If you find mistakes, pls tell, thx. I don't like mistakes.

Also feel free to ask for more background information on the world. I am somehow running out of interesting points regarding the small comments at the beginning of the chapters.

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“

Summoning-Magic allows the creation of magical constructs with their own minds. Sprites and Artificial Intelligences fall under that category. It's very important not confuse them with simple elemental summonings which have no mind of their own and can be called forth by almost all magicians. Elemental summonings don't move on their own and can be regarded as pure puppets.

A magician who creates a sprite copies a part of his own consciousness into the new being. Therefore the creator of such a being has to take responsibility for his creation. If the creation is independent enough to be regarded as its own being, it gets all the rights of an independent being.

Sprites don't necessarily have to be created from dead material like metal. They can also consist out of pure energy or even living matter like plants or flesh.

”

-Magical Affinities

***Kaus Borealis, Coeus***

***Cyla***

I awaken to the moans of pain. At first my consciousness doesn't want to fully awaken, but then I rub my eyes and realize that I am in our bedroom.

My mind reaches for the computer and I switch on the lights. The light blinds me for a short moment, then I look around. The one who is moaning right next to me is Gideon. “Gideon?” I reach for his shoulder and shake him, but he doesn't wake up.

He is shaking and burning hot with fever. His body is covered in sweat. Reaching for his mind I get no answer and that's when I really start to get frightened. The energy within him is just a small, flickering spark.

I roll over and hug him. Then I concentrate on the teleportation spell, abandoning all regulations. The newly attached living module one has a complete healing facility with two competent doctors. There has to be medical personnel on a ship with a crew of this size.

I quickly check my point of destination by accessing a security camera in the medical facility's wardroom. Then I teleport us, taking a part of the bed and Gideon with me.

We appear in a white clinical room. Before I could do anything, the half of the bed which I took with me, tilts and falls over.

I try to shield Gideon as we drop to the ground and he falls onto me. Voices of surprise call out around us.

“Help! He doesn't wake up!” I call out, but even as I do so medical personnel lifts Gideon off of me. I get to my feet and try to get to Gideon, but two nurses, a man and a woman, are blocking me from doing so. The man looks rather embarrassed while the woman gestures for him to turn around.

That's when I realize that I am standing butt naked in the middle of the room. I bend down and cover myself with the part of the blanket that got teleported with us. I can't help myself. Clothes are kind of inconvenient when you are sharing a bed with your lover.

One of the men who are tending to Gideon turns to me and asks. “Did he have a recent magic induced mutation?”

“Yes.” I answer. “But that was weeks ago. He grabbed a power line to cast a huge spell when he was forced to do so. The doctors already discharged him.”

“It seems like he has a relapse. We've to stabilize him.” The medical personnel lifts Gideon onto a bed and wheels him out of the wardroom.

I try to follow, but the two nurses stop me again. “You have to stay here.” The female nurse offers me a plain robe and I take it.

The man is still staring at me, so I give him a glare that says everything about his future, should he continue to check me out. After he's turned around I hurry to put on the robe.

The woman steps closer. “Please explain in detail what happened.”

“I woke up and he was in pain. I tried to wake him up, but he didn't react to me. I couldn't even connect to his mind.” I wince. “That's bad, right?” I know that it is.

She steps forward and takes my hand. “Don't worry. We've the best medical personnel here. He couldn't have fallen sick at a better place. He'll surely be up and about in no time.”

I feel her thoughts and realize that she is trying to comfort me. “Please don't lie to me. Or at least don't take my hand while trying to comfort me.” I pull my hand away from hers, hating this ability of mine. Then I sit down on a chair and try to think what else could have caused Gideon's condition. But nothing comes to mind.

After a while some people appear and carry out the remains of the bed to get it out of the way. It's night time, so there weren't that many patients present to begin with.

The nurses are still staying close to me, as if they've nothing better to do. Then I realize that they probably really had nothing to do up until now. It's not like any sick people were purposely sent on this mission. Probably they had nothing but minor complaints up until now.

Suddenly someone steps in front of me and I look up. It's one of the faceless. “Ed?”

“Yes. Are you alright?” He asks.

“No.” Gideon is not alright, so neither am I. “Did they find out what was wrong with him?”

“I just arrived here after hearing about it. One of the medical personnel said that they are still doing tests.” He answers.

Figures. Mutational problems can have nasty side effects. “I see.”

“You seem to be awfully shaken. If you could see your own face right now...” His voice fades away. “I'll bring you back to the command module. He is in good hands.” He reaches for my hand, but I stop him.

