive towards our mana it becomes.

    I decide to make the rings a bit different. Gotrid¡¯s ring will have the ability to store the wearer¡¯s leaking mana and recharge itself automatically while Erik¡¯s ring will need regular charging from me, but it will be passively healing Erik to a certain extent. I¡¯m not sure how efficient it¡¯s going to be, maybe it will ward off only a common cold and heal minor bruises, but it¡¯s better than nothing.

    As for the second enchantment, I want Erik and Gotrid protected so I go for the most powerful protective spell currently in my arsenal. The stones are too tiny to withstand ongoing attacks, but there should be enough power to create one all-encompassing shield in case of dire danger.

    I berate myself that I should have thought of it much sooner, but then I realise that I mastered that particular shield spell only two months ago and it¡¯s difficult to sustain in the heat of a battle so I didn¡¯t think about further application.

    ¡°That¡¯s brilliant, Your Majesty,¡± Rina is beyond excited, ¡°this spell is so hard to maintain, but putting it into a crystal beforehand can relieve the strain on the caster!¡±

    ¡°As always, everything our embodiment of magic does for the first time becomes a new Celestial invention,¡± Nestelle comments and I notice that he was taking notes when I was working.

    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m afraid that your presence is required in the Royal Office,¡± Luviael comes to pick me up. ¡°Her Excellency tried to cover for you the whole morning, but President Bennett asks for an audience.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not finished,¡± I frown because I have yet to engrave the rings.

    ¡°My Emperor, there¡¯s still a week till Christmas,¡± Luvi tries to reason with me. ¡°You can finish it tomorrow.¡±

    I sigh and put the rings carefully back into their little boxes. If there¡¯s anything that I hate about my job, it¡¯s that I¡¯m not the master of my own time and schedule. But then I realise that Erik and Gotrid are waiting for me in the Royal Office and suddenly it¡¯s not such a chore anymore.

    *****

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty, but I¡¯m afraid that there¡¯s no way for your Christmas to be spent only with Royal Consorts,¡± Liana has to disappoint me.

    ¡°What about moving the reception to the twenty-fifth?¡± I suggest, still hopeful somewhat.

    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t work, Celestials wish to dine with Your Majesty and give you a present on Christmas Eve as the Czech tradition dictates,¡± Liana shakes her head. ¡°Besides, most of them arranged accommodation months in advance. Except for Ingri, Julia, Haldis, Noage and a few others, this will be a strictly Celestial event.¡±

    That makes me ponder how things have changed. Last year, it was a Draconian Christmas. This year, it¡¯s a Celestial audience. In a few years, we might stop celebrating Christmas altogether. What will we celebrate instead I wonder? Is there a Celestial-exclusive holiday in our lore?

    ¡°When we finally free ourselves from human conventions, I guess we will celebrate the birthday of our lovely embodiment of magic instead,¡± Gotrid catches what has been going through my head.

    ¡°Eeeh? No way, that would be so dull!¡± I puff.

    ¡°Frankly, we feel embarrassed that we didn¡¯t get to celebrate Your Majesty¡¯s birthday last year,¡± Liana feels uneasy about it. ¡°I know that everything was too hectic at that time, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Think nothing of it,¡± I wave my hand dismissively. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you the date of my birth anyway, so you had no way of knowing.¡±

    ¡°Next time will be different,¡± Liana claims. ¡°We¡¯re already planning for a big birthday party.¡±

    ¡°Eeeh? My birthday is at the end of February, it¡¯s so far away,¡± I roll my eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s only two months away, high time to start sending invitations,¡± Liana insists and sends me another pile of documents to approve so that I don¡¯t have time to argue with her.

    *****

    Luviael lied to me and I don¡¯t have time to continue working on the rings for three days straight. When I finally do, it¡¯s only four days till Christmas and I¡¯m super nervous. Imbuing rings with spells is one thing, the hard part comes now as I need to engrave the rings. Being the embodiment of magic certainly doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m good at handicrafts.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do it,¡± I give up when I mess five iron rings I chose to practice on. ¡°Call Haldis to do it for me.¡±

    Haldis shows up almost immediately which surprises me. I thought that our Dragonkin artisan is extremely busy these days because I heard that they are flooded with commissions from Celestials.

    ¡°It¡¯s a personal request from Your Majesty,¡± Haldis bows and feels honoured that I called for them specifically. ¡°What can I do for you, my Emperor?¡±

    Admittedly, it feels weird to be called ¡®my Emperor¡¯ by anyone who isn¡¯t a Celestial, but Haldis swore allegiance to me, denouncing the Dragonkin.

    ¡°I wanted to do it myself, but I¡¯m just not good at handicraft,¡± I sigh and show Haldis five messed up rings with crooked writing.

    ¡°I see,¡± Haldis nods. ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad, Your Majesty, engraving metals requires quite a bit of physical strength which Celestials do not possess. I would be honoured to do it for you. The writing should say ¡®eternal love¡¯, correct?¡±

    ¡°Ehm, yes,¡± I turn red. Having Haldis say it aloud like that sounds lame now that I think about it. I haven¡¯t come up with anything better, though.

    Haldis sits down and lets me watch as they skilfully engrave both rings with beautiful letters. I¡¯m a bit sad that I couldn¡¯t do it myself, but I¡¯m glad that I have people I can depend on. I¡¯m astonished how nimble Haldis¡¯ hands are considering that the Dragonkin are rather bulky, but Haldis has always been delicate.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I appreciate when Haldis is done. If they were Celestial, I would gladly give them my blessing, but other races are insensitive towards mana.

    I¡¯m overjoyed that my main present is finally ready. Of course, I bought Erik and Gotrid many other presents, but this is the most significant one.

    *****

    Frankly, the best Christmas present for me is that I get two full days off. My afternoons and evenings are going to be busy with social events, but Liana promised that mornings will be just for me and my husbands to enjoy privately. We decide not to do anything special and just watch fairy tales, nibble Christmas cookies and cuddle.

