34.1. Emperor's Nature - Part 1

"Your Majesty?" Taranah pulls my sleeve, scared. He doesn't have to be a telepath to read the atmosphere around me. Neither does Dubois who steps back instinctively and gasps for breath.

"Be my guest and watch our magic training. Just be careful what the EU wishes for," I hiss. "Mandatory training will only make us stronger. Limitations, if made too discriminatory, will only incite the civil war, not prevent it. We're millions, you can't lock us all up."

I turn my back to give him a full show of my magnificent wings. Then I nod at Taranah and want to continue our training as if nothing happened. But something did happen, I feel it inside me. It doesn't want to be ignored anymore—my Celestial warlike nature. And it's terrifying and exciting at the same time.

Dubois has to try hard to make it look like he's not running away but I don't even bother to watch him leave. When his telepathic imprint, which I've already memorised, fades away, I finally calm down. Taranah is staring at me with genuine respect and feeling proud of what I did.

I also feel quite proud but when I realise that I've basically threatened the EU delegate, I don't feel that good about it anymore. What will Dubois report to his superiors? What if it negatively influences our reputation? But at the same time, I can't help thinking that maybe... just maybe... the EU should be afraid of us.

"Let's continue our training," I say, trying to sound normal again even though I can't shake off that feeling of acting as the real Celestial Emperor.

"Of course, Your Majesty," Taranah nods furiously and I can tell that the idea of not listening to me wouldn't even cross his mind at this point.

How much did our mentality transform? Did we go all the way? And how is it possible in the first place? The game lore was fictitious, right? Although, admittedly, the players did choose their race according to a detailed psychological profile which was unheard of in videogames before. So many questions and no answers. Should I just go with it like the rest of Draconians?

While Taranah keeps practicing his level 2 flame spell, I decide to occupy my mind and try out some level 4 spells. It seems that basic control of elements doesn't require transfiguration symbols but I feel it in my Celestial bones that higher level magic will.

I close my eyes, recalling some simple symbols. I wasn't called the biggest Draconia nerd for nothing, I still remember them even though such low-tier magic was hardly ever used in dungeons and raids. My hard work levelling without the system assist is paying off in ways I wouldn't even dream of.

"Oh, Your Majesty, it's so beautiful!" Taranah's praise makes me open my eyes again.

It turns out my effort did materialise a transfiguration symbol I was focusing on—there's a sign hanging in the air in front of me like a hologram. I stretch my hands and try touching it. My fingers go straight through it but I can feel slight vibration which means that the symbol is there, made out of pure condensed mana.

"What kind of spell are you trying?" Taranah asks curiously.

"A shield," I say, a bit disappointed that he doesn't recognise it. I'll have to make him memorise everything by heart. It would be shameful if the head of our magic research didn't know. Someone else more knowledgeable could come to claim his post.

I freeze for a moment and the symbol disintegrates. Make him memorise? Shameful? It must be my Celestial nature speaking again. I try to shake that feeling but when I look at Taranah, I can't help but see him as my subject, not a gaming friend. That scares me.

"That's it for today, I need rest," I say quickly and hastily walk out of the fitness suite, leaving confused Taranah behind me.

"Are you okay, Your Majesty?" Miruel asks me, concerned because she can see I'm bewildered.

"Where's my partner?" I inquiry her. She should know, the guards know everything when it comes to our inner circle.

"In the briefing room 3," she tells me, checking her phone.

I glance at it to discover that Miruel can see all patrolling guards in some app that shows the building floor by floor. Neat. I bet it was Fefnir's or Diana's idea and they forgot to mention that. Or they thought it isn't of interest to me. I guess it isn't really, I'm not the head of security after all and there's no way around it than to divide our overwhelming workload.

"Ryuu, is something wrong?" Erik looks up from the laptop when I barge into the briefing room.

"Can we have some privacy?" I ask because there's Ms Ortega in the room, going through some paperwork, and an Earthborn I don't recognise helping them.

Shit, was my tone too rough? I guess it didn't sound like a genuine request but an order. Ms Ortega is afraid to meet my eyes when she stands up and that Earthborn is literally fleeing.

