Draconia Offline vol. 1

65.3. The Call of the Distant Homeland - Part 3

"Your Majesty, you didn't have to bother," Noage greets me when I enter the infirmary. "Everything's under control."

"Just checking up, it's no bother," I assure him and look for Julia. I feel her but I don't see her because she's hidden behind a curtain, tending to someone.

"Your Majesty!" Gwyn calls to me enthusiastically, only a second later realising that it might be considered rude. She turns red. Her bed is positioned next to the window with respect to her Celestial preferences.

"Gwyn, how are you?" I hurry to her.

"Quite well actually because my Emperor is concerned," she's all smiles and points towards her wing that's fixated in a special cast. "Doctor Noage made it for me. He's also giving me something for the pain so it's not so horrible."

"Healing is the easy part," Noage says. "The hard part is what comes after. Gwyn will need rehabilitation and won't be able to fly for at least two weeks."

"Gwyn, do you promise to rest properly?" I implore her.

"As you command, Your Majesty," she nods eagerly.

"I don't command, I'm asking you," I sigh. "Now, let me apply a healing booster."

Erik and Gotrid both roll their eyes at the same time because Gwyn looks blissful that I'm going to personally apply another healing spell. I try not to pay attention to her rather fanatical feelings towards me and I channel my warm healing energy into her wing.

"I've just shortened your recuperation a bit," I wink at her. "But the rest is up to your own body I'm afraid. Proper recovery is still a natural process even for Draconians."

"You straightened the bone nicely, Your Majesty, that's more than enough," Noage assures me. "Not even an Earthborn could do better."

"I wouldn't dare to straighten a bone of any other race," I admit. "With Gwyn, I followed her mana circuit and harmonised that into its original shape."

"Fascinating," Noage takes a mental note. "So there are aspects of Celestial healing arts that are working only within your own race."

"I think so?" I confirm hesitantly. "I also felt that Gwyn's mana circuit was cooperating with me when I was applying the spell."

"And does it also..."

"Noage!" Julia appears from behind the curtain and berates her colleague. "His Majesty didn't come here to be questioned. If you're writing a research paper, ask any other Celestial."

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," Noage bows and runs off to check up on a Dragonkin with a badly scratched hand.

"Everything okay there, Jul? Do you need my healing?" I ask and eye the curtain.

"Oh, no, there's no need," Julia waves her hand. "This patient is perfectly healthy, it's only morning sickness."

"Morning sickness?" I tilt my head.

The curtain fully opens and a woman steps out—it's Brina, the pregnant Clawfang I saved from the squat. I wanted to ask about her several times but I was always too busy. I'm happy to see her now.

"Your Majesty, good morning," she greets me and bows. "I'm sorry to occupy the doctor unnecessarily when she's supposed to take care of the wounded but I got very dizzy all of a sudden. I wanted to make sure everything's okay with the little one."

"Is it?" I look at Julia, a bit panicky.

"Perfectly healthy," she repeats. "Brina's pregnancy is just more turbulent because she got pregnant before her transformation fully finished. It should be okay from now on."

I study Brina and notice that her belly is protruding a bit. Isn't it too fast? Or normal for a Clawfang? What month is she in anyway?

"I think Clawfang pregnancy will take only six months," Julia answers my unvoiced question. "We don't know much yet but Brina is so kind to come every week for observation and some unintrusive testing."

"The very first Draconian pregnancy," Brian caresses her belly and smiles. "We were trying to keep it secret for as long as we could but ever since my belly started showing, we obviously couldn't anymore. Now doctors and scientists from all over the world are begging me for an examination."

"If you're being harassed by them...," I start but she shakes her head.

"It's okay, my partner is very protective and so are all the Clawfangs who didn't leave with our Alpha," she says. "Thanks, doctor. Thank you for your kind concern, Your Majesty."

I'm worried that she's still a bit dizzy but it turns out two Clawfangs came to pick her up.

My phone buzzes—Liana is texting me to come back to the office because Japanese Celestials want to speak with me and no one else. It's like my homeland is calling me, telling me that it's high time I return and reconnect with my roots. I'm starting to feel excited about it but I can't shake off the creeping dread in my subconscious. Because visiting Japan also means facing my father.