    In the early afternoon, the maids dress me into a beautiful dark green robe with a train, Gotrid gets a dark blue robe (without a train, not fair!) and Erik puts on his most expensive suit. We reunite with Liana who¡¯s wearing a bright red dress with golden lining and she gets compliments from all of us. Still, I suspect that she would rather hear a compliment from one particular person.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Soren?¡± I ask because I don¡¯t see him in our entourage.

    ¡°Making sure the venue is safe for Your Majesty,¡± Liana says. ¡°With so many people invited, the Royal Guard is nervous.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re in the Draconian Tower and the guests are predominantly Celestials, what¡¯s there to be nervous about?¡± I don¡¯t understand.

    ¡°We always worry for Your Majesty¡¯s safety,¡± Liana shrugs. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve just got a message that everything is ready.¡±

    I was forbidden to enter the reception hall these past few days so I¡¯m twice as surprised by the beautiful decorations when I¡¯m finally allowed to enter. The hall gets silent when I appear, everyone bows to me in the deepest respect, but after the formalities are done, I can mingle freely. There¡¯s live music, buffet tables are overflowing with delicious food and everyone is chatting merrily.

    I meet many Celestials whose faces I know only from videocalls and while everyone is more than eager to talk to me, nobody is pushing. It seems Luvi and Liana made a schedule and guests are allowed to get to me based on some kind of order.

    The audiences take the whole afternoon and finish just in time for dinner. I eye Liana in the crowd and see her chatting with Soren at the buffet tables. They are standing close to each other and their wings are touching. Knowing how sensitive Liana is when it comes to proximity, I¡¯m glad to see that things are going in the right direction.

    After we fill our stomachs, we hurry to the Christmas tree. As expected, I got a ton of gifts even though I had implored my subjects that I didn¡¯t need anything. Still, I have to appreciate how thoughtfully the gifts were chosen. Knowing my geeky hobbies, I don¡¯t get any robes or jewellery, but only things like books, video games and rare collectibles.

    ¡°Erik, Gotrid, these are for you,¡± I take two little boxes out of my robe because I was too anxious to leave something so tiny under an avalanche of presents under the tree.

    Erik and Gotrid look at each other, confused that their presents are the same size. Their eyes widen and their emotions flutter wildly when they unwrap it and reveal the rings. They are staring at the diamonds for several long moments, unable to speak.

    ¡°I know that wedding rings aren¡¯t a Celestial custom, but I want you to have them,¡± I say shyly. ¡°I imbued them with the strongest shield spell that I can currently cast and they can be recharged easily.¡±

    ¡°Eternal love,¡± they read the inscription in unison and their eyes get wet.

    ¡°I know that you would probably want to save them because they were expensive, but could you please wear them all the time?¡± I chew my lip. ¡°I want you protected and I¡¯ll be checking regularly that the spell holds. Also¡­ I¡­ ehm¡­ I want everyone to know that you¡¯re taken. I might as well mark you with these.¡±

    I have probably overdone it with that last part because both Erik and Gotrid turn completely red, but I wanted them to know why I chose rings and not bracelets. I have yet to uncover everything about myself, but I know one thing for sure¡ªwhen I fall in love with someone and bond with them, it¡¯s forever. I¡¯ll never stop loving Erik and Gotrid.

    ¡°Luviael, I don¡¯t care how you¡¯re going to explain it to the guests, but we¡¯re leaving,¡± Gotrid turns to my adjutant. ¡°Our beloved has just managed to make a huge confession, so there¡¯s no way we¡¯re going to leave it at that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, we¡¯re going to make love to our husband and there¡¯s no stopping us,¡± Erik adds, his expression all smug.

    Suddenly, I find myself in Erik¡¯s arms and Gotrid is hastily grabbing my wings. Now it¡¯s me who turns red because they did it in front of more than three hundred guests. Having two loving husbands is the best gift ever and get to enjoy that every single day, not just at Christmas.

 104. The Viceroy Takes Over

    Liana rolls her eyes when Soren puts a sandwich on the keyboard so that she can¡¯t even finish writing the sentence. She looks up, frowning. Ever since His Majesty put Soren in charge of taking care of her wellbeing, it¡¯s been a constant terror.

    ¡°I¡¯ll eat it later, I need to finish this proposal,¡± she tries to reason with him.

    ¡°You can finish it after you eat the snack, Your Excellency,¡± Soren doesn¡¯t budge. ¡°I know that it¡¯s super important, but it can wait for a few minutes.¡±

    Liana sighs, unwraps the sandwich and bites into it. If Soren had been only mildly annoying as her guard, he¡¯d now become insufferable. While Liana is still technically his superior, the Emperor has granted him special privileges which means that he can command her around. She¡¯s sure that His Majesty did it on purpose as revenge. He must have wanted Liana to see how annoying it is to have someone behind their wings all the time.

    She finishes the sandwich, but she doesn¡¯t get back to the proposal because Luviael tells her that there¡¯s an urgent call from the Japanese government. Luviael used to be His Majesty¡¯s adjutant, but since their Emperor is spending all his time training telepathy with his father, Luvi was transferred to temporarily work under Liana.

    ¡°Ichikawa-san, how can I be of assistance?¡± Liana bows symbolically as the Japanese custom dictates.

    ¡°Good morning, Your Excellency, I¡¯m calling concerning our ambassador,¡± the Prime Minister says. ¡°We thought that it would take her a few days to prepare, but she just informed us that she would like to start tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Liana is surprised. ¡°And she¡¯s okay with moving to the Nebula premises?¡±

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s packing as we speak,¡± Ichikawa nods. ¡°Two months ago, she returned from South Korea and her new posting was yet to be decided so it came at a perfect timing.¡±

    ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll talk to the Divementis and prepare adequate accommodation for the ambassador and her child,¡± Liana promises.

    ¡°Actually, the daughter is hardly a child. She¡¯s twenty-three already, studies international relations and follows in her mother¡¯s footsteps,¡± Ichikawa smiles. ¡°As a transformed Draconian, I¡¯m sure she will jump after an opportunity to help out considering how ambitious she is¡ªan exemplary straight-A student.¡±

    ¡°And the ambassador¡¯s daughter is¡­?¡± Liana tilts her head.

