《All The Skills - A Deckbuilding LitRPG》 Book 1 - Now Available on Amazon KU Sadly, due to Ai scrapers who have stolen my fiction and reposted it, I''ve had to remove even book 1''s sample chapter. You should be able to download and read a free sample on Amazon: All The Skills ebook or check out the audiobook read by Luke Daniels, here. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. I will keep posting chapters of the currently written book here as long as I can. Thank you, ~ Honour Rae Book 2 - Now Available on Amazon KU Sadly, due to Ai scrapers who have stolen my fiction and reposted it, I''ve had to remove even book 2''s sample chapter. You should be able to download and read a free sample on Amazon: All The Skills ebook or check out the audiobook read by Luke Daniels, here. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. I will keep posting chapters of the currently written book here as long as I can. Thank you, ~ Honour Rae Book 3: Available March 12th on Amazon!
Sadly, due to Ai scrapers who have stolen my fiction and reposted it, I''ve had to remove even book 3''s sample chapter. Starting March 12th, 2024, you should be able to download and read a free sample on Amazon: All The Skills ebook or check out the audiobook read by Luke Daniels, here. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. I will keep posting chapters book 4 here. Thank you, ~ Honour Rae Book 4 Ch 1: Faberge Man Arthur and Brixaby stood on a hill and looked out at the city ahead of them. It was¡­ hard to miss. Entirely encircled by steep brick walls, the buildings inside were arranged by height. The ones at the city¡¯s edge closest to the wall were the shortest. Each row further back was built slightly higher, allowing for windows or balconies to peek just over the ones in front. This repeated, row after row, until the buildings reached over twenty stories high in the middle. Plus, every building seemed to be made of different materials, varying in color and texture. Some buildings were in several colors, giving them a patchwork look. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was impressive or impressively ugly. ¡°I smell no dragons.¡± Arthur glanced at Brixaby who had his head cocked to the sky. He barely seemed interested in the city at all. ¡°Not a surprise,¡± Arthur said. ¡°Most cities back in our kingdom only saw dragons when there was an eruption nearby. I didn¡¯t even see my first dragon until I was twelve years old.¡± Brixaby gave an exaggerated shudder. ¡°Then you must be glad I am in your life!¡± ¡°It¡¯s made things interesting,¡± Arthur said dryly. He gestured back to the city. ¡°Have you figured out what we¡¯re here for?¡± The dark dragon¡¯s gaze dropped to the city again. He shrugged. ¡°The card only tells me where, not what. It probably assumes we already know what we¡¯re looking for. Now we are close, the map has been updated to the middle of that city.¡± Then his head turned to look to the stand of nearby trees. Not with any urgency as if he¡¯d just heard something. He looked like he was considering. Come to think of it¡­ the trees were strange. They were of a type of oak Arthur hadn¡¯t seen before. That wasn¡¯t what made them interesting: It was the fact they were here at all, so close to such a large city. From their vantage point on top of the hill, he had a good view of the area before the walls. It was all scattered forestland with some straight dirt roads that led directly to arched openings within the city walls. No farmland. No cultivated areas. And apparently, no one had ventured out of the city to cut firewood. Very odd. Arthur¡¯s train of thought was interrupted when Brixaby suddenly said. ¡°I wish to hunt.¡± ¡°Hunt?¡± Arthur echoed. ¡°Yes!¡± Brixaby¡¯s chest swelled with pride. ¡°I think it would be delightful to hunt proper prey for once. Not just small animals like rabbits or cats.¡± Cats? Arthur almost asked before he decided he didn¡¯t want to know. ¡°I thought you liked your food cooked,¡± he said, instead. ¡°I do. I will hunt it and you will cook it. Several delightful smelling creatures in this forest remind me of venison.¡± Now Arthur got it. His dragon had gone from the size of a parrot to the size of a small donkey. He wanted to try out his teeth and claws ¡ª or maybe his new card powers. They¡¯d both gained some over the last few days. ¡°If you¡¯re hunting, I¡¯ll scout out the city. We¡¯ll meet here this evening when the sun touches the horizon.¡± In his mind, Arthur reactivated his Nullify card which worked on his Return to Start. But that could be lifted by either of them at any time. ¡°Key in your Return to Start here, just in case.¡± ¡°Yes, it would be inconvenient if either one of us were sent to the Mesa Free hive.¡± Brixaby crouched as if ready to take off. Then he paused. ¡°But if you encounter trouble, you will regroup here, yes? I am a dragon. But you¡­ have no claws.¡± He looked faintly pained. ¡°I¡¯m a Legendary cardholder linked to a Legendary dragon,¡± Arthur said, summoning his inner Brixaby. ¡°Trouble will find itself in trouble with me.¡± This seemed to mollify the dragon. With a snort, he sprung into the air. Though he kept low, within the branches of the trees. No need to attract attention from this Kingdom¡¯s hives¡­ whoever they were. Arthur waited until the sound of his droning wings faded. Then he turned to the city. There was no way he would be able to hide who he was forever. As soon as someone realized he was linked to a dragon, the local hives would come calling. And once it was learned he was a Legendary card holder, he¡¯d likely find himself entangled in local politics. Being a Legendary rider had its downsides, Arthur thought. But it also gave him the strength to say no to whatever someone would want from him. Straightening his shoulders, Arthur started down the hill toward the city. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. One of the weirdly straight dirt roads lay at the bottom of this hill. He walked along it toward his destination. The tall buildings made an excellent beacon. Walking briskly, he soon came up behind a large cart hitched to some plodding oxen. That was where he found his second oddity. The cart was¡­ weird. Arthur knew carts. He¡¯d traveled with a trading caravan for some time when he was twelve. Those were basic open-air carts with the contents usually covered with tarp or blankets to keep off weather or thieves away. These were wide flatbed carts that contained two identically large wooden boxes that fit perfectly flush on the edges of the cart and stood so high they would have touched the low branches¡­ if the branches had not been sharply cut to avoid them. And on top of these boxes sat four people in blue uniforms. Each faced a different direction, likely keeping an eye out for brigands. The one in the back saw Arthur and called out to him. Arthur couldn¡¯t understand a word the woman said. Thinking that distance had muddled the sound, Arthur responded with a friendly wave. His hands were empty, of course. Anything that could be a weapon was stored in his Personal Space. The cart was going very slow, so Arthur easily caught up to them. As he did, the guards stood. Two of them were visibly armed with a spear and a sword. The other two were bare-handed, but Arthur suspected they had cards to defend themselves. Another guard called out. The words were¡­ nonsense. Another language? Everyone Arthur had ever met spoke the same language¡­ though there were accents. He had one time found a Polyglot Tongue card, though. Too bad he¡¯d never taken it. He¡¯d thought it was pointless at the time. Where in the world am I? Arthur wondered, but it didn¡¯t matter. The guards were waiting for a response. Arthur could only shrug and say, ¡°I don¡¯t understand you. Mind if I walk on past?¡± Accompanied by pointing. The guards exchanged glances and one said something else in a string of syllables and vowels that made Arthur wonder how he¡¯d even made those noises. The tone, however, was universal: Caution. ¡°I just want to get past.¡± Arthur pointed again. He hadn¡¯t slowed. If push came to shove, he didn¡¯t need their permission. ¡°Don¡¯t attack me.¡± There was little enough room on the sides of the road, but he began to edge past. One man he suspected was the leader, because the others kept looking at him, and frowned down at Arthur. Then, after a moment, he signaled for him to pass¡­ even though he already had been. ¡°Thanks,¡± he muttered. When he got to the front, he nodded to the driver and took a double-take at the oxen. They were dark brown and woolly with massive heads and tiny black horns. Arthur gave them a wide berth. Then he looked down and saw that the wheels of the cart weren¡¯t following well-worn ruts in the road. They were fitted to a metal bar that had been sunk in ¡ª a rail of some sort that ran at a perfectly straight line on either side of the road. He glanced again over his shoulder at the cart and noted the size of the four huge beasts and how slow they were moving despite the help of a rail. Whatever they were carrying was heavy. As Arthur walked on, he kept a light thought on his Phase In, Phase Out card. Just in case someone took a shot at him. While he heard muttering from the guards he¡¯d passed, no one did. A quarter mile ahead, he saw another cart ¡ª this one had the same dimensions with the same large boxes. Only it was green with gold nonsensical looping writing on the back. It was also rolling up to the city wall, and several guards had already come around to chat with the driver. There were more guards along the top of the wall. A lot of them. One guard turned from the green cart and saw Arthur. He called him over. Unable to understand, Arthur showed his open palms in an exaggerated shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t understand you.¡± ¡°Oakee, oakee,¡± the guard said and led Arthur toward the wall to another guard who was seated at a small portable writing desk. From the more ornate uniform, he looked to be in charge. The two gabbled and then the seated one stood and approached Arthur. ¡°Do you know my language?¡± Arthur asked. The man¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°A Faberge. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen one of you.¡± ¡°A¡­ what?¡± At least the man spoke his language, though Arthur wondered how well. ¡°It¡¯s what we call your Kingdom. Like the fancy egg, yeah? All your weird buildings come to a point, like an onion.¡± He tented his hands and chuckled. ¡°Since you have no name for yourselves, we had to come up with something. So? How did a Faberge man find himself here?¡± Arthur, always ready to level up his Deception Skill, already had a story in mind. ¡°I bought a trip from a portal card user, but he was only a Common and he had the wildcard of his set. Made for a random destination.¡± Arthur shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t care.¡± The man eyed him. ¡°Criminal?¡± ¡°Some might say so,¡± Arthur said. ¡°My family was sentenced to the border for my father¡¯s crimes.¡± This wasn¡¯t too much of a lie, to muddle things in case the man had a truth-detection card. ¡°We¡¯ve heard of such practices,¡± the man said. ¡°It¡¯s barbaric to condemn an entire family for the crimes of another. But we still don¡¯t tolerate criminal behavior here. If you¡¯re caught stealing, you¡¯ll regret it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a thief. I¡¯m looking for a fresh start.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what all thieves say. But you¡¯ll be able to prove yourself. I¡¯m Domingo the¡± two words that sounded like ¡®She Raf¡¯ ¡°on shift¡¯, and you¡¯re at the border of¡ª¡°The next few words must have been in his language because it was incomprehensible¡­ and long. ¡°We¡¯re the last of our great state. Did the portal drop you close to the city?¡± ¡°Yes, the buildings are hard to miss.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a lucky kid. Wandering that forest isn¡¯t wise.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Arthur asked. ¡°Does it belong to the local baron?¡± ¡°No such nonsense here.¡± Domingo looked like he was going to say more but at that moment there was a commotion behind them. The plodding cart was coming in at a greater speed ¡ª the driver snapping the reins and cracking a whip over the back of the oxen to urge them to hurry up. Arthur would have felt sickened except the guards at the top of the boxes were standing again. One threw out a lightning bolt at something behind them. ¡°Seems you¡¯ll see for yourself. Stand behind me,¡± Domingo said. The guards on top of the wall came on alert and called out to one another. Then Arthur heard whistling from the trees. The sounds of scourgelings. The attack happened in a flash. Several scourgelings with massive, bulbous heads and gray hides, like mockeries of the oxen, sprang out from between the trees. Its head split open in half and clamped oversized teeth on the neck of one of the oxen. Announcement! Book 3 Out Now! Also... Book 3 is out now on Amazon and Audible! eBook: https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0CPD6ZS83 Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/B0CQ97PNCJ Where power is measured in cards, Arthur stands among the elite as a Legendary card wielder now forever linked to a frighteningly powerful dragon. Or Brixaby will be, once he grows from the size of a parrot. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Before that can happen, a chance encounter whisks Arthur and Brixaby away to a place they never thought was possible: A new dragon hive outside of the kingdom. This Free Hive doesn''t suffer from the scourge that¡¯s infected the rest of the planet. It''s a place where crafting using card powers is king. But even here, an old enemy sings threats from the shadows. The Free Hive cannot defend itself: they need the strength of Legendary card wielders. To protect the Free Hive, Arthur and Brixaby must become stronger. That means more skills and most importantly, more cards to add to their decks. Also, today is the last day to buy the special hardback edition of All The Skills 1 https://store.podiumaudio.com/products/all-the-skills No matter you are able to purchase or not, I just wanted to spend a moment and thank you for reading here. The people here on Royal Road have literally changed my life. So thank you all for reading my words. It means so much more than you would ever know. <3 Back and books 4 and 5
Edit: Book 4 has been pulled for publishing. Again, if you missed the window PLEASE PM ME. I want everyone caught up for book 5. And thank you from the bottom of my heart for the well wishes. Hi guys, Some of this has been written on my Patreon, but it¡¯s been a bit, and I¡¯m sorry about that. What was meant to be a quick break to regroup sort of¡­ grew. I got hit with a lot of HEAVY stuff in life in a short period of time and I¡¯ll be honest¡­ I just haven¡¯t been able to pull myself back together. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. It sucks to have to admit that, but I gotta face facts that I¡¯m still not okay. But I need to start moving forward or I¡¯ll be stuck forever. I am sorry for being out of communication and not posting chapters. The very least thing I can do is change that starting today. I''m basically shot-gunning the chapters of ATS 4 out now, but will have to pull them again in 48 hours. I understand this will miss a lot of people, so if that''s you then PM me. I''ll make sure you can read them. Then we''re going to be back on the schedule for ATS 5. Monday-Wednesday-Friday. So again, I¡¯m so very sorry for the silence. I hope to make it up to you guys with lots of entertaining writing. The hope is that energy will bounce back and help me as well. ~ Honour Rae Book 5: Chapter 1 The pain lodged at the base of Arthur¡¯s skull was threatening to bloom outward into a truly massive headache. He didn¡¯t care. Let it come. Narrowing his eyes, he focused on the three cards that sat on the table in front of him. All were Common and had at least some vague similarities to one another. One allowed the wielder to bind books like a Journeyman bookbinder with ease, the second turned wood pulp into pages using mana (which it didn¡¯t unlock. This was only a Common card). The third allowed its wielder to instantly translate the text from one ancient language, Spanish, into English, which as he understood, was a derivative of Texan. The goal he had set himself for today was to combine these three Common cards into a set. And he was failing. Even using his Master of Cards as well as his Meta Card Trio and several skills he had picked up over the last few weeks including Card Lore and Card Intuition. None of it was enough. He just couldn¡¯t seem to alter the wording of all three cards so that they reflected each other enough to become a set. He could, technically, brute force it by using his Master of Cards to carve entire new phrases into all three. It was about the same as trying to chisel a master-crafted poem into a block of stone with his mind. It would be technically doable using his skills, another magic card, and a whole load of mana¡­ but essentially impossible. Also, extremely prone to disintegrating the entire card. He had actually tried that a few times before. That was how he got his Card Integrity skill. That had been when he had messed up while working on a single card, and he practically had to hold the poor thing together with his willpower alone while he quickly worked to undo the changes he had made. The outcome from letting a card disintegrate was catastrophic. Not only would that remove the card from the world forever¡­ disintegrating and rotting cards spawned scourgelings. Using all these skills, of course, was butting up against pure magic¡­ which, unfortunately, his Master of Skills card did not cover. Not yet at least, Arthur thought ruefully. But if I can get my card repair skills up to level 50¡­ It was possible. A tall order. But it is possible. But right now, his mind was threatening to wander and that could spell disaster. He redoubled his efforts, but however he tried to approach the problem, the delicate matrices inside the cards wouldn¡¯t bend the way he wanted. It was like trying to put together pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that simply didn¡¯t fit. Arthur wasn¡¯t going to give up. He would hammer the jigsaw puzzle together if he had to¡­ or maybe cut it up into different parts and rearrange the entire puzzle. Or maybe some glue¡­ He was so intent on his goal that he ignored the outside world. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m coming at this all wrong,¡± he muttered, ¡°I could just add a phrase saying it¡¯s part of a new set¡ª¡± Abruptly, something shockingly cold and wet touched the back of his neck. Arthur flinched in his seat so far, he nearly fell over. He whirled to see Cressida holding out a wet face cloth to him. His first thought that this was some sort of prank went awry when he saw the look of concern on her face. Also, Cressida wasn¡¯t the pranking sort. Horatio, yes. Her? Not really. ¡°You¡¯re about to work yourself into a faint,¡± she said. Before Arthur could be indignant about that, she added, ¡°You¡¯re red as a tomato and sweating so badly I can smell you from ten feet away.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m not that¡ª¡± He looked down at himself and noticed the wetness on his shirt, especially around his armpits. Also, the skin on his forearm ¨C which was a little more tanned than usual thanks to his and Brixaby¡¯s flights to check on the status of the Dark Heart ¨C was flushed red like he was suffering from sunburn. Mildly mortified, he grabbed the cloth from her and dabbed at his soaking face. As he cooled, he realized the cloth had only been soaked with room temperature water, but it had felt like an ice-bath in his state. Cressida didn¡¯t say anything. She only left to the kitchen area of the work-barn Arthur had rented out for himself, Brixaby, and the retinue. She returned a moment later with a bucket of water and a ladle. Seeing it, he was taken by raging thirst. He dipped the ladle and drank eagerly. Despite the smell, she sat near him. ¡°Arthur, I know this is important, but working on these cards takes a lot out of you. I¡¯m worried that one day you¡¯ll overdo it.¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. He shook his head and made himself drink more slowly. Already, he was feeling much better. ¡°I can¡¯t slow down. There¡¯s too much to do. So much to get ready for.¡± He took a breath and tried not to let the self-doubt he felt show on his face. He had to be strong for her. For everyone. ¡°We need to be as strong as possible before we head back to our kingdom.¡± She looked at him for a long moment as if weighing his words. Then she said, lightly, ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll find out what Horatio¡¯s new card is before or after we get into our first fight back home?¡± Arthur rolled his eyes. His friend¡¯s secrecy over that card was getting annoying. He had picked it up from the Dark Heart¡¯s library, but still, it couldn¡¯t be that good. Cressida put her hand over his own. ¡°What are you trying to do here, really? Because I know you don¡¯t care about¡­¡± she glanced down. ¡°Book binding. Don¡¯t you have a skill for that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t, actually, but I¡¯ve been meaning to pick it up¡­¡± he trailed off as she gave him an unimpressed look for trying to change the subject. ¡°I¡­ wanted to make your cards into a real set.¡± ¡°My cards? Oh, the animal cards.¡± She smiled ruefully. Cressida had, by several strokes of luck helped along by the Dark Heart, come across very similar combat summon cards: A flame summon bear, water cranes, an earth hedgehog, and some mind-warping kittens. Her shadow messenger snakes were not among them, but Arthur already knew why. That card was closer to Cressida¡¯s Shadow Teleport than her combat animal summons. The summons were in completely different sets, though this was not entirely unexpected. It was said that every possible type of magical spell and ability was contained in cards. After seeing how many types of stone skin spell cards there were out there, Arthur believed it. No card was exactly the same: Even if it was off by a word, a letter, or even a bit of punctuation that gave an emphasis to a part phrase on the card versus another. So having different cards of animal summons did not mean they were of the same set. Except, in theory, Arthur should be able to change the rules and make them into a set. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to do that for me,¡± Cressida said. ¡°You should be working on your skills.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I am with the other 18 hours in my day. But Cressida, you don¡¯t understand how powerful a set can be. The powers overlap and strengthen one another.¡± She still looked skeptical, so he added, ¡°And having all your cards in a set means it only takes up one place in your heart deck.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose that will be useful. Being around you will turn anyone into a crazy card collector.¡± Then she looked harder at him. ¡°Your face is approaching a normal color again.¡± Arthur had to clamp down hard on his emotions not to allow embarrassment to redden his face all over again. He was supposed to be the leader, cool and collected. And not look like he had been sitting at his desk straining to relieve himself for hours on end, in front of a girl he¡­ admired. ¡°I¡¯m about ready to try again. I¡¯m fine, Cress. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± She studied him for a moment longer, then grimaced to herself. Before Arthur could stop her, she reached for her heart. ¡°Cressida!¡± He reached to grab her wrist. ¡°Don¡¯t¡ª¡± But she already had. Before he could stop her, she withdrew four cards from her own heart. This was a strain for anyone, and he had seen lesser people fall over and start seizing ¨C granted, that was when Brixaby had ripped the cards out of their hearts instead of giving them voluntarily. But still, it had to be painful. Cressida looked down at her four animal summon cards. Then, pale faced but determined, she swept the Commons to the side and placed her cards in front of Arthur in an elegant fan. ¡°Here.¡± Her voice was hoarse. ¡°If you¡¯re determined to do this, then stop fiddling around with Commons and work on the real things. You do have enough mana, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Cressida, I can¡¯t.¡± He gestured hopelessly to the Commons. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m practicing on these.¡± She gave the lesser ranked cards a sniff. ¡°Mine are much more alike than those. They barely have anything to do with one another¡ª¡± ¡°Which is why they make good practice,¡± Arthur interrupted. ¡°They¡¯re Commons, so they¡¯re much less powerful in case I¡ª¡± he swallowed. ¡°In case I screw up and they disintegrate.¡± Cressida closed her eyes, a delicate shudder running down her frame. No one liked the thought of cards that had been in your very heart gone forever. But when she opened her eyes, they were strong and steady. ¡°I have faith in you.¡± She held up a hand as he started to object. ¡°And we can¡¯t stay here much longer. The Dark Heart is starting to close, and more fights are breaking out through the city. They call it the reshuffling, but it¡¯s more like a giant power grab. We don¡¯t want to get caught up in it.¡± People who had grown more powerful thanks to cards they had found in the Dark Heart were now starting to flex their strength. That meant duels through the city -- when both sides were honorable, and assassinations when they weren¡¯t. Most disturbingly to Arthur, people were starting to band together in coalitions and take power by force. The only good news was that the Dark Heart had not ripened into a full-blown eruption. The people here had avoided that trap¡­ though Arthur suspected it had more to do with the Mythics attacking the Scourge-Gods than anything he and his retinue had done. Though removing so many Rares and a Legendary had likely helped some. In exchange for their help, the Mythic dragon, Lung Bei, had demanded Arthur return to Wolf Moon hive. He planned to stretch her patience as long as possible, but he and his retinue still needed to get a move on, as the people around here said. Sighing, Arthur looked down at Cressida¡¯s cards and knew that time was running out. She was right. He had practiced and if things got too hairy¡­ he could always reverse any changes and try again after more practice. He just hoped he was not about to make a huge mistake. Arthur grabbed a stack of mana chips from his Personal Space. He had originally bought them to power the oven in the barn. But Brixaby, who would eat anything that remotely smelled of power, had found that consuming the chips helped refresh his mana as well. Arthur had replaced his Mana Vault card into one of his new heart slots, but these chips would top him off to full. Also, they were pleasantly fizzy on his tongue. He took one more swig from the bucket, set it aside and said, ¡°No matter how red I get, or how bad my sweat is¡­ it¡¯s important you don¡¯t interrupt me.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t, and I¡¯ll make sure no one bothers you either.¡± Arthur nodded, and with another deep breath, concentrated on altering Cressida¡¯s cards. Book 5: Chapter 2 Outside of himself, Arthur was aware of people talking, quick shushes, and the occasional playful squeal of a new-hatched dragon. He had forgotten out loud and shrill the first few weeks after coming out of the shell. He put all of that aside and did not allow his concentration to waver from the cards.
New Body Enhancement Skill: Focus Under Pressure Due to your card¡¯s bonus traits, you automatically start this skill at level 5.
New Skill Level: Meditation (Insight Class) Level 19
He let the alerts for the new skills wash over him, though he was somewhat aware there had to be a connection between the two. He was in a state of focus so pure it almost felt meditative. It helped to know that any time his attention truly wavered, he was at risk of destroying Cressida¡¯s cards forever. Mechanically, Arthur popped more mana chips in his mouth. His draining mana vault was restored, and he continued on. Slowly¡ªever so slowly, like the ember of a coal burning its way across a wet page¡ªnew letters etched themselves into the card at the end of each description. And just as slowly, those new letters became words. It was much more than a change at the surface. Every swoop of a mark that would eventually make up a letter adjusted the card¡¯s matrix underneath. One bad move could start a chain reaction that would corrupt it and eventually cause the entire card to collapse. He was already further along than he had been with the practice cards, and he never could have gotten this far with one card ¨C much less all four at once ¨C if not for the fact there was an aspect of malleability to the cards he had never felt before. In a distant corner of his mind that was not utterly committed to the process, he realized that made sense. These cards had rested in Cressida¡¯s heart, and she wanted this to happen strongly enough that she would put herself at great risk. He had always thought of the heart growing and changing around the cards within it. Until now, it had never occurred to him that the reverse could be true. Finally ¨C finally ¨C the new line at the end of all four cards was complete. ¡°This card is part of the Animal Summoning set. Seek out new animal summons in order to complete this set.¡± It was a version of the same phrasing that was at the end of his Master set, and an indication that all the cards in the same set existed in the world. With a mental breath, he let go of his hold of the cards and felt the new phrasing settle into place within the matrix. It felt as satisfying as slipping in the last piece of a complicated puzzle. And, oddly, it felt just as well. As if the cards themselves had been waiting for this moment.
New Level Increased: Card Intuition (Card Smith class) Level 15
New level gained: Card Manipulation (Card Smith class) Level 9.
New level gained: Card Repair (Card Smith class) Level 7.
New level gained: Card Insight (Card Smith class) Level 6. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
New Skill Gained: Set Creation Due to your card¡¯s bonus traits, you automatically start this skill at level 5.
Suddenly, his focus shattered and the rest of the world outside of himself took on meaning again. He could smell the scent of burned food and charred spices in the air. Marion must have been trying to cook again, with Soledad adding her part with her emphasis on what she called ¡®southern spices¡¯. Closer, Cressida sat next to Arthur ¨C her body a warm line against his own. Brixaby, who had long ago returned from a hunt with Joy, sat on the other side. He growled something darkly under his breath, but Arthur felt too fuzzy to pick up on it. Speaking of that, he was soaking with sweat, yet his throat felt as dry as the deadened lands. His head pounded so hard that his vision swam in front of him. But none of that mattered because in front of him sat four cards of the same deck.
New Hidden Class Unlocked: Cardomancy You may combine these eight skills into the hidden Cardomancy class: Card Shuffling Card Counting Card Intuition Card Repair Card Insight Set Creation
As this is a hidden class, there are no average skill level requirements, and may draw upon skills already in existing classes. When equipped, card wielder will learn all Cardomancy Class levels at a 1.25 times rate in addition to existing skill bonuses. + 5 to Luck +3 Charisma + 20% efficiency to all mana-based cards in the heart deck. Enhanced synergy between all skills in this class.
Succeeding with the cards had already been worth it, but this was the icing on top. Cressida must have realized that he had come out of his extreme state of concentration. ¡°Arthur?¡± she asked gently, laying a hand on his shoulder. ¡°I did it,¡± Arthur said, and then promptly passed out. **** Arthur woke up laying flat on his back and staring right into the face of a Silver dragon. Asha was young and unusually fine boned, with a thin, delicate muzzle that emphasized luminous eyes. Like most hatchlings, except for Brixaby, Asha had started growing from the moment she broke her shell several weeks back. She was now the size of a large dog, and fairly intimidating as she practically stood on top of him grinning a dragon¡¯s smile full of teeth. ¡°I breathed on you,¡± Asha said. Considering that she had a powerful Breath of Healing card, this was no bad thing. ¡°Thank you?¡± Arthur croaked. He wasn¡¯t in a bed, he realized. He was lying on the floor ¨C he probably hadn¡¯t been out for more than a few minutes. ¡°I did my part, too,¡± Marion drawled. He stood nearby and tapped his dragon¡¯s shoulder to get her to move away from Arthur. ¡°You were suffering from dehydration, the beginnings of heat-stroke, and for some reason, a buildup of lactic acid in all your limbs.¡± Arthur stared at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It was as if you were running all day,¡± Marion clarified. ¡°I would have applied healing spells before you fainted, but I was told that may interrupt your concentration. No matter, how do you feel?¡± Arthur thought about it for a moment. ¡°Fine,¡± he said, a little surprised. It felt like he had just woken from a satisfying sleep. That must be Marion¡¯s Full-Body Polish card kicking in. Now that the weight of a young dragon was off him, he was able to sit up¡ªwhere he was surprised to see himself the center of attention from the rest of his retinue and his own dragon. Brixaby looked severely annoyed while Cressida was slightly teary. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have asked you to do that,¡± Cressida blurted out, as if she had been holding the words in by force alone. Arthur shook his head. He did not ask if the cards had truly become a set, because he felt that they had both in the last moments before he passed out, and most importantly, in her heart deck. Through his Master of Cards, he could feel the power of her cards more clearly than ever before. They acted as one, as a set. ¡°No, it was worth it. I got so many skill increases, and a new class,¡± he said, adding that last part to mollify Brixaby. ¡°It¡¯s a good one, too.¡± His dragon¡¯s blood-red eyes narrowed. ¡°You will tell me the details of his class later. Though¡­ if it is good, it might have been worth it to see you collapse.¡± He threw a truly evil look at Cressida. ¡°My rider has given you a gift. Be sure you use it well.¡± Or else, was heavily implied. She straightened, and though she still looked regretful, her noble pride wouldn¡¯t allow her to take the chastisement sitting down. ¡°I will.¡± Chin lifted, she made a slight motion with one finger. All her animal summons puffed into view. They were the same shapes Arthur was used to seeing, but now they looked more¡­ real. The flames on Whicker looked exactly like short fur with darker orange shadings along the joints of the legs as if the light were reaching those parts differently. The water cranes moved exactly like real birds and started to peck at hopeful crumbs on the floor. The spiked hedgehog appeared obediently by her ankles and stood on its hind legs to look up at her, its nose twitching back and forth. And the kittens¡­ Arthur had to look away from the adorable kittens as they tumbled together. If you gave them more than a brief glance, you would be watching them whether you wanted to or not. ¡°They can now draw power from one another,¡± Cressida said, ¡°and they use much less mana to summon and maintain.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Arthur got to his feet slowly, wary of any light-headedness or pain. There was neither. Between the Breath of Healing and the Body Polish, he was back to normal ¨C if completely drained of his own mana. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I think it¡¯s just about time we returned to our own kingdom.¡± He looked around at the others one by one, pausing for a moment on Soledad and her own dragon who stood off to the side. Equinox was the same age as Asha. As a red dragon, he had no problem playing with figurative fire and was watching the mind-capturing kittens with a dumbstruck look on his face, even though he knew better. Horatio stood off to the side, watching Arthur with his arms crossed. Arthur returned the look. ¡°Horatio, I know you¡¯ve been wanting to save the surprise, but it¡¯s past time we knew your card¡¯s power.¡± Horatio grinned ¨C with his long face and slightly crooked teeth, it wasn¡¯t the best look. But Soledad smiled back at him with a slightly sappy expression in her eyes. ¡°As a matter of fact,¡± Horatio said, ¡°I was going to show you today, though when I got back here, I saw you were trying to upstage me by doing the impossible and then swooning away.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t swoon¡ª¡± ¡°Right in Cressida¡¯s arms,¡± he confirmed. Then before Arthur could tell him off, he added, ¡°But if you insist, why don¡¯t you come outside. I¡¯ll show you what Sams and I have whipped up.¡± Book 5: Chapter 3 Arthur and the rest of his retinue headed out the barn to the back area which was not visible from the street. He was torn between amusement and exasperation. Honestly, Horatio could simply project an image of his card out to everyone so they could read it and understand what this supposed great power was within a few seconds. But the amused part noted how Horatio kept glancing at Soledad over and over. His friend wanted to impress the girl. Too bad for him, Soledad seemed to be more interested in corralling the exuberant Equinox to make sure he didn¡¯t run off after something interesting in the flighty way hatchling dragons commonly did. Equinox and Asha still hadn¡¯t gotten the hang of flight, and they probably wouldn¡¯t for some weeks yet. It would be longer still until they were large and strong enough to hold their riders. However, they were growing up nicely and Arthur was looking forward to them reaching their maturity and joining his retinue in full. So was Brixaby. He kept talking about how strong his retinue would be compared to Whitaker¡¯s Crag¡¯s bunch of toe-claw lickers. Arthur wasn¡¯t as confident as Crag¡¯s group would have dragons with decades of experience, but he wasn¡¯t about to burst Brixaby¡¯s bubble. And he couldn¡¯t argue that they weren¡¯t going to be impressive themselves. Horatio¡¯s dragon, a big yellow named Sams, was waiting outside the back for them. He snorted a greeting to them all. Around the corner of the barn and beyond, the streets were empty. It was a combination of a lot of people who were still working through the challenges of the dark heart ¨C though by now, most of them were likely never to return. Or those who had not gone in and had chosen instead to hide away, waiting for the next societal reshuffling to happen. Judging by the reports of the card-powered fights in the city center, they were right to find defensive positions. Arthur turned his mind away from that dark thought and focused on Horatio. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see what you got.¡± ¡°One thing real quick, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Horatio said and then activated his Rainbow Knight card. Colors played over his skin in varying geometric patterns that always made Arthur a little seasick to focus on for too long. This was a side effect of Horatio gathering what he called all the spectrums of light. By his side Sams, too, seemed to glow a brighter and brighter yellow. It should have contrasted with his purple belly, but if Horatio was to be believed, ¡®purple¡¯ was a sort of semi-invisible light spectrum, too. Arthur had no idea how it worked. Abruptly, the colors playing over Horatio¡¯s skin faded away and even Sams dimmed. Arthur waited for something ¨C a blinding flash of light, fireworks in the bright blue sky, or even a bunch of illusions. One could never tell with a light card wielder. Nothing happened at first. Except¡­ were the shadows growing deeper? Arthur glanced up, fully expecting to see a cloud pass between them and the sun. But the sky was entirely cloudless without even a bird to be seen. Yet it was definitely growing darker. The whole world felt like it was dimming by shades. He looked around and met eyes with Horatio who grinned back at him. The whites of his teeth were exceptionally vivid. In a world growing dimmer by the second, he and Sams were the only two who were still lit clearly. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he heard Asha ask Marion. The little Silver had pressed up against his leg and was looking around, scared. Marion put a hand on her head. ¡°It¡¯s only a light effect. It will be okay.¡± Joy glanced over to the hatchling and said shortly, ¡°His rider is just showing off his new card.¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Brixaby added, ¡°They are part of my retinue and showing us what our enemies will see¡­ or not see.¡± That was one interesting thing about dragons. Brixaby and Sams seemed to have taken over the basic teaching for the little hatchlings. While Joy generally seemed¡ªwell, not annoyed because she generally had a bubbly personality ¨C but apathetic. Like they were teammates who hadn¡¯t quite proven themselves worthy of the name yet. Arthur had heard that naturally, female dragons generally took care of the eggs while the males over the hatchlings. That was on display now. He glanced again at Brixaby and noticed that his dragon¡¯s blood-red gaze had not left Sams and Horatio. ¡°What is it?¡± Arthur asked. ¡°I¡¯m sensing¡­ void energy. This resonates with my first card.¡± Brixaby sounded rather impressed. He turned to Horatio. ¡°What exactly are you doing?¡± It was now as dusky as early evening and rapidly falling dark around them. Horatio and Sams were the clearest thing as far as Arthur could see. ¡°The first thing you should know is, when we use this card for real, you¡¯ll be able to see just as well as I can see you,¡± Horatio said. ¡°And that though it probably looks like the whole city is going dark, I¡¯ve just contained this effect to this yard.¡± ¡°Is that because you didn¡¯t want to panic the locals, or does it eat up that much mana?¡± Soledad asked in her blunt way. ¡°It is extremely mana intensive,¡± Sams said. Horatio grimaced. ¡°Yeah, okay, that might be part of the reason why it took me so long to reveal this all out to you. The problem is that it takes a steep mana kickstart.¡± ¡°They do sell mana chips here¡ª¡± Arthur started, but Horatio interrupted him. ¡°Won¡¯t work. It needs a light-type mana.¡± ¡°Mana can have types?¡± Cressida asked, and Arthur was glad he wasn¡¯t the only one who didn¡¯t know what. Horatio shrugged. ¡°Yeah, I guess. Which is why I needed to use Rainbow Knight to gather all that energy. Then I focus it on Sams who can use one of his cards to transfer that light to mana, which he then throws back to me. So, it takes a lot of setup. But when it¡¯s ready¡­¡± He snapped his fingers and suddenly it was as if all light had been sucked out of the world. It was complete and utter darkness, even more so than if Horatio had put out Arthur¡¯s eyes. Not even a hint of a shape to be seen. Feeling a sense of vertigo, Arthur threw out his arms and ended up smacking the back of his hand against the side of Brixaby¡¯s hide, who drew back in surprise. Judging by the shouts around him and the higher pitched shriek from Asha, he wasn¡¯t the only one disoriented. Horatio wasn¡¯t cruel and let it go on for a few seconds to make his point before light flooded back into the world. In some ways, that was even worse. Arthur was squinting, eyes watering like he was looking into the sun. Out of all of them, Marion looked the least taken aback by the card, and the most intrigued. ¡°And you say that it will be dark for enemies, but still light for allies?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Horatio said. ¡°As far as I can tell, my limit will be about twice as big as this yard.¡± Which was plenty big in itself, as it was able to fit all the dragons in it. Soledad broke into a smile. ¡°I like it. If anyone or anything messes with us, just plunge them into darkness.¡± ¡°Is that the plan?¡± Cressida asked pointedly, looking at Arthur. ¡°Will we be put into a position for people to, uh, ¡®mess with us¡¯?¡± The two women exchanged smiles that didn¡¯t seem friendly at all. Then all attention turned to Arthur. He had been avoiding answering this question, but now it was time. ¡°It will take us a few days to gather together all our supplies, but then we¡¯re going to head out.¡± He stopped right there because if Horatio could drag out his card reveal for a few weeks, he could do the same for a few measly seconds. Marion was the first to take the bait. ¡°And where, exactly, will we be going?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Brixaby and I have been talking¡­¡± Arthur said carefully. At that point, Brixaby decided to destroy his fun. ¡°There is little point going to Wolf Moon hive right away. The next card in my set is in Blood Moon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an ominous name,¡± Soledad said. ¡°But it¡¯s not like Wolf Mon is much better.¡± She stopped as he saw the dour expressions on Horatio and Cressida¡¯s face. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Blood Moon hive has a reputation,¡± Cressida said. ¡°Ohhh, didn¡¯t Shadow¡¯s former rider come from that hive?¡± Joy asked. ¡°That was Laird,¡± Arthur said. ¡°And he wasn¡¯t happy with that place at all, though he never pinpointed why, exactly. You all know I received some¡­ uh, abbreviated leadership training from Wolf Moon hive. From what they told me, Blood Moon keeps to themselves.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about them,¡± Cressida added. ¡°But my noble father never allowed any suitors to come from Blood Moon territories, even though it was supposed to be fertile land and easy to manage.¡± Sams rumbled. ¡°It has been long rumored that Blood Moon hive has a dedicated dragon hunting wing.¡± ¡°A what?¡± Arthur asked. Horatio answered, his voice grim. ¡°You know how Wolf Moon hive have the Lobos ¨C the purples and smaller blues who go around and rescue people out of an active eruption zone? Well, the dragon hunters are supposedly an assassination wing that picks off people who couldn¡¯t defend themselves to collect their cards.¡± ¡°There is no way the other leaders would allow that.¡± Horatio shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s just a rumor, but a strong one. I don¡¯t think they went after Rares. But if you were a Common who tackled eruptions by yourself¡­ you¡¯d have to watch your back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure it¡¯s just the Commons. I¡¯ve seen something like that before,¡± Arthur said. ¡°Back when I was a kid during my first eruption. Two dragons came out of nowhere and took out a Rare Pink. I didn¡¯t know enough to look for hive markings.¡± Horatio shook his head. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have had any markings on them ¨C no one wants the dragon hunters tied back to them.¡± He gave his friend a look. ¡°You know I¡¯ll follow you anywhere. I¡¯ve already traveled across the world, but¡­ Are you sure about Blood Moon hive?¡± ¡°Brix¡¯s next card is there,¡± Arthur said, steeling himself. ¡°So, yes.¡± All The Skill Book 4 Out Now! Silly me, I didn''t ever make the official announcement. All The Skills: Book 4 is out on Kindle and Audiobook (as ever, read by the talented Luke Daniels.) Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. They arrive in a land both familiar and strange. A continent where there have been no dragons for generations. One where human civilization now exists in shrinking cities that are increasingly squeezed in by dead lands. Here, the bold and desperate risk it all for the promise of cards. Arthur, Brixaby, and their newly reunited retinue will need every trick they can pull from their decks. In the core of the city rests the dark heart of an ancient scourgling eruption¡ªand it¡¯s reawakening. This once-in-a-decade opportunity offers new powers, secrets to the origins of scourglings, and high-level cards for the taking¡­ for those brave enough to delve deep, and survive. It may also be the key for Arthur to complete his Master card set. Amazon Audible Book 5: Chapter 4 ¡°Are you sure about this, Brixaby?¡± Cressida asked a few days later. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anyone directing a portal spell who wasn¡¯t the caster.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m certain,¡± Brixaby puffed up as if he had been insulted. ¡°It is my card.¡± They were all gathered out behind the barn. Only Arthur, Cressida and their dragons were going to go on this expedition, and Arthur would have liked to think that the rest were there to see them off. He suspected most, especially Horatio, were just morbidly curious about how Brixaby¡¯s strange portal card worked. ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be any firm rule in the description of who can direct the card,¡± Arthur said. He gave his dragon a hard look. ¡°Just who the wielder thinks is worthy. I don¡¯t think anybody has seen something like your card before.¡± ¡°It is exceptionally unique,¡± Brixaby said. ¡°It is exceptionally disturbing,¡± Horatio muttered. ¡°Let me take a look at that card again,¡± Soledad said. Brixaby, who was always more than happy to show off, projected his card out for all to see.
Void Portal Portal Rare The wielder of this card will contact an otherworldly vision of death to open a temporary tear in the world. From there, a rowboat will conduct those who the wielder finds worthy to the destination of the passenger¡¯s choosing. Beware of the visions of death in the stars. Those who are strong of mind and convictions have little to fear. The transit uses a minimum amount of mana. The true cost is the journey.
¡°Yep, that¡¯s really weird,¡± Soledad said. ¡°No wonder it was locked up in the Dark Heart¡¯s library. Maybe you should have left it there.¡± He flared his wings in annoyance. ¡°Perhaps it was kept there because it was a truly powerful card!¡± Cressida¡¯s worries had taken another direction. ¡°Truly, none of you have ever been to the Central Cities?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me,¡± Soledad said. ¡°I¡¯ve never been to your crazy kingdom before.¡± ¡°I was talking to Marion,¡± she said pointedly. ¡°I have,¡± Sams said, ¡°but I do not see a reason for me to go there when the littler hatchlings need to be looked over.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been to the central cities since I was a small child,¡± Marion admitted. ¡°Offspring of the king all live in separate cities, and not encouraged to move around a lot. And the city that I was born in was just outside the ring.¡± Cressida got an odd look on her face. It must have struck her as strange that a minor noble like her could have been more widly traveled than a prince. But judging by Marion¡¯s stories, being a prince wasn¡¯t all it was cracked up to be. For his part, Marion looked distinctly uncomfortable, and Arthur could guess why. He probably could be a help in the Central Cities, but he was hesitant to go. Arthur couldn¡¯t blame him. No one wanted to be within striking distance of the king, or most importantly, his Mythic dragon. Arthur was taking enough of a risk by going there himself. That part couldn¡¯t be avoided, though. He refused to send someone anywhere he would not go himself. Besides, this was only a brief trip. The real gamble would be when he and his entire retinue went to Blood Moon. Arthur looked at Soledad. ¡°Your job while I¡¯m gone is to get a translation tattoo from Dannill. Make sure he gives you one for all the languages he has, but especially double check for the Faberg¨¦ kingdom. Don¡¯t let him charge you. He can take payment out of what he owes me.¡± What supplies Arthur had rung from Dannill had to be nowhere near the profit the man was making selling their likenesses. Apparently, dragons were a big hit in the city of New Houston, and Arthur had already fielded several questions about how people of wealth could get one of their own, as if they were pets. He had shut that down hard enough that Dannill had not asked again. She gave him a sloppy solute. ¡°I¡¯ll be speaking your weird language in no time. Equinox, too.¡± With a nod, Arthur turned to Horatio. ¡°You and Sams are in charge while I¡¯m gone, though I don¡¯t expect for this to take more than half a day.¡± ¡°You may be gone longer,¡± Marion said pedantically. ¡°After all, the sun hits the planet at different points.¡± Soledad scrunched up her nose. ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll learn that as a dragon rider,¡± Cressida told her. ¡°Our kingdom is vast. When you go through a portal in one place, the sun might be in a completely different position somewhere else.¡± ¡°It¡¯s full day here, but it could be midnight there,¡± Marion said. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°Well, that can¡¯t be helped,¡± Arthur said. ¡°I won¡¯t be gone for more than twenty-four hours regardless.¡± ¡°Why would the sun do that?¡± Soledad asked. Marion turned to her, stunned. ¡°I was under the impression that you were a sort of noble in your old home. Did they not give you an education?¡± ¡°Of course they did, but we didn¡¯t talk about the sun...¡± Arthur left them to their bickering. ¡°All right, Brixaby, let¡¯s get this over with. Go ahead and cast the portal.¡± Most portal powers were fairly standard -- they usually involved ripping or blasting a hole in the fabric of reality that would create a tunnel which would punch out somewhere else. Some, like the Sun Ring portal he¡¯d once seen when dealing with the king was a much smoother transition. But almost all of them required a massive amount of mana to make it work. Some portal card wielders even had additional support units just to channel them mana to keep the portal open. In contrast, Brixaby¡¯s portal needed very little mana... but with weirder side effects. Arthur hoped it was worth it. Brixaby took a breath, and with a gesture, cast the portal out in front of them. For a moment, Arthur thought that Horatio had taken the opportunity to play a prank and cast his darkness card again. All around them, the world seemed to dim without dimming. It was as if the shadows behind the barn structure had crept longer across the ground. A chill wind blew in out of nowhere and yet went right down his collar, traveling the length of his spine. Arthur shuddered and glanced over to Cressida to find her eyes wide, her skin gone pale with her freckles standing out. Then, a dark rift opened like curtains that were swept away from a window. Beyond sat a world washed in black and white. It was a dark, gloomy forest bordered by a river of silvery water. In front of them stood a dock with a simple rowboat made of bone-white wood. A being gowned in long robes sat on the bow of the rowboat and gestured to them to come forward with a skeletal hand. ¡°You know, I was a little jealous about not coming with you, but you guys have at it,¡± Horatio said. Arthur shot him a look and muttered, ¡°You¡¯re going to have to take this portal sooner or later if you want to get back to our kingdom.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll go the long way.¡± Brixaby growled, ¡°The longer this portal is open, the more mana it spends.¡± Then, as if to prove that he was not afraid of the eerie sight, he walked through. ¡°Cressida, are you sure?¡± Joy asked in a stage whisper. ¡°That looks really spooky.¡± ¡°Come on, dear,¡± Cressida said, and stepped forward. So did Arthur. With a sigh, Joy followed. The moment that Joy¡¯s tail was through the other side, the portal snapped shut. They stood on the dock, and strangely, without Arthur even noticing how or when, the rowboat had expanded large enough to fit a dragon the size of Joy. The robed being turned to look at them, but if there was a face underneath the hood, it was completely lost in shadow. ¡°Where?¡± it asked in a rattling hiss. Without hesitation, Cressida stepped forward, and Arthur couldn¡¯t help but admire her for her bravery. ¡°Just outside the ring of Central Cities.¡± ¡°Picture it,¡± the thing in the robes rattled. She must have because a golden beam of light sparked to life down the river. It was the only color in the world. The robed being gestured for them to get into the rowboat. They did, and it was odd to feel how sturdy it was. It didn¡¯t even rock or sink in the water when Joy scrambled aboard. The moment they sat, the rower picked up two normal-sized oars and started rowing. Such small paddles shouldn¡¯t have moved them at all, but within moments, they were skimming across the silvery water. It would have been an interesting ride, except for the horrifying shapes made from the stars. The stars shifted and danced around them, creating visions of dead bodies, of dragons falling from the sky, their mouths agape in silent screams, of scourgling hordes that were on the verge of overtaking a city. Cressida squeezed her eyes shut, and Arthur focused intensely on the boat. ¡°So... do you transport a lot of people like this?¡± Joy asked the rower, clearly trying to start a friendly conversation. Her voice shook. ¡°You¡¯re quite good at it.¡± The rower ignored her. They moved so swiftly that the golden light at the end of the river resolved itself to a scene of a brilliant sunset overlooking farm fields. Or... perhaps it was sunrise, Arthur couldn¡¯t tell. All he knew was he desperately wanted to be there, and not here in the strange in-between world. Finally, they pulled up to the dock. They piled out in a hurry, each anxious to get out of there. The moment Arthur¡¯s foot landed on the dock, he found himself standing out in that golden field. The cool air, the chitter of birds, the fresh breeze told him that this was dawn. That terrible black and white world and the rower were gone, and everybody was here with them He turned to Brixaby, ¡°What kind of card is that?¡± ¡°It uses very little mana,¡± Brixaby said defensively, ¡°We moved all the way across the world, and yet I am still nearly full.¡± ¡°I am finding another portal card,¡± Cressida said. Brixaby looked to Joy, who always had something positive to say even the most horrible situations. She shook her head, her eyes wide. ¡°I didn¡¯t like that very much,¡± which was a denouncement from the bubbly dragon. Arthur turned away to have a look around. From maps he¡¯d seen, his kingdom was more or less a blobby circle, with the hives and their cities about two-thirds of the way in. Larger settlements and cities dotted closer and closer until the center, which was a tight ring of connecting cities. This one stood on the horizon, several miles away. Its tall buildings looked like a thorn bush from afar. They must have been made of glass or crystal because they glittered in the morning sun. Off in the very far distance was another thorny set of buildings. The next in the tight central ring. ¡°I put us just outside the ring,¡± Cressida said. ¡°It should be closer than it looks, there is a little bit of fog in the air, and that doesn¡¯t help.¡± ¡°You did perfect,¡± he said and took a moment to inhale. The air smelled like home. He turned to Brixaby and Joy. ¡°All right, it¡¯s time to split up.¡± Brixaby reached into his Personal Space and handed Arthur a small stack of excess cards including a few pairs Arthur had experimented on. ¡°Do try to not lose these,¡± Brixaby said, ¡°they represent all of our wealth.¡± ¡°If we can find what we¡¯re looking for,¡± Arthur said, ¡°they¡¯ll be worth it.¡± He glanced between Brixaby and Joy. Truth to tell, he would have liked to leave Joy back in New Houston just to make sure that another eye was kept on the hatchling dragons. However, Joy wouldn¡¯t have wanted Cressida to go anywhere without her, and more importantly the pink dragon had a modulating influence on Brixaby. ¡°I want you two to fly as a pair as if you¡¯re on a hive patrol, but don¡¯t interact with any other dragons.¡± ¡°What is the phrase Soledad is so fond of?¡± Brixaby asked, ¡°Don¡¯t teach my mother how to suck eggs?¡± Arthur grinned at him. ¡°With any luck, we¡¯ll find what we¡¯re looking for ¨C- a card to help us either break into or blend in with Blood moon hive.¡± Brixaby wasn¡¯t the biggest fan of this plan, but as a Legendary pair, any move they made on another hive was automatically political with far reaching effects. But finding a card that would hide or obscure an identity, would be expensive, and more than likely on a black market. There had been nothing of the like in New Houston. The dragons took off into the sky, and Arthur turned to Cressida. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll find what we¡¯re looking for?¡± ¡°I¡¯m half tempted to toss the plan away and get a different portal card instead,¡± she muttered, but then she shook her head. ¡°But... yes, there are more card shops here than anywhere else. If it¡¯s not here, then it¡¯s nowhere.¡± He held out his arm to her. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to go properly card shopping.¡± Grinning, she took it. Arm in arm, they walked to the city. Book 5: Chapter 5 - Home Again Arthur walked into a city not surrounded by walls, but merely guarded by bored men who were stationed at points along the roads. They were easily avoided, but he and Cressida didn''t bother. Aside from wearing clothing in slightly strange color combinations, as they had come from another kingdom, the two of them weren''t noticeable if they didn''t have their dragons. Once inside the city proper, Arthur looked around. A sense of rightness fell over him like a finely fitting cloak. Yes, the translation skills he had received across the world were invaluable and he had leveled them quite high thanks to practice... but there was nothing quite like being home. The air was scented with familiar spices that made his mouth water. The signs weren''t in odd languages he had to think about translating. Far off, he heard several very, very late-night drunks singing songs in a bar. One had such a good voice he expected it may be card assisted. He found he already knew the lyrics, courtesy of his time spent in Moon Hive City. Then the far-off lyrics took a turn to the bawdy. He and Cressida exchanged a look and a laugh. With a grin, she held out her arm and he took it. "Come on. Let me show you the city." "And get something to eat," Arthur said. "I could use a taste of home." Her smile broadened. "That too." It wasn''t exactly home. Wolf Moon Hive sat far, far to the north in a wholly different climate with different grown foods and slightly different customs... but it was a lot closer than he had gotten recently. He and Cressida stopped at a small vendor''s cart that sold a type of breakfast pastry with egg baked in. And, wonder upon wonders, they bought three rolls for only a copper. Thanks to the dark heart, so much wealth had poured into New Houston in such a short period of time that prices for all goods had skyrocketed. Some vendors were even charging card shards for meals. Of course, word quickly got around about which vendors were fat and rich in shards. Before long, those greedy ones often found themselves the target of newly powerful gangs and crime families. Sheriffs and under-sheriffs were now busy vying for the top spots in the city and not paying too much attention to simple theft. Not to mention most of the people who were supposed to enforce order had gone down to the Dark Heart to get stronger... and not many had come back. Cressida touched his shoulder. "What''s wrong?" He started, realizing while he''d been wool gathering, he had outwardly been staring at the warm breakfast roll in his hands like it had personally slighted him. "Nothing," he said quickly, but then at her look admitted, "I was thinking of New Houston." He half expected her to ask for more detail, but a pensive look came over her face. "I''ll be glad when we''re fully away from there... but I also feel bad for leaving." "Me too." There were so many things he wanted to add -- chief of which was that he and Cressida, with the help of their dragons -- had a good shot at taking over the city if they wanted. But that would mean abandoning the goal of completing his and Brixaby''s card sets, of going back on his word to the Mythic dragons who had saved them, and likely, of defeating the scourgelings. Besides, if he and Brixaby took over, one of the first things they would have to do would be to close that Dark Heart forever... and that might just doom the city¡¯s economy. Realizing he was about to circle back into useless dark thoughts, he quickly took a bite of the breakfast roll... and regretted it. Yes, there was egg, and butter, and way, way too much flour. It was dry with the pastry so overcooked that it was on the verge of being chewy. I could make something better in my sleep, he thought. Even if my Baking skill isn''t as high as my Cooking. That was one unexpected side effect from leveling his Cooking skills so high. His sense of taste had developed right along with it. And this... this was hard to swallow. ¡°Does your breakfast roll taste funny¡­¡± he started to ask, but then trailed off. "No." She had taken several more bites in the time that it had taken him to choke down one. "Why? Do you taste something off?" "It''s a little... overdone," he said to be polite. She smiled. "You sound like one of my sisters. ''Oh, the cooks overbaked my pie. I couldn''t possibly eat it now!''". He grinned back, realizing he had come a long way from the half-starved boy in the border village who didn''t know the names of many vegetables. That still didn''t mean he had to eat bad food. There was a beggar in an alleyway not too far away, still asleep under some blankets. Arthur walked over and placed the remaining roll near his head so he would see it when he woke up. Yes, he had taken a bite out of it, but that was nothing to someone who was truly hungry. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. He returned to Cressida. "Shall we?" "Yes, the shops should be open soon. Let''s--" She was stopped by the roar of a dragon. Arthur''s heart skipped a beat as his gaze shot upward. A pink dragon flew overhead and for a moment he thought Joy had disobeyed him and decided to soar over the city. But no. Except for her green arm, Joy was ridiculously, almost eye-blindingly pink with a shimmer quality to her scales which gave her a metallic edge. This dragon was also very, very pink, though it was shading to red, and its scales were matte, without the shimmer quality. After a second look, Arthur saw from the set of the horns and the thicker jaw, that it was male. The pink dragon curved in air and flew back over again, roaring out at the top of his lungs and surely waking anyone within hearing distance. Cressida gripped his arm. "He¡¯s carrying a rider. Can you see which hive he''s from?" "No, the angle''s wrong." Most riders--not all, but any who could afford it -- had their hive designation sewn onto saddle pads which were draped down the sides of the neck. It made identifying who was who much easier in the middle of an eruption. Alarmed, Arthur twisted to look around. "You think there¡¯s an eruption going on?" Cressida looked suddenly concerned. "I don''t feel any shaking." "No," he agreed. Plus, other than the dragon above them, the city had a quiet air about it. Almost sleepy at this time in the morning. That would not be the case if there was a scourgling eruption nearby. Not to mention all the Hives would be out in full force. Not only a single dragon. The moment he had that thought, there was another roar distantly behind. Arthur looked around until he saw a light blue dragon approaching from the south. It was followed by another, a brown that was larger than all the rest and female. As the brown flew overhead, Arthur felt the strength of the cards from its deck in a way he didn''t often feel. It felt like it could be a Rare -- one that was stuffed with cards. "What''s going on?" Cressida said over the sound of beating wings. All the dragons had taken to circling the city, roaring. "Have they found our dragons?" "No, look, they''re peeling off and heading further into the city. Brix and Joy are the other direction." He hesitated, watching them fly off. "I want to follow them. Whatever they''re up to, I want to see it." Cressida nodded and took his arm, glancing around. "I''ll see what I can do. Hold on and just try not to look at anything." "What--" Cressida pulled him into a shadow. They were gone in the next moment, transported somewhere down the street. Arthur barely had time to glance around before she stepped again, and they came through another shadow. Then another. She would only stop long enough to grab a glimpse of the next shadow along their path before she would whisk them away again. Arthur barely had time to get his bearings before the world would change around him. His stomach lurched every time and to his alarm he started to feel nauseated. He closed his eyes. That helped because he couldn''t actually feel the jump from one point to another. It was like taking a step forward, stopping, and then taking another step. Finally, the steps came to an end. Arthur opened his eyes to find himself at the edge of a linen market deep within the dawn shadow of a tall brick building. Cressida bent down with her hands on her knees, taking panting breaths. "That¡¯s as far as I can go." Arthur nodded, his mind still whirling. He took a dizzying step to the side and ended up having to reach out and grab a nearby empty cart just to get ahold of something stable. "I''m out of mana," Cressida continued, still breathing hard. "But look!" She pointed. They had caught up with the blue dragon, which was impressive considering that a dragon flew much faster than a person without card assistance could run. Arthur nodded. "When you get mana, send a message to Brix and Joy and remind them to stay put. Catch up when you can." Then he took off in a jog. At his level of Running Skill, 29, that jog was the speed equal to a full out run. They had reached what he assumed was a rich area, which meant that the buildings were not built so close together. That gave him plenty of alleyways to dart through. Nevertheless, a dragon even at slow flight moved much faster than a person. The one he was following pulled further and further away. Then before he lost sight of it, the dragon slowed and started to circle in the air. In fact, all three were now making circuits over a point in the city. Likely looking for a place to land, he thought and slowed to a quick walk, turning down one corner after another. Each of those dragons was full grown and at least the size of Sams so it wasn''t a surprise they would have trouble finding open area in the middle of a city. He was well within a shopping district now. More and more people were coming out of their homes for the start of a brand-new day. He saw quite a few of these glance up to the sky, take note of the circling dragons, and then turn right around and return inside, shutting the door behind them. Arthur finally caught up and found that the dragons were circling above a large open-air courtyard, busy with people who were setting up booths for the day. It reminded him of some of the open shopping areas in New Houston -- what people called a flea market. Only instead of something ad-hoc or run by families who were looking to declutter their homes, it looked like most of these vendors had been here for years. They set up with brisk efficiency... and with more than a few quick scowls aimed upward. Most of the booths and tents were made of colorful fabric that would not do well against dragon wingbeats. Arthur assumed that was why the dragons were taking such a long time to pick out their landing places. He was wrong. Abruptly, three person-sized lights flashed in the middle of the courtyard -- some card spell that was so strong it felt Rare level. A moment later, those three lights contracted to reveal three people. No, three riders, because they immediately looked up to their dragons and made the universal hive gesture of ''all is well''. The dragons did not peel off. They continued to circle, though they climbed higher in elevation which would make it a little easier to stay aloft due thermals and currents. They were clearly keeping watch, though. Of the three riders, two were male, one was female, and all wore a large patch on their right shoulders of a red gradient full moon on their right shoulders. Silver at the top that slowly darkened to deep red at the bottom like blood settling in a bowl. Blood Moon Hive riders. Book 5 Ch 6 - Dragon In a Fabric Shop That took Arthur aback. This can''t be a coincidence, can it? Brixaby''s Legendary card insisted the next in his set was in Blood Moon Hive, and then Brixaby''s portal card took him to a place Blood Moon Hive riders should not be. They were currently in the central ring of the kingdom while their hive was toward the Eastern edge. Arthur dismissed that thought in the next moment. No, this had to be chance. Realizing he was staring at the riders while everyone else was busily, obviously, not looking, he quickly activated his Stealth skills. Though he didn¡¯t use all of them because he did not want to risk disappearing completely. That would attract anyone who was looking out for trouble. Just enough to blend into the crowd slowly filling the courtyard: Concealment, Silent Movement and the general Stealth skill. He watched the riders from a distance and observed how fearless they were while approaching the vendors, and how nervous the vendors were in return. Goods passed from the merchant¡¯s hands to the riders. Every time something was passed to the brown rider, the goods would disappear in a flash of light. He was the one with transportation card, then. That was a little odd because usually people who linked themselves with brown dragons specialized in Earth-type cards... though Arthur knew better than most that no rider was required to keep a heart deck pure. He was just considering this when Cressida caught up with him. She was a little out of breath and still looked somewhat pale from using so much mana, but otherwise she seemed alright. "Those are the riders," he said, nodding to them. She followed his gaze and frowned. "I would have guessed that much even if you hadn''t pointed them out. Everyone''s staying as well clear of them as if they were high nobles." "Like they''re dangerous," Arthur agreed grimly. "They''ve received a lot from the stalls selling luxury goods, but I haven''t seen any coins pass between them." Her lips pressed into a thin line. "They could be working off of Hive credit. Should we move closer?" "Yes, but slowly. I want to be able to memorize their faces... I don''t want them to recognize us later." They meandered to stalls which were closer to the riders, taking a path that would eventually lead them to cross the same paths. But they weren''t quite able to get within hearing range before a ruckus broke out between the pink rider and one of the vendors. Arthur and Cressida exchanged a look and Arthur said, "I need to hear this." Then, taking the chance that all attention would be on the increasingly loud argument and not on himself, he slipped fully into Stealth. It didn''t make him invisible, but he was supremely unnoticed as he moved closer. He wasn''t the only one who had gone to intercept. The blue and brown rider stepped up to stand on either side of the pink rider. "What is going on here?" the brown rider said. "Sir," the vendor objected. "I was showing my wares, but this bolt of cloth has already been purchased. It is not for sale." "I want it," the pink rider sniffed. Arthur could see why. The bolt was a fine dark fabric that had a rainbow of glittering glass beads sown in. It was a little gaudy for his tastes, but he could imagine a dragon like Joy would love it. The blue''s rider huffed. "I don''t see what the problem is, here. Our Hive always pays its bills." "Sir, it''s not a matter of money. It''s special ordered--" The vendor was cut off by screams from mid-courtyard. Arthur caught a flash of pink right above his head. Well-honed instinct made him drop to the ground, belly first. It was a good thing he did because a massive dragon landed nearly right on top of him with a thud that shook the ground. For a moment, Arthur could only stare at the pale pink belly a couple feet above his head, try to reconcile how that had happened -- how a dragon could be so brazen and foolish as to land right on someone -- and then remember. ... Right. He was using Stealth skills. The dragon hadn¡¯t seen him. He rolled away and stood. Luckily for him, a dragon landing in the middle of a busy courtyard full of people tended to create a lot of chaos. So, when he dropped his Stealth skills, no one seemed to notice him seemingly appearing out of nowhere. He staggered back in time to see the pink dragon snake his head around and bare teeth that were easily as long as a man''s arm toward the poor vendor. Meanwhile, other tents and booths had been half knocked over by the wind of the dragon''s arrival and by people scrambling to get away. The poor vendor held out the bolt of fabric. "H-here. Take it!" The pink''s rider took it with a smile. "That''s what I thought." He looked at the brown''s rider. "I''m tired of this district. May we move on, sir?" The man waited a beat while the vendor quaked. Then, in a drawl the rider said, "Yes. I trust next time we come the purchase, my retinue rider won''t be denied anything he can rightfully pay for?" "N-no, sir!" the vendor stammered. The brown rider made a gesture and there was again that bright flash of light. The three riders disappeared. The pink''s rider moved only a few feet and now sat astride his dragon, while the others appeared up above on their circling dragons. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Cressida reached Arthur just as the pink took off. They sheltered together, half bowed against the rush of wind from flapping wings. It seemed to Arthur that the pink was deliberately directing wind gusts to hit the courtyard. Dragons had ways to rotate their wings so that not all the force of wind was directed downward on takeoff... but only if they wanted. He seethed. Tents were disrupted and damaged by the wind. Goods were dirtied by the dust kicked up, and many people had fled the shopping courtyard in fear. And for what? A gaudy bolt of cloth? Worse was that almost as soon as the dragon was safely in the sky, people were rushing back and forth to put everything back into place. They were used to this and were already planning to recover and go about the rest of their day. The poor fabric vendor got some of the worst of it. Once pristine bolts of fabric were now dusty. Most would need to be washed. The look on his face was wretched, and Arthur wondered how "disappointed" the noble who special ordered the fabric would be with him. On impulse, Arthur used his Stealth and skills to step beside the man. Others had come to help at least put things back into place, so no one took notice of him. He activated his not-often-used Pickpocketing skill and brought an Uncommon shard from his Personal Space, slipping it into the man''s side pocket. He would find it later, perhaps tonight. Arthur knew this wasn''t his problem, this wasn''t his crime and those weren''t his riders... but he would do all he could to help. He went back to Cressida. "Let¡¯s get out of here." As they exited the shopping area, Cressida looked back. "Arthur, what exactly are we getting ourselves into with Blood Moon Hive?" "I don''t know," Arthur replied. "But I''m starting to wonder if there''s more than one reason why Brixaby''s card led us there." **** Arthur was distracted as he and Cressida walked down the street away from the market square. He kept glancing up at the sky and squinting suspiciously at every bird that flew by at a distance. Luckily, they were only birds and there was no sign of more dragons ¨C his own or more Blood Moon Hive. Cressida nudged him with her elbow. "You''re using your Stealth skills, aren''t you? Drop them." He stared at her for a moment, confused, and then double-checked and realized, yes, in his anxiety and need not to be seen, he was leaning heavily on several of his Stealth skills without fully realizing it. He¡¯d never done that before. "How did you know?" he asked, immediately relaxing his hold on them. "Because you''re flicking in and out of my attention, and that is drawing people''s eyes this way," she said pointedly. "Right towards me." Before he could reply, Cressida pointed straight ahead to a tiny corner shop. "I don''t think that we''re going to find exactly what we''re looking for, but that looks like a good place to start." He followed her gaze and saw the entrance of a small card shop that sat on the corner of a building. The sign showed prominently the sickle and wheat stalk of a farmer. A farming card shop? he thought dubiously. But as he and Cressida walked in, he realized that was indeed the case. It was a small boutique shop without much space¡ªonly a few shelves with the cards locked away behind clear cases which were etched with runic security. The card shop owner might deal with humble farmers, but he was no fool. There were additional etchings surrounding the door, and he had no doubt many of those were card anchors triggered directly to trap cards. All was to stop thieves from making out with any goods. The card shop owner sat behind a counter which was parallel to the door, perfect for viewing who came in and out. At their entrance, he stood at once. "May I help you, sir? Ma''am? Miss?" Cressida stepped forward and began asking him about higher-end cards. Meanwhile, Arthur browsed what was available on the shelves. Most were Common and Uncommon, focused on land management and growing things. There was an Uncommon card that fixed nitrogen in the soil for an entire growing season, though the mana cost per acre was enormous. Another Common allowed the wielder to highlight all ripe produce that was ready for harvesting in the wielder¡¯s vision. One card that caught his attention was a Common that nudged its wielder toward any wild growing healing herbs. That might do well for Marion with his healing-based deck. Arthur considered it for a moment and figured he would come back later for that card if nothing else caught his attention today. It was about that time Cressida finished her conversation with the storekeeper and signaled to Arthur that they should move on. Once outside, she said quietly, "He suggested another shop called Scribbles, which is down a couple of blocks." He was both surprised and distrustful that it should be so easy. "You think they have what we''re looking for?" She shook her head. "No, but he thinks that they may know somebody who can get us on the right path. It seems the city is full of these small, very specialized card shops. Oh, there are larger, more general shops," she added, anticipating his question, "but those are for the average buyer. Stuffed full of Common cards. He thinks the owner of Scribbles might have a lead on something better." He nodded and as they came up to the next shop, he made sure to activate his Charming Gentle-Person card. Cressida was going to take the lead here and do most of the talking as she had grown up as a noble and knew how to navigate these circles and how to politely ask for something without quite asking. But it couldn''t hurt to have his fair share of charisma as well. Scribbles was a card shop dedicated to scribes. The cards which caught his attention allowed someone to effortlessly perform calligraphy using mana or even use mana instead of ink to write. The person with that could would never need a refill on ink ever again. There was even a card to flawlessly translate documents from one language to another, though Arthur didn¡¯t need that with his skills. As he browsed, again, Cressida went to the front and struck up a conversation, insinuating what they needed without coming out and saying it ¨C that they were looking for portal cards and illusions to obscure identities. The shopkeeper was no fool and focused on the last bit, pretending not to notice that Cressida was seeking the exact type of card that thieves would normally want. "The rare and unusual..." The shopkeeper, a squat little woman, pretended to think for a moment, though Arthur sensed she already had something in mind. "Yes, I may have somebody in mind. But to let you up front, what you''re asking for is not inexpensive." In answer, Arthur stepped up to the counter and took out a now linked set pair that he had been working on using his Master of Cards. "We have cards that are quite unusual, too." He kept them out long enough for the shopkeeper to understand that they were a pair¡ªwhich was not only rare but highly restricted in the kingdom¡ªbefore he slid them back into his Personal Space. Then, before she could react, he pulled out another set, this time, three of a kind. She licked her lips. "No shop in this city will have what you''re asking for. You should look in private collections." Which meant the libraries that city nobles would have. It made sense that they''d have the best of the best. "Is somebody currently selling from their collection?" Cressida asked. "¡­ Perhaps," the shopkeeper said with quite a lot of hesitation. Arthur knew how to take care of that. He slid a Rare card shard across the table. Quick as a snake, she reached out and grabbed it, sliding it up her sleeve. Her hesitation vanished. "Let me ask around to my contacts. Return on the hour, and I should know one way or another." Book 5 Ch 7 - Knocked Down A Rung The promise of cards for sale could easily be a trap. Once they were out of sight, Cressida left the shop and sent a discreet shadow message to Brixaby and Joy, telling them roughly what they were up to and to wait at their prearranged location. If they did not send another message three hours from now, their dragons would come looking for them. And by "looking," this city would shortly have a Legendary dragon tearing buildings apart. One who had a card who could seek out anything he wanted. Cressida frowned when Arthur pointed that out. "If this deal ends up being a dead end," she said, "do you think that Brixaby could use the seeker card to find what we need?" "I could use it," Arthur said, "since our decks are linked... but it wouldn¡¯t be my first choice. It doesn''t work well when the question is nebulous. It sent us to the Dark Heart, but didn''t tell us that it was a trap by Scourge-God.¡± He thought for a moment, considering her question a little further, then shook his head. ¡°No, I don''t think I could ask it for what we need, plus what''s also for sale." "And within our price range," she said with a smile. Then she shrugged. "If we find something that fits the job, we could always steal it." He winced. He''d always had... reservations about using his Thief class and abilities. Though it hadn¡¯t stopped him from stealing more than once. ¡°Let¡¯s see what They arrived at the agreed time only to find a horse-drawn cart waiting for them. It was built so securely that it was just shy of a security cart with no way to see into the darkened windows. Arthur hesitated, but Cressida climbed right in, so he followed. He trusted her judgment. While sitting, the door closed behind them. It turned out the windows were blacked out from the inside as well. The only source of illumination was a softly glowing card-anchor light. "Why even bother having windows in the first place?" he muttered, looking around. "It''s all about aesthetics," Cressida replied. Outside, someone barked an order to the horses, and they began to move. "I don''t like this," Arthur said, "they didn''t tell us which house is selling the cards, or where they''re taking us." She gave him a patient look. "Well, they wouldn''t, would they? Selling cards is considered an admission that your noble house isn''t doing well. The fact that they allowed people, strangers like us without a background to come in and peruse through their collection..." She shook her head. "Someone is in dire straits." Another concern struck him. "Is there any possibility it could be the Rowantree family?" Cressida looked briefly alarmed, then shook her head. "No, surely not. The chances of that are... no. Noble houses rise and fall all the time, Arthur." He wished he could feel comforted by that, but he didn''t know much about the Rowantree family, including where in the kingdom they were. His overactive imagination showed him pictures of Penn greeting them at the end of this carriage ride. If that were the case¡­ they would likely fight, like in the visions he had in his meditative state: The realization that he would someday have to face Penn to complete his Master set. If his cousin was somehow waiting at the end of this trip, he would surely try to kill Arthur. Not if I don''t get to him first, Arthur told himself, grimly. **** The cart was driven for an alarming length of time, likely to try to confuse anyone who was trying to use a card to map the way to their destination. While Arthur¡¯s anxiety ratcheted up, Cressida looked calm. She sat primly with her hands in her lap as if she had all the time in the world. Then again, there¡¯s little chance we¡¯re going to her ancestral family house, Arthur thought sourly. Then he had to remind himself, Little chance that we''re going to mine. My luck is not that bad, surely. Finally, the carriage pulled to a stop and the door opened. Light poured in, along with humid air thick with the scent of flowers. Blinking against the light, Arthur saw they had come to a stop at the edge of a grand garden that seemed to be in full bloom, with bushes and blooms in a rainbow of colors, several times their normal size. Even though the noble family was in financial trouble, they were still able to hire people to manage their estates. The middle-aged man who stood in front of them looked prim and wholly unfamiliar to Arthur. Nor did he have any reaction upon seeing Arthur or Cressida, as if he recognized either of them. Arthur let out a breath. ¡°Follow me,¡± the man said. Then without introducing himself or saying anything more, he led them down closely grown garden paths. These pathways, too, were winding. Arthur quickly lost his sense of direction. There was no signage or indication whose estate this could be. Nor were there any gardeners or servants around. Arthur glanced up and nearly stopped in surprise. Way, way up ¨C so high that the shapes could be mistaken for birds ¨C were two draconic shapes. They flew so high, in fact, it was impossible to tell the colors. But the fact that one was very small, and the other larger, told him what he needed to know. Brixaby and Joy had followed them. Arthur quickly looked down again. Cressida hadn¡¯t noticed his distraction, and the man leading them had not looked back once. He carefully did not glance up to double check and make sure he saw correctly the first time. Finally, they came to a single standing brick building. Their host stayed silent until they were led in. This too, was bare of any ornamentation as if no one wanted to risk identifying themselves. It was dark, only lit by a single torch, with a thin rug laid out that had seen better days. Arthur had seen nicer furnishings on the lowest levels of Wolf Moon hive. It seemed that this noble family had indeed fallen on hard times. Once the door was closed behind them, the man turned. "Now," he said, brisk and efficient and without any warmth at all. This was entirely a business transaction. "Tell me what kind of cards you''re seeking." "You weren''t told?" Cressida asked. He made a rude noise through his long nose. "There were several intermediaries between your contact and the master of this house. Details could easily become distorted between them." You aren''t the head of this family? Arthur thought but asked, "We are looking for something unusual you can''t get anywhere else. Will we be allowed to peruse what you have?" This was met by a scathing glance. "Certainly not." He knew had taken a misstep. In nearly the same moment, Cressida quickly stepped in. "We are not trying to discover the identity of this house. It''s just that what we''re looking for can''t be easily found." "You would have a better chance of getting what you need if you told me," the man said, growing visibly more annoyed. Arthur and Cressida exchanged a look, and he saw his own thoughts reflected on her face. There was no help for it other than to be up front. "Two main items," Arthur said, "A portal card¡ª" He didn''t actually care about the portal card, but that was unusual enough and he knew Cressida would enjoy not having to use Brixaby''s Dark Ferryman card again. "¡ªAnd a card able to hide or obscure identities. Also, if you have it, anything to do with healing or lava." The man ignored the last bit and focused on the main point. "Obscure identities," he repeated. "Something stealth based, perhaps?" "No, not to hide. To change. I need to make someone look... different," Arthur said. "And this card must work within a high ranked heart deck." "How high?" the man asked with narrowed eyes. Arthur hesitated, but he had already come this far. "Legendary." The man rocked back on his heels. "So," he said with disdain, "another noble house has sunk to thievery." Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Arthur could see why he could have come to that conclusion. With his Acting skill nudging him along, he decided to go along with it. "That''s none of your business. Besides, you¡¯re the one selling your private reserve of cards. It seems you''ve fallen quite far, yourself." "He doesn''t mean that," Cressida said, trying to disarm the conversation. But the man ignored her. "It''s true my master has fallen on hard times, but he has never lost his honor. He has suffered for it." His top lip curled. "The king takes what he wants, when he wants. The local officials have their ''special taxes'' too. And now the dragon riders have all but become brigands themselves. We are not the only house who have been put in such a position¡ª" He cut himself off with a snap of teeth as if he knew he was in danger of falling into a truly scathing rant. But his outburst had given Arthur a moment to recenter himself, too. He wasn''t here to argue, and he did feel a bit of sympathy after seeing the Blood Moon rider''s behavior. "What does your master need in exchange?" he said, trying to steer the conversation back to civil ground, "in terms of cards?" The man''s eyes narrowed a degree further and Arthur wondered if he had gone too far¡ªif he and Cressida were about to be thrown out. Well, if that was the case, they would find their way back and raid the place. But... he''d rather not. Finally, the man seemed to have come to a decision. "My master does not need cheap spells or effects. No, he needs cards he can quickly turn back into wealth. The eruption three months ago occurred on rather profitable farms. Now nothing will grow for miles around it." "There''s an entire card shop of farming related¡ª" "Do you think we haven''t tried that?" he said with such venom that Arthur knew he was not speaking to a servant or an underling. No, this felt too personal, the frustration too sharp. He was speaking to one of the true nobles of the house. Perhaps even the house head. "The land is utterly desiccated. With it, any future hope of income." Over a simple eruption? It wasn''t unheard of, but it meant that it must have taken a while for the hives to get a handle of the scourglings. Also... "The hives aren''t providing dragon soil to repair the land?" Arthur asked. The man shot him a look he could not quite read. "The cost is not something my master is willing to pay." That was disturbing. Usually Hives could not get rid of the stuff fast enough. A fully grown dragon produced a lot of waste. Though Arthur couldn''t go into that without revealing that he was, of course, a dragon rider. "I think I have what your master needs," Arthur said. "But it comes at a risk. I assume you know what you can do with these." Then he produced his two sets of cards. "Ah," the man said, his eyes glittering. Illicit items always sold for more on various black markets. They were equally as risky to try to fence, but Arthur assumed by the precautions shown here that the noble would know a way to sell them safely. The man considered them for a moment and then nodded. "We may have what you need. Stay here," he added with a warning look, "and do not go anywhere else. Snooping around would be a very bad idea." He pointed imperiously to two simple chairs that were set toward the back, half in the shadows. Then he turned and stalked further down the hall¡ªa hall that was completely black, without a hint of illumination. Arthur¡¯s Night Vision enhancement had trouble seeing through the darkness. Either the man had a specialized card in his deck, or he knew the way by heart. No doubt that hallway was filled with traps. He and Cressida exchanged a look, then took a seat. "You get the feeling that man is under a lot of stress?" Arthur asked, very quietly. She smiled slightly, then shook her head. "I wish I knew what eruption he was talking about. Arthur, I get the feeling a lot has happened in the kingdom since we left... and none of it has been good." He nodded. Cressida continued. "But yes, if a scourge-eruption happened in the middle of their lands on some of their most productive fields, that would be enough to destroy many old noble houses. Being under some stress is an understatement." "And the hives are withholding dragon soil..." Arthur murmured. "Why?" She had no answer, and the only ones he could think of were unpleasant: Because dragon soil which had been treated out in the sun for a year could revive any lands which had been killed by the scourgelings. What if there was no longer enough to go around? Eruptions had been increasing in frequency slowly and steadily even before they left the kingdom. But the Hives had a handle on it. Had that changed? The man soon returned with a stack of cards. And though it looked like he had returned alone, Arthur felt that curious sense of being watched by someone else. It was as if his Stealth skill was itching at him. He couldn''t tell where the other person was, only that they were nearby and that they, too, had a version of his class. Likely, they were hiding in the dark. Arthur hoped it was the man''s bodyguard and not an assassin, but he kept a light thought on his defensive cards just in case. The noble gestured them to a table and started laying out the cards. The first was a basic healing card. As in, the actual name was ''Basic Healing: Tier 1'' which contained enough skills to form an actual magical healing class. It wasn''t better than the cards Marion and his dragon had. Nor could Arthur use it himself since it had a magical aspect. His Master of Skills restricted those until he reached tier 50. The next card was an Uncommon portal type, but it only opened dimensional rifts large enough for hands and smaller objects to enter and retract. This was a card meant for thieves. Arthur wasn''t tempted... if only for the fact that he could do almost the same thing at short distances with his Phase In, Phase Out. However, the next card was very, very interesting. "Of course we would hardly have a Legendary rank card," the noble said diffidently as he slid the new card across the table. Even Arthur knew this was a flat out lie. They had Legendary cards, but the King was just as interested in monitoring that distribution of strong power as he was any pairs, three-of-a-kind, or more. This house''s Legendries were no doubt nestled in the heart decks of the top members of the main bloodline. Arthur didn''t blame them for not wanting to sell those, but¡ª His idle thoughts screeched to a halt as he read the card.