"Ryuu, tell me what's wrong," Erik goes for a hug the moment we're alone. How I love him for that. His default is always to go for a comforting hug first, inquire later.

I connect to him and rest in his mind until I find my balance again. But I don't let go. I envelop him into my wings and clutch him even tighter.

Do you see? I ask because I always keep my own mind open to him. Even though he's not a telepath, if I allow it so, he can browse my memories and thoughts as well.

I do, he answers slowly. But I don't think it's your Celestial nature, Ryuu. You're not struggling with it anymore. I think it's rather your Emperor nature that's awakening now.

How can it be a nature? I don't understand. It's a job.

Except it isn't. Not in case of Draconians, he shakes his head. You don't want that position but it seems to me more and more that you won't have any choice in the matter. Other Celestials already recognise you as their Emperor and you're gradually starting to behave like one.

But I don't want to!

Ryuu, Erik kisses me into my hair to calm me down. I don't want to admit it but I suspect you wouldn't be having such a hard time with your mental transition if it wasn't for me. You're still attuned to me more than you think.

You're saying that you're holding me back, I whisper even in my thoughts and my wings start shivering.

Maybe in a good way? he kisses me in my hair again. If being the Emperor is your second nature and you let it go free, what would it mean for humanity?

There weren't any humans in Draconia Online, I remind him. I have no way of knowing.

What is the Celestial Emperor like then? According to your lore I mean, he asks.

Not so far from me, actually, I start thinking about it. The best caster, unsurpassed flier... it also states that I'm supposed to be magic itself but we might disregard that here.

These are rather job descriptive, what about the character? Erik nudges me on.

Celestial to the core? I guess and finally understand what he's hinting at. Oh, Erik, what if it comes true to the letter? Celestials have many good features but also a lot of bad ones. We're intelligent but arrogant. Devoted but focused only on our interests. Loving towards our kind but also looking down on other races. And we're definitely the least peaceful race of Draconia. We never fight among ourselves but we're hungry for conquest.

Erik doesn't say anything for a while. He just keeps holding me tight, letting me rest in his mind. Do I crave his mind because it's so different from mine? Or because he loves me back unconditionally? Or because he's so stable, unlike me?

"You won't become that," he finally speaks again and aloud. "I'm absolutely sure of that."

"How can you know?"

"Because first, I know you more than you realise. And second, you're an empath," he says and caresses my wings. "I think it's virtually impossible for you wanting to hurt others."

"I hurt that poor Earthborn who plucked my feather," I remind him and shiver goes down my spine when I recall the incident.

"That was an accident, you acted on reflex," he insists. "And right after that you healed him and were really worried if he's okay because you felt his pain. So we can pretty surely deduce that it's impossible for an empath to turn evil, even with Celestial nature and being the Emperor."

I think about it and have to admit that he might be right. Becoming a Celestial made my telepathy and empathy only stronger, it didn't dull it in any way. I think about the world differently now but I keep perceiving everyone's emotions around me all the same. I would never hurt another thinking and feeling being. At least not voluntarily in the name of some stupid conquest.

"Do you have any idea how lucky humanity is that it's you?" Erik plays with my feathers. "Imagine anyone else becoming the Celestial Emperor—they most probably wouldn't fight against their inner urges. I think we'd already have a civil war. The EU doesn't know what they have in you."

"Liana isn't a bad choice either," I mutter, embarrassed that he's praising me so much.

Erik gets serious again all of a sudden.

"Liana is great because she's your Viceroy," he says. "You two make the best ruler duo ever. But she being the Empress... I would be afraid, to be honest. I suspect she's so kind only because you're kind. Not saying that she isn't kind enough for a Celestials... it's just... she can be pretty rough and uncompromising."

"So you think I'm not entirely hopeless at this whole Emperor business?" I sigh, relieved a bit.

"On the contrary. You're exactly what the world needs," Erik smiles and scratches me between my wings. "And the EU will be kissing your legs when they finally get it."

"You!" I purse my lips. "Stop with the blatant flattery and kiss me."

"As my Emperor commands," he smirks and fulfils my wish.