    ¡°A Celestial,¡± Ichikawa announces solemnly. ¡°Another reason why the ambassador in question is such a good fit for the position.¡±

    ¡°I shall welcome them both then,¡± Liana gets hopeful about the prospect.

    *****

    Liana is starting to painfully realise how little power she actually has. When she was working side by side with the Emperor, nobody would question her decisions even when they came from her and not their embodiment of magic. She even started to feel a bit proud, thinking that Celestials must naturally respect her. How wrong she was.

    ¡°I can¡¯t let you talk to His Majesty, the Emperor is busy training,¡± she repeats for the third time, talking to the representative of French Celestials. The man is getting on her nerves; it seems he just won¡¯t take ¡®no¡¯ for an answer.

    ¡°We want to hear it from His Majesty directly,¡± the French representative insists.

    ¡°It¡¯s all true, why would you doubt that?¡± Liana clicks her tongue, annoyed at this point. ¡°The Divementis Emperor himself recorded the message we sent you.¡±

    ¡°We need to¡­,¡± the man protests, but Liana interrupts him.

    ¡°The Emperor gave me all the rights to act in his stead,¡± she stays her ground.

    The French representative bites his lip, battling with himself internally. He can¡¯t disobey a direct order coming from the Emperor, but he wants to find an excuse to talk to him. Liana decides this just won¡¯t do. War or not, they can¡¯t be so overly reliant on their embodiment of magic.

    ¡°In the Emperor¡¯s absence, the Viceroy acts as his deputy,¡± Liana continues. ¡°If you want to explain to His Majesty why you disobeyed his orders, be my guest, but it would be much more productive if we just dealt with this issue ourselves and didn¡¯t bother his training.¡±

    After that, the French representative becomes much more cooperative and they manage to wrap it up in two hours. Liana is dead tired by that time and she hasn¡¯t had any time for a flying session. Admittedly, she doesn¡¯t need to fly nearly as much as their embodiment of magic, but she is still stiff.

    ¡°We should have time tomorrow,¡± Soren assures her, noticing her discomfort. Liana gives him a tired look and when she¡¯s finally back in her apartment, she collapses into bed.

    *****

    Liana hopes to see the Emperor at breakfast the next day but no such luck. Instead, she bumps into Erik who is putting various dishes from the buffet tables into plastic boxes.

    ¡°Where¡¯s His Majesty?¡± she asks, automatically worried.

    ¡°We let him sleep in, so I¡¯m preparing us breakfast in advance so that we won¡¯t waste time when he wakes up,¡± Erik explains.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you send the maids?¡± Liana doesn¡¯t understand. It¡¯s true that they can¡¯t cook for the Emperor because the Divementis are taking care of their nutrition now, but it doesn¡¯t mean the Royal Consort himself has to pick up food.

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t bring what Ryuu craves the most,¡± Erik laughs and shows her the boxes¡ªthey are full of pancakes.

    Liana doesn¡¯t have to be a telepath to notice a change within him. He has always been a positive person, but ever since the Divementis promised to transform him, he has become much more relaxed. She tries to imagine him with wings, but her imagination fails her. Erik has been the only human in their inner circle for too long.

    Still, soon he won¡¯t be and Liana is glad for that. She might respect Erik deeply, but the truth is that he isn¡¯t Celestial. Their precious embodiment of magic needs someone who will be able to protect and support him for hundreds of years and a human simply wouldn¡¯t be capable of that.

    ¡°How¡¯s Draconia Online?¡± she asks curiously and also decides to go for pancakes. She puts a mountain of cranberries on top and rolls them with cream.

    ¡°So far I¡¯m really enjoying the game,¡± Erik admits and, after a short hesitation, he packs a few sandwiches as well. ¡°I could move my wings a little bit and I tried a simple spell. It¡¯s a pity that the game has only NPCs, but Nala is good company. With her guidance and Ryuuto sharing his flying dreams with me, I should change in just six months or so.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the Divementis Emperor overworking His Majesty?¡± Liana voices her concern. After all, his absence right now isn¡¯t a good sign.

    ¡°Ryuuto insists that the training is okay, but you know him,¡± Erik sighs.

    ¡°I¡¯m asking exactly because I know him,¡± Liana sighs as well. ¡°Still, Gotrid is with him, so he should be in good hands.¡±

    ¡°Despite the harsh training, Ryuu still has the energy to worry about you,¡± Erik shakes his head. ¡°Gotrid told me that every time he has a little bit of time, he sends his mind to check up on you. He¡¯s doing it very gently, so you probably didn¡¯t feel anything.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Liana is taken aback. So, her Emperor has been checking up on her? That¡¯s so like him. ¡°Please, tell him that he doesn¡¯t have to. I have Soren watching over me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Erik nods and leaves.

    Liana has to admire him. Erik is the best protector they could wish for. The Royal Guards are responsible for the Emperor¡¯s physical safety, but that¡¯s not what His Majesty needs the most. It¡¯s the consort¡¯s role to provide emotional security.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I must object,¡± Soren suddenly materialises next to her, studying her plate. ¡°I noticed that you eat too many sweets, Your Excellency. Sugar might not be harmful to us, but we do need a balanced diet.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t throw them away,¡± Liana defends her plate. It¡¯s unfair that Erik allows Ryuuto sweets first thing in the morning while her wellbeing supervisor is against it. But then again, in the case of their skinny Emperor, they can be glad that he¡¯s eating at least something without being forced.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take one then,¡± he gives her a dazzling smile and points towards sunny-side eggs, fresh bread and a huge bowl of salad. ¡°Please.¡±

    Liana rolls her eyes, but she complies. It¡¯s true that she¡¯s been eating rather unhealthily lately, but she can¡¯t help it. When she¡¯s stressed, she craves sugar. Having filled another plate, Liana looks for an unoccupied table. Normally, she eats together with Luviael, but she can¡¯t see her anywhere. Liana sits down and finds herself getting a bit anxious.

    Even though Soren has been with her almost nonstop for several months now, they never shared a table like this¡ªjust the two of them. Liana eyes her guards, but they can¡¯t sit while on duty. She spots a few Celestial officials, but they are halfway into their breakfast already.