Knocked Down A Rung Illusion Rare The wielder of this card will have the unique ability to obscure power within their own heart deck. By every indication, they will appear one rank lower than the strongest card in their deck. This produces the following result. Mythic = Legendary Appearance Legendary = Rare Appearance Rare = Uncommon Appearance Uncommon = Common Appearance Common = Empty deck In addition, this Rare ranked card will not contribute to the overall strength of a heart deck. A Common rank user may add it and still remain Common. Cost is 500 mana one time use to obscure the wielder with an additional 500 mana one time for any additional person the wielder wishes to obscure. A one-time cost of 100 mana per additional person per hour is required to upkeep this illusion.
That was a lot of mana. So much, in fact, that Arthur would be hard pressed to scrounge up enough to cover himself plus one another person for the initial cost. Much less the ongoing mana drain. Still... it was nearly perfect for his needs. Nearly. He realized he had been staring at the card in thought when their host gave a polite cough. He started in surprise and so did Cressida. She had been staring in disbelief as well. Arthur was the first to recover. "That card is out of the ordinary." "You did say you were seeking something unique," the man replied with a smile that told Arthur he knew exactly how interested he was. "It''s not perfect." Arthur squared his shoulders. "It only changes the feeling of a person, and not everyone can tell the difference between someone with Common cards in their heart deck and someone with a Rare." In fact, he had only been getting the knack since bonding with Brixaby. "People of importance are trained in such a way, and I assume that is who you wish to fool,¡± the man shot back. People of importance. Yes, like the leaders of Blood Moon Hive. Perhaps Arthur and Cressida had shown too much interest because the man''s top lip ticked upward in a tight smile. "I will sell this card to you for your pair and three of a kind." "One card for five?" Cressida''s voice was flat. "Linked cards? That''s outrageous." He spread his hands as if he were a reasonable man who had been put into an unreasonable situation. "You can search this city and out of it as thoroughly as you wish, but I guarantee you will never find a card equal to this one." That was a bold statement, and likely a false one. It was said there were as many cards as there were magical spells. There were uncountable thousands of Earth-type manipulation cards, for example. But none of them were exactly alike, even if the differences between them were subtle. Cressida swelled in indignation, and Arthur didn''t think that her anger was feigned. It was true that this man had priced the card extremely high, but Arthur thought the price was worth it. He cut across her reply. "While this card may be unique, it doesn''t fill all our requirements." He reached out and tapped the line that described the extreme mana costs. "This makes it unusable for most people, and while the card will change the feeling of someone, it won''t change how they look. Even people of rank have eyes. I need something able to obscure an identity, not just a feeling." The man''s smile turned sly, and Arthur suspected he had been waiting for that question. Though he had probably wanted to off balance them before pulling out the real high cards. "I may have a solution for you." With that he produced a wooden box so abruptly and elegantly, it had to have been stored in a dimensional space. He opened the lid. Within it sat two more cards.
Mana Generator X2 Meta Rare This card gives the wielder the singular ability to generate passive mana from the environment and then instantly double that mana. This mana cannot be stored by this card and must be used through either a channeling effect or a secondary mana card or collection device.
The second card was more in line of what Arthur had been originally looking for. Though now, compared to the Knocked Down A Rung card, it seemed a little lacking.
One Important Change Uncommon Illusion The wielder of this card will be able, by means of light-based illusion, to flawlessly change a single aspect of their outer appearance. This is a light-based illusion and will have no physical effect on the environment. The illusion may be changed once every sundown.
No surprise that this was an Uncommon and not a Rare. It was very much a work-horse type of card. It would get the job done and no more, no less. Arthur took a look at the spread of cards on the table, including the miniature portal card. "I''ll take them all for the pair and the three of a kind." The man''s eyes glittered even as he huffed. "I cannot possibly sell these valuable cards for so little..." The two of them immediately got to the business of haggling. Book 5 Ch 8 - Reapers After all was done, hands shaken, and cards exchanged, Arthur and Cressida were led back through the garden. The sense he received from someone so close to him in Stealth faded when they left the building. It had been a bodyguard, then. But it was extremely useful to know he was now aware of such things. Arthur intended to focus on his Stealth class next and get as many of those skills up to 50, now he knew of the extra benefits. Again, they were taken on what Arthur was certain was a round-about-way meant to confuse and make them lose their sense of direction. Arthur hardly cared. The new cards felt somehow warm in his Personal Space, and he was buzzing with excitement. This was it. This was exactly what they needed to sneak into Blood Moon Hive and come back out again. Brixaby''s next card had never felt so close. Cressida, meanwhile, was visibly unenthused. Arthur waited until they got back into the carriage, and they were a bit on their return journey to ask, "What''s wrong? You didn''t actually want that miniature portal card, did you?" Part of the back-and-forth haggling meant leaving out that portal card. Arthur hadn''t particularly cared. He had only included it to start from a stronger position. She shook her head. "No, I was just... Well, it''s silly but I was hoping we would somehow stumble across more Shadow cards, though I knew better than to ask outright for them. There aren''t many young redheaded women dragon riders who have used that openly. It''s just..." She heaved a sigh. "I know you have the ability to alter cards, but you truly paid a princely sum for what we received." He had overpaid, she meant. By a lot. He shrugged. "I can always make more sets now. Those were just practice, you know that." She nodded, though again, seemed discontented. As if she were waiting for him to say something more. Arthur gulped, and though they had been riding in this carriage together ¨C close together ¨C for some time, he was aware all over again that they were alone. Together. His skin felt like it was buzzing and he wondered what would happen if he reached over and took her hand. No, hand holding was for children. What if he slipped beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. Too forward? Should he pretend to yawn and then if she acted badly, he could pretend it was a joke, and¡ª Sudden commotion outside interrupted his thought spiral: The thunder of hooves from many horses all around the carriage along with muffled yells. Arthur looked around but of course he couldn''t see outside the darkened windows. The carriage suddenly stopped, making him and Cressida lurch forward. And suddenly he was holding her, but only for a moment as they regained their balance. He felt her pulse thundering under her skin, but then she straightened and lurched out of his grasp. Outside, words were exchanged. They were too muffled for Arthur to understand what they were, but the emotion behind them was clear: Someone angry and stressed was giving orders, and someone who was probably the carriage driver was hastily agreeing. Cressida looked alarmed. "Should I get my shield?" Her mana shield was effective, but expensive in mana. "No," Arthur said after a thought. "I think we''re being robbed." He found he wasn¡¯t that alarmed, or really, even that surprised. She let out a slightly strained laugh. "I''d guessed that!" He smiled. "As soon as they open this door, I want you to shadow teleport out of here and get somewhere behind them. Out of their line of sight." "Okay." She reached for him, but this time he was the one who drew back. "No, you''re not taking me. If they attack, then come at them from behind." He smiled grimly. "I''m going to have a few questions for them." Then he pulled out razor edged metal shards from the inventory in his Personal Space. He had filed the shards down to the thinnest, most vicious point he could. Using his Nice Shot card, those shards attached to his torso with the duller end down and the sharp ends up. But he wasn''t done. Next came knives. Butchers knives, more flexible filet knives, and steak knives which, again, had been filed down to a sharpness that no sane chef would need. His Knife Work with his newer telekinesis aspect merged, allowing him to control the knives in a circle around his body. It looked impressive, if he did say so himself. Which was why he didn''t appreciate Cressida''s doubtful look. "We won''t need any of that if I just use my shields." He smiled grimly at her. "Yes, but I have some questions for them. I want to know what¡¯s really been happening in the kingdom over the last few months." ¡°The eruption?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think the nobles are the ones to tell the whole truth, do you?¡± She still looked hesitant, but at that moment the door handle rattled. There was no complicated lock, and it was yanked open a few moments later. It was dark in the carriage, which gave the intruders a pause as their sight adjusted. In that moment, Cressida used her shadow teleport ability and was gone. Arthur focused on the two men poking their heads through the door. They were rough-looking, but not hard-bitten in the way that suggested career bandits. Though from the dirt on their clothes, they were used to rough work. One sneered as he saw Arthur with his collection of knives. The other, older and more dignified, was a bit calmer, almost tired looking. He wore a simple hat that was just a covering for his head -- not like the large, wide-brimmed hats of New Houston. This was a simple curved top that had flaps down to the ears. He looked at Arthur and said calmly, "We have your carriage surrounded. You''re to turn over any cards not in your heart deck. If you resist, we''ll kill you and harvest the ones in your heart deck before we leave." No mention of Cressida. They had not known she was riding with him. Had this been a random attack? "Who are you?" Arthur asked. "Were you hired by the noble we just left?" Despite what he had said to Cressida, his main concern was that these were dragon riders who came to find the riders of Brixaby and Joy. But no rider would dress like a simple farmer. So he pushed that from his mind. His second worry was that he had been set up from the noble who they just purchased from. That seemed much more likely. The sneering man spat to the side. "We''re not answering any of your questions, sir." The last word was as venomous as an insult, and told Arthur the man thought he was a noble. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The calmer man sighed as if he had hoped it wouldn''t come to this. "Show him." Now the sneerer smirked and held up his palm which cackled with motes of lightning. Arthur felt the power -- probably a strong Uncommon -- clearly. And he was close enough for Arthur''s Counterfeit card to pick up on it. New Counterfeit spell obtained: Levinbolt Remaining Time: 11 Hours 59 Minutes 59 Seconds "I see you have some fancy weapons there. Well, I have lightning. You know what a metallic conductor is?" As a matter of fact, Arthur did. He learned all sorts of strange technical terms in his time during that Dark Heart challenge. "I do," Arthur said. "Though you''re using the term slightly wrong. But it''s not going to get that far." "Why¡ª" the man started to say, and then was interrupted quite dramatically. Arthur had been stalling for time. That ended as a flash of purple so dark it looked black swept by on a buzz of wings, picked up the calmer of the two men ¨C who happened to be the largest ¨C swept upward, and then dropped him from fifteen feet high. The man had time to let out a short, panicked scream before he hit the ground and crumpled. It wasn''t a fatal blow, but it certainly was enough to stun. The sneering man turned with wide eyes and shot the lightning in his palm out at Brixaby. It was far too late for that as, with a rush of wind from large, eye-searingly pink wings, Joy landed between them and blocked the bolt with a sweep of her green arm. She rarely used the nullification aspect of her arm, but it worked well when she did. The other would-be bandits started to come to the leader''s defense, and suddenly had to contend with a crackling flame bear that roared and swiped a paw of fire at anyone who came close. Arthur went to the carriage door and looked out. In those few seconds, the few men who had fled, could. The others had put their backs to the carriage with their hands up in surrender. Except for the unlucky man Brixaby had caught. He lay flat on the ground with an enraged dragon bent over and yelling in his face. "You dare to threaten my rider? I should tear out those pathetic Uncommons I smell in your heart and eat them in front of you!" The man gurgled something and had his hands up as if in surrender. His pants were unfortunately wet. "Thank you, Brix," Arthur called. "Hold him there for a moment." Then he stepped out and looked at the carriage driver who was doing everything he could to control panicked horses who were not happy about dragons being so close. Arthur suspected he had some beast card power to keep them in place because they danced and shook their heads like they were fighting silent orders. "Go, get out of here," Arthur told the driver. "We have these men handled." "Yes, m''Lord!" The man snapped his reins and Arthur was close enough for his counterfeit card to activate again. New Counterfeit spell obtained: Tier 2 Beast Control Remaining Time: 71 Hours 59 Minutes 59 Seconds He''d been right. The carriage thundered down the lane and the driver didn''t look back once. They had to be in gentleman''s country, or between Noble estates. The road ahead and behind was clear, lined with wild growing hedges, with no witnesses in sight. So much the better. Arthur walked to the man Brixaby had dropped. He still looked dazed and wet from the waist down, but he didn''t seem to be hurt. "Are you the leader?" Arthur asked. The man held up open palms. "My lord, I... I... Forgive us, we were desperate." "I''ll take that as a yes." He looked at the man a moment, then at the others. All were dressed similarly in simple peasant garb. He double checked to make sure Cressida had the menacing of the others in hand. Easy to do with a dragon at her back and a fire bear summon. Then he turned back to the leader. "You didn''t put up much of a fight. With the exception of the one with the Levinbolt card, none of you have any combat cards, do you?" He didn''t wait for the man to answer. "Are you farmers?" Cautiously, the man sat up, and when Arthur didn''t object, he nodded. "We were farmers, but I swear the rest of my family had nothing to do with today¡ª" Arthur cut him off with a sweep of his hand. "I don''t care about your family, but I have questions. What happened here?" "I... I don''t understand, sir," said the farmer who looked to be twice Arthur''s age. Arthur decided on another track. "What is your name?" "Kirun, sir." "Why are you and your friends not tending your fields, Kirun?" If anything, this garnered more confusion. "Begging your pardon, dragon rider?" But the look in his eyes told Arthur him what he needed to know. It said, ''You are a dragon rider. Shouldn''t you know?¡¯ Arthur let a touch of his Subtle Influence into his voice. Just to give his words weight and help calm the man down so he would speak. "I want to hear from your point of view." "The... the eruption happened on our lands," he began haltingly. When Arthur didn''t interrupt, he went on. "Me and my family got out in time, thanks to the dragon riders in fact. I... I don''t know which Hive helped, if you beg my pardon. But it was a rider with a dragon a little bigger than that fellow there." He nodded at Brixaby. "Only purple." "I am a purple, fool!" Brixaby snapped back, all teeth. Clearly he was in no forgiving mood. Kirun shrunk back. "And after the eruption?" Arthur pressed. "Well..." He paused, likely knowing what he was about to say would not be taken well. It was one of the other men who yelled with long banked anger in his voice. "There was nothing for us to return to, was there? It was all swallowed up in the cone!" Which meant that they had been very close to the eruption, indeed. Cressida spoke up. "Your noble didn''t offer you new lands? Didn''t help you to resettle?" This time Kirun took up the conversation. "There was nowhere for us to go to, was there? But... to tell the truth, rider, not all of us lost our land. M¡¯family was more well off than most, and we could have taken some in, but..." "But?" Arthur pressed. The way the man was hesitating made him think there was something even worse he wanted to say. And after seeing what the Blood Moon Hive riders had been like in the city, he feared what it would be. "The lands are dead," the man said in a low whisper. "For miles and miles all around the cone. And no one even with a soil restoration card can seem to fix it. Then the children, and those who''d never bothered to get a card in t¡¯hearts, started getting sick. A lot had to leave." Arthur nodded and let a trace of sympathy enter his voice. "I''ve seen that." Again came that hesitation before Kirun mustered up his courage and plowed on. "Before that, though, the dragon riders came." "To fight the scourglings?" Arthur asked sharply. Sometimes hotspots could flare up after a bad eruption, and from what he had heard so far, this was a particularly nasty one. "That''s what they said, but not before they cleaned out some of my men''s homes. Said they needed supplies." Finally, anger had triumphed over fear and Kirun looked ready to spit. "M¡¯family has had five generations on that land, and we had had stored carefully and well for all kinds of disasters. But now no one has anything to spare, and we''ve got too many mouths to feed." That caused Arthur to look at the man again and he realized he very well may be talking to a very minor one who was responsible for his patch of land, and that of his neighbors, and had to report to his own noble... one who was likely so destitute that he was now emptying out his card library to make up the costs. "The riders who asked your people for supplies," Arthur said, putting emphasis on the word. Though he knew it was theft. "Were they wearing a Blood Moon Hive insignia? A red moon, darker on the bottom?" The man hesitated once again. At this point, Arthur was becoming frustrated. It was one thing to be cautious, it was another to be this¡­ timid. But before he could prod the man along, he shook his head. ¡°Forgive me, I don¡¯t know the insignias of the hives as well as I should. The badges they wore had snakes on them.¡± ¡°Not snakes,¡± Cressida corrected with a sigh. ¡°Worms. Worm Moon Hive.¡± So, it seemed Blood Moon wasn¡¯t the only ones taking advantage of those who could not fight back. How widespread was this practice? But that didn¡¯t matter a jot to these poor farmers who had been kicked while they were down from the people who should have protected them. He looked at Kirun. ¡°If you could ask anything from your noble to help you get back on your feet again, what would it be?¡± The man considered for a moment as he slowly stood to his feet. He seemed to draw confidence, and a bit of pride, from being able to look Arthur eye to eye. ¡°Not all the land is lost,¡± he said, considering. ¡°There are patches and corners that are not deadened. But we grew wheat and corn, y¡¯see. Which means that we need acres. If we no longer have that¡­ well, then we¡¯ve got to switch crops and grow something profitable that requires less land, but maybe more tending.¡± Arthur could well imagine that their nobles, who were hurting financially, didn¡¯t exactly have the funds to invest in expensive or valuable seed crops. Luckily, Arthur had a solution to that. He grinned. ¡°And here I was worried you wanted to pick up and move to a new area all together.¡± ¡°This is m¡¯home,¡± Kuron said. ¡°All of our homes. We aren¡¯t going anywhere ¨C one day the dragon soil will come and the land will be reborn. I¡¯m determined that as many of my family and the people under me will live to see it.¡± ¡°I assume you have people with the cards to force grow crops?¡± ¡°We do.¡± Arthur nodded and then reached into his Personal Space and brought out a red bushel. The plant had been dried out in the sun on the vine and then tied together with twine. The leaves were dead, brown husks. In contrast, the warty thumb sized vegetable on the end was so brilliant it was as if it stood as a warning for others not to eat it. But people, being people, they did. Kirun squinted and looked close. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°They¡¯re from another kingdom,¡± Arthur said. ¡°They call them reapers.¡± ¡°Ugh, I hate those things,¡± Cressida said. ¡°I love them!¡± Joy licked her chops. ¡°Especially crushed up and sprinkled on meat.¡± ¡°Or cooked in sauce,¡± Brixaby added. Arthur pushed the bushel at the man. ¡°They¡¯re a type of pepper. I suggest you try them very, very carefully.¡± He paused. ¡°And perhaps handle them with gloves. People will either love or hate them, but I guarantee a little of these will go a long way.¡± Book 5 Ch 9 - You May Live ¡°I am uncertain I approve of letting them live,¡± Brixaby grumped ¡ª loud enough for the men below to hear ¡ª as he took to the sky with Arthur astride his neck. ¡°They attacked you. We should leave only one behind, cardless, as a warning of what happens when anyone touches my rider.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t their fault,¡± Arthur said. But then he had to admit. ¡°Well, I mean, it was. And it certainly wasn¡¯t a mistake. It was a choice. But Brix, they were driven by desperation.¡± The dragon snorted. He sighed. ¡°If I find out this group has been attacking people on the road again after I¡¯ve given them the means to save themselves and possibly become wealthy by introducing a new pepper to the market... then you can raze their homes to the ground. How¡¯s that?¡± The dragon thought about this for a few moments. ¡°I like that very much.¡± Arthur patted his neck. He only felt comfortable making that promise because, by the look in Kirun¡¯s eye, he had nothing to worry about. Once the farmer-turned-bandit had realized what he had been given, he¡¯d been properly thankful. Almost groveling, which had been uncomfortable. Turning his mind from that, Arthur signaled Brixaby to move higher into the sky. ¡°They said there had been an eruption nearby. I want to see the cone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s to the southwest,¡± Brixaby said. ¡°Joy and I saw glimpses of it.¡± He looked around and saw nothing. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, while the sky looks clear, there is much moisture which makes it deceptively hazy,¡± Brixaby said with all the confidence of a creature born to fly. Arthur kept a careful look around, and once or twice had to tell Brixaby to slow to allow Joy ¡ª who had a different wing configuration with only two wings to Brixaby¡¯s four, and who couldn¡¯t simply buzz straight upward ¡ª to catch up. Luckily, there was no sign of other dragons in the sky. It seemed the hives only did their raiding in the mornings before the vendors had time to properly set up. That was¡­ odd. ... Or they¡¯re busy elsewhere with another eruption, he thought with an internal frown. Soon enough, though, he picked up the vague darker triangle of an eruption cone rising out of a mildly hilly horizon. It started as a shadow, which grew deeper by the moment as the dragons flew closer. When it was fully resolved, he was shocked to see the size of it. The cone had grown so high that the top gathered its own clouds. Brixaby hovered in place, and when Joy caught up, Arthur and Cressida spoke via shouting. Arthur gestured with an out-flung hand to the cone. ¡°Look at the size of it! It took them too long to get that eruption under control!¡± She nodded. ¡°Do you think a Legendary came out of it?¡± ¡°No,¡± he called back after a moment¡¯s thought. ¡°They usually destroy the top when they crawl out, right? It¡¯s still intact.¡± This high up, he could see the brown to gray shading of where the land had already withered and died. The new dead lands started not far from where they flew and continued right up to the base of the scourge-cone. However, there were patches here and there that, out of luck, survived and were still green. They were islands out in a vast sea in a barren desert. He directed the dragons to land in one of these patches, which was thick with trees on the borders, yet grassy in the middle. Surrounded by dead lands, he was certain that they wouldn¡¯t be watched or overheard. The moment he dismounted, Brixaby turned to him eagerly. His previously foul mood was forgotten. ¡°I smell the new cards on you. What did you get? Something good, I hope?¡± Arthur was still half-inclined to lecture the dragons about following the carriage. They had disobeyed them entirely. But... Brixaby¡¯s timing on capturing Kirun had been perfect. He and Joy had worked like a seamless team. Also, he appreciated that his greedy dragon hadn¡¯t ripped any new cards from the bandits¡¯ chests. So, he put it aside for the moment. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for Joy to land.¡± Brixaby danced from foot to foot in impatience, looking uncharacteristically young. Finally, when Joy landed and Cressida was on the ground, Arthur put him out of his misery. ¡°Actually, one of the cards is for you, Brix.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Cressida said. ¡°You¡¯re not taking it for yourself?¡± ¡°No. Well,¡± he hedged, ¡°Brixaby and I share a linked deck. You know that. We¡¯ll both be using two of the cards. But everyone will get the benefits of the main card.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± she said. Brixaby exploded. ¡°Enough talking around the cards. Show them to me!¡± He sounded like a starving man seeing a meal wheeled in for him¡ªone he could not touch¡ªand the way he hovered over Arthur might have been threatening if he didn¡¯t know his dragon so well. Come to think of it, because he knew Brixaby it was fairly threatening. But Arthur was used to that. With a flourish, he brought out the Knockback card. Brixaby immediately snatched it from his hand. His dragon¡¯s expression went from devious to horrified. ¡°This cannot mean...¡± ¡°Yep,¡± Arthur said, entirely enjoying himself. He pulled out the illusion card and the mana generator. Brixaby was smart enough to understand how all three could work together without him pointing it out. ¡°You¡¯ll be visiting Blood Moon hive as a Rare. A very purple Rare.¡± **** They returned to their base in New Houston that night, via Brixaby¡¯s Ferryman Portal. No one was especially thrilled about the voyage. Especially when the Ferryman seemed to look right at Arthur and ask. ¡°Did you get what you came for?¡± in a rattling voice, as if the wind from his chest had to bypass shattered ribs. ¡°Uh, I did. Yeah,¡± he said, taken aback. ¡°I look forward to the results.¡± With that, the Ferryman pushed the boat off the dock and started down the river while screaming nightmarish figures formed in the sky overhead. Joy did her best at small talk, but the Ferryman once again ignored her attempts. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. They arrived at the converted barn late into the night, where all found their beds and slept deeply. Not only did everyone need the rest, but Arthur wanted to give Brixaby time to become used to the idea that he would play the part of a lesser ranked dragon. He expected a lot of pushback. However, when Brixaby realized that everyone else would be brought down a rank as well ¡ª from Rare to Uncommon ¡ª he was surprisingly okay with the idea. All was well, as long as he maintained one rank above the rest of his retinue. Arthur rolled his eyes but didn¡¯t argue. That next morning, he gathered everyone together to show them the new cards and outline their plan. ¡°Originally, I wanted to visit a few cities,¡± Arthur said, ¡°But I don¡¯t like the fact that the Hives are so comfortable raiding civilians. We were lucky that Brixaby and Joy weren¡¯t seen. Though we can still go back to the city if we need additional cards. What do you think of these...¡± And he outlined, briefly, what the Knockback card could do, as well as the others. ¡°It¡¯s just an illusion, though?¡± Soledad asked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t actually¡­ alter us?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Arthur said, and pointed to the line of the card. ¡°It won¡¯t actually push you down a rank. It will only give you the appearance of being lower.¡± ¡°Why?¡± she asked, bluntly. Cressida rolled her eyes, which surprised Arthur as it was distinctly unladylike. ¡°Because it will be just barely believable if one Rare dragon pair and a bunch of Uncommons show up in a new Hive. Leadership doesn¡¯t like to give up any Rares ¡ª especially in smaller hives like Wolf Moon ¡ª but it can be done, and there¡¯s more movement in the larger hives. But a Legendary and a handful of Rares?¡± She shook her head. ¡°At best, it¡¯s a big political statement. At worst, it will be seen as a threat.¡± ¡°Brixaby stands out,¡± Arthur added dryly. Brixaby nodded and puffed out his chest, clearly taking this as a compliment. Soledad took on a stubborn look. ¡°Well, if it¡¯s such a big deal, how do we explain a bunch of us, plus some baby dragons showing up at the same time?¡± This time Horatio was the one who answered, though his tone was much more patient than Cressida¡¯s. ¡°Rare dragons don¡¯t have full retinues like the Legendary¡¯s do, but strong-willed ones tend to collect clusters of Uncommons around them. It won¡¯t be that strange.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Brixaby said proudly. ¡°The weaker are often attracted to the strong.¡± Joy squawked and batted at him with a wing, sending a miniature gale through the barn until Sams snorted at her to cut her off. ¡°I¡¯m not weak!¡± Joy complained. Brixaby looked somewhat surprised. ¡°Certainly not! You would never be allowed in my retinue if you were. And I would never allow a weak Uncommon to follow me around, either, when I¡¯m pretending to be a Rare.¡± Marion cleared his throat and raised his hand. He spoke when all eyes fell on him. ¡°I still do not understand why Blood Moon Hive will allow a cluster of brand-new dragons and their riders to come in with no research into who they are.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t intend to ask permission,¡± Arthur said. ¡°We¡¯ll sneak in. Hopefully, no one will ask too many questions. I don¡¯t get the impression they¡¯re more organized than any other hive.¡± He looked to Horatio, who had the most experience being a full rider in a hive. He shrugged. ¡°People do change hives, though a Rare taking off for somewhere else is a bigger to-do. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll get away with not being noticed, so we¡¯ll have to come up with a backstory. We could even say we¡¯re coming from Flower Moon or Wolf Moon ¡ª no one pays much attention to them. And the fact that Brixaby will show up as a Purple...¡± He trailed off with a shrug. ¡°Sorry Arthur, but they¡¯re just not as well thought of as other colors.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Brixaby demanded, though everyone knew why. Horatio still took the bait. ¡°Not as big or impressive. Plus, the Commons and most of the Uncommons are flat-out dumb.¡± ¡°I think they¡¯re cute,¡± Cressida said. If anything, that seemed to annoy Brixaby further. ¡°I do not want to be cute! I am impressive, and if anyone dares to tell me otherwise, I¡ª¡± Arthur knew his dragon was about to threaten to tear the heart card out of anyone who opposed him, but to his surprise, his dragon snapped his jaw shut. Was Brixaby actually... thinking twice before speaking? Arthur knew his dragon had gone through some trials during the Dark Heart challenges, and hadn¡¯t told Arthur everything. He made a note to get the full story from him later. Whatever had happened has caused him to grow up. Some. ¡°You have seen Purples,¡± Arthur said to him. ¡°The higher ranked tend to have... deeper thoughts.¡± If it were possible, he would have liked to illusion Brixaby down to an Uncommon, but then he would have to pretend to be more... purple minded. Meaning sweet and dumb. Both were beyond him. Soledad raised her hand. ¡°So, is this card we¡¯re after hidden in a library, or are we going to have to kill someone and take it from their heart, or what?¡± Blunt as always. ¡°We think it¡¯s probably hidden, not in a heart deck,¡± Arthur said. ¡°Or at least, that¡¯s the feeling we get from the card. It¡¯s not exact, and the seeker card gives us a map, but until we get closer, we won¡¯t know for sure.¡± Cressida had been giving Soledad a narrowed-eyed look across the table. ¡°Why exactly are the baby dragons coming along? No offense,¡± she said to Soledad in a way that meant the opposite. ¡°But until your dragons grow up, they will not be of much use to us.¡± To his surprise, it was Sams who rumbled out the answer. He and Joy were much too large to sit at a table, but they craned their heads over to listen to the conversation. ¡°Young dragons need more of their kind, and Equinox and Asha are at an age where they will soon require the discipline of training.¡± Those two had been growing rather rambunctious recently, Arthur noted. There were gnaw marks on almost all the furniture, and Equinox had a bad habit of heating things up just to see what would happen if it would melt or burst into flame. He didn¡¯t remember Brixaby ever being playful like that, but Brix never had much of a childhood. He had hatched out fairly mature and intelligent from the start. ¡°I¡¯m going no matter what,¡± Soledad said. ¡°I signed up for this whole thing to go on adventures and kick scourgling butt, and we¡¯re all out of scourglings.¡± She shot her own glare across the table. ¡°You¡¯re not keeping me from going in and exploring a brand new kingdom.¡± ¡°I should probably not stay here much longer,¡± Marion admitted. ¡°My father¡¯s dragon knows that I¡¯m here, and I don¡¯t want to push my luck. No one can stop a Mythic.¡± That put a gloom in the room. Even Brixaby was underpowered against Lung Bei and her nullification magic. Soledad turned to him. ¡°But if you come along with us, wouldn¡¯t you be closer to her? It¡¯s her kingdom.¡± ¡°I will eventually have to go to the capital, but for now, switching places is probably for the best,¡± Marion said. ¡°What about Sams?¡± Horatio asked. Arthur blinked. ¡°What about him?¡± But Sams was the one who answered his rider. ¡°It is unlikely anybody from Blood Moon will recognize me. I believe I don¡¯t have any strong contacts left.¡± He looked pointedly to his stomach, which had been growing purplish scales over the last few months. This wasn¡¯t him slowly turning from a Yellow or a light-based dragon into a Purple or agility-based dragon. This was purely an effect of bonding with Horatio. Their shared card had something to do with ultraviolet light. ¡°I look different, and I will have to go by a different name.¡± ¡°How about Sam?¡± Horatio said with a smile. ¡°No one will look for Sam the Uncommon.¡± ¡°All right, that¡¯s it then,¡± Arthur said. ¡°We¡¯ll still have to scout it out, just to be sure. In the meantime, let¡¯s pack up everything we can. Brixaby and I will carry it in our Personal Spaces.¡± ¡°Oh, I want to see you as a Purple,¡± Joy said to Brixaby. ¡°I already am a Purple.¡± ¡°You are a dark, dark, dark, dark Purple,¡± Joy said. ¡°That doesn¡¯t count as much.¡± ¡°How does that not¡ª¡± Brixaby started but Soledad cut across him. ¡°Why does he have to be a Purple?¡± She asked. ¡°Everything you guys have said, they¡¯re all as sweet as my grandfather¡¯s dumbest hunting dog. That doesn¡¯t sound like him at all. Why don¡¯t you make him a green or something?¡± ¡°Four wings,¡± Arthur said. ¡°Purples have four wings¡ªand some of the lower-ranked Blues. None of his natural magic works as a Blue, but he is amazing in the air.¡± Sams agreed. ¡°He will have to be a Purple with his natural magic being flight speed.¡± ¡°I am quick in the air,¡± Brixaby said, pleased. Sams gave the younger dragon a severe look. ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to be more than quick. If you¡¯re going to be a Rare purple, you¡¯ll have to show every trick you can. I don¡¯t think that you have been around many real purples since you¡¯ve been a hatchling. They are absolute masters of flight. As a Rare, you will have to be better.¡± That was the right thing to say. Brixaby straightened up and his eyes gleamed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how fast they are, they are merely Commons and Uncommons. And I am only pretending to be Rare. There will be no comparison.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s it then,¡± Arthur said. ¡°Before we all pile in, we need to scout out and figure out the best time to arrive.¡± ¡°A scourgling eruption,¡± Cressida said with a nod. ¡°It¡¯s chaos and the perfect time to switch hives.¡± With a nod, Arthur looked around the table. Of course, his natural thought was to bring Cressida along with him to scout, but... ¡°Soledad,¡± he said, ¡°will you come with me?¡± He didn¡¯t miss the black look Cressida gave him. Horatio didn¡¯t seem impressed, either. Soledad, however, agreed with a sunny smile. Book 5 Ch 10 - Serious Conversation That night, Arthur and Soledad sat on a large, flat rock that overlooked the outer reaches of Blood Moon Hive. It was well-named. Positioned on the wheel of Hives that circled the middle of the kingdom, Blood Moon was about a third of the way clockwise. It was also one of the most evil-looking hives that Arthur had ever seen. Nestled right in the middle of a mountain chain, the peaks around it were sharp enough to cut. They stood out even among the stars. There must have been smoke in the air because the full moon was positioned heavy and fat above the horizon, colored ominously yellow. ¡°How long do you think this will take?¡± Soledad asked. Arthur glanced at Brixaby who lay off to the side, making sounds that an unwise person would call loud snores. They had all started their watch late this afternoon and now it was coming on to midnight. He depended on his dragon¡¯s good hearing to know when the Hive was stirring to attend a scourgling eruption. So far, there had been nothing. But Arthur had the bad feeling it wouldn¡¯t take long. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Eruptions aren¡¯t on a schedule, but they have been happening more and more.¡± He sighed and looked up at the stars in the sky. ¡°And they can hit any time, night or day. We just have to wait.¡± Soledad fell silent for a few long minutes, but Arthur could sense she was thinking hard about something. Finally, she spoke up. ¡°I don¡¯t think that your girlfriend likes me very much.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure whether to correct her on if Cressida was his girlfriend or not because he wasn¡¯t even certain of it himself. It always seemed that they were jumping straight from one crisis to another. And between Arthur spending time leveling up his various skills, and Cressida getting used to the new cards in her deck, they had been too busy to even discuss it. And, he admitted quietly to himself, frustrated, I don¡¯t know how to ask. So, when he answered Soledad, his voice fell flat. ¡°I don¡¯t think that you two like each other.¡± She shrugged, uncaring. ¡°Maybe. Girls rarely like me.¡± That took him aback, and he started speaking before he could think better of it. ¡°Well, if the common denominator is you...¡± She didn¡¯t seem to take offense and flashed him a grin. ¡°Yeah. Might be some of that, too.¡± Though she was currently speaking his native language, he still heard N¡¯awlens twang in her words. And he didn¡¯t like how flippant she was being. ¡°Are you two going to have trouble working with each other?¡± he asked sharply. ¡°I don¡¯t need everybody in the retinue to get along, but is there going to be a problem?¡± ¡°No,¡± she said, still too flippantly for his liking. ¡°But you should ask her the same thing.¡± Arthur scowled. ¡°Soledad, this is serious. I don¡¯t know what we¡¯re going to find once we¡¯re in that Hive.¡± Now she looked at him more seriously, her eyes slightly narrowed. ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Fighting scourglings is dangerous, and people get killed all the time¡ªtheir dragons get killed. That¡¯s why Sams was talking about discipline and training earlier. So you don¡¯t send one of your card powers right into someone else¡¯s face, instead of at a scourgling.¡± ¡°You¡¯re worried I can¡¯t control my powers? At least I have powers.¡± She swelled up. ¡°You need my help. Equinox and I have volcanic cards, and we¡¯re practically your only combat-based riders, other than that light dragon.¡± She lifted her hand to point accusingly at the moon. ¡°And I don¡¯t see no sun around, so we¡¯re practically your only fighters during the night.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Cressida¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, she has her animal friends, but she¡¯s also mostly a shield user, and Joy needs to get up close to scratch anyone to take them down. We¡¯re not only pure combat, we can scorch scourglings at a distance. You need us at your side.¡± Arthur shook his head. ¡°I need to make sure that personality conflicts will not get in the way.¡± Inside, he was glad to see that Soledad was more than on board. In fact, she was passionate about staying in his retinue. ¡°There¡¯s another reason I wanted you to come with me today,¡± he said, abruptly. ¡°Oh?¡± She seemed both a little taken aback and suddenly wary, but he wasn¡¯t sure why, so he plowed on. ¡°Everything I¡¯ve heard about Blood Moon Hive is that they¡¯re ruthless. But also, I can imagine they¡¯re going to take rank seriously. You do a lot of poking at the rest of the retinue, Soledad, and other than your thing with Cressida, that¡¯s fine. We all tease each other. But this place,¡± he gestured with his chin at the hive, which was now bracketed ominously with the full yellow moon behind it, ¡°will possibly be a cruel place to live. You¡¯re going in as an Uncommon, and I don¡¯t think you will be allowed any slack without being slapped down for it, maybe physically.¡± That seemed to take her aback, and he let her sit with the realization for a moment before he continued. ¡°I understand you were a noble back in N¡¯awlens, and you might not have experienced people treating you like that before. Or having to bow down to someone you don¡¯t like or don¡¯t agree with just because they¡¯re a higher rank than you. It¡¯s difficult, it¡¯s not fun, and it¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried about me,¡± she said instantly. ¡°I¡¯m worried about Equinox.¡± He struggled not to roll his eyes. Equinox was a surprisingly level-headed little dragon. Yes, he had his moments of temper, but equal moments of cool logic. Like his name, his personality was well balanced. ¡°Please, think about what I said, because if you can¡¯t do this, I¡¯m not kicking you from the retinue. We¡¯ll just put you in my Personal Space and you can ride this out. It won¡¯t even be the first time you¡¯ve been there. Time won¡¯t pass for you." ¡°You can¡¯t do that,¡± she shot back. ¡°We¡¯re too magically heavy¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, it will hurt. But I¡¯ll handle it.¡± Or Brixaby will, he thought, knowing that in order to fit them in, he¡¯d have to dump out half his inventory. That pained him because he¡¯d gathered quite the collection for a lot of just-in-case emergencies. He didn¡¯t let any of that show on his face, however. ¡°Can you do it?¡± She started to answer with an immediate yes, but then stopped, bit her lip, and really thought about his words. She even turned away to give a hard, assessing look at Blood Moon Hive. ¡°I guess... I don¡¯t know,¡± she admitted painfully. ¡°I¡¯ve never been in this position before. I mean, I¡¯m not so green to hard work like you guys seem to think. I worked at the New Houston Hospital and stuff, but... You¡¯re right. People might have been a little short, but they were glad to have me there, and no one treated me badly. Even in that stupid cart where you rescued me, where I had to take care of all the little kids... They just treated me like one of the younger adults. I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to be treated like you said, and I know I have a temper, but,¡± she lifted her chin, and he saw pure stubbornness in her eyes, ¡°I would like to try.¡± He nodded. ¡°All right. Then as your retinue leader, let me give you an order. Stay put and keep guard.¡± ¡°Keep guard of what?¡± He didn¡¯t answer, and instead hopped down off the rock to go check on Brixaby. Still fast asleep. About twenty feet off in the distance, safely hidden in the forest was the dark portal to the land of the ferryman. The mana cost wasn¡¯t large... unless someone was actively holding the entrance open, like Brixaby was now. It was exhausting. That¡¯s why he had dropped off almost as soon as the sun had set. Arthur had monitored the levels and thought it should be fine, but the pain of mana depletion would jerk him awake if it somehow slipped that low. Arthur looked at Soledad. ¡°If anyone approaches you, don¡¯t stand your ground. I want you to wake up Brixaby and try to get him through the portal and go home. If he won¡¯t,¡± he added, knowing there was a two in three chance he wouldn¡¯t listen, ¡°then I need you to tell the ferryman to take you back, and get help.¡± Her brows furrowed. ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re going somewhere. What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Well, all seems quiet out in Blood Moon Hive. I think it¡¯s a good time to look around.¡± She seemed alarmed. ¡°Alone? You don¡¯t want to wait until your dragon¡¯s awake?¡± ¡°Have you ever met Brixaby?¡± Arthur asked. ¡°Do you think he could sneak in?¡± That pulled a reluctant smile from her. He shook his head. ¡°I have my Acting skills and my Stealth class. I¡¯ll be fine. So, retinue rider, are you going to follow my orders?¡± It was probably a little unfair of him to ask her that, but Arthur wasn¡¯t always a fair man. Cressida would flat out never allow him to go alone, and had Joy to watch Brixaby. Horatio would argue with him until dawn, and Marion wouldn¡¯t be much better¡ªhe¡¯d keep Arthur put with logical reasons to stay. Soledad was still the odd one out, and now no doubt felt put on the spot after their conversation. Also, she wasn¡¯t an idiot, and she knew that this was a test. She gave him a sloppy salute. ¡°Aye-aye, captain.¡± Arthur turned, activated his Stealth skills, and slipped into the shadows. Book 5 Ch 11 - Into Blood Moon (1) The closer Arthur got, the clearer he could see past the sharp rises that obscured the hive complex. The entire hive complex, the cone and the city, was encompassed within a vast, scooped out crater, nestled straight within the mountain range. This must have been a heck of an eruption. Whatever type of scourgling had crawled out of the top of the cone had scooped out the earth all around in a wide dish. It must have been a volcanic type. What was left of the cone was so thin and spindly that it looked like a tower. And, of course, all the entrances to get into the town within the crater were guarded. But Arthur wasn¡¯t too worried. He had increased his Climbing skill significantly during his stay at Free Mesa Hive. Leaving the road, he walked through the wilderness and depended on his Stealth skill to keep him from being noticed, though he still had to be wary of stumbling into patches of brambles. Thankfully, the rising moon provided illumination. He came to the side of the crater and found it surrounded by a fortress of natural rock. It was too easy to imagine lava flowing out in a wave and then cooling suddenly to form this rock. The wall had to be almost 70 feet high, maybe even more, and the edges with dark, slick stone. But the weather had formed cracks in the wall. He slid the tips of his fingers into the crack, tested it to make sure it wouldn¡¯t break off under his weight, then concentrated on his Climbing skill and started ascending.
