Draconia Offline vol. 1

47.1. The Weight of Responsibility - Part 1

"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.