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    ¡°We forgot drinks,¡± Soren realises. ¡°What would you like to drink, Your Excellency? We will have coffee later, so choose something else.¡±

    ¡°Peppermint tea,¡± Liana resists biting her lip. Soren isn¡¯t some low-ranking assistant, but he doesn¡¯t seem bothered to be sent on errands when it¡¯s for her. He gives her another dazzling smile and runs back to the buffet tables.

    Liana stares at her colleagues again, silently begging them to pick up their trays and come join her table. However, everyone looks down at their plates and suddenly looks too busy. Liana frowns. What gives?! Are they scared of her or something? She might not be as adored as the embodiment of magic and she¡¯s known for being strict, but she¡¯s reasonably friendly most of the time.

    Soren returns, bringing her a mug of peppermint tea and orange juice for himself. He looks quite relaxed in her presence and is all smiles. He¡¯s one of those people who is generally very easy to get along with and friendly with anyone¡ªperfect material for a liaison officer. And the worst possible match for her.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Luviael?¡± Liana scans the entire canteen again, desperate for company.

    ¡°Waiting for His Majesty to wake up I bet,¡± Soren shrugs. ¡°I heard that she didn¡¯t take her temporary reassignment well and uses every opportunity to be with him again.¡±

    Liana raises her eyebrow, but she can sympathise. Even though Luviael¡¯s position would be just a glorified assistant if she was employed in a normal company, being the Emperor¡¯s adjutant is something entirely else. It doesn¡¯t matter that Luvi just sorts out paperwork and takes care of His Majesty¡¯s schedule¡ªshe can do so for the embodiment of magic which is the highest honour.

    ¡°Your Excellency,¡± Soren addresses her all of a sudden, interrupting her pondering.

    ¡°What?¡± she looks up and meets with his intense gaze and dashing smile. It takes all her willpower not to look sideways.

    ¡°Your eggs are getting cold,¡± he reminds her because she must have been lost in thoughts for a while now.

    ¡°Right,¡± she mumbles and finally digs in.

    She¡¯s relieved that she can make herself busy with food and doesn¡¯t have to keep eye contact. When she realises that, she suddenly feels stupid. For some reason, being around Soren makes her feel anxious and relaxed at the same time if such a thing is even possible. Ever since His Majesty appointed him as her wellness overseer, Liana can no longer dismiss him whenever she feels like it and it drives her crazy.

    ¡°What about we have coffee on the terrace?¡± Soren speaks up again when she finishes her eggs, pointing towards an open glass door. There¡¯s a light breeze coming through which is something they could never afford to happen with their embodiment of magic around¡ªhe would feel too tempted to jump off.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time,¡± Liana shakes her head.

    ¡°Ten minutes, Viceroy,¡± Soren sighs. ¡°That''s all I ask.¡±

    Before Liana can reply, Soren stands up, takes both their plates and just heads towards the terrace.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Liana objects, but her pancake is gone at this point and there¡¯s nothing she can do about it. Sure, she could go to the buffet tables for another one, but that would look extremely silly and immature.

    ¡°It¡¯s part of your wellness regime,¡± Soren calls after her to make sure she follows him.

    Liana fumes and¡­ follows. She gets embarrassed because, even though it looks like everyone is minding their plates, she can feel their curious gazes. She bets it must be funny for them to see their esteemed Viceroy humiliated like that.

    Soren doesn¡¯t waste any time and occupies one of the tables. Liana is surprised that the terrace is empty. Don¡¯t her people prefer to sit outside rather than inside? She reluctantly sits down on the rattan chair that¡¯s quite comfortable even for someone with wings.

    And she¡¯s twice as surprised when Uriel shows up seemingly out of nowhere and brings them two cups of coffee. She gives Liana a shy smile, winks at Soren and disappears without a word. What¡¯s going on here? She would kill for the Emperor¡¯s emphatic ability right now.

    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to relax, Viceroy,¡± Soren observes because it¡¯s evident how stiffly Liana is sitting. ¡°We¡¯ll be busy the whole day so this might be the only chance to just chill.¡±

    Liana sips her coffee and eats a mouthful of pancakes so that she doesn¡¯t have to talk. Soren has a point and she should be grateful that he¡¯s trying to give her a rare breather. Still, something about this whole setup just doesn¡¯t feel right. Why are they here all alone? Why did Uriel bring them coffee when they could fetch it themselves?

    ¡°You have cream on your lips, Your Excellency,¡± Soren suddenly chuckles.

    Liana turns red and quickly wipes her mouth into a napkin. Something like this happens to their Emperor all the time, but it¡¯s adorable in his case and Royal Consorts gladly wipe his lips with a kiss. As for Liana, though¡­ utterly embarrassing!

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be on guard all the time, you know,¡± Soren remarks, but there¡¯s no mockery in his voice, only kindness. ¡°I understand that Your Excellency has to appear strong in public, but we¡¯re not in public right now. You can afford to look cute once in a while.¡±

    ¡°C-cute?!¡± Liana almost chokes on a piece of pancake she still hasn¡¯t managed to swallow.

    ¡°What, am I the first person to call you that?¡± Soren laughs heartily. ¡°You are cute, Viceroy, even though you¡¯re trying hard to hide it.¡±

    Liana finally manages to swallow and looks at Soren in disbelief. Part of her wants to punish him for that insolence, but there¡¯s another part of her that¡­ is kind of happy right now? Anyway, she¡¯s really glad that there¡¯s nobody nearby who could overhear them.

    ¡°I¡¯m still technically your superior,¡± she complains because she can¡¯t think of a better answer. ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate and I could punish you.¡±

    ¡°I would just beg His Majesty for mercy which I would be granted no doubt,¡± Soren smirks, but again, there¡¯s no mockery. He¡¯s cheeky but in a good-hearted way.

    Frankly, Liana doesn¡¯t know what to do with him. She can¡¯t reassign him because Soren is part of the Royal Guard and only the Emperor can dismiss an imperial battle mage. Something tells her that no matter how much she would beg their embodiment of magic, he would be deaf to her pleas.