Skill level gained: Rock Climbing (Adrenaline Activities Class) Level 24
Though he was level 24, it was slow going as he had no ropes or anything else to assist him, and falling down would be... bad. It helped that his toughened skin attributes kept his fingers from being too chapped by gripping onto tiny ledges and cracks in the rock. Finally, he reached the top, where the stone tapered until it was as thin as a sheet of parchment. He carefully rested the flat of his hand on the edge and found it exactly as sharp as it looked. If he put any weight there, he would cut himself. So, he grabbed a heavy blanket from his Personal Space, threw it over the top, and used that as a barrier to scramble over. Stealth didn¡¯t make him completely invisible, and there was nothing he could do about his dark silhouette as he went over the top, so he just worked on making his movement smooth and being quick about it. Scaling down the other side was equally difficult, and now he had to concentrate even more fiercely on his Stealth skills because from this side the city torches lit up the walls. But there was no outcry from below. Finally, ten feet from the bottom, he just kicked off and landed in a crouch. He waited for a moment, feeling his heart rate slow, and promised himself he would never take dragon transport for granted again. All of this could have been avoided if he had gotten Brixaby to fly him over the walls. But if I did that, he thought, he would want to come with me into the hive, and it¡¯s important that I do this alone. Despite his brave words to Soledad and the rest of his retinue earlier, he had deep worries about bringing everybody into Blood Moon Hive. Part of him knew that if he could simply grab Brixaby¡¯s card and come out again, he wouldn¡¯t have to risk anyone else. Then wouldn¡¯t need to deal with Cressida and Soledad sniping back and forth, or worry about the baby dragons being discovered and maybe corrupted by this place, or himself Brixaby being discovered and dragged back to Wolf Moon Hive, or Marion taken to the capital where he¡¯d be forced to use his card to help his ailing father¡­ Instead, they could just use Brixaby¡¯s awful portal card and escape somewhere else, at least for a little while. Arthur knew he couldn¡¯t run forever, but he wanted to give the baby dragons time to grow up. To figure out what, if anything, he had with Cressida¡­ He had to try this tactic himself before he put everybody else in danger. Nodding to himself, Arthur nodded once, straightened, and walked straight into the town. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Unsurprisingly, all the architecture within the crater was made of the same dark volcanic stone. Everything was sharp; all the roof peaks came to a point at the top and cut off at the sides. There didn¡¯t seem to be any natural curves. Everything, all the pathways and roads turned at angles. Though it was well past midnight, many of the taverns were in full swing, with bawdy music spilling out of open windows and doors. More than a few people wearing dragon rider insignia badges on their shirts or vests were living it up with civilians, which surprised Arthur. In fact, every dragon rider had men or women according to their preference in attendance, cooing over them, laughing at every joke, and practically feeding them drinks. Their dragons were nowhere to be seen. Arthur moved through the town, relying on his Acting abilities instead of dropping into stealth. He was dressed in civilian garb and focused on not standing out. He neither moved too fast as if he was in a hurry, nor too slow, like he was slinking around. No one paid him much attention. Once he got within view of the hive tower, he stopped and stared. It was odd. Rather thin and straight up and down instead of cone-shaped, and sort of squiggly where it tapered at the top as if the top floors had melted and slumped in a half curl. However, as he got closer, he saw it was still plenty large ¡ª at least half as wide on the base as Wolf Moon¡¯s more conical shape. It also seemed to have many more floors. The top was only visible because of the bright moon and clear sky. Arthur accessed Brixaby¡¯s Call of the Heart card and focused on Brixaby¡¯s next card. It provided him with a map which showed the card was within the hive and not in the city. But it was vague enough that he couldn¡¯t tell which level of the tower it was located. Well, he never expected to be that lucky. As he drew closer, he saw the base of the hive had many V-shaped entrances carved in at ground level, and it was fully staffed with guards. The entire area was lit up with torches so brightly that it was nearly as bright as day. ¡°Now, how am I supposed to get in?¡± he muttered to himself, frowning as he watched one guard ask extremely pointed questions to an oncoming visitor. He could try to bluff using his Acting skills and his Subtle Influence card, but both would only go so far. If he really screwed up, they would remember his face. That would give him trouble later. Arthur thought about it for a few minutes, then turned and went back to the taverns. He didn¡¯t have to wait for his mark for very long. It seemed that the locals were all too happy to take a dragon rider¡¯s coins and card shards. Then, the moment their pockets were empty, their admirers lost interest and they were kindly but firmly told to get lost. He wondered about that and guessed that perhaps the ones who had spent too much drinking supplemented their income by raiding cities instead of killing scourgelings. Arthur waited, feeling the minutes crawl by. He knew he should get out of the hive before dawn came, and the moon was already on its downward arc. He would only have a few more hours at best. He was just becoming impatient when a bearded dragon rider came stumbling out of a rough tavern called the Onion and Hammer. The man was so intoxicated that he immediately was sick out on the road. He staggered away from the mess, though much of it went down his shirt. Arthur wrinkled his nose, but needs were a must. ¡°Can I help you, friend?¡± ¡°They took all my money,¡± the rider said, vaguely. ¡°Going to kill them... I¡¯ll show them who¡­¡± The man turned back to the tavern door, but Arthur intercepted him. ¡°Maybe before that, we get you to bed,¡± he said, and took the man by the arm. But the man had no balance. He staggered, almost tipping over and dragging Arthur down with him. So, Arthur was forced to sling the man¡¯s arm over his shoulder to help him along. ¡°This way to your bed, and to your dragon,¡± he glanced at the man¡¯s badge, ¡°yellow rider.¡± ¡°One more drink,¡± the man said, and made an effort to start turning back to the tavern, but Arthur steered him away. He put both a bit of Leadership and Subtle Influence into his voice. ¡°They say there is an eruption tomorrow. You can¡¯t fight scourglings hungover, can you?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ harvest those scourglings,¡± the man said, chin falling to his chest as he walked. ¡°Get my coins and my shards and come back... show them all...¡± ¡°Sure, whatever.¡± Arthur patted the man¡¯s shoulder awkwardly. At least he wasn¡¯t resisting as Arthur helped him along to the hive entrance. The guards watched him as he approached. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± one asked. Arthur rolled his eyes. ¡°I work at the Onion and Hammer, and this rider had a bad time. The owner sent me to make sure he makes it to bed.¡± As if on cue, the rider started heaving again, and the guards backed away. Luckily, he seemed to have gotten everything out of his stomach the first time. On impulse, Arthur said, ¡°Do you want to take him?¡± The guard looked disgusted, which Arthur couldn¡¯t blame. ¡°No, boy, you finish what you start. He can go into the drunk rooms. Take a right down the hall, then the next left. Dump him in a bed.¡± The guard next to him leered, ¡°And if you want my advice, don¡¯t let him drag you down with him until he gets a wash.¡± Arthur made a face, and the guards laughed. But they stepped aside to let him pass. Arthur gamely led the dragon rider in. The tunnels were built close, and not nearly as lit as they were on the outside. He saw just enough to lead the rider to the right room. He dumped the dragon rider into the first bed that he saw, and made sure that the man was in some sort of recovery position on his side and not on his back, where he could choke. Though, Arthur wasn¡¯t going to take off his boots and left him in his disgusting shirt. Some people needed to learn when they¡¯d had enough liquor. The man was unconscious the moment he hit the bed. And now Arthur was inside the hive and free to explore. Book 5 Ch 12 - Into Blood Moon (2)
With a firm hold on his Stealth and Acting skills, Arthur carefully walked along the narrow corridors. He had been exceptionally lucky that the drunk rider he had helped had either been too intoxicated or too unworldly to notice he was a Legendary card wielder. Arthur was still getting the hang of identifying people¡¯s ranks by their cards. His new Master of Cards helped, but he had only added that to his heart deck a few weeks ago. Most of it was educated guesswork based on their body language. No one strode around like they were invisible, quite like a Rare or Legendary wielder. But beyond that there was a subtle sense of power ¡ª very subtle ¡ª that he was still learning to identify. Dragons picked up on it immediately, but humans had to actively train themselves. Until Brixaby added the Knock back cards, he was vulnerable. That¡¯s why I¡¯m sneaking around in the dead of the night, he reminded himself. Though... now he was here, he wished he insisted Brixaby had added that card. Arthur had not pushed as he thought he would have a few more days until they truly needed it, and despite his bluster, Brixaby was not exactly enthusiastic about that card. Arthur shook his head. He knew he had to do better ¡ª he was supposed to be a leader, which meant he needed to plan for everything. Too bad he had mostly gone through life by flying by the seat of his pants. Scouting out the Hive was part of planning, he reminded himself, and firmly set aside his regrets to agonize over later. Moving so slowly through the tunnels didn¡¯t help his inner angst. The walls were so close that at points he had to turn to walk sideways, or else hunch to keep from scraping the top of his head. Sometimes doors led off the sides, which opened to reveal narrow bedrooms like the one he had dumped the rider. But more often, every time the tunnels opened ¡ª usually around a bend ¡ª someone had placed another cot. Arthur had to inch past those with barely enough room to keep from scraping his shins. And more often than not, those cots were filled with people sleeping off the night. He heard movement down other branching tunnels: shuffled steps, slurred, confused speech followed by an authoritative voice. More people were being added by the guards. This was insane. Wolf Moon wasn¡¯t a stand-up hive or anything, but this was a lot of drunks for a random night. What was more, as Arthur concentrated on the people he passed for practice, he realized most were Uncommon rank with a few Rares scattered here and there. He couldn¡¯t identify them all, but he still had yet to find a Common among them. That was... odd. Commons were the most... well, common of the card wielding population by far. Arthur had done some reading in his brief time learning leadership administration back in Wolf Moon. By some estimates, over two-thirds of all new cards were Common, with the vast majority of the remaining third being Uncommon. Rare took up a tiny slice of what was left. Legendary cards weren¡¯t even considered in the few texts because they were that infrequent. So where were the Common riders? The Common staff? He was just turning this over in his head as he made his way forward, looking for an exit, when he heard footsteps in the gloom not far away. Quickly, Arthur dropped his stealth ¡ª hiding up close would only be suspicious. Then he reached down and picked up a thankfully empty bucket that sat next to a cot. The person loudly snoring in it didn¡¯t stir a muscle. Arthur¡¯s Acting skill whispered advice in his mind. He rounded his shoulders, slumped a little, and did everything to appear tired and run down. A half breath later, a guard dressed in the scarlet and silver colors of Blood Moon hive rounded the next bend. He stopped and stared hard at Arthur. Was he trying to recognize his face, or determine his card rank? It was everything Arthur could to stay still and impassive, as if he didn¡¯t only not care, but he had nothing to hide. ¡°Why are you skulking around?¡± the guard barked. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. In reply, Arthur held up the bucket. The guard scowled. ¡°You¡¯re not stealing, are you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to steal?¡± Arthur replied in a sullen voice. ¡°Riders spent all their shards in the taverns, didn¡¯t they?¡± The man put a hand to his short sword. ¡°Answer me direct!¡± Arthur couldn¡¯t put it into words, but he had a sudden insight into what was going on. It likely came from his Master of Cards. The guard wasn¡¯t staring at Arthur like that to determine his rank ¡ª he was using his own card power. One that likely sensed the truth in some way. Though it was low grade and probably restricted to yes/no questions. He¡¯d been lucky he had not answered the bucket question in words. ¡°No,¡± he muttered. ¡°No stealing.¡± Immediately, the guard relaxed, and his hand fell from his sword. He nodded to the bucket. ¡°Then make yourself useful and fetch clean water. It¡¯s a bad night. They¡¯re vomiting all up and down the east tunnels.¡± Wrinkling his nose, Arthur nodded and moved forward. The tunnel was so narrow that the guard had to turn aside to let him pass. As he did, he heard the man mutter to himself, ¡°Probably will need some healers down here, too.¡± That bad? Arthur frowned to himself but continued down the hall in a slow shuffle. After a moment, he heard the guard continue his patrol. He had been lucky the man had depended on his card to tell him what he thought was the ¡°truth¡± instead of using his other good senses to figure out Arthur¡¯s rank. He had to get out of these tunnels. Fast. On a hunch, he turned down the same branching curve he heard the guard appear from. He didn¡¯t seem to be the type of man who would overly involve himself in any mess brought on by overindulgence. He¡¯d probably just reported what the other guards were saying about the east tunnels. Sure enough, there were no cots or doors this way. After another bend, this tunnel took on a sharp rise. After another snaky S-bend, he found a short staircase. The tunnel at the top of the stairs widened out to a comfortable width and was illuminated with card anchor lights. Carved on the wall just ahead was the number 2. He had reached the second floor. Back in Wolf Moon hive, the lower levels were dedicated to areas that required the most space: Training arenas, baby dragon nurseries, civilian gathering points and so-on. Blood Moon¡¯s narrower, tower-like shape didn¡¯t seem able to support those at the lower levels. And to Arthur¡¯s eyes, it was also utilitarian to the point of starkness. No murals or paintings decorated the walls. The few windows he found to look to the outside were just holes cut into the wall with cheaply made panes of glass fit in. Not a colorful curtain to be seen. Not even random graffiti carved into the stone. The only thing of note were more side doors. Arthur peeked in a few that were unlocked and found small, impersonal bedrooms. This was a residential level, though by the size of the rooms ¡ª which were barely long enough to support a cot with a shelf on the other side ¡ª he guessed this was for workers and not riders. No guards were on active patrol, either. So now that Arthur had a moment to think, he slowed down and double-checked behind himself to make sure he wasn¡¯t followed. All was clear. Then he closed his eyes, concentrated all his will and desire on finding the next card in Brixaby¡¯s heart deck, and accessed the Call of the Heart between himself and his dragon. A map multi-level map popped up in his mind. He expected the card to be high in the tower ¡ª if not near the top. After all, that was where those of high rank or with the best connections lived. To his shock, he found the card was only three floors up from his current position. He could reach it tonight if he hurried. Arthur didn¡¯t pause to consider. He hadn¡¯t come this far without trying to get his hands on that card. Dismissing the map, he turned on his heel and hurried back to where he had last seen a window. No sooner did he round the next corner did someone stagger right into him. Is everyone in this hive drunk? he thought, frustrated. Arthur tried to push the man away, but the man reached out and grabbed him like he needed an anchor to hold on to a swaying ship. But there was nothing vicious about it. Only a few years older than himself, the man was tall and willowy and gasping as if he had run a mile up a hill. His skin was sickly pale, his cheeks hollowed out as if he did not eat regularly. He also had the feeling of a Common. The first Arthur had seen in this hive so far. The man must have gotten a feel for the power in Arthur¡¯s heart because in the next moment, he recoiled, jerking back from him as if he had been burned to lean heavily on the wall instead. ¡°Are you alright¡ª¡° Arthur started to say. The man cut across him. ¡°Sorry, sir! I... I...¡± His washed out blue eyes were staring and terrified. Then he turned to run down the hall in the opposite direction. He¡¯s going to tell someone there¡¯s a Legendary here! was Arthur¡¯s first thought. He knew what he needed to do ¡ª what Brixaby and likely everyone else would want him to do. He could dash after the fleeing man. With his Running and Sprint skills, he had a chance of catching up. Then he could rip out his cards. That would cause the man to collapse and likely pass out from shock. But if he screamed ¡ª if he was bonded to a dragon and Arthur ripped out the card that linked them... The terror in the man¡¯s eyes had cut Arthur deeply. He didn¡¯t want to hurt him. All this flashed through his mind, and Arthur hesitated. In that brief hesitation, the man turned the corner and was away. He¡¯s running from me ¡ª not to warn others, but to save himself, Arthur told himself and hoped it was the truth. But if he spread rumors there was a Legendary in the lower levels... ... And why were people so afraid of the higher ranked around here, anyway? He had to move. Arthur broke into a jog and took the next Y-junction. His sense of direction told him this would lead him to the outside, and it was proved right a few bends in the tunnel later. Sure enough, the tunnel dead-ended to a window. He opened the latch, checked to make sure no one was coming down the tunnel behind him, then crawled out. Once on the sill, he twisted upward and searched for a crack or small ledge sticking out of the wall. When he found it, he concentrated on his Climbing skill and heaved his way up. There were usually guarded checkpoints between every important floor in Wolf Moon. He imagined this dark place could be worse. But the card was only three more levels up, and he could get there from the outside. Book 5 Chapter 13 - Into Blood Moon (3) Ascending three levels using stairs differed greatly from climbing the thing. Yes, he had 24 levels in Rock Climbing ¡ª and every inch up, he felt like he was gaining valuable experience. But he had underestimated how hard this was going to be. For one thing, he had already climbed today, and those muscles were fatigued. For another, it was dark. No one put lights on the outside walls to keep dragons from blundering into it. Arthur climbed upward, bit by bit.
New Skill Level: Rock Climbing (Adrenaline Activities Class) Level 25 New Skill Level: Rock Climbing (Adrenaline Activities Class) Level 26
Each new skill level provided a slight boost, and a bit of hard earned wisdom. But the wind grew fiercer the higher he went, and it chilled him right through. By the time he neared the fifth level, he could barely feel the tips of his fingers. Finally, with the last of his strength, he made one final push to a window on the fifth floor. It was small and round, barely large enough to fit his shoulders. It didn¡¯t matter, anyway. He nearly yelled aloud in frustration when he found no latch or anything. Didn¡¯t these people open their windows to let in air? Apparently not, as this window seemed to be glued in place. The next moment he realized he was being an idiot. Accessing his Phase In, Phase Out card, he simply moved through the wall. He landed on his back in a dimly lit room. Arthur lay like that for a moment, catching his breath and listening carefully in the gloom. There were no sounds of breathing or snoring. Thankfully, no outcries to his sudden appearance either. The only light came from around a badly fitted door about two arm-spans away. Slowly, as his eyes became adjusted, he picked out signs of another empty bedroom. He wondered if the person who lived here was sleeping it off a few levels below. Most importantly, there were no alarms, no sounds of people urgently rushing through the corridors looking for a rogue Legendary. All was quiet. Sitting up, Arthur checked the Call of the Heart to get directions. The closer he was, the more details he would receive. He stared at the map in disbelief. The card now showed itself on the bottom level ¡ª actually, one level below the ground. Apparently, this hive had sub-levels. Was it in someone¡¯s heart deck after all? Was he going to have to kill to allow Brixaby to become a Mythic along with him? But¡­ the little red dot that designated the card was completely unmoving. It seemed to him that if it were in someone¡¯s heart deck that there would be some movement, even if it was shifting back and forth in the same room. There was nothing. Irritated, he got to his feet and paced back and forth in the cell-like room, watching the red icon with his mind¡¯s eye. It stayed unmoving. Just as static as if someone had placed the card there. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he grumbled. Suddenly, alarm bells rang out. They seemed to come from every direction, vibrating off the walls and echoing around and around. Arthur whirled to the door. His first thought was that the man he¡¯d last run into had reported meeting an unknown Legendary after all. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. But¡­ no. After his first flash of panic, he realized he knew the tone of those bells. They were the same in Wolf Moon. This alarm wasn¡¯t about him. This was a call to muster for an eruption. Arthur went to the door and cracked it open in time to see Blood Moon hive riders staggering out of their own bedrooms. For a moment, he thought they were hung over as well. But when one woman turned in his direction, he saw she had the same hollow-cheeked look as the man before. Her skin had a waxy color, and her dull gray hair was thin, as if she were losing patches. Her movements were not dazed and stumbling, but stiff as if her joints were protesting. Everyone else who came into the hallway was the same. Sick and grim, with not an ounce of extra fat. Arthur ducked back into his room, not wanting to be caught spying. That was when he found there was no lock on the door. Were these people not given basic privacy? Curious about how the rest of the hive managed themselves, he went to the round window to look out. It wasn¡¯t easy as the glass was thick and cheap, which warped the light. But he could see that the entire crater complex was now as bright as if he were looking down at noonday, though there were no visible light sources anywhere. It starkly highlighted the differences in how the hives approached eruption muster. At Wolf Moon, some dragon riders formed into loosely organized wings. Specifically, the Lobos who handled the civilian rescues. But aside from classes of young dragons who were in training and the retinues, which were directly overseen by the Legendaries, and occasional groups of friends or like-minded individuals who had complimentary cards¡­ Wolf Moon fought scourglings in solos and pairs. All of whom would race to the portal the moment their riders were ready. The kindest would say it was to stem the flow of the earliest eruption scourgelings. Sometimes an emergency call to the hives didn¡¯t go out until the eruption had been in progress for some time, and stemming the first lines of scourglings would save the most people. The truth was, the earliest scourglings were some of the easiest to kill. They had already been battling people defending their homes, had yet to establish a foothold, and for some reason seemed to be the weakest of the scourgling waves. That made them an excellent source of card shards. But Arthur couldn¡¯t spot any portals above. Nor was anyone racing through the sky to reach one that might be out of his field of view. Instead, every single dragon and their riders were gathered in separate, well-organized groups. They were spaced with precision to give each dragon proper clearance to leap into the sky. He didn¡¯t see a solo dragon or rider in sight. At this distance, he could only guess which dragons were of Common rank. None of them were acting sickly, not like the riders. Was he in some sort of quarantine level? But now that he was looking closely, he saw that the dragons were unusual in their own way. They had a strange, predatory look about them. Several weaved their heads back and forth in a snake-like fashion, flared their wings, and bit at one another when they thought their neighbor stood too close. From the rider¡¯s body language, no one thought this was strange. Back in the free hives, dragons were more or less treated like people. Many had even picked up crafts and had respectable careers. Arthur had let himself forget that in his kingdom, the dragons were taken care of, coddled, but treated more like intelligent animals and not people. He had never seen so many be vicious and animalistic to one another. The ringing alarm bells suddenly cut off, but in its place, Arthur heard the slamming of doors back in the corridor. Arthur went to the door to peek out. Guards decked out in the scarlet of Blood Moon Hive were on this level. As Arthur watched through his cracked door, one opened up a bedroom entryway that was at the end of the tunnel, and a Common rider was pulled out. It looked like the man could barely stand. He just stood there, swaying, as he was berated for dereliction of duty. He was pushed down the hall, even though he wore only a simple shirt and sleeping shorts and was in no way ready for battle. Then the cluster of guards headed to the next door down the tunnel. They weren¡¯t far away. There was nowhere to hide in this small room. Arthur had little choice. He went back to the window, and, activating his Phase In, Phase Out, slid through the wall. He tried to judge carefully to make sure he did not appear back out in open air, but the wall of blackness on the other side startled him. He misjudged slightly. The moment he phased back into existence, he started to fall. Twisting around, he blindly caught himself on the window ledge. He wasn¡¯t prepared for the absolute blackness all around him. He couldn¡¯t see his hand in front of his face. It was as if all light¡ªmoonlight, starlight, maybe even torchlights from outside¡ªhad been collected and brought to the ground. That must have been how they lit everything up. The only thing he could see was the ground. How was he to climb up or down? Arthur was washed over by sudden vertigo. He closed his eyes, teeth chattering from the wind. He would have to climb by feel, but his cooling fingers already felt numbed¡­ if he fell, would he even know it until he reached the lit up ground? Ah, there you are. That was Brixaby¡¯s voice, right in his head. ¡°Brix?¡± His voice came out as a squeak. He looked around wildly, more freaked out than he wanted to let on. But he couldn¡¯t see anything. Not even a shape in the night. Brixaby had to be within line of sight or know exactly where someone was in order to speak into their mind. But how could he see? The buzz of dragon wings was briefly above him, passing over, then arcing down. ¡°Drop,¡± Brixaby commanded. Arthur shut his eyes and let go of the windowsill. Book 5 Ch 14 - Purple Nonsense Arthur would never have been able to let go if he did not have complete faith in his dragon. He released his hold on the windowsill and fell through complete blackness. It lasted less than a second. He hit stomach first on something hard and scrabbled for a moment before his fingers found familiar dragon ridges. Brixaby had positioned himself perfectly, so Arthur had only fallen a couple of feet and landed right in the gap between his back ridges and neck ridges. Otherwise, things may have gotten¡­ spiky. He still couldn¡¯t see a thing around him. So he pulled himself up by feel and regained his seat. ¡°Brixaby?¡± he rasped. ¡°How?¡± His dragon snorted as if this were a stupid question. ¡°I located you using The Call of the Heart, of course.¡± ¡°That will get you close, but how can you see me in this darkness?¡± He twisted his head around, trying to pick out any shape. There was simply nothing except for the lit ground far beneath him. ¡°This is a Rare light dragon spell. It is not comparable to my nullification magic.¡± Of course. If Arthur hadn¡¯t been so frazzled, he would have thought of it himself. Though Brixaby was a purple, his natural magic had nullification aspects. Magical spells and effects didn¡¯t always have a full effect on him. ¡°Though I can¡¯t see far,¡± Brixaby admitted. Then he grumped, ¡°You ordered me back to New Houston¡ª and I did, but only to collect the means by which to return and rescue you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Brixaby buzzed to the side and then upward. Arthur could only tell this because the ground below him shrank. Before Brixaby could explain further, the seat underneath him shifted as Brixaby was suddenly buffeted to the side. And suddenly, Arthur could see something in the air. Appearing as if coming around a dark curtain was a large Yellow dragon. It wasn¡¯t Sams. This light-based dragon was much paler and glowed so brightly against the blackness that it stung Arthur¡¯s eyes. The Yellow dragon roared, ¡°Go back to the rest of the Purples, shirker!¡± And his rider was no happier. He practically stood up in the saddle with rage. ¡°Rider, tell your idiot dragon we¡¯re not taking off yet. The signal hasn¡¯t been given.¡± Arthur felt Brixaby swell to take a deep breath to tell him off, and likely about to add some of his stunning shout along with it. Arthur touched the side of his neck in warning. ¡°Act cowed. Go back down to land.¡± There was a long second where he wondered if Brixaby was going to obey him or not. Then, with a grumble, Brixaby deflated. Arthur waved at the Yellow and his rider in the universal signal of understanding. He was only glad that he and Brixaby weren¡¯t any closer to them. If they were, they might sense that they were Legendary. But... dragons were better at sensing rank, especially among other dragons. As Brixaby reluctantly descended to the lit ground, Arthur reached through their linked decks to sense Brixaby¡¯s status. ¡°Brixaby... you¡¯re Rare?¡± ¡°I am not,¡± his dragon growled, offended. Though he kept it to an unusually quiet tone. ¡°I am merely pretending to be Rare.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Arthur said. Then what Brixaby had said earlier made sense. He had indeed gone back to New Houston and grabbed the Knock Back card. But that wasn¡¯t all. As they were swiftly approaching the ground, ambient light bounced up, illuminating Brixaby¡¯s scales. Brixaby was... very, very purple. It was as if his scales had been lightened by several degrees. The scales that had been purple against darkness now practically glowed in the suddenly bright light around them. What had been black was now a dark, rich velvet. The sharp twists and curves of his ridges had been dialed back, though Arthur was gripping them, and they felt plenty sharp. His nose was no longer as crooked down like a scythe, but now a little wider, and rounder that gave him a softer look. Though his eyes were still blood red. ¡°I thought that the illusion card said you could only change one thing?¡± Arthur said, stunned. ¡°Yes, and that one thing is my appearance,¡± Brixaby replied. ¡°Now, hold still and do not fall off.¡± ¡°What?¡± Then Arthur realized he was pushing something through the connection. His heart felt like it constricted around the cards for a moment. Arthur bent forward, retching. In the next moment, it expanded again. The pain and nausea and unsettled feeling of wrongness dissipated. The Knock Back card was also illusionary, but it packed a wallop. ¡°Now you are Rare, too,¡± Brixaby said smugly. Then he increased his speed and threw Arthur back in his seat as they buzzed down to the light. There weren¡¯t any corners in the hive crater, considering that it circled the tower, but if there were, the Purples would have been clustered there. They were set apart from the rest of the hive as if forgotten. As Brixaby buzzed closer, Arthur saw the vast majority were riderless. Those few that had a rider were surrounded by knots of other Purples, all faced towards them like they were the center of his world. It reminded Arthur of his retinue. He touched Brixaby¡¯s neck to get his attention. ¡°Those dragons who have riders. What rank are they?¡± ¡°Uncommon,¡± Brixaby said after a moment. Indeed, the ones with riders were bigger. Each about twice as large as Brixaby on average, a little brighter eyed with intelligence than the Commons, and had a more well-cared-for look than the dragons surrounding them. He couldn¡¯t help but compare the group against his own dragon. Certainly, Brixaby was well-fed and muscled. But even with the illusion card, brightening his scales and softening his overall look, he still seemed to be more spiky than the rest of the purples. And overall, he was of average size of a Common. When do we make our escape? Brixaby asked into Arthur¡¯s mind. He hesitated and shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s play along first. Things will be chaos during the eruption.¡± At least, it was usually were chaos with any other hive. But all the Blood Moon dragons were arranged in various wings. All except for the Purples, were in mixed wings. Likely, according to complementary card powers. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. His attention was caught as Brixaby¡¯s wings took on a different tone as he sank to land. He picked a spot a few body lengths away from the rest of the purples, and well away from the Uncommons. Not that it mattered. The moment his claws touched the rocky ground, he was immediately swarmed by small dragons, all crowding close with wide eyes. They peppered him with questions. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s your rider?¡± ¡°Can I have a rider?¡± ¡°Wow! I¡¯ve never seen you before!¡± ¡°Hi. My name is Felafel. Will you be my friend?¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I like your scales.¡± ¡°Hi, rider! What¡¯s your name?¡± Startled, Brixaby rose on his hind legs and Arthur had to clutch this neck ridge in front of him hard not to get dumped off. The questions continued. ¡°Have I seen you before? Have we met?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s your saddle?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± There was no viciousness or aggression. It felt roughly like being mobbed by a crowd of overly friendly dogs, but it was clear Brixaby was overwhelmed. ¡°Cease your nattering!¡± Brixaby snarled, falling back down to all fours. ¡°I will only answer questions I want to answer... and most of these are stupid, anyway.¡± The dragons immediately gave him space. In fact, most of them cringed away. ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± ¡°Sorry, sir.¡± ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Brixaby¡­¡± Arthur muttered, feeling a little bad. To his surprise, Brixaby must have felt a little contrite. ¡°I only meant...¡± he began with supreme awkwardness, ¡°that if you should have questions, then line up and address me properly.¡± Some Purples perked back up at that, though none seemed to understand the concept of getting into a line. Arthur suspected they were about to be mobbed again. Fortunately, the break in the action allowed some of the Uncommons to push through the crowd and come up. Their riders had not dismounted and sat on their dragons as if on a throne. Meanwhile, whispers went through the group of Commons. ¡°Oh, feel that? He¡¯s a Rare.¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯ve never met a Rare purple before.¡± ¡°Mr. Rare, will you be my friend?¡± And as the whispers reached them, the Uncommon rider¡¯s expression went from curious and rather self-satisfied to shocked. Arthur understood then that they had probably come up to rib him and let the new guy know his place in the wing was at the bottom. But the fact that he and Brixaby were ¡°Rare¡± had knocked the stuffing out of their shirts. More of the Uncommons clustered around, carelessly pushing back the riderless Commons who didn¡¯t seem to be all that annoyed, or surprised, about being displaced. Instead, they turned to one another and started gossiping in their simplistic sentences. All the Uncommon riders saluted with a quick tap of their left shoulder with their right hand. ¡°Sir,¡± one said after another. One added, ¡°We didn¡¯t know there would be a rare coming for inspection, sir.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not here for inspection,¡± Arthur said. A woman with her blonde hair pulled back into a severe bun stared at Brixaby. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me saying, sir,¡± she bit out, ¡°Your dragon seems young, sir. And we haven¡¯t heard of any Rare hatching of purple in this hive, sir.¡± He deliberately made his answer informal and hoped they would get the hint. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have heard because Bisby here,¡± he said, using Brixaby¡¯s fake name, ¡°was not hatched in this hive. We¡¯ve just joined up.¡± ¡°Well, welcome to Wing Purple,¡± one bearded man said, who was so incredibly burly he looked ridiculous sitting on his squat dragon. Or at least, he would if that dragon had not been equally burly with a thick neck and bulging muscles. ¡°How badly did you screw up to get assigned to this hive?¡± Well, at least he wasn¡¯t calling him ¡®sir¡¯. Before Arthur could answer, the blonde spoke up. ¡°What hive did you come from, sir?¡± ¡°Flower Moon,¡± that was an insignificant hive, generally overlooked. ¡°And,¡± he turned to answer the bearded man, ¡°I didn¡¯t know I was messing up at the time. Not that the leaders were in a mood to listen. My dragon,¡± he patted Brixaby¡¯s neck, who stood unusually silent, ¡°has a strong personality and started collecting Uncommons in his own little retinue. The leadership didn¡¯t like that too much.¡± Brixaby remained silent. His persona was to be quiet and intimidating, which had been his own idea. As he¡¯d already had one outburst, Arthur hoped he would be up for it. But as Arthur spoke, Brixaby threw a smug look to the Uncommons, who gazed back with open interest. ¡°I¡¯m Ernest,¡± Arthur said, ¡°but you could call me Ernie.¡± Seated on their dragon¡¯s necks, the others were too far away to extend hands to shake. Arthur gave a nod which the bearded man returned, as well as the others. The woman gave a stiff nod too, and opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted. Arthur wasn¡¯t sure what set them off, but the Commons started clamoring and jumping up to hover over the shoulders of the Uncommons to yell out. ¡°Oh, can I be part of the retinue?¡± ¡°Will you keep me safe?¡± ¡°Mouse wants to be part of the retinue! Pick Mouse!¡± ¡°Can I? Will you help us?¡± ¡°I want a rider!¡± Arthur was taken aback. Keep them safe? Surely the hive did not send purples after scourglings? Or... was this something more sinister? His mind flashed again to that Common rider who had run as if Arthur could set him on fire with his eyes. The bearded man whirled around and roared. ¡°Shut it and stand down! You know the rules about flight before we¡¯re given the go-ahead!¡± Unlike when Brixaby had snapped at them, none of them cringed back. In fact, they simply landed and continued to look on curiously. At worst, some were resigned, as if they were used to being told this. The bearded rider turned to Arthur. ¡°I¡¯m Griff. What are your orders for us?¡± Taken aback, Arthur struggled for a moment to get his thoughts back on track. ¡°Me and Bisby here,¡± he patted Brixaby¡¯s neck, ¡°just got in. I thought that we¡¯d have a few days to introduce ourselves around, but then the eruption happened.¡± ¡°Yes, well, it¡¯s been doing more and more of that recently, hasn¡¯t it?¡± a red-headed man said, sounding exhausted. He gave Arthur an odd look. ¡°Why don¡¯t you have a saddle on that dragon?¡± He didn¡¯t have a saddle because when he had originally left Wolf Moon hive, Brixaby had been the size of a large parrot. In all that had happened since, he hadn¡¯t found his dragon a proper saddle that seemed right. And with his dragon riding skill, he had learned to ride bareback just fine. He hardly even needed to use belts or straps nowadays to keep him in his seat during Brixaby¡¯s wild antics. Arthur grinned and leaned into that opening. ¡°My dragon here is wicked in the air. As part of our card¡¯s power, I won¡¯t get knocked off.¡± Let them chew on that and really think about it if someone got the bright idea of taking out the new Rare in the air. At that moment, a new round of bells sounded, and a hush fell over the grounds. ¡°Finally,¡± Griff said, ¡°it seems like the leadership has stopped playing their stupid games and decided to get down to work.¡± Four greens launched into the sky, and the light seemed to follow them as they went higher and higher. These must be portal dragons. Sure enough, with all four working together, they opened up one large portal. The wings of dragons took to the air, one by one, while the rest sat and waited patiently. Arthur couldn¡¯t see what signal was given or even how it was decided which was going to launch upward next. Griff must have caught Arthur¡¯s confusion because he said, ¡°Purples are always last.¡± ¡°What are your orders, sir?¡± asked the blonde. She still hadn¡¯t given her name, nor had anyone else except Griff. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to change anything on my account,¡± Arthur said. ¡°We haven¡¯t even gotten our feet wet. Do as you normally would in an eruption. I¡¯m going to observe and make my determinations from there.¡± Every bit of that made up on the spot. However, the Uncommon riders nodded, looking satisfied. Even the Commons started chittering back and forth to each other. They seemed very excited, telling each other how they were going to impress Mr. Rare. Finally, Wing Purple was the last on the ground. The Uncommon riders took off first, one by one, in an order that they had already predetermined. Griff turned in his saddle and gestured for the blonde lady to go up next. She was followed by a scattering of the Common Purples. Arthur was about to give Brixaby a signal to fly when Griff gestured to him and said, ¡°Wait a minute. Let the rest go.¡± Brixaby broke his silence. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because my rider wants to talk to yours,¡± Griff¡¯s purple said, as if it was obvious. ¡°My name is Squish. What¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°Uh, Bisby.¡± He looked at the dragon sharply. ¡°My rider already told yours that.¡± ¡°Oh. What¡¯s a Bisby?¡± Arthur looked at Griff. ¡°Squish?¡± With his thick muscles, he was the least likely ¡®Squish¡¯ Arthur had ever seen. ¡°Most of them are given names like that in the nursery pens. And since he knew it as a hatchling, he won¡¯t answer to anything else,¡± Griff said shortly. ¡°So, Flower Moon? From what I heard about them, they¡¯re a bunch of... well, I hear they are the more sensitive, caring type.¡± As he had no idea, Arthur simply nodded. Griff¡¯s mouth lifted in a sardonic half smile. ¡°You won¡¯t find that here. My advice? Don¡¯t get in the way of them.¡± He gestured to the now empty crater, indicating the other colors of dragons. ¡°And don¡¯t underestimate our little purples, either.¡± That was a surprise. ¡°Why not?¡± Now Griff¡¯s smile twisted into something bitter. ¡°Because they¡¯re the fastest and smartest of what¡¯s left.¡± And without another word, he and Squish took to the sky. Book 5 Ch 15 - Heading Out Brixaby curled his neck around to stare at Arthur. There was shock in his gaze, but also a challenge. When Griff and Squish were far enough so they couldn¡¯t hear him, he spoke. ¡°These are supposedly the best Purples in the hive?¡± Arthur shook his head. ¡°I think you missed the point, buddy.¡± Griff¡¯s words disturbed him, but he knew better than to take it at face value. Even though it fit disturbingly well into what he had seen of the Commons. Something was rotten at Blood Moon hive. But his ¡®warning¡¯ could also be a ploy to shake up the new ranker. Though in his heart of hearts¡­ he doubted it. ¡°Let¡¯s fly,¡± Arthur said grimly. Eager to prove himself, Brixaby buzzed upward so fast that Arthur was pressed backward into one of his sharp ridges. Thankfully, his dragon riding skill and pure experience riding his dragon helped him keep his seat. And a good thing, too. He could tell Brixaby was using his fast sprint skill because they were soon almost caught up with Squish. Moments later, Brixaby was nearly tossed in the backwash of the other dragon¡¯s wind stream and had to twist to get out of the way. Like every other purple, Squish had four wings, but the air that spilled from them was unusually turbulent. He didn¡¯t just buzz through the air ¡ª he barreled through it like a dragon several time his size. Arthur yelled out in surprise as Brixaby was flung up and to the side. His dragon righted himself before he tumbled over, and, with another burst of speed, came even with the other purple. It wasn¡¯t just the backwash. Arthur¡¯s immediate outrage died as he looked closer at the other flying pair. They had not even glanced backward at Arthur and Brixaby ¡ª hadn¡¯t realized they¡¯d been that close behind them. The droning sound of his wings was several times louder than Brixaby¡¯s, too. And¡­ ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with the way he¡¯s flying, isn¡¯t there?¡± Arthur frowned, studying Squish, whose mouth was already agape as he took in air even though they were only halfway to the portal. He works too hard, Brixaby said into his mind. He doesn¡¯t fly through the air. He fights with it. To Arthur¡¯s eye, Squish¡¯s wings were a blur, just like every other purple. But he would take Brixaby¡¯s word for it. Then he was forced to tighten his grip as Brixaby moved ahead to catch up with a few Commons. He blasted past them, Arthur thought, just to show he could. The Commons called out cheerfully as Brixaby showed them his tail. A moment later, they entered the wide portal. This was a high quality one, and not simply a rip in the sky like Wolf Moon usually managed. It was akin to entering a picture frame that led to another place. An instant transition from one landscape to another without the least turbulence. They broke into the morning sun. Looking around, Arthur saw with relief that this eruption was rural. They were above a temperate forest without a city in sight, though the small farms dotting the landscape here and there were about to have a very bad day. All around, more portals from the kingdom¡¯s eleven other hives were opening to spill out dragons. Even with the wait to gather everyone up, Blood Moon had been one of the first on the scene. The eruption cone lay ahead, visible rising just above the trees and spilling out scourglings by the second. The Blood Moon purples arrowed straight for the farms. These were marked by chimneys spilling a bit of smoke in the air or by breaks in the forest land where people had carved out some pasture. The purples descended and scooped up, not just people, but everything in sight. One Uncommon Purple swooped to grab up the sheep so fast they had barely time to bleat in surprise. Another rider dismounted his dragon to unhook plow horses from the hastily abandoned machinery. The farmer was nowhere in sight ¡ª probably ran for his life when the eruption shakes started. The horses, who were beyond panicked, screamed and ran off the moment they were free. The rider and dragon took the plow. Arthur saw one small Purple frantically chasing chickens that eluded every grasp. It was utter madness. Arthur would have liked to swoop in and ensure the farm was properly evacuated. It seemed they were more focused on the goods than the people. But, as he didn¡¯t see anyone running for their lives, he had to let it go for a moment. The scramble to collect from the doomed farms had drawn the attention of all the purples ¨C including the Commons who had been hovering wistfully around Brixaby to get his attention. Now no one was looking their way. ¡°It¡¯s time, Brix,¡± Arthur said. Immediately, Brixaby folded his wings and dove as if he had spotted something. The moment they were under the canopy, Brixaby halted in place and twisted entirely around in a way only a Purple could manage. They watched above for a few moments to make sure no one was following. They weren¡¯t. Though¡­ Arthur couldn¡¯t discount any card power that could see through a thick roof of leaves or track them. But there was nothing they could do about that. ¡°Make this quick,¡± he said. Brixaby snarled. ¡°Don¡¯t treat me like one of those dumb Commons. I am better than them in every way. I already knew what to do.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Arthur patted his neck in apology. Brixaby¡¯s ego might need a little extra soothing during all of this. His dragon relaxed a twinge and swiftly cast the ferryman portal. Almost before the space was open, he dove through it. The portal snapped shut behind them. As usual, the ferryman waited at the rowboat. Once Brixaby and Arthur were aboard, the ferryman pushed off the dock with his pole. Then he turned to Arthur and, in a rattling voice, asked, ¡°You seem troubled.¡± ¡°I am,¡± he said and left it at that. But as the nightmarish figures twined through the sky above, his mind turned over what was bothering him: The naked fear of the Common rider, the fact that had been less of an evacuation of the farm and more of a pillaging¡­ and of course what Griff had implied of the purples. When I get back, I can make sure everyone got out of the farms, he told himself. But there¡¯s nothing I can do about the rest. Not until I know more. He already knew this was going to be a difficult, even dangerous, problem. Everyone in his retinue did, and they still wanted to come along. Now, with the eruption happening, it was the perfect moment to slip in. Ready or not, it was time to bring his retinue to Blood Moon hive. **** Arthur and Brixaby erupted from the ferryman portal to the yard behind the barn in New Houston. It was just coming onto evening in that land, and the humidity was so stifling it felt like being slapped in the face with a warm rag. Arthur would not miss that. The back door flew open, and Soledad ran out. She looked haggard and so openly relieved to see him it took him momentarily aback. His shock turned into alarm as she continued to run to him, and he feared she was about to throw her arms around him in a hug. Thankfully, she stopped just short. The words spilled from her in a rush. ¡°Arthur, I was so worried! I did what you said¡ªyou can ask the others if you don¡¯t believe me. Me and that dragon of yours didn¡¯t get ambushed or approached or anything, but we heard the eruption alarms. Brixaby followed me through the portal at first. I didn¡¯t think he would. But then he went straight back, and no one could stop him!¡± She paused for a moment to scowl at Brixaby, who stared back evenly. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault he took off again!¡± Internally, Arthur winced. It probably hadn¡¯t been fair to give her a lecture on being a team player and taking her role in the retinue seriously, followed by ordering her to corral Brixaby: An almost impossible task. ¡°Soledad, it¡¯s all right.¡± He gestured to Brixaby, who now looked smug. ¡°He came and got me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good thing he did. We were going to wait until morning to come and rescue you, ourselves,¡± Cressida called. She had followed Soledad out the door. So had Horatio and Marion. All had relief on their faces. Arthur felt a little bad for leaving them hanging, but if Cressida had been truly that concerned, she could have sent one of her shadow snakes with a message for him. He was half tempted to ask how Cressida would manage to find a portal and ¡®rescue¡¯ him from all the way around the world. But she had her arms crossed and gave every indication she wasn¡¯t impressed with him right now. She he wisely decided not to push it. There was a squeak of hinges from the other side of the barn as the double-doors opened. Sam and Joy came around to the backyard as well, joining them. ¡°What¡¯s going on, oh great leader?¡± Horatio asked. Arthur straightened. ¡°Like Soledad said: There¡¯s an eruption right now and the entire hive is attending. I¡¯ve already integrated myself as one of the leaders of the¡­ purple wing. Anyway, it¡¯s now or never. It¡¯s our time to sneak in.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Cressida said, dropping her arms. ¡°It sounds like we have no time to lose.¡± Arthur went inside the barn and was pleasantly surprised to see everyone had been hard at work. All of their belongings, including Brixaby¡¯s furnace he used for smithing, were packed away in two piles. One for him, and one for Brixaby. They immediately started storing everything into their Personal Spaces. As Arthur already had quite a lot in there, it was a tight fit. He managed, though, and as he went around to touch the objects one by one to store them, he began telling everyone what he had discovered in the hive. He half expected to be twitted at for going in alone¡ªfrom the exasperated looked Cressida sent him, she wasn¡¯t pleased¡ªbut everyone was properly horrified about what he¡¯d seen of the Commons. Marion stepped forward. ¡°Go over their symptoms once again. Did the man you saw seem to be running a fever?¡± ¡°No, nothing like that. Everyone in the lower levels was drunk, and I half wondered if he was hungover too, but it was more than that. And he was so afraid¡­¡± Arthur shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Common riders have a very easy time there.¡± ¡°Glad we¡¯re going in as Uncommons,¡± Horatio muttered. Sams nodded. Brixaby, however, had other concerns. ¡°I do not understand how you could misread the map. It appears inside of your head. How can you misunderstand what level the card was on?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t misread it,¡± Arthur said, turning to him. ¡°The card moved.¡± ¡°That card is not in anyone¡¯s heart deck,¡± Brixaby shot back. ¡°Do you know that for sure?¡± little Equinox asked, his head cocked to the side. ¡°Of course I know. It is a card that belongs to my set,¡± Brixaby snapped at the little dragon. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to him like that,¡± Soledad said. Arthur held up his hand to forestall an argument. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this.¡± His pile of needed items¡ªnot junk, thank you very much, Cressida¡ªhad grown small. Brixaby had managed to stuff the last of his objects into his Personal Space even faster. Arthur turned to Marion. ¡°You¡¯re going to find a lot of patients to examine, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find out what¡¯s wrong with them. Brix, you¡¯ll see what I¡¯m talking about, too. Hopefully, that card doesn¡¯t jump around again.¡± ¡°Cards cannot jump. They do not have legs,¡± he grumbled, but Arthur ignored him. Cressida jumped in. ¡°He¡¯s right. We can¡¯t stay here a moment longer than we need to¡ªyou all know that.¡± Everyone else nodded with grim expressions. Arthur straightened, looking at them all. He got the sense there was something more at play. ¡°What happened?¡± Cressida gusted a sigh. ¡°Someone blew up a section of the south walls, and it took out a lot of homes along with it. The group that¡¯s claiming responsibility says that unless their candidate is put in charge of city administration, they¡¯re going to target within the city. They mentioned the hospital.¡± ¡°Things are falling apart here,¡± Horatio added flatly. ¡°I guess the whole ¡®reshuffling¡¯ has finally started. And sooner or later, someone is going to remember that having dragons on your side will make a powerful statement.¡± He cut his eyes to the double doors, which Arthur now saw had been reinforced with steel bars. Arthur closed his eyes, pained. A large part of him wished that they could stay. But helping would mean not only fighting the increasingly violent groups who wanted power over this small city, but putting himself right at the top. He would have to rule here. That meant he and Brixaby would not have time to complete their sets. And it wasn¡¯t like the scourglings were going away. They had to get to the bottom of why the eruptions were happening with increasing frequency. Their progress would stop moving forward, and Arthur could not allow that. The last of the items disappeared within his Personal Space, and he turned to the others. ¡°Time to go. Say goodbye to New Houston.¡± ¡°Not soon enough,¡± Horatio muttered to himself. Arthur smiled at his grumpy friend, then noticed how Horatio extended his arm to Soledad, who took it with a smile. ¡°Off to a new land,¡± she said. As they walked out, Arthur heard her added. ¡°I¡¯m not certain I like what I¡¯ve seen of it so far, but I¡¯m willing to give it a few shakes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure there are things we can find for you to like,¡± Horatio replied in a weird, soothing tone Arthur had never heard from him before. He blinked and turned to Cressida, who watched the two of them with a smile. Then, daring, he extended his own arm. She took it, beaming. Marion rolled his eyes at them all. Book 5 Ch 16 - Brixabys Cards Of course, leaving New Houston was not nearly the simple process the humans made it out to be. Brixaby still needed to disguise each one of his retinue members using the Knockback card. Transferring one ¡°Rare¡± pair into Blood Moon hive was risky enough. Five would be a nightmare. Even with his new Mana Generation card and unique endurance, fortitude, and strength from being a Legendary, the amounts required to activate and maintain the illusions would have been overwhelming. However, Brixaby had anticipated the needs and gathered up as much mana as he could throughout the day. It had been a¡­ taxing process, and thus why he had needed that nap before the eruption. Now he was well prepared. Before opening the portal to the dark ferryman, he had his retinue stand in a line. Then, one by one, he dropped them from Rare to Uncommon. Though he did not like causing them discomfort, the low-grade irritation he had felt of being a false Rare among true Rares dissipated as they were reduced down. Still, the mana costs were exorbitant and by the last cast on Sams, he felt positively wilted. Not that he would ever admit it. Arthur looked on with concern. ¡°Do you want me to cast the portal, Brix?¡± Brixaby straightened and ignored the wave of slight dizziness that came along with it. ¡°No! I will do it.¡± Thanks to his brilliant foresight, he had already picked out a portal card which was efficient on mana. Plus, the Mana Generator card was already working hard to restore what was lost. He expected by the time they made it down the dark river to Blood Moon hive, all would be well again. Casting the portal took the last few points of his mana. He did not tell his rider how close he had come, but from Arthur¡¯s concerned look, he likely guessed. Joy said nothing either, but gave him a supportive shoulder to lean on as they crossed into the portal. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s night again,¡± Joy said with a frown at the starry sky. ¡°It is the ferryman¡¯s portal between worlds. I do not believe there is ever a sunny day,¡± Brixaby said. Indeed, the dark ferryman was waiting at the river for them. The rowboat had expanded to a rather ridiculous size to accommodate every dragon and their human passengers. But the ferryman did not complain as everyone loaded in. He only pushed off the bank as they were seated. ¡°First thing we do once we get there,¡± Horatio said once the boat was well underway. Everyone was doing their best not to look into the starry sky of nightmarish creatures. ¡°We need to get fitted with proper saddles and insignia. The more we look like we¡¯re from Blood Moon, the less likely anyone is to question us.¡± ¡°I did drop the story that I¡¯m transferring in with other riders,¡± Arthur said. ¡°But yeah, supplies should be one of the first on the list.¡± ¡°Asha and I will assist the hurt and sick,¡± Marion said. His little Silver dragon nodded. ¡°And Equinox and I will scout out the dragon nurseries,¡± Soledad added. Brixaby turned to her. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because we need to integrate there. There¡¯s not going to be any records of their hatching.¡± ¡°You are Uncommon,¡± Brixaby told her reasonably. ¡°No one pays attention to records of Uncommons.¡± ¡°That¡¯s sad,¡± Equinox said. Brixaby shrugged his wings. Arthur put a hand on Brixaby¡¯s side as if to forestall him and spoke up instead. ¡°Actually, Soledad, I noticed not a lot of Purple Commons had riders. I want to know why, so while you¡¯re there explore a bit and ask around. Something strange is going on with the Commons and I want to find out what it is.¡± That seemed to be a waste of time to Brixaby, but he was mildly curious about the Purples. If not the other colors. The rowboat reached the next dock, and they disembarked. As they walked off the short pier onto the bank, they walked into their destination. While he and Arthur had been gone, the sun had risen and cast long shadows along the crater. The portal had opened up deep within that shadow, and as the land they had left was nighttime, there wasn¡¯t a lot of light to catch the eye. Nor were they the only portal. While the hive seemed to use a single portal out, other personal portals were opening up to spill out people and their dragons on the return. Their arrival attracted a few glances. But only a few. That worry taken care of, Brixaby concentrated on his most pressing concern¡ªthe retrieving the next card for his set. He concentrated on his Call of The Heart, and what he saw took him aback. ¡°Arthur!¡± He was so excited he practically bounced from foot to foot like a hatchling who had been presented with a brand new toy. ¡°Arthur, three of my cards are here! It is enough to complete my set.¡± Arthur whipped around to look at him. ¡°That¡¯s what your seeking card is showing you? How can that be? I saw just one.¡± Brixaby dismissed that as irrelevant. ¡°You were using my card. Perhaps the connection was more tenuous. It does not matter. Arthur, we must move now. If I can get my claws on them, that will be enough to complete my set.¡± He no longer cared about subtly sneaking his way into the hive. He dared anyone to stand in his way! Brixaby glanced at the map again to order his retinue to different positions and guard the locations until he could get to them¡ªthen he froze. ¡°What is it?¡± Arthur asked. ¡°This¡­ cannot be right. No,¡± Brixaby said after a moment, staring at the cards in his mind¡¯s eye. The words felt like ashes on his tongue. ¡°I see two cards. I must have misread it somehow.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Arthur¡¯s gaze took on a distant look as he cast the Call of The Heart through Brixaby. After a moment, he shook his head. ¡°I see one card.¡± ¡°Now that doesn¡¯t make a lick of sense,¡± Soledad said. ¡°Why on this green world would you two see different results?¡± Brixaby dearly wanted to snap at her, but now she was reading to his senses like an Uncommon which made his basic instinct more protective than annoyed. Also, he didn¡¯t know the answer. Marion frowned. ¡°Can either of you see what level of the hive they¡¯re on? If it¡¯s close enough¡­¡± He trailed off. ¡°No,¡± Brixaby grumbled. ¡°It appears I have to be inside the hive in order to do that.¡± His wings itched to take into the air and find the location of his cards. Joy suddenly perked up. Noticing, Brixaby turned to face her. ¡°Yes?¡± he asked eagerly. Her intuition had sharpened significantly since the trials of the Dark Heart. Perhaps it was telling her something useful to him. But she only looked at her rider. ¡°Cressida, did you get that quest, too?¡± Arthur¡¯s semi-mate was all smiles. ¡°Yes, I did, dear.¡± She looked at the others. ¡°I just received a quest to earn a place inside one of the wings.¡± Then, to Horatio, ¡°You and Sams want to raid the supply rooms for Blood Moon gear and come along? That will be the easiest way to integrate ourselves here if this card search is going to take a while.¡± Horatio nodded but looked to Soledad. ¡°Will you be alright without me?¡± She let go of his arm and gave him a push to his dragon. Brixaby did not understand human mating rituals, nor did he care to. ¡°Get into your wing and don¡¯t screw it up. I¡¯ll be right as rain here. No one pays attention to baby dragons, or their riders. ¡®Specally now we¡¯re Uncommon.¡± She said the last bit with a sly glance to Brixaby, who nodded. She was correct. No one cared about Uncommons. ¡°Come on, come on, come on. There¡¯s a time limit!¡± Joy practically danced in place. Soon their riders were aboard their dragons and she and Sams were in the air. Meanwhile, Marion and Asha took their leave and went over to the big white tents, which had been set up as medical triage. Brixaby could not stand any further delay. ¡°Arthur, we must explore this hive at once and find why we are seeing two different answers. It certainly cannot be that my card is mistaken. There must be some other explanation!¡± Arthur raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think your card is telling us wrong, but there¡¯s definitely something we¡¯re missing¡ª¡± ¡°Mr. Rare! Mr. Rare, there you are!¡± They both looked up to see a little Purple circling above them. Half the size of Brixaby, she was unusually delicately built with a fragile head and quick, birdlike movements, and soft pale scales that almost made her seem blue. Which made the scourgelings she was carrying, which were easily three times her own size, look even more ridiculous. They both hurriedly backed up as she dropped the carcass not five feet away. It was a disgusting thing with a huge, warty head half the size of its own body and teeth ringing the jaws inside and out. It dripped puss, even though there didn¡¯t appear to be any wounds. Both Brixaby and Arthur turned to stare up at the Purple. ¡°This is for you!¡± she crowed, buzzing in happy circles. ¡°My name is Candy Floss, by the way. Are you happy with me, Mr. Rare? Did I do good?¡± Brixaby was flummoxed. ¡°How did you transport this?¡± He reached out with a claw to touch the thing. It was so heavy it didn¡¯t rock. ¡°My card!¡± Candy Floss said, guileless and unworried about sharing her most important secret to anyone within hearing distance. ¡°I can make things really, really light. But only when I touch them. Is this okay? Is this enough for me to get a rider of my own now?¡± ¡°If we can find you someone with a compatible card,¡± Arthur said. ¡°That¡¯s quite the card power. Did you kill this scourgling yourself?¡± ¡°No, I snatched it from another hive¡¯s dragon.¡± Brixaby thought that was also quite impressive, but Arthur frowned. ¡°Which hive?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡± Candy Floss was still buzzing around in pleased circles. ¡°Don¡¯t care. Can I have a rider now?¡± Brixaby got to the most important topic. ¡°Why have you brought a scourgling corpse to the hive?¡± ¡°It¡¯s for you!¡± Arthur spoke before Brixaby could question the silly Purple further. ¡°If we don¡¯t put that somewhere soon, someone will have to treat the spot where it¡¯s landed with dragon soil.¡± He reached out as if to store it in his Personal Space to dispose of it safely later¡ªhopefully not just to keep it forever like the rest of his junk ¨C but then he paused with his hand outstretched. ¡°This hasn¡¯t been harvested yet.¡± Immediately, Brixaby understood. He gestured to the scourgling and pulled out a respectable three Uncommon shards. ¡°Those are for you!¡± Candy Floss said unnecessarily. ¡°I want to be part of your retinue with a rider of my own!¡± ¡°Hmm. Yes, this pleases me.¡± Brixaby gave her a more appraising look. Yes, she was delicate looking and too small to carry a rider, though her card¡¯s power could aid her with that. He appreciated ferocity and her forethought. ¡°How long are you out of the shell?¡± ¡°Four months.¡± ¡°Then you have much growing to do.¡± He thought for a moment. ¡°I will think about it and possibly assign you an appropriate rider if one can be found. But,¡± he added, stopping her as she opened her mouth to speak. ¡°I shall require shards in tribute. Only the shards and not the scourglings. And any cards you should find,¡± he finished with a nod. ¡°Yes, Mr. Rare, sir!¡± She happily took back off to the portals. Arthur was giving Brixaby a disappointed look. ¡°What?¡± Brixaby asked. ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s a good idea? She just said she was scalping scourglings from others.¡± ¡°Of course it is! We are in Blood Moon and are expected to be fearsome. Once word gets around¡ªand it will because Candy Floss seems much like Joy, which means she has more friends than is considered wise¡ªeveryone will know for certain that we fit in here. Also,¡± he added, mildly offended, ¡°It is not as if I intend to keep all the shards for myself.¡± Arthur seemed doubtful. ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± ¡°No!¡± Brixaby said with much injured dignity. ¡°I will wisely combine the shards into cards. And if those cards prove useless to me, then I shall award them to my followers. Either my existing retinue, or my¡­¡± He trailed off, tilting his head as he searched for the right word. He didn¡¯t necessarily want Commons in his retinue, but ¡®sub-retinue¡¯ did not sound quite right. ¡°Fan club?¡± Arthur asked drily. ¡°Yes!¡± Brixaby seized on the idea. Occasionally, his rider could come up with good ones. ¡°A club of Purples. And you heard Squish¡¯s rider¡ªthese in the hive are among the fastest and smartest of all the Purples. I shall have them for my own. The best of the best. And once the Uncomons see that the lower ranks are making this choice, they will flock to be under my banner as well. If they are useful to me, I shall take them.¡± For some reason, Arthur rolled his eyes. But he was only human and perhaps Brixaby¡¯s plans were too far above him to understand. ¡°And,¡± Brixaby added, ¡°Those who strive to excel will be allowed to receive riders of their own. You will manage that, Arthur.¡± ¡°Oh will, will I?¡± Arthur said dryly. Then a strange look came over his face. He glanced over his shoulder, back to the direction Marion and Asha had gone. ¡°What is it?¡± Brixaby asked. ¡°I wonder if that is where the refugees from this eruption were taken. And I was just thinking¡­¡± He trailed off for a moment. ¡°When I was rescued as a kid, I would have done anything for the hive.¡± Brixaby did not like thinking of that. Yes, it had occurred before he was even in an egg, but he did not like the thought of Arthur riding any other Purple, even if it was to be rescued. It upset him to think that he had not been there, that Arthur had lived an entire life before him. ¡°Brix,¡± Arthur said, and Brixaby¡¯s attention was brought back. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t anyone ride Purple Commons around here?¡± ¡°The lack of prestige,¡± Brixaby said. It was obvious to him. ¡°So, you think it¡¯s that people don¡¯t want to and not that someone is¡­ stopping them?¡± ¡°For what reason?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But¡­¡± His attention was drawn back across the crater. ¡°There may be future riders in that medical tent. It¡¯s not like they¡¯ll have homes to return to. We saw how much the nobles are willing to help out the farmers.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, go,¡± Brixaby said, once again impatient. ¡°I will check inside the hive and discover where my cards are hiding.¡± Arthur glanced back at his dragon with a smile. ¡°You know, people will not be happy if they discover you¡¯re connecting shards from your¡­ followers.¡± Brixaby grinned back at him, deliberately using teeth in a threat even a human would understand. ¡°I would dare them to complain to my face. It is not my fault no one else has thought of such a thing.¡± Arthur chuckled at that, though it looked like he did not want to. Then he waved at Brixaby and headed off to the medical tent. Brixaby launched into the sky in search of his cards. Book 5 Ch17 - Brixabys Cards (2) As Brixaby flew, he cast an eye up to the sky. The four portal dragons were still holding open their side of the portals. Through it, dragons came and went. Many dropped off supplies harvested from doomed human dwellings at one section of the crater. That area was filling up fast. Brixaby was impressed. The normal instinct was to go for shards, but if a dragon was unfortunate enough to be hatched with weak cards, looting was a fine second choice. He knew Arthur well and had felt how tense he had been earlier when they had witnessed the farms being rated. But those had been located very close to the eruption point. Likely, they had already been swallowed by the enlarging cone. Besides, it was much better for those people to live in a hive in his opinion. Many farm animals were among the supplies. Brixaby focused on them. He had spent a lot of energy in the form of mana today and could use a snack. Buzzing sharply down, he scooped up a chicken, breaking its neck before it had time to cluck in surprise. He ate it, feathers and all. Normally, he didn¡¯t bother with uncooked food, but the hot blood was quite satisfying. One of the humans organizing the supplies shouted at him and waved his fist. Brixaby ignored the man and buzzed back into the air. Time to visit the hive tower and discover the mystery behind his cards. Blood Moon hive was... oddly shaped with that air of artificiality that he found surrounded most human objects. His advanced blacksmithing told him this was natural, yet he could not imagine how a scourgling eruption could create such a thing. Humans, being land-based animals, walked in at the bottom levels. Brixaby, with his superior wings, did not have a need. It was obvious from the comings and goings of dragons returning from the eruption that the main entry point was on the seventh level. It had satisfyingly wide ledges. The moment Brixaby landed, he was greeted by an officious looking Uncommon green. ¡°Purple! I hope you have a good excuse for returning early¡ª¡° Her eyes went wide as she came close enough to sense his rank. Snapping her jaws shut, she seemed to gulp down her next words. ¡°Oh! Excuse me, sir! I did not recognize you.¡± Immediately, the ledge around him went quiet. The Commons and Uncommons made no bones about edging away. Brixaby took a good look around and no one met his eyes. He normally found respect satisfying to the extreme. But this disrespect was... not nearly as fun. He let the silence extend on, as that was part of his persona here. It made the other dragons nervous, as they did not know if he was displeased with them or not. Hmm. This was even better than outright threatening them. As he let the silence grow uncomfortable, he once again accessed his Call of The Heart and eagerly looked at his internal map. And suddenly, he did not have to feign his displeasure. Now it showed only one card, which sat high up on the twenty-fifth level. Arthur had said they were on the lower levels, did he not? With an internal growl, Brixaby tore his attention away from the map and addressed the green. ¡°No, you would not recognize me. I have recently been assigned to this hive. My rider and some hangers-on¡ª¡° He did not use the word ¡®retinue¡¯ because that was typically a Legendary concept, ¡°require rooms close together. One with excellent ledges for sunning,¡± he added.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it He had not dared assign this task to Arthur because he had the distressing habit of thinking like a human and choosing smaller living locations. Proper dragons needed space. ¡°Oh... I don¡¯t usually, uh, I mean, the riders usually decide...¡± The green swiveled her head back and forth, looking for help from the other dragons. This close, Brixaby saw moss growing between her scales. Perhaps her card power? ¡°Tell me where there is a block of empty rooms available,¡± Brixaby snapped. ¡°I... the south side rooms on the twentieth level are usually free!¡± she squeaked. ¡°The humans don¡¯t like them because they are hot, but they are good for sunning, sir.¡± Her yellow eyes were panicked, and she curled her tail in on itself with extreme discomfort. Brixaby felt just a twinge of guilt, so he gave her a slight boon by nodding his head. ¡°You have pleased me.¡± With that, he buzzed into the air. Below, he saw the dragons immediately gather and gossip. Brixaby buzzed straight upward to the twentieth level, which was about halfway up. Indeed, there were wide ledges on the south side. As he landed on one, the sun felt satisfyingly warm on his scales. He poked his head into some rooms until he found four clustered together, which had thick layers of dust on the furniture. One room was completely empty. Perhaps that would be suitable for the younger dragons. They had the bad habit of gnawing on furniture. Sitting down on the best of the ledges, Brixaby once again accessed his Call of The Heart. His eye twitched. The card now showed up as on the seventh floor. It was indeed jumping around, and it seemed the closer Brixaby got to it, the further away it became. With a burst of inspiration, he canceled the query and then immediately called up the map again. Once again, only one card showed up: this time at the very top, the forty-second floor. Brixaby¡¯s eyes narrowed. This was indeed his card. He felt it resonate with the other two in his set, The Call of The Heart and the Call of the Voice. But even under dragon power, it could not move that fast... and it did not have the feeling of a card existing within someone¡¯s heart deck. How could a card move under its own power? Was it an aspect of the card itself? There was a buzzing of wings above. Brixaby looked up to see Candy Floss just above him. Brightening at his attention, she chirped, ¡°Mr. Rare! Mr. Rare!¡± ¡°Call me Brix¡ªBisby,¡± he said, catching himself just in time. He must remember to use his fake name. ¡°Alright, BrixBisby¡ª¡° ¡°Just Bisby.¡± ¡°Okay Bisby,¡± she said easily. ¡°I got five more shards.¡± It was not nearly as good as discovering the next card in his set, but Brixaby perked up anyway. ¡°Excellent. So far, you are my most valuable Common follower.¡± He held out his claw, and she dropped five shards into them. Only Commons, but it was a good start. He was about to store them in his Personal Space but paused for a moment. ¡°Perhaps,¡± he said painfully, feeling yet another twinge of guilt and blaming it on Arthur¡¯s terrible influence. ¡°Perhaps you need these yourself.¡± ¡°We turn our Blood Price in for food,¡± she said. Was Blood Price what Arthur meant when he said ¡®currency¡¯? ¡°I was able to grab live chickens from what was evacuated,¡± Brixaby told her. ¡°Well, you¡¯re a Rare. No one would stop you. Everyone would stop me because I¡¯m Common and don¡¯t have a rider.¡± Her head sagged. ¡°When do you think I¡¯m going to get a rider?¡± ¡°Mine is working that out right now. Why don¡¯t you have a rider?¡± he asked. ¡°You seem less useless than most Commons.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± But then she seemed to deflate again. ¡°Soon as we hatch, we¡¯re put into different groups. No one wants a dragon from the bad groups. I¡¯m a Purple, but I can¡¯t fly as fast as normal Purples. My card is for lifting things. Are you hungry?¡± she asked suddenly. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said, and his stomach growled in agreement. ¡°How about a horse? The portal¡¯s still open, and there was a horse ranch near the eruption. Lots and lots of horses were killed!¡± she said enthusiastically. Horse meat sounded delicious, but he already sated his need for raw food. ¡°I shall get my rider, and he will cook the horse.¡± Brixaby paused, thinking. ¡°Perhaps tell the other Purples to bring food, too. Then I shall show you how the higher ranks eat!