Draconia Offline vol. 1

42.1. The First Flight - Part 1

It's pure instinct—I just know how to fly. My wings listen to my every whim, the wind cooperates and I get a dopamine rush. I've never felt so joyful in my life, so free. All my worries disappear and my perception clears.

The world around me becomes exceedingly colourful and sharp when my Celestial eyes adjust to the bright sunlight. I see everything in full detail and my eyesight reaches to exceptional distances. No other race has a better vision than Celestials and I feel proud about that.

I'm flying full speed while trying various air acrobatics. I'm not afraid of blunders. I trust my body and the air. I thank the game for being overly realistic because I know exactly what I'm doing. My wing muscles are new but my brain knows how to make them do what I want.

I feel high. Intoxicated. Just like during the deepest telepathic connection with my beloved. Maybe even more so. I play with the air and it listens. Whatever my body isn't capable of I can compensate with my racial element. It's so easy, so obvious. I'm a pure Celestial now and the sky belongs to me.

My impractical formal robe gets in a way but I can't drop even a single layer, afraid I might be cold. Why didn't we think of it sooner? We need to start designing robes for flying right away! For now, I just try to hold the fabric with telekinesis.

I don't know how long I play, experiment and just enjoy being in the moment but my body gets tired eventually. My rational thinking finally kicks back and I recall what I've done. I broke the glass and run away. Or flew away to be precise. Damn, Liana must be furious and Erik worried sick about me. I have to return.

I stop myself and hover while looking around. Dread overcomes me when I realise that I have no idea where I am. Sure, I'm still somewhere above Prague but I don't recognise this district. And now that I think about it... where is Liana's skyscraper anyway? We were transported there by a helicopter and it didn't even cross my mind to find out in which part of Prague it is. Google is my friend then.

I slip my hand into the robe and find the inner pocket... empty. Shit shit shit! I must have left my phone on the desk! What now? There must be hundreds of skyscrapers in Prague and I'm too exhausted at this point to check them one by one. I just need the Internet for a minute and google AstraTech's properties.

But what should I do? Should I just land and ask someone nicely if I can borrow their phone? Or find the nearest tourist centre? Would it be safe? What if people go crazy? But I have no choice, my wings are too tired. I have to rest. Where would the best spot be? I look below and the streets are full of people. They're tiny but with my keen eyesight I can tell they're staring up and pointing their phones at me.

I push myself for a bit longer and fly into a less populated area. Oh, a park! Ideal. I'm a bit nervous about safe landing so grass is perfect for that. I steer myself downward, carefully slowing down and measuring the distance. And then I land, my feet meet the ground. It was a bit clumsy but that's to be expected for my first time.

Only know I fully realise how much I overdid it. I'm panting, my muscles are sore and I feel like after running a marathon. I might know how to make my wings listen to my every command but my body needs training. I don't have much stamina yet.

"Oh my God! Is that...?"

I turn around and there's a young couple just a few metres away from me. They're staring, of course, and taking out their phones. Phones!

"Hello," I address them in a friendly way and try to smile. "Could I borrow your phone for a minute, please? I have no idea where I am, to be honest."

"It's really him—the Celestial Emperor!"

"Record it, we'll be famous!"

The couple is staring at me in disbelief, a bit afraid but mostly curious. It's strange to feel humans and no Draconians for a change. They mean me no harm but I'm still wary. Because they look at me and see a non-human spectacle. They see someone very distant they know only from the media and who doesn't seem like a living feeling being to them. And that's potentially dangerous.

"Could you tell me where I am, please?" I repeat my question politely and patiently.

"S-Stromovka," the woman finally blurts out.

Okay, quite a city centre. Still, what I need to know is where to find AstraTech's skyscraper.

"Would you be so kind and lend me your phone for a minute? Or google something for me? I flew a bit irresponsibly and now I have no idea how to return," I say as nicely as possible.

"Flew... for real," the couple is gaping at my wings, the woman taking countless photos of me as if it's not rude at all.

Naturally, I'm starting to attract attention of every passer-by and in just a few moments I'm facing a crowd of people. Their turbulent human emotions freak me out. I can handle a few of them without problems but not dozens. The remains of dopamine rush fades away and the migraine returns. Even more people are coming from all directions. Running towards me. Taking photos, shooting videos.

These people won't help me and I'm this close to developing a panic attack so I decide to flee. I stretch my wings to fly away but I wobble because my head starts spinning. I haven't had a migraine since I moved to the skyscraper so now I get one super strong to make up for that.

The humans are suddenly everywhere around me and some of them are brave enough to come really close. They're stretching their hands, hoping to touch my wings. I jerk away but there's nowhere to retreat. I'm surrounded and flying is out of question with my worsening nausea and wings totally exhausted.

"Oh, he's really beautiful!"

"Yeah, but he's the king of those freaks!"

"What is he doing here anyway? No matter, I need a selfie with him!"

"He's really androgynous, isn't he? Are we sure he's male under all those layers of fabric?"

"An angel!"

"They aren't real angels, you know."

"Hey, try to fetch one of his feathers! It'll auction for a fortune!"

A first hand touches my wings. Then another. And another. My head explodes with pain and I almost puke. My instinct screams to throw them away with telekinesis but what if I hurt someone? I'm the guarantor of the fragile peace between humans and Draconians. I have to set an example. Should I just endure it?

I whine when a hand pulls one of my feathers in an attempt to rip it out. My eyes water and I stagger. I reconsider, prepared to defend myself at this point but the migraine is preventing me from concentrating my mana into a spell. The world is spinning too much and I can't focus properly. I... I'm completely defenceless.

"P-please... let me... don't..."

A panic attack overcomes me and numbs my legs. Desperate, I go down on my knees and envelope myself in my wings. I have no idea what to do. Are they going to hurt me? The couple was harmless but in numbers and anonymity people can do the craziest things. Their emotions are tearing my brain apart and excitement transforms into something more sinister.

And then someone manages to rip the first feather. I scream in pain but that doesn't stop another person from ripping the second one and giving me a full dose of their hateful feelings towards Draconians. The curiosity is gone entirely. My stomach turns upside down and I puke.

Was Emi right this whole time? Is it impossible for us to coexist with humans? People like Erik and Julia might be just a rare exception. I don't want to hate humans the way Emi does but I might develop a trauma all the same when I lose the third feather.

But then I hear humans shrieking and the crowd starts to disperse in panic. Was someone kind enough to call the police? Am I saved? But something's wrong. This is no police force. Humans are being thrown away from me mercilessly by both magic and raw strength. The minds of my saviours are Draconian.

I don't get to analyse the situation more, though. The emotions all around me intensify to intolerable levels and my brain shuts down.