    She slowly sips her coffee to gain some time to think. She¡¯s not getting rid of Soren anytime soon, that¡¯s for sure. His Majesty is concerned about her health so he gave Soren an ungrateful task to watch over her. Admittedly, Soren might be irritating at times, but he¡¯s doing his best.

    ¡°Thanks, I guess,¡± she murmurs in the end.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Soren¡¯s eyes light up. ¡°What for?¡±

    ¡°You wanted me to have a quiet relaxing morning,¡± she states the obvious and points to the rest of the tables that remain empty despite the nice weather.

    ¡°Well, since it¡¯s virtually impossible to invite you for a coffee the normal way, I had to be inventive,¡± he crosses his arms.

    Liana almost drops her cup. What did he¡­? No, she must have misunderstood. Maybe Americans use this word differently from Europeans? More casually?

    ¡°You heard right,¡± Soren leans closer. ¡°I¡¯ve tried to invite you for coffee three times already. For such a sharp person, you can sure be dumb, Your Excellency. Excuse my insolence.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­ when?¡± Liana is stricken. And did Soren just call her dumb?!

    ¡°You¡¯ve always brushed me aside and didn¡¯t even notice,¡± Soren taps his foot.

    ¡°Invite¡­ as in¡­ a date? Why¡­? How¡­?¡± Liana is at a loss for words. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like me and you enjoy bullying me.¡±

    ¡°I do enjoy bullying you,¡± he smirks. ¡°I guess that¡¯s why His Majesty gave me this job. Still¡­ he must have felt something else as well and, being as kind as he is, wanted to give me a chance with you. He must have known that you would never consider me if I wasn¡¯t your equal.¡±

    Liana is stunned speechless. Fortunately, she¡¯s saved by Luviael who finally shows up and looks bewildered. She¡¯s fuming, her feathers are all puffed up and she sits down with a loud thud, putting a tray with her breakfast right between them. Oblivious to the atmosphere she barged into, she starts ranting right away.

    ¡°The Consorts gave me barely two minutes with His Majesty, saying that my presence isn¡¯t needed,¡± she complains and smashes her sunny-side eggs with a fork.

    ¡°At least you saw him,¡± Soren gives her an annoyed look, but Luviael is too bewildered to catch the drift.

    ¡°Did he look rested enough?¡± Liana, on the other hand, is glad for the interruption.

    ¡°Well, I hope so,¡± Luviael shrugs. ¡°The Consorts try to wait for him to wake up naturally. It seems to be the Divementis Emperor¡¯s idea. Still, I don¡¯t agree with the current state of things at all. How come we allowed the Divementis to take care of our embodiment of magic so easily?¡±

    ¡°Easily?¡± Soren shakes his head. ¡°We all feel the same, Luviael, but there¡¯s nothing we can do. The Enemy will invade the Earth in just two years and we¡¯re far from being ready. His Majesty is the best shot we¡¯ve got, but it¡¯s his telepathy that will help us win the war, not magic. Whether we like it or not, he needs their guidance.¡±

    ¡°I know that,¡± Luvi mumbles with a mouth full of bread and finally shuts up.

    Liana catches Soren¡¯s gaze and averts her eyes, pretending to be busy with her half-eaten pancake. Luviael¡¯s wild entr¨¦e interrupted¡­ whatever that was.

    Liana thought that maybe over time they could become good friends but¡­ lovers? That idea didn¡¯t even cross her mind. How could it? With all that¡¯s going on right now, she didn¡¯t think it was the right time for any sort of office romance. His Majesty is an exception to the rule as having partners turns out to be his biological need.

    ¡°Your Excellency, the Japanese ambassador is here,¡± Gavreel shows up.

    However, he does so discreetly as if he knows that he¡¯s interrupting them. When he notices Luviael, his expression mirrors surprise. Wait, did he know that Soren arranged this to be a date? Did Uriel who brought them coffee know?

    ¡°Let¡¯s not keep her waiting then,¡± Liana stands up quickly, not wanting to prolong the suffering. She was always the type to drown herself in work whenever facing a personal issue¡ªher form of escapism.

    If Soren is disappointed by her running away, he doesn¡¯t let it show on his face and just follows. It was decided that they should meet the delegation at the entrance of Nebula because being picked up by Celestials is probably much better than being greeted by telepathic aliens the ambassador has never seen before.

    The ambassador is a dignified lady in her late forties with sharp eyes and long black hair tied into a perfect knot. Surprisingly, she isn¡¯t wearing a business suit but a traditional kimono and looks like someone who was born to wear it.

    Her daughter seems to be extremely nervous and excited at the same time. She has long dark blue hair tied into a messy bun and magpie wings. Her puffed-up feathers are another sign of how nervous she must be feeling right now. Liana wonders if the girl has lived with humans until now.

    ¡°Nakamura-san, it¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Liana crosses those few metres still separating them and offers her a handshake. Generally, the Japanese prefer bowing, but the ambassador must be used to dealing with foreigners because she accepts Liana¡¯s hand as the most natural thing.

    ¡°I¡¯m honoured to be here, Your Excellency,¡± the ambassador bows slightly. If only their Emperor were here right now, he would be able to tell how the ambassador feels about her assignment.

    ¡°This is my daughter Daelyn,¡± the ambassador then introduces her daughter. ¡°I hope you will accept her into your¡­ flock? Is that how you call it?¡±

    ¡°Mom, that¡¯s embarrassing,¡± Daelyn turns red and pulls her wide sleeve. ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®flock¡¯ only when we fly in groups.¡±

    ¡°I see, it seems I misunderstood,¡± the ambassador apologises. ¡°Still, I hope you will accept my daughter because she hasn¡¯t had many chances to be with her people. She might be young, but she studies international relations and she didn¡¯t discontinue her studies after the Great Evolution because she wants to become a diplomat one day. She takes after me.¡±

    ¡°Daelyn, there¡¯s no need to be so nervous,¡± Liana gives her a reassuring smile. ¡°If you want, we can even give you a part-time job. We desperately need more people capable of cooperating with other races.¡±

    ¡°A job? For the Celestial government?¡± Daelyn widens her eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, consider it an internship of sorts,¡± Liana nods. After all, not many Celestials are willing to deal with other races, especially unruly Clawfangs. If Daelyn is eager to do it, good for them.