¡± Candy Floss happily agreed and buzzed away to do his bidding. Brixaby watched her go for a moment. There were plenty of unsettling things about this hive, but he appreciated how everyone was happy to follow his orders. Yes. He could rather get to like this hive. Taking off into the air, he went on search for a well-cooked meal, and the person who would provide it for him. Book 5 Ch18: An Offer Arthur watched Brixaby take off into the sky. Part of him felt like calling him back to remind him one more time that they shouldn''t be making a spectacle of themselves. That was one thing Brixaby excelled at: making everyone pay attention to him. But he was a grown dragon and had done well by staying quiet and intimidating back with the Purples. Shaking his head, Arthur turned to walk to the medical tents. As he did, he kept half an eye on the large portal above. His official leadership training had not been very long at Wolf Moon, but he had lived in the city right outside that hive since he was twelve years old. He was used to seeing the comings and goings of dragons when they went out for an eruption... and when they returned. Injuries happened, even with overwhelming card powers. Even on easy eruptions that were caught early. Even when dragons and riders had the ability to kill at range. After all, scourglings had their own powers. Higher ranked ones, even more so. Arthur had become sadly accustomed to seeing people brought in, half-unconscious and slumped over their dragon''s necks, or dragons returning in an injured state themselves, trailing blood and squealing. Here¡­ certainly, Arthur saw a few injuries, but nothing extreme like he had become used to seeing in Blood Moon Hive, and he saw no outright medical emergencies. He did not know if it was that Blood Moon was that much better trained than other hives... or, a darker thought, injured dragons and their riders knew not to return here for healing. Arthur spotted Marion and Asha working in a healing tent and tending to the few injuries that had come back so far. From the look of it, most were broken bones and sprains. Arthur watched them as they went from bed to bed. There were other healers around, but they managed to help without bringing attention to themselves. As Arthur passed the tent, he walked by a group of dragon riders. One complained about a sprained shoulder while his friends told him he was just getting old. There were other healers around, but as Arthur was not visibly injured, no one gave him a second look. Perhaps they would if they noticed that he was "Rare," they certainly would. People would be at my beck and call if they realized that I was a Legendary, he thought wryly, and was glad all over again for the Knock Back card. A part of him was tempted to see if Brixaby would be up to use it outside the hive¡­ that came close to escapism. He was a Legendary rider, and like it or not, that came with certain expectations. He wouldn¡¯t run away from it like a coward. Arthur continued, and found a larger, orange tent nearby. Food was being served on large trestle tables, and one look inside told him that it was full of civilians. Though there were no injuries, this was not a happy place. The civilians were dressed in a variety of garb, from basic peasant to those who had been fairly well off before the eruption. There was no joking around about injuries. Children wept and adults stared into space with shocked expressions. And why shouldn''t they be shocked? Very likely, they had risen in the morning to do their chores and get on with life. Now they were out of farm and home, and were completely unmoored with no idea what to do next. Arthur remembered when he had been taken to Wolf Moon Hive for the first time as a child. To him, whose father was back on the borderlands and who didn''t have a family to lose... looking back, it had all seemed to be a grand adventure. He had been professionally assessed, fed up, and well taken care of. Even the orphanage had been quite a few steps up from his previous living situation. Once there, he had been given the opportunity for an education and all the tools to excel. Other than missing his father, Arthur had not mourned his old life. Looking back, he realized that people had subtly and not so subtly impressed upon him the idea of being a dragon rider from the start. Not that Arthur needed much pushing in that direction. He had been helped at a time he¡¯d needed it, and he wondered if he could help these people as well. Turning, Arthur walked into the orange tent. Most people sat at tables, clutching steaming cups. From the smell that was wafting over, Arthur suspected that quite a few of those cups had been spiked to help calm people down. Some small children clutched at their parents, crying in a whining way and asking questions that no one had any clear answers to. However, a few more sturdy children were off to a cleared area to the side, playing quiet games with one another. Families with small children to tend was not what Arthur was looking for. He moved on. In the back of the tent sat a group of people who didn''t seem to have families with them. They were dressed far more simply and had the look of general workers¡ªtemporary folk who moved from farm to farm during harvest and planting seasons. Most of these were young adults, though he spied a few teenagers who had recently left their own family home to seek their fortunes. Scattered among them were some older adults too. Quite a few eyes glanced up at Arthur as he walked up. One man looked up from his cup and scowled at Arthur. "Are you another one of those healers? I said I was fine." "No," Arthur said, and mentally put on the mask of a stern leader. He was here to play a role. "I''m a dragon rider. My name is Ernest, Rare rider of Wing Purple." Suddenly, all attention of those within hearing distance was on him. Arthur took a seat at one of the long tables. A few people leaned away as if they were worried they were going to offend Arthur by their mere presence. This close, he felt that more than a few of them had cards. All were Common. Perfect. "I wanted to see how you were getting on," Arthur said. This got a few "fine" and "yes sir" out of a couple of people. But the grizzled older man who originally spoke up scowled harder at Arthur. "We don''t have nothing more to pay you." "Pay?" Arthur asked. The man''s scowl deepened into something truly ferocious. But he must have seen the look on Arthur''s face because he gestured out wildly in the direction of the crater. "You already took everything." Then Arthur understood. "The hive claimed everything that was evacuated." It wasn¡¯t a question.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "Evacuated." The man snorted. "That''s a very clean way of saying it, sir." "Larry, leave off," one woman said in an exhausted tone. Arthur got the impression that Larry had been sitting here bellyaching for quite some time. Not that Arthur could completely blame him. He would be feeling a bit sore if the hive gathered all his material goods and claimed it as payment for a rescue. "It''s not like we could take any with us," the woman continued, then her voice dropped to a slightly more bitter tone. "Or that we owned it in the first place." This was said with a significant look toward some of the more well-dressed folk who were sitting two tables down and not paying attention to them. "Yeah, well, they have it now. So, it seems like they could very well disperse it to those in need," Larry growled. "Instead, we have this young man asking us for even more. What else do you want from us?" He turned to Arthur belligerently. "We''re not going to give you the cards from our hearts, so forget about it." Arthur held up a hand. "I''m not asking you for anything like that." He could not quite blame Larry for his aggression. The man had gone through a lot... and had likely had some spiked drinks in an empty belly. "I''m simply here asking you what you think the future holds for you." That got a lot of blank looks. "What do you mean?" one young man around Arthur''s age asked. He looked a little like Arthur, too. Tall and thin, though with browner hair. Arthur focused on him. "Has anybody asked you about finding work?" A few people shrugged, and the young man said, "Figured I''d try for work in town, once things got settled. Or, there have to be farms around here, right?" That was true, though Arthur suspected that any local farms would often get an influx of people who had just been evacuated from other destroyed areas of the kingdom. "You might have to go out far to find some job openings." "Is that what this is about?" Larry asked with narrowed eyes. "Are you gearing up to ask us to pay you for a ride out of this place?" "I don''t think you''ve seen a Purple dragon before, have you?" Arthur said. "My dragon isn¡¯t built for mass transport." One woman with an anxious face asked, "What''s the point of just going to another farm somewhere else? What happens if I get myself established, or I settle down and start a family, or build a home. And then suddenly, I wake up and there''s an eruption there, too?" The younger man grinned over at Larry. "You''ve already had to move twice from other eruptions, haven''t you? It''s like you''re scourgling bait." He was cut off from a warning growl from Larry, but the young man didn''t seem too worried. With a snicker, he drank deeply from his own cup. "Oh, come on. That''s what they call you, isn''t it? Bad luck, Larry?" "Your mother didn''t mind a taste of my bad luck last night," Larry growled, cuffing the kid on the back of the head. The young man lost his laughter and red spots bloomed on his cheeks. Seeing the situation going downhill fast, Arthur laced his voice with his Leadership skill and reached for the Subtle Influence card. "Knock it off," he snapped before the young man could strike back. "There will be no fighting in this tent." Both stared at him, angry and affronted, but not focused on one another. Arthur considered that a win. He turned his attention to the group at large. "I know that you have all suffered a shock, but I want you all to think long and hard about what is to come, and what you''re going to do in the future. I can''t guarantee it, but if you''re tired of the farming life, there are other options for you." "Like what?" Larry asked. Arthur turned to him. Despite the ribbing he had received from the others, Larry seemed to be the de facto group leader. "I was once in the same position you are now," Arthur said. "Granted, I was younger. But I was already tired of running from scourgelings and found other options." "Just get to the point, kid," Larry said. "What do you want from us?" "I want to see if you''re interested in becoming a dragon rider," he said flatly. A few people scoffed, but others stared at him¡ªand some of those stares were even of interest. ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s possible?¡± one person gasped. "Why not? The real enemy out there are the scourgelings, and we need people to defeat them. So, if you''re tired of running, and you want to fight back, this is the way to do it. You''re right," he said to the woman. "If you go out there and start your own farm, it can be taken away from you at any time." "Yeah, but I hear that it''s happening more and more often," someone muttered. Again, all eyes turned to Arthur, and it felt to him like they were hoping he would deny that. But of course, he couldn''t. He didn¡¯t know why eruptions were happening more frequently. No one did. "Right now, I have several dragons looking for riders,¡± he said. "You''re serious?" someone said. "I thought that only fancy nobles could ride dragons." "No," Arthur said. "You just need a card that a dragon likes, and that''s it." As if on cue, he heard a distinct buzz of dragon wings in a frequency he knew by heart. It was Brixaby. The wind from his landing pushed open the flaps of the tent, making him fully visible as he landed neatly on the other side. His dragon turned to stare into the tent with blood-red eyes. Arthur glanced around and was glad to see some envy and wonder on people''s faces. "I can''t guarantee that you''re fit to be a rider, or that you''ll have a card that a dragon will want. But when a dragon links with your card, it gives you extra abilities as well. That''s how many new cards are made, you know, from the linking between rider and dragon. And Purples," he gestured outside to Brixaby, "tend to choose the ones with physical cards." This was a calculated bet. Anyone with a dedicated farming card would have enough advantage over others to be able to purchase their own land. But people with more physical cards tended to usually find employment either as soldiers for hire or general laborers working farms. Judging by the glimmering in people''s eyes here, there were quite a few who not only fit that bill but were interested in trying. However, scattered among those were quite a few disappointed expressions. Those people had the look and feel of someone who did not have cards of their own. Arthur felt sympathy for them, because he had been there, too. He took a few extra seconds to look at those faces and memorize them. If he found a way to get these people cards, he surely would. "Think about it. I''ll be around if anyone has any questions. Ask for Ernest of Wing Purple among the staff. Don''t go asking random dragon riders," he warned. "Most riders are too busy to deal with civilians. We have to fight the scourglings, you know." There were hasty nods all around, and Arthur found he wasn''t too concerned about someone harassing dragon riders for his information¡ªand more importantly, spread word of what he was doing. Most civilians would see it as a minor amazement he had come down to speak to them at all. Not wanting to overstay his welcome, he exited the tent and walked straight to Brixaby. The entire way, he felt eyes upon him, so he made sure to jump easily onto the base of Brixaby''s neck, giving him the signal to fly. Brixaby buzzed straight up into the air, and behind them, Arthur was certain he heard a few oohs. Brixaby didn''t ask any questions, but he was always willing to show off to admiring onlookers. He continued straight up vertically, and only landed on a nearby ledge when they were several levels up. "Has something happened?" Arthur asked, low. He couldn''t imagine why Brixaby had grabbed him for anything else. "What do you know about cooking horse?" Brixaby asked. He blinked, taken aback. "That... Well, most people don''t like to eat it unless they''re starving or it''s for a special dish. It has a strong taste." "My fan club has procured for us some horsemeat, and I believe I shall win their further admiration if it is cooked properly," Brixaby said. "Also, I have found us suitable rooms to stay in. Were you speaking to people about becoming dragon riders?" "Possibly," Arthur said. "I don''t know if any of them have compatible cards." Brixaby hummed in the back of his throat. "If they are at all worthy, then my fan club will be pleased." Arthur winced. "Can we think of a different name?" "What other name is there? Retinue is taken¡ª" He stopped as a shadow, a large, dragon-sized shadow flashed overhead. A moment later, a green uncommon came into land on the same ledge. The green rider looked down his nose at them, and Arthur felt Brixaby swell up in indignation. The other dragon must have felt the displeasure of a Rare because he shifted to the side uncomfortably. As he did, his scales flashed in the light. This was a high shimmer green. Those were typically the ones who opened and closed the main portals to and from the eruption... and the eruption was still ongoing. Arthur glanced up to verify there were three green dragons manning the portal where there had been four before. Why was one down here? The man, still looking at them like he was gunk on the bottom of his shoe, said, "I suppose you''re the one they call Ernest? The new Wing Purple rider?" "Yes," Arthur said. I may as well keep it short and sweet. The man somehow managed to sneer without totally sneering. "The leaders want to see you. Now." Then he dug around in his vest pocket for something, muttering loud enough for Arthur to hear, "They pulled us off portal duty, so this had better be good." Then, before Arthur could reply, he tossed something his way. As it tumbled through the air, Arthur caught sight of a flash of runes. It was an enchanted object before his hand snapped out and he instinctively caught it. Then he and Brixaby were whisked away. Book 5 Ch 19: The Blood Price It was a rough portal journey. Arthur still felt Brixaby solidly under him, but it felt like they were tumbling over and over, flipped around sideways, upside down, side to side. Then, abruptly, light exploded all around them and they arrived. Arthur gasped, sucking in a lungful of thin air. Under him, Brixaby made a gurgling sound that might have been his attempt at a roar or a shout. He was nearly flat on the ground, arms, legs, and wings splayed out. Arthur was slumped over his neck and clinging on for dear life. Before he could gather himself, or even properly look around, a very, very large dragon lowered his head to stare right at them. It was a Legendary. The scales were blood red, and in the distant corner of Arthur''s mind, he thought that was a terribly cliche color for such a powerful being. However, there wasn''t a hint of a shimmer. It was just blood red, every polished scale a uniform, unending solid red from his snout backward without a blemish or freckle. Even the sclera of his eyes was red. The black pupils were the only break in the color. The dragon didn''t say anything, but Arthur could feel the power of a Legendary roll off him¡ªenough that it was like a physical weight trying to press him down. Was this how other people felt around him and Brixaby? Or was he now only noticing because of his Master of Cards? No, this red dragon was somehow... more. Arthur felt stifled by it. And, by the way Brixaby shot up to his feet, Arthur knew that he felt it too. "Ah, you have arrived in short order. Excellent," said a voice. Arthur glanced around and saw a man around his age stride over. He was handsome with a square jaw, slightly beaky nose, and chestnut hair. The type of face someone would see in a painting with the word ¡®hero¡¯ underneath it. Though, there was something... more about him. That same sense of power as the red dragon had. With a shock, Arthur realized this man was a Legendary as well. The man opened his hand and gestured for the portal amulet. The enchanted runes had gone dark now its job was done, so Arthur handed it over. With a nod, the man said, "Well, you may as well dismount, and we can get this over with." "Yes... sir," Arthur said, and by the man''s flash of a smile, he knew he had guessed right. But this could not be. Legendaries were rarely hatched, and Arthur was the youngest rider of them by far. But he and this man seemed to be the same age. Arthur slid off Brixaby''s neck to the ground. As he did, he and Brixaby exchanged a brief, surprised glance full of meaning: Something very odd was happening here. The large red dragon snorted and walked over to an extra-wide ledge, gesturing for Brixaby to accompany him. Now that Arthur had a second to look around, he saw that the red dragon was every bit as large as Elissa, Valentina''s massive dragon. They¡¯re splitting us up, Arthur thought in dismay, but he was playing only a Rare rider. There wasn''t much point in objecting. He inhaled deeply and within a few steps, felt like he had gotten his breath back. The air up here was thin, but it was manageable. From his viewpoint, all he could see above was a deep blue sky dotted with occasional clouds. It seemed he and Brixaby had been transported to the top of the tower. "We could have just flown up here," he grumbled to himself. The man leading him didn''t reply. Taking his cue, Arthur walked a half behind him, knowing he had to be at his best. If he raised more suspicion about himself and Brixaby, they could easily call in mind mages: dragon riders with mind cards to get the entire truth out of him. Yes, he could fight back with mental shield skills... but then his cover would be completely blown. Arthur heard the gentle sound of harps as they came closer to the hive tower. There were some players set up not too far away to provide a pleasant atmosphere. He didn''t feel any of the ripping winds that usually came at this height, and even the temperature was pleasant. Not too hot, not too cold. Definitely card controlled. Under his shoes, the stone under them transitioned from granite to white marble. The man led him to an outdoor seating area where two others lounged on long couches. One was a very old man. His face was weathered, and he glanced at Arthur with only vague interest. The woman was blonde, though with a great deal of silver in her hair. She looked at Arthur with dull blue eyes. Both had the feel of Legendaries, but in comparison to the young vigorous man, their power felt muted. Arthur held his breath as they glanced over him, but there was no recognition in their eyes. Which was a little... strange. Brixaby''s hatching had been quite the event that had brought the leaders from all the hives together. He was certain that at least one of these three would have watched the qualification duels. Perhaps even the hatching. But no one seemed to recognize him at all. The older man and woman simply showed blank indifference. The younger man took his seat, too, and smiled winningly up at him. Arthur noticed he was not invited to sit, so he stood stiffly with his hands behind his back, awaiting to hear what they wanted¡­ and possibly what they suspected. ¡°So, Ernest, isn¡¯t it? From Flower Moon,¡± the older man drawled. ¡°Interesting that the other hives have started throwing their trash our way.¡± "A Rare is hardly trash," the woman replied, though with as much energy as a yawn. The younger man shrugged. "A Purple seems to be quite the waste of a Rare card. They were probably thinking of where to dump him off somewhere the moment he broke his shell." Arthur kept a very tight control of his anger. He knew they were testing him, and he wasn''t going to give them the opportunity to slap him down. But at the same time, he wasn''t going to let that pass without comment. "The moment I saw him, it didn''t matter one way or another. Our cards were eminently suited for one another." "Yes, yes. I''m sure it was a beautiful moment for the both of you," the younger man replied with disinterest. "Well, now that we are gathered here, let me introduce myself. My name is Chester." He gestures to the older man. ¡°This is Desmond, and this is Sybil." He barely waited for Arthur to nod to each of them before he added, ¡°What were you doing speaking to the evacuees? Surely, you¡¯re not exchanging farming tips with them?" It wasn¡¯t funny but Desmond and Sybil laughed uproariously¡ªby far the most animated they had been so far. That report had taken no time at all to get to the higher-ups. Interesting. He had been watched from the start. Still, Arthur saw no reason to lie. "I was seeing if any of them were willing to be riders, of course." Chester nodded. "You¡¯re quite the little go-getter. Setting yourself up as wing leader and already looking for recruits.¡± Arthur hesitated and then went for a partial truth. ¡°Part of it was bad timing on my part, sir. I arrived at the hive just as the eruption alarms were going off. My dragon seemed to fit naturally in Wing Purple, and as the highest rank there was Uncommon¡­ Well, I assumed I would lead. Until I got the official go-ahead, however, I wanted to observe how the wing worked and plan for the future. I spoke to the evacuees and expected to go out again through the portal for the cleanup.¡± Sybil made a face and snapped her fingers. Immediately, a young maid came up with a tray of tiny delicacies and fluted wine. As she plucked up the wine glass, she spoke, ¡°That is all very well and good, but I do not understand why you would look to evacuees for dragon riders.¡± Was this a trick question? It seemed obvious to Arthur. ¡°I noticed many of the Purple Commons didn¡¯t have a rider. It¡¯s the usual practice in Flower Moon to see if any evacuees are worth anything. And, if they are, if they would be willing to become riders. That¡¯s not the same here?¡± He was making a calculated bet that these three would not know anything about Flower Moon Hive. They were a small hive and generally kept to themselves. If he remembered right, they were led by only one Legendary. ¡°Our Rares usually limit the Commons unless they have particularly productive powers. Otherwise, they¡¯re a drag on the wing,¡± Chester answered, which didn¡¯t make any sense to Arthur. ¡°So? Did you find any good prospects?¡± "Nothing for certain. Most of them were a little shocked from the eruption."The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Hmm.¡± He sat back in his chair then waved a lazy hand. ¡°Well, you have leave to continue. This is an interesting experiment." Experiment? So far, Chester had been carrying the bulk of the conversation, but abruptly the older man spoke up. "Commons," he sighed. "Waste of cards, waste of a blood price when the Uncommons and Rares bring so much more..." he trailed off, vaguely. Arthur hesitated. Blood price? He waited for an explanation, but the silence dragged on, quickly becoming almost uncomfortable, and he realized he would have to be the one to ask. "Blood price?" "I''m glad you asked," Chester clapped his hands together. The woman gave a vague smile, and the older man shrugged. "You should know that we run things a little differently around here¡ªthough I like to call it more efficiently. As a dragon rider¡ªespecially as a Rare¡ªyou are in a place of privilege, and you need to earn it." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a simple Uncommon shard. "Do you know what shards are, Ernest?" "Pieces of cards?" Arthur said, straining to keep his voice from edging up to sarcasm. Chester flashed a smile at him. "They¡¯re potential. Shards are a sliver of magical potential, and it turns out that all that potential is also within you¡ªwithin all living beings. Though obviously, cards are the way to access and direct that potential." Arthur''s interest sharpened. "Oh?" "It is the most efficient form of currency in the kingdom," Chester agreed. "And my card power, let''s just say, gathers that energy and uses it for the greater good. But all will contribute," he said firmly. "And if we cannot achieve the efficiency from shards, then we must harvest the blood price from others. Arthur thought he knew where they were going with this, and he hoped that he was wrong. "By force?" Chester shrugged. "Have you ever run so low on mana that the spell is powered from your life force? This is something close to that, but I assure you our prices are reasonable." He turned to look at the woman. "Sybil, what are the blood prices now?" "One uncommon shard per day," she said vaguely. "Going rate is five Commons to one Uncommon." Arthur did the math in his head. With the frequency of eruptions going on right now, that was doable unless someone was unlucky... or unless they rode a Purple and focused on rescuing. It was difficult to harvest shards from scourgelings when riding a fast, courier-sized dragon. He realized that they were all staring at him. This was a test and they were waiting for his reaction. They wanted to know if he would balk. Should he balk? Inside, he certainly was, as more and more horrifying implications ran over him. Keeping a tight hold on his Acting skill, he kept his emotions from his face. Arthur looked directly at Chester. "And how many Uncommons to a Rare?" This seemed to be the right answer. Chester smiled. "Ten." They put an artificially high value on Rares here. "And the wild dragons?" Arthur asked. "I notice many of the Purple Commons don''t have riders. Surely, you don''t take from riderless dragons." "No, while they are a drag on our hive, it is still manageable. The blood price is per riding pair. And, you are slightly mistaken, Earnest. We don''t charge them. We charge you. There is, after all, a price for rank and privilege, isn''t there?" He smiled at Desmond and Sybil who smiled blandly back. No doubt about it, Chester was the one in charge here. Chester continued, "As wing leader, you pay the price for the people under you through the efforts of your wing. Do you understand?" I guess that means I''m officially a wing leader, he thought. Arthur was about to reply but something about where Desmond was looking caught his attention. Following his gaze, he did a quarter turn and saw that the three Legendries¡ªthe Red he''d seen earlier and a rather skeletal looking Blue and Green¡ª were currently surrounding Brixaby. And their postures were threatening. Brixaby stood between them, hunched and trembling. From the outside, it would look as if he were shaking in fear, given his tiny size and the apparent rank disparity. But Arthur knew his dragon and saw it as what it was: Brixaby was doing everything he could to hold himself back. There were many tempting Legendary level cards for the taking, and if two of those dragons were as vague and bland as their riders, they would be easy prey. Still they were trying to intimidate his dragon. And if they were watching him close enough to know that he had been speaking to the evacuees, they likely knew he had brought Cressida and everyone else. Hot rage swamped over him, and he instinctively retreated into his Personal Space. There, he paced back and forth, clenching and unclenching his fists. He let the implications he had been ignoring wash over him. The blood price was per wing, and Horatio and Cressida had just joined under another wing. How much danger was she in? How much danger were they all in? Arthur was horrified, though he couldn''t be totally surprised. There was obviously something dark and wrong about this hive. But the thought of someone taking Cressida¡¯s energy, the vital life force that made her snapping and intelligent and beautiful¡­ It made him want to kill something. He grabbed up all of his knives and threw them as hard as he could. They clattered against the blank, impersonal walls of his Personal Space, and he knew that he was in danger of possibly ruining some of the razor edges, but he didn''t care. He threw and threw, without any direction, without any skill. Just for the satisfaction of throwing and seeing things hit. If his Master of Skills card were capable of combat-type skills, surely he would have upped a few levels in Knife Throwing. Finally, some sense came back. He remembered the whole reason Cressida and Horatio had gone for another wing because Joy had a quest. Not only did her quests never seem to lead her wrong, but she had decent advanced intuition, thanks to the dark heart. Speaking of that, Cressida and Horatio had also received significant upgrades in their power. Horatio had finer control over his light-based powers, and Cressida had a full suite of animal summons for every occasion, and more advanced shielding. And there were still ways Arthur could protect them, but only if he played his part carefully and kept himself under control. And... Yes, he had more than just Cressida and Horatio to worry about. Marion and Soledad were in more danger. Soledad and Marion were still starting out on their dragon riding journey. Their hatchlings couldn¡¯t fly yet and neither had the cards in their decks to defend themselves. How much life force would a healer give, or an origin dragon? Arthur was still a little fuzzy about what an origin dragon was, but the Mythics seemed to think they were special. Arthur had to trust that Cressida and Horatio could take care of themselves. Meanwhile, he had to take care of Marion and Soledad. With that firmly in mind, he re-entered normal space and turned back to the waiting Legendries. He had only been gone for less than a blink in an eye in real time. "I think I understand," he said, mildly. "And since it sounds like I will be leading Wing Purple¡ª" he waited a moment for Chester to nod before he continued, "I have some ideas. If I may be frank, sir?" "Of course," Chester said with a smile Arthur suspected was fake. "My dragon is rather domineering for Purple. And I''ve always had ideas of leadership that were a little bit more... intense and different than what''s normally done in Flower Moon Hive. I have some theories I''d like to test." "Interesting," Chester leaned forward. "What do you mean by that?" "I have two dragon-riding friends that came along with me." Arthur said, "A silver with a minor healing gift and a red with temperature controlability Their dragons are hatchlings now, but as soon as they can fly, I''d like them to be my lieutenants." "Lieutenants for a Purple wing?" Desmond murmured. ¡°Seems like a waste of effort.¡± "Have you seen Purples?" Arthur asked, dryly. "They''re a little bit like herding cats. I need good people on my side." Chester laughed. "Yes, you may have your two Uncommon lieutenants, though it will take some months before they''re trained up. Understand you will be paying the blood price for them immediately." I never said that they were Uncommon, Arthur thought. He had been watched more closely than he suspected, and he was glad that Cressida and Horatio had gone to another wing, if only for that. "That''s the price of leadership," Chester added, as Arthur took a moment in thought. Arthur nodded. "Fine." "Excellent, then I think we understand each other." Chester snapped his fingers and two very thin, older riders came up holding a velvet pillow. On top of rested a wing leader¡¯s badge outlined in purple. Next to it sat a cloudy orb. Chester handed him the badge and then gestured to the orb. "Have you seen this before, Ernest?¡± He had. Or something very close like it. It was an oath orb. He had seen it in the king¡¯s palace the day he had been forced to make an oath of loyalty. That oath had come out as a card that Arthur had put into his heart. Of course, being Brixaby¡¯s rider, that did not mean very much. Arthur was playing a Rare and would have not had the opportunity to see the king¡¯s oath orb. "No, I haven''t." "It''s very simple, it''s a binding oath card," Chester said. ¡°All of my wing leaders are required to take it. It outlines that if you do not pay the debt of the blood price, I am allowed to collect on that debt." As he spoke, he reached to the orb and pulled out a card which he snapped in half. He handed one half to Arthur who quickly read it. It outlined exactly as Chester said. Very simple. Too simple. But it wasn¡¯t as if he had a choice. He and Chester slid the snapped off halves into their hearts and it was done. Arthur wasn''t worried. "And finally," Chester said with a smile, "I''m afraid we will need an initial deposit." "A deposit on what?" Arthur asked. "Your new wing, of course. Let''s see..." He tapped his chin, and Arthur''s acting skill tingled. He knew for certain that this was a deception. Chester knew exactly what he was about to ask for. "You have five Uncommon riders, plus the two baby lieutenants, and yourself of course. That''s seven shards for today." The price could be steep for someone who was not careful with their funds. Arthur, though, hoarded just about everything. He reached into his Personal Space, while pretending to search his pocket, pulled out the necessary amount, and handed it over. He caught a flash of disappointment in Chester''s eyes and suspected that the man had been hoping to get a taste of Arthur''s life force here and now. "One more thing," Chester said, "payday is every three days, and our next payment is tomorrow." "Yes, sir," Arthur said mildly, smothering his anger for all he was worth. He was dismissed, and Arthur walked away stiffly, his legs rigid. Now things were falling into place and made sense, and he realized for a Common rider, life could get expensive very quickly in Blood Moon. At a silent signal, the Red dragon moved aside and let Brixaby through. Brixaby¡¯s movements were very similar to Arthur''s as he slunk down the ledge, but wasn''t dread or fear: his red eyes were boiling with anger. Silently, Arthur mounted and they took off into the sky. "I remember Laird saying how much he hated this place," Arthur said, "and I think I understand why." "True power is not meant to be used this way," Brixaby hissed, surprising Arthur. "They explained the blood price to you?" Brixaby snarled which was all the answer he needed. "Yes," Arthur agreed. ¡°We¡¯ll have to deal with that. Though now that we¡¯ve been officially put in charge of a wing, I have some room to make changes.¡± He just needed to figure out where to start. Book 5 Ch 20: Setting up Brixaby flew him down toward the rooms he had picked out on the twentieth level. The journey downward was quite the view. Arthur could see the entire mountain chain, with the flatter valleys beyond dotted with prosperous fields and farmland. There were some fields with an odd red glimmer out in the horizon. It made for a stunning sight. However, Arthur wasn''t in the mood for it. His thoughts still buzzed from the meeting. How many of the other hive leaders knew the way the Legendries conducted themselves here? He couldn''t imagine they were that ignorant. They always jostled among one another for power and looked for weaknesses within other hives, so they had to know something. And what of the king? Well, Arthur amended after a moment. That was easy. The king¡¯s mind was in a weakened state. Chances were he knew almost nothing about how his kingdom actually ran. And now that he thought about it, even if the other hive leaders knew what was happening here, they were likely more concerned that it stayed here and did not affect any of their hives. He was only brought out of his dire thoughts when Brixaby pulled up several levels before they reached their ledge. "Brixaby," Arthur said, squinting ahead. "Why are all those Purples buzzing around those rooms?" "Those are our rooms," Brixaby said shortly. "I promised to feed them lunch." "Well, that would explain why all the dead animals are piled up on one of the ledges," Arthur said. Thankfully, they were normal animals¡ªnot scourglings¡ªthough from the looks of it they had been killed in the messy process of the eruption. Speaking of the eruption¡­ Arthur shook himself out of the last of his shock and looked around at the portals. The eruption seemed to be wrapping up. Many more dragons were returning out of the main portal than going out. Those are dragons who have to use the eruption to pay for their riders¡¯ lives so they aren¡¯t drained, he thought. Some of the Commons returned with necks hung low, their riders slumped over with exhaustion. Arthur could well imagine a terrible spiral: if someone had to give up a piece of their vitality to pay their blood price, then they would be that much more tired come the eruption. And they might not do as well, which meant that they wouldn''t collect enough shards from scourglings to pay... which meant more siphoning. What happens when someone is getting drained over and over? Were they killing people? That was the real question. If the draining process wasn''t outright killing people, then surely, they were being put in much more danger with reactions slowed while fighting fresh scourglings. And then there were the broader implications. He had just seen an overly large eruption cone that had happened because it had taken too long for the hives to get control of the eruption. Was Blood Moon underperforming? They were supposed to be one of the top hives. Yes, this was only one hive, but every dragon counted, especially when eruptions were occurring more and more frequently. "I could tell them the Commons to leave," Brixaby said stiffly. Arthur jerked in surprise and realized he''d fallen back into gloomy thoughts. He focused on the Purples who were buzzing all around the ledges. From a distance, they looked like flies over a plate of good food. "No," he said. "Earlier you mentioned something about cooking horse, right?" "I did, but it looks like they took the opportunity to bring in more." Brixaby buzzed closer, and many of the Purples yelled out happy greetings to him. Every single one was Common, and riderless. Now that made more sense. Because when someone was crushed under a system like this, why would they risk riding a Purple who had a lesser chance of defeating a scourgling? And he also understood better why Griff had mentioned that these Purples were the fastest ones left. Because if someone grew that desperate and they absolutely needed a card which would stop the cycle of getting drained... a little Purple who didn''t have a rider and who couldn''t defend themselves would be very tempting. "No," Arthur said again, feeling extremely bad for these dragons. But more than that, he felt angry. "No," he said again, "I''ll give them lunch... and more. We need to help them." They landed, and many of the Purples buzzed to and fro, babbling about how they brought the food that Mr. Rare wanted. Some started shoving Common shards at Brixaby. Several of them had an entire clawful of shards to give. Five would give their riders one day of not being drained, Arthur thought. Candy Floss was the proud owner of three more Uncommon shards which she proudly displayed to Brixaby with many oohs and ahhs all around. Brixaby took the shards as was his due, of course, but he did not seem as remotely pleased as before. As for Arthur... he really wanted to use his knives on something. "Brixaby," he said, "If I''m going to make enough for everyone, I''ll need big metal tubs and firewood. We''re going to have a stew. Assign them tasks to get what we need to bring it all back here. We''ll cook it out on this large ledge." He paused, making sure that everybody heard. "The entire wing is invited, including all the Commons, riderless or not."You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. He stalked inside the room, needing to be away from the joyful Purples. Outside, his dragon issued orders and sent them out in teams. The little dragons were happy to obey him. Arthur supposed he could have made the orders himself, but generally, dragons talked to other dragons. Brixaby came in a few minutes later and Arthur said, "Take that damn oath card out of my heart." He could have done it himself, but every time he even started to reach for the card he was hit with the overwhelming desire to do something else. His dragon did, wordlessly, and it felt like poison was being removed from his heart along with the card. Brixaby stared at the card clutched in his pincer claws. "Do you want me to destroy it?" "No," Arthur said, taking it. "I have a few minutes before the Purples return. Meanwhile... I want to work on this." There was a writing desk set up nearby. Arthur sat and used a lit-up card anchor to cast light on it. Then he peered down with a sense he was looking at something horrific. He squinted at the tiny writing and noted that it said pretty much what Chester had claimed. Then he used his Master of Cards to look deeper. He tilted the card up to the light. There was faint writing along the edges that he hadn''t noticed before. It granted Chester the ability to take Arthur''s blood price from him remotely, without being touched. Which also meant that it could be used for punishment. He looked up at Brixaby, who was watching him. "They didn''t make you do an oath card, did they?" Brixaby snorted. "Of course not. The only one who spoke to me was Blood Drop, to explain the blood price¡ª" "Wait, Blood Drop? That''s really his name?" Arthur asked. "Likely not his true hatched name, but it is what he calls himself now." Brixaby paused. "The other two did not give their names. They only loomed over me when Blood Drop gave the signal. Arthur, they seemed... barely aware of what was happening around them." "Just like their riders," Arthur said. "I bet they''ve paid the blood price quite a few times." Brixaby growled, low and dangerous. "I dare him to do that to you or I.¡± "We¡¯ll make sure to have a few tricks up our sleeves," Arthur said. "When those Purples come back, I want you to send the largest out for Asha, Equinox, and their riders. I¡¯d tell you to go get them yourself, but..." He trailed off, trying to think of a delicate way to say that he wasn''t sure that Brixaby could carry all of them without putting them in his Personal Space, and they didn''t want to advertise that ability. But Brixaby said, "After what I just learned, I am not leaving you. My fan club can do my bidding." Arthur smiled, though it felt strained, then he returned his attention back to the oath card. Brixaby watched with unusual solemnity as Arthur started to adjust the wording. Oath cards, he found, were not nearly as complicated as true cards. It was more like an enchanted object, or a card anchor. His main concern was that Chester not be alerted that he was making any changes. But as he very carefully looked at the phrasing, he saw no hooks or indications that he would be. And why not? He couldn''t even truly think about taking the card out himself. Brixaby had been the one to do it. He had to be quick, though, just in case Arthur was wrong.. He did not want the man to check his status and find that the oath card was gone. Using the edge of a knife, scratched out the line that gave Chester the power to take the blood price from him remotely. He couldn¡¯t allow that man to have that power over him. He wanted to remove more and was on the verge of removing the word ¡®blood¡¯ from blood price, making it so he could pay back Chester with basically anything. But¡­ if Chester went to siphon from him directly, he would know something was wrong. He had to play it safe. As he scratched out the line for remote siphoning, he concentrated his will with Master of Cards. The card matrix repaired itself, minus that particular line. Then, with a shudder, he slipped the oath back into place around his heart. By that time, the first of the Purples were returning with their goods. Unfortunately, Brixaby should have specified that when he told them to get wood, he meant firewood: dry and seasoned. Many Purples returned with green branches they had lopped off of trees nearby. Others came back with boards of wood from who knows where. Brixaby went out to correct them and send them out again. Luckily, a few at least understood the general idea and returned with actual firewood and kindling. Candy Floss really out did herself. Not only did she return with a steel tub large enough that it looked like it had been used as a trough for an entire herd of cattle, but she had also helpfully filled it up with clean spring water. Using her card, she had been able to pick up the entire thing, trough, water and all, and buzz it up to their ledge. Though she arrived out of breath. Brixaby praised her in his condescending way and had her supervise two larger Purples to go fetch Marion and Soledad and their dragons. Meanwhile, Arthur turned to the pile of carcasses. With a grim sort of pleasure, he grabbed up his knives from his Personal Space. There were several cattle, goats, a horse, and what looked like an entire flock of chickens. Arthur grabbed up a rope, asked one of the Commons to fly it up and around a ledge up above, and strung up the first carcass for butchering. Then he began to break it down using his Butchery skill. The work was meditative and soothing. He had always enjoyed cooking. So, as he worked through the carcasses, storing some of the meat in his Personal Space as he went, the anger drained away. He started to think with more clarity. Only then did he realize that he felt... guilty. It was ridiculous. He had not caused the issues with this hive, but he was a Legendary-ranked dragon rider, and what these other Legendries did reflected on him. And as someone of the same rank, it was his job to help fix what was broken. He didn''t quite know how, but he did have a glimmer of where to start. As he worked, he tossed the meat into the stew, admonishing the Purples again and again not to fish any out. That it was cooking, , and yes, it was supposed to be in the water. No one had a fire card. That would be quite unusual considering the Purple''s natural magic. Luckily, he had a few lit torches in his Personal Space, as well as oil to get the tinder started. Soon, when Candy Floss returned with Soledad and Equinox, he set the little dragon to help heat the water as well. He was delighted to help. Soledad tried several times to report on her day, but he shook his head. "Not with the Purples around," he said, cutting his eyes to the chittering, flighty dragons who buzzed in and out of hearing range. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t find out much anyway. How was your day?¡± Arthur just gave her a look. ¡°That good, huh?¡± she asked. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll just¡­ help set up the rooms here. Yeah.¡± She quickly scurried off. The last of the meat done, he went to the now bubbling stew pot, added handfuls of salt¡ªthere was a lot of stew¡ªand then started throwing in herbs from his Personal Space. Brixaby saw what he was doing and wandered over, surprised. "Are those your magical herbs?" "Yes, for strength and endurance.¡± ¡°Do you not want to save them?" "No," Arthur said shortly, watching the Purples buzz around. There had to be a couple of dozen of them. So far, only the Commons had come in for lunch, but in his mind''s eye, a bare shape of a plan started to form. "No, there will be more than enough for everybody," Arthur said, "and I want this wing not only to be strong, but formidable." Book 5 Ch21 - New dragon riders? Cressida and Horatio arrived in the early evening, having received the map Arthur sent to show them the rooms, just as the Purple Commons finished the stew. The little dragons were almost pathetically grateful for the meal. Though none of them were overly skinny, it was obvious they were used to the short end of the stick. They flew off, and Arthur turned to welcome his friends home... only to find them both so tired they were practically wavering on their feet where they stood. "Are you okay?" His first thought was of the blood price. What if paying it had been a condition of them joining the wing? But Cressida graced him with a wan smile. "Our wing captain wouldn''t let us come back until it was full on night and all the yellow dragons were sapped of mana." "He''d still have us out there if me or Sams had any light left to give," Horatio grumbled. "Say a lot about Blood Moon--and I have--but the man really hates scourglings. It''s a little inspiring." Arthur hesitated. They needed to know about what he had discovered today, but by the way they looked... they might fall asleep while he was explaining the blood price. "Fine. Get to bed. There are two more caves just down this hallway, but first--" he pulled out a few Uncommon shards "take these and keep them with you." "Arthur, you don''t need to pay me. I''m already your friend," Horatio said. "Just keep them with you, and if you need more, come to me," Arthur said. Something in his grim expression must have told Horatio he wasn''t joking. But it was a mark of how tired he was that he didn''t pursue the question. He just nodded, tucked the shards in a pocket, and stumbled to the hallway which led to the next cave only. Cressida gave him a wan smile. "We''re supposed to attend training first thing in the morning." "You can use my bed if you want," he said. She honestly looked like she was ready to fall over and he didn''t want to walk down the hallway later and find her asleep propped up against the wall. "With that cooking?" She wrinkled her nose at the boiling broth just outside for tomorrow¡¯s breakfast -- Arthur had added a bit of organ meat at the end and it was pungent. Then she softened her joke by coming over to kiss him on the cheek before she, too, stumbled off to find her own rooms. Despite the day he''d had, Arthur found he was grinning. **** The first thing Arthur did the next morning was to make more food for the purples. He added the blood from the butchered animals as well as a good deal of oats he had in store from his Personal Space to the ever-boiling pot. Soon, it was thickening up nicely... though the smell was rather revolting to human sensibilities. Curious Purples, including a few more Commons he had not seen last night, came to buzz around his ledge. They chirped and dived at one another for space and watched Arthur''s every move. This was good. He wanted to encourage them to drop by, and, more importantly, wanted to ensure they were well fed and fit for duty. The only issue was that they made quite the mess. Last night, most had plucked out cooked meat from the stew pot, leaving the broth behind. Today, he had banked the fire and as soon as the oat-blood-broth slurry was cool enough, they dipped claws in and ate by the handful. There wasn''t enough room at the rim of the giant stew pot for all of them, and that resulted in much shoving, angrily chittering, and crazy acrobatics as dragons who could buzz, hover in place, and fly vertically up, down, and backwards, all dipped and jostled for a handful of slurry before being pushed away by their neighbors. "We need bowls," Arthur said with a sigh. "Lots and lots of bowls." He turned to Brixaby, who, of course, had eaten first before he let anybody approach the stew pot. "Why bother with bowls?" Brixaby asked, squinting at him. He''d obviously heard Arthur mumbling to himself. "Wouldn''t it be much more prudent to search out my card?" Arthur gave him a knowing look. "Tell me you haven''t used Call of the Heart on it today." His dragon grumbled and looked away. "What did it tell you?" Arthur pressed. "It shows a different location each time," Brixaby replied, annoyed. "It does not make any sense." "I looked this morning, too," Arthur said. ¡°And I got two cards as well. Something is very odd here." "Truly, this card must be very powerful," Brixaby said. "All the more reason we should hunt it down." "How?" Arthur asked bluntly. "You know I want you to have that card. I¡¯ll give extra edge against whatever Chester is doing here, but I don''t have a good idea of how to locate it. Brix, it''s like it''s giving us intentionally false leads." "I don''t see how," Brixaby snarled, his claws scraping the ledge of the stone ledge in frustration. "Call of the Heart is a Legendary-rank seeker card. This should not be possible." "And we''re searching it out with a card of equal rank," Arthur said. "Plus, it''s another card in your set. Maybe Call of the Heart has met its match." He sighed and started to run a hand through his hair. Then he made a face as he realized there was a little bit of blood and some oats stuck to his fingers. Hastily, he rubbed his hands on the thigh of his pants. "Look, if we were searching out a Rare card, I don''t think we''d have this problem." "I still wish to try," Brixaby said stubbornly. "That''s not a problem. Just get me down to the quartermaster for those bowls, and if I have any time afterward, I''ll search with you." Brixaby was agreeable to this¡ªor at least, he could not think of a better solution. For once, there wasn''t a specific skill that could help them out. Arthur suspected they would have to come at this problem another way. Though, he had no idea what that was. He couldn''t blame Brixaby for wanting to try brute forcing the solution first. If it worked, then he would be that much closer to completing his set. Arthur glanced out toward the crater bowl and beyond that, the surrounding town. The night before, the sounds of drinking and gallivanting from the shops had been so loud that it had echoed faintly all the way up to their room, twenty levels up. With the amount of jolly making going on, Arthur expected that the hive complex would be quiet in the morning as people slept off their partying. He was wrong. When Brixaby flew him down, he saw people were swarming all over the goods that had been evacuated from the eruption. In the light of the new day, the goods were piled up in mounds that looked like unstable mountains. Arthur didn''t see a rhyme or reason to it. Even the rescued animals had been placed in the same loose round pen. Chickens, goats, and sheep stood among horses. There were even a couple of bewildered looking oxen. The Purples were responsible for most of the gathered goods, and it seemed no one had instructed them on how to organize. After he dismounted and Brixaby flew off, Arthur walked up to the workers who were busy sorting through the goods. None were riders. Arthur stretched his senses using his Master of Cards and got the vague impression of several Common and Uncommon cards. Not a Rare among them. Then his attention was caught by raised voices, and he glanced over to see two men arguing. One was dressed in fancy clothing. The other seemed to be a hive worker. "These are my supplies," said the fancier dressed man. He looked rather young, in his mid-20s, but was unfortunately already losing his hair, leaving a brown ring around his crown. The exposed skin on the top of his head was flushed red with anger. The man facing him, holding a clipboard, scoffed and then looked deliberately over his shoulder at a sloppy pile of goods. "I don''t see your name on any of it." "I¡¯m a traveling merchant and these were supplies from my caravan¡ª" "A caravan which, by the sound of it, was foolish enough to be around during an active eruption." "It happened too fast, there was no warning¡ª" ¡°And you were lucky to be rescued by our dragons," the man with clipboard said with finality. Then he continued in a falsely reasonable tone that sent Arthur''s teeth on edge. "Now, it''s clear that some of these are new goods¡ªand perhaps I could see them once belonging to a merchant¡ªbut as you can see, in the haste and emergency, it was all mixed up with the rest of the evacuated supplies. Not that it matters. By crown law all of these items now belong to the hive."Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "But¡ªbut¡ª" the merchant sputtered. The clipboard man held up a hand. "You are able to buy it back. I¡¯ll even make it at a reasonable price." "But this is my life savings!" the man protested, though there was a thread of desperation in his voice. He must have realized that by law, he had no leg to stand on. This was too much. Arthur walked up to them. "I couldn''t help but overhear," he said, throwing a smile in apology to the man with the clipboard. "I''m curious. How much to purchase it all back?" "Back? We can''t even confirm that this man was the owner in the first place." The merchant started to swell up in indignation, but Arthur cut across him. "I misspoke." He gestured to the pile of goods. Now that he was closer, he saw much of it was new clothing mixed up with pieces of furniture¡ªwhole and broken¡ªalong with farm equipment in various states of repair. There were other odds and ends like leather goods, twine, and what looked like dirty horse harnessing. It really was a mess. He would have to speak to his Purples about that later. "How much to pick through this pile for the new items?" The man threw a lazy look over his shoulder. "Three Uncommons." "Uncommon cards?" the merchant choked out. "Of course, cards. Blood price is now one Uncommon shard per day. That adds up quick." "But these are my goods," the merchant insisted. "My life savings¡ªmy entire family''s business going back generations¡ª" "And you can be thankful that your family''s line didn''t stop here. You ought to be praising the hive, not whining about trinkets that you would have never been able to take with you if you had died." It seemed that they had completely forgotten about Arthur. He cleared his throat and looked at the clipboard man. "Are you in charge here?" "Yeah. I''m the quartermaster." He eyed Arthur with a hint of disfavor. "And you are?" Arthur nodded once, brisk and slightly remote. "I''m Ernest of Wing Purple." That certainly got the man''s attention. He immediately straightened. Word must have gotten around about Arthur. "What can I do for you, sir?" Arthur was wondering that himself. He felt sorry for the merchant, but at the same time, he recognized he could not buy back the man''s goods for him. Well, technically he could, but he didn''t want to flash his wealth around. Plus, he had to make sure that his friends and wing members weren''t sucked dry by the blood price. He gestured to the mound of supplies. "I was wondering how much of this was brought in by my Purples." The man was no fool and guessed what Arthur was getting at immediately. "I can assure you, wing captain, your dragons were fairly compensated." "Oh, really?" Arthur drawled. "At the same rate as dragons and their riders are from other wings?" The man''s eyes shifted slightly, a very small tell that Arthur''s Acting skill picked up on. He was being deceptive. "Yes, of course." "Then you won''t mind me taking a look at your records," Arthur said, with a knife-edged smile. "You do keep track of such things, I''m sure, being the quartermaster." Arthur looked down at the man''s clipboard meaningfully. The quartermaster stuttered, "W-well, most of the time they don''t report in. They just drop and go back out again. You know how Purples are. They''re stupid¡ª" He stopped as Arthur gave him a warning look, swallowed, and immediately changed tactics. "Uh, they''re mostly riderless, which means they don''t have to pay the blood price, do they? No offense meant, sir, but the Purples are barely an organized wing at all." "I intend to change that," Arthur said briskly. "And it sounds like yesterday, my dragons were not fairly compensated. That will change immediately as well." The man spluttered, "Sir! You can''t just¡ªI can''t¡ªjust look at all this!" He gestured to the large pile behind him. One of several. Arthur cut him off with a gesture. "I''m not unreasonable, quartermaster. I understand you can''t unscramble this egg." The man sighed in relief. And Arthur wasn''t entirely lying. He did understand both the quartermaster''s predicament and also why the smarter Purples, like Candy Floss, had figured out the trick of going after other dragon''s kills right before they were harvested instead of bringing supplies in. Living riderless, on the edge of hive society, while being looked down on and not cared for, they were likely underpaid... or not paid at all. Arthur suspected that many snacked on doomed farm animals during eruptions and who knew what else to survive. They were dragons. Now those dragons were under his care. He was already making sure they had plenty of eat, and now they would be properly paid for their work. Arthur glanced at the merchant who had wisely stood back a few paces to watch this drama play out. Catching his eye, Arthur winked and then nodded his chin slightly back at the quartermaster. "I will overlook the infractions and the deliberate shorting of my wing if this merchant is repaid his goods." "Sir, the man has no receipts¡ª¡± he protested, but now his voice was weak as if he already knew he had lost the argument. ¡°I think it will be obvious what is new and what has come from a farm," Arthur said. The merchant nodded. "I will run everything by you, dragon rider." Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin leather bag that was covered in runes. Arthur recognized some of those runes from the net that Laird had used to take him to Mesa Free Hive. "Is that an enchanted storage space?" "It is, sir," the merchant said briskly and walked past the quartermaster to boldly pluck out a shirt that was folded and sitting on a wooden crate. From the crisp folds, it was clear it had been stored until very recently. He placed it in the bag, and it disappeared. Then he picked out a roll of bright blue thread, so new that the end was tucked in on itself. It was obvious it was not used before. Arthur watched him carefully. He had no way of telling if the man was taking things that were truly his own, but he didn''t catch him trying to slip past objects that obviously had been well used or were out of the ordinary. Finally, the man sighed and stepped back. The pile was massive, but most of it was junk. "That''s all I see." It wasn''t as much as Arthur had feared. The quartermaster seemed grimly pleased, too, but made no bones about professionally shooing them away so he could get on with his sorting. As they walked off, the merchant looked at Arthur and said a short, "Thank you." "Well, I was just setting things right," Arthur said, "and making sure that my own people were not cheated again." The man sighed. "Yes, and I don''t want to seem ungrateful..." He trailed off, looking uncomfortable. "What is it?" Arthur asked. Again, he sighed, and this time, he looked defeated. "You''ve just done me a great favor, but at the end of the day, my horses are gone. No, they weren''t brought here. I checked," he added before Arthur could ask. "And the cart I used to transport my goods across the kingdom was destroyed. It was in my family for three generations, built by my grandfather''s hands. I''m the last of my line. These supplies," he patted the bag, which, to the eye, still looked empty, "may keep me from starving for now, but it will be years until I recover, if I do at all." Arthur was sympathetic, but there wasn''t much further he could do. They fell silent for a few moments, and then the merchant shook his head. "Ernest, was it? My name is Thackeray, and I do really appreciate your help back there." "It¡¯s okay, I understand your position," Arthur said, "Unfortunately, everyone is made to recover what they can after an eruption," Arthur said. "Assuming they survive. It''s not fair." "I''m not complaining," Thackeray said again, "If not for you, I wouldn''t have anything. But... it is hard for the little people who are caught in the jaws of power." Arthur opened his mouth to reply. Before he could, there was a nearby shout. "Sir! Sir, dragon rider!" Arthur glanced over. To his surprise, he recognized Bad Luck Larry who he had spoken to in the evacuation tent. He and an older woman of early middle age jogged up to him. Their expressions were faintly anxious. "Yes?" Arthur said, wondering if there was an emergency. "I want to take you up on your offer," Larry said, point blank. "About being a dragon rider¡ªif the offer¡¯s still there, ¡®course. I should have said so yesterday, but with all that had happened, I had to think about it." "Me too," the woman said eagerly. He glanced closer at her. "I don''t remember speaking to you." He rarely forgot a face. "My name is Amanda. I was likely off tending to my girls, but what you said has gotten around. I want a better life for them. And me too, when it comes to that," she said, lifting her chin. "Will that be a problem?" "No, I suppose it won''t be," Arthur said. Though he had to admit he didn''t know many other dragon riders who had children. Then he caught the rest of what she said. "Wait, you said you had other offers?" "Yeah," Larry scowled. "After the eruption was all said and done, other wing captains came up and demanded we join them. None were so polite as you. You just suggested, all nice like. Acted like we had a choice." ¡°We do have a choice, Larry,¡± Amanda said quietly. ¡°And it¡¯s better than the farm.¡± That was interesting. Had Chester suggested the other wing captains do as he did, or was he just unaware that others recruited from evacuees? Arthur suspected it was the latter. The Legendary-ranked leaders were just unaware of what happened on the ground floor. Thackeray broke in. "I''m surprised that the hive will allow normal folk to become dragon riders. Aren''t dragons a valuable resource?" "I happen to have some openings in my wing," Arthur said mildly. He was a little surprised that Thackeray was still hanging around. Was he interested as well? Looking for a new path now that his life as a merchant had been upended? That was interesting, but Arthur had learned a few things since yesterday. He had to know anyone interested was making an informed decision. He glanced at Larry and Amanda. "Has anyone explained to you about the blood price?" "Yes," Amanda said bluntly. ¡°Quite the system you have going for you.¡± Larry nodded. ¡°It''s kind of a tax where they take it out of your hide if you can''t pay, right?" "Something like that," Arthur said. "Well, no offense to you, sir, but that''s why a lot of other evacuees went to different wings. They want dragons who can kill scourgelings so they can easily pay their cost." Arthur repressed a wince. That made sense, and he couldn¡¯t really blame them. "It may not be that easy, even if you do have a dragon with combat potential." Tentatively, he reached out with his senses and found that Larry and Amanda had Common cards. So did Thackery. Larry nodded. "It sounds like a grim life, you dragon riders lead. But," he glanced at Amanda, "being a farm worker in these times is even grimmer." That struck a nerve within Arthur. "It''s not supposed to be that way.¡± "That''s interesting," Thackeray tilted his head. "Why do you say that?" "Because I grew up in another hive and I''ve seen how things are done there," Arthur said. "And yes, eruptions are dangerous, and there certainly are incentives for bringing back shards. But doing your job shouldn''t be based out of fear. When you make extra, you should be giving yourself and your dragon a little extra luxury. If you go out, do your duty, and don''t come back with any shards, you should still have basic services. The Purples act as rescuers and they get rewards. I''m not saying that Commons are treated just as well as Uncommons, but they still have dignity." Again, Larry and Amanda exchanged a look. Amanda sighed. "Yeah, I see what you mean. He''s much nicer than the other ones." Ernest just stepped in and helped me out," Thackeray said. "No questions asked, and no blood price, either. Yes, I''ve heard about the blood price here," he said, catching Arthur''s eye. Arthur thought for a moment, then nodded. "Well, Larry, Amanda, if you''re interested in joining my wing, why don''t you follow me? You should know that it''s not me who has to approve you. It''s the dragons.¡± Then he looked directly at Thackeray. There was a glimmer of an idea floating in the back of his mind, but a lot of things would have to fall into place first. He refused to get excited about it unless or until things fell into place. "Do you want to come along?" he asked, diffidently. "I think I would," Thackeray said. ¡°If any dragon will have me.¡± That, too, remained to be seen. He could easily imagine a Purple going for someone who had a card suited for manual labor. But what could a merchant offer? One thing at a time, he told himself. "Excellent,¡± Arthur said aloud, ¡°But you still must earn a spot in my wing. Here''s what I''d like you to do..." Book 5 Ch 22 - Endless Stride and Dancers Grace Arthur got a brand new stew pot bubbling for the dragons'' lunch. He had gone back to the rather wary quartermaster and found a large pot that, unlike the steel cattle trough, looked like it had once been meant to feed a lot of people. When he requested it, the quartermaster reluctantly signed it over without even asking for a price. Arthur suspected the man was either trying to grease his palms or just get him out of his hair. With that in mind, he added a few more inconsequential items to the list. Now he not only had a food-grade stew pot, but stacks of simple bowls for the Purple Commons, and a couple of buckets for the larger Uncommons. Hopefully, this meal would be much less messy. It seemed that word was getting around. The sky directly above his ledge was full of chirping, buzzing, and excited Purples, all chattering to one another. Out in the sky around the hive tower, he saw flights of dragons on the wing, running regimented practices led by their wing captains and second-in-commands. A few times, he spotted Joy''s distinctive shimmery pink hide. There were several yellows in the wing that she and Cressida were in, but Sams was a particularly large dragon, and his new purplish belly made him more distinctive. The entire wing twisted and turned on signals that Arthur could not see. Then some dragons practiced swooping runs, diving straight to the ground, only to pull up at the last second, and then use that momentum to glide back upward to regain their place in their wing. Arthur assumed that they were miming using card powers on ground targets. On the next eruption, he planned to see how effective that was, and if there were any techniques that he could copy with his own wing. Down below, Asha and Equinox were training with a newly formed class of hatchlings. While they were officially part of his wing, he did not have the expertise to bring a hatchling dragon up properly. Especially since his own training with Brixaby had been aborted a couple months in, and he certainly didn¡¯t know Blood Moon¡¯s methods. But after dealing with the quartermaster, Arthur saw how things were done. He had bribed the hatchling instructor with a Rare shard for both of them to get in. The hatchling class was still too young to fly, so they were lined up in rows, frantically beating their wings to exercise them. Meanwhile, their riders sat nearby in an open-air classroom, listening in on a lecture about scourglings. Certainly, there were some horrific aspects about Blood Moon Hive, and life was certainly regimented, but... even Arthur had to admit that aspects of it made sense. This hive acted like a true defense force against the scourglings, just like dragons were supposed to be. Too bad that defense force was ultimately self-serving and driven by fear from the very top. As Arthur worked on the stew, he kept his ears sharp for anyone coming in through the hallway entrance. Finally, he heard labored steps echoing through the hallway. In a burst of inspiration, he had told his prospective wing riders to meet him here. Then he let them figure out the way. It was quite the arduous walk to the twentieth floor. On top of that, they had to figure out the twisting pathways through the hive and make it past the checkpoints. His reasoning was simple: He had wanted to see some basic dedication from these people. It was a simple thing to say yes to being a dragon rider, but if he was going to work with these people, and in some ways, rely on them with his and Brixaby''s life... He needed to make sure they were serious. Larry, Amanda, and Thackeray appeared, and to Arthur''s surprise, a fourth person stumbled along with them. It was the young man who looked a little bit like Arthur. Like a bizarre mirror image of a different life lived. They arrived, all huffing and puffing. Larry rested his hands on his knees to breathe deep. He didn¡¯t fall over, though he looked like he wanted to. Amanda and the boy seemed to be the most fit while Larry was still bent over catching his breath. Merchant Thackery was sweaty and red in the face, but had a glint of determination in his eyes. Arthur set down the oversized paddle he was using to stir the soup and headed over. "I''m glad you made it.¡± He let his gaze fall on the young man. He didn''t ask, but the question was expected in the air. He straightened under Arthur''s scrutiny. "I''m Steve.¡± ¡°Steve... originally went with the wing captain... Blue Sky wing. Told you not to do it," Larry might be huffing and puffing, but he was eager to tease the younger man. "What happened?" Arthur asked. "The wing captain was a jerk," Steve said. It seemed that he wasn''t eager to elaborate. "Well, I can be too," Arthur said. "You should know that the dragons in my wing come first. Speaking of, you all made it, so why don''t we meet some now?" He walked them through the room, which was still a little spare for his liking, even though he and Brixaby had unloaded a few extra pieces of furniture from their Personal Space and put them out for comfort. Outside, the wall opened up out to the ledge. The Purples, he saw, had taken Arthur''s absence to start dipping out bowls of stew for themselves. It was, in a word, organized chaos, with Purples buzzing in to dip a bowl and buzzing up while others pushed them aside if they took too long, and they occasionally squabbled and snapped. In a certain light, they all looked like a bunch of Purple hummingbirds all vying for the same cluster of flowers. This was a secondary reason why Arthur had wanted the prospective riders to take the long walk up here. These were Purples in their truest form, and he''d needed time for them to gather so that the others could see it. "Purples are a little different from other colors," Arthur said. "Many of these are a bit underweight, as you can see. We''re working to fix that right now, but they''re a little more aggressive and territorial than you would normally see. Most of the time, they''re a bit like overly friendly hounds." He paused and admitted, "All work and little brains." Then he nodded to Brixaby, who sat by the side of the ledge, showing his teeth and bellowing at some of the Purples who got too aggressive with one another. "Mine is Rare rank, so obviously he''s the exception. He''s just as intelligent as you or I, and more so than most people. So take care to remember that and address him as a person, or else he will take offense. Then you will get a lesson you won''t forget. So," Arthur looked at them, "you''ve had your time to think, I''m sure, while you''re walking up twenty flights of stairs and navigating through all the checkpoints." They all nodded warily. "Once you do this," Arthur said, "there''s no backing out." He did not tell them there was a way to upgrade their cards and leave their dragons behind. It was a horrific practice, and he and Brixaby would deal harshly with anyone who tried it.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Wait," Steve said, shocked. "Just like that? You don''t want to see our cards?" The way that he said it suggested that this had been the sticking point between him and the Blue Sky wing captain. "Doesn''t matter," Arthur said. "The dragons will decide if your cards match theirs. That''s how it works. So, we have... a couple dozen dragons." It was almost impossible to get an accurate count with all the darting and comings and goings. "I can''t say if all of them want a rider, but if they do decide that you''re the one for them, they will offer you their card. When you combine them, you will both create a new card to share." He paused again. "And you''ll be faced with a choice." That grabbed their attention. Everybody had been risking glances, both curious and longing, at the darting Purples, but now all eyes were on him. "What choice?" Larry asked roughly. Arthur chose his words carefully. "It''s a very intimate choice between you and your dragon¡ªhow much access you want to give and receive between each other''s cards. My dragon and I have full access between my heart deck, and his cores. What he has, I have, and it goes the other way around. But many dragon riders don''t do that. In fact, I think most only share the one card that''s linked between you. It requires quite a bit of trust.¡± Trust that the two of them hadn¡¯t had when Brixaby first hatched, but his dragon had been greedy for power and would accept nothing less. Wisely, Arthur kept that to himself. ¡°But the melding of your powers... to me, it has brought something special." He paused. "I can''t tell you what to do, and I certainly can''t enforce how much you choose to open up your heart to a stranger. But I''ll tell you right now that I intend this wing to be powerful. I strongly suggest that you allow access fully to your heart deck if your dragon will return the favor. By doing that, you give yourself the most opportunity for power and strength so you can protect yourselves." He let that sit for a moment. Amanda and Steve nodded. He couldn''t quite read the expression on Merchant Thackeray¡¯s face. Larry scowled as usual, but that seemed to be his default expression, so Arthur wasn''t concerned. Arthur continued. ¡°You may have had this explained before but I''m going to go over it again. Once you are a dragon rider in this hive, you will have power and responsibility, but you will also be subject to the blood price. I''m new here, but from what I can tell, they take it seriously." Thackeray raised his hand as if he were in school. "Yes?" Arthur said. "That''s my chief concern," Thackeray admitted. "You know that I am a merchant, and even if a dragon does accept my card, I don''t know how to kill scourgelings." "You''ll be riding a Purple," Arthur said. "We generally don''t kill them. We''ll have to work smarter than that." "Then how...?" Steve began. Arthur cut him off with a sweep of his hand. "This is a new wing, and we''re still figuring our methods out. Maybe your combined card will be good at killing scourgelings, but likely not. I just need to know that you''ll be flexible and open to new ideas on how to collect shards." To his surprise, Larry snorted. "Son, I''ve been laboring under different farmers all my life. Everything about this is new to me," he added, "I''m about due for a change." "If I can collect shards without killing scourgelings, I would like to learn how," Amanda said. "Sure," Steve said. Thackeray hesitated. "I would be willing to give this a try." "That''s all I ask," Arthur said, then led them forward. "To show a dragon that you¡¯re interested in linking, you¡¯ll want to project your card out to them. And then we''ll see what they think about it. It can''t be forced. You can''t bribe a dragon. This is a voluntary melding of your two powers." He stepped out to the base of the ledge then cupped his hands around his mouth and called, "Brix, they¡¯re here!" only remembering at the last moment that he was supposed to use his other name. Well, maybe his new recruits would think of it as a nickname. Brixaby looked around, saw the prospective dragon riders, gave a snort, then bellowed loud enough to practically shake the air. "I want Candy Floss, Noregerts, Tiger Eye, Skye, and Anklebiter," he said. "Attend me." Instantly, the sky cleared and five of the Purples separated themselves to buzz forward in a hovering line before Brixaby. The dragon looked to Arthur. "These are the best of my fan club." Arthur rubbed an aching spot above his eyebrow. "Maybe we should use the word ¡®followers¡¯.¡± Behind him he heard Larry mutter, ¡°What¡¯s with these names?¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Candy Floss exclaimed. ¡°Do you want to be riders? You want to join with us, really? Really?" She was so excited that her voice came out as a squeak at the end. "Let me see your cards. I''ve never done this before!" "Why not?" Larry asked roughly. "Because no one''s ever wanted to pick me," she said. "This will be the other way around," Brixaby told her. "You will pick them. Choose wisely and pick only the best for yourselves." Amanda stepped forward and projected her own card to the five dragons. Arthur didn''t pretend with niceties, which would require him to look away. Amanda had a Common card that helped seeds sprout. He winced. That wasn''t the best combination for a Purple. That was much more suited for a Green, who generally had nature magic. But then, she projected another card¡ªhe hadn''t felt that, but then again, he''d only been concentrating on the ranks. This second card was also a Common, but was a speed boost for working. It was sort of esoteric, but very useful for a type of laborer. And, more importantly, much more suitable for Purples. The Purples looked at her cards and hovered a little closer. Then, one by one, they shook their heads and instantly looked away. Larry stepped forward and showed a projection of his own Common card, which was for double the strength of a normal man. Swallowing, Thackery stepped forward as well. His card surprised Arthur. It was an endurance card.
Endless Stride Body Enhancement Common The wielder of this card will be able to achieve a constant physical stamina over an extended period of time. This card uses willpower and when the will is diminished, the stamina will end.
Instantly, Candy Floss and another Purple darted to it. Arthur wasn''t a hundred percent on the name of the other dragon, but he thought it was Tiger Eye. Candy Floss squeaked in anger and barreled right into Tiger Eye. Even though she was a third his size, she sent him staggering, hastily flapping all four wings to keep from tumbling head over tail. "No! He''s mine!" she yelled and gestured to her chest to display her card to Thackery. "Will you be my rider?" Thackery''s eyes were wide, and he nodded. "Yes." The projection of the cards melded together and a third card flashed into existence with a burst of light so bright that Arthur was forced to glance away. When he looked back a moment later, it was gone. But just like that, Thackery was a dragon rider. Candy Floss barreled into the man with a big hug, arms, legs, wings and tail all wound around him. It was a good thing that she was only as big as his torso. "I''ve been waiting so long to meet you!¡± "Me too," Thackery sounded amazed, and a little winded, and he carefully cuddled his dragon back. Grinning, Arthur glanced over to Steve, who had watched the entire process, but had not stepped forward. Steve caught his eye, and Arthur raised his eyebrows in a silent, "Are you doing this?" Steve grimaced, nodded, and stepped forward to project his own card.
