It takes Erik a while to overcome nausea. His brain might be 67% compatible with VR, but he hasn’t deep-dived since he was a teenager. When his head finally stops spinning, he slowly looks around. He’s inside a dimly lit space and there are four faceless avatars representing the Draconian races floating in front of him.
“Normally, a player would be given a thorough psychological test to determine which race is their best fit,” Nala materialises next to him just a few seconds later. “We can skip this part for obvious reasons.”
“Is there any chance I might not be good material for a Celestial?” Erik worries.
“Not likely,” she waves her hand. “I know that you used to be a helicopter pilot so you’re not afraid of heights which is an essential prerequisite for a Celestial. As for your personality, you’re definitely not a type for a Clawfang or a Dragonkin. Do you feel drawn to the Earthborn?”
“Not at all,” Erik shakes his head. “I’m not interested in genetics, biology and plants.”
“The test is not needed in your case, Lord Erik,” she assures him. “Besides, His Highness has already started transforming you. Say ‘I choose’ and the name of your desired race to initialise the process.”
Erik steps closer to the faceless avatars, trembling slightly in anxious anticipation. This choice will determine his future. Is he really prepared to do it? Does he truly want to become a different species? He considers his parents and his heart aches. This will certainly alienate him from them.
But then he thinks of his beloved and all doubts disappear. He wants this with burning passion not just for Ryuuto’s sake but for his own sake as well. He wants to protect Ryuuto as much as he wants to be able to defend himself. He wants to have six hundred years to spend with the love of his life and he wants to be strong.
“I choose Celestials!” he says without any hesitation and gasps for breath when his body starts floating and gets enveloped in a strange tingling energy.
“In the case of Celestials, a body type is pretty much predetermined to be a lean build, but it will be based on your current physique,” Nala explains. “Expect to be thinner than you currently are, but nothing dramatic since you’re lean already. Also, we’re keeping your real facial features for better immersion so let’s skip to the hair customisation.”
“I want something natural,” Erik ponders when a colour palette shows up in front of him and he notices blue and violet.
“These are perfectly natural hair colours for Celestials, Lord Erik, the Viceroy has violet hair,” Nala reminds him.
“Still,” he’s browsing the palette for a long time, comparing various shades carefully.
If he’s dissatisfied with his choice later on, he can still dye his hair, but that would be an unnecessary bother. He has to choose something he will like for centuries if possible. What would suit him best? Nala materialises a virtual mirror for his convenience so that he can try on various colours. What would good nice next to Ryuuto?
He discards black, blue and violet right away and tries various shades of brown. Some of them look nice and he would like them as a human but they are simply too plain. Should he try blond then? It was never his preferred colour before, but considering he’s changing his entire species, he might as well radically change his hair.
“Oh, Royal Consort, that really suits you,” Nala exclaims when he tries an even brighter blond out of pure curiosity.
“You think so?” he inspects his hair in the mirror.
“Try longer hair,” Nala suggests and shows him how to adjust the length. “Not that it’s important now, you can always grow your hair later, but just to see it.”
“Oh, that’s…!” Erik widens his eyes when the bright blond he tried on a whim starts to stand out. It looks flashy but still reasonably natural. He ruffles his hair which is reaching slightly under his shoulders.
He would never go for the kind of hair Ryuuto possesses since something like that fits only his androgynous beloved, but maybe something he could tie into a ponytail isn’t a bad choice. Damn, golden hair would look gorgeous next to Ryuuto’s silver, right?! Erik would be nicely complementing his husband.
“I’ll go with that,” he decides after carefully considering all the pros and cons and taking forever in front of the mirror.
“Let’s proceed to wings then,” Nala nods happily, content with his choice. “Brace yourself, Lord Erik.”
“Brace…?” Erik doesn’t understand when suddenly something starts violently pushing into his spine.
He’s astonished that he feels a sharp pain. Fuck, he forgot that Draconia was a hardcore game with pain perception! Fortunately, the pain doesn’t last for too long and, in just a few seconds, he feels something weighing heavily on his back. He turns his head to check, but his new limbs are covered with pulsating energy so he can’t see much.
“You need to choose the colour and the pattern of your wings first before the system can generate them fully,” Nala explains. “Choose wisely because this process can’t be reversed.”
When Erik gets presented with the options, his head spins again. He had no idea there were so many combinations. He tries to imagine what would Aefener like the most, but then he remembers that his beloved has no preference for colours or patterns. This is something Erik has to choose for himself because he will be stuck with it for centuries.