    ¡°Will I meet¡­ His Majesty?¡± Daelyn asks shyly. Her request might sound unprofessional so early after her arrival, but it¡¯s every Celestial¡¯s dream to meet their embodiment of magic in person. They can¡¯t help it.

    ¡°Eventually,¡± Liana confirms. ¡°I can¡¯t promise you when that happens, though. Our Emperor is too busy training with the Divementis these days. That being said, you will be able to run into him randomly sooner or later.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Daelyn is overjoyed. ¡°I want to work, Your Excellency. For our Emperor, for Celestials¡­ for peace between us and humans.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate that,¡± Liana stretches her right wing and touches Daelyn¡¯s left wing¡ªa Celestial form of greeting. ¡°Welcome, Daelyn. You¡¯re one of us.¡±

    Liana catches Soren intently watching her. There aren¡¯t many opportunities during which Liana can openly express kindness so it must be a rare occurrence for him. She gives him an annoyed look before she switches her focus back to the ambassador. This is going to be a long day.

 105. The Viceroy Hesitating

    ¡°How could we miss all this?¡± Ambassador Nakamura is astonished when she passes through the gate and enters the Divementis mental cloaking field. A new world unfolds in front of her¡ªquite literally.

    The buildings might not be that different from contemporary human architecture, but there are floating devices to be seen and alien holographic inscriptions everywhere. And then there are the Divementis, of course. Tall, lean, black-eyed¡­ and so unnerving.

    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s mana emanation is so strong up close,¡± her daughter Daelyn shivers with excitement and looks like someone having a religious moment. ¡°He really is our embodiment of magic.¡±

    ¡°Follow us, please, let¡¯s accommodate you first,¡± Soren gestures for them to follow.

    Surprisingly, the ambassador didn¡¯t bring many people¡ªjust her daughter, a young man who¡¯s probably her attach¨¦, and four bodyguards. The Japanese Prime Minister either trusts the Divementis or Aefener¡¯s father limited the number of people that might come. Liana bets it¡¯s the second case. With more Draconians coming very soon, the Divementis can¡¯t afford to waste precious space.

    ¡°The Divementis Emperor promised that we will be accommodated in the same building as His Celestial Majesty,¡± Ambassador Nakamura remarks, indirectly asking for confirmation.

    ¡°Yes, the Prime Minister insisted,¡± Liana nods and it¡¯s evident that the Japanese delegation is relieved to hear it. Liana wonders. Is it because Celestials have already proved that they mean no harm to humans or because of His Majesty in particular?

    They show the ambassador her new living quarters, which are just below the Celestial floors, and because it will take her some time to settle, Liana returns to the office. She decides to drown herself in work so that she doesn¡¯t have to think about her alleged date with Soren. It¡¯s a strategy that always works for her¡ªif only Soren hasn¡¯t been so damn close all the time!

    Like right now when he accidentally brushes her with his wings when turning around to reach out for a pile of files. Liana tries to play ignorant, but the truth is that she gets goosebumps. Whether she likes to admit it or not, she¡¯s starting to notice how attractive Soren¡¯s wings are and that his face isn¡¯t hard on the eyes either.

    Now, more than ever, Liana can¡¯t help wondering what it¡¯s like to be an empathic telepath like their Emperor. How much does Aefener know about the people around him? Did he know about Soren¡¯s feelings towards her from the beginning? Did he decide to push them together because he couldn¡¯t keep passively watching it anymore? Her train of thought is interrupted by a ringing phone.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Soren takes an incoming call. The person on the other side says something quickly and Soren¡¯s expression drastically changes. Instantly, Liana knows that something is wrong.

    ¡°What is it?¡± she fears the worst.

    ¡°Vermiel called just now,¡± Soren informs everyone in the office with a trembling voice. ¡°His Majesty collapsed with a nosebleed during his training.¡±

    *****

    ¡°The deal was our Emperor won¡¯t be harmed in any way!¡± Liana rages on the way to the labs. She certainly isn¡¯t dressed for flying, but she doesn¡¯t care. Holding the layers of fabric with telekinesis, she¡¯s flying as fast as she can. Soren and the others follow.

    ¡°I told you that we should have never entrusted His Majesty¡¯s wellbeing to the Divementis,¡± Luviael tries to prove her point.

    ¡°Not helping, Luviael,¡± Soren shuts her up, but her anger is understandable. They are all angry with the Divementis and worried sick about their embodiment of magic.

    They land in front of the labs and if the door wasn¡¯t automatic, they would burst it open with telekinesis just to save time. In the entrance hall, they find numerous Divementis who are also panicking.

    ¡°I bet they feel directly that something is wrong with their Prince,¡± Soren comments and catches one of the nearby scientists. ¡°Take us to the labs, we can¡¯t use your telepathic elevators.¡±

    ¡°O-of course,¡± the Divementis agrees quite sheepishly. They can probably read Soren¡¯s thoughts and know that if they don¡¯t comply, Soren will just drag them.

    Divementis elevators are super-fast, but it still feels like an eternity to ride down. They run through the corridors to the meditation room where their Emperor is supposed to be training with his father, but they find it empty. Fortunately, one of the guards tells them that His Majesty was brought to the infirmary. They relax a bit only when they hear His Majesty¡¯s voice.

    ¡°I told you I¡¯m fine, geez,¡± their embodiment of magic is protesting while getting treatment. ¡°I just overdid it a little.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not fine, love, you fainted,¡± Gotrid insists and doesn¡¯t let his husband jump off the hospital bed.

    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Luviael runs to him with tears in her eyes, pushing people in the way rudely aside. For once, Liana forgets about keeping appearances and follows her example.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, really,¡± His Majesty keeps protesting, but Noage has his rooty tentacles already stuck into Aefener¡¯s forearm and is doing his job.

