23.3. Frail But Not Weak - Part 3

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—white 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 café 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.