He tries various combinations one by one. The pulsating energy disperses each time and shows him what he chose, but nothing quite clicks with him. Moreover, Erik isn’t a Celestial just yet. He has no idea what exactly makes wings beautiful or average-looking.
“Take your time, no rush,” Nala tells him when he looks at her desperately. It’s been over an hour, but she doesn’t seem bored.
“Nala, I’m lost here,” Erik sighs. “How did the players choose before?”
“They didn’t care about it as much because they considered Draconia to be just another game,” she shrugs. “They either had their favourite bird in mind for inspiration or they asked the system to randomise.”
“I should have asked Ryuuto after all,” Erik regrets.
“The Prince went for the snowy owl,” Nala says and materialises a picture to show him.
“Huh? Ryuuto didn’t have pure white wings from the beginning?” Erik is confused when he looks at the picture. The snowy owl’s wings are also mostly white, but they are black-patterned.
“Every Celestial has unique wings,” Nala starts explaining. “It wasn’t permitted in the character creation to choose pure colours because that would result in repetition. However, since the late Celestial Emperor also had white wings, we wanted to keep the tradition. We decided that the player who earns the title of the embodiment of magic gets a makeover. The same for the second-best player.”
“So that’s why Ryuuto often complains that his wing colour is boring, it was forced upon him,” Erik finally understands. “He likes white, but he prefers patterned wings. How did he become the Celestial Emperor anyway?”
“You don’t know?!” Nala frowns.
“Ehm,” Erik feels embarrassed about it. “I mean… it was just a game so it never seemed important to ask.”
“Lord Erik, Draconia Online isn’t just a game, it’s a simulator,” Nala has to remind him. “The system takes one’s latent abilities and inner tendencies, amplifies them and manifests them fully. His Highness didn’t become the Celestial Emperor just because he’s such a good gamer. The Imperial Guard is full of super proficient gamers. He became the Emperor because he was born to rule.”
“That he was,” Erik admits. “So, there was a competition or something?”
“We planned for that, but it wasn’t needed in the end,” Nala smiles proudly. “His Highness soloed ten entry-level dungeons in a row before other players even managed to leave the tutorial zone. He ranked first with an overwhelming score and gained millions of followers on Vortex in just one week.”
“Got it, holding a competition after that would be a joke,” Erik understands. “He didn’t catch your attention with that feat?”
“Of course, he did, we were astonished,” Nala nods. “However, at that time nobody could have anticipated that the player known as Aefener is half-Divementis and His Majesty’s lost heir. We were just looking forward to having a strong Celestial Emperor to help up in the upcoming war.”
“And the Viceroy? How was she chosen?” Erik is curious.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“As the Celestial tradition dictates, we left that decision to the newly appointed Emperor,” Nala says. “His Highness continued conquering dungeons one by one and when he finally teamed up with someone who could keep up with him, it was Her Excellency Liana. It was her who convinced him to start a proper guild and claim the palace.”
“Sounds like Ryuuto,” Erik chuckles and looks at the picture of the snowy owl again. He likes those wings, but choosing them might be too sore for his beloved since it was his preference originally.
“What about something exotic?” Nala suggests and shows his various pictures of colourful tropical birds.
“That would be a nightmare to coordinate with my outfit,” Erik rejects that idea. “Can you show me hawks? I’ve always liked hawks.”
“Sure,” Nala overwhelms Erik with many different subspecies of the hawk.
“There are this many?” Erik sighs and starts going through patiently them one by one. “Oh, what species is that?” he stops when one particular kind catches his attention.
“Northern Goshawk,” Nala looks up quickly.
“It is both white and grey,” Erik considers. “It would look great next to both Ryuuto and Gotrid. Not that I need to consider Gotrid, but still…”
“Let’s try it on then,” Nala smiles and makes Erik’s wings transform in an instant. “I know that you can’t move your new limbs just yet so let me do it for you.”
Erik’s wings spread to their full size so that he can better appreciate their colours. A virtual mirror shows him different angles and he spends several minutes evaluating himself. He has to admit that he likes what he’s seeing.
“Are these unique? Really?” he makes sure. “Ryuuto will be able to tell that they belong to me and me only?”
“I don’t have a Celestial perception, but these wings are definitely unique, Lord Erik,” Nala assures him. “You will be able to tell the difference when your brain adjusts. Are you happy with the choice? Can we proceed?”
“Wait, what about clothes?” Erik realises. “Do I have to wear a robe?”
“Clothes aren’t important now, you’ll be changing your gear as you progress through levels,” Nala waves her hand.
