Draconia Offline vol. 1

26.2. Not to Trifle With - Part 2

"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—a 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.