Draconia Offline vol. 1

17.2. A Telepathic Interrogation - Part 2

"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.