Dancer¡¯s Grace Body Enhancement Common The wielder of this card will be able to move through life with the effortless grace of a trained dancer. This includes unusual body awareness, balance, and enhanced dodging skills. This card is powered by the user¡¯s natural physical strength and does not use mana. This card does not grant additional dance moves.
Oh, Arthur thought, he''s embarrassed about his card. He imagined it had been difficult growing up with a card like that, especially when Steve had a manual labor job where people are expected to be strong and full of endurance. He understood why Steve would want to keep it a secret, but he would have to get over it. I would have taken that card¡­ or any card when I was in the borderlands, he thought. Unfortunately, none of the four remaining Purples seemed overly interested in Steve, Amanda, or Larry. Brixaby wasn''t concerned. "We will have more prospective riders for you to choose from," he told the Purples. "Go get more soup." Then he bellowed up at the hovering, darting mass above him. "Puffball, Tiny, Falafel, Ripley and Training Wheels." Just like that, five more Purples buzzed down to examine the prospective riders. Book 5 Ch 23 - Congratulations and Condolences Somebody coughed behind Arthur. He glanced back to see Griff, the Uncommon rider, standing awkwardly in the cave mouth opening. Arthur turned back to Brixaby, but his dragon seemed to have this covered. So Arthur gestured for Griff to follow him back into the room. Behind him, he heard buzzes as one by one, the Purples rejected the hopefuls and lifted into the air. Five more took their place, all under Brixaby''s baleful eye. Once inside, Arthur looked at Griff. "I sent for you yesterday." The man stood tense, a couple of degrees from being at full attention stance, though the look in his eyes said he was not impressed. "There was an eruption. I was busy." "You didn''t tell me about the blood price." He blinked. "Why should I?¡± I don''t think he realizes that this isn''t how hives usually work, Arthur thought, but he said, "And I noticed that neither you or any of the other Uncommons have paid the blood price to me." "Oh." Griff visibly relaxed. Though he didn''t have a mind reading card, the older man¡¯s expression was so open that Arthur could practically read his thoughts. He assumed that Arthur was annoyed that he hadn''t been paid yet. "We normally pay the captain of the Blue Sky wing. He can get nasty if the blood price isn''t on time." "I''m not asking you that," Arthur said. "I''m asking if you have enough to cover yourself." Griff paused. "Uh, I don''t understand." No, of course he wouldn''t, Arthur thought. He got the impression that low rankers like Griff had to look out for themselves. They weren''t used to anybody else looking out for them. He tried another tack. "How much is the blood price?" "Two Uncommon a day," Griff said like it was obvious. "It''s one Uncommon a day." Griff stared at him for a moment, then his jaw clenched. "How sure are you?" "I heard it from Legendary Chester''s mouth myself." Before Griff could react, Arthur went on, "So how do you and the other Uncommons collect your shards? Because you''re not getting them from delivering supplies. I checked with the quartermaster." This was mostly a lie, as the quartermaster did not pay that much attention and didn''t have notes on who delivered what. But Arthur hadn''t seen any Uncommons swooping in with supplies¡ªor rescues, for that matter¡ªso it was a good guess. Sure enough, Griff looked away. "You''re going after other dragons'' kills, aren''t you? Before they can swoop in to harvest," Arthur said. "You have combat cards?" "Not good ones," Griff admitted. "Squish is a monster in the air. He''s not as fast as other Purples¡ªyou saw that for yourself¡ªbut he''s still more maneuverable than other dragons. We take them by surprise. We''re good at that." Stealth card? Arthur wondered silently. He flashed back to when he was twelve years old. During his first eruption he saw a pink dragon taken by surprise and killed by other dragons. Everything had been all chaos, and he was too young to wonder which hive that had been. But now... he wondered.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Purples were small, but they were still dragons. And if they were directed by riders who knew the stakes and feared for their lives... how far would people go to keep their life force from being sucked dry? Were Griff and Squish dragon killers? Somehow, he didn''t think so. But he didn''t doubt that either one of them could do some damage if they were cornered. "Okay," Arthur said. "That was the first reason I called you in." He waited a beat, and Griff let out a sigh, playing along. "And the second reason, sir?" "The second reason," Arthur grinned tightly, "is that you''re here to be promoted. You''re now my second in command of Wing Purple. Congratulations and condolences." The older man just stared at him in flat disbelief. "You''re serious? What''s the catch?" "Much more work and responsibility," Arthur said. "Luckily, since I''m an honest man, I just reduced your blood price by half. It''s only one Uncommon shard from here on out, and you''re to pay it to me directly." "The Blue Sky wing captain isn''t going to like that." "Then send him to me." "You may not like that," Griff said. "He''s a son of a bitch, and you''re..." He looked Arthur up and down, and Arthur knew what he saw: He was young, new to the hive, and certainly a bit skinny. Maybe he''d always be that way, considering his upbringing. But Arthur didn''t take offense. He had some nasty cards up his sleeve, and a nastier dragon to back it up. Griff clearly knew better than to finish that thought out loud, and just said, "Then what are your orders...sir?" Well, he was certainly getting with the program faster than Arthur could have hoped. Though, it was likely because he thought it was easier to play along, and maybe count on being there to catch Arthur once he screwed up. "First thing is I want you to make sure that the rest of the Uncommons know that they are to pay me the proper blood price so I can send it up to leadership. And..." He chewed his words over for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to say it. But then he just came out and said it. "Find out if anyone is running short on shards. I need to know, sooner rather than later.¡± Griff nodded once. "Sunny. You know, the blonde? She didn''t have a successful eruption yesterday." "If she''s short on the three shards, tell me," Arthur said. "I''ll cover it until the next eruption." "What, for free?¡± Griff stared like he wasn¡¯t sure Arthur was making a joke. ¡°Just like that? Why?" "Because things are changing around here," Arthur replied with a touch of irritation. "And also because I want my wing functioning well. It can''t do that if one of the riders is sucked dry of energy." Griff seemed to believe the second reason more. He nodded, and Arthur saw a bit of tension leave his shoulders. Power was the language that he knew. It made Arthur a little sad. "And Griff," Arthur said, "you''re also to send the message that when the next eruption comes, there will be no more hunting other dragon riders." "We don''t kill," Griff said quickly with a scowl that Arthur believed. "We aren''t assassins." Which likely meant that someone else in this hive was. Not that Arthur was surprised. "But you do injure," Arthur said. "Not pairs from our hive." "It doesn''t matter. The real enemy are the scourglings, and we need every dragon rider out to fight them." Now Griff was back to looking at him like he might be slightly insane. "I don''t see why it matters much. There are plenty of other dragon riders," Arthur sighed. How was he going to get through to this man? "But," Griff said before Arthur answered, "I suppose orders are orders. Is that all you need from me?" There was an undertone of ''Don''t press your luck, kid'' to his words. Well, he at least seemed to be somewhat on board, even if he didn''t understand why. "One more thing," Arthur said and hesitated. This was going to be the trickiest part. "If a card isn''t working with somebody, I need to know about it." He blinked. "Sir?" "You''re riding Purples," Arthur said. ¡°And some of you have combat cards which might interfere with their natural magic. If that is happening, well, my dragon and I have a utility card that may smooth the way.¡± ¡°No offense,¡± Griff said slowly, ¡°but I don¡¯t think anyone will be eager to share if they have combat cards, if you catch my meaning.¡± Because then others could know how to counteract them. Or worse, they could be tied to past misdeeds. ¡°Just put the word out,¡± Arthur said. ¡°If someone wants to speak to me about that issue, they can speak to me.¡± Griff looked around the sparsely appointed room. ¡°Um, you¡¯ll be here?¡± "No," Arthur said, "I''ll be at the dragon hatchery for the rest of the day." And he hoped things there weren¡¯t run like they were with the rest of the hive, but he didn¡¯t have high hopes. Book 5 Ch 24 - Spring Awakens! Arthur finished his conversation with Griff and went outside just in time to see Steve become a dragon rider. The young man stood before a very... well, there was no other way to say it: the Purple dragon was goofy looking. He had an overall stretched out look with an extremely out of proportion long neck and tail and yellow eyes that stuck out too far from his head. His body length was a little longer than Brixaby¡¯s, but with deep Purple bluish scales. On top of that, his legs were short with elbows and knees stuck out to the side. He certainly wasn''t the prettiest dragon, but he had decided that Steve was the rider for him, and they linked cards. Arthur went over to Brixaby who was watching with a satisfied look. "You seem happy," Arthur said. "You think it''s a good choice?" "I don''t know about the human," Brixaby said, "but Bolt has an extremely useful card. He can instantly transport from one place to another." Arthur''s eyebrows rose. "He¡¯s a portal user?" "No, he says it has to do with lightning, though lightning is not a traditional Purple trait." Brixaby narrowed his eyes in thought. "He is not exceptionally intelligent, so he cannot explain it properly. Perhaps the human will be able to.¡± Arthur''s mind was already whirling with ideas. "How far can he go?" "Within visual range, and Bolt seems to say the area he ends up isn¡¯t always accurate. Perhaps combining with the human''s card will enhance his." Arthur nodded. It was a shame he could not adjust a card within a dragon''s primary core to smooth out problems like that. It was hard enough for a human to pull a card from their heart deck, but a dragon was a magical creature. Removing its core card would almost certainly lead to the death of that dragon. But if he could fix it¡­ This was the exact type of situation he¡¯d meant when he told Griff he could adjust cards for people in his wing¡­ though, he knew Griff did not fully understand. Or trust him. Steve turned to Arthur, his face alight with excitement. "Can we go out and ride?" "Yes! Bolt ride! Bolt go very fast!" Bolt said, bobbing his oversized head. His neck was almost twig-thin. "I want you to go out and get fitted for dragon saddles, first." Then he turned to the other successful dragon pair. Candy Floss was still celebrating her choice and was doing loop-de-loops in air while Thackeray watched on with amusement. Catching the merchant''s eye, Arthur gestured him over and included him in the conversation. "Thackeray, you''re going to have to wait for Candy Floss to grow bigger before you two ride out together." "No need!" Candy Floss chirped. "I can carry him. It¡¯s what I do best!¡± The dragon was only half the size she should be in order to safely carry a rider¡ªmuch less a full-grown man on her back¡ªbut then Arthur remembered her card. She was able to lift heavy things at will. For a second, he was tempted. Thackeray, while not overweight, was a well-built man, especially for an ex-merchant. Him riding her around would make for a hilarious sight. "You don''t have enough space on your back and neck for him to sit, even if weight wasn''t an issue," Arthur said. "His legs will get in the way of your wings." "No! I will carry him!" Candy Floss was undaunted. "Thackeray!" They must have worked this out before because, grinning, Thackeray held out his arms. The little dragon buzzed over and nestled down into them. Then she turned and started beating her wings frantically¡­ and Thackeray rose into the air as if he were as light as a feather. They didn''t even seem to be holding tightly onto one another. Candy Floss just needed physical contact to lift whatever she wanted. It was... "Ridiculous," Griff grunted, having followed Arthur out to observe. "I know we don''t typically fight scourglings, but how in the world do those two expect to survive an eruption?" That deflated their enthusiasm. Candy Floss carefully set Thackeray back down. "There must be a way," Arthur said. "Candy Floss, can you carry other objects when you carry your rider?" "No," she admitted, "just one thing or a person at a time." Brixaby spoke up. "You carried that trough we were using as a stew pot with fresh water in it yesterday. That was technically two things." "The water was in the trough, so it counted as one thing," Candy Floss said. Arthur pointed to the trough. Now that they were using a proper¡ªvery large¡ªcommunity stew pot, it had been cleaned and set to the side. "And what if Thackeray gets in a trough, and you carry that?" "I''m willing to try." Thackeray¡¯s eyes glinted with the challenge. Griff, meanwhile, crossed his arms and said nothing. Candy Floss easily agreed, and Thackeray sat inside. The trough was very, very large, and there was enough room for six men to sit inside it. Nevertheless, Candy Floss buzzed over and picked it up easily. That wasn''t much of a surprise. Thackeray had to weigh less than all that water. "Oh yes," Griff said, "that will certainly not present a big, juicy target for scourglings during an eruption." He had a point. Candy Floss lowered him down again. "It is a shame that feeding you a card will not enhance your growth," Brixaby mused. "Why would I eat a card?" Candy Floss asked. "Why would you not? They are delicious." People were giving him an odd look, so Arthur hastened to explain, "It''s an aspect of his card. But,¡± he added, returning back to the subject, ¡°Griff¡¯s right. Candy can¡¯t carry her rider like that during an eruption. But for now, as practice? I don¡¯t see why not.¡± And there are definitely possibilities for gathering supplies, Arthur silently added. Arthur glanced back at Steve and Bolt. "Griff, I want you to show Steve where he can get a saddle and the equipment for his dragon. And I want extra harnesses for Candy Floss. Unless and until Thackery gets a flying card, she needs to be attached to that trough when she¡¯s carrying it." "On top of everything else you''ve told me to do?" Griff grumbled, but it was a half-hearted complaint. Arthur knew that he would obey. His new riders were taken care of, but now he had to deal with the unfun part of the day. Arthur turned to Larry and Amanda, who stood off to the side, looking distinctly downcast. After all, they had been rejected by a couple of dozen dragons. As far as Arthur was concerned, it had been good luck that he had been able to match two dragons with riders¡ªand he suspected part of it was Candy Floss and Bolt wanted riders very much and had been more flexible than normal. "You two," Arthur said. "This isn''t over with. We still have hatchling dragons to visit. Come with me." They perked up. ¡°I will come as well,¡± Brixaby said, unexpectedly. Arthur shrugged. He supposed Brixaby wanted to assess the hatchlings before they joined his wing, though that didn¡¯t explain the devious look on his face. Then again, Brixaby nearly always had a devious expression. The illusion card hasn¡¯t managed to cover that up. He began to lead them down the hive levels through the stairways. Even though they were going down instead of upward, it was quite the trek. Larry gave Arthur a stink eye. "You couldn''t just transport us using your dragon?" Arthur shook his head. "Dragons are living beings, not transport cards.¡± ¡°And I have my own reasons for wanting to see the inside of the hive," Brixaby said, giving Larry a superior look. Ah, he was searching for his card, then.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Thankfully, Brixaby wasn''t large enough to be bothered by the stairwells, and no guards at the checkpoints wanted to mess with a Rare. From the sour expression that periodically crossed Brixaby''s face, he was having no more luck searching for the card within the hive than out of it. As Arthur was still new to the place, and didn''t know every aspect of the hive, he did have to ask around for the dragonet nursery. It was affixed to the hatching grounds, and was one of the sublevels located below the ground. Apparently, the hive sat on geothermically active ground and there were heat vents all throughout the mountainside. The heat that came up from below worked so well that the less broody of the female dragons sometimes abandoned their nest and just allowed the heat to incubate the eggs naturally. Arthur found that as a bit odd and worrying. Most female dragons were very territorial about their eggs. The fact that some were abandoning their nests was strange. Were they more concerned about filling their quotas for their rider''s blood price? Or had they been sucked of life energy themselves and did not care? Larry and Amanda did not speak much on the way down. Every time Arthur glanced at them, he caught a glower on Larry''s face. The man seemed to suspect he was just wasting his time with his bad luck. Amanda just looked like she was trying not to hope too much. Arthur wasn''t sure what to say to either of them. He didn¡¯t want to offer them false hope or make promises he could not keep. At the entrance to the hatching grounds, he stopped and pulled them aside. "Keep your mind open. You should understand this may take a few visits until you can make a link. Remember, as long as you have a Purple, you have a place in my wing." They each nodded, and Arthur led them in. The hatching grounds stood before the dragon nursery, which acted as an extra level of security: There was nothing more fearsome than a female dragon on top of eggs. Though, as the entered, Arthur spotted one or two mounds of eggs that seemed to have nobody guarding them. The hatching grounds was a wide area with a tall stone ceiling with a lot of space between niches filled with sand. This was good because as they walked down the main path that ran the spine of the room, the female dragons hissed and fanned their wings in warning. One Red even sneezed sparks at them. Brixaby bared his teeth back at her. "Why would I want your eggs?" he said dismissively. "I did not father them." "And you never will, half-pint," she growled. Brixaby swelled up in indignation. "I know a pink who has twice the wings of you!" Scoffing, she turned back to nudge her eggs. Brixaby didn¡¯t comment further, but that interaction got Arthur wondering. Joy was too young to clutch¡­ at least, he was pretty sure. But that would not be the case forever. What kind of eggs would he expect out of a Legendary and Rare union? What kinds of cards would they make? And would Cressida be pleased, or would she want his head on a platter? He made a note to ask Horatio about dragon husbandry at some point. But there was no need to open that can of worms right now. More female dragons hissed at them, and those with riders nearby didn¡¯t look happy either. If Arthur weren¡¯t showing up to their senses as a Rare, he suspected he would have had questions thrown their way. Quickly, Arthur hustled his group through the hatching grounds. He knew they were getting close once they reached a large double-door at the end. On the other side was a short stairwell that curved down to the next level below. The sounds of chattering little dragon voices bounced off the walls. It reminded him a little of a nursery school full of children, only with a lot more growling, and the occasional crackle of elemental-type card powers being shot off. "Finally," Brixaby said. Arthur glanced at him in askance and Brixaby shrugged. "You cannot talk with eggs or reason with them. Or their mothers," he added in a grumble. Grinning, Arthur nudged his dragon with his elbow. ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t like shifty looking males near their babies.¡± ¡°Bah.¡± But they had reached the next door, and Brixaby said no more. Once inside, they were greeted at the next door by an officious-looking man. Arthur introduced himself and the man immediately straightened. A glint entered his eyes that Arthur wasn''t sure he liked. "Of course, come in, come in and I''ll show you what we have," he said with all the air of a salesman. "Unfortunately, wing captain sir, we don''t have any in the exceptional group at this moment, but we do have some promising clutches hatching within this next month. You never know." "Exceptional group?" Beyond there were several different pens with hatchling dragons glumping and wrestling with one. Others played with toys in the same way a kitten or a puppy would¡ªby tearing them apart. They seemed to be separated into groups. The Uncommon group was fairly easy to spot as they were in the fenced-off area closest to the entrance. They larger, and tended to hoard the best toys for themselves. However, Arthur did spot a Brown Common which was wrestling with a Red Uncommon and seemed to be getting the better of him. "The rank of the dragon is truly known once the egg is hatched," the man said. "We do have our guesses, but we''ve been caught by surprise one too many times. Uncommons do not stand out like Rares, of course," he added with a glance to Brixaby. ¡°Once they''re hatched they''re sorted into three groups: exceptional, average, and deficient. Exceptionals are any shimmer of all ranks, Uncommons with cards which are particularly useful to the hive in combat," he explained. "The rest of the Uncommons are generally sorted into average groups. We can never have enough Uncommons," he said with a laugh. "We also include particularly useful Common cards, whether that be utility or combat." He glanced at Brixaby and addressed him directly, as not many humans were apt to do. "If you don''t mind me saying, sir, all Common Purples tend to be sorted into the deficient rank. They very rarely have cards that are worth any use. But you will see that we do have several yellows and greens in there as well. We just don''t specifically pick on the Purples. They are cute little fellows," he finished as if that made up for anything. "Do you have any newly hatched Uncommon Purples?" Arthur asked. ¡°Out of curiosity. "No, but we do have other Uncommons. You see that Red over there? He will be a big, stolid fellow when he grows up." "Unfortunately, I don''t have any Uncommon recruits," Arthur admitted. The man gave him a sly look. "Well, if you come by any¡­ If you don¡¯t mind me saying, some wing captains like to be the first to know when a new Uncommon with any promise hatches. Of course, even if we do have a good hint about the rank of an egg, the color is always a toss-up. But we are good at guessing. And there are some people who have cards which sense... more promise in some than others. If you''d like to be the first to know, I can make that happen." He wanted a bribe. And suddenly, Arthur could see how this, too, could easily spiral into corruption. A wing captain needed to pay the blood price, which meant that he needed dragon riding pairs with strong powers underneath him. But expensive bribes increased the overhead costs, which put even more pressure on them to preform well in eruptions. And if they had a bad eruption or two¡­ "I''ll think about it," he said, carefully keeping his emotions off his face. "I''m still determining the capabilities of my wing and fleshing it out." He nodded to Amanda and Larry. "Show me the Common Purples." "Oh. You¡¯re actually interested in¡­?" the man shut his mouth at Arthur''s stern look and cleared his throat. "Right this way, sir." They were led past the pens in the front and a larger, sectioned off area for the dragon that were considered average. It was large space and there were several playful dragons, all too young to fly. They raced back and forth in some kind of chase game. At least, none of them seemed like they were neglected. At the back stood a final pen. To, Arthur''s distaste, it was smaller than the others, located in the shadows and had visibly rattier toys. One stuffed leather balls that had been shredded to sad strips on the outside. However, the hatchlings looked well-fed. The four Purples¡ªall very young with large heads and short tails--were already starting to buzz their wings and lift off the ground a few inches. The smallest of the four was roughly the size of Arthur¡¯s boot. And while Brixaby had not looked particularly babyish when he hatched, Arthur smiled, remembering how tiny he had been. "I was never that small," Brixaby said, as if reading his mind. "No," Arthur said, "you were smaller." "Preposterous," he muttered. The tiny dragons seemed to pick up on what was happening immediately. With high-pitched chirps, they bounced over to sniff at the group. One floated, which seemed to be its card power. The man in charge of the nursery opened the gate to the pen and grandly gestured them forward. The gate door, Arthur noticed, was secured by very simple lock. These dragons were mostly kept inside to make sure that they stayed out from underfoot, and they didn''t seem to have the intelligence or ambition to let themselves free. There was a Green hatchling, four Purples, and a Yellow so orangey bright that Arthur suspected it might actually be a washed-out orange. The Yellow-Orange took one look at them and immediately peeled off, uninterested, to start wrestling with a headless toy doll with straw poking out of the neck. One of the Purples turned to buzz in another direction, in a vague sort of way that made Arthur wonder if it knew what riders were at all. A second Purple¡ªthe one that floated-- turned away as well, squeaked upon seeing the yellow-orange, and went over to play as well. But two of the Purples and the Green looked hopefully up at Amanda and Larry. They did not need to be told to display their cards. Seeing them, the Purples immediately sagged and shook their heads, going away. However, the Green had bright eyes only for Amanda and immediately displayed her own card. "I like seeds too," she said shyly.
Spring Awakens! Nature Common The wielder of this card will be able to cast a charm which causes all flower-typed seeds to sprout. The resulting plants will gain one foot in height per hour until the caster recalls the charm. When cast on seeds which are not flowers, the resulting plant will be a blooming hybrid. This card uses and unlocks mana.
Amanda looked wide-eyed at the dragon, and then to Arthur. Arthur didn''t think twice, he gestured for her to continue. It wasn¡¯t exactly the most useful card, but the shy little Green obviously wanted her. Who was he to say no? They matched cards, and a new nature-based one was born into the world with a blinding flash of light. Amanda bent down and scooped up her new best friend, hugging her tightly. The green squeaked and a bouquet of flowers grew Amanda¡¯s arms under her. Apparently, their newly created linked card could grow plants on demand without the use of seeds. "Well," Arthur said to Brixaby, "I suppose we''re going to have to fit in a Green." Overhearing, Amanda turned to him, almost instantly contrite. "I¡¯m sorry, sir! I know that you offered for me to join your wing, but she''s not a Purple¡ª¡± ¡°It''s no matter," he said, "I''ve kept this close to the vest, but we''ll be having a Silver and a Red join us. Actually," he said with a grin, "you''ll meet them soon. I''m sure you and--" He paused for the tiny dragon to fill in her name. The little Green was only a Common, but there was nothing wrong with her mind. "I''m called Rosie.¡± ¡°And Rosie," he continued, "will likely be training with them soon. Though Purples will make up the spine of our wing.¡± Besides, people bought flower arrangements all the time. He was certain they could make some shards in market places. Being a dragon pair, they would often have the opportunity to travel to different sections of the kingdom and discover new verities. Amanda thanked him again. She only paused to snuggle her green. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to introduce you to my kids.¡± ¡°Do they like flowers?¡± Arthur heard the sound of the gate closing behind him. He turned just in time to see Larry stalk off. Disappointment was in every line of his body. Amanda sighed. "It''s not his fault. He''s always had bad luck." "The only bad luck he''s had is to watch everybody else become a dragon rider.¡± Arthur said. "I didn''t expect everybody to link up with a dragon today." "Excuse me, and congratulations," he said hastily, and quickly walked out of the pen to find Larry. Book 5 Ch25 - Arthurs Spy Out of the corner of his eye, Arthur noticed that Brixaby had followed him out as well. But most of his concentration was on finding Larry. The exit led to a tunnel which curved sharply upward and led back up out at the crater opening. It was likely an emergency tunnel, carved out for emergencies. Larry hadn''t gone far past the opening. He stood with fists clenched, staring out to the middle distance. Arthur walked up silently and didn''t say anything, just offered his silent support. After a few moments, Larry glanced at him and snorted in a self-deprecating sort of way. "I''m sorry I wasted your time, kid. I should have known that it would all turn out to nothing. It always does," he added bitterly. Arthur wasn''t entirely sure what to say. He wanted to console the man. It had to have been difficult being passed over again and again. But at the same time, he was aware that he was several decades younger than Larry and he suspected Larry would only see any comforting works as condescension. That was when Brixaby spoke up. "Worthwhile things are rarely quickly accomplished. Besides, it is only the first day, and there are many other dragons in this hive." The man glanced at Brixaby in surprise. It looked like he wanted to argue, but then he sagged his shoulders. "I suppose," he muttered, though he didn''t seem all that sure of it. However, something in Brixaby''s tone caught Arthur''s attention. "Wait, there are more riderless Purples in this hive?" So many had flocked to them for dinner and meals, that he assumed that had been all of them, but now he realized that he hadn''t checked. To his surprise, Brixaby grimaced. He actually seemed a little... embarrassed. "That was indeed not all the Purples, but even I cannot force a dragon to share their card if they do not want to." "Are there a lot of them?" Arthur asked, surprised. He knew there were dragons like Laird who had personal reasons for not wanting to link with another rider. And certainly, there were many dragons in the Free Hives who also did not want riders. Many of those had other opportunities, such as pursuing crafts to fill their time. It seemed like a dragon who had been disenchanted with this hive to the point of not wanting to link with a rider would just go somewhere else. "I am unsure and before you ask, I do not know their reasoning," Brixaby said quickly. "None have approached me directly. I only sense them from the outskirts. They are the true wild dragons, and they do not exist within the hive society." Arthur scratched the back of his neck. "I''d like to talk to them if any of them are open for it. Especially if any have useful cards. We''re going to need all the help we can get." He glanced at Larry who had remained silent but still downcast. "Don''t give up yet." Larry heaved a sigh. "Look, maybe I should just go back to the farms. It''s what I know." "You also know what happens to farmers who are in the wrong place at the wrong time," Arthur reminded him. "And that''s happening more and more often. Besides, why go back to the farms when I can pay you better?" A man glanced over at him, squinting suspiciously. "Pay me for what? I won''t be your bully boy, kid." Arthur couldn''t help it. He smiled. "I can take care of myself.¡± ¡°Then, what is it?¡± He had been playing with this idea off and on. ¡°I''m new to this hive, and what''s most valuable to me at this moment is information." Then, with an internal grimace he did not allow to show on his face, he reached into his Personal Space and produced a Rare shard. He held it up between two fingers and let it glint in the light. "If you''re interested, this should be more than enough for you to buy some long-term lodging in the city, and quite a few meals as well." Larry stared at it. "Do you know how long it would take me to earn one of these, working on a farm?" "You''re not on a farm anymore," Arthur said. The man barked out an involuntary laugh. "That''s getting clearer and clearer. But I still don¡¯t understand: What do you want me to do?" "There''s a lot of dragon riders who drink out in the city. Alcohol loosens lips, and I need to know what they''re saying¡ªall the rumors around here. You seem like a smart man, Larry." "I barely graduated my classes," he said. "The only reason I didn''t starve on the street is my pa¡¯ kicked off early and I inherited his card. It gave me the ability to work." "You''re smart where it counts. Social smart," Arthur insisted. "You know how to sift the lies from the truth in a conversation, don''t you?"This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Reluctantly, Larry nodded. "Yeah, you got me pegged right, I guess. I know I''m a grumpy bastard, but I can be sociable when I want to be." Arthur already knew this as Larry had unconsciously set himself up as a leader among the evacuees. He could be downright surly at times, but people instinctually looked up to him. Arthur could use that. "I want to know if there''s anything that comes up that I should be aware of. Dangerous rumors, plots against riders, what people are saying about the leadership and the blood price. Things like that." Larry squinted at him, thinking hard. "I get where you¡¯re going, but that''s not enough work for the cost of a Rare shard.¡± "You have no idea how much I value knowledge," Arthur replied. "And forewarning." Still, Larry hesitated. "I could just take off with it, you know." "I have more of these where this came from," Arthur said. "And don''t forget, your best chance to change your life and get a dragon is through me.¡± It was clear that the man still wasn¡¯t convinced so Arthur hit him with a darker truth. ¡°You think that any farm nearby is hiring, with the amount of evacuees we receive on a regular basis?" That seemed to do it. Larry huffed and then reached out to take the Rare shard. He quickly slipped it in his pocket and then glanced around obliquely, as if to make sure that no one had watched the exchange. Arthur had already been doing the same, but he was impressed to Larry taking on an air of suspicion. "I suppose you have a point¡ªa couple of points," Larry stared at Arthur for a moment, and for the first time there was a touch of respect in his eyes. "You know, you look like a skinny kid, but there is some deviousness in you." "Why do you think I chose him? A utility user?" Brixaby said affronted. "When I was hatched, I was presented with the best of the best. Yet, out of all who had come from across the kingdom to behold my hatching¡ªfrom the very cream of the Kingdom¡ªI chose Arthur." "I''m not sure if I should be offended or not," Arthur muttered. Larry shook his head, then frowned. "So how am I supposed to get in touch with you if I am drinking it up in the city?" That was a very good question, and Arthur could have kicked himself for not thinking of that. Then again, this had been plan C, with plan A and B being getting Larry linked to a dragon. "Give me a moment," Brixaby said, then closed his eyes. A moment later, he opened them again. From the faintly tired look¡ªthe way the fine scales crinkled around his eyes¡ªArthur knew that his dragon had retreated into his Personal Space for quite some time. Very likely, to read through his enchanting books and do some crafting. He could have just been in there for hours. Sure enough, Brixaby produced two palm-sized slivers of metal. They looked a lot like scraps, rough at the edges and hammered thin. However, dark runes were stamped onto them. He gave one to Arthur and one to Larry. "These are now linked to one another. When you push mana into one, they will both glow. It is much like a card anchor, but better. Because I made it," he added, in case neither one understood. "How did he..." Larry started, then caught Arthur''s warning gaze and shook his head. "All right, all right. He is Rare and you have your secrets. I get that." Brixaby looked faintly smug and Arthur knew he was thinking that if Larry knew the truth¡ªthat he was a high-level Legendary with a half a set of cards under their belts each¡ªhis head would probably explode. "Okay, so this works as an alert, but we still need a meeting place," Arthur said. Larry frowned. "Do you mind going into the city? People will see us if we''re talking here in the hive. And no offense, but that should be avoided as much as possible. In fact, if I knew that this conversation was coming, I would have told you that we need to go have it somewhere else." Once again, Arthur was impressed that Larry was taking this seriously. "We''ll meet at the Onion and the Hammer," Arthur said. "It''s a bar on the outskirts of the city, but it may take me some time to get there once I''m alerted." He casually slipped the enchanted light shard into his pocket. He was intensely curious how Brixaby had managed that. Despite Arthur''s best intentions with enchanting when he¡¯d first gotten those books, he hadn''t embraced it as much as his dragon. Then again, Brixaby had a Weapons Blacksmithing class, and Arthur''s most advanced class was Cooking. They had different interests. As for the light enchantment, he suspected that he had been studying Sams¡¯ and Horatio''s cards on the sly while Arthur had been leveling his card smithing. As if on cue, there was a rush of wings only a couple of levels above Arthur''s head. Normally Arthur wouldn''t have taken much note of it. Dragons came and went all the time in a hive. But Brixaby suddenly swung around and glared upward. Alerted, Arthur glanced in the same direction. A shimmering Green dragon was coming in for a quick landing quite close to them. The moment its claws touched the ground, his rider dismounted to walk over straight up to Arthur. Thinking quickly, Arthur jerked his chin to Larry and said in a loud voice that was meant to carry, "That will be all, recruit." Larry looked briefly startled, but he was quick on the uptake. He sketched a salute that wasn''t too far off from the Blood Moon Hive¡¯s standard. Then he made himself scarce. Half a breath later, the green''s rider approached him. He looked like he was delivering bad news. "Sir, I''ve been sent to fetch you for the leadership meeting." "Leadership meeting?" Arthur asked, drawing a momentary blank. "They''re hosted every three days. It''s a mandatory meeting," the man said, with emphasis. "At high noon. The leaders sent me up to make sure that you knew about it." So there will be no excuses why I didn''t show up, Arthur thought. He glanced to the side to see that Larry was walking away toward the direction of the town outside the hive¡¯s crater. Arthur hoped he would actually see him again and that he wouldn''t just run off with the Rare shard. Despite his bravado, he didn''t actually have a lot of those left. He turned his attention to the Green rider. "I understand. Are we allowed to go ourselves, or will I be portaled again?" he asked significantly. "No, if you agree then you''re to go on your own recognizance. But you should know..." He grimaced and leaned forward a little as if to impart a secret. "This is where wing captains present their wing¡¯s blood price." That was right, he remembered Chester mentioning something about the meeting now. Between all of the dragon linkings and getting set up in this new hive, it had slipped his mind. Also, he was to pay for the next three days. So, it wasn''t enough that wing captains had to collect the equivalent of an Uncommon shard every day from their people, but the collection actually took place in advance. That would put extra pressure on anyone who was running short. Thankfully, he''d been expecting something along these lines. He glanced at Brixaby and saw the slight shift in his dragon''s face as if he were suppressing a smile. ¡°We¡¯ll be there,¡± Arthur said. If the leaders thought they were going to catch him and Brix off guard, they were in for a surprise. Book 5 Ch26 - Life Siphon
Warning: Extra meaty chapter ahead! Arthur and Brixaby weren''t the first ones to arrive at the meeting, but they certainly were not the last. Arthur already carried his wealth of shards within his Personal Space¡ªand Brixaby had his own stash as well¡ªbut he and Brixaby still made a show of stopping at their room on the way up, just in case somebody was watching. He wanted to keep as much knowledge about his Personal Space secret as possible. As they exited the rooms, he said to Brixaby, "I''m sure we''ll have somebody sneaking into these rooms sooner rather than later." "All the more reason to increase our Rune Locking and Enchantment skills." Brixaby replied. "A few corpses by the door of those who should not have entered may send the appropriate message." Arthur winced. "Perhaps we should set it to stun, first." His dragon snorted. "I insist on extreme pain at the minimum. The lesson must be learned.¡± Arthur hoped he was kidding, but he didn¡¯t sound like it. Setting that aside, he remounted Brixaby and they started to ascend to the top levels. As they went, Arthur thought furiously about the meeting to come. This was going to be tricky on multiple levels. Rares were much more numerous than Legendaries, though their population was eclipsed by Uncommons. Commons, of course, made up the bulk of the hive. Still, there was every chance that one of these other Rares would have some tie with Flower Moon Hive and wonder why they haven''t heard of a Purple Rare hatching there. He was counting on the fact that Blood Moon was so insular to shield him. That, and many people on the outside just didn''t want anything to do with their hive. Now he¡¯d learned about the blood price, he knew why. But even if that wasn''t the case, there was every chance someone would see Arthur as competition and try to take him out. That he was a Purple rider¡ªand less threat to anybody¡ªmade it a lot less likely. Still, the entire culture of the hive was meant to foster bloodthirstiness, so he could not entirely rule it out. He had to be on his guard. His last worry was soon reinforced. When they arrived, he saw the space the Rare dragons kept between one another. Several dragons had landed on the ledge just before him and Brixaby. The Rares dropped their riders off, then took off again, but there were still a few moments where several dragons vied for the same ledge space, and there seemed to be no love lost between them. Their body language was outright hostile. Thankfully, Brixaby did not need a lot of space to land, and his pinpoint flying accuracy meant that he could go virtually anywhere. It seemed he was also out to prove a point. He buzzed forward and touched down, neat as a pin, on the very edge of a ledge just before a circling yellow had time to land. She aborted her descent at the last moment and snaked her head down to hiss at him as she passed by. In reply, Brixaby fanned his four wings as if to make himself bigger and then started to swell as if he were preparing a stunning shout. "Brix," Arthur muttered, touching his neck. Brixaby held the pose for a moment, just on the verge of letting out his stunning shout¡­ before he subsided, grumbling, "If she really knew who she was hissing at.¡± "I know." Arthur quickly dismounted. "Don''t let them bait you." "I will not let them push me around," Brixaby said. "Of course," Arthur replied. "If it comes to that, we''ll both show them what we''re really made of." That seemed to mollify Brixaby. He nodded and the moment that Arthur was clear, he took off again, which finally gave the yellow dragon enough space to come around and land. Arthur did not intend to seek out fights, but he was not going to turn the other cheek and allow himself or his dragon to be outright bullied. In a place like this, that could easily escalate. He wasn¡¯t going to allow himself to be at the bottom of the pack when people were fighting to keep from getting drained. With that in mind, he strode down the length of the ledge and toward the tower. Once again, the three Legendary leaders lounged on the back on couches. They had small nibbles of food and drinks at hand and didn¡¯t seem to have a care in the world. The Rare riders weren¡¯t offered food or drink. Instead, they gathered in a loose semicircle around them, some at attention, and others turned away in little gossip groups. As Arthur approached, he caught a few hard stares and curious looks, along with a few nods of greeting. He ignored the first two and returned the nods. At least some people were attempting to be friendly. As he took his place in the semicircle, the man next to him spoke. "So you must be the fresh meat from Flower Moon." He smiled, flashing very white teeth at him and extended a hand. "I''m Kai of the Raindrop Dancer Wing," ¡°Ernest of the Purple Wing,¡± he answered, returning the handshake. Luckily, Kai did not do that thing where he tried to squeeze Arthur''s hand too tight to prove a point. "The, uh, Raindrop Dancer Wing?" He wasn''t exactly in love with his own wing¡¯s name, but Kai¡¯s seemed a bit... over the top. "We¡¯re the blue heavy wing, if you haven''t guessed," Kai said. "We specialize in the water element. Our powers can get rather focused." "Bunch of sissies," another rider muttered over Kai''s shoulder. Kai seemed to know who it was immediately. "I''ll remember you said that next time it rains during an eruption. Who was it that saved your Reds, Dolan? Oh yeah, it was my Rare. You''re welcome," he threw over his shoulder. Then, without waiting for a reply, he turned back to regard Arthur. "So, what''s your play?" "My play?" A woman with long dark hair braided up into coils around her head stepped in to include herself in their conversation. "He means to ask if you''re keeping it to only Purples. Rumor has it that you''re trying to elbow in on the supply game." "I can respect that," Kai said. "It''s not like Purples are good at fighting." His words were matter-of-fact and without any aggression, so Arthur didn''t take offense. Besides, it was the truth. He was also aware that other wing captains were listening in, openly curious. This, he realized with a start, was the wing captain equivalent of shop talk. How should he approach this? He thought for a moment and then decided that he should be a bit braggy. That would let them know that he wasn¡¯t meek and wouldn¡¯t be easy to be pushed around. But would have to balance that with also implying that he wasn''t out to muscle in on any of their shards. Arrogance was fine, threatening their livelihood was not. Arthur reached for his Acting skill and subtly altered his body language, keeping himself relaxed and yet still upright. He wanted to imply swagger without outright swaggering. It was all in the set of his shoulders, the tilt of his neck, and the slight arrogance in the tilt of his chin. "My Purples will make up the spine of my wing," he said. "Led by my own, of course. But I''ll have a few other colors in the ranks too. I just got a Green hatchling on board, and a Silver that I plan to get some use from. They''re both utility focused, which I think should fit in nicely." He didn''t mention Soledad¡¯s hatchling just in case someone tried to poach them for their own wing. Soledad and Equinox were just barely collecting their card set, but they had the possibility of being a strong combat-based pair. Arthur¡¯s plan earned a derisive snort from Dolan. "Greens and Silvers," he said with nothing but sarcasm. Moving past Kai, he looked down at Arthur. That was easy to do. He was a bear of a man, tall and broad. He even looked a little bit like a bear, with a round face and small, close-set eyes. "You want my advice, Ernest? You get some combat dragons on your side and let them do the hard work for you. Then your little Purple fellows there can come in and clean up." "Why?" Kai asked lightly. "The last thing we need is another brainless combat wing." "Or an assassin wing," someone else muttered, too quietly for Arthur to pinpoint who spoke. To Arthur''s surprise, grimaces and nods went around the group. So, the idea of assassins weren¡¯t exactly popular around here, huh? It was noticeable that no one copped to being part of that wing. He wondered if it was something that people were only driven to do when they were truly desperate. Kai turned back to Arthur. "So, are you keeping the name as Wing Purple?" He nodded. "It''s a decent name. Straightforward." And he couldn''t think of anything better. If he gave Brixaby the ability to name it, he would name it Brixaby''s Dark Revenge or something. "Why? Do you think that he should be the Purple Dancers?" Dolan sneered. Kai ignored him, and, wanting to keep the conversation from turning ugly, Arthur stepped in and said, "Wing Purple is a good name, though not as straightforward as Left Fore." Kai rolled his eyes in an exaggerated gesture. "Oh, well, he''s a traditionalist, isn''t he?" He nodded to a man who stood just outside the group. He was older, with a white beard who did not engage in the chatter and gossip everybody else was. "What do you mean?" Arthur asked, eager to get some insight on this wing. It was the one where Horatio and Cressida had joined. Joy''s quest, as well as her advanced insight, rarely led her wrong. But he still worried. A beat of hesitation went through the group, and Arthur grew concerned that he had asked a dangerous question. Kai started to speak, but Dolan was the one who answered him. "Back in the day, before the current leadership stepped forward and took us to new heights¡ª" he cut his eyes to the Legendary rankers who were still lounging and sipping drinks on the couch. His tone was carefully respectful in a way that set off all the alarm bells in Arthur''s mind. "The wings here were all named like that." Kai nodded. "The entire hive functioned as one unit, and the wings were named according to their position: Left Fore, Right Fore, Front, Tail, Upper Wing, Lower Wing¡ªbased on positions in the air, you know?" "I think see what you mean," Arthur said carefully, "but I don''t still understand. Why would an entire hive join up like that?" Kai scoffed. "Legend has it that when they fought like that, they could take on an entire scourgling eruption by themselves. But," he waved a hand in the air, "that''s all bunk. If they were that powerful, then all the hives would have been doing it, and we wouldn''t have gone on to new, modern tactics." Dolan frowned at that, and Arthur realized that as friendly as he was, Kai didn''t seem to mind the current way that things were run. Possibly, he even preferred it. However, Dolan, while he wasn''t openly dismissive of it, seemed much more wary. "That''s not all," the woman with the braids said, "this was before there were twelve full hives. But we didn¡¯t have as many legendaries to fight any scourge gods that erupted. It was said that this hive took on a scourge god by themselves¡ªwith no legendaries to back them up. "Like I said," Kai scoffed, "bunk." Before Arthur could ask any more questions, they were interrupted by a sweet bell tone. It seemed that the rest of the Rare riders had arrived, and the meeting was about to begin. Kai nudged Arthur with an elbow. "Just do what we do and try not to screw up." "And if you do screw up," Dolan muttered dourly, "it''s painful, but don''t worry. It happens to everybody and we all get over it." Kai and Dolan''s attempts to reassure him were not very reassuring. Arthur followed the Rare riders as they arranged themselves to stand in a semicircle in front of the couches. Desmond and Sybil smiled vaguely up at them, but neither got up or acknowledged any of the Rares. Chester, however, was the man who was clearly running the show. He was all energy, standing up and addressing them all. "Welcome, welcome," he said, grinning broadly and clapping his hands once. "Let''s get this over with so you can continue on with your training and preparation. News first, yeah? The seers have reported in to say that we have approximately thirty-six hours until the next eruption."The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. That caused a little grumbling in the ranks. From what Arthur picked up, some people wanted the next eruption to happen soon, while others would have preferred a rest. He was personally concerned that the eruptions were happening so close together. They hadn''t been doing that before he left the kingdom. Several Uncommon men and women walked up to join the group. They wore Green rider badges with a shimmer aspect. One was the same man who had come to retrieve Arthur. They gathered to stand on either side of Chester, all with clipboards and writing utensils. It was clear that these shimmer riders were Chester''s personal secretaries. One by one, Chester called up each Rare rider to the front. Kai was the first. When he stepped up, the number of dragons under his wing was read out by a Green rider. "Kai of the Raindrop Dancers: Twenty-seven riders." And then the woman next to him said, "Status is current. 84 Uncommon shards are due." Twenty-eight times three, Arthur thought. They count the wing captain too. Kai grimaced at the amount, though Arthur''s Acting skill told him that was for show. Then he produced a small leather pouch that another shimmer rider grabbed. The shards were quickly counted. This was done right in front of everybody, presumably to make sure that no one was playing games by running short. Apparently, all of Kai''s shards added up because the Green rider gave a nod, and Kai was allowed to rejoin the ranks. One by one, the process was repeated with more Rares. Then Dolan was called. It turned out he had quite a large wing of forty-five riders, not including himself. That meant his blood price was quite hefty. However, he was able to pay it just fine. Arthur took note of when the Left Fore captain was called. The man¡¯s name turned out to be Beryl, and one of the shimmer riders officially announced that he had recently increased his wing by two more members. As such, he was made to pay his blood price in advance. Beryl seemed to anticipate this and his face held no expression as he passed the leather bag over. After his shards were counted and he was sent back, Chester stepped forward. He paused to take an exaggerated look around his Rare riders as if he did not already have everyone''s complete attention. It was a showman''s move, and Arthur could swear he heard some people hold their breath, though it wasn''t in anticipation. It was fear. Chester likes to play games, he suspected. And change the rules around to keep his people on their toes¡­ and in a state of dread. "Some of you may have noticed we have a new face among our ranks," Chester announced, and his eyes focused right on Arthur. "Ernest, please come up." Of course, Arthur had been expecting something like this. Though he was nervous and his pulse started to race, he put on a confident step. In his heart of hearts, he knew that his paying the blood price would not go as smoothly as everyone else''s. When he stood in front of the man, Green rider read out that he had five Uncommon riders, plus himself. "Well, Ernest,¡± Chester said before the second Green rider could speak. ¡°That''s you and your five Uncommons, so seems like we need another thirty shards from you." Chester held out his hand. Arthur nodded and reached into his pocket on the pretense to hide the fact that he was pulling the requisite shards out of his Personal Space. He was lucky that he and Brixaby had visited the Dark Heart and those nest fissures outside of New Houston, or else he would not have had this many shards to hand over. "Sorry," he said, "I don''t have a leather pouch for you." "Get one next time," Chester said with a smile that did not reach his eyes. But then one Rare rider stepped up. "Excuse me, sir?" Chester turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "Yes? It''s Raul from the Blue Sky Wing, is it not?" As if this wasn''t a man he saw every three days. Raul nodded. "I have been taking care of the Uncommons in Wing Purple, and I need to be repaid for the past three days." Oh, so this was the guy. Arthur stared at him with an unimpressed look. Raul was tall, and thin, with a faintly weaselish air. Arthur tried not to judge people for that, as he had been called rat-like more than once in his life, but there was definitely a greasy air about him. He just looked like a guy who would scam his own grandmother for money. Chester turned and looked at Arthur as if to say, "What do you have to say about this?" Nice leadership, he thought sarcastically. Then again, this was a setup. Arthur looked at Raul. "From what I understand, you have been taking care of my wing." He made sure to pack as much sarcasm as he could in those words, ¡°By overcharging them at two Uncommon shards a day.¡± If he expected any reaction from the listening Rare audience, he didn''t get one. Apparently, this either wasn''t outrageous or a big surprise. Raul shrugged. ¡°Price of doing business.¡± He wasn¡¯t even going to deny it? Somehow, that annoyed Arthur even more. "Well, that''s not very sporting of you, Raul," Chester said, but then let out a long sigh. "However, Raul is right about one thing: there is a transfer fee of three Uncommons, per rider. Because you have been taking care of the Purples, Raul, you may be the recipient." Raul nodded. "That''s only fair, sir," he said, with extra oil in his voice. An additional fifteen shards. This was getting expensive quickly. Arthur, with the greatest reluctance, made a grab for his pocket. But he wasn''t in a hurry. Something told him that this wasn''t over yet. Sure enough, as soon as he started to withdraw his hand, one of the Green riders tisked to catch his attention. "Chester, sir," he said, "I hate to remind you, but there is an initial wing formation fee." "Oh, that''s right," Chester said brightly. "An additional ten shards, if you please, Ernest." Arthur stopped and looked directly at the Green rider. Only because he knew he could not dare to level a glare at Chester in the same way. Their game was painfully transparent. They were going to keep piling up fees until he couldn''t pay anymore. Then Chester would have all the excuse he needed to take his blood price from Arthur. Not because he needed it. Just to haze the new guy and show him his place. "How about you skip the drama and tell me the total amount that I owe," he growled at the Green rider as if it were her fault when everybody knew it was Chester''s. The Green rider coughed slightly and sent a panicked look to Chester. The man shrugged and then gestured for her to go forward with it. Arthur took note of that, too: He wasn¡¯t one to back up his subordinates. "Ah, we also need to account for your hatchlings,¡± the Green rider said. ¡°From what I understand¡ª¡± She checked her notes. ¡°You also have two new riders and their fees, two Purples and one Green." "And of course, the recruit you''ve apparently reserved," Chester said. Arthur got the next message loud and clear. Chester was showing him that he kept a very close eye on what his Rare riders were up to, and there was nothing that Arthur could do that he would not see. I just got done with Larry and Amanda. They must have spies everywhere. Not too big of a surprise. There was every possibility that some of the riderless Purples were coming up to report to Chester''s dragon. And he had no doubt that the man in charge of the new hatchlings knew which side of the bread was buttered. He turned to Chester. "There''s a fee for non-riders?" "When you reserve a recruit like you have, it''s not fair to other Rares who may find a value for him in their wing. So there is a one shard per cycle fee." Arthur kept his face blank. "And that''s everything?" Chester glanced at the Green rider who made a show of checking and then rechecking the papers in front of her. Finally, she nodded. Arthur thought for a moment, then pulled out an Uncommon card. It was one he had picked up in New Houston for a decent price, and not one he was going to miss.
Framing (for fun and profit!) Skill/Crafting Uncommon The wielder of this card will be instantly competent in the skill of attaching art to a backing board and then fitting a tasteful frame over the piece with few gaps. As this is a skill based card, the wielder¡¯s experience will continue to grow with their craft at an 10% increased rate. As their skill level increases, their eye will improve for the perfect frame to fit any work of art.
This finally got a few murmurs, but he didn''t care. He got the impression that people here did everything they could to avoid paying the blood price with cards, which made sense. He had yet to see a marketplace for cards in the hive like there was in Wolf Moon which provided cheaper cards for their riders to fill out their heart decks. Cards were the ultimate value. And from the way that things ran around here... they kept people alive. "Will this do?" he asked, handing it over. Chester clicked his tongue. "Ernest, you need to get these graded first. I don''t know how many shards this is truly worth." Arthur didn¡¯t dignify that with an answer. A card was hard currency. The fact that this one was rather useless did not take away from the fact that someone out there would gladly pay. Chester let out a put-upon sigh, "Turning in an ungraded card will be at least a five-shard fee, just to let you know." "I''ll remember that for next time," he added mildly. Chester tisked, but handed over the card to Desmond. Neither he or Sybil had not moved nor made one comment this entire meeting. He had simply sat like a lump on the couch, just watching the show. To Arthur''s surprise, Desmond gripped the card between two fingers, and with barely a glance at it, cast a spell. Arthur must have been within the man''s aura because his Counterfeit Ciphon instantly activated.
