Draconia Offline vol. 1

20.2. Refugees - Part 2

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—a 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—he 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.

"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—better.

"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.