18.1. Figuring Out Magic - Part 1

I know that it wasn't just a figure of speech, she really meant it. I try helping Liana with coordinating Emi's rescue but I can't focus. I keep thinking about her words and my head is full of catastrophic scenarios. What if more Draconians start to hate humans? What if...?

"Don't," Erik clutches my hand. "I'm here to make sure it won't come to that. Besides, it's been barely two weeks since it all started and people are still confused. They need time to come to terms with it. Not everyone will hate Draconians just because you're different, look at people like Mrs Hana, Dr Stein and Ingri's parents."

I try to smile back at him but then I glance at the 3D projector that's constantly showing the news on silent.

"I-it's been confirmed," I gasp and quickly turn on the sound.

Everybody stops working and we're watching the broadcast in which a reporter says that a young Celestial woman in Kazakhstan has indeed died when doctors attempted to amputate her wings. So far Draconians were mostly undecided whether to believe Emi's video or not but now we can expect real panic.

"I know that she was your friend," Julia says slowly. "But at the very least no one else will try something similar."

"Small comfort," Fefnir frowns. Liana doesn't say anything but I can feel her anger and sadness she's bottling inside.

"Oh, I was meaning to ask you, Fefnir," Julia chews her lip. "Do the Dragonkin die when they lose their tail?"

"No," he shakes his head. "Our weak spot is our stomach where the scales aren't that hard. We can re-grow all our limbs."

Julia opens her mouth wide, speechless.

"O-ouch, dammit," I massage my temples because sudden burst of pain flashes through my head.

Dr Stein shakes off her astonishment and jumps to me.

"What is it, Ryuuto?" she asks with real concern which is a pleasant change.

"Too many agitated emotions in the vicinity," I explain. "Plus, I didn't rest much after the interrogation and it was the first time I was directly connecting to so many unknown people."

"Right," Erik clicks his tongue. "Doc, Ryuuto needs some means to better control his ability, can you think of something?"

"Well, obviously no as he's the only confirmed telepath ever," she's lost. "But I can look up some meditation techniques and we can test them to see what will possibly work."

"Li, you need to rest as well," I say when Erik points to the door, making me get up. "You're on the brink of total exhaustion. Don't think you can hide it from me."

"When I'm done organising Emi's rescue," Liana nods tiredly. "Then we should have a few hours to rest properly before my employees reach her."

"Mrs Hana, please see to it that Liana really goes to bed," I implore the housekeeper. "My viceroy has a bad habit of over-achieving."

"Yes, I know," Mrs Hana is well aware. "Don't worry, Mr Ryuuto."

"Just Ryuuto, please."

"Then just Hana, please."

*****

Julia is watching me while the painkillers she gave me just a half an hour ago to mitigate my headache end up in a toilet bowl.

"That didn't go well," Erik sighs, kindly holding my hair.

"It has almost the same composition as that brand you mentioned you've been taking, Ryuuto," Julia says, nervously stepping in one place. "I thought your body is used to them."

"His old body was used to them," Erik says instead of me as I'm too busy trying to get rid of that disgusting puking aftertaste. Water doesn't help much so I have to brush my teeth.

"I've always had a weak stomach," I say and collapse on our bed when I'm done cleaning my mouth.

"I think it's probably more than that," Julia is unconvinced. "It's only understandable that human medicine isn't designed for... new species."

"Sleep helps," I curl under the blankets. "Erik's presence does, too. Even when I feel overwhelmed, resting in the mind I really like soothes me."

"That's good to hear since painkillers are out of question," Julia sighs. "Still, there'll be times when you won't be able to nap whenever you like or your boyfriend won't be by your side. Ms Richter is right; we need to find some method how to train your telepathy."

"I've tried basic breathing techniques but they don't work that well ever since my ability got stronger," I admit.

"Got stronger? Tell me about it," Julia insists because it's new information for her.

How strange and pleasant at the same time. Just two days ago, telepathy was still my most guarded secret and I dreaded telling another soul. Now five more people know, six in total if counting Erik. And it's okay which is something I'd have never thought possible. I even befriended a doctor.

I let Erik tell her under which circumstances my telepathy levelled-up because fighting with coming sleep is no use.

*****

"Gosh, Ryuu, you toss a lot!" Erik's aggravated voice wakes me up. That or the fact that I accidentally rolled on my back and painfully squeezed my wings.

"S-sorry," I open my eyes. "I just can't find a comfortable position and I'm not able to roll over my back anymore."

"I hope your body just needs to get used to that because otherwise I don't know how I'd be able to get any sleep," he yawns, his eyes red. "Especially after your wings get really big."