New Counterfeit spell obtained: Card Appraisal Remaining Time: 9 Minutes 59 Seconds
"Sixty shards," he said, with a slight air of detain. "It''s a bottom-of-the-barrel card¡ªbarely worth what you could get from the shards alone." Yeah, it was a pretty useless card. That was why Arthur had offered it up. ¡°Almost the entire fee," Chester said. ¡°What do you wish to do for the rest?¡± Again, Arthur pretended to reach into his pocket, only this time, he came out with a Rare shard. "And this, of course.¡± "I won''t be able to provide change for that," Chester said. "I wouldn''t want to shortchange my leaders, now would I?" Arthur said. For the first time, he got an actual smile out of Chester. "I like the way you think, Ernest. And now that you know how things work," again, his eyes flashed dangerously, "make sure that you let one of my Green riders know ahead of time that you intend to use a card to pay your fee so we can get it graded without this... disruption. Other people are waiting after you." Arthur was so angry, he could have spit, but he only said mildly, "Of course." He wanted that card grading skill with such passion that he felt like Brixaby. And for a dangerous moment, he wondered what would happen if he grabbed it from Desmond''s useless heart. The card would go so well with his card smith class... Arthur made to calmly turn and retake his place among the other Rare riders. But inside, he felt a little sick. Just a couple days at Blood Moon hive and his wealth from the Dark Heart was finally running on empty. Two more Rare riders were called up and paid their blood price without any additional drama. Finally, the last was called. He was a visibly older man, past middle age with some gray in his brown hair. And unlike everybody else, he trembled as he stood in front of Chester. He was ten shards short of his blood price. Chester shook his head as if in regret. "Nine shards short. I thought you said this wouldn¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°Sir, I¡ª¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. How do you intend to pay me, Erik?" Erik licked his bottom lip and said, "The nine shards will come from the usuals.¡± ¡°Name them." The man closed his eyes as if he was in pain. ¡°The Commons in the wing¡ªsame as last time.¡± Then he went on to rattle off names that meant nothing to Arthur. One of the Green riders wrote down the names, tore off a piece of paper and gave it to another who saluted and ran off. Presumably, to collect the unfortunates. Chester shook his head as if in regret. "They will pay their price for the next three days, and you will have to work harder to get them out of that debt. And of course, I will have your penalty fee." "No¡ª" the man started to protest in a whispery voice. He got no further than that before Chester placed his hand on top of his head. Instantly, the man went stiff and staring, every muscle locked up. His trembling increased until he he started to outright shake, and he made a sound like he was trying to scream. Nothing but a gurgle came out. In the distance, a dragon roared. Arthur¡¯s Counterfeit Siphon caught the spell:
New Counterfeit spell obtained: Life Siphon Remaining Time: 9 Minutes 59 Seconds
Meanwhile Chester had his eyes closed and looked utterly at peace. It was as if he was giving the man something and not taking away from him. Other than the dragon''s roar of protest, it was so quiet, Arthur could have heard a pin drop. It seemed that even the whistling high-altitude winds stopped. All had fallen silent in the face of what Chester was removing from Erik. Finally, Chester lifted his hand. The man fell boneless like a sack of potatoes to the ground. His skin was pale and he looked even gaunter than before. And as he turned his head, his hair caught the light... Did he have that many gray hairs before? Arthur had noticed a few earlier, but he could swear there were more. And the crow''s feet around his eyes were more visible. It could be the stress and the pain, but he didn''t quite think so. "Rest up," Chester said to Erik. "The next eruption is coming soon, and I''m sure you will want to pay your price for the next cycle." Arthur suspected Erik was not going to be at his best for the next eruption. The Commons he had given up to pay the blood price were not going to be, either. Were those Commons even the ones that had run short? Arthur wondered. Or were they just taking the fall for others in the wing? He suspected he knew the answer. The Green riders put away the writing equipment and helped the Erik back to the hive¡ªthough they more carried than assisted him. No one stepped forward to help him, and Arthur was torn between anger and disgust. Erik had just thrown his own Commons under the wheel cart, but under a certain light, it made a terrible type of sense. He would need the stronger firepower of his Uncommons in order to get the best shot at killing scourgeling and harvesting them their shards. If I run short, it will only be because I failed my wing riders. I won¡¯t let someone else pay for me, Arthur silently swore. Chester clapped his hands. "Well, that''s done. Make sure that you and your wing riders are all at your best for the eruption. I understand from the seers it will be an eventful one." The meeting broke up and Arthur swiftly checked the time he had remaining on Chester''s spell. He dearly wanted to test out the spell himself and find out its limits. If he had the card, he could simply read his description and know immediately what Chester was taking and its limits. But with Counterfeit Siphon, he only had the name and the rank. Three minutes were already gone. "Please, stay and eat your fill," Chester said grandly. Then he gestured and Common ranked assistants came out. Many were scantily dressed and all carried platters of food and drink. Some of the Rare riders peeled off immediately from the rest and started flirting with the newcomers. And some, like Arthur, look like they were trying to keep the contents of their stomachs down after that little display with Erik. Unfortunately, Arthur could not simply get away. He was still the new man and people had questions and opinions on Wing Purple that they thought he should hear. Arthur tried to parry them the best he could, but it seemed now that the blood price was paid and relief had swept through the wing captains, they were all ready to party. People wanted to chat to the new guy. By the time he was finally able to shake the last of the people free, and he strode out to the ledge, the Counterfeit Siphon had expired. Brixaby buzzed down to his side. "I saw what happened," he said in a very low, though dangerous voice. "They required you to pay extra." "They attached some fake fees," Arthur confirmed, "and they almost wiped me out.¡± Brixaby was silent for a moment. ¡°You have an idea, of course, on how to replace the shards?¡± ¡°I do,¡± Arthur said. ¡°You¡¯re going to love it.¡± And anyone with good sense will absolutely hate it, he thought. **** Arthur and Brixaby walked out of the dark portal entrance onto the ledge of their own cave. The portal to the dark rower¡¯s world snapped shut behind them. Dragon and rider glanced at each other. Arthur sighed and his shoulders sagged. "It''s not guaranteed." Brixaby looked amused. "What in this life is? But I believe that your theory is sound." He paused as if realizing that he might have gone too far with his praise. "At the very least, I don''t think you would make too much of a fool of yourself." "We cannot be the only ones who have thought of this," Arthur said. "Perhaps, perhaps not." Brixaby looked like he had just tasted something distasteful. "Knowledge is lost when it''s not shared, and it would only take one unfortunate mistake for somebody to perish down there. Then, who would dare carry on? Besides," he added, "it is only accessible by Purples or perhaps some extremely talented blues. And not many people find uses for Purples and Blues. Their mistake, of course," he added. Arthur nodded, then looked out to the hive. "Now we just have to convince everybody else. Okay Brix, I want you to call a meeting." Book 5 Ch 27 - With Friends Like These... "I''m dead," Horatio said, flopped over on a cushion. "You can''t make me do anything, Arthur, because I''m already dead. And dead people just lay here and don''t move." Arthur had come back to the rooms to find Horatio, Cressida, and Joy laid out in various places, groaning like they were actively dying... and not in fact, dead. Even Soledad and Marion looked a little wilted. Their two young dragons who were fast asleep and hadn''t even twitched an eyelid at Brixaby''s appearance. Arthur had been concerned at first, worried they had been forced to pay the blood price. But that wasn''t the case. Sams, who was the only one who seemed to be his usual self, was sitting out on a ledge to catch the cool night air. He poked his head in and looked down his nose at Horatio. "I¡¯ve told you before that you have allowed yourself to become too soft. Now, you have finally experienced a day of normal training." Horatio groaned and threw a pillow at his dragon which hit him on the tip of the nose. "No one at Buck Moon trained like this, Sams." "Well, no," the Yellow allowed, "but intense periods of training are not unheard of." "Wait, you guys were just training?" Arthur asked. Cressida grunted something. She had her arm thrown over her eyes as if the light in the room was just too much for her to bear. "Beryl is ruthless. He ran us in formation drills over and over again. I think that Joy and I can now do them in our sleep. Then he took a break to go to some fancy meeting and had one of his assistants take over. And we had to do it all over again. Do you know how hot it was today? We didn''t get any water or any break." "You think that was hard? You aren''t even the one with the wings," Joy complained, not sounding very much like her normal chipper self. She was stretched out as much as she possibly could, even her wings, to touch as much of the cool stone as possible. Equinox must not have been completely passed out because he raised his head from Soledad''s lap. "At least you guys can fly," he complained. "I just had to stand there and flap and flap and flap. Then when I couldn''t flap anymore, we had to walk in place pretending that we were part of a wing. Back and forth, back and forth..." "And I had to listen to tactics," Soledad said. "There was even a test... which I think I flunked by the way. Sorry, Arthur. I got the hang of writing in your crazy language, but I swear there''s something wrong with it. Who puts the verbs before the nouns? That ain''t right." "Well, I thought the tactics were fascinating," Marion said, then shrank a little as Soledad gave him a hard glare. "Though the class was technically a little dry." Asha didn''t even bother to join the conversation. She was still curled up asleep and snorting little dragon snorts. Apparently, flapping her wings and marching had completely worn her out. Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°The rest of my wing will be here in a few minutes. You have to give a good first impression." This got another round of groans and a couple of muttered curses. "Look," Arthur said, "I can make you some juice with a few restorative herbs¡ª" "Nothing addictive," Marion said sternly. "It''s not addictive," Arthur said, "and this is important. I need you to all perk up and be professionals."A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. This got a whole new round of complaints from everybody, and Horatio threw his other pillow at Arthur¡ªand missed him. Arthur battled down his frustration and only partially succeeded. He knew his friends were exhausted. They felt comfortable venting at him in a way that they never could to their real wing captain, but this was serious. "You think this is bad," he said with an edge to his voice, "you haven''t actually seen somebody pay the blood price with their life force." He turned to his dragon who was glowering at all of them in a corner. "Brixaby, tell them." Brixaby straightened up. "When Chester sucked the life force out of that rider, his dragon also felt it. He collapsed where he stood, and if he had been close to the ledge, he would have fallen over." He paused. ¡°No one lent him any help.¡± "That''s terrible," Joy murmured. But Brixaby wasn''t done. "Furthermore, I watched him age before my eyes. Some of his scales sloughed off and others withered. It was not as if time actually advanced for him, because he did not grow¡ªAll dragons grow with time. He simply... faded." "I noticed the same with his rider, too," Arthur said into the stunned silence. "Until Brixaby told me what he saw, I¡¯d halfway convinced myself that it was a trick of the light. But like Brixaby said, when Chester was done, the rider had more gray hairs, and I could swear there were wrinkles where there hadn''t been before." "Come to think of it," Marion said quietly, "a lot of the Commons I have seen are a little older than what I''d say are average. But like you, I didn''t note it. We haven''t been here for long, so I hadn''t caught the thought of it as a pattern until now." "So, he''s... sucking away people''s youth?" Cressida sat up. "What is he using it for?" "I don''t know," Arthur said. "Maybe just himself. Chester... he''s young. Maybe only a couple years older than me. Whatever power he''s using, I think some of it is bouncing back to strengthen him. The other two Legendary riders are older too. That''s to be expected because legendary dragons are hatched so infrequently. Doesn¡¯t explain Chester, though." "How sure are you?" Horatio asked. "Not sure at all," Arthur said, "it all fits, but it''s a guess." Cressida sat up completely. She looked haggard. Her normally pinned back neat hair had many more flyaways than usual, and the bun had become loose. It said something that she had not bothered to put it back into place yet. "Okay, I''m with you so far, and to be honest none of this surprises me because we all knew that Blood Moon Hive had a terrible reputation. But... what do we do about it?" "And how do me and Equinox help you?" Soledad asked with a frown. "He can''t fly yet, which means that during the next eruption, he can''t get close enough to blast anything. I''m not taking him out on foot," she added as if Arthur would ever suggest she do such a thing. Marion put in, "Me and Asha can at least heal either together or apart." He glanced at Soledad and nodded. "But we have to be careful when using our powers. We might have helped a few too many people at the tent last time. It was just luck the other day that we weren''t caught. It''s hard to see someone suffering when you know that you can help. If we went to the eruption... it might be worse¡ª" "No," Arthur cut him off. "I won''t require you two to go to the eruption." Then he paused for a moment before he added, "At least, not the upcoming ones." He saw that Cressida got it first. Her eyes went from curious to a little alarmed, and then bright with eagerness. "Wait," Soledad said, "you mean we''re going to go back to New Houston? Those fissures that you guys got all those shards out of?" Yes, they had gotten some wealth out of the Dark Heart, but the majority of it had come from the old fissures. And they''d had a few weeks to delve them after they had returned from the Dark Heart, too. "Only if we need to," Arthur told her. "I don''t know how active they''re going to be now that the dark heart has harvested, and the cycle is beginning all over again." But Soledad¡¯s imagination had been captured by the idea. "There''s usually a dark heart opening near some city-state. We could just hang around until rumor comes down of where the next one is, then head over there. Rinse and repeat.¡± ¡°None of the crazy blood price stuff," Horatio muttered. "That''s my vote." "No," Arthur said with a shake of his head. "I don''t think there''s even a need to go that far." "Then what?" Horatio asked. ¡°I like the age I am, and I don''t want to depend on having a good eruption to keep from being sucked into old age." Cressida wrinkled her nose. "Can you say that... any other way?" "What?" Horatio asked. "Guys," Arthur said, "we have everything we need in our kingdom." Everybody looked at him and he smiled. "We just had an eruption here. I want to take the wing and find out if there''s anything left of it." Book 5 Ch28: Don鈥檛 look up at the things in the sky. Arthur didn¡¯t even consider being nervous until he found himself standing in front of his wing riders and faced with their wary expressions. His wing riders. People who he was responsible for, not only to keep safe during the eruption, but also to make sure they never fell victim to the blood price. This had all happened very fast, in his opinion. It felt like not too long ago, Brixaby was breaking his shell, and now people were looking at him for safety and what to do next. Now it was his duty to either lead these people into danger . . . or possibly great wealth. Which one remained to be seen. Yes, he was meant to be a leader in Wolf Moon Hive, but that hadn¡¯t panned out. Frankly, Arthur hadn¡¯t been ready for it. He still wasn¡¯t sure if he was ready for this, but it wasn¡¯t like there was anyone else. ¡°Welcome,¡± he said to his arranged wing. Ugh, his voice sounded awkward even to his own ears. Griff had brought in the four other Uncommon purple riders. His own retinue sat on the other side of the room. He had decided that the empty cave Brixaby had found would be a good meeting place and had filled it with chairs from his and Brixaby¡¯s Personal Space. The hatchlings were in their own group outside. Equinox and Asha were saying hello to little Rosie, who seemed to be thrilled that she could hang out with older hatchlings. And finally, there was Thackeray and Steve with their two dragons. They sat together¡ªtwo Commons outnumbered by higher rankers. Arthur took in a breath and then started the meeting by introducing the new hatchlings as well as the new Common riders. ¡°Thackeray, Soledad, Amanda, and Marion will be staying back this evening,¡± Arthur said. ¡°Thackeray, I know Candy Floss can carry you, but your riding style is . . . unconventional, and I need to be sure about what we¡¯re facing before I take you along next time.¡± ¡°What will we be doing?¡± Griff asked. ¡°Wing exercises, right?¡± He added a hasty ¡°sir.¡± ¡°Not quite,¡± Arthur said, ¡°but I don¡¯t want to give too many details until we¡¯re away from this hive. Speaking of,¡± he added quickly, ¡°let me tell you a little bit about our capabilities. During a recent eruption, Bisbee and I were lucky enough to come by a portal card. You will all find it to be . . . rather unusual.¡± ¡°Freakish,¡± Horatio muttered. Arthur ignored him. ¡°But it is mana efficient and will get us where we need to go.¡± The questions came quickly, all from the Uncommon riders. ¡°Where is that, sir?¡± ¡°Why do we need to go somewhere else? Everything we want is here!¡± ¡°Is this advanced training?¡± ¡°Combat training?¡± ¡°No,¡± Arthur said, ¡°it¡¯s advanced harvesting. I know you have questions, but as I just said, I¡¯ll answer them just as soon we''re on the other side of the portal.¡± Brixaby must have been done with the question-and-answer session because without any warning, he cast his portal card. Now that he had his Mana Generation card as well, the mouth of the dark portal was wider than ever. It looked like a dark hole leading to doom. ¡°What kind of portal is that?¡± Sunny, the Uncommon blonde, asked. Arthur gave her a look. ¡°It¡¯s perfectly safe. We¡¯re going to go on foot¡ªus and our dragons. Actually, Sams, you go in first and let the rower know that there¡¯ll be more coming along.¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! One by one they entered the portal. There was some understandable confusion when they saw the dark rower waiting by the pier. The rowboat itself would have been comically large if not for the gloomy, eerie, and haunted atmosphere about the place. And of course, there was nothing funny about the rower himself. Arthur waved to get everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°We¡¯re going to take this boat. It will take us to our next destination.¡± He waited for Brixaby to close the portal on the other side. That way no one could dive back through to the hive if they lost their nerve. ¡°Now that we¡¯re here, I¡¯m going to give you the bare bones of my plan: We¡¯re returning to the eruption cone that happened two days ago.¡± There were confused looks all around. Griff was the one who spoke up for all of them. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve squeezed all of the juice out of this particular fruit,¡± Arthur said. One of the other Uncommon riders scowled. ¡°There¡¯s no point in going back to the eruption. It¡¯s all dead land around there, at least until it¡¯s renewed by dragon soil. Nothing can live.¡± ¡°And all the scourglings are dead by now,¡± Sunny added. ¡°The other hives killed them.¡± ¡°This was a minor eruption,¡± Griff said to nods and unhappy looks all around. ¡°From all that I¡¯ve heard from the combat-carded dragon riders, it only produced a few Rares. It was barely worth anyone¡¯s effort. And,¡± he added, ¡°a ring of ice dragons from Worm Moon sealed the eruption cone with killing frost.¡± Sunny piped up. ¡°Not to mention if there was anything left, the vultures that always follow eruptions would have picked this place clean by now. What are we supposed to do? More looting?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be the dead of night over there,¡± another Uncommon rider muttered. Arthur held up his hand. He was a bit surprised about how stiff-necked they were all being about this. Then again, the people of Blood Moon Hive weren¡¯t used to coloring outside the lines. It was notable that only the Uncommons were speaking up. Steve remained quiet and watchful. And of course, Cressida and Horatio always had his back. ¡°I know you have all been doing fairly well for yourselves¡ªespecially since you managed to get by while paying twice what you normally should have. And maybe because of that, you think that you don¡¯t need to keep pushing.¡± He leveled a hard look at them. ¡°But what if you have one bad eruption where you don¡¯t harvest what you normally would? Or even two in a row? Or what if you and your dragon get hurt? Does the blood price magically stop?¡± Several people looked down at that, and others looked angry enough for Arthur to know that he had hit the hammer right on the thumb. Arthur continued, ¡°Yes, purples can¡¯t fight very well, but they have their advantages, too. They have to be faster and more maneuverable so that scourglings, and other dragons,¡± he added significantly, ¡°can¡¯t catch them. And we are their riders, which means that we do a lot of the thinking and tactics for them.¡± He let that sit for a moment. ¡°But something that people in this hive like to forget is that it is our duty as dragon riders to make sure there are no more scourglings anywhere. That the land has been completely cleared out and it is safe for people to rebuild their lives again. I have the feeling with so many eruptions recently, the hives have been a little lazy in that regard.¡± That was an easy guess. After all, the vultures swept in afterward for a very good reason. There were usually enough single scourglings running around causing havoc that it made it worth it to harvest them for shards or die trying. ¡°And if that¡¯s not enough, think of this little experiment in terms of profit and future security. I have reason to believe that there are . . . unplumbed depths to an eruption cone. And if I¡¯m right, we won¡¯t have to worry about the blood price anymore.¡± That certainly got everyone¡¯s attention. Arthur let his last words sink in for a moment as he looked around, making sure to meet every eye. When he spoke again, his voice was dead serious. ¡°It goes without saying that what we¡¯re about to do stays within the wing. If you¡¯re stupid enough to share this around, you will deal directly with me.¡± ¡°And me,¡± Brixaby added. Two simple words, but he managed to put a portion of his Stunning Shout into it as well as layering on his Mind Whisper ability. So those two words seemed to vibrate inside their heads and out. All of them jumped, and a few sent weary glances in his direction. Arthur did not like ruling through fear, but he had to admit that it was the language that the people in Blood Moon Hive understood. Arthur extended his hand to the rowboat. One by one, all the dragons and the riders boarded. The purple Uncommons had to be admonished a few times to stay within the boat and not simply buzz above it. However, they were a little less flighty than the Commons, so telling them twice¡ªor three times, in the case of Squish¡ªdid the trick. The rower waited until everyone was seated¡ªapparently the transfer to the other end of the portal would pause the moment someone left the boat. He pushed off the bank as easy as you please, even though the sheer weight inside the rowboat would have made it an impossibility if this were in the real world. ¡°One more thing,¡± Arthur said, casually. ¡°Don¡¯t look up at the things in the sky.¡± Book 5 Ch 29: Down The Hatch When they emerged from the portal on the other side of the kingdom, it was the small hours of the morning. The moon was visible in the sky, and its light peeked in and out of shredded clouds. That worked perfectly for Arthur, as less light meant fewer witnesses to see what they were doing. He spent a few moments getting the wing arranged to his liking before they took off into the air. Brixaby and Arthur were at the front of the formation, with Sams and Joy being the two anchors on either side of him and just behind in a standard V. Straight behind Brixaby, extending out in a line were the Uncommon purples, followed by Steve¡¯s Common Bolt. Griff and Squish took up the last position at the rear. His job was to keep an eye out for any stragglers and yell forward to anybody who seemed to be flying out of position. Before they took off, Arthur made sure to check on Steve. He was a brand-new dragon rider and certainly not used to being up in the air. Arthur checked on Bolt¡¯s saddle himself and made sure that every strap made to hold a rider in his saddle was secure and well-sewn. Then he pulled Steve aside and gestured to his goofy-looking dragon with his chin. ¡°If there is any trouble, I want you to use Bolt¡¯s power to get out of danger. I don¡¯t expect you to do any fighting. And if you get separated from the wing, find a safe spot to land and stay there. My dragon and I will find you.¡± Tension drained out of Steve¡¯s shoulders, and he nodded. Going on an expedition with night flying was a lot to ask of a new dragon rider, but then again, Steve also didn¡¯t know this was completely out of the ordinary. ¡°Yes, sir, thank you,¡± he said. ¡°Bolt will protect you,¡± Brixaby said, giving the Common a severe look. Bolt nodded his head vigorously, his slightly pubescent eyes focused on Steve with reverence. With everything set up, Arthur took his wing to the sky. Once they gained some altitude, they had a good view of all the destruction below. The land looked lumpy after the devastating effects of hundreds of scourgling battles¡ªof all the elements, charms, and spells. But it wasn¡¯t completely abandoned. Arthur spotted cook fires from campsites, now burning down low due to the late hour. There were even bobbing lights here and there, showing that one or several someones were traveling around with torches or lamps. These were the vultures who were searching for the last of anything that could be found, sold, or harvested. Remembering how desperate he had once been for a card, or even any shards to call his own, Arthur couldn¡¯t blame them. Certainly, it wasn¡¯t an easy life, and many vultures fell to single scourglings that managed to avoid the dragon riders, or even the effects of the lingering spells or charms. Only the truly desperate became vultures. Though he understood why they were doing it, and had some sympathy for their desperation, Arthur couldn¡¯t help them. Not when he had a wing to consider. After one final check to make sure that the wing was steady and in proper formation behind him, Arthur closed his eyes and cast Call of the Heart. The map appeared perfectly with no wavering in his mind. Brixaby must have cast it too because he grumbled, ¡°I do not understand why the card works perfectly now, and not for the card that I truly want.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because there¡¯s something special about that card,¡± Arthur said. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out, but for now, you have the heading?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Brixaby buzzed forward, and the purples easily followed after him. Brixaby could have gone faster¡ªall the purples could have¡ªbut they had to temper their speed for Joy and Sam. Soon the eruption cone loomed dead ahead. As it was newly formed, the steep sides were made of soft soil and broken rock. Not one part was safe to land on. They drew closer, and Arthur saw bits of rock falling from the top, cascading down the slopes and leaving dust trails behind. Those rocks knocked more and more down in a building avalanche. There was already a litter of rubble at the bottom. This would continue for years due to wind and natural forces until the cone stabilized. In the rain, he could easily imagine mudslides as the cone sloughed off layers of itself. That was another good reason why no one dared to live near the base of the cone anymore, even if it wasn¡¯t all dead sterile land. The frost that had finally stopped the eruption had melted away from the cone but had cracked the earth and made it even more unstable. Even the wind from the dragon wings caused more tiny rocks to chip off and start tumbling down. It would take dragons with pinpoint flying accuracy and the ability to hover in place to go down the throat of the cone . . . which was why Joy and Sams would fly overhead in sweeping arcs to make sure that no one bothered them. Cressida and Horatio were not on their dragons but riding behind Squish and Sunny¡¯s purple. Cressida had the most combat capability in the wing and Horatio had light. Speaking of light . . . ¡°Flashlights,¡± Arthur called, and behind him the wing riders fumbled with the odd bit of technology he had given them¡ªwhich Arthur had explained away by calling them enchanted objects. It was, in his opinion, one of the best treasures from the Dark Heart, aside from the cards he had stolen from a challenge. Once everyone had their lights on, Arthur gave the signal, and Brixaby led the purples straight down the throat of the eruption. The first thing Arthur noticed¡ªand he could hardly fail to miss it¡ªwas the smell. It was that same rotten, cloying smell that brought him immediately back to when he and Brixaby had discovered the nests in New Houston. Only this had a slight edge of freshness to it. Very slight. Arthur coughed and pulled a vinegar-soaked rag from his Personal Space, tying it around his face. Brixaby, unfortunately, had nothing like that to help him. He coughed too, and as he did, he wavered slightly in midair. The tip of one wing brushed against the dirt wall. Instantly, debris rained down the vertical shaft, cascading as it knocked more and more loose. ¡°Be careful,¡± Arthur said. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me how to fly,¡± Brixaby growled, but he steadied himself. ¡°This air is terrible.¡± ¡°Are you having trouble breathing? Is it poisoned?¡± Arthur asked, suddenly concerned. ¡°No, not poisoned. Just extremely unpleasant.¡± Arthur nodded, and they continued buzzing straight down. As soon as they had gone a few lengths, Squish entered the mouth of the volcano. He didn¡¯t have a flashlight. He had Horatio, who sat behind Griff. Holding out his hands, Horatio activated his card. Light glowed out from him, illuminating the throat of the volcano upward and downward . . . though it was a little odd. It wasn¡¯t as if Horatio was the source of the light. It was as if light just . . . appeared. The additional light supplemented the flashlights, as people couldn¡¯t swing the beams everywhere at once. Arthur kept hold of his for just in case. Poor Squish seemed to have forgotten that he¡¯d been warned this was going to happen. He shut his eyes and wavered and almost ran into the side of the wall before he caught himself. Sunny¡¯s dragon was already heading down and had to pull up sharply. There was nearly a pileup at the mouth of the cone until people got sorted. ¡°One at a time,¡± Brixaby bellowed up to them. ¡°Stay steady and do not touch the sides of the walls,¡± he added, as if he had not done so himself a few moments ago.Stolen novel; please report. Luckily, that was one thing that purples were very good at¡ªhovering in place. Arthur doubted that many of the blues, despite having four wings as well, could maneuver quite as deftly as the purples. Finally, everyone steadied, and Brixaby continued downward. The earth compacted the lower they went, and there became less of a danger of starting a catastrophic collapse. Still, hovering dragons generated a lot of wind, and bits of dust and rock kept raining down on Arthur and Brixaby. The light that Horatio provided was just enough to see by, but Arthur needed more detail. He clicked on his flashlight again and aimed the beam at the wall. ¡°Are those . . . claw marks?¡± he asked. Brixaby was too busy to shrug. ¡°Many scourglings were coming out of this hole a few days ago.¡± ¡°They were flung out,¡± Arthur said. ¡°I don¡¯t remember any crawling out on their own, do you?¡± Brixaby had no answer. They continued downward, and the throat of the entrance widened to be as wide as three Uncommon purples, which meant Brixaby had plenty of room. The air grew sharply colder as well. This was the result of the frost that had killed the scourglings. Above, he heard several of the dragons mutter complaints. ¡°Honey Bear does not like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s smelly.¡± ¡°Why are we going into an eruption cone? We¡¯re always out of an eruption cone . . .¡± But their riders spoke to them and comforted them, and the dragons continued on. As they sank, the gouges in the walls became more prominent. Finally, the dirt transitioned to rock, and then there were many, many lighter scratches along with the claw gouges. ¡°This is weird,¡± Arthur said. Brixaby gave the walls another look. He seemed uneasy as well. ¡°Perhaps the scourglings had to get to the point where they were flung out, or,¡± he said on a burst of inspiration, ¡°There were so many during parts of the eruption they became stuck and had to dig their way out to freedom.¡± Arthur shuddered. He wasn¡¯t claustrophobic, but his mind spun out a grim scenario of being stuck with hundreds of other creatures in the pitch blackness, all clawing at each other in an effort to get free. He could almost feel sorry for them. Almost. Their descent reminded him a little of how they had entered the Dark Heart, as well as it should, as the Dark Heart had once been a scourge-eruption. Then he caught a lump out of the corner of his eye. ¡°Brixaby, stop,¡± Arthur breathed and swung his flashlight to shine at it. There was the body of a scourgling clinging to the wall. It was a small lizard-like thing, about half as big as his torso, though with eight legs. It was also stone dead, flash frozen to the point of desiccation, eyes sucked into its skull and its mouth wide and gaping to show two separate rows of sharp teeth. ¡°You see that?¡± Arthur said. ¡°Get closer.¡± And when Brixaby delicately bobbed near, Arthur stretched out as far as he could, using his legs as an anchor, as he did not have a dragon saddle. The tip of one finger grazed the desiccated body¡ªit felt like dried leaves. He came back with a Common shard. ¡°One down. Hopefully a lot more to go,¡± he murmured, and Brixaby snorted his agreement. As they continued down the throat of the eruption, they found more of the same type of scourgling clinging to the walls. Arthur knitted his eyebrows. ¡°I don¡¯t remember seeing this type during the eruption.¡± ¡°We barely participated in it,¡± Brixaby answered. His mood had shifted significantly upward, and he was happily swaying from side to side, harvesting any of the scourglings that he came across. He always pulled out a Common shard, but it was better than no shards at all. ¡°Let¡¯s leave some for the others,¡± Arthur said. Brixaby pulled up short. ¡°Why? I am the leader.¡± ¡°Yes, but they will be gladder to follow you if they know that there¡¯s a reward for it.¡± Brixaby grumbled. ¡°They should follow me anyway.¡± But he did start bypassing bodies, especially the ones that were difficult to reach. As they sank farther down, the other riding pairs started discovering the scourglings. The happy calls of the purples echoed down the tunnel. Finally, the tunnel opened out into a wide area of darkness that was too large for Horatio¡¯s light to fully reach. Arthur swung the flashlight around, but the beam wasn¡¯t strong enough to reach the edges, either. It was a huge area. However, he could finally see the bottom. Brixaby landed carefully, and his claws hit ice. It was so cold down here that Arthur pulled out a coat from his Personal Space and snugged it on. Brixaby would be fine for a while¡ªhe could feel how warm he was under his legs. Twisting around, Arthur did a careful survey, flashing the light around. Not a sign of life or movement all around them. It seemed like the entire cone of the eruption had been hollowed out at the base. There were scourglings everywhere, clinging to walls, all just frozen where they stood. All were dead. Wisps of smoke or steam came up from the bodies as they gradually¡ªvery gradually¡ªwarmed up. Squish was the next one down. And as he exited the vertical shaft, even more of the cavern was illuminated. Arthur still couldn¡¯t see to all the other sides, but he knew they were filled with scourglings. Hundreds, maybe even thousands. And all had the same shapes as the lizard-like ones that had clung to the walls. ¡°If this eruption hadn¡¯t stopped when it had, all of these would have made it up to the top and gone out,¡± Arthur said. There had been moments where he hadn¡¯t been the proudest to be a dragon rider, especially when he had seen people taking advantage of the position like with the vendors. And the whole blood price thing was just . . . wrong. But right now, seeing the devastation that had been averted, he was glad to be where he was. Being part of a community that used their cards to protect the rest of the world. A larger tragedy had been stopped here. Brixaby was taking a good look around, too. His tongue flicked in and out in apparent dissatisfaction. ¡°I can only feel Commons from these scourglings. It is no wonder they did not have the strength to make it out of the eruption.¡± ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re Common,¡± Arthur said quietly. ¡°But there are thousands of them, and they¡¯re here for the taking.¡± He was slightly amused. Brixaby had been happy to harvest Commons on the way down, but now that he saw more than he could possibly ever harvest for himself, he was annoyed. The other dragons were much more pleased and made happy shouts as they cleared the vertical shaft and came out into the wide area. Arthur didn¡¯t need to tell them to spread out and start harvesting to their heart¡¯s content. As well they should, because it took five Commons to match one Uncommon. But still, that was more wealth than the purple dragon pairs normally saw. ¡°Is this normal?¡± Steve asked, looking at Arthur with wide eyes as his dragon went from flash-frozen body to flash-frozen body, hopping between his feet to keep his claws from freezing to the ice. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Arthur said. ¡°But I don¡¯t think that we¡¯ll be able to do this after every eruption, especially if they seal the hole with corruption spells or magma or something.¡± He took a look around, and his breath frosted in the air. ¡°It¡¯s a little uncomfortable, but we can deal with the ice.¡± Then he noticed that Bolt wasn¡¯t the only one having issues. Some of the purples were having to unstick their claws from the ice. Their hot scales would melt the ice on contact, but then the exceedingly cold air would start to freeze it again. He did not want any scales left behind or any injuries that might be noticed. Arthur cupped his hands around his mouth and bellowed, ¡°Riders, come over to me.¡± Then he reached into his Personal Space and started bringing out rags and bits of torn clothing. ¡°Wrap this around your dragon¡¯s feet. You¡¯re to report any injuries to Marion when we return, but I better not see that any were preventable.¡± There was no grumbling, though he took note of the couple of people who seemed to be annoyed about having to take a few seconds away from harvesting to attend to the safety and comfort of their own dragon. He would not allow that attitude to persist in the wing. Griff, luckily, was one of the ones who was enthusiastic about it. He wrapped the rags around Squish¡¯s hind- and forefeet like makeshift shoes. Arthur came over to check his work and found Griff frowning. ¡°Everything okay here?¡± he asked, looking to Squish, who was managing to harvest using the tip of his nose rather than claws, which were now wrapped up. He would then grab a shard and flip it over to Griff, who would catch it in midair with such accuracy that it had to be one of his card powers. ¡°This is more than fine,¡± Griff said, ¡°but something is bothering me. Why hasn¡¯t anyone ever done this before?¡± ¡°Who says that they haven¡¯t?¡± Arthur said, thinking of Brixaby¡¯s explanation that people might have once pillaged eruptions . . . right up until the point where they got too cocky or just unlucky. Or worse. It was all too easy to make one wrong move and set the entire cone to caving in. Arthur shook his head and continued. ¡°For one thing, only purples can fly down here, and purples are generally used to being the . . . uh . . .¡± ¡°Overlooked rescuers?¡± Griff suggested. Then he shook his head in wonder. ¡°There¡¯s so much wealth here. When I think of all the eruptions I¡¯ve done over the years¡ªjust counting the ones that were sealed with ice or maybe just by sucking the oxygen out of the air . . . I can¡¯t believe how many shards have been wasted.¡± ¡°Well, we can¡¯t go back to those,¡± Arthur told him with real regret. ¡°Eventually the shards--and cards if there were any left--would rot. That¡¯ll spawn more scourglings.¡± It was no wonder that dead land was so persistent around eruption points. Though now that he was thinking about it, he wondered why there were no re-eruptions of scourglings. Shards did not rot nearly as quickly as cards, but he wouldn¡¯t want to count on one that was decades old. Maybe it was that anything which sprang from rotted cards couldn¡¯t escape. The claw marks were testament to that. But something about that didn¡¯t feel right, either. ¡°Arthur.¡± Cressida suddenly stepped out of the shadows, her expression grim. ¡°I just got a quest: For every twenty scourglings I kill, I¡¯ll get a Rare shard.¡± This meant that there were alive scourglings somewhere nearby. Arthur turned to the wing, which had now drifted far and wide from one another as each tried to find a patch that had not been harvested yet. ¡°Everyone, gather up back here. We might have company soon.¡± He swept his flashlight around, but the scourglings continued to be dead, and there was no movement other than from his own wing riders. ¡°Horatio, can you give us more light?¡± ¡°Some,¡± Horatio said, ¡°but I¡¯m almost at my limit about what I can do without Sams. And it¡¯s eating into my mana.¡± ¡°Do what you can, and get off those walls,¡± he snapped to some of the purples who were starting to hover and harvest scourglings that had been frozen higher up or on the curve of the ceiling. ¡°Anybody see any eggs? They¡¯ll look like ovoid pods.¡± He only got head shakes all around. Suddenly, the ground shook underneath them. It wasn¡¯t violent enough to knock anybody off their feet. Arthur instinctively braced against Brixaby. Dust rained down from the mouth of the volcano way up high, and people scrambled to get out of the way. After a few long moments, the shaking subsided. Arthur waited for the last of the dust to finish falling, then walked over to the middle and stared straight up. Thankfully, he could still see twinkling stars way, way up at the mouth of the cone. ¡°I think it was just a landslide on the outside,¡± he said. ¡°But be careful. No one smack against the walls or anything.¡± And that was when he heard the first scourgling whistles. Book 5 Ch 30: (Almost) Buried Alive The whistles came from a particularly dark corner of the cavern. Everybody instinctively swung that way. Arthur beamed his flashlight in the same direction, squinting hard to see through the dark. Horatio gathered up all of the light around him and cast it out in that direction, too. What at first looked like the pitch-black curve of the hollow eruption was actually the mouth of another tunnel. It probably leads past where the ice reached, Arthur thought, his stomach sinking. He made a snap decision. ¡°It looks like we have a fight on our hands. Anybody who doesn¡¯t want to do that, get back up and reconvene with Sams and Joy. Everyone who does, gather up around me.¡± Because one thing was for sure: He was here to harvest shards, and even cards if he could get his hands on any. He wasn¡¯t running anywhere. ¡°Cressida,¡± Arthur said, ¡°see if it¡¯s possible to block up that tunnel using one of your shields, or at least delay them a little.¡± She nodded and jogged off to the tunnel mouth. Behind him, purples lifted into the air with their riders. He wasn¡¯t surprised to hear them leave. He suspected many could take care of themselves, or at the very least, they had self-defense cards. That¡¯s how they had survived so far in Blood Moon. But he was also a brand-new captain to them, and the trust wasn¡¯t there yet. They had likely just harvested more shards than they had seen in several eruptions combined. Many of them wanted to cut and run with their wealth while they could. The real surprise was that Griff and Squish decided to stay, though Griff looked decidedly pale. His jaw was set in a grimace of determination. Catching Arthur¡¯s gaze, he nodded once in acknowledgment. ¡°Squish and I can help out for a while. But if it gets too hairy, we¡¯re getting out of here.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Arthur said. Steve and his dragon hadn¡¯t immediately leapt up into the air, either, though the little Common danced around nervously, and Steve looked uncertain. ¡°What do you want me to do, sir?¡± he asked Arthur directly. Arthur thought for a moment. ¡°Get on your dragon and continue harvesting. There are a lot of corpses stuck high up on the wall and on the ceiling. There¡¯s no reason you should waste the chance to harvest. Steve,¡± he added, ¡°if things get bad, use Bolt¡¯s ability and flash out.¡± As a Common, he was naturally at the bottom of the pecking order and needed all the shards he could get. Steve nodded, and with a faint look of guilt mingled with relief, he mounted his dragon. Arthur turned to the tunnel. The whistling was getting louder. I wonder if there¡¯s going to be any Rares in there, he thought, thinking of Cressida¡¯s quest notification, and he had to hide a grin. ¡°Wait,¡± Griff said suddenly. ¡°There¡¯s too many people. Squish can¡¯t take everybody, and I don¡¯t think that your Rare can hold two passengers right now.¡± Arthur hesitated. He hated giving away any of his secrets, but Griff had a point. ¡°I have an extra-dimensional space large enough to store a person. If we need to evacuate, you take Horatio, so that way you can see on your way up. Cressida,¡± he called, and jogged to the mouth of the tunnel. ¡°How is it looking?¡± Behind him, Brixaby followed, though he remained a step or two back, still collecting shards from the dead scourglings as he went. Cressida was standing in front of the tunnel with her hands on her hips, assessing it. ¡°I¡¯ll be able to put up a shield large enough to cover most of this,¡± she said as Arthur approached, ¡°but I won¡¯t be able to keep it up for long, especially if there are a lot of them. Too many hits will drain my mana.¡± And judging by the whistling down the tunnel, it certainly sounded like there was a lot of scourglings. Brixaby grinned a fearsome dragon grin. ¡°Arthur, I believe that some of them are carrying Rare shards. I can smell them.¡± ¡°Well, that would fit with Cressida¡¯s quest,¡± he said. He touched her on the shoulder to get her attention. ¡°If this turns bad, then I¡¯ll need to take you out using my Personal Space.¡± She nodded, but then looked back to the tunnel, distracted. He needed to make sure she completely understood. ¡°Cressida, when the time comes, you need to give me permission, or it¡¯s not going to work. So if you feel like you¡¯re getting overwhelmed, I want you drop the shield sooner rather than later.¡± I just want you to be safe, he wanted to say but couldn¡¯t quite figure out how without coming off as too corny. ¡°Yes, Joy will not forgive me if any harm comes to her rider,¡± Brixaby said. He supposed he could have just said it like that. Arthur turned on the flashlight and swept the beam down the tunnel. He could not see any of the oncoming scourglings yet, though the opening of the tunnel sloped forward, showing even more frozen bodies attached to the ceiling and the walls. Many of them were arranged blocks¡ªthough, unfortunately, not enough to stop up the tunnel, only enough to narrow it. He would have walked in to get a closer look and see how far the tunnel went, but the ice was thicker in patches, as if the cold had collected here. He only took a couple of steps before he started to slip and had to back up. Why didn¡¯t he have ice clamps in his Personal Space? Once he got back to the hive, he was going to find a way to locate some. The whistles were getting very close now, and Arthur figured they¡¯d see the first of the scourglings any moment. Cressida gestured for him to stand behind her. Then she cast not only her kinetic shield, but also several of her animal summons. As she had said, she couldn¡¯t make her shield large enough to cover the entire mouth of the tunnel. There was a gap wide enough for two men to stand shoulder to shoulder on each side, so she used her summons to fill in the caps: Wicker, her bear made of flame guarded one side. Her hedgehog toddled to the opening on the other and crouched down, his spines on full display. Above, water cranes circled at the low ceiling. Arthur imagined that they would dive down on anything that got past. Arthur looked on with slight amusement. ¡°What, you¡¯re not bringing out those kittens?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I might if a higher-level scourgling shows up, but the lower-ranked, littler ones don¡¯t have the brains to be taken in by them.¡± ¡°Kittens?¡± Griff muttered, walking up to them. ¡°Oh yeah, don¡¯t look straight at them if you ever see them,¡± Horatio said, and stepped forward. The light around him simultaneously seemed to dim and also take on a bluish cast. That was an indication that he had transferred his attention to his ultraviolet light card. Arthur nodded to his friend and then looked at Griff. ¡°Do you have anything that you can cast long-range? I¡¯d rather just hit these things from afar.¡± Squish must have overheard because he said, ¡°Griff can fight! He can fight from a long, long way away, and he can fight from close up. He¡¯s very good at fighting.¡± Griff winced and gave Arthur a hard look that silently said, I am trusting you with my secret, so don¡¯t make me regret this. Then he manifested a golden spear in his hands. Arthur was close enough to his aura to pick up the spell using his Counterfeit Siphon.
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Arthur¡¯s eyebrows rose at the name, though he, of course, didn¡¯t comment and give away that he had just copied the spell. ¡°I do have a ranged weapon card,¡± Griff said, ¡°but I¡¯m a little worried about the stability in this hive. This will work just fine for close-up work.¡± He absently twirled the spear in his hands like a master and turned away to face the tunnel. Though it was only an Uncommon power, it glowed with a menacing light in the darkness. Meanwhile, Arthur brought out his butcher knives, which circled in an orbit around him. He pulled on his chainmail shirt, buttery soft on the inside so as to not catch on skin or clothing. The rings on the outside were hooked with pieces of razor-sharp shrapnel. He jingled every time he moved¡ªat least until he exerted the power in his Nice Shot card, which made them stay in place. Griff eyed the knives. ¡°Telekinesis?¡± ¡°Something like that,¡± Arthur said, which was true. It was actually part of his Butchering and Knife Work skills, enhanced with telekinesis once he had reached level 50. It had come quite in handy, and he hoped to get an extra couple of skill levels from slaughtering scourglings tonight. ¡°Here they come,¡± Cressida called. She had to raise her voice to be heard over the terrible whistles. Arthur had seen something like this play out before in one of the challenges of the Dark Heart. It seemed that a favorite scourgling tactic was to group up in a number, rile themselves up, and then attack in a wave. When they finally became visible, these scourglings were different than the ones that had been frozen to the floor and walls. They were of the same body type that Candy Floss had brought to him. So round that they were almost ball-like, with bodies bristling with sharp thorns¡ªalmost all of them weeping with infection. Giant gaping mouths took over half their forms as they opened them up and whistled-screamed a challenge, and they were propelled forward by short, squat legs. They would almost be hard to take seriously, except for the rows of razor-sharp teeth that went all the way back into their wide throats. Arthur caught a glance at the nails on those front feet and wondered if they were the ones who had tried to scale the inside of the cone and failed. And now they were trapped down here and starving. And Arthur had brought with him a bunch of tasty treats. The scourglings charged at them at once . . . only to smack right into Cressida¡¯s shield. Because of the kinetic aspects she had imbued in the shield, the front line was instantly blown back into the rest of the group. If not killed at that point, many were injured¡ªat least a couple dozen within a second. But Cressida¡¯s shield could not stand up to the abuse for too long. Every hit was a drain on her mana. That was when Brixaby stepped up in front of her and started to swell up as he prepared his Stunning Shout. ¡°Cressida,¡± Arthur said, ¡°keep it up a few more seconds and then drop it when I give the signal. Brixaby,¡± he said, lower, ¡°make sure that shout doesn¡¯t hit the walls here.¡± The last thing they needed was to cause an earthquake. Brixaby nodded, and Arthur held the moment for a few extra seconds so the scourglings would gather up again. Grouped targets. Many scourglings were starting to make their way around the shield, and while Wicker and the Hedgehog were battling them off, within a few seconds they would be overwhelmed. Arthur signaled for Cressida to drop the shield. The moment she did, Brixaby sent out his Stunning Shout. Brixaby had really been practicing that skill, as it was quite loud and brought him a lot of attention. Arthur knew that by now he could practically direct the terrible noise like a blade. Standing behind his dragon, he felt the air warp, and he suspected that if Cressida had not dropped her shield in time, the Stunning Shout would have blasted right through it. After all, it had originally come from the power of a Legendary card. As for the first rank of scourglings . . . one moment they were there, and the next they were bags of goo. As if they could get more disgusting. The ones behind them were flung back or knocked to the sides. Some simply dropped where they were, stunned, and blocked the scourglings behind them from rushing forward and overwhelming Arthur and his friends. Brixaby had directed his shout with precision, and no noise leaked out that Arthur could hear. But as it ended, Arthur heard rocks crashing down farther in the tunnel. Despite his best efforts, it seemed Brixaby had caused a mini collapse. Many scourglings had fallen, but some were still on their feet or managed to shake off the stunning effect and regain their balance. They rushed forward . . . even if it was at a limp. Wicker the flame bear gave a crackling roar and batted at anything that came within his range. Apparently, that weeping pus was flammable because he set a few scourglings on fire. Arthur unlinked shrapnel shards from his chainmail vest and shot them forward. Cressida¡¯s hedgehog fired spines that were as thick as a man¡¯s fingers. Arthur¡¯s knives cleaved through the air, and he concentrated on butchering anything that got through with his skill . . . though he made a mental note to dunk his knives in a strong cleaning solution afterward. These scourglings were really gross. As for Horatio . . . it was hard to tell what he was doing exactly because apparently the light Horatio used was either too high energy or too low energy for humans to see¡ªArthur couldn¡¯t remember which it was because it didn¡¯t make a lot of sense to him. Still, Horatio used his light card to burn the oncoming scourglings. The Dark Heart had given him more precision with his light-based cards than he¡¯d ever had before. He had once told Arthur he could send the light out like invisible needles or sweep it in a wave. Boils erupted on the scourglings¡¯ faces, and when it hit their eyes, they were blinded and staggered around. Even blinded, suffering, and stuck like pincushions with razor shards of metal, they still blundered forward with jaws open. When they got too close, Griff stepped up with his spear spinning in a golden blur. Anything the spear touched fell into pieces. With all of that, the scourglings did not have much of a chance. The oncoming wave ended, but many scourglings were left injured, and the hideous whistling was getting on Arthur¡¯s nerves. ¡°Kill them all,¡± Arthur directed and stepped forward to do just that. ¡°Excellent,¡± Brixaby said with satisfaction. ¡°I have been looking forward to testing this out.¡± Then he grabbed something from his Personal Space. Arthur did a double take. ¡°Is that a sword?¡± It was a rough piece of metal shaped like an elongated knife, and looked distinctly odd being held in the dragon¡¯s hands. Swords were generally meant for humans, and while Brixaby could approximate the grip, it wasn¡¯t exact. ¡°Yes, I am a weaponsmith, and this has runes enchanted with sharpness on it,¡± he said, and brought down his sword in an easy chop that cut through a blinded scourgling like butter. Then he reached down with his other claw and gestured for the shard harvest. ¡°Could you . . . make one for me?¡± Arthur asked. ¡°Perhaps,¡± Brixaby replied diffidently. ¡°When I get the appropriate metal. And you are never to use it when riding on my back. This is quite sharp.¡± Arthur sighed and mentally added whatever type of metal Brixaby wanted to his shopping list. He waded forward to help dispatch the last of the scourglings and start the harvest. Soon, Arthur realized he had become nose blind to the smell in here. Because the new smell of freshly dead scourglings was somehow even worse. As Cressida had promised, about one in every twenty scourglings yielded a Rare shard. And quite a few yielded Uncommons. That was quite unusual, because they were all Common scourglings. ¡°I think they¡¯ve been consuming each other,¡± Brixaby said when Arthur commented on it. ¡°Then they would be combining the shards.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± Horatio said. ¡°That would be why they came at us with teeth and claws and not additional card power. Maybe give it a few more weeks and they would have gathered enough to make cards.¡± Griff shuddered. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind: I¡¯d rather not explore very old eruptions.¡± Arthur had no complaints. Frankly, it was the best of all worlds: an enemy that could be easily killed but gave a great reward. They moved forward, wading through what was left of the scourglings. There were even more in the tunnel, either pulped by Brixaby¡¯s Stunning Shout or the effect of being blasted back by Cressida¡¯s kinetic shield. Some bodies were so utterly destroyed it was hard to tell where they began and others ended. Those usually were too damaged to harvest a shard. Several dozen yards beyond, the tunnel ended in a freshly collapsed wall of rock and dirt. Arthur looked warily at it, knowing there had to be another wave of scourglings trying to dig their way through to get them right now. So far, Arthur had found two Rares, and he knew that Brixaby had gotten at least that. Cressida ended up with three. It was a good day¡¯s work. Even Griff ended up with one Rare shard. He looked like he was ready to cry when Arthur told him to keep it. To someone from Blood Moon Hive, those shards literally meant an extension on their life. It was a good day¡¯s work. Later, looking back, Arthur would curse himself for letting greed lead him too far into the tunnel. Brixaby¡¯s Stunning Shout had bounced around and completely decimated the scourglings in the back of the tunnel near the cave-in, so Arthur was hard put to try to find a chunk big enough to harvest. He drifted closer toward the wall, concentrating too much on what was harvestable and not enough on what was happening around him. So when he felt the eruption cone start to shake again, he was taken completely by surprise. The hollow part of the eruption cone was rock, but here in the tunnel, it had moved to soft dirt again. Dirt that started to fall apart before Arthur¡¯s eyes. He straightened, horrified, then turned to yell at the others, ¡°Get out¡ªget out of the tunnel!¡± Only then did he realize he was the one farthest in. Everyone else had drifted to the mouth of the tunnel. Rocks and dirt started to rain down in earnest. A big stone smacked him on the shoulder, bringing him to his knees. Distantly, he heard Cressida cry out his name. A second later, the air was full of choking soil. Arthur shut his eyes and activated his Phase In, Phase Out card. Instantly, the weight of the soil lifted. There was a crashing sound from above him. The tunnel completely collapsed, and everything went dark as he was cut off from light. He was somewhere within tons of rock and soil, completely blinded, and his card would only let him phase in between it all for thirty seconds. He shot to his feet, picked a direction he thought led out, and ran. If he went the wrong way, he could go farther into the tunnel or sideways straight into dirt and rock. It was just dark with nothing to see, nothing to hear, and no tactile sensation from all around. At the ten-second countdown, he knew he must have headed in the wrong direction. There was only blackness all around him. Within a few moments he was going to phase back into the middle of rock and soil. Arthur put on a final, desperate burst of speed. His only hope was that somehow, he could escape the boundary of the eruption cone and come out the other side. It was a vague hope, a dim hope. The eruption site was huge. Then, with two seconds left, his eyes registered light, and he stumbled into an open space. He let his Phase In, Phase Out drop and gasped in air. Then, immediately, he wished he hadn¡¯t. He hadn¡¯t stepped into daylight, or even moonlight. He was surrounded by a blue bioluminescent glow. He was in a cavern, and clinging to the walls on the front and the sides were clusters of wet, baggy ovoids. Scourgling eggs. Book 5 Ch31 - Hatching Ground For a moment, Arthur could do nothing but stare. The room he found himself in made the nest fissures within New Houston look like a half-hearted attempt at a nest. Not only was the entire room bathed in bioluminescent light, lines of brighter pulsing blue crisscrossed the wall and ended in dozens of soft ovoid clusters. The eggs all pulsed in time with one another, and when they lit up, he could see shapes briefly visible in the soft shells. There was a cluster stuck to the wall not even an arm¡¯s length away. Cautiously, Arthur reached out to poke at an ovoid. Something slick moved against his finger and he recoiled. Then, he heard the tick-tick-tick of hard, sharp feet skittering across the floor. Arthur backed up, putting his shoulders to a bare spot in the wall and stood completely still. He activated his Stealth skills and did everything he could to blend into the shadows. A few seconds later, a scourgling came into the room. But it was unlike any scourgling he¡¯d seen before. It was small, standing only as high as his shin, but with a long, hard body of black chitin with no open sores. Its feet made the ticking sounds as they hit the rock floor, and the ends looked as sharp as knives. As Arthur watched, breath held, it moved to a bunch of ovoids that were nearby. It lifted half of its segmented body to stand on its hind legs and carefully poked at the ovoid shells with knife-like feet, antennae carefully touching all over the eggs. It¡¯s tending to the eggs, Arthur thought, fascinated and a little horrified at the same time. It wasn¡¯t just the lack of sores¡ªthis scourgling was complete in a way that others weren¡¯t. Like this was an actual animal whereas every other he had seen was only a half-baked attempt at one. New types of scourglings appeared all the time, but . . . it looked like it belonged here as surely as the ovoids did. Maybe this was a scourgling shape that had proven to be successful for one reason or another, and then had been further refined through years and generations. Just as he was puzzling that out, another movement caught his eye. Arthur turned to see part of a nearby shadow detached from the wall. It formed into a snakelike figure which slithered straight up to him. This was one of Cressida¡¯s slithering shadow senders. Oh no, not now . . . The snake opened its mouth and in Cressida¡¯s voice yelled, ¡°Arthur! Tell me you¡¯re okay! Where are you?¡± The nest tender twisted its upper body his way, and he saw that there was a tiny head at the front with two unblinking blue eyes, the same bioluminescent color as the pulsing veins above. A half dozen other nest tenders twisted to do the same. Arthur had a moment to send a pulse of mana to Cressida¡¯s shadow snake to return it back to her with a message, ¡°Send Brixaby.¡± Then the closest nest tender jumped at him, all of its knife limbs bared. Arthur tried to twist away, but he was a beat too slow. It landed on his shoulder, and it was only luck that the knife-like feet were stopped by his chainmail shirt. With a moment of thought, he detached a piece of shrapnel that was linked to his chainmail and, charging it with mana, shot it right at the creature. The impact flipped it away, but it ended up landing uncannily on its feet again. He fired another shrapnel piece, and the metal tinked right off of its hard shell. They were armored. At that moment, Arthur realized that he was mostly unarmed. He¡¯d had his knives out and circling around him idly when he was harvesting, just in case he came across another live scourgling. In the panic of being buried alive, he¡¯d left most of his butcher knives behind. Checking his Personal Space, he found two left¡ªone with a warped blade, and one that was dull from overuse. Arthur grabbed them anyway and used them as shields, knocking another nest tender away as it leapt at him again. But then two leapt at once. He used his Phase In, Phase Out to rush through them. Then he reappeared and turned around. Now he was down to one second left on that card and he wouldn¡¯t get a refill for another hour. So Arthur activated Griff¡¯s Spear of Justice spell. It activated with a pull of mana, but it wasn¡¯t too much more than he could handle. A bright line of light appeared in his hands and resolved itself into a spear. A countdown of twenty-five minutes appeared in the corner of his vision. This was a temporary spell. It would have been so much easier if this was a card and he knew the rules, but that was one drawback of Counterfeit Siphon. Still, twenty-five minutes was better than nothing. Arthur hadn¡¯t really used a weapon like this, and the moment that he moved to bat another nest tender away, he realized part of Griff¡¯s fluidity with the spear must have been born out of experience. Because Arthur . . . he didn¡¯t have it.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. But the head of the spear was sharp in a way that only magical objects were. It sliced right through a nest tender in a way that his mana-charged shrapnel had not. There was almost no resistance at all. Arthur slashed again, and in the next moment, the nest tender that had been leaping at him was in several pieces. Arthur twisted around and stabbed at one that had been scuttling up behind him. He caught it through the middle, pinning it for a moment before withdrawing. When he pulled the spear out, it curled up, dying like a bug. ¡°I like this spell!¡± But more nest tenders were coming. Arthur turned and grimly started to fight them. This was one area where his skills weren¡¯t of much use. Master of Skills, his first and most favorite card, didn¡¯t cover combat. But he could still jump using his Master of Body Enhancement and could still spin and use uncanny balance. And, of course, he had his Personal Space. He grabbed a lit torch and some cooking oil and tossed both at a group of three nest tenders. They went up in flames, and it seemed that the hard chitin didn¡¯t protect against the heat. Though they had been silent until now, the popping flames elicited some whistles.
New skill gained: Arsonist (Arson Class) Due to your card¡¯s bonus traits, you automatically start this skill at level 5.
¡°What?¡± he yelled, a little offended and also wondering why he had never received that one before. He¡¯d used oil a few times in combat . . . Maybe it was a matter of repetition. He was fighting to stall . . . and he had an additional problem. This fight was making a lot of noise, and that seemed to be getting the attention of more nest tenders. The real danger was if they all ganged up on him at once. Arthur tried to head that off by using his shrapnel. Though it could not pierce their armored bodies, he could at least knock them back a few steps. Suddenly, what he was hoping for happened. A dark oval opened on the other side of the room and Brixaby spilled out. Though the illusion he¡¯d been wearing over the last few days had softened his appearance, it couldn¡¯t hide the fact that he was currently an angry dragon. His blood red eyes full of vengeance. He took one look around and yelled ¡°Arthur!¡± and suddenly tossed knives that had the look of thin swords toward Arthur. He caught them with his telekinesis skill and his Makeshift Weaponry card¡ªvery carefully, thinking of them as knives, or else they would not work with his Butchering skill. But they were sharp, unnaturally so, with runes carved into them. And now Arthur was fully able to go on the offensive . . . though he kept a grip on the spear. He used it more like a staff to knock away anything that got too close. Otherwise, he let his knives do the work. Brixaby took the more direct approach. Arthur assumed he was using his Tanky Constitution card because nothing fazed him as he fell in the scourglings, ripping them apart with claws and teeth. The plunging knife limbs didn¡¯t seem to bother him. Then again, these scourglings were Uncommon, and Brixaby was a Legendary. A very vengeful one. Finally, there were no tick-tick-ticking sounds left. All was quiet, though the room still pulsed with that eerie blue light. Brixaby looked around, teeth bared. ¡°I apologize for being late,¡± he said stiffly. ¡°The dark rower would not row his boat any faster, and when I attempted to fly down the river myself . . . I appeared back in the rowboat. It was extremely frustrating.¡± ¡°Where are the others?¡± Arthur asked. ¡°Are they safe?¡± ¡°I left them behind for expedience¡¯s sake,¡± he said, ¡°and yes, everyone escaped the cave-in except for you.¡± He gave Arthur a baleful glare. ¡°That was most concerning. Don¡¯t do it again.¡± Arthur¡¯s reply was interrupted when a second shadow snake slithered into being. It rose up, its tail curled behind it, and Arthur could swear there was a bit of rebuke in its reptilian eyes. ¡°Arthur, what¡¯s going on? Please send a message back telling me you¡¯re okay.¡± Arthur winced. Feeding the snake a bit of mana, he started to say that he was fine and to wait for them to return . . . but then realized that would be unfair. He had no right to expect her to sit there twiddling her thumbs. It was unproductive for her. ¡°Brixaby and I are fine, but we found a new area of the eruption site that we want to explore. I want you, Horatio, and Griff to keep harvesting in the main cavern. Tell Squish to collect Sunny and fly you out when you¡¯re done.¡± He grinned, hoping that she could hear it in his voice. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to leave a single shard behind.¡± He was certain the cave-in would ensure the scourglings would not come for them, but he wanted a second dragon on hand to get Horatio and Cressida out just in case. The snake slithered off into the shadows. Meanwhile, he and Brixaby started harvesting what they had left in the hatching cavern. And from the nest tenders. There were fewer clusters of ovoids here than there were dead scourglings in the main cavern, but the ovoid shards were of higher quality¡ªat least the ones that were developed enough to create shards. All yielded Uncommons. No Rares, sadly. Or cards. Arthur looked around, taking in the still-pulsing veins and the remaining clusters. ¡°I think this area hadn¡¯t developed enough before the actual eruption started. It makes sense. Scourglings have to come from somewhere. Maybe . . .¡± He trailed off and looked around. There was no entrance or exit, though he noted the pulsing veins seemed to disappear upward and downward into the rocky soil. ¡°Scourglings might brew in caverns like this for months, even years before an eruption. I always thought they just spontaneously happened, but maybe that¡¯s not the case.¡± He was half talking to himself, unsure that Brixaby was listening to him. His dragon tended to get extremely single-minded when he was harvesting. But to his surprise, his Brixaby grunted. ¡°Then there would have to be more nests. Also, brewing nests like this would be an indication of an upcoming eruption. Anyone with the proper seeking card would be able to search for one.¡± ¡°And if we found them, maybe we could stop an eruption before it started!¡± Arthur said excitedly. Brixaby lifted his head and looked at him like he was missing the entire point. ¡°Or you can simply gather a wing of brown, earth-type dragons. Order them to dig for them, and then harvest them before anybody else could realize there were riches below ground.¡± ¡°That too,¡± Arthur said with a laugh. Then he sobered up. ¡°But finding them in the first place would be a challenge. You¡¯d need a powerful seeking card.¡± ¡°Such as Call of the Heart,¡± Brixaby said smugly. He was right, of course. It seemed like that card¡¯s limits only stopped at his imagination. Then again, it was a Legendary card. ¡°I don¡¯t think that we need brown dragons,¡± Arthur said slowly. ¡°Or any card that moved earth. I just got here using my Phase In, Phase Out. In fact, forget looking at nests elsewhere. I want to know if there are other nests near here.¡± He glanced again at the pulsing lines. The more he looked at them, the more they resembled veins, and quite a few seemed to disappear in and out of the walls. What if they provided a connection point between the nests? Maybe they gave nutrients . . . or whatever it was that scourglings needed to grow. ¡°More nests here?¡± Brixaby¡¯s head swiveled as he took a renewed look around. The blue light glinted in his eyes. ¡°Yes, search for it immediately. I will finish the harvesting¡ªI believe it is the last cluster.¡± Arthur grinned, closed his eyes, and sent out a query to Call of the Heart. Sure enough, a map popped up and he saw separate nests scattered all over the immediate area underneath the eruption cone. There were a lot of them. Book 5 Ch32 - A Rich Harvest ¡°There¡¯s another nest about twenty feet straight down,¡± he said, opening his eyes. ¡°And another near that, and another . . . there¡¯s a lot.¡± Brixaby, who had just finished up with the last ovoid and was storing the Uncommon shard, nodded and took a moment to cast Call of the Heart, himself. His and Arthur¡¯s trust in the card had taken a dip since coming to Blood Moon. ¡°Yes, I see them as well. Most pleasing.¡± ¡°I can reach it using my Phase In, Phase Out, but I want to make sure that the card has a full charge¡ªI only have a few more minutes until the hour ticks over. I want the full thirty seconds, just in case.¡± ¡°Then we will clear out that cavern too,¡± Brixaby continued, all good mood now. That was another thing. Looking again at how the separate nests were all structured underneath the eruption point, Arthur frowned. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s how eruptions continue and grow larger.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He shrugged. ¡°The eruption cone itself is hollow, right? Whatever fuels it throws scourglings and rocks and tons of dirt up into the air and it grows larger and larger. Maybe the eruption process digs through the soil, and as it does, it hits more and more of these nests, which hatch and provide new scourglings, which provide energy . . .¡± He trailed off and looked at his dragon, who shrugged a wing. ¡°Perhaps.¡± He obviously didn¡¯t care past finding more shards to harvest. Arthur sighed, but he couldn¡¯t believe that he was the only one to have ever thought of this. Which meant either he was wrong or the knowledge had been suppressed. **** He and Brixaby did a final sweep of the cavern to make sure they didn¡¯t miss anything, and this yielded a whopping seventy-five Uncommon shards. That was a good haul, and enough to give their entire wing some buffer. ¡°Nine people, each with three Uncommon shards a day . . . so just over a week,¡± Arthur muttered to himself. Life in the hive got expensive quick. No wonder the Blood Moon riders had such a reputation for being aggressive. ¡°That is assuming that you are kind enough to pay for everybody, and they do not pay for themselves.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I expect the hatchlings to pay their own way,¡± Arthur said. Still, Brixaby grumped, ¡°Perhaps do not tell them of your wealth. They do not know what is happening in here. Or at the very least, they would expect for us to be harvesting more Common shards.¡± He had a point. He didn¡¯t mind covering for his friends and his retinue, but at the same time . . . ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone could pretend they don¡¯t have enough shards after this. Those seventy-five shards aren¡¯t even counting what we already harvested from the main cavern.¡± Yes, he had done well today, and he was feeling smug about it. And deservedly so. At that moment, his Phase In, Phase Out card ticked over the cooldown, and he was renewed with an additional thirty more seconds. Arthur nodded to Brixaby and took a deep breath. Then he got on his hands and knees, staring straight at the ground as if he could bore a hole into it. He had never used the card to drop straight down through solid rock before. In theory, it should be possible. ¡°Here goes nothing.¡± He activated the card and crawled forward. He supposed he could have tried to run downward somehow, but he couldn¡¯t quite wrap his mind around it without resorting to a dumb swimming motion. And as Arthur hadn¡¯t swum very often, he figured crawling was faster. The moment he plunged in, darkness surrounded him. All sound was cut off. Gritting his teeth, he moved as fast as he could and kept his mind¡¯s eye on the map. If he had been thinking during that cave-in, he would have used Call of the Heart to lead him in the right direction, but he had been too panicked. Now that he had the map up, going in the right direction was much easier.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Within fifteen seconds, he emerged from the ceiling into a cavern made of bioluminescent blue light. He glanced back to make sure that his entire body was out of the rock, then canceled the card. And fell a good eight feet, right on top of a very startled nest tender. He didn¡¯t think that he¡¯d actually seen a scourgling surprised before. Unfortunately, the nest tender¡¯s chitin armor meant that Arthur didn¡¯t crush it like the bug that it was. In the next few seconds, they both scrambled to get away from each other. Arthur suffered a gash to his arm from a flailing knife leg, but the scourgling suffered even worse as Arthur grabbed one of the new extra-sharp knives Brixaby had given him. With his full strength, he drove it down into the thorax.
