Draconia Offline vol. 1

39.2. Political Relations - Part 2

"Eat it, love, you'll need energy," Erik forces me to finish that doughnut.

"Please, prepare our coffee and bring it inside," Liana says to a Clawfang I've barely noticed and who is standing behind the tables.

He's wearing his racial fashion but with an apron on top. Is he a waiter? Now that I think about it, I don't really see any humans around if I don't count my partner and the EU ambassadors. I get it that we have to give as many jobs to our people as possible but is it wise cutting humans out? I don't have time to ask Liana about it, though, because Luviael hurries us again.

"Oh, is that...?" I'm nicely surprised when we enter the conference room and there're different chairs. And it's obvious they're adjusted for beings with wings because they have gaps between the arms and the backrest.

"Got delivered yesterday," Liana is just as happy about it. "These are for Clawfangs and the Dragonkin," she points towards slightly different variants that take into account people with tails.

"They're starting to manufacture them?" Erik is also impressed. "So soon?"

"Barely starting," Liana shakes her head. "We got them as prototypes from the company my AstraTech is on friendly terms with. We're supposed to test them and give feedback."

"Sweet," I enthusiastically sit down right away. I toss a little to find the most comfortable position and carefully push my wings into the backrest. "Oh, it's more than okay!"

"A regular chair is fine for me," Erik comments because both chairs next to me are made for Celestials.

"Ehm, Erik," Liana chews her lip. "Would you mind sitting there?"

Erik looks at his designated spot and frowns. It's two seats away.

"Yes, I'd mind that actually," he retorts.

"The thing is," Liana sighs, "we need Aefener to sit next to me and Luviael so that... you know... we can advise him," she can't say anything aloud because Dubois is following us like a shadow.

"Oh," he finally understands and I do as well.

They want to be touching me during the meeting, advising me telepathically so that the delegates won't notice my lack of knowledge and experience.

"Okay then," Erik sits in his chair obediently but I can tell he's grumpy. Moreover, Dubois sits right next to him which makes Erik wrinkle his nose. Dubois gives him a smirk, gleefully realizing that my partner has been deemed a mere bystander for the duration of the conference.

We're all gradually sitting down, filling the seats. One remains empty, though.

"Where's Emi?" I realise only now that she's not here. I quickly focus my mind but I don't feel her in the skyscraper.

"Resolving some Clawfang issue in Vienna," Liana says as if it's not a big deal even though her emotions betray her. It is a big deal apparently. "She had to leave yesterday evening."

"Nobody told me about it," I murmur, irritated. "How come she can leave but I can't?"

"Starting in ten seconds!" Luviael announces so I don't get my answer.

How come she can leave but I can't? I repeat my question telepathically. There's not that much space around the table so I'm touching Luvi's and Liana's wings whether I want to or not and it doesn't look suspicious.

Not now, Aefener, Liana shushes me.

The holographic projector switches on and we're connected to both the European Parliament and the United Nations General Assembly. The overall view of the halls appears on our screens while speakers will be projected as a hologram in the middle of our table. It's the EU President Dwayne Bennett who starts the meeting and whose bearded face appears as the first speaker.

"Your Imperial Majesty, Your Excellency, Your Dominance," he addresses me, Liana and Fefnir. "Thank you for accepting our invitation on such a short notice. It's a pity that Supreme Alpha can't be present but we understand that she's needed elsewhere. The Austrian Chancellor is also absent, trying to resolve the current situation with her assistance. And sadly, the US President couldn't make it either but, fortunately, he gave us his vote beforehand."

What situation? I ask Liana urgently, really upset about. They should have informed me, not to keep me in the dark so that I could be resting peacefully. Now's not the time for resting.

Two packs of Clawfangs started to fight against each other over the supremacy Vienna, she explains quickly. Don't let anything show on your face, Aefener, we're streaming live. The whole world is watching.

"And we're honoured that His Supreme Dominance, Her Majesty and His Majesty joined us as well despite different time zones in Russia and Brazil," Bennett welcomes Deminas, Twyla and Werden who just got connected.

I realise how hard it must be to organise such an event globally. For some people, it's dead of the night. We're lucky that it's morning for us in Bohemia. Did Bennett organise it at the time favourable for us on purpose, hoping I'll be able to attend? The whole world knows that I was injured and that I was out of the picture for a while because of my recovery.

I devote a few moments analysing how my foreign friends have changed when they appear on our screens. I haven't seen them since my injury. While I was allowed to work lightly after I got better, it was just Celestial networking I was allowed to do. Deminas looks truly formidable, really like a humanoid dragon. His head horns are huge and I bet he can spit fire without any problems.

Twyla and Werden kept experimenting with their body augmentations but they're still recognisable. I guess they aren't changing their faces on purpose so that people can still easily recognise them. The Earthborn navigate mostly through smells so face features mean nothing to them, similarly to Clawfangs, but no such luck online.

"It seems we're all present now so we can start," Bennetts clears his throat. "First of all, I'll give word to the Secretary-General of the UN," he steps away from the lectern and his place is taken by a woman in her fifties with short black hair, brown skin and piercing eyes.

Her name's Myren Duke, Liana tells me because she can feel that I have no idea who I'm looking at. I was never interested in politics before.

"The Security Council took a vote and decided that races of Draconia will be acknowledged as distinctive nations globally," Mrs Duke says dryly without any ceremony, reading from the datapad in front of her. "This gives them no right to claim a land but they can establish their embassies after they negotiate with a host country. These embassies will be then considered their soil within that country."

Yes!!! Luviael shouts in her mind but on the outside her expression is unreadable. Liana doesn't react at all and keeps listening. It's too early to celebrate.

"Race rulers, their deputies and other recognised representatives will attain diplomatic immunity," the Secretary-General continues, no less dryly. "Also, local governments are encouraged to help protecting race rulers they're hosting in their country. While Draconians are allowed to protect themselves in danger using their new powers, they are still susceptible to the law of the country they reside in. However, the country may choose to hand potential offenders over for the custody at Draconian embassies."

That's good, isn't it? Erik's voice echoes in my mind. I almost twitch. I was so absorbed in the speech that I forgot we don't have to be touching anymore.

I hope so? I answer him, making sure I don't send that to Liana and Luvi. Diplomatic immunity basically means that I won't be prosecuted for killing those intruders, right?

You wouldn't either way, hon. Is it still bothering you? You did what you had to and everyone knows that.

"Thank you, Mrs Duke," Bennett takes over again. "I'm sure you're all eager to hear what we've found out about that terrorist who survived. The Europol finally finished interrogating him. Sorry for the delay but he was beaten up pretty badly and couldn't talk for a few days. We also had to investigate if what he said is true."

Everyone gets tense, waiting for the answer. Luvi holds her breath, Liana appears calm but that's only from the outside. Fefnir clutches his fists.