“Clothes are important,” Erik mumbles under his breath. He was always into fashion but ever since he started to earn some serious money thanks to working for the Celestial government, it transformed into an obsession of sorts. Part of the reason is that he’s desperately trying to look elegant next to his husband who’s naturally beautiful without even trying.
CONFIRM YOUR CHOICES
A window pops in front of him. Erik gives himself a few extra minutes to double-check everything. He took several hours in the character creation, but his choices will affect the rest of his life. Hopefully, a very long life.
He touches the holographic confirmation button and everything around him including his body dissolves.
*****
There’s no real air in VR, but Erik gasps for breath all the same out of pure reflex. It surprises him when his virtual lungs get filled. Just how realistic is this game? He slowly opens his eyes and wobbles when he gets full control of his avatar just a second later. The weight of his new limbs pulls him backwards and he almost loses balance.
“Careful, it takes a while to get used to your new body,” Nala materialises nearby. “I’m afraid that I can’t help you physically because I’m not actually here. I’m experiencing the game through you. Draconian brains aren’t compatible with the VR technology.”
“Oof, I had no idea wings were this heavy,” Erik tries to straighten himself. “I won’t take lightly ever again when Ryuu complains about back pain. This is no joke.”
“You probably won’t be able to move your wings just yet, but they should be sensitive to touch already. Try it, please,” Nala tells him.
Erik pulls his right wing closer and caresses the feathers. He lets out an astonished cry because he can feel it. What a strange sensation to suddenly have an extra pair of limbs! He tries moving them, but they don’t budge. It won’t be easy, that’s for sure.
Then he inspects his clothes. Celestial fashion certainly wasn’t something he was looking forward to. He’s wearing a dark green three-layered robe that’s very simple compared to what Ryuuto usually wears, but it’s comfortable and surprisingly easy to move in. Erik curiously rolls up the robe and finds that his avatar is wearing leggings and high boots underneath.
He isn’t super enthusiastic about his attire, but at the very least, it doesn’t feel like he’s wearing a dress. Now that he thinks about it, the robe isn’t that different from wearing a Japanese kimono and he somehow got used to that after a few attempts. He should be fine with a robe after all.
“We won’t do much today,” Nala says when he stops studying his clothes. “Walk around a bit to find a new centre of your balance and try interacting with whatever interests you. Most things are just objects you can touch, hold or destroy, but some have special properties and you can put them into your inventory.”
“Where am I?” Erik takes a good look around. He’s standing on a marble platform that’s connected to other platforms with bridges, but he can’t see much because there are clouds all around.
“Assiath, the Celestial capital city,” Nala reveals. “This is the starting point for new players—the tutorial zone. By the way, Assiath doesn’t need bridges because all inhabitants can fly. They are only in the starting location for beginners who can’t fly yet.”
“How long is the tutorial?” Erik asks.
“That depends on you,” Nala shrugs. “The tutorial ends when you’re able to leave the area, meaning fly away. For the Crown Prince, it took only a few hours. The Viceroy spent two days here. On average, it takes around four to six days. Don’t worry, there’s plenty to do. You will be getting used to your new body and learning the basics of spellcasting.”
Erik takes a few unsure steps, trying to balance himself. Walking with wings this huge is like walking with two cumbersome backpacks on each shoulder. No wonder Celestials get frustrated when they are forced to walk for an extended period of time.
“There wasn’t much walking on Assiath I presume?” Erik sighs when he identifies one bar in his left field of vision as his stamina. It’s getting depleted quite fast.
“Not really,” Nala shakes her head. “Celestial cities needed to be considerably light so there wasn’t any excess infrastructure. Buildings were floating on platforms and connected by a magical network that was keeping the distances. Well, to be brutally honest, we don’t know how that worked. This is just a digital replica.”
Erik walks to the edge of the platform and looks down. The clouds aren’t as thick as he thought so he can recognise other structures floating below him. Then he looks up and his eyes widen in awe when he spots an intricate system of platforms and majestic buildings.
“I will be here all alone, won’t I?” he regrets a bit.
“Unfortunately,” Nala has to disappoint him. “We activated various NPCs so the city shouldn’t feel completely abandoned, though. Under normal circumstances, NPCs wouldn’t be enough for proper immersion, but I’ll be focusing solely on your transformation so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Erik nods and decides to explore the tutorial area. Whenever he tries to interact with a new object, he gets a mini-quest. After two hours, he’s able to confidently walk without wobbling and interact with his surroundings.