Skill level gained: Butchering (Cooking Class) Level 52
He should have cut off the head. With its last breath, the dying nest tender whistled an alarm. Then, in the next few seconds, other nest tenders were rushing at him. Once again, Arthur activated the Spear of Justice and readied his chainmail and shrapnel. The countdown appeared again . . . and he only had fourteen minutes left. So, it didn¡¯t reset every time he used the spell. It probably had a twenty-four-hour cooldown¡ªsomething that he would have known about if he had access to the card. And it seemed that the spear would only take a limited amount of damage. He found that out after using the shaft to block a strike from the nest tender. Suddenly, the spear broke apart into motes of light in his hands. Arthur flailed back and then desperately knocked away the scourgling again with several blasts of shrapnel as it jumped at him with knifelike limbs bared. At that moment, Brixaby¡¯s portal finally appeared. Between the two of them¡ªthough it was mostly Brixaby¡ªthey made short work of the remaining scourglings. Afterward, Arthur bent over, hands on his knees and breathing hard. ¡°Maybe we should just use the portal to jump in next time. Do you think the rower would be able to get to the nest if we pointed to the map?¡± Brixaby hesitated. ¡°I sense not, somehow. He can generally go to destinations I have never been before, but I¡¯m not certain that we would be able to get that sort of precision with this portal unless I was picturing it.¡± ¡°Well, how did you get him to come here in the first place?¡± ¡°He had me picture you every single time. Arthur, look behind you.¡± Arthur swung around, heart in his throat, fully expecting another nest tender, but it was only Cressida¡¯s snake again. It sat behind him, coiled and patiently waiting for his attention. When it noticed that it had been seen, it uncoiled and raised its head and spoke in Cressida¡¯s voice. ¡°The harvesting is going well on our end, but you¡¯ve been gone for a while. Are you okay?¡± He caught hints of stress in her tone. ¡°We¡¯re fine,¡± Arthur said to it. ¡°Brixaby and I have found a secondary cavern and we¡¯re exploring it, but it¡¯s not large, so it¡¯s not worth everybody coming in. Keep harvesting the main cavern and send me a snake when you¡¯re done.¡± With a burst of mana, he returned the messenger. Meanwhile, Brixaby was taking a quick survey of the room. It was smaller than the last with fewer clusters of ovoids. However, they had the feeling of Uncommons about them. Suddenly, his nostrils flared, and his head snapped back to Arthur. ¡°You are bleeding!¡± Arthur looked down at his arm and realized he was right. In the fight and excitement, he had barely felt it as a light sting, but now he saw it was a bit worse than that. The cut extended down from his shoulder almost to his elbow. It wasn¡¯t deep enough to hit bone or the large vein there, but blood still dripped down to his fingertips. His Moderate Self-Repair card was working to repair the damage. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± he said, and pulled out a bandage from his Personal Space to begin wrapping the arm. ¡°I¡¯ll have Marion look at it when we get back¡ª¡± He stopped, looking inward. His mana was ticking down from his Moderate Self-Repair card, but much more than it should for just this injury. He looked over himself to make sure that he hadn¡¯t missed any more cuts, perhaps a broken bone or something that he hadn¡¯t felt yet. There was nothing. Then he looked at his dragon. ¡°Brixaby, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. The scourglings did not come anywhere near close enough to hit me,¡± he replied, smug. Was the wound poisoned? No, he had seen Joy¡¯s venom work before, and the wound looked clean. There was nothing wrong except it stank in here. And then it hit him. ¡°I don¡¯t think that the air in this cave is good.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Brixaby demanded, alarmed. Arthur flashed to how the underground tunnels in the Mind Singer¡¯s hive had been. She had been farming baby dragons for shards and cards, and the underground area had become a hive of scourglings. More importantly, the air had been so bad that it had actually affected brooding mother dragons who refused to leave their nests. Many had open sores, a lot like the scourglings. ¡°Are you having trouble breathing?¡± Arthur asked. ¡°I think the air is trying to infect me with scourge-rot, but my Moderate Self-Repair card is stepping in. How about you?¡± ¡°No, I am fine,¡± Brixaby said, but he seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Arthur. ¡°Those dragons in the Mind Singer¡¯s hive had been down there for weeks, possibly months. Though . . . I do not like the fact that you are bleeding. Scourge-dust can get into open wounds.¡± That made a terrible sort of sense. Here, where scourglings were growing, whatever caused the terrible scent seemed to be intensified. Brixaby often said that scourglings were the antithesis of life. And he and Brixaby were now in a cavern meant to nurture them. Which meant that even if he felt like bringing the rest of his wing to one of these egg caverns, it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea. But this was still an opportunity, and one that Arthur did not want to slip through his fingers. Brixaby rustled his wings with a sigh. ¡°I suppose we should head back.¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Arthur said. He pulled up the Call of the Heart map again and studied it. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Brixaby asked. ¡°We¡¯re not done yet,¡± Arthur said. ¡°I want to find the core of this eruption.¡± Book 5 Ch33 - The Heart of The Eruption ¡°The core of this eruption? Where the Dark Heart would be?¡± Brixaby repeated, visibly shocked. ¡°Are you certain that¡¯s wise?¡± That took Arthur by surprise. He had expected he would have to physically hold Brixaby back the moment he mentioned it. He couldn¡¯t even remember the last time his dragon asked for caution. ¡°Brixaby, what¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked slowly. His dragon¡¯s tongue flicked in and out, and he seemed to be at war with himself. ¡°The air is more than foul here. It is . . . damaging to you especially, and your arm is already bleeding. I do not like the scent of your blood,¡± he said. ¡°Also, I can see that map just as well as you can. The very center complex is on the edge of how far you could safely travel using your Phase In, Phase Out card.¡± He lowered his voice. ¡°Why do we not come back when you are more rested? Perhaps we can harvest other nests. I will have a chance to make more weapons, and you will not be hurt.¡± Brixaby did have some good points, but . . . Arthur shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t know if we¡¯re going to get another chance to leave the hive. I¡¯m not sure if I can trust a secret like this to stay secret. The leaders have pointed out they pay attention to what¡¯s going on in the hive. This might have been our only chance to get away. Plus . . . Brixaby, this is a golden opportunity. If there are any clues as to why eruptions are happening more and more often, it would be at the heart.¡± ¡°More frequent eruptions make it easier to pay off the blood price.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about the blood price! It¡¯s nothing in the long run.¡± Arthur slashed his hand through the air. ¡°Look, I know it¡¯s on the edge of the safe zone, but I can make it to the core.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said dryly. ¡°That is if the card is providing you with an accurate map.¡± Arthur stared at him. He had never known Brixaby to turn away from a source of power like this, and he suspected Brixaby didn¡¯t particularly care about the blood price, either. Other than avoiding it. He had just used it as an excuse. No, there had to be something else. ¡°What¡¯s really bothering you?¡± Arthur asked. For a moment, he wasn¡¯t sure if Brixaby was going to reply. But then he let out a long gusting breath. ¡°Even if you do not run out of time and reappear within the rock, it will still take me some minutes to portal in after you. I do not know what is in the core of the eruption¡ªand I do not know what you will face alone. Surely, whatever¡¯s there is more dangerous than a simple nest that hadn¡¯t managed to mature in time. And,¡± he said, very reluctantly, ¡°I don¡¯t believe I can follow you if I were to use the Phase In, Phase Out myself. Humans are generally faster at short sprints than dragons are on the ground. It is not as if I can fly through solid rock.¡± For the same reason Arthur could not picture himself swimming through it. There was a limit to his imagination. Arthur was oddly touched. He knew his dragon¡¯s greed for power and new cards generally didn¡¯t have any boundaries. Now he knew that line ended with the singular exception of himself. Arthur took a different tack. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll face there, but I¡¯m good at stalling for time. And look at the map, Brixaby. There are several nests along the way to the center of the eruption. There¡¯s one really close. If I can¡¯t make it, I¡¯ll go to one of those nests. Then I¡¯ll stall with the nest tenders.¡± Normally, he would be up for taking his time and harvesting as they went, getting closer and closer to the center with every new nest. Except the bad air would eventually become too much for his healing card and Brixaby¡¯s draconic resistance. Also, Arthur needed to get his wing back to Blood Moon Hive before anybody in charge started asking pointed questions. Or worse, launched a search. Brixaby wavered, shifting his weight from foot to foot in an outward display of his inner discomfort. Finally, he said ¡°I agree,¡± though he did not look happy about it. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go in when I have a full charge again on the Phase In, Phase Out.¡± That was at least twenty minutes away. Meanwhile . . .¡± He gestured to the still-unharvested ovoids and the nest tenders. Brixaby immediately brightened. This cavern was smaller than the previous one, and it didn¡¯t take as long to harvest it. Though they ended up with thirty-three more Uncommon shards for their effort. For lack of anything else to do, Arthur sat down, crossed his legs, and sank into his Meditation skill. He used it to clear his mind and focus on every step he would need to make before he headed to the center. Yes, other nests would be nearby in case he was behind schedule. He just wasn¡¯t sure what he would face at the core of the eruption. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Defenders, almost certainly. No matter what he told Brixaby, it was certainly a risk. Finally, Phase In, Phase Out ticked over again. It was time for Arthur to visit the core of a scourge-eruption. This time, he took a running start from the other side of the nest. He sprinted across the stone floor and activated his Phase In, Phase Out just before he hit the wall. The now-familiar darkness and lack of sound enveloped him. He pumped his legs as fast as he could, focusing on the map in his mind and angling himself at a steep downward angle. However, he angled too sharply and corrected himself, losing a few steps, costing himself a precious half second. Next time I do this, I¡¯m copying Bolt¡¯s power so I can just ride the lightning wherever I need to go, Arthur thought grimly. But even with that misstep, he was making good time. In fact, he was traveling faster than he had guessed even in his best-case scenario. With twelve seconds to go, he found the cavern that contained the core. The air was full of scourge-rot, so thick that he could taste it on his tongue. It burned the back of his throat. This was worse than the deepest part of the Mind Singer¡¯s hive. Then there was the power. Pure power surrounded him. It felt like an invisible force trying to crush down on him. Arthur breathed in, gagged, and gasped in another breath of air only because he had to. It burned all the way down to his chest. Yet, despite that, he could feel the core was only Uncommon-rank power. There was just so much that his very mind, his very being rebelled against it. He suspected that if he were a real Rare, or worse, an Uncommon, he would be in big trouble. The scourge-rot would already be setting in. Through watering eyes, he looked around. There were no ovoids on the walls, no protectors. It was a large cavern lined with so many blue pulsing veins that he could see perfectly. And in the middle, hanging from a web of blue pulsing veins was . . . Well, it looked like a big blue anatomical heart. While the vivid blue coloring should have made it look pretty, the heart radiated such an aura of rot and death that Arthur had to fight down the urge to gag. It didn¡¯t help that it beat exactly like a real heart, open and raw and . . . something his spirit told him should not be. Arthur started to walk to it, but his feet felt numb. He stumbled, catching himself at the last moment before he fell. So, instead of inspecting it physically, he concentrated every sense and every ability from every card he had to see what it could tell him. He felt not only the well of power, the rot, and the wrongness of the thing . . . but also shards. Closing his eyes, Arthur focused both on his Master of Cards, his Card Shard Insight, and his Meditation skill. Though his eyes were shut, it was almost as if he could see card shards forming. Somehow the essence of them was being transferred along the blue veins to the nestling scourglings. Yet it wasn¡¯t a physical transference. It was more like the essence was somehow being detached from the shards and moved to the scourglings. He didn¡¯t quite understand it, but he desperately wanted to. Trying to comprehend, Arthur strained toward the heart, even as he was repelled by it. This was important. This was part of the very nature of cards themselves. Though he was not using his eyes, he felt the dark portal opening not five feet away. Arthur dropped his meditation and glanced over as Brixaby stepped out. The dragon immediately recoiled, lips lifting over his teeth in an involuntary snarl as he took in the sight of the core. ¡°We must destroy this,¡± he said. ¡°This is evil.¡± And Arthur realized that a part of him didn¡¯t want to. He wanted to study the heart, and he felt . . . weirdly protective of it? That snapped him out of a half trance he hadn¡¯t even realized he¡¯d fallen into. ¡°Yes,¡± he croaked. His voice was rusty, as if he¡¯d been screaming, but it was just this toxic air. He cleared his throat and tried again. This time, he sounded a little better. ¡°Yes, but there are shards in that thing. I think if we detach it from the veins we¡¯ll kill it, but I have to harvest it now. If we don¡¯t, those shards will be lost.¡± He wasn¡¯t quite sure how he knew that, and Brixaby didn¡¯t seem to be in the mood to ask. He just nodded once and buzzed forward, pulling out his ridiculously big chopping sword. Arthur lurched toward the heart. Luckily the cavern was narrow, and he was able to place one hand to the wall to steady himself, because he couldn¡¯t even feel his legs. He took one stumbling step after another, and as he grew close, his skin began prickling with needles. Grimacing, he reached out to gesture for the shards, but somehow, his hand fell into the heart without meaning to. It had the consistency of wet butter. The prickling redoubled, and when he yanked his hand back . . . his skin was red as if it had been sunburned. But his fingers clutched a handful of shards. Some stuck into his skin, the points drawing pinpricks of blood. There was something different about these shards, too. They were smaller and oddly shaped, but he didn¡¯t have time to figure it out. His Master of Cards seemed to sing. He just grabbed a bucket from his Personal Space, and some gloves, though he wasn¡¯t sure how much they would help, and tossed them in. Then he reached for more. Again and again. Meanwhile, Brixaby buzzed back and forth, cutting the core free. With every slice, his chops immediately went dark. With the extra sense granted to him from the Master of Cards and Shard Insight, he felt many of the shards inside go dark, too. I can¡¯t lose them, he thought desperately, and thrust his hand in again, grabbing more and more. Even as shards popped out of existence within the heart, the ones that Arthur removed in time were safe. He managed three more handfuls before Brixaby yelled, ¡°Arthur, I have one more left!¡± Arthur looked up. Brixaby had managed to neatly snip through all of the supporting veins except for the last: the largest and main vein that went straight up. Many parts of the heart had gone dark, and the cavern was in half a shadow. Arthur resisted the urge to get one more handful¡ªhe couldn¡¯t feel his fingers, and that couldn¡¯t be a good sign. He backed up a few paces. ¡°Do it.¡± Brixaby flew in, wielding the sword, and cut. The heart fell. As it landed, it exploded into a blue fire blast. Arthur was struck and flung back against the far wall. The terrible air was knocked out of his lungs. But worse, far worse, was the strike to the inside. It was like a blow to his very soul, an explosion both inside his head and heart deck. And he knew no more. Book 5 Ch34 - Its About Time
When Arthur became aware again, every muscle, every joint was sore. His head rang and throbbed at the same time, and everything from his teeth to the soles of his feet hurt. He slit open his eyes and looked around. Things were . . . off. He got glimpses of a starlit sky bracketed by the dark outline of bare branched trees. The grass under his cheek was colorless and dry, as if it had never seen water. Where . . . came the hazy thought. Then he registered the sound of water slapping against a bank and the slight creak of wood. That all clued him in on where he was. He was on the shore of the dark rower¡¯s river. As Arthur twisted his neck, he saw that the dark rower was bent over him, examining him like a dead bug. Though Arthur was less than a foot away and staring directly up at him, he still could not see inside that hood. ¡°Magical backlash,¡± the rower said in his rattling voice. ¡°Will he be well?¡± Brixaby demanded. ¡°He is recovering already. Look.¡± He pointed one skeletal hand at Arthur. Abruptly, Brixaby¡¯s nose pushed into his vision. ¡°Arthur! You are awake!¡± Slowly, painfully, he sat up. ¡°Brixaby . . . it¡¯s okay,¡± he said. ¡°I think . . . I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Though the pain and terrible aches were only slightly dampened, at least he was becoming more awake. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°When the heart fell, there was . . . I do not know how to describe it. It was not quite an explosion. It struck you more than me.¡± He blinked. They had been in the same cavern and Brixaby had been closer to the heart. How did Arthur get the worst of it? ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I am a dragon,¡± Brixaby snapped, exasperated. ¡°You are a fragile human, and you should learn to be more careful and take fewer risks.¡± He was not in a good mood. The rower spoke up. ¡°You have tampered with the forces of true creation. But if I¡¯m not mistaken . . . you have come out the richer for it.¡± What did that mean? Was he talking about his heart deck? Had something happened to his cards? No, wait . . . the shards. He reached into his Personal Space and pulled out the bucket of shards. They glowed with white-blue power in this dark place¡ªpractically the only color here. Arthur stared down at them. These were not ordinary shards. Brixaby made a noise and thrust his muzzle forward, snuffling in the bucket with such intensity that Arthur thought he was going to start munching down on them. Then he reeled back, his bloodred eyes were wide. ¡°Are these . . . Legendary shards?¡± ¡°The core was an Uncommon,¡± Arthur said, but he was not arguing. His senses were telling him the same thing. ¡°How could we pull these from an Uncommon?¡± Then his mind fastened on that last thick vein¡ªby far the largest that Brixaby had cut through. He answered his own question. ¡°Because it was being fed power by something that was stronger than a Legendary. It was using those shards as seeds to portion out trickles of that power to others.¡± His mind reeled, and he quickly had to put his hand flat on the grass to keep from tipping over in shock. ¡°Arthur,¡± Brixaby said anxiously, ¡°you are not well.¡± ¡°No, but I¡¯m starting to feel better.¡± He took in a shaky breath. This pain went more than skin deep. This was a spiritual hurt, very much akin to when he had his card anchor disintegrate on him. ¡°These shards were worth it.¡± Brixaby gave him a long assessing look, and then nodded. ¡°Does your Master of Cards tell you anything more?¡± That was a good question. Arthur reached out and hovered his hand over the bucket. He definitely felt the strength of Legendary power rolling off the shards. ¡°No doubt they¡¯re Legendary,¡± he repeated, ¡°but . . . you¡¯re right. There¡¯s more to them. They feel like . . .¡± It was so close, he could almost put his finger on it, but not quite. And then it came to him all at once. His eyes opened and he looked at Brixaby in surprise. ¡°They feel a little like Asha and Equinox. Origin shards?¡± he asked, testing out the term. He looked at Brixaby. ¡°Do Asha and Equinox ever feel different to you? More powerful?¡± ¡°They are very young.¡± To his credit, Brixaby gave the question some thought before he fully answered. ¡°There is much potential in them, but,¡± he quickly added, ¡°not as much as there would be should they have been Legendary dragons, of course.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Arthur said, ¡°but even the Mythics recognized that they are Origin dragons. And these were Origin shards.¡± Arthur looked again at the glowing mass of shards in the bucket. One thing was for sure. ¡°I¡¯m not going to pay these as part of any blood price.¡± He turned to his dragon. ¡°Brixaby, help me.¡± Brixaby bent, allowing Arthur to put his hand on top of his head so he could lever himself up. Standing, he reached down and grabbed the bucket, then he limped to the rowboat. Instantly, the dark rower was all business again. ¡°What is your destination?¡± ¡°Nowhere right now,¡± Arthur said. ¡°I just didn¡¯t want any shards to get lost in the grass.¡± Then he upended the bucket onto one of the wooden slatted seats and sat down again. ¡°Brixaby, help me find the corner and edge pieces. I think there might be enough for an entire card here.¡± The rower took his seat, too, but did not push off the pier. He watched with interest, and Arthur tried not to let his rattling breaths distract him. Each shard piece was tinier than he¡¯d ever had to deal with before. Each was a little smaller than the size of his smallest fingernail. Brixaby had fine control over his claws because of his weaponsmithing. But Arthur had his Master of Cards and a Card Smithing class that instinctively told him which piece went where. After finding the four corner pieces, they got to work. The rower rattled, ¡°A card forged here in between worlds will have interesting properties.¡± Arthur nearly jumped. The rower had been so quiet that he and Brixaby had forgotten about him. Even now, he sat by, watching them without comment. And of course, there was no face to read an expression by. ¡°You mean it¡¯ll be useful to us?¡± Arthur asked, looking up. ¡°All cards are useful in their own way. Is a Common card which can return life to a dead seed not of use to someone? Especially when that seed grows into a tree which nourishes a community?¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Brixaby snorted, but Arthur nodded. ¡°I see your point.¡± Arthur looked up at the strange being in consideration. He did not know if this was a person, a card construct, or even if it mattered at all. But after a moment, he decided it would not hurt to ask his question. ¡°Does where you put the shards together affect the outcome of the card?¡± ¡°Everything affects the outcome,¡± the rower rasped. ¡°Intent, place . . .¡± He weaved his hooded head back and forth in an unconscious so-so gesture that sent the hair on the back of Arthur¡¯s neck up. ¡°A bit of randomness thrown in.¡± Arthur nodded. This was nothing he had not guessed at himself. ¡°Do you know what this card will be?¡± ¡°Powerful,¡± he said with relish. Brixaby scoffed. ¡°It will be Legendary. Of course it will be powerful.¡± Arthur couldn¡¯t argue. Instead, he went about carefully nudging each tiny shard into place. Each shard was oddly shaped, with more edges than a Common¡ªsome downright spiky¡ªwhich made the whole process much more complex. And yet, as he sank into the rhythm of the work, he felt how each shape and curve fit into its neighbor. The process was almost meditative. Though he was still pained, and a little dazed from the magical backlash, he set his discomfort aside. He gathered up all of his disparate pieces of focus and sharpened them like a needle. This was important. Common cards could be made by fitting almost any pieces together. Even children made their own Common cards out of shards. Uncommon cards were a bit trickier, but still manageable with some forethought. He had never tried a Rare, but a Legendary was so much more complex. He wasn¡¯t sure if he would be able to do it without his Master of Cards and Cardomancy Class. Brixaby handed him the pieces, and he looked them over, sliding them into the correct place where they needed to go. And, against all odds¡ªor perhaps not, because it almost felt like that the card was building itself¡ªit seemed¡ªhe had the exact right number to finish the card. As he worked, Arthur felt another wave of exhaustion wash over him. This was costing some sort of energy. Maybe it¡¯s the life force that Chester is taking from other people, he thought, wryly. I¡¯m pouring myself into this card. Brixaby handed him another piece. He twisted and turned it and fit it near one edge. Two more pieces to go. He kept his breathing steady, afraid to look up or even move too fast. The last shard clicked into place, and he felt all the shards balanced in his mind. It was precarious, as if the whole construct balanced on the edge of a cliff and was in danger of tipping over. Arthur did not dare tear his eyes away. This needed his concentration. Today, he truly felt like a card smith. The power wavered within the shards. He could practically see the card matrix building itself. Before his eyes, all the pieces seemed to flow together, then grew bright, too bright to look at. Eventually Arthur was forced to look away. Spots danced in front of his vision. But the notifications still popped into his mind.
New body enhancement gained: Focus Under Pressure Level 7 Skill level gained: Card Intuition (Card Smith class) Level 16 Skill level gained: Card Manipulation (Card Smith class) Level 10 Skill level gained: Card Insight (Card Smith class) Level 8 Skill level gained: Card Insight (Card Smith class) Level 9 Skill level gained: Card Insight (Card Smith class) Level 10
The card finally dimmed, and Arthur and Brixaby bent over to read over the newest Legendary card in the world.
It¡¯s About Time! Legendary Time The wielder of this card will be able to manipulate time at will. By using a high amount of mana, the wielder will be able to increase or decrease the passage of time. This effectively speeds up or slows down the world around them. There is no set limit on the time delay or increase, but the wielder may experience temporal strain or sustained feeling of disconnection with overuse. Warning: Extreme feelings of temporal disconnection may induce psychosis. Seek out other time-based cards for future sight, past travel, temporal illusions, and age manipulation.
He and Brixaby looked at each other with wide eyes. Even the rower bent to look down at the card with interest. ¡°Yes, this is a very powerful card,¡± Brixaby all but purred. ¡°A time card . . .¡± Arthur trailed off. ¡°Marion¡¯s old time card gave him a lot of trouble, though I don¡¯t think it was part of this set.¡± ¡°Yes, I remember. He was unable to turn off the effects,¡± Brixaby said dismissively. ¡°This is not nearly the same. Now the question becomes: Do I consume it and add it to my strength, or does one of us add it to our decks in the traditional way?¡± Arthur frowned. That was a good question. ¡°Last time you consumed a Legendary card with your Call of the Void, you grew a lot.¡± He straightened up, though he looked slightly pained. ¡°It is right and proper that a Legendary be . . . large.¡± Arthur knew admitting that had bruised his ego. He was right, though. Legendary dragons were typically intimidatingly giant. ¡°It will be a little suspicious if you show up to Blood Moon Hive double or triple your size, or even more,¡± Arthur admitted. ¡°And if you did it that way, you¡¯d only be able to use just an aspect of the card, not the entire thing.¡± The last Legendary card Brixaby had consumed had been strong enough to rip a body apart and had nearly killed them all. And that had been activated by dragons who were actively dying while using it. Brixaby had received his Stunning Shout ability from it, and it was certainly very useful, but it wasn¡¯t the full potency of the original card. And that wasn¡¯t even going into the fact that adding it to Call of the Void would permanently destroy the card, and any chances that somebody could create a full set out of it. Arthur certainly did not want to give this card to the other time-wielding Legendary pair, but he wasn¡¯t all that comfortable removing any card¡ªespecially a powerful, unique card like this¡ªfrom the world permanently. ¡°This is a very, very good card,¡± Arthur said with a sigh. He fully expected Brixaby to have his own arguments, but his dragon simply looked pained. ¡°You should . . . Ugh, you should take it,¡± he finished in a growl. ¡°We should get full usage out of this card, and . . .¡± His expression grew so pained that Arthur almost felt concerned. ¡°I do not have room in my secondary core. I am still growing and maturing. I could likely add an Uncommon card if I needed to, but a Legendary is . . . too much,¡± he finished very quickly. ¡°It may not be ready for a year or more. Do you have room in your heart deck?¡± Arthur¡¯s heart deck had become malleable since the finishing the challenges within the Dark Heart and his Master of Cards. ¡°I could add it,¡± Arthur said, ¡°but the magical weight of a new Legendary that¡¯s not linked to any of my current sets is still a lot.¡± ¡°Could you alter it to be part of your set?¡± Master of Time did sound promising, Reluctantly, Arthur shook his head. ¡°I¡¯d have to become much more advanced in my Card Smithing to attempt something like that on a Legendary. Just putting this thing together out of shards took a lot out of me.¡± And if he made a mistake . . . he could just imagine the amount of power that would be released. He would be dead before he even realized he¡¯d erred, and possibly take out half of Blood Moon Hive¡¯s tower with him. The amount of power between a Rare card and a Legendary was quite large. Like a deep lake versus an ocean. But despite all that, he wanted the card. How often did one get to manipulate time? So he lifted up the card and paused. He sensed that even if the rower allowed him to store it in his Personal Space right now, the thing was too magically heavy, and Arthur was still recovering from the magical backlash. So he slipped the extremely powerful card in his pocket, though it felt so very wrong to do so. ¡°Let¡¯s only tell the retinue. If anyone else asks, we only got the Common shards from the, uh, proto-nests.¡± Yes, that was a good name for them. ¡°That should be more than enough for them.¡± Brixaby snorted, and then finally looked at the rower. ¡°We wish to return back to the cavern inside the main eruption cone.¡± Arthur assumed that Brixaby visualized the area as well because the rower didn¡¯t ask which eruption cone they were talking about. He only nodded and pushed the rowboat off the pier. The ride down the river was ridiculously short, as he and Brixaby were not going very far, physically. Just through tons and tons of rock. It seemed they had just started down the river when the rower was pulling the boat to a pier which had not been there a moment before. Arthur stumbled and almost fell as he got out of the rowboat. The last of his energy was simply gone, and it was all he could do just to keep moving forward. He must have looked even worse than he felt because Brixaby said roughly, ¡°Climb up on my back. I will carry you the rest of the way.¡± It was only a few dozen feet to the entrance of the portal, but Arthur was feeling so bad, exhausted and hurting, that he gladly took his dragon up on the offer. Scrambling up his neck was tiring enough. He was very glad Brixaby was a small dragon. He and Brixaby emerged from the portal on the other side to see that the eruption cavern was mainly unchanged. None of the other purples in the wing had returned yet. But the others all turned to look at them. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Horatio said after a stunned second. ¡°Other than getting buried alive?¡± ¡°Who gave you the black eyes?¡± Cressida demanded, coming up and peering at him. ¡°Black eyes?¡± Arthur repeated. His voice, which had been improving in the dark rower¡¯s strange world, once again felt ragged. The air down here wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as it had been around the core of the eruption, but it was bad enough to irritate already aching lungs. Brixaby shrugged his wings. ¡°The magical backlash was . . . quite striking. I felt no need to tell you that you look like a raccoon.¡± ¡°Ugh, let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Arthur said. Book 5 Ch35: Annoying The Healer
Instead of risking the vertical flight up the top of the crumbly throat of the eruption cone, Brixaby once again opened up the dark portal. Everyone simply walked in, and after a short rowboat ride, emerged outside of the cone. The rower gave no indication he had seen them only a few minutes before. Arthur told Horatio to flash a light signal to Sams, who gathered the rest of the wing up and had them land nearby. Once they were all settled, Arthur gave a brief overview of what had happened, downplaying his visit to the proto-nests by saying he and Brixaby had harvested more Commons. ¡°The air is toxic¡ªmuch worse than in the eruption cone. I don¡¯t think anyone should go in who doesn¡¯t have access to a healing card.¡± His rough voice and double set of black eyes lent truth to his words. Then he once again admonished them to keep tonight¡¯s ¡°training¡± within the wing. Looking around at the satisfied faces, he doubted he would have any problems. His riders had found not only wealth, but as far as Blood Moon Hive was concerned, an extension on their life. No one would give up that kind of secret to others lightly. Also, as Arthur had noted, anyone who wanted to copy their trick would need a purple¡¯s extreme agility to fly into the mouth of an eruption cone. They returned to Blood Moon Hive a few spare hours before dawn. **** Unfortunately, Arthur still had to rise early the next morning. Harvesting an old eruption had been a success, but he had other ideas to gather shards and continue his wing¡¯s prosperity. He wasn¡¯t done changing things to his satisfaction yet. If the seers were right, there would be an eruption soon. Either late today, or even during the night. Thankfully, even a few hours of sleep had done him a lot of good. The magical backlash had felt terrible in the moment but hadn¡¯t lingered like when his card anchor had disintegrated. No need to bother Marion, he decided. Not for a couple of lingering bruises. He got started on the stewpot for the dragons¡¯ breakfast. By now, the Common purples knew to go to the ledge for their food. Their happy chatter helped wake him up and lifted his spirits. Once Candy Floss arrived with Thackeray, Arthur pulled the man aside. ¡°Once Candy Floss is done, go down to the training rooms and let her know to meet up at the cave three doors down from here.¡± Thackeray nodded, an interested expression on his face, and Arthur went on ahead to prepare for the meeting. He went to the empty cave Brixaby had found. He had originally envisioned it for training the hatchlings, but they were now getting an education in class. Now, the space was sitting unused. With an extremely regretful sigh, Arthur started to unload the objects from his Personal Space. Cressida and Brixaby might have had a point that he was becoming a bit¡ªa touch¡ªlike a pack rat. It was just so useful to have anything that he needed at a thought. And where he had grown up, tools had been invaluable, and food had been scarce. It always made him feel better to have what he needed at hand. Plus a few extras. And a few more for good luck. So he¡¯d collected useful items wherever he went. But . . . he was risking running out of room in his Personal Space. Arthur went through his mental inventory list and started to remove duplicates. For example, he did not need five coils of long rope . . . so he unloaded three of them. And it was entirely possible that he didn¡¯t need extra pieces of furniture, like the ten bedrolls or the extra chairs. He kept all of his cooking equipment, except for several pots that he simply didn¡¯t like. Every cook had a few of those. However, he had more utensils than his retinue would need if they had three times as many people in it. Some of the spoons and forks were good silver, which at least should sell at a fair price. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. On and on he went, sighing to himself as he had to make terrible decisions, including unstoring some paintings he had found . . . actually, he couldn¡¯t remember where he¡¯d found those. He¡¯d had them too long. A couple of things he flatly refused to give up: the LED flashlights that he had taken from his time in the Dark Heart. The same with the tiny solar panels that collected from the sun to recharge the batteries. They had such quaint technology back then, he wished that more of it had survived over time. Though a lot of the machines had been replaced by card anchors. And instead of removing the fertilized chicken eggs, newly hatched chicks, turkey pullets, ducklings, adult ducks, and the milk cow and her calf, he simply wrote down the numbers on a list. Better to keep the live animals in the timeless space. Same with boxes of produce, which would always remain fresh as the day he had stored it. By the time he was nearly done, Thackeray and the others arrived. Thackeray looked around the half-filled room of odds and ends with interest. ¡°Did you manage to wrestle more from the quartermaster?¡± Arthur winced. ¡°No, I collected all this at my last hive. I want you to go through it and figure out what is the most valuable.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Thackeray said. ¡°Are we going to sell this back to the quartermaster? Because I don¡¯t think that we will get the best prices if we do.¡± ¡°No,¡± Arthur said. ¡°Just work on sorting this and write down the general market price that we should get if we sold to stores. Say . . . in the central cities.¡± He perked up. ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯ll probably get the best prices. Or just outside of them,¡± he added with a knowing look. ¡°There are country folk who would appreciate not having to travel all the way into the city for basic goods.¡± This was a big reason why he was glad to have an ex-merchant on board. ¡°If you have any suggestions on where to sell, it would be appreciated.¡± ¡°I do, in fact,¡± he said with a grin. Amanda had picked up the list with the produce and was reading it over carefully. Glancing up, she said, ¡°Sir, if you¡¯re in the habit of, um, finding items to sell, I may have a suggestion.¡± ¡°Go for it.¡± ¡°Seeds,¡± she said simply. ¡°Me and my dragon don¡¯t have the cards to fight, but we can force-grow fruits and vegetables to the flowering stage. After that . . . I think we can help nurture the plants, but that gets them more than halfway to harvest.¡± ¡°You would have been the most popular person back in my home village,¡± Arthur said with a smile, ignoring the fact that any card user would have been valuable to the borderlands. ¡°Is it just seeds, or can I add potatoes and bulbs to that list?¡± ¡°Those flower, too, sir. They¡¯ll work.¡± He nodded and got himself out of the way so she and Thackeray could get started. It felt good to delegate, and not do all the work himself. By the time he returned to his own place, the purples were done eating. A few had even cleaned up afterward. Newly washed pots were set out to dry in the sun. Cressida and Horatio had gone for practice with their own wing. Marion, though, stood there looking impatient. ¡°Brixaby just told me you were nearby an explosion,¡± he said. ¡°What happened to your face?¡± ¡°Well¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it. Stay still.¡± Marion then started casting his card power. Then, after a few moments, he made a strangled, frustrated noise when the card told him . . . whatever it was. ¡°Sit down. I¡¯ll need to give you the full workup. It seems that your spirit was affected by whatever this was, too. And that¡¯s something only time can heal. Unless you found a new healing card in that eruption cone . . .¡± he added with a look at Arthur. ¡°No, not this time,¡± Arthur said. ¡°But . . . there¡¯s always the hope.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± he said shortly. ¡°Sit down.¡± The moment Arthur found a chair, Marion¡¯s energy washed over him. His fatigue vanished, and so did the lingering muscle aches and the headache he had been steadily ignoring. Okay, so maybe he could have spared a few minutes to see the healer last night. They had arrived so late that all Arthur had wanted was sleep, so he had used that as his excuse. ¡°Has anyone ever told you that you have a heart murmur?¡± Marion demanded. Arthur opened his eyes. He didn¡¯t remember closing them. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s that?¡± Marion frowned at him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I just fixed it. But I found other signs of past malnutrition.¡± ¡°Not all of us grew up royalty,¡± Arthur said pointedly. He didn¡¯t feel like explaining his childhood. Besides, he had been eating well for close to ten years now. It didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Any signs of scourge-rot? The air in the eruption cone wasn¡¯t the best. Oh, and the cut¡ªhey, that¡¯s gone too,¡± he realized, looking at his arm. ¡°I fixed that, too, and there¡¯s no sign of scourge-rot. Brixaby told me about that, so I had Asha look him over. She didn¡¯t find anything, either.¡± Marion frowned. ¡°Still, from what he said, I don¡¯t feel comfortable letting the Commons or the Uncommons go to those¡ªwhat did you call them?¡± ¡°Proto-nests. No, neither do I.¡± Arthur sighed. ¡°If Brixaby and I visit them again, it will have to be done secretly. I don¡¯t want to build resentment in the rest of the wing.¡± Marion shrugged a shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re the captain, and the people in this hive have been conditioned to believe the captains will always take the best out of every harvest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the type of captain I want to be,¡± he snapped. Again, Marion shrugged. Then he reached to adjust his glasses. ¡°That is why I am glad you ended up with the Legendary dragon, not me. Also, the way I see it, you have bigger problems.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Marion pointed. ¡°Your pocket is glowing.¡± Arthur looked down, and sure enough, light was showing through the fabric. He pulled out the metal shard that Brixaby had given to him. Larry was trying to contact him. Book 5 Ch36 - A Warning Arthur went into his Personal Space and let out a long sigh at the amount of clothing he had remaining. Or the lack of. Luckily, he had basic, well-worn, civilian-type outfits. The type that would let him not stand out among non-dragon riders. He dressed, exited his Personal Space, and went out to the ledge to wake Brixaby up from his nap. His dragon must have seen his dour expression because he said, ¡°What is wrong? Is it that your mate has gone practicing in another wing?¡± ¡°No!¡± Taken aback, Arthur found himself blushing at the word ¡°mate.¡± Then he had to admit, ¡°Though I wish that we could bring her into my wing. Horatio too,¡± he added, not to be disloyal to his friend. ¡°Why can¡¯t you?¡± Brixaby asked. ¡°Because the whole reason why they went to another wing is to separate and not look suspicious. But . . . maybe I should just have them join Wing Purple anyway,¡± he said and resisted the urge to rub at a spot between his eyebrows. He had just gotten fixed up by Marion but felt on the verge of another headache. ¡°I¡¯m sure her wing captain would make me pay for it, but it¡¯s not like that¡¯s a problem anymore.¡± That cheered him up a little. His dragon, though, was still giving him the stink eye. ¡°That is not why you woke me up, and why you are no longer dressed to your proper station? What happened to your clothing? Is that why you look so upset?¡± ¡°Larry wants to speak to me, and I was just looking at what is left of my wardrobe after emptying out my Personal Space. I . . . I like having things on hand,¡± he finished, feeling like a child for complaining. His dragon rose and shook himself like a dog. ¡°Look at it this way: now that you have disposed of useless things, you can fill up your Personal Space with much better-quality items. While you were with the healer, I unloaded almost everything into that cave, except for my best blacksmithing gear. And now I get to upgrade.¡± That actually helped somewhat. He had Brixaby fly him down to the crater. From there, Arthur walked on his own to the civilian part of town. There was no point in dressing like a non-rider if he was going to have his dragon drop him off right in front of the pub. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. He found the Onion and Hammer quickly. It was open, but as it was daylight, the pub was empty. This was the type of place that did most of its business at night. Certainly the puddles of . . . leavings . . . on the street looked hours old. He purchased a mug of house beer from a surly-looking bartender and took a seat. Then he took a taste and recoiled. It was awful: bitter yet with a weirdly sweet aftertaste. As he looked closer, he saw that there were little bits floating on top. He quickly checked his Master of Body Enhancement card and was surprised not to receive any notification of new poison resistance. ¡°From the look on your face, I see that you¡¯ve tried the beer.¡± Arthur looked up to see Larry standing before his table, wearing a sardonic grin. Arthur pushed the mug away toward Larry, offering it to him. ¡°I¡¯m not that big of a drinker, and now I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever start.¡± Still grinning, Larry sat across from him. He made no move to touch the beer. ¡°Apparently, the story goes that the owner makes the house drinks out of fermented onions.¡± Arthur stared at him for a moment, wondering if he was joking. ¡°No, really,¡± Larry said. ¡°And it packs quite the punch. Which is, I think, the only reason people put up with the taste.¡± ¡°And why it¡¯s so popular at night,¡± Arthur muttered. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that fermenting onions was possible.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Apparently, it¡¯s the owner¡¯s card¡¯s power. It¡¯s a Rare, too. Or so the story says. He¡¯s the son of a blacksmith, so that¡¯s where the name of the pub comes from. The Onion and Hammer.¡± Arthur shuddered. ¡°I think he should have stayed a blacksmith. So, what have you found out so far?¡± ¡°That this pub is full of drunken idiots. Actually, make that the whole town,¡± Larry said with far more cheer than Arthur thought it deserved. ¡°But you definitely did the right thing by sending me out here.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The smile faded and became a sardonic twist of his lips. ¡°There¡¯s definitely a conspiracy against you. You¡¯re the talk of the town.¡± That wasn¡¯t good. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing specific,¡± Larry warned. ¡°But this pub is popular with some of the riders. Some of the more cynical ones hate the hive leadership but can¡¯t do anything about it, so they come in and drink. Well, apparently one is buddies with one of the wing captains, and he said that he wanted to make sure that the new purple captain pays the full blood price. I don¡¯t think he meant in shards.¡± Also not good. ¡°Anything more?¡± ¡°No. I couldn¡¯t even get a name. Though I¡¯m hoping to drink with him tonight, and I might get to know him. But the talk was worrisome enough that I wanted to make sure that you were on your guard.¡± ¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you for letting me know.¡± He looked Larry up and down. The older man seemed to be in much better spirits than he was previously. Then again, last time he had been upset and disappointed from not linking with a dragon. ¡°How are you doing here?¡± Arthur asked. To his surprise, the man grinned. ¡°Why, I have nothing to do but eat in pubs and drink¡ªbut not too much. I need to keep my wits¡ªand listen. It¡¯s a good job. I feel like one of those fancy nobles, with nothing to do¡ª¡± He was interrupted by the sound of bells ringing, first distantly, but then almost immediately picked up by nearer bells. Recognizing the tone, Arthur stood. ¡°That¡¯s my cue,¡± he said grimly. ¡°There is an eruption.¡± And it was early. Book 5 Ch37 - Wing Captain
The bells clanged at full force as Arthur ran into the crater beside the hive complex. He spared a moment to wonder if he should change out of his civilian clothes and into something more rider-like and professional. Certainly, the other wing captains had close-fit uniforms on with Blood Moon insignia sewn on. Plus what looked like panels of armor to protect vital organs. After a moment, he decided to forgo the uniform. He wasn¡¯t sure where he would find one, and he was short on time. Besides, Wing Purple was always the last to arrive at the eruption, and now he had reason to believe he had a target on his back. The last thing he should do was stand out in the crowd. Brixaby was flying about fifty feet up, buzzing back and forth in a basic search pattern to find him. Upon spotting Arthur, he dived and landed with his usual pinpoint accuracy right at Arthur¡¯s side. His bloodred eyes were bright and excited for the eruption to come. Wordlessly, Arthur vaulted up and took his seat. The moment he was secure on his neck, Brixaby took to the sky again. The crater itself was a hive of activity¡ªArthur winced at the pun¡ªwith dragons in all colors, shapes, and sizes flying back and forth to and from the assembling wings, some doing last-second chores. He heard orders being shouted, people speaking over each other, and even some minor hisses and growls as dragons from other wings vied for preferred places. He touched Brixaby¡¯s neck. ¡°Tell Joy and Cressida that we wish them good luck.¡± Brixaby swung his head around in the direction he was pointing, then stilled in concentration as he mentally sent the message. This far away, Arthur could not see Cressida¡¯s reaction. But Joy raised both of her wings almost straight up in the air in the equivalent of a dragon wave. Grinning, Arthur turned away and made himself concentrate on his own wing. Wing Purple was assembling in the same spot in the crater as before. Off to the side and easily forgotten. It looked like almost everybody had arrived. As usual, the larger Uncommons were the center of attention with their groups¡ªor fan clubs¡ªof riderless Commons clustered around them. The new additions had shown up as well. Thackeray and Steve stood a little off to the side with their dragons, both looking nervous and proud. Amanda stood there, too, her little green dragon looking around with wide eyes and a mat of tiny pink and white flowers growing up beneath her feet. It must be a nervous tick. The new riders seemed to have gathered their own mini flock of admirers. Some of the Common greens were looking at Candy Floss and Bolt with open jealousy. Arthur wondered if even more would show up next time he offered them prospective riders. However, all eyes turned to Arthur and Brixaby as they flew in. He felt Brixaby swell up with pride, his head and neck lifting higher, his neck arching up. He loved being the center of attention. ¡°Brixaby,¡± Arthur said, and pointed upward to where a few Common greens were hovering to chat with one another. Brixaby understood right away and belted out a sharp, ¡°Settle down and land!¡± He must have added a touch of his Stunning Shout because conversations between dragons of nearby wings stopped, and even more eyes turned their way. However, it was more than effective at getting the flighty purples to settle themselves. Brixaby continued hovering few body lengths above the ground. Arthur didn¡¯t have access to the Stunning Shout as it was an aspect of Brixaby¡¯s Call of the Void, but he accessed his Leadership skill and projected his own voice. ¡°Wing Purple! As some of you know, this eruption came a little earlier than forecasted. Our primary goal today will be to rescue people. I don¡¯t care if they¡¯re a peasant or a nobleman. Get everybody out and get them here to safety.¡± He swept his gaze around to make sure that everyone was paying strict attention. There were some carefully blank expressions from some of the Uncommon riders, but no one looked outright rebellious at the directive to not collect expensive goods. ¡°Secondary goals,¡± he said, ¡°are the livestock and animals.¡± This caused a few confused looks among them. Arthur elaborated, ¡°Every cow, sheep, chicken, and goat that we save from the mouths of scourglings, we save for ourselves.¡± This seemed to be a popular idea with the Common purples, who chirped with excitement. Then a side conversation broke out among a cluster of them over who could gather the most chickens in the quickest amount of time. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Brixaby turned his baleful stare on them, and they calmed down again. ¡°Thirdly.¡± Arthur reached into his sadly depleted Personal Space and pulled out strips of red ribbon. He had gotten this tagging system from the New Houston sheriffs, so when he had spotted ribbon among the quartermaster¡¯s things, of course he demanded it. He had received it, too, at no cost, though he¡¯d gotten a weird look. He made a show of handing the cut ribbons to Thackeray. The wing was small, and by now people knew that he used to be a merchant. Also, anyone with eyes could see that his undersized purple could not fly rescue with her riders. ¡°Once the initial sweeps for people and livestock are done, you¡¯re to go back and look for the red tags. Anything red-tagged by Thackeray is of extreme priority. He used to be a merchant, and he knows what will sell, so even it doesn¡¯t look useful to you, grab it. ¡°I¡¯ve had a word with the quartermaster. You¡¯re to check in with him and his assistants any time you drop off goods or people¡ªyes, make sure you get credit for people!¡± They should have always gotten credit, but between having no captain, disorganization, and certain officials looking the other way and probably pocketing the shards, that hadn¡¯t been a priority. ¡°Make sure when you drop off someone or something, that it is written down.¡± He grabbed up sheaves of paper and several pencils. ¡°Uncommons, come up and get these. You¡¯ll be leading your groups of Commons for the rescue and recovery. It¡¯s up to you to write down what you pass over to the quartermaster. I¡¯ll be sitting down and comparing the lists with him after the eruption¡ª¡± He was interrupted by a ragged cheer from the wing. Apparently, holding the quartermaster to account was a popular decision. When the cheering subsided, Arthur finished up. ¡°Commons, you¡¯re to separate into groups and follow the Uncommons. Uncommons, you¡¯re to look to Griff for any questions. Griff, if you have any questions¡ª¡± ¡°Come to you?¡± Griff said with a wide grin. Arthur nodded. ¡°My dragon and I will be flying around and doing the same as any of you. We¡¯ll be starting with the rescue of people. Lastly,¡± he said, hoping to finish this up because his throat was starting to become a little raw, ¡°if there are disputes among dragon pairs from other hives, you¡¯re not to engage. No stealing harvests. Let them eat your dust and get out of the way. They¡¯re to kill scourglings, and we are to save what we can. If there¡¯s a real issue, then come to me. Now, everybody group up. Commons, I want you to find your favorite Uncommon and stay with them.¡± That last order might have been a bit of a mistake, as the Commons were already grouped up. Now that he¡¯d made it official, they felt the need to recheck where they were at, and many decided to switch to someone else. Apparently, there were factions among the Common. While they were cheerful, it was still cheerful drama. Some did not like others and did not want to be on the same team. Arthur allowed it to some point, trusting Brixaby to keep an eye on things so it didn¡¯t devolve into squabbling. Meanwhile, he dismounted and spoke quietly to Thackeray and Candy Floss. ¡°Small things of the highest value should go into your dimensional bag,¡± Arthur said. ¡°Jewelry, coins, shards. That sort of thing. If it¡¯s too large to move but extremely valuable, alert me directly, and . . .¡± He sighed. ¡°Try to save personal items, if you can. A lot of people are going to lose everything today.¡± Unfortunately, that was the reality when it came to an eruption, but if Arthur could make a difference, he would. ¡°What about me, sir?¡± Steve asked. He and Bolt had not moved to join with an Uncommon. That was a good question. Arthur had hopes that eventually he¡¯d have so many Commons with riders that they could form their own group, but right now there were only two. ¡°I want you to follow Griff and watch what he does,¡± Arthur said. ¡°Eventually, we¡¯ll have our own Common group with riders, and I¡¯ll have to choose a leader. If that¡¯s something that interests you, see how Griff leads and try to emulate that. Otherwise, do what he says, make rescues, and stay out of trouble.¡± Steve straightened up and nodded, reaching out to lead his slightly bewildered-looking dragon over to Griff. Then again, that just might be the permanent expression on Bolt¡¯s face. Finally, Arthur turned to Amanda. ¡°Let Thackeray know what kind of seed stock would be best,¡± he said, ¡°and in the meantime . . .¡± He trailed off, not sure what she should do. ¡°The hatchling wing will be running back and forth delivering messages and doing chores,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s what Marion and Soledad are up to right now. I thought I could report in on everybody¡¯s behalf.¡± Arthur nodded. He liked the fact that the three of them were getting to know each other. ¡°Thank you. Tell them they know what to do. Just keep yourself safe and keep your eyes open for anything interesting.¡± ¡°Interesting?¡± He lifted a shoulder in a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m always looking for ways to get shards.¡± She smiled. ¡°I can¡¯t wait until my dragon is old enough to join the wing for real.¡± Then she saluted, Blood Moon style, and ran off. Her tiny dragon was quick on her heels. Above, horns sounded along with the bells. Arthur glanced up. He didn¡¯t remember horns last time. Then again, it had been night, and the leadership had not been able to put on much of a show. The horns had a deep thrum to them. He wasn¡¯t sure if they were card enhanced or just some bass type of instrument, but they seem to be a signal for the green portal dragons to take off. The greens flew in a tight diamond formation, so close together that they were practically wingtip to wingtip. They circled once while the horns still blew. Arthur had to admit it made for a stunning sight. Below, dragons roared their enthusiasm, and riders yelled and whooped. They¡¯re getting everybody excited for the eruption to come. That hadn¡¯t happened last time, either. Maybe everyone was too tired from being caught in the middle of the night. The shimmer green wing angled upward and then split off in four neat directions, coming to a stop at a signal. Then they began to cast their magic. Unfortunately, Arthur and Brixaby were too far away to catch it with their Counterfeit Siphon. The large portal opened, and the first of the wings, one that was very heavy in reds and oranges, lifted into the air to go through. Arthur returned to Brixaby and took his seat, forcefully maintaining a stoic expression. Neither excited nor anxious, even though his heart was pounding. He felt Brixaby shift back and forth under him. He was raring to go. Finally, after the crater was emptied, the purples were allowed to ascend. Arthur and Brixaby led their wing into the air. Book 5 Ch38 - Wing Purple (1)
Arthur and Brixaby lifted into the air, and the rest of the wing followed . . . as an ungainly mob. We¡¯ll have to work on that, Arthur thought. Being purples, no one was in danger of running into one another. Everybody stayed respectfully back and allowed Brixaby and Arthur to hit the portal first. The transition was as smooth and instant as ever¡ªno awkward conversations with a rower. That was a plus. The first thing Arthur noticed on the other end was that this eruption, thankfully, was not occurring in the middle of a city. Forest stretched out in every direction, broken up by meadows and fields. And off in the distance stood a mountain chain with white-capped peaks. He wondered if they were in the territory of Wolf Moon Hive. Unfortunately, not only had it happened more quickly than the seers had foreseen, there seemed to be a delay in reporting to the hives. The cone was already huge and reached high into the sky. In the air, more portals were only beginning to open to disgorge dragons from other hives. But the ground was black with scourglings in places, and it was expanding like a giant wave. They had the shape of praying mantises: long bodies, tiny heads with clicky mandibles, and scythe-like arms. At a glance, he saw that they had already overrun several farms. There was no hope for the people inside. Purple should be in the air first, if just for rescues, he thought bitterly. How much time did it take while we waited for the rest of the wings to go first? Meanwhile, there were other farms farther out that still had a chance. Normal scourgling behavior was once they were blasted out from the eruption cone, they would strike out on their own and seek out prey. Sometimes, a few similarly powered scourglings would hunt in small groups. Come to think of it, it was a lot like normal dragon behavior if humans weren¡¯t directing them. The scourglings from this eruption seemed more group-minded than usual. The faster ones hung back and waited for the others so that they moved forward as one unit. From up high, it was like watching ants exit a disturbed nest. The wave of the scourglings moved through the forest, visible as dark patches between trees. There were so many that the foliage trembled with their passing. Dragons from all the hives dived down from the air, raking them with spells and casting elemental-based effects. A few briefly landed to fight on the ground before taking off again. But there were so many scourglings that as soon as a few dozen were mowed down, more came in from right behind to replace them. Arthur saw some dragons from other hives immediately exit their portals and dive down to go harvest a patch of scourglings that had just been hit by a long-range fire effect. They must have had flame-resistance cards. Meanwhile, they completely ignored other scourglings that were running around the affected area and continuing forward. They only wanted the shards. Brixaby twisted his neck around to look at Arthur, and he realized he had been squeezing the neck ridge hard in anger. He gave his dragon an apologetic look and patted the ridge. ¡°Sorry, Brix.¡± He didn¡¯t seem to care about the ridge. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Arthur nodded and focused on what he could control. He needed to be a wing captain now. Twisting in his seat, he glanced behind him to make sure the last of his wing had exited the portal. That would be Steve and Bolt, Candy Floss and Thackeray. The Commons emerged a few moments later . . . and Thackeray looked patently ridiculous standing in air with Candy Floss in his arms. He was also horribly exposed. Thankfully, none of the scourglings were the flying type or showed long-ranged magic. Arthur signaled with a sweep of his arms for his wing to follow. ¡°Brixaby, let¡¯s go to the east. I see some farms a bit before the leading edge.¡± Brixaby peered ahead. As a dragon, his far sight was much better than Arthur¡¯s. ¡°Yes, there are smokestacks and people running back and forth. They are afraid.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°They should be¡ªthey¡¯re about to be swallowed up by scourglings,¡± Arthur said. ¡°Let¡¯s make sure that doesn¡¯t happen.¡± They weren¡¯t the only ones who were headed in that direction. Other dragons wearing the Strawberry Moon insignia were already in the area and were busily attacking scourgling scouts¡ªlarger, Uncommon versions of the wave type. One turned to hiss at Brixaby, but another stopped him and said ¡°Purples.¡± And they turned away. Clearly, they weren¡¯t worried that their prey would be taken from them. In the distance, Arthur spotted darts of color as other purples, in singles and in pairs, flitted around to find people. Arthur bent low to speak quietly to Brixaby over the rush of wind. ¡°Try to stay away from any with the Wolf Moon insignia.¡± With his illusion card hiding his appearance, Brixaby might not be recognized, but it would be a very bad thing if Jo or Tess saw Arthur. Griff and his trailing purples moved on to one side of Arthur, and Sunny moved to the other side in a standard arrow break formation. The next farm came up over the horizon. It was a handsome, prosperous place¡ªseveral large buildings grouped close together with adjoining fields. Likely families or friends had all banded together to cut out some profit from the forest. The fields were well tended. The livestock was fat, though currently panicked, rushing back and forth in their pens. They weren¡¯t the only ones. Men and women sprinted between the houses, exchanging news and pointing up at dragons in the sky. Some of the older buildings looked like they¡¯d crumbled recently, probably due to the shaking from the eruption. It looked like the single purples from the other hives had not gotten here yet. Arthur and Brixaby were the first to land, and several people immediately rushed up to him. One woman tried to push a screaming baby in his arms. ¡°Please! Please, dragon rider! Save my baby! He¡¯s my only son!¡± ¡°Keep him,¡± Arthur said. ¡°We¡¯re getting you all out of here.¡± But his voice was drowned out by different, heart-breaking pleas. Normally, people were wary of the dragons to the point of fear, but oncoming death lent a lot of bravery. More people rushed up, begging for them and their loved ones to be saved. For a moment, it seemed that Brixaby was about to be swamped, but he was not a cuddly, kind-hearted purple who would allow that. He extended all four wings and swung his head, hissing low like a snake and showing dagger teeth. Suddenly, he had room all around him. The rest of the wing started to land, and Arthur cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, ¡°One adult or two children per dragon! We have enough dragons to get everybody.¡± ¡°Dragon rider,¡± one man called. He looked enough like the peasant man, Kirun, that Arthur did a brief double-take. Then he realized they were just dressed similarly, were of the same age, and had the same desperate look in their eyes. ¡°Dragon rider,¡± he said again. ¡°There¡¯s so many dragons in the sky, is there any way our farms can be saved?¡± Reluctantly, Arthur shook his head. ¡°No, the scourglings are minutes away, at best. We¡¯re doing what we can to stop them, but the cone is too close. I¡¯m sorry.¡± He really should have known that. This close, the cone dominated the entire skyline directly to the west, but he didn¡¯t blame him for hoping. The man¡¯s face crumpled, and for a moment he looked like he was going to burst into tears before he got control of himself, nodded, and turned to the closest purple to get a lift out. ¡°But what about my husband? My sons?¡± a panicked woman yelled. Arthur turned to her. She was yelling at Griff, who already had a child loaded up, and a teenage boy getting on behind him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Griff was saying in a placating tone of voice. ¡°These are as much as my dragon can take, but there are more landing in a few moments. Please just back up and wait your turn.¡± In the chaos, he wasn¡¯t understanding what the woman meant, but Arthur knew. ¡°Where are they?¡± he called. She turned to him, desperate. ¡°They went out hunting in the forest, yonder.¡± She flung a hand out farther to the east. That meant that they were farther away from the leading wave of oncoming scourglings, but they would also be hard to find. Arthur took a swift look around. More purples were still landing behind him. Too many. He hadn¡¯t started out from Blood Moon with this many. Had he somehow picked up extra purples on the way? Nearby, one tiny purple landed in front of a girl no older than five years old. He bent before her. ¡°Ride Squeaky! Ride Squeaky!¡± The girl, who didn¡¯t seem to have any parents around her, must have had pony riding lessons because she mounted the dragon with little hesitation and a lot of confidence. The tiny dragon took off with her, and in a moment, she was in the air and safe. Even more purple dragons landed, all riderless. There were more than enough for everybody. Arthur made a snap decision. ¡°Sunny,¡± he said, halting her just as she was about to land with her purple Commons in tow. ¡°We¡¯re going to get some stragglers in the forest. Follow me.¡± Brixaby jumped up in the air, and Sunny¡¯s dragon immediately followed. By her yelp, she hadn¡¯t been completely ready for the jump back into the sky. Brixaby arrowed straight for the forest, and Arthur closed his eyes. He really hated to do this¡ªhe didn¡¯t want to see the result¡ªbut he knew the quickest way to find the missing hunters. He accessed his Call of the Heart and focused all of his will and desire on finding those strangers. A map appeared, and he felt his stomach sink all the way down to his toes. It had picked up all of the lost humans in the forest. There were quite a lot of them. They were scattered, too, possibly panicked and running for their lives, trying to outrun the scourglings. Maybe they could if they had a physical card enhancement. He would just have to hope. Book 5 Ch39 - Wing Purple (2)
Arthur focused on a cluster of people that seemed to be heading back in their direction. That would make sense if they realized what was going on and were returning to save their farm and families. But even as he and Brixaby closed in with the other dragons behind, he saw the cluster halt. One of the dots made as if to break away. The dot didn¡¯t get far from the others before it suddenly disappeared from Arthur¡¯s map. Someone had just tried to run, and they had been killed. He directed Brixaby faster toward that direction. And soon, they broke through to a meadow with a disaster about to happen. About ten men and boys were gathered together, back to back, with basic weapons and slings. Surrounding them were three scourglings. These scourglings were scouts¡ªmuch larger than the ones in the oncoming wave. Nearly ten feet tall at the top of their tiny heads. Their slashing arms glinted in the light as if they had been somehow reinforced with metal. The bodies of two farmers lay in the dust, and the rest of the scourglings were closing in, looking as if they were ready to pick off the rest of the group one by one. The farmers, for their part, were doing the best they could to defend themselves. Someone had a card of fire and had drawn a circle around them. Unfortunately, that meant they were choking on smoke and the ring could only last for so long. The flames were lowering. It needed a lot of fuel to keep going. Their ring was seconds from being breached. Brixaby tilted his wings and dived down so fast that the wind screamed over the edge of his wings. Arthur shot off shrapnel at one of the scourglings, which tinged right off the hide. They had thick chitin, just like the nest tenders. ¡°Hold on,¡± Brixaby yelled. Knowing that tone of voice, Arthur gripped his neck ridges in front with both hands, legs clamped tight to his neck. That and all of his Dragon Riding skill let him keep his seat. Brixaby dumped his speed in a hairpin turn that brought him just above the heads of the farmers. The whiplash was so strong that Arthur was nearly flung away. He kept his seat by a hair. Then Brixaby let loose his Stunning Shout at the nearest scourgling. It slashed through the air like a knife. The scourgling it hit blew apart in two separate pieces. The other two scourglings whistled in fury and raced forward. Arthur grabbed for one of his butcher knives. There was no need. A second later, a purple blur flashed past him, and one of the scourglings was suddenly without a head. That purple blur resolved into Sunny, who now held a sword that was wet with scourgling ichor. She and her dragon had some kind of speed power. One of the farmers gestured sharply with his arms, and a tree bent, cracking, to grab the final scourgling and entangle it in its branches. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. That gave another farmer a few seconds he needed to throw fire right below its legs. The fire caught on the leaves of the forest and leapt up toward the trapped scourgling. Its whistle turned into a shriek. Then within a few seconds, it was no more. But there was no time to celebrate or even take a breath. Distant whistles became louder and more noticeable in the bare moment of calm. By the sounds of it, they were already at the farm. Arthur hoped that everybody had been evacuated in time. ¡°Pick a dragon and get on,¡± he told the farmers. ¡°We¡¯re getting out of here.¡± ¡°My family¡¯s back there,¡± one man pointed back toward the farm. ¡°We have a ranch¡ª¡± ¡°I know, that¡¯s where we came from, they sent us your way,¡± Arthur said, relieved that he had found the right group. ¡°You were hunting out here? Are there any others?¡± The man¡¯s face grew grim. ¡°None alive.¡± Then he turned and grabbed the shoulder of a boy who was looking down in shock at one of the fallen men. ¡°I¡¯ll do it, Dirk.¡± He bent and gestured to the glowing patch right above the man¡¯s back, as he had fallen on his face. Two cards rose up, and the man grabbed them before pressing them into the boy¡¯s hands. ¡°He would have wanted you to have these. They¡¯ve been in your family for generations. You¡¯re the man of the house now.¡± That seemed to break the dam on the boy¡¯s shock. He started to sob quietly. Arthur looked away, feeling like he had just seen something he shouldn¡¯t. The other farmers were hurrying to the purple dragons, though he noted that nobody picked him and Brixaby. It probably had something to do with Brixaby showing his teeth. ¡°Sir.¡± Sunny gestured to the bodies of the scourglings. He stared at her blankly, unsure of what she wanted. Brixaby was quicker on the uptake. ¡°Harvest from the one that you killed only, and let the farmers harvest from the one that they took.¡± She scowled. ¡°But we just saved these people. This is legal loot.¡± Arthur felt more than saw Brixaby wavering at that¡ªtechnically, Sunny was right, and her reasoning spoke to Brixaby¡¯s inner greed. With an internal sigh, Arthur dismounted and went to the scourgling Brixaby had taken down. It yielded three Uncommon shards. No wonder Sunny wanted the harvest. That was an entire cycle¡¯s work right there. ¡°You heard him,¡± he said to Sunny, and then went to the scourgling the farmer had taken down himself. It was burnt to a crisp, and he was lucky that there was a viable harvest at all, but it yielded a whopping four Uncommon shards. Turning, he walked back to the man who was still comforting the boy. Arthur held out the shards, and the man took them, a little amazement in his eyes tinged with wariness. ¡°Get him on a dragon,¡± Arthur said. ¡°We have drinks to calm people back at the hive.¡± He paused. The boy looked thirteen or fourteen. Old enough to take cards into his heart deck, if barely. ¡°Make sure he adds the cards in his heart deck first. But hurry, we need to leave.¡± As if to punctuate that, there was scourgling whistle, close enough to startle a few purples into flight, apparently before the passengers were ready, as Arthur heard yelps of surprise. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Arthur said, and turned back to Brixaby. As he remounted, he said quietly to his dragon, ¡°I just got three Uncommons from that scourgling, and four from the farmer¡¯s.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Brixaby said, ¡°this eruption is much stronger than the last.¡± Then his dragon gave him a significant look. Arthur knew he was thinking about when they would return to this eruption after this was all done with. Soon I¡¯m going to have more shards than I know what to do with, Arthur thought with a grim smile. How¡¯s that for the blood price? Even though the scourglings were growing closer, he held Brixaby on the ground to make sure everybody got a seat and that none of the small dragons were overloaded. Thankfully, more than enough had followed them on this jaunt. According to Call of the Heart, there were more people in the forest, and Arthur planned to use his Personal Space for them. The next dot was less than half a mile away. ¡°Sunny, get this group back to the hive and meet up with Griff on the return. You two keep clearing out survivors from the farms.¡± She nodded, but then gave him an assessing look. ¡°And you, sir?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to stay back and look for any survivors in the forest. Get going,¡± he said quickly before anybody could lodge an objection. The purples launched into the air. Book 5 Ch40: Assassins Brixaby buzzed straight up, getting altitude so he and Arthur could get a read on the situation. It wasn¡¯t good. It seemed that the leading wave of scourglings had indeed reached the farm. Arthur didn¡¯t see anybody running for their lives, but not all the paddocked animals had been saved, either. The buildings were already aflame, courtesy of fighting dragons that were trying to stem the outward push. But as many scourglings as the dragons killed, more flowed to take their place. There were so many, in fact, that Arthur saw quite a few scourglings pushed into the fires from the sheer weight of the crowd around them. They need to stem the flow at the crater. Of course, he wasn¡¯t the only one to think that. A smoke or dust haze had been kicked up at the top of the crater. Through it, he saw flashes in every color of the rainbow¡ªincluding violet¡ªwhich made him think that Horatio might be out there. And Cressida, he thought, with a pang of worry. But she and Joy would keep each other safe. He had to trust in that. With effort, he tore his gaze away and focused back on the map. Brixaby turned toward the east. There may be a survivor out there in that direction. He quickly refreshed his map, first by focusing on more Uncommon-type scouts¡ªand there certainly were a few of those running around¡ªluckily, none were near his location. With the last search cleared, he cast the card once again on the survivors. His heart sank. That dot that they had been heading for was gone. And so were many others. There were still a few clusters here and there. He sent Brixaby toward the southeast instead. As he did, he turned to check on Sunny and the other purples. They were heading straight back toward Blood Moon Hive¡¯s portal. Unfortunately, that path would overfly the farm. That would be disturbing to their passengers, but there wasn¡¯t much he could do. He wasn¡¯t going to ask Brixaby to use mana and open the dark rower¡¯s portal. That would likely disturb them even more. Brixaby flew with his usual breakneck speed, but suddenly a feeling of uneasiness slithered up Arthur¡¯s spine. He glanced around. The air was clear of scourglings, and all the non-purple dragons were behind him and Brixaby, still fighting at the leading wave. So far, this eruption had not produced any flying-type scourglings. There was no threat in the sky. ¡°Okay, Brixaby,¡± he said, consulting the map again. ¡°See that river out in the distance? Where it curves into the U? I think the next group is just past that¡ª¡± The uneasiness sharply increased. In that moment, he realized it wasn¡¯t a random bad feeling at all. His Stealth skill screamed at him. He reached down and yanked Brixaby into his Personal Space, then followed right behind. Brixaby had been in mid-flight and immediately braked. But if he hadn¡¯t been a purple, able to stop and hover almost instantly in midair, he would have struck one of the walls. Still, he pulled up so fast that Arthur actually lost physical contact with him for a second, which froze Brixaby in place and time. Then Brixaby¡¯s natural nullification magic kicked in, and he began to move in a stuttering, unnatural way. It lasted only for a moment until Arthur¡¯s butt hit scales again and he put his hand on Brixaby¡¯s neck. ¡°What is this?¡± His dragon swung around, tail knocking into a bunch of pallets that Arthur had stored, sending bolts and nails everywhere. ¡°Why am I here?¡± Arthur spoke quickly, more due to adrenaline than anything else because here in this space . . . they had all the time in the world. ¡°Someone is coming out of stealth right above and to our left side.¡± Brixaby¡¯s nostrils flared. ¡°Scourglings?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. They¡¯d have to be high powered enough to have full cards, and we haven¡¯t seen anything like from this eruption yet.¡± ¡°I would have smelled a Rare scourgling from a mile away,¡± Brixaby growled. Arthur nodded. ¡°One more thing. I haven¡¯t had time to tell you, but Larry, my spy, told me about a very interesting conversation . . .¡± Brixaby landed, and Arthur quickly relayed the gist of what Larry had overheard. By the time he was done, Brixaby was standing very, very still. ¡°Card wielders, then, not scourglings,¡± he said. ¡°It appears that they have chosen to die.¡± ¡°We only have a few seconds to react in real time,¡± Arthur said. ¡°They¡¯re coming out of stealth now, which means they¡¯re about to begin their attack. Ideas?¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Several.¡± **** Arthur and Brixaby emerged from their Personal Space. While in there, Brixaby had lost all of his momentum, so he used that standing start to instantly shoot straight upward. Liquid fire and a bloom of ice hit where they had been a moment before. Just behind and to the side of that spot, the air seemed to fall away in tatters as two dragons, a red and a blue, erupted out of stealth. The red was every bit as big as Sams, Horatio¡¯s mature dragon. And he had an orange belly, indicating that he¡¯d had at least two riders in his lifetime. The blue was a delicate shade Arthur had seen a few times when looking into deep old ice. Neither carried riders. That was all he had time to note before Brixaby bent his neck down and let loose his Stunning Shout. It came out in a crescent large enough to hit both of them. But the blue had recovered from the shock of the first missed attack and coalesced an ice shield between them. Brixaby¡¯s Stunning Shout had come from a Legendary card, and these two had the feeling of Rares. The ice shield shattered, but the energy it took to break through meant that when the shout hit the blue, it didn¡¯t cut him in two. It just stunned him for a moment. Meanwhile, the red had turned quickly for a very large dragon and began surging straight up toward them. Every beat of his wings brought him closer¡ªhe could actually fly upward faster than Brixaby. That was when Arthur dived off of the side of his dragon¡¯s neck. The red hadn¡¯t expected that. His wing beats stuttered for a moment in surprise, but he collected himself and shot out a burst of hot liquid fire. Arthur used his Phase In, Phase Out to dive neatly through it and emerge on the other side. But Arthur was falling, and it was obvious he didn¡¯t have any flight capabilities. He saw the moment that the red dismissed him in his mind and focused again on Brixaby. The blue, recovered and angered at getting hit with that Stunning Shout, was pumping his wings. And while he was not ascending as fast as the red, his focus was on Brixaby. Arthur sort of wanted to look up, too, but he knew better. He watched the enemy dragons, and so he saw the moment that Brixaby used his Night-Mare Fire. The dragons¡¯ reactions were instant, shrieking and stalling midair, looking like they wanted to run, wanted to flee in any direction, but weren¡¯t sure what to do. And that was when Arthur, still falling, peppered the red dragon right in the face with metal shrapnel. The dragon jerked his head back, but not before Arthur struck him in an eye. He was falling past the dragon now, and that was when Arthur grabbed a rope tied to a metal weight from his Personal Space. He tended to use his Makeshift Weaponry card only in conjunction with his skills. It gave a boost to telepathy-enhanced Knife Work and Butchering skills, especially when those knives were not standard. Such as the sword-like knives that Brixaby had given him a bit before. He focused solely on his Makeshift Weaponry now and used it in conjunction with his Throwing skill. The metal weight sailed through and managed to hit the very large target that was the dragon¡¯s neck, coming around the other side and catching the rope again.
New skill gained: Lasso (Cowboy Class) Due to your card¡¯s bonus traits, you automatically start this skill at level 5.
Huh, new skill. That was rarer nowadays. Interesting class, too. He¡¯d heard that word in New Houston a few times. That was the last thing Arthur thought before the rope went taut, and he realized he had forgotten to put on gloves. His hand slipped down the rope. He grimaced but forced his fingers to close despite the fiery pain. Somehow¡ªthe fear of falling to his death, probably¡ªhe managed to keep his grip. It didn¡¯t help that the dragon was thrashing, both from the lingering effects of the Night-Mare Fire and Arthur¡¯s shrapnel to the face and eye. Meanwhile, Brixaby dived straight down and landed on the blue. His fight was much simpler. The blue was still caught in the grip of terror from the Night-Mare Fire and barely knew what was happening. With the callous move of an executioner, Brixaby ripped three cards from the dragon¡¯s core. Dragons were magical creatures, literally hatched and built around their cards. The moment his cards were gone, the dragon was dead. The corpse seemed to sink in on itself, becoming smaller and less substantial. It fell and Brixaby buzzed away. At that moment, the red seemed to realize what was going on and noticed the rope with Arthur climbing up it. With a snarl, he bit at Arthur, who simply used his Phase In, Phase Out to avoid it and kept climbing. He only needed another couple of feet. Then the dragon gave it to him. As its neck sailed by, he muttered ¡°Sorry¡± and grabbed the two cards he sensed within the dragon. He kicked off as the red, immediately dead, started to fall away. The trees were close now. But Brixaby buzzed to put himself under Arthur¡¯s falling body, coming up to catch him. He and Brixaby silently watched the bodies of the two dragons fall into the forest. They hit with thuds that brought up dust. Arthur didn¡¯t feel good about any of this, but they had decided in their Personal Space that there would be no survivors. He looked around, feeling somewhat ashamed. Killing them had been so easy. The farm was a smoking ruin, and he saw only the darkness of oncoming scourglings where the land had been. Even the dragons who had been following the leading waves had moved on. Brixaby landed near the blue first. There was no insignia of a hive on him, nor any indication from his scales that he had recently worn a saddle. Dragons tended to shed their scales, so anything that might have been crushed recently by buckles or fast maneuvers that would tightened the straps would be covered up within a year. ¡°These were wild dragons,¡± Brixaby said with a tinge of disgust in his voice. ¡° I did not feel a link to a rider when I took his cards.¡± Arthur hadn¡¯t noticed the same, but Call of the Void wasn¡¯t his card. He had only used it through Brixaby. ¡°The question is,¡± Arthur began, ¡°was it a crime of opportunity¡ªdid they just see a purple pair flying alone and decide to try their luck¡ªor were they paid?¡± Brixaby was silent, and Arthur knew that he didn¡¯t have an answer either. Quickly, Arthur dropped down and went to the bodies. They had been harvested, so he felt nothing from them. No sense of power. That was good, because he did not want to waste a Rare shard on assassins. Grabbing two Uncommon shards, he used his Phase In, Phase Out to plunge his arm into the chest of the blue. He left the shards behind and withdrew his arm. When the oncoming wave of scourglings came, they would sense the magic in this body, and they would tear it apart to find the shards. That would conveniently cover up what Arthur and Brixaby had done. After all, Brixaby had not been quiet about his capabilities as a hatchling. Neither he nor Arthur wanted any link between Brixaby, the Legendary card-stealing hatchling, and Bisbee, the Rare purple. The red dragon had not fallen far, and Arthur repeated the process. ¡°Well,¡± Arthur said, ¡°let¡¯s take a look at the cards.¡± He pulled Brixaby again into his Personal Space. Book 5 Ch41: The Thick of Battle
Inside his Personal Space, Arthur leaned back against Brixaby and took out the cards. He wasn¡¯t very excited about them. Brixaby noticed his look. ¡°They were weak and aggressive. A foolish combination.¡± ¡°I know, but I still didn¡¯t like killing them.¡± ¡°Think of it this way: It was better that they attacked us than any of our winged riders while they were alone.¡± That actually helped. A little. Arthur didn¡¯t straighten. He was tired, and physical contact with his dragon, even with just the side of his arm, kept time from freezing for Brixaby. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s see what cards they gave us.¡±
Liquid Inferno Rare Elemental The wielder of this card will generate fire which will then flow and behave much like a blazing-hot liquid. This fire is unusually sticky and may adhere to both enemies and allies. Note that this card does not make the wielder impervious to fire. Liquid Inferno may be smothered by water. This card does not use mana.