“There is no need. I would rather wait here.” I don't want to be alone in that room right now while Gideon isn't doing fine.

“Cyla, why do you care so much for him?” He suddenly asks.

I look up, baffled. “Because he is my boyfriend? You are really great at consoling people! You know that?”

“I don't think you have to be worried about Gideon. He is like a cockroach. Other people would've rolled over and died over five times already.” Ed looks to the floor where a few of the bed's splinters remained. “You've teleported him and yourself through the ship. That was dangerous.”

“Sorry for being shocked upon waking up next to my lover who was about to die!?” If I could spew acid at him right now I would do so. And I thought it would be good to include him in the family.

“It's just... maybe it's my fault. I have seen a lot of bad people and you just seem a little too attached. That's all. I am not saying that you aren't a good match.”

I sigh and cover my face. “Don't you know anything about techno-mages and telepathy? I never had a relationship that lasted for over a month before I met Gideon.”

Ed seems taken aback by my confession. “How so?”

“Because once natural telepaths touch someone, we can feel his essence even if we don't want to.” I gesture at the door. “It's not like you are intentionally spying on someone's thoughts. It's just that most magicians forget to shield themselves properly. Or they don't have the proficiency. It's not exactly easy to have a relationship when you always know that there is something off.”

“The other way around it's not good for a relationship when you know that your partner is hiding his thoughts on purpose.” I count with my fingers. “Before Gideon I went out with twelve other guys and it never lasted long before I ran into a repulsive little secret. I don't want to say that they tried to hurt me or violated a law, but being with them never felt right.”

“And Gideon feels right?” Ed asks astounded. “One might think that he is a strange one?”

I rub my hands together. “Maybe that's exactly why I love him. Everyone else I met so far always tried to hide something from me. Gideon may be a little strange, but when I am with him I feel safe and at home.”

“Everyone has something to hide.” Ed answers with a grave voice. “Gideon is no exception.”

I smile. “Yes, you are right. But when he decided to let me into his life, he told me everything and there was no deceit. You probably don't understand how it is when two telepaths talk to each other, but when we talked that day I felt that he really tried to let me in. And since then every day was the same. I would be mad to give that away. If I've yet to learn an important truth about him, then it's because it didn't come up so far.”

I lean back on my chair. “I simply can't believe that sharing thoughts and feelings like we are doing it is a fluke.”

In that moment the door opens and Gideon is wheeled into the room, still lying on a bed. But his eyes are open and he is awake. I get up and run to his side, taking his hand. “Gideon, are you alright?”

He is as pale as a ghost, but he smiles weakly. “Yes, though I feel like you sucked the life out of me this night. Are you sure you aren't a Succubus?”

I bite onto my lower lip and look at the doctor. “His brain was damaged?”

Gideon sighs deeply. “I tried to make a joke.”

“Do you know what a fright you gave me? This isn't the time for jokes!” I answer chipped.

The doctor steps in. “He'll be alright. It wasn't a relapse of the mutation, though it was caused by it. A special need of his new condition was overlooked. Apparently his body adapted so well to handling electricity that he can't live without it. His body's cells started to deteriorate when his nervous system's energy levels went a little too low.”

He tilts his head. “Apparently he is able to freely convert electricity for his spells. He just has to see to it that he does not overuse his magic and if he does, he has to recharge by using a power source instead of waiting for his body to regenerate naturally. It's a downside, but being able to charge up with electricity is a nice ability.”

Gideon smiles. “Isn't that cool, it's like being a battery! I just have to see to it that I don't deplete myself completely. I am like Raiden!”

“No, you are not like that Mortal Combat character!” At least not yet. “Don't let it get to your head! And why were you even on such a low power level?” I ask.

“Who is Raiden and what's Mortal Combat?” Ed mumbles.

Gideon's expression turns troubled. “I drained myself intentionally for the purpose of training. After my mutation I wanted to learn everything that happened to my body. The only thing that I got out of it were those freaky eyes. I noticed that they turn brighter the more rested I am. So I tried to return them back to normal by draining my magic as much as possible. In hindsight that might not have been a good idea.”

My eyes wander to the doctor. “You don't have a cure against foolishness by any chance?”

The doctor shakes his head. “I can't tell people what to do with their bodies. I am just here to fix them up.”

In that moment a message arrives me, but before I can read it Gideon already informs us on its contents. “It seems like our reconnaissance network found something troubling.”

.