“Greetings, cherub,” an NPC Celestial suddenly comes flying and lands on the platform in front of him. It’s a woman with long blue hair and exotic-looking yellow wings. “I’m here to assist you with your flying practice.”
Erik looks at Nala, unsure how to communicate with this NPC lady.
“Just speak normally, it’s an AI language model so it should understand you,” Nala advises him. “It’d better leave your flying training to an AI instructor since I don’t have wings myself.”
“I… I’m ready to learn,” Erik mumbles in response.
The NPC woman smiles and takes two meditation pillows out of her inventory. She puts them on the ground, sits on one and tells Erik to sit on the other.
“When trying to move wings for the very first time, it’s better to sit so that you don’t have to focus on your legs and you don’t fear losing balance,” she explains.
“How do I start?” he asks eagerly.
“First of all, you have to realise that you possess an additional pair of blades,” an NPC trainer instructs. “Try to feel them.”
Erik does as she says and, after several minutes and some twitching, he senses unknown bones under his skin. It’s the strangest experience.
“Moving them is similar to moving your hands,” she clarifies. “For now, any movement will do. We can’t continue until you accomplish that.”
He tries really hard but another hour goes by and his wings don’t move an inch. That frustrates him even though Nala assured him that it normally takes quite some time. He tries to recall the feeling when Ryuuto was sharing his flying dreams with him, hoping it would give him a hint, but he wasn’t exactly in charge of that so he gets nothing.
Suddenly, an NPC trainer leans towards him and scratches his left wing without warning. The tingling sensation is so vivid that it makes Erik twitch instinctively. Oh?! His left wing did move just now! A small victory.
“Did you do it on purpose?” he asks, feeling much more hopeful now.
“It’s a simple test,” she grins. “If you didn’t react, I’d make you reconsider your choice of a race. Fortunately, you had a perfectly natural response for a Celestial.”
“I’m ready to try again,” Erik says happily.
“Lord Erik, it’s been twelve hours already,” Nala announces all of a sudden. “We need to unplug you now.”
“What? It couldn’t have been,” he frowns. “Give me another hour, I think that I will soon get the hang of it and then I can…”
“Initialising the logout process,” Nala insists and Erik’s virtual avatar dissolves.
*****
The moment Erik starts to feel his real body again is disorienting. He stays in a pod for a minute or two until his head stops spinning. He has to admit that VR wasn’t so bad after all. Sure, he’s motivated mainly by the prospect of transformation, but he quite enjoyed his time there.
“You did well, Lord Erik,” Nala praises him. “His Highness should have finished by now as well so feel free to pick him up. I implore you to eat a lot from now on because you will be skipping lunch every day.”
“I understand,” he slowly sits up, takes off the helmet and massages his temples. He feels a bit sore but otherwise okay.
Nala gives him some privacy so that he can change clothes and take a quick shower. He doesn’t feel particularly unpleasant or sweaty, but it’s just weird to realise that his body must have been peeing in that special suit without him knowing.
“Nala, does a full dive count as sleep? I don’t feel tired at all,” he asks when he’s done.
“Partly,” she nods. “Your body is resting, but your brain isn’t. I still advise you to sleep properly, only now you probably won’t need as many hours. It’s a good opportunity to catch up with whatever you want.”
“What I want is to spend time with my husband, but I’m afraid that, unlike me, he will be exhausted,” Erik sighs.
Nala leads him through the labs to another part of the building. Erik is surprised at how many humans work here side by side with the Divementis. Everybody stares at him, but nobody dares to stand in their way so they proceed quickly.
They arrive at a quiet meditation room and find the Divementis Emperor, Aefener and Gotrid sitting on cushions. Their eyes are closed and they show no signs of reacting to the door opening. Aefener and Gotrid are hugging with their wings which makes Erik jealous. Not as much as before, though. In a few months, he should have wings of his own.
“They are training overtime,” Nala observes. “It’s difficult to keep track of time when one’s mind is far away so I’m afraid you’ll have to pull His Highness back.”
“How?” Erik tilts his head.
“Simply touch your husband and call him to come to you,” Nala smiles encouragingly. “You’re bonded, there’s no way he wouldn’t come.”
Erik nods, sits next to his beloved, gently caresses his left wing and sends him an urgent thought.
Please, return to me, love.
It takes a while, but Aefener opens his eyes eventually and immediately showers Erik with his love as he always does. Erik kisses him deeply and finally feels at peace after so many months of anxious uncertainty. Hopefully, he will have centuries to spend with his husband. He’s going to become a Celestial.