    Liana can¡¯t help noticing how thin His Majesty¡¯s arms are. Did he lose weight again? Multi-layered Celestial robes can be deceiving, especially rich royal attires their embodiment of magic wears.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to come, Li, it was just a minor accident during training,¡± Aefener tries to act as if nothing happened, but he¡¯s pale and his wings are trembling.

    ¡°It was my fault, I should have stopped him,¡± the Divementis Emperor surprises them by taking the blame. And he surprises them for the second time when he gently caresses His Majesty¡¯s left wing and Aefener lets him.

    ¡°I know my current limit now, so I¡¯ll be much more careful,¡± Aefener promises to his husband who doesn¡¯t look convinced at all. ¡°Let¡¯s continue, it was just a minor blunder.¡±

    ¡°Love, your robe is stained and your head is throbbing,¡± Gotrid rolls his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re going straight to bed.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be training for non-standard situations?¡± His Majesty points out. ¡°The Enemy won¡¯t care that I have a migraine. I need to learn how to protect myself no matter what.¡±

    Liana wants to intervene, but in the end, she doesn¡¯t have to. The Divementis Emperor steps in.

    ¡°That might be true, but this is just your third day of training,¡± he states the obvious, but sometimes their embodiment of magic conveniently forgets the obvious. ¡°There¡¯s no need to overexert yourself and risk burnout later on. Training with a migraine is forbidden and that applies to the Royal Bloodline as well.¡±

    Aefener sighs, but he knows that he¡¯s been beaten. He can¡¯t go against Celestials, the Divementis and his father combined. Liana shakes her head in disbelief. Aefener would overwork himself to the point of collapse if it was for the benefit of Draconians. Just when did he turn even more workaholic than her?

    ¡°His Majesty is going to be okay, he just needs to rest,¡± Noage calms everyone down after a thorough examination. ¡°That being said, the telepathic training is a huge strain on his brain. I implore the Divementis Emperor to go easier on him.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± Aefener¡¯s father nods, and somehow, Liana believes him. It¡¯s difficult to read him, but it seems he genuinely cares about his son.

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    ¡°Let¡¯s go, hon, no more training today,¡± Gotrid lifts his husband and takes him into his arms.

    ¡°I can walk just fine,¡± His Majesty protests and hastily folds his wings.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, your head is spinning,¡± Gotrid just knows¡ªno doubt a perk of their telepathic bond. He wraps his Imperial husband into his wings to hide him from the commotion.

    They escort the Emperor back to their accommodation on a levitation platform and there¡¯s unfortunately no way how to do it discreetly. The telepathic Divementis are fast at spreading rumours, so they have quite an audience. What¡¯s worse, the ambassador noticed that the Divementis are in disarray and she¡¯s waiting for them in the lobby.

    ¡°We heard from Vermiel,¡± the maids are waiting for them as well and flock to their sovereign. ¡°Is His Majesty okay?¡±

    ¡°He fell asleep during the transport,¡± Gotrid finally unfolds his wings and reveals Aefener¡¯s sleeping face. He looks peaceful now, but he¡¯s still pale.

    ¡°We will take care of His Majesty now,¡± Ayala says and points towards the ambassador and her daughter. ¡°Your Excellency, could you attend to our Japanese guests? Especially that new girl with magpie wings. Please, make it clear to her that she can¡¯t stalk His Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Stalk?¡± Liana is confused. Daelyn is standing on her toes, trying to get a better view of the Emperor and looking mesmerised.

    ¡°We caught her standing in front of His Majesty¡¯s apartment,¡± Ayala tells on her, impatiently pushing the elevator button several times. ¡°I know that she¡¯s part of the delegation and, ultimately, one of us, but she can¡¯t do that.¡±

    Liana raises her eyebrows and gives Daelyn a scornful stare. The girl looks guiltily sideways. The elevator arrives and Gotrid, the guards and the maids get in, allowing no one else. Not even Luviael who certainly tries to squeeze inside.

    ¡°He needs as little direct telepathic stimuli as possible,¡± Gotrid frowns at her. The elevator door closes and they are gone.

    ¡°Just a minor accident during training, Nakamura-san, our Emperor overdid it,¡± Liana explains, using Aefener¡¯s words on purpose to make light of it. ¡°He just needs to rest.¡±

    ¡°Daelyn, a word if you please,¡± Soren takes the ambassador¡¯s daughter aside to explain what¡¯s unacceptable behaviour towards their Emperor.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Excellency, my daughter can be overzealous,¡± Nakamura apologises on her behalf. ¡°I tried to stop her, but she used spells on our bodyguards and got away.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s normal behaviour for ordinary Celestials who haven¡¯t seen His Majesty in person yet and then got a taste of his imminent mana emanation,¡± Liana waves her hand. ¡°I know that you can¡¯t feel it, but the presence of our embodiment of magic can be¡­ well, intoxicating.¡±

    ¡°Nakamura-san, I hope you find the accommodation to your liking,¡± Nyx shows up out of the blue, startling both Liana and the ambassador.

    While Nakamura-san has seen many Divementis on her way here, she hasn¡¯t directly spoken to any of them yet. As for Liana, it still makes her uneasy to deal with them without Aefener being present as well.

    ¡°My name is Erevan Thalion Kaelen Nyx Draven, but feel free to call me Nyx,¡± she introduces herself to the ambassador. ¡°If you¡¯re wondering, I¡¯m female. I¡¯m the Divementis Emperor¡¯s sister which makes me the Celestial Emperor¡¯s aunt, so I hope you won¡¯t mind me acting on my brother¡¯s behalf.¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Nakamura smiles diplomatically and if she¡¯s disappointed, she doesn¡¯t let it show. Professional to the core.

    ¡°We¡¯ve prepared you an office close to the Celestial headquarters and there¡¯s a meeting room we will be using frequently from now on to coordinate our forces,¡± Nyx says. ¡°With both Majesties busy training, I¡¯m afraid the logistics of the upcoming war falls on us.¡±

    Liana studies Nyx¡¯s resolute expression and Nakamura¡¯s slightly uncertain but no less determined look. A Japanese ambassador, a Divementis Royal family representative and a Celestial Viceroy. They couldn¡¯t be more different, but they have to make it work.