This was a very traditional card for a red dragon. Arthur imagined the effects could be easily enhanced by linking with a Rare rider with similar powers. He remembered the dragon had an orange stomach. The second card reflected that.
Flame Shrapnel Rare Elemental This card contains a spell that, when cast on fire, will transform it into a solid. That solid will then explode at the caster¡¯s will into piercing shards. If these shards fall within the wielder¡¯s sight, they may be transformed again into fire using mana, restarting the process.
That was mildly terrifying. ¡°We were lucky the red didn¡¯t use this spell.¡± ¡°We never gave him the chance,¡± Brixaby said diffidently. ¡°We put him down too fast.¡± The last card that came from the red was a standard Uncommon mana card that unlocked mana for the wielder and then stored a portion of it for later use. Arthur had a very similar one himself. He would see if anyone from his wing needed it. The blue dragon, unsurprisingly, had ice-based cards.
Core of the Permafrost Shield Rare Elemental The wielder of this card will be able to create a nearly indestructible barrier made of ice. Any enemy will risk frostbite damage upon contact with the shield. Allies will be unaffected by frostbite. After its use is completed, the ice barrier may be dismissed at will. This card does not use mana.
¡°Nearly indestructible,¡± Brixaby said smugly. The last card was fairly interesting.
Veil of Ice Rare Stealth/Elemental The wielder of this card will gain the ability to cloak themselves and one chosen companion within a mobile sheet of ice. This ice will reflect light perfectly and allow the wielder and their optional companion to move without visual detection. This veil will be less effective in low-light areas.
¡°We are not giving that last one away,¡± Brixaby said. ¡°No, but I think the Permafrost Shield and Liquid Inferno should go to Soledad and Equinox.¡± Brixaby had no issue with that. ¡°But what of the Flame Shrapnel? It has interesting applications.¡± ¡°I like it,¡± Arthur said, ¡°and I¡¯d use it myself, except I have no way to cast fire to start it other than to throw torches at people.¡± He glanced at his dragon. ¡°You know it has to go to Soledad or Equinox. They¡¯re building a deck that is almost entirely combat based. As soon as Equinox grows a little, they¡¯re going to be powerful.¡± ¡°He does not have the heart of a fighter,¡± Brixaby grumbled. Equinox was a rather . . . balanced dragon. That likely made him a little too calm for Brixaby¡¯s taste. ¡°He¡¯s still young,¡± Arthur said, then sighed. ¡°But there is still an eruption going on out in the real world. Ready to go back?¡± Brixaby grumbled a little. ¡°I still think we should focus on combat cards for the future.¡± ¡°That would be nice, but . . . Brix, think about it. We¡¯re utility users, and we just defeated two assassins like it was nothing.¡± Despite the fact that he wasn¡¯t feeling great about killing, Arthur gave him a tight smile. ¡°We have quite the bag of tricks up our sleeves.¡± ¡°Sometimes tricks run out,¡± Brixaby said. Back in the real world, he remounted Brixaby again, and they took off into the air. Fighting the assassins hadn¡¯t taken too long, but it seemed in that short period of time, the dragons had lost the fight to keep the scourglings out of the forest. And now that they had cover of the trees, they were advancing quickly. ¡°Brixaby, can you search for survivors?¡± Arthur said. He was getting tired, physically and emotionally. And . . . he didn¡¯t want to look. Brixaby paused for a moment. ¡°None.¡± ¡°None?¡± Then he remembered. Even if there wasn¡¯t the leading wave of scourglings, the Uncommon scouts had been in the trees first. He suddenly felt a lot less bad about the assassin dragons. If they had not attacked, Arthur and Brixaby probably would have been able to save a couple of people. He and Brixaby flew back to meet the purples returning from the portal. Candy Floss and Thackeray were the first to meet them. Thackeray was grim and white-faced. ¡°I tagged some items, but the scourglings came on so fast, we had to get out of there. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to collect anything more until the area is cleared out again.¡± Arthur should have thought of that. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Are either of you injured?¡± ¡°I keep Thackeray safe,¡± Candy Floss said, with a slightly reproachful look. Arthur nodded. ¡°And you need to keep him safe. Go back to the hive. This eruption is moving too fast for you guys right now. I¡¯ll call you two back out once the fighters start to stem the waves.¡± Though, by the way things were going, he had no idea when that would happen. **** It was hard, but they had a job to do. Despite all the grimness around them, many fighting dragons were having a smorgasbord, as whatever card power was cast out resulted in the death of dozens of scourglings. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The problem came when they went to collect those shards. A dragon that dived too low could be hooked by flailing scourglings and brought down. Unfortunately, some found out the hard way that these scourglings could leap up vertically much higher than what seemed possible. If a dragon was caught and pulled down, it was quickly overwhelmed by the masses below. One horrifying time, he saw a scourgling jump up and pull the rider right out of the dragon¡¯s saddle. The dragon screamed and dived after him, and they were both piled on by scourglings. Unfortunately, Arthur saw this all play out at a distance and was much too far away to help. Sometimes, though, downed dragons could be helped by others nearby. If they happened to be in a dedicated wing, like Blood Moon Hive, help was nearly always at hand. Meanwhile, the leading front wave of scourglings kept expanding out and out. That meant there were far more farmsteads in need of evacuation, and longer traveling time to get there and back to the hive portal. Arthur¡¯s dragons had been brave and done quite a lot of rescue runs. Some had even managed some limited collecting of light, easy-to-carry valuables, and a few farm animals here and there. But there was always more help needed than what they could give. The purples were tiring. Arthur pushed, encouraged, and sometimes outright threatened to get the dragons to give just a little more. He and Brixaby concentrated on collecting valuables whenever they could. It wasn¡¯t for greed¡¯s sake¡ªhis entire wing needed a cover story to explain why they had so many Uncommon shards. And when there were more people in need of evacuation than there were dragons, he stored them in his Personal Space. At that moment, he had a family of five. All were uncarded, so they was no magical weight to them. Finally, Arthur had to bow to the inevitable and told half of his tired Commons to go rest for an hour and then come back and switch out with the other half. He knew that the eruption would still be in full swing. It was like a spreading wildfire, and even the might of all the hives didn¡¯t have enough power to stamp it out. The dragons were losing ground. Then it got worse. Arthur wasn¡¯t exactly sure what made him look. Maybe a sound or an absence of sound. He wasn¡¯t the only one. Suddenly, all heads turned toward the eruption. The eruption cone itself was still obscured in a thick cloud of dusty haze, though scourglings poured out of the top and down the crumbly, near-vertical walls. The number of colors, like lightning strikes in a cloud, increased almost to a frantic level. Something inside had made the dragons trying to stem the flow pull out all of the stops. Then scourglings on the cloud spilled out. Arthur was escorting his purples to one of the outflung farms. He saw them as motes in the air at first, because they were only as large as the ones on the ground. But they were exceedingly fast, and he soon caught the shape of them. They were, again, a lot like the mantis type, only they had buzzing dragonfly wings, stiff as a board yet delicate-looking. But it was enough to allow them to fly in a single direction very, very fast. And it seemed there was more than enough to overwhelm the dragons at the cone. Shields of all elements and mana types snapped into place. That gave rider and dragon pairs time to put some distance between themselves and the oncoming flyers. It was just enough to keep it from becoming a rout, though Arthur did see dragons fall to the ground. ¡°Brixaby,¡± he said frantically, ¡°do you see¡ª¡± ¡°They¡¯re fine,¡± Brixaby said, and pointed to a spot just east of the cone. ¡°I have been keeping my eye on them.¡± Arthur followed where he was pointing and spotted a large wing of dragons all moving in a disciplined diamond formation. They were well back from the first wave of flyers. He saw Sams, sparking unusually golden, as if he were powering up a strong spell. And at the very tip of the diamond, right behind the wing captain, he spotted Joy¡¯s bright pink hide. That wing had gotten free of the chaos before it erupted, almost as if they had been forewarned. Pinks were meta or knowledge dragons, and they often filled tactician roles. People did say Captain Beryl was a staunch traditionalist. He obviously knew how to use his dragons to their best advantage. Arthur heaved a sigh of relief. It wasn¡¯t a good situation, but he was glad that Cressida and Horatio seemed to be safe. Now, Arthur had to get his purples away as soon as possible. Everybody had stopped midair to stare toward the cone. He signaled for them to move on, and when a few didn¡¯t get the message, Brixaby roared, using a little bit of his Stunning Shout to shock them. That got their attention. At least twenty minutes of straight flight later, they dived for the next farm. From there, the eruption cone looked only as large as Arthur¡¯s spread hand. And yet, they were in immediate danger of being swamped over by the scourglings. He couldn¡¯t imagine the uncountable number that this cone had pumped out. Arthur also couldn¡¯t help but imagine how many nests had to be under the cone. If there was good way to sense that this was coming . . . to seek out the proto-nests nests and stop the eruption before it happened, Arthur thought with frustration. He could with the Call of the Heart, but surely there were more seeker cards out there. Low-level guards had them at the borderlands to look for contraband. Why weren¡¯t people proactively doing this? Or at the very least, getting the farmers out ahead of time? He set that frustration aside and started directing his riders on how to best evacuate. At least these farmers weren¡¯t completely oblivious to what was going on and had been watching the fight the entire day. They seemed resigned, and many had brought basic supplies in packs they slung over their shoulders. Arthur could appreciate prepared people. On their way back, it became obvious that the hive dragons could no longer contain this eruption. The only time the new waves of scourglings seemed to be knocked back was when a Rare dragon blasted over them. He and Brixaby were treated to the sight of a silver exhale what looked like glittering dust over a wide swath of scourglings. Whatever the dust touched simply dropped dead where it stood. And, weirdly enough, the shards all floated up out of the corpses for the silver to collect without them having to dive down for the harvest. ¡°Arthur! Arthur! Did you see that?¡± Hearing Brixaby¡¯s sudden excitement made Arthur realize how tired his dragon was, because this was the most animated he¡¯d been in a couple of hours. He dredged up a smile from somewhere and laid a hand on the side of his neck. ¡°No, we can¡¯t take their card,¡± he murmured. ¡°But I won¡¯t take it,¡± Brixaby complained. ¡°I will simply use Counterfeit Siphon near him. Then when I have his spell for my own, I will put it to excellent use. This is for the wing, Arthur. Think of all the shards.¡± Arthur was tempted by the idea. They would only need to get near the dragon to copy the spell. From the insignia on the saddle, it was from Worm Moon Hive. Weren¡¯t Worm Moon and Blood Moon supposed to be political allies? The dragons Brixaby was leading hesitated, perhaps sensing their leader was torn by something. Arthur hardened his heart. ¡°Sorry, Brixaby,¡± he muttered. ¡°Duty calls.¡± Brixaby heaved a sigh and continued flying toward the portal. ¡°Yes, yes,¡± he muttered, sullen. ¡°But if we get the chance¡ª¡± ¡°If we get the chance, we are absolutely using Counterfeit Siphon,¡± Arthur said. That seemed to cheer Brixaby up a little. As they flew away, Arthur twisted back to get another look at the silver dragon. He wouldn¡¯t forget him anytime soon. He had such a useful card. **** They dropped off their evacuees, and Arthur emptied out his Personal Space. Then they went out again. But their next farm was not too far away. Unfortunately, some of the scourgling flyers had by now flown in their direction, and Brixaby had to cut a few down at a distance using his Stunning Shout. The scourglings had armored chitin outsides, which made them impervious to Arthur¡¯s shrapnel attacks. Their wings were exactly as delicate as they looked, and Arthur aimed for the joint that connected it to the body. It only took one cut wing to send the scourgling spiraling down to its death. This next farm was again large and sprawling. Luckily, more waves of purples¡ªmany wearing insignia from different hives¡ªjoined in. These had riders on them, and they shouted cheerful acknowledgment to Arthur, who waved back. To keep from being recognized, Arthur pulled out a scarf from his Personal Space and wound it around his head, only keeping a gap open for his eyes. If anybody asked later, he would claim it was for windburn. With the additional help from the other hives, there was enough to rescue everyone and the animals from the new farm. When they lifted off again, the air was thick with more scourgling flyers. Frustrated, Arthur had Brixaby open up a portal straight to Blood Moon Hive. They dropped off their passengers and returned again. Now the air was even thicker with enemies. It seemed that the cone was erupting just as many flyers as it was ground mantises. Where are the Legendaries? Arthur thought. This eruption was only growing larger and larger, and soon it could be completely out of control. That was when he spotted new movement on the horizon. A distant shout went up, and several dragons from different hives paired up together to start rushing toward the area. It seemed that in this emergency, all rivalries were forgotten. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Arthur asked. Dragons had much better long vision than a person without the aid of a specific card. Brixaby was silent for a few moments, staring off in the distance. His shoulders sagged. ¡°The mega-scourglings have arrived,¡± he said in a flat voice. ¡°All Rares.¡± Arthur closed his eyes. ¡°How bad is it?¡± ¡°They are shaped much like the ground crawlers, only easily four times as tall. They are cutting down anything in their way with those knife arms.¡± The way Brixaby said it made Arthur aware that by ¡°anything¡± he meant dragons and their riders. A mega-scourgling was generally a Rare, which meant that it would take other Rares needed to come together to fight it off. He clenched his fists and fought the urge to pound his fist on something. The only thing within reach was Brixaby¡¯s neck ridge, and he wasn¡¯t going to do that. ¡°Aren¡¯t they fighting back? The Rares?¡± he growled, frustrated. ¡°Of course they are,¡± Brixaby said. ¡°It appears that their hides are impervious to spells. They must have some nullification aspects to it.¡± He paused. ¡°Rares from many hives are coming together to form temporary wings in order to take them down.¡± Which was good news, but unfortunately, those Rares were needed to push back the incredible waves of regular Common and Uncommon scourglings. ¡°The Legendaries have to be coming soon,¡± Arthur muttered, half to himself and half to Brixaby. ¡°This is . . . I¡¯ve never seen it this bad.¡± Except that wasn¡¯t true. One time when he was still a recruit vying for the opportunity to stand before Brixaby¡¯s egg, he had been in the middle of a bad scourge-eruption. It hadn¡¯t been this large, but the subtype had been mind magic, and many had no way to fight against that. Apparently, in the worst-case scenario, the king¡¯s dragon and only Mythic in the kingdom, Lung Bai would come and . . . wipe the slate clean, as it were. Arthur did not want that for many reasons. One was that anyone who hadn¡¯t been evacuated yet would die. Including the ones that hadn¡¯t been overrun by scourglings. For another, he had promised to bring Marion to try to heal the king. He . . . hadn¡¯t gotten around to that yet. No doubt Lung Bai could see through Brixaby¡¯s Illusion and Knocked Down cards. If she was coming, Arthur and Brixaby had to be elsewhere. He was just contemplating his next move¡ªhe would have to keep his purples well away from any Rare fights, the Commons especially¡ªwhen he heard his name being yelled. He looked up and saw Griff and Squish flying toward them. Squish barreled in, his eyes wide, mouth open and panting with exertion. He had pushed himself to get there fast. ¡°The portal dragons are falling back,¡± Griff said. ¡°Falling back?¡± he repeated, stunned. ¡°There¡¯s too many of those flyers in the sky. The defenders can¡¯t stop them anymore, and the last thing we need is for those things to fly into other parts of the kingdom. Everyone is retreating. It¡¯s time for noncombatants to get out.¡± He was right, and Arthur hated it. There were still so many farms to save . . . He paused to take a good look around his wing. They had all followed him, and would continue to follow him if he asked, but they were clearly exhausted. Necks were bowed, shoulders hunched, and even the bright nonsensical chittering of the purples had stopped quite a while ago. They couldn¡¯t go on for much longer. Arthur raised his voice. ¡°Follow Griff. Retreat back to the portal. You all did good today.¡± Griff wasn¡¯t an idiot. He looked at Arthur. ¡°And you, sir?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll keep going for a while yet.¡± After all, they were not noncombatants. Book 5 Ch42: In The Thick of Battle (2) Griff looked reluctant at his order but saluted. Buzzing upward, Squish roared to get everyone¡¯s attention. When eyes fell his way, Griff circled above his head, then pointed back the way they came: the signal to retreat back to the portal. There were a lot of relieved expressions. Arthur realized that if they hadn¡¯t had such a successful harvesting expedition yesterday, he might have had more trouble getting people to retreat. But everybody should be well up on card shards, which enabled them to make smarter decisions. He¡¯d have to remember that in the future. Leading people was tricky business. Arthur watched the group fly off for a few minutes. Once he was certain no flying scourglings were angling their way, and that they¡¯d have a safe trip back to the portal, he turned his attention back to the eruption. Everywhere he looked, he saw that things were degrading. Dragons and their riders were fighting, yes, but they were ceding ground. The scourglings were advancing. ¡°Brix, if a Legendary scourgling shows up . . .¡± He didn¡¯t finish, but Brixaby understood what he was asking. ¡°Yes,¡± Brixaby said grimly. He and Brixaby would have to step in. They weren¡¯t traditional fighters, but with Counterfeit Siphon, they could copy the powers of those who could fight and use them along with Brixaby¡¯s massive mana pool. It still may not be enough to stop a Legendary scourgling because surely anything they siphoned would be a Rare, Uncommon, or Common power. But they could easily do some damage. And they would allow others to escape. Arthur was just mulling this over when Brixaby spoke again. ¡°However, if we do take on a Scourge God, we will lose everything that we have gained at Blood Moon Hive.¡± Arthur opened his mouth to reply, but Brixaby was not done. ¡°And any other Legendary pair that comes to assist may turn on us. Certainly, we will become instant enemies of Chester and Whitaker. And,¡± He sighed reluctantly. ¡°I may be slightly tired from so much flying back and forth. However, I am certain that we could get away¡ªeither by finding protection from another hive or portaling out across the world. If this happens, though, our enemies may go after the rest of my retinue.¡± Arthur sat for a moment, digesting Brixaby¡¯s words. He could be greedy and single-minded, but he was never stupid. With a feeling of chagrin, Arthur realized that, for once, he was the one being short-sighted. Brixaby was right on all points. If they dropped their persona of a Rare pair, all bets were off. The wrong people would quickly remember that he had brought others with him to Blood Moon Hive. If they couldn¡¯t get to Arthur and Brixaby, they would go after his retinue. Cressida, Horatio, Marion, Soledad, and their dragons would all be in danger. Even Wing Purple would probably be in trouble. Certainly, they¡¯d be put under suspicion and questioned. Frustrated, Arthur clenched his fists. He could accept the risk of being turned on by the other Legendary pairs and running for his life. Putting everyone else in danger, though? He didn¡¯t know if he could do it. How far am I willing to go? he asked himself. He let out a long breath and tried to exhale his anger along with it. ¡°I don¡¯t disagree, but I don¡¯t think that either one of us is capable of ignoring a Scourge God. So if one starts to erupt, and we¡¯re the only ones here, let¡¯s have a plan.¡± ¡°What do you mean? What plan is there other than to fight?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll use your portal back to Blood Moon Hive and get the hatchlings out first. Maybe the Common purples, too.¡± He was fairly certain he had won Thackeray¡¯s, Steve¡¯s, and Amanda¡¯s loyalty, especially if he explained that where they were going would not have the blood price. ¡°We¡¯ll take them back to New Houston,¡± he said, ¡°and then we¡¯ll pull Cressida and Horatio out. We¡¯ll have to make it fast, though, if they¡¯re still with their wing.¡± Arthur was warming up to the idea now. ¡°But at that point, all bets are off. We¡¯ll just drop the Knocked Down and Illusion cards. Seeing a Legendary should give us the time we need.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Brixaby said with relish. ¡°I dare any Rare to try to stop me. Though . . . this will all take time.¡± ¡°Only a few minutes, then we¡¯ll come back and fight and either win or get chased off by the Legendaries. Either way, we¡¯ll know that everyone we care about is safe.¡± Without warning, Brixaby dived to avoid an oncoming scourge flyer. Arthur absently raised an arm and shot a piece of shrapnel its way. The shrapnel hit, clipping off a wing, and the scourgling fell hundreds of feet to its death. Casually, Brixaby bobbed back up to his original place. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°I¡¯m unsure how this eruption could possibly degrade any further.¡± ¡°Brixaby, don¡¯t say that¡ª¡± But it was too late. The moment his dragon had said those words, the situation abruptly got worse. Arthur could not feel the shaking, but he heard it¡ªthe grind of rock against rock. Dust that had now turned the purple-gray of dead land rose from the ground. Below, the wilting trees all swayed back and forth as if they were caught in a fierce windstorm, but it wasn¡¯t wind at all. This was a massive earthquake. The fighting above seemed to still, and Arthur caught horrified faces all around as people realized what the earthquake meant. Perhaps the scourglings understood, too, because they suddenly went mad. The ones on the ground lost their unified cohesion and ran back and forth, slicing their sharp knife limbs into whatever they saw, occasionally even each other. The scourglings that flew turned and plunged their sharp limbs down toward the nearest dragon. The riding pairs were completely caught off guard. Brixaby made a sound that was certainly not a squawk of surprise when several flyers simply dropped down on him. Only the fact that he was extremely maneuverable kept him from getting stabbed. Arthur moved with him, keeping a grim balance using his Dragon Riding skill. The moment the flyers passed, they straightened out their path again and came around in an arc that would take them high up. Arthur assumed they would try for another diving pass. He didn¡¯t give them that opportunity and sent out razor shards to knock them from the sky. A dragon roared nearby, followed by a harsh scream from human lungs. Arthur whipped his head around and saw that a silver dragon flying not too far away had been hit by several scourglings at once. Unfortunately, the flyers hadn¡¯t simply slashed and then went on their way. They used their blade arms to crawl up the hide of the dragon, literally carving a path as they went. The rider on its neck seemed to be fighting hand-to-hand with a scourgling that was trying to cut him free from his saddle. Why wasn¡¯t he using a card power? ¡°Brixaby!¡± Arthur yelled, and Brixaby shot forward to help him. At first, Arthur thought he had gotten his wish from earlier¡ªthat it was the silver who had sprinkled glittering death on those scourglings below. But then, as he and Brixaby got closer, he saw it was a different one. The silver seemed to blur in the air as if he were in two places at once. Or maybe . . . two times at once? One blurred silver moved exactly like the other, only with a three-second delay. The weird echoing illusion did not do anything to stop or help the fight. Arthur had seen this before: the dragon had activated his card out of pure panic and pain. As they got closer, Arthur recognized the dragon and realized what was going on: Doshi had never been much of a fighter. The mystic silver canceled the card, and the two images of him collapsed back into one. In the chaos, his rider¡¯s straps were cut, and he took a bad hit by a scourgling. The man, Chancy, started to slip off. Without being told, Brixaby bobbed downward in the air, coming under the flailing dragon¡¯s stomach¡ªand neatly avoiding a kicking hind foot¡ªto arrive on the other side. It was just in time because Chancy slipped off, half unconscious and bleeding from a head wound. Brixaby buzzed upward, and Arthur caught him. It was like catching a 180-pound sack of deadweight. Also, there was no room on Brixaby¡¯s back for them both. It was all that Arthur could do to keep Chancy from hitting Brixaby¡¯s frantically buzzing wings. Brixaby tilted his neck forward awkwardly to try to give them more room. But as valiantly as he tried to fly, the weight of two people combined was too much. He started to sink in the air. Frantically, Arthur tried to put him in his Personal Space¡ªbut of course he needed Chancy¡¯s permission for that. ¡°Chancy!¡± Arthur yelled, shaking the man, but he was dazed and didn¡¯t respond. He couldn¡¯t give his permission. After a quick glance to make sure that his rider was safe, Doshi finally made a smart move: He rolled midair in a complete twist over and over again. The move flung the flying scourglings away and damaged at least one of them enough so that it fell to the ground. At last, he had rid himself of the pests, and even though he was bleeding heavily, turned to Brixaby. ¡°He¡¯s okay,¡± Arthur yelled, knowing how protective dragons could get over their riders. ¡°He¡¯s taken a hit to the head.¡± ¡°Yes, come get him immediately, he is quite heavy,¡± Brixaby said through gritted teeth. The buzz of his wings had taken on a frantic note as he tried to maintain his position in air, but he kept sinking. Doshi didn¡¯t seem to hear them and flipped over a wing to come straight down at Brixaby. He thinks we¡¯re attacking his rider! Arthur thought, and before he could do anything, yell out again, or maybe even dump Chancy and tell Brixaby to dive, Doshi swept them up in his arms. But it wasn¡¯t an attack. He brought them to his chest in . . . a hug? ¡°You are very brave for a little purple. Thank you.¡± He looked down at Arthur. ¡°Do I know you?¡± Only then did Arthur realize that in the struggle to keep Chancy from slipping off, his scarf had slipped to his neck. Well, Doshi had last seen Arthur when he was twelve years old. There was a chance he could just bluff his way out of this. ¡°No,¡± Arthur said, straining to hold on to the man to keep him from tipping one way or another. Brixaby wiggled in his arms. ¡°Why are you hugging me?¡± ¡°Because you saved my rider,¡± Doshi said, mild and calm, as if he was not bleeding in dozens of places. ¡°Is he okay?¡± ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± Arthur said. ¡°I think he fainted.¡± He remembered, through a child¡¯s eyes, how big and strong Chancy had seemed. Well, he was certainly big, but Arthur realized he now stood as tall as the rider. ¡°Oh no,¡± Doshi said vaguely. ¡°I am not a good fighter. It¡¯s just that this eruption was so bad we had to help, but . . . I suppose it¡¯s time to evacuate.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Brixaby said through gritted teeth. ¡°Take your rider and go.¡± This was a distinct order from a smaller, younger dragon, but Doshi did not seem bothered by it. One clawed hand came up to gently scoop up his rider. Then he released Brixaby, who buzzed away. If he had feathers, they would have been puffed up in injured pride. ¡°I will remember you,¡± Doshi said with a bob of his head, and he took his rider toward one of the distant portals. ¡°How can he possibly remember us when he did not even ask our name?¡± Brixaby demanded. ¡°He has a time-illusion card,¡± Arthur said. ¡°He might just look back and check out our faces.¡± He was glad that he had hit puberty since then, and it was a lucky thing that Chancy had not been awake. He might have remembered Arthur, despite all the years of growing up he had done. Doshi was not the only one evacuating. Other dragons were heading toward the portals, even the ones without any visible wounds. The reason was clear. The top of the crater was starting to split open, and a Legendary-level scourgling was crawling out. Book 5 Ch43: Boss Battle (1)
So far, all the ground scourglings in this eruption had been mantis types. Arthur half expected the emerging Legendary scourgling to be similar. Perhaps an extra-extra-large version of the ground runners. He was wrong. It was a bug, though. The throat of the cone seemed to bulge, as if what was crawling out of it was too big for the narrow mouth. The earth shook with even more violence, and finally something gave. Golden-brown mandibles came out first, followed by a red bulbous head. The mandibles spread and clacked back together, and flying scourglings all around were thrown into disarray by the force of the air blast. Next came out a tubular-scaled golden-brown body . . . and lots and lots and lots of legs. It was a giant centipede. And because it was a scourgling, the thing was covered with weeping sores. As it emerged, a small vent or opening gaped above each leg joint and produced a vaporous green gas. The dragons didn¡¯t wait for that to happen, however. They turned and began to flap away as fast as they could. Some were even faster than the scourgling flyers. No one was sticking around. Apparently, a full retreat had been called. And, of course, the demi-scourge wasn¡¯t the only thing that erupted from the cone. Regular ground-dwelling mantis scourglings were still pouring out from gaps between where the Legendary was still emerging with its long, long body. And more flyers took to the air. If the green gas bothered them, they didn¡¯t show it. Brixaby twisted his head around to give Arthur a significant look. A silent conversation passed between them¡ªnothing to do with cards, and everything to do with the fact that they knew each other¡¯s minds so well. They could pretend to be Rares all they wanted, but they were a Legendary pair, and this was a Legendary-type enemy in front of them. There was only one thing that they could do. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to evacuate the others,¡± Brixaby said. ¡°It is at its most vulnerable point now, while it is emerging.¡± Arthur knew that they could now make the time, but . . . if they were not going to make the others safe, then he had to keep that card back as a last resort. Brixaby was right. No plan survived first contact with the enemy, and they had to strike now. ¡°I bet that gas is poison,¡± Arthur said. ¡°We have to make this quick.¡± ¡°There is nothing faster in the air than a purple.¡± With that, Brixaby surged forward, straight to the crater where the centipede was still emerging and now beginning to coil around the eruption site. So far, he hadn¡¯t seen a scale¡¯s worth of another Legendary. It was past time for them to arrive. Were they set on ignoring this eruption altogether? Brixaby flew grimly on, distinctly against the path of the retreaters. Other dragons yelled out warnings to him, and riders waved as if to catch Arthur¡¯s attention. Some even called out ¡°Stupid purple!¡± as if they thought that Arthur and Brixaby were somehow confused. They both ignored them. To outside eyes, Brixaby still looked like a softer, brighter purple. He would soon have to dump that Illusion card as well as the Knocked Down card. In order to have any chance of winning, they would need to fight with all of their powers¡ªand anything they could possibly Counterfeit Siphon from the scourgling and turn its own power against it. Arthur tried not to think about the fact that his dragon had already been flying back and forth to outflung farms and opening and closing portals for hours. He wasn¡¯t at his peak performance. Arthur was tired, too. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. But weary or not, they had a job to do, and it seemed no one else was willing to do it. Well, Brixaby isn¡¯t driven by duty. He probably wants to see what kind of Legendary card he can pull out from that centipede, he amended with an internal smile. The demi-scourge was still in the process of curling its long body around and around the top of the cone like a demented necklace. This had the secondary effect of sending landslides cascading down and killing hundreds of freshly emerged scourglings. Every second it pumped out more and more poison gas. The dusty haze that had surrounded the cone was now being replaced by green. The wind currents must have sent an outflung trail in their direction. Arthur inhaled something sickly sweet, and he immediately started choking. Brixaby dipped down a few dozen feet to get clear of it and then turned his neck back to look at him. ¡°I¡¯m okay, I¡¯m okay.¡± Arthur waved him off. ¡°That gas is definitely poisonous, but I only got a little.¡± His Moderate Self-Repair card was already drawing down his mana to repair his lungs. ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± he said, clipped. ¡°It doesn¡¯t . . .¡±¡ªcough¡ª¡°. . . affect dragons as badly?¡± It was a rhetorical question. Arthur used the trailing scarf to wrap around his mouth instead, pulling it tight at the base of his neck. The fabric might give him a little protection. ¡°If I get exposed enough, I¡¯ll get a resistance to it.¡± ¡°Yes, if it does not kill you first,¡± Brixaby said. He opened his mouth, probably to suggest a tactic that, hopefully, would keep Arthur clear of the gas. But at that moment, a giant portal opened near the cone. The portal reminded him a little of the sun-ring portal he had once seen the king¡¯s men use. He stiffened in shock, a bolt of fear striking him. But no, this wasn¡¯t the Sun Ring. It was golden fire. Golden flames wreathed the open portal as it expanded. The portal itself was opening on the other side of the crater from Arthur and Brixaby¡¯s position, so they both got an excellent view as a dragon poked his head out. There was no doubt from the size alone, it was a Legendary. This dragon was a pink coral in color, washed out in comparison to Joy¡¯s vibrant hue. He flapped out on strangely undersized wings that still seemed to carry his weight, took one good look around at the crater, the scourgling, and the land before flipping around and diving back into the portal. The portal snapped shut behind him. ¡°Coward!¡± Brixaby yelled, then immediately jinked to the side to avoid a scourgling flyer. They had gotten a little less aggressive since the emergence of the demi-scourge, but he and Brixaby still had to keep an eye out for them, especially since the rest of the dragons had ceded the sky. ¡°Pinks are often tacticians,¡± Arthur reminded his dragon. ¡°He might have been verifying what the rest of the hive was telling him or warning the others.¡± Brixaby snorted. ¡°You are too kind-hearted, Arthur. The very least thing he could have done was to throw something out at the scourgling while he was here. No, he saw a scourgling and then he ran¡ª¡± Brixaby was stopped as twelve other portals immediately opened around the crater¡ªeach at a precise distance from one another. One was so close that Brixaby had to fly straight backward and then up to get clear of the emerging ring. Each portal was of a different color, made of a different elemental variety and type. Some were rips in the sky, pulled open by dragon claws. Others were a more dignified ring, again banded by fire, water, or in one case, glittering metal. One in particular was a twisting whirlpool that spat out its dragon. And after a stunned moment, Arthur realized that they were in the exact clockwise order where all the hives sat around the kingdom. Wolf Moon and Snow Moon at the top. Buck Moon and Strawberry Moon were near the bottom. The dragons that emerged from the portals were all so large that their very presence seemed to shake the air, as if they were displacing too much all at once. Arthur felt very small in comparison. But there was more. His Master of Cards felt the power that rolled off of them¡ªa silent pure bell tone that rang with his own Legendary cards. As they emerged, the dragons opened their mouths and roared, and so did the very-tiny-in-comparison humans on their back. They surged forward, each gathering huge amounts of power to them. Brixaby let out a growl that was almost, almost approving. One of the last portals discharged an orange dragon. It was on the other side of the sky, right next to where the pink was reemerging. And Arthur realized with an unpleasant shock that it was Whitaker and Crag. No other dragons came out after him. Either Valentina and Elissa were too aged to fight . . . or they had passed away. Arthur spared a pang of grief for the woman who had helped him out in so many ways. Last of all was Blood Moon Hive with red Blood Drop leading the way, followed by Desmond¡¯s and Sybil¡¯s less-impressive green and blue. Again, those secondary dragons felt diminished to Arthur¡¯s senses. But the rest of the Legendaries were fresh, fit, and by all indications, spoiling for a fight. Watching them, Arthur had to admit there was a touch of sense to holding back the strongest of the fighters. Though, as he cast an eye around the ruin that had become of the countryside . . . he wasn¡¯t sure if it was worth it. Just one or two Legendaries could have stemmed the flow and given the rest of the fighters a chance to knock the scourglings back. The centipede-shaped scourgling was less than impressed. Still clinging on to the crater, it raised itself up on the front third of its body. It was so tall that the move put the red head up above the highest of the portals. It let out a defiant, screeching whistle. The dragons roared back, and they dived. Book 5 Ch44: Boss Battle (2) **Stubbing March 23rd**
Arthur and Brixaby watched the fight from the outskirts. They weren¡¯t the only ones, as a few dozen other Rares from various hives also had stayed back from the retreat. Some weren¡¯t bothering to observe. They were taking the opportunity to kill more scourglings and harvest what they could from them. But Arthur and Brixaby hovered in place and watched their peers go to battle. Arthur wasn¡¯t sure which power belonged to whom, but suddenly there were lifelike copies of every Legendary dragon. Those illusions seemed to have the same power as the originals because anything that was sent at the centipede was doubled, and then tripled. Unfortunately, the centipede seemed impervious to bolts of lightning, spears of earth, whips of water, and wind that whipped up the air in a tornado and ripped shreds of the green gas away. More green gas just replaced what was lost. And anything plant or nature based died under the effects of the green gas. Other dragons must have been casting more subtle magic because suddenly the eruption cone spit out lava like an actual volcano. It spilled out over the sides of the mouth and washed down over the scourgling. The centipede made no scream or any indication it was bothered other than to brace back against the heavy liquid rock that cascaded down on it. Brixaby muttered, ¡°Nullification magic.¡± Arthur frowned. With lava spilling out and eventually cooling to seal the cone, there was little chance that his purples would be able to go in and harvest it later. Suddenly, Whittaker and Crag flew in so close that Crag¡¯s belly touched the reemerging clouds of gas. ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡± Arthur leaned forward in his seat. Whitaker must have some protection against the gas. He wasn¡¯t that stupid, right? He¡¯d wondered that before and learned that, yes, he was actually that stupid. But orange dragons generally transformed material from one state to another. The lava that was having no effect on the scourgling suddenly froze into ice spikes, which broke against the scourgling¡¯s shell-like hide. And when that didn¡¯t have any effect, it changed again. This time, it became billowing hot steam, which did not escape upward but collected into a cloud as if to boil the scourgling alive. Somehow, that made a difference where the lava did not. The centipede thrashed and screamed. But it seemed that Crag had underestimated the poison gas because abruptly, he wheeled away and the steam dissipated, leaving the scourgling with new welts all over its body. Whitaker was visible on his dragon¡¯s back, bent over and coughing hard. Idiot, Arthur thought, not for the first time. Whatever magical protection he thought he had against the gas¡ªhe seemed to be able to control steam, so maybe he thought he could keep it from his lungs¡ªhadn¡¯t been enough. The other dragons hadn¡¯t been idle. They continued peppering the scourgling with various powers¡ªso many that the ground shook again. Arthur half wondered if part of the plan was to bring the entire eruption cone down over the creature. A green disappeared, reappeared, and disappeared again with a rapid transporting power. Every time he disappeared, a giant rock spike took his place and launched itself straight at the scourgling with force enough to knock some legs off of the main body. The Legendary dragons seemed like they were trying to beat it down by force. As they outnumbered it, this seemed like a good idea. Then the scourgling lifted up and whistled defiance again, waving the upper part of its body back and forth. As it did, it spewed out even more clouds of gas, which expanded so rapidly that many of the Legendary dragons were forced to move back. ¡°Arthur, this may be our moment!¡± Brixaby said. ¡°I will put you in my Personal Space. The gas does not seem to affect dragons as badly as humans. I will dive in and rip out the delicious card, and we are done.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Yes, but we will give away our identities right in front of all the other Legendaries,¡± Arthur said. Though . . . it wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad idea. And though the dragons had turned away, none of them seemed affected by the gas. It was only the humans, coughing on their backs. ¡°If they can¡¯t knock it down, then we¡¯ll go in soon,¡± Arthur said. Brixaby grumbled, but he stayed in place. However, the gas that was emerging from the scourgling now seemed to be a different type than before. It was darker green and didn¡¯t billow upward into the sky. Instead, it rolled down the edges of the eruption cone like an oncoming avalanche. If the whole area hadn¡¯t already been deadened land, anything in its path would have died. Arthur saw it roll over a stand of full-grown trees at the bottom. They wilted and died right before his eyes. There¡¯s definitely corruption in that gas, he thought. No wonder Brixaby wanted the card it carried. He could imagine how strong he¡¯d be with a corruption aspect to his Call of the Void. Then the scourgling reared back and spat out a green globule. Dragons ducked out of the way with maneuverability that made Brixaby hum in approval. Unfortunately, Desmond¡¯s skinny blue was too slow. The glob landed on his neck and chest while he was trying to turn away. The dragon let out a scream like a dying child and dived straight to the ground, headfirst. Arthur clutched at Brixaby¡¯s neck ridges. It was on the tip of his tongue to order him forward, but what could he do? What could any of them do? Even if he got there in time, that dragon was many times Brixaby¡¯s size. They couldn¡¯t stop¡ª The ground suddenly rippled and turned to water, and the dragon dived down snout first. Not into solid dead land, but into a lake deep enough to cover him. Right. He was a blue. A water type. A moment later, the dragon surfaced and thrashed around, frantically trying to get the sticky glob off him. Arthur couldn¡¯t see his rider, and by the way the dragon was acting, he had no regard for Desmond at all. Desmond must have a water card that made it safe for him. At least, Arthur hoped he did. But that heavy poison gas was still rolling across the land, and it was heading straight for the lake. The centipede scourgling spat again, this time at the pink dragon Arthur was convinced was the tactician. The pink slid neatly to the side to avoid the globule. And suddenly, a voice echoed in Arthur¡¯s mind. Beware, it is corrosive as well as poisonous. Get Lachlan to a healer immediately. Arthur staggered. That pink had a mind card¡ªone that could project thoughts. He was shocked that he would use the ability so publicly, though he guessed he was frazzled enough from avoiding that last strike that he had accidentally projected too far. Meanwhile, Sybil¡¯s green and a stolid brown rushed in to help the ailing Lachlan. The green was, if anything, skinnier and unhealthier looking than the poor blue. Though her heart was in the right place, she was too weak to help much. The brown ended up doing most of the heavy lifting. Lachlan was pulled from the water, half unconscious. Desmond was still on his back and awake, moving around on his dragon. Lachlan¡¯s neck and back were wide enough for him to stand and walk, and he seemed to be heading to where the poison had hit. The spot was now boiling red and covered with welts. They were out of the fight and so were the green and the brown helping them. Sensing an attack that would have some effect, the scourgling began spitting green globs over and over again, causing the dragons to duck and weave. No one was hit, but there were several near collisions, and the counterattack paused as they regathered themselves. A dragon rider threw up a shield, but it was taken down again just as quickly for a reason Arthur couldn¡¯t see. The Legendaries were in disarray. Then, Chester¡¯s Blood Drop flew straight at the scourgling. As he flew, he glowed, very much the same way Sams did when he was readying a spell. Blood Drop seemed to swell with energy and vitality, a nebulous sort of power that called to Arthur . . . though he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on what it was. The scourgling turned his way, but before it could spit, the dragon opened his mouth. A bright green beam shot out, thick as two men were tall, and nearly that wide around. It struck the scourgling right in the chest. Brixaby reared back under Arthur as if he were the one that was struck. ¡°Arthur!¡± he yelled, but Arthur heard his voice from far away. His chest hurt, as if his own heart were being pulled toward that green beam of light . . . only, he realized a moment later with a shock that it wasn¡¯t his heart. It was his link with Brixaby. Brixaby was the one who was being pulled . . . pulled in because the other two cards in his set, Call of the Void and Call of the Heart, were resonating with that huge display of power that Blood Drop was beaming out. ¡°Is it your card?¡± Arthur yelled. But he didn¡¯t need Brixaby¡¯s answer to know the truth. He reeled. How could this be? Call of the Heart had shown the card within the hive, and it specifically seemed like the power was not lodged in someone¡¯s heart deck . . . but it had also showed it jumping from here to there and all around the hive. Even two places at once. There was something different about this card. And though it resonated with Brixaby, the dragon was too far away to be in danger of being truly pulled in. And if Blood Drop and Chester noticed that the card had a link with their own, they didn¡¯t show it. They were too focused on the battle with the scourgling. As for the scourgling . . . It looked like Chester and Blood Drop had made a terrible mistake. Book 5 Ch45: Boss Battle (3) **Stubbing March 23rd**
The scourgling seemed to grow and thicken. It wasn¡¯t dying; it was growing stronger. It opened its clasping mandibles wide, all legs spread out, looking like it was embracing the power. The shell-like armor thickened, and the few places where attacks had seemed to do damage healed over in a moment. As did the weeping welts. It had never looked so alive. ¡°What is he doing?¡± Arthur muttered. Were Chester and Blood Drop . . . helping it? No. No, it couldn¡¯t be possible. The man was cruel, but to turn against the living by empowering a scourgling . . . he couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°It¡¯s too much for it,¡± Brixaby replied. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Observe. Even good things can turn sour when overconsumed.¡± Brixaby¡¯s voice was dry. ¡°One of the first lessons I learned upon hatching. This card is indeed mine, Arthur.¡± He had no idea what his dragon was talking about. But as he watched the newly healed and growing scourgling, he saw something bubbling under its skin. New boils. No . . . tumors? The plates were suddenly growing wrong, twisted, some curling in. The tumors suddenly grew up and down its body, twisting legs and even covering the clacking mandibles. And then the scourgling began to writhe. Blood Drop snapped his jaw shut to cut off the beam. Parts of the scourgling withered away to black only to be regenerated again, then die and return once more, mutated and wrong. From the whistling shrieks, it did not feel good. As for Blood Drop, he seemed diminished as well¡ªskinnier, though not as skinny as Desmond¡¯s or Sybil¡¯s dragons. The glow was gone, as well as all of the luster from his scales. He was a dark, matte red, completely unremarkable except for his Legendary size. Arthur closed his eyes and using his Meditation, sank into his heart deck. He reached out for his Master of Cards. Something else was going on here beyond the obvious. And when he came up with the answer, it was just as shocking as learning that Chester and Blood Drop had a card from Brixaby¡¯s set. ¡°That isn¡¯t his native card. Not the one that he was hatched with. They added that later on.¡± Arthur opened his eyes just in time to see the scourgling give one final whistling shriek and then burst into black particles. Dark gas ballooned outward. Even though they were far away, Brixaby buzzed backward at top speed. The dark gas was necrotic, and the few struggling scourglings half dead from the attacks, were eaten up by the corrosive filth. This was not like the venom gas. It was something caused by the overgrowth of the green beam. And it seemed to grow and grow, far beyond the bounds of the centipede¡¯s former body. It was as if it had taken a life of its own. If that gets to the rest of the kingdom . . . Arthur thought. But the Legendaries were ahead of him. One silver dragon moved forward and flared her wings. Multipaneled shields came up immediately around the gas, trapping it in. ¡°Why didn¡¯t they use those shields before?¡± Brixaby grumbled, flying forward cautiously to take a closer look. ¡°Maybe they didn¡¯t want the scourgling to prepare a more powerful attack under the cover of a shield,¡± Arthur said. Blood Drop¡¯s voice rumbled loud enough for everybody in the vicinity to hear. ¡°Let me through. I will dissipate it.¡± There was some quick discussion between the silver and the pink tactician, but then Blood Drop was allowed forward. He landed on one of the shield¡¯s panels where it curved upward and grabbed an edge, lifting it as if it were a window. Chester dropped down and landed on it, then he stuck his hand in. A smaller beam of light shot out. The black gas started to dissipate, and even what escaped was wiped away. Brixaby trembled under him. ¡°I want that card. If I can get close enough . . .¡± ¡°I know,¡± Arthur said, grim. ¡°Hold steady, Brixaby. We¡¯ll have to wait for the right moment.¡± It was a measure of how much his dragon trusted him that he did not surge forward and try to claim his card right then. Everyone¡¯s defenses were down after a fight. Brixaby could easily sneak in under Stealth and get close. But then they would have to deal with the rest of the Legendaries. No, now was not the time. The last of the gas dissipated, and the remains of the scourgling lay there, deflated and pathetic, like a worm that had died and then crinkled out in the sun for three days. Chester leaned in and gestured to harvest the creature. But the fight wasn¡¯t over yet. There were still countless scourglings running rampant in the countryside. Though some dragons and their riders called congratulations, others looked to the audience of Rares that had stayed to watch. The pink¡¯s rider must have had a voice-enhancement card because when he spoke, everyone heard him. ¡°Go back and muster the hives, dragons. We must cleanse this countryside.¡± ¡°Arthur?¡± Brixaby asked. ¡°Not yet,¡± Arthur said. Chester remounted Blood Drop, and the dragon took to the sky. He looked worse than ever, and the sun glinted dully off his scales. He moved like an older dragon, too. Each wingbeat was not as deep as it should be, as if the tendons had stiffened and his joints hurt. Around them, the Rares disbanded and immediately moved to the remaining portals to carry out their orders. Arthur and Brixaby stayed in place. Perhaps that was what made them stand out. Blood Drop immediately spotted them and flew over. ¡°You, come with me,¡± he said in a surprisingly light and fluty voice. Without looking to see their reaction, he flew on past, straight for Blood Moon Hive¡¯s portal. ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do,¡± Brixaby said lowly, with an evil chuckle. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. **** Arthur¡¯s mind was a whirl as Brixaby flew through the portal. All hint of previous exhaustion from his long day was gone. Now that he knew where his card was, he was filled with energy. Arthur just hoped he wouldn¡¯t do something rash and foolish . . . and he wasn¡¯t sure if he should stop him when he inevitably did. Chester¡¯s methods were horrific, but Blood Moon was one of the most efficient hives out there. Also, it was a bit of a slippery slope to allow Brixaby to take whatever card he wanted, even if it belonged to his set. On the other hand, Arthur knew he didn¡¯t have a moral leg to stand on. He would one day have to take Master of Combat from his cousin, Penn. Plus, he didn¡¯t think Blood Drop and Chester would give up the card if they asked nicely. The portal led out to the very top of the hive where the leaders lived. Desmond¡¯s blue Lachlan lay out pathetically on the ledge, wings spread, with healers swarming all over him. The bulk of the group focused around the terrible red welts on his chest. It had spread to his upper back at the base of his spine. Definitely corrosive. Sybil¡¯s green stood nearby, looking down at the other dragon in concern. However, when Blood Drop approached, she glanced up and spread her wings as if to cover the blue¡ªno, as if to protect him from the red dragon. Not that it mattered. Blood Drop landed right next to the blue on the other side, ignoring her completely. The moment that Chester was dismounted, Blood Drop placed a clawed hand on the blue¡¯s back. Arthur heard Desmond call out plaintively, ¡°No, leave him alone! Damn you, can¡¯t you see he¡¯s hurt?¡± But it didn¡¯t seem to matter to the red dragon. For a moment, Arthur thought that he might be healing him. But from the way Lachlan went still, he was suffering like Erik who had to pay the blood price. The green gave a warbling roar, but she didn¡¯t move to stop the process. Just looked on sadly. ¡°Brixaby, let¡¯s land closer to the hive tower,¡± Arthur said. He didn¡¯t want his dragon anywhere near Blood Drop. Brixaby practically shook. ¡°Let him try to take from me!¡± ¡°I know, I know. Right now, we¡¯re outnumbered three to one.¡± He dropped his voice. ¡°I bet Blood Drop will go after the green next. Then it¡¯ll just be one to one.¡± His dragon turned to look at him in shock and respect. ¡°I knew I chose you for a reason.¡± Arthur grimaced. As Brixaby landed and he dismounted, Chester walked up to them. The man was not well. In fact, Chester looked even worse than his dragon. He had visibly aged from a young man about Arthur¡¯s age to someone who had entered their middle years. There were lines around his eyes, as if he¡¯d spent decades squinting against the sun, and his hair had threads of silver running through it. He was unshaven, with a little bit of salt peppering the stubble. He focused on Arthur with determination, his lips pressed together, giving every appearance of a man in a foul mood. ¡°Shards,¡± he snapped. Arthur stared for a moment. ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°Give me your shards, idiot! Your blood price. I¡¯m requesting it early. I know you have it. You went on that little harvesting expedition, didn¡¯t you?¡± So, Chester knew about that. Arthur started to pull out the appropriate amount of shards for a cycle, but then thought twice and shorted the count by five. Just as Chester had asked, he¡¯d found the time to find one of those little leather bags. He swiftly put the shards in, pulled the string tight, and handed it over. Chester nearly snatched the bag out of his hand, causing Brixaby to hiss quietly in threat. Chester ignored him. Then to Arthur¡¯s absolute shock, he opened up the bag, tipped back his head, and poured the shards into his mouth. It was one thing to see his own dragon eat shards¡ªBrixaby had done that quite a few times, especially when he was newly hatched. Though now that he was larger, the magic didn¡¯t have much of an effect on him, so he didn¡¯t bother unless they were high ranked. But seeing a human do that was disturbing. It was like watching someone eat gemstones, especially when his eyes lidded half shut, and he crunched down. Arthur tried not to shudder. On impulse, he focused his Master of Cards. Chester was a little harder to read than usual, probably because he was a Legendary, but Arthur got the nebulous impression that the man was focusing on the link through him and his dragon. Blood Drop was the one who had Brixaby¡¯s card. Off on the ledge, Blood Drop finished with blue Lachlan and pounced on the green, who let out a high-pitched shriek¡ªa shriek that was cut off as the dragon began to drain life force from her as well. Lachlan lay there like a dead thing, and the healers swarmed over him again. He was very still except for the slight rise and fall of his chest. Desmond stood by his head and looked on. Why didn¡¯t you protect your dragon? Arthur thought, frustrated. You didn¡¯t even try! ¡°More,¡± Chester said. Arthur glanced back. Much of the strain had eased from his eyes, though he didn¡¯t look significantly younger. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡°I need you to pay in advance,¡± he said. ¡°I need more shards.¡± He burped and then pounded a fist against his chest and added, ¡°In a moment.¡± Arthur had them, of course, but he wasn¡¯t going to just hand them over. And Blood Drop was still busy eliminating a threat for them, so he stalled. ¡°Sir, I saw what you did out there. It was amazing, but it seemed a little . . . draining.¡± Chester gave a humorless laugh. ¡°You have no idea.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what did you hit the scourgling with?¡± ¡°What did it look like?¡± Chester asked. Arthur thought back at the way the scourgling at first seemed to be healed, but then how that healing had turned on it. He¡¯d heard that fresh dragon soil could hurt people, causing them tumors and burns. It renewed the land, but it was too much, too fast. Scourglings were the antithesis of life. ¡°Life. It looked like life,¡± Arthur said. ¡°You overwhelmed it with, what, some sort of life energy?¡± ¡°Very perceptive,¡± he said. Brixaby shifted from foot to foot behind him. He was getting impatient. And an impatient Brixaby was a dangerous Brixaby. ¡°A card I¡¯m going to guess your dragon has,¡± Arthur said significantly, letting Brixaby know that Chester was not the one with the card in his heart. He turned to his dragon. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go see to the healers? See if there¡¯s anything that they need to help Lachlan with those welts.¡± This would put Brixaby within striking distance of Blood Drop. Brixaby took off immediately. Meanwhile, Chester staggered over and sat in one of the couches. Arthur watched him for moment. The changes were subtle, but he was rapidly growing younger again. It seemed like his chestnut hair was darkening, the lines were lifting. Like watching water slowly come to a boil, it was only noticeable if he looked away for a few moments and then glanced back at him. Was he getting better only because of the shards? Or . . . On impulse, Arthur checked his Call of the Heart. Sure enough, he saw three instances of the card. One was practically where he stood, out on the ledge where Blood Drop was still removing life force from the poor green. Then there were two more instances, on two different levels of the hive. Chester has the ability to use the blood price at a distance, he thought. That¡¯s why it looked like the card was jumping around. He¡¯s remotely sucking life force from people. ¡°I¡¯m ready for the rest,¡± Chester called. ¡°What was that?¡± Arthur asked. ¡°Give me more shards, damn you. I know that you have them. Call it an advance on your price, so you don¡¯t have to pay again next week.¡± Arthur walked over to stare down at the man, eyes cool. ¡°And when it comes time for the meeting, you¡¯ll just let me not pay? In front of the other wing captains?¡± He shook his head, disbelieving. ¡°Or will you just . . . conveniently forget?¡± Chester sat up straight. ¡°What are you saying, you little¡ª¡± ¡°You need a certain amount of life force to keep going, don¡¯t you?¡± Arthur said, realizing it even as he said it. ¡°The shards help, but you¡¯re always taking life force from someone, aren¡¯t you? You have to, just to keep going. How old are you?¡± Chester stood. ¡°Things may be different in Flower Moon, but you do not dare to talk to your leaders like that here. Now, hand them over. Last chance.¡± Arthur was beyond caring. ¡°You didn¡¯t even count the ones I gave you. I shorted you by five.¡± Chester¡¯s face twisted. ¡°I was beginning to like you, Ernest. Fine, life force is so much sweeter and does the trick even faster. You forget, I can take from you whenever I want.¡± He reached toward Arthur and . . . nothing happened. ¡°You . . . you didn¡¯t take the oath card,¡± Chester said. ¡°I can feel it. What¡¯s going on?¡± Arthur just crossed his arms. A glint of red came into Chester¡¯s eyes, and only then Arthur remembered that his dragon was, in fact, red. One of energy, which meant usually fire. And with that, a wash of fire erupted below Arthur¡¯s feet and above his head. Arthur used the time card and slowed the moment to a crawl. He leapt away from the fire, stomping his feet, certain that his boots were aflame. But he had jumped away just in time. Like running a finger through a candle flame, he had been fast enough not to be burned. The soles of his boots were blackened, though. He patted the top of his head and caught a few smoldering hairs. That was close. Even with time slowed¡ªor was he just moving fast?¡ªthe column of fire had already closed from the top and bottom of where he had stood. That had been a move to kill Arthur. Which, in hindsight, had been smart. If Chester wanted power, he could have just harvested the cards from Arthur¡¯s body. He was starting to feel the strain of the time card¡¯s use. It was an odd feeling, as if he was in danger of being disconnected from the flow of reality. Like if he stayed, he would be the only thing that was real. Couldn¡¯t this card induce psychosis? Arthur hurried over to Chester, who was just starting to turn his head. He had probably seen Arthur move away in a blur. Arthur placed his hand on the man¡¯s chest and let the time card lapse. Rejoining normal time again was a distinct relief. Chester whipped around to stare at him. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that,¡± Arthur said softly, and he ripped out the man¡¯s cards. Chester collapsed with a gurgle, and the fire poofed out of existence. In the distance, Blood Drop screamed as his link with his rider was sundered. ¡°Brixaby!¡± Arthur bellowed. ¡°Get your card!¡± Book 5 Ch46: Brix Has His Say **Stubbing March 23rd** Brixaby Brixaby moved forward under stealth. Though he didn¡¯t know why he bothered. No one here paid attention to any purples, which was both annoying . . . and rather gratifying when they realized their mistake. Beside him, he passed the blue. His magic felt like a guttering candle, and his rider had just stood there and let it happen. That is not a good partnership. He loved and respected Arthur, but if he stood by and let Brixaby be drained, without at least trying to throw himself between them, they would have some severe words. The green was getting the worst of it now. Her rider stood by, wringing her hands uselessly. Brixaby flicked his tongue out in distaste. She was a Legendary. What was wrong with her? Blood Drop, however, had regained at least some of his former glory. Though his scales were not back to their annoyingly beautiful luster¡ªBrixaby had not been jealous of the scales. No, not in the least. Brixaby crept up, determining his best moment to strike. There was a chance that an interruption could severely hurt the green. He wasn¡¯t a monster. He could wait a minute. Perhaps even two minutes. He imagined that the two cards in his chest thrummed. Suddenly, Blood Drop reared back and roared, lifting his claws from the green. She sagged, whining, her the rider went to her. Blood Drop, however, swung his head angrily toward Arthur. ¡°Brixaby!¡± Arthur yelled. ¡°Get your card!¡± Brixaby dropped from his stealth and leapt at the dragon¡¯s chest. He didn¡¯t expect to be swatted back. In retrospect, it was likely a lucky shot on Blood Drop¡¯s part. The giant red was reared back on his hind legs, forelimbs flailing. As Brixaby buzzed forward for his final strike, one clawed hand swept to the side and struck him. Air whooshed out of his lungs, and fire exploded through his left set of wings. The worst part, though, was the snapping sound. Brixaby hit the ledge and slid to a stop. He tried to buzz back up, but the white-hot agony that shot through his left side made him roar. He looked over at his wings¡ªhis beautiful left set of wings were broken. The forward wing should not be facing that direction, and the back wing was crumpled terribly. ¡°My rider!¡± Blood Drop screamed, like he was the only one hurting. ¡°What have you done?¡± Brixaby climbed to his feet. Those, at least, were uninjured. He grinned at the other dragon. ¡°The same thing I will do to you.¡± Blood Drop roared, and there was power and command to it. Lachlan and the green staggered upright as if they were puppets on strings that had been activated. Neither had the physical power to throw themselves at Brixaby, but they could use their cards. Vines grew up along the cracks of the rock-face ledge, fed by trickles of water that appeared out of nowhere. Flowers formed on the vines. It all happened in the space it took for someone to count to three. The power of a Legendary. Suddenly, those flowers opened, and green needles spit out toward Brixaby. He activated his Phase In, Phase Out, and they went harmlessly through him. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Meanwhile, with a roar that sounded like a trumpet of rage, Blood Drop started toward Arthur. He was not paying any attention to Brixaby, as if he wasn¡¯t a threat at all. And why should he be? To his senses, he was only a Rare. Well, Brixaby would change that. He was tired of playing meek and small. This hive should be led by a true Legendary. He dropped his Illusion and Knocked Down cards. The flood of mana that rushed into him now that he no longer had to maintain those cards was gratifying. As was the look of shock on Blood Drop¡¯s face. He stopped in place, turned around, and stared at Brixaby. So did Lachlan and the green. ¡°That¡¯s right, I am magnificent,¡± Brixaby said. ¡°That is the card-stealing dragon, the card stealer,¡± Lachlan breathed. He took a step back. ¡°I thought he was the size of a parrot,¡± the green muttered. ¡°I grew!¡± Brixaby snapped. ¡°Yes, it is I, Brixaby, the ultimate card stealer,¡± he said because the nickname could use a little flair, ¡°and you have one of my cards.¡± ¡°Then come and take it from me,¡± Blood Drop said with deadly calm. ¡°Crippled purple.¡± Frankly, if someone had just hurt Arthur, a little thing like another dragon revealing themselves as a Legendary wouldn¡¯t have stopped Brixaby from killing that person, but the dragons and their riders were weird here. And as much as he hated to admit it, his maneuverability was gone. He was just trying to figure out how likely it was that the red would stay in place and let Brixaby limp over to him on foot, when the green and blue acted. Vines grew out again, fed by Lachlan¡¯s water-calling ability. Only they didn¡¯t attack Brixaby. They wrapped around Blood Drop¡¯s legs to hold him fast. Brixaby didn¡¯t wait another moment. He lunged forward. The red gave him a condescending look, opened his jaws, and released that terrible green beam. It struck Brixaby full on, and it was . . . like a wave of sweet relief, of energy and joy. It had probably been like that for the scourgling for the first few moments, too. His wing bones snapped perfectly into place without any pain. Brixaby felt the energy wrap around him and nourish him. His cards sang with their near reunion. Brixaby¡¯s body soaked up the energy and he grew. But it was too much too soon, and he knew that within a few moments, that nourishing energy would spin out of control. Other parts of him would overgrow into tumors. His scales would twist inward, and he would be lost. Brixaby was technically a purple¡ªa Legendary one. His natural magic was nullification. Spells didn¡¯t often hit him as fast or as hard as they would otherwise. He nullified the bonds around people¡¯s heart decks when he took their cards. And he nullified the overgrowth effects of the life energy. He charged forward, through the beam, energized and larger, with his perfectly healed wings buzzing to give a boost of speed. Blood Drop screamed, and Brixaby sensed him reaching for something instinctively¡ªa card that was no longer there because his link with his rider was severed. Then Brixaby bowled into the great dragon. Blood Drop staggered, and with the greatest relish, Brixaby ripped the cards from his heart. The last of the green life energy cut off immediately. Standing over his vanquished enemy, Brixaby tipped back his head and roared, and it was a mighty bellow from a mighty set of lungs. ¡°Brixaby.¡± Arthur ran up, and Brixaby looked down at his rider, who appeared . . . very small. Arthur¡¯s head barely came up to the top of his front leg. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I have never felt better,¡± Brixaby said honestly. Then he looked at his new card. He had pulled several from Blood Drop, but there was only one that counted.
Call of Life Legendary Life This card recognizes the awesome power that is contained within all life. Its wielder can use it to fuel their own at will, draining life energy from any living target they can touch. This life energy is collected in a separate vault viewable within the wielder¡¯s dashboard. Life energy may be transmitted to another user at will or reserved for the wielder¡¯s personal use. Life energy is antithetical to death energy. Warning: Repeated draining from a target may result in premature aging or death. Warning: Life energy is powerful, and the transfer of too much life energy to a user may result in cancerous growths. This card is part of the Call set. Search out other cards in this set to add to your power.
¡°Yes,¡± Brixaby said. ¡°This will do nicely.¡± He slid the card into his primary core and felt a renewed rush of power. He now had three of a kind. Legendary three of a kinds. Soon, he would be nigh unstoppable. He looked around in satisfaction. ¡°I suppose this will do.¡± ¡°What?¡± Arthur had a slightly distant look in his eye that told him he was accessing his Master of Cards. Likely to see how Brixaby¡¯s new card was fitting in with the others. ¡°This hive,¡± Brixaby said patiently. ¡°We have supplanted the leader¡ªthe other two are useless. They do not count. Now Blood Moon Hive is ours.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Arthur said. ¡°Oh no.¡± ATS B5 - Epilogue **Stubbing March 23rd** Two days later ¡°I suppose we have to get this over with.¡± Arthur sighed. ¡°The seers just reported in. We¡¯ll have another eruption either late tonight or tomorrow at the latest.¡± There were nods and grim looks all around the room. He looked around at Horatio, Cressida, Desmond, Sybil, and Marion and his little dragon. No one looked happy about this, but they didn¡¯t put up an argument either. Well, he didn¡¯t expect any argument from Desmond and Sybil. The two Legendary leaders¡ªwho were a married couple, as it turned out¡ªwere so timid they were almost subservient. A result of being ruled by Chester for decades. They defaulted to him for everything. Arthur wasn¡¯t sure they even knew how to stand up for themselves anymore. He and Brixaby had been extremely lucky that their dragons still had a bit of life left in them and managed a half-hearted rebellion at the right moment. It was the biggest reason why he and Brixaby kept them around. Well, that and the authority that they left his own leadership. Brixaby said it wasn¡¯t even fun to threaten blue Lachlan and green . . . Bunny. They just shrank back and agreed or apologized. Arthur was going to have to do something about the names of the dragons in this hive. Make that line-item number 672