"After my wings get big, we won't need a blanket anymore," I try to tease him. "I'll cover us both. Feathers are very warm."

"Hmm, looking forward to that," he finally smiles and pets my left wing. "How did Celestials sleep in the game?"

"We didn't," I say. Erik really doesn't know anything about VR gaming. "What's the point of programming virtual avatars to sleep? The system automatically logs you off when your brain is too tired to handle the dive."

"Oh, right," he scratches his chin. "So we have to figure it out ourselves, preferably while your wings are still small since I've literally woken up with your feathers in my mouth."

"S-sorry," I apologise again and turn red.

I want to hide the fact that the thought of his mouth caressing my wings is somehow alluring but because we're still touching, he catches that. And not only my thought, he gets my sudden excitement as well.

"Being lewd at 2 A.M.?" he bursts laughing.

"A bit," I admit, blushing. "I slept well so my headache got better."

"You're still hurting, though," he becomes serious and gently strokes my hair.

"It's the intensity I'm used to," I shrug. "Some days are better than others but I've never had a week when I didn't have any headache. This is nothing."

"For real?" he frowns.

"At least I don't have problems sleeping," I try to be positive. "I'm always so exhausted from other people's thoughts and emotions that no matter what problems I'm currently dealing with, it doesn't disturb my sleep. Like Emi right now..."

"Are you close with her?" Erik is curious.

"As close as one can be with a gaming buddy," I say. "We started playing when Draconia launched five years ago and went for countless quests together. We drifted apart when we became too busy with ruling our races, though. I really hope she's okay."

"Liana is doing her best, Emi will be with us in no time," Erik reassures me. "Until then do you mean to go back to sleep or...?"

"Little petting, pretty please?" I turn my back to him and spread my wings.

"You wish," he chuckles. "I get your new Celestial preference but what's in it for me?"

"My feathers are fluffy and pleasant to touch?" I try but it's no use as Erik is already positioning me on my knees and gets rid of my sleeping shorts.

"You know I don't like it much from behind," I murmur. "I want to see your face."

"Well, I can't put you on your back anymore and we didn't do this position lately," he says. "Don't worry, I'll make it nice."

He isn't lying, he never does. Even though this isn't my favourite technique, he makes up for it when he shoves his chin between my wings.

"Not bad, huh?"

"It's not horrible," I admit.

I want to let him have as humanly normal sex as possible so that he can take a break from all those weird things happening but I can't stop the reflex and dive deep into his mind almost immediately. But he isn't bothered; his mind is welcoming just as my body is towards him.

He reaches orgasm quickly and the telepathic loop makes me climax at the same time. I feel so blissful that it's somehow natural to release my mana a bit as well. My feathers flutter in a sudden breeze and this time Erik isn't startled.

*****

"Let's try this exercise," Julia presents me with instructions the first thing in the morning.

"Seriously? Before breakfast?" Erik sighs. "Aren't they waiting for us?"

"I told them we'll be ten minutes late," Julia is adamantly pushing a tablet into my hands. "It's a simple breathing exercise that is recommended to do every morning. It's supposed to focus one's mind."

"Okay, okay," I give in, take a pillow and put it under my butt like a meditation cushion. "Hmm, it's surprisingly a good sitting posture for Celestials," I discover and relax my wings.

"I reckon because your centre of gravity has changed," Julia comments. "Your race might not need a backrest."

"Possibly," I nod. "Erik, can you read the instructions? But don't touch me, I have to learn not to rely on you all the time and calm my mind myself."

Erik's stomach rumbles but Julia assures him it's really only ten minutes long so he starts reading. He reads slowly and for a few moments I'm thinking about how I love his voice before I finally remember to focus on my breath. It has a different effect, though, my telepathy only grows sharper now that nothing is distracting me.

"Time out," I quickly open my eyes. "It seems calming down makes is worse."

"Worse or stronger? That's a big difference," Julia asks.

"Stronger and therefore worse," I set things straight.

"That's also progress," she says. "You need to be able to focus your telepathy as well as blunt it in order to rest."

"Now he needs the second mode," Erik waves his hand. "Do you have some other meditation?"

"I suspected it might be the case so I looked up one that's supposed to help people who are bothered by noise," she says proudly and presents him with a different text.

"Another attempt, honey," Erik nudges me because I'm not willing to close my eyes again.

This time it goes more smoothly. The breathing part is very short and after that I'm just following Erik's voice giving me instructions on how to let noises flow through me without reacting to them. In a certain sense, loud sounds do feel similar to telepathic noise that's bothering me.

"Well?" Julia smiles at me when the meditation session is over.

"It might help," I say hopefully.

"Great, train it twice a day and we'll see how it goes," she nods.