    *****

    ¡°You¡¯re doing the same thing as our Emperor,¡± Soren observes and gently pokes her between her eyebrows, catching her deep in thought.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Liana clicks her tongue irritably and wants to slap his hand, but he evades her. Fortunately, it¡¯s only her, Gavreel and two guards still in the conference room.

    Is this guy for real? The last time she checked, which was during the meeting with Nakamura and Nyx that ended just thirty minutes ago, she was still the Viceroy. Not only does Soren dare to invite her on a date, but now he even tries to act all familiar towards her.

    ¡°Your Excellency, you don¡¯t have to put all the responsibility on your shoulders,¡± he continues, not giving her a chance to come up with something snarky in retaliation. ¡°You have me and the whole Celestial government standing behind you. You¡¯re not alone in this.¡±

    ¡°I know, but thanks for reminding me,¡± she stands up and stretches her wings to the sides as much as the room allows. They flew when they went to fetch their embodiment of magic, but it wasn¡¯t nearly enough.

    ¡°We could go for a flight,¡± Soren suggests. ¡°Unless you¡¯re super tired, it¡¯s still early to go to sleep anyway and we already had dinner with the ambassador.¡±

    ¡°Too late, it¡¯s after dark,¡± Liana shakes her head.

    ¡°We won¡¯t leave the Nebula premises which are well-lit,¡± he tries to persuade her. ¡°Come on, Viceroy, you shouldn¡¯t skip regular exercise.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m certainly up to it,¡± Gavreel moans, shaking his stiff wings. ¡°His Majesty would be angry with us if he discovered that we didn¡¯t train our wings during his absence.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Liana sighs and takes off her embroidered over-robe because it would take too much time to return to their apartments and change into sporty robes.

    They fly up from the office balcony without any preparation whatsoever and just two guards. Flying after dark and with minimum security would never be allowed back in Prague, but since they won¡¯t leave the Divementis shield anyway, it should be safe enough. Celestials don¡¯t have good night vision, so they generally avoid flying after dark, but Nebula is indeed well-lit.

    Liana allows herself to give in to the moment and relax after a challenging day. She flies up and down, changes speed and even performs acrobatics. She gets lost in the experience and when she comes back to her senses, she realises that Gavreel and the guards have disappeared. There¡¯s only Soren keeping up with her.

    ¡°Where¡¯s everyone?¡± she looks around, confused.

    ¡°Gavreel wanted to inspect facilities at the west side and I dismissed the guards because we don¡¯t need them,¡± he explains nonchalantly.

    Liana panics a little when she realises that once again it¡¯s just the two of them. Is Soren doing it on purpose? Did he make secret arrangements with Gavreel in advance?

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so stiff, Viceroy,¡± Soren starts to playfully fly around her. ¡°Here, I even brought a ball and enchanted it with a light spell so that we can see it in the dark.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not high enough for a fetch game,¡± Liana frowns. When did he become so good at enchanting? Liana certainly didn¡¯t have any time to study crafting and Soren has been by her side almost all the time.

    ¡°I¡¯ve enchanted it with a levitation spell as well,¡± Soren assures her and throws the ball in her direction. It passes her by mere centimetres and makes her feathers stand up. It¡¯s difficult for a Celestial to ignore a flying object, but she does exactly that.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a spoilsport, Viceroy,¡± Soren rolls his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s part of your well-being, come on. Good exercise!¡±

    Liana sighs. Is he going to bring it up every time she doesn¡¯t want to do something he demands? She turns around reluctantly and stares into the darkness. For several moments, she can¡¯t see a damn thing, but then she notices something tiny glittering in the distance.

    Not wanting the ball to fall onto someone¡¯s head when it runs out of mana, she chases after it. Whether she wants to or not, a surge of adrenaline kicks in, and when she finally catches up to the ball and grabs it, she feels incredible. She immediately throws the ball in the opposite direction and now Soren chases after it.

    They play fetch until they completely exhaust themselves. Liana tries not to let anything show on her face in front of Soren, but she hasn¡¯t felt this relaxed since the Great Evolution. She¡¯s been always either busy working or worrying about their embodiment of magic. When was the last time she had genuine fun?

    ¡°Welcome back, Your Excellency, Sir,¡± the guards are waiting for them at Liana¡¯s balcony. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t report to His Majesty that we went against the protocol.¡±

    ¡°Not a chance,¡± Soren winks at his conspirators. Seeing how exhausted Liana is, he doesn¡¯t prolong his stay and wishes her good night.

    Liana is almost sorry to see him leave, but she¡¯s indeed dead tired after the whole day. She takes a quick shower and collapses onto her bed. When she¡¯s this worn out, she usually falls asleep immediately, but this time sleep isn¡¯t coming. Her head is full of Soren and their strange date. Or is it dates in plural now counting their private flying session?

    They¡¯ve known each other only for a few months and they¡¯ve had a strictly professional relationship until now. As a liaison officer and her bodyguard, Soren has been by her side almost nonstop, but they¡¯ve never had a chance to talk about things outside of work. Does she actually know Soren at all?

    Maybe she should consider the old saying that actions speak louder than words. After all, Soren shielded her against the Emperor¡¯s wrath at the very beginning when they were still technically enemies. He also gave her emotional support when she was at her lowest¡ªwhen it looked like His Majesty might replace her and she had no one to turn to.

    Soren. Why is it that every time she thinks about him, her chest gets so weirdly tight? Is this an early sign of love? But Liana has never been in love before, so she has no way of knowing. The problem is that love doesn¡¯t come easy to her. If growing up in a toxic environment of the extremely rich class taught her anything, it¡¯s that being constantly on guard and not letting anyone get too close is the best defence.

    In that sense, Soren is an invader who seems set on crushing her meticulously built walls. Should she¡­ let him? Is a relationship even something she wants right now? She finally falls asleep when she attunes herself to the comforting mana emanation of their embodiment of magic, but it¡¯s the kind of sleep that doesn¡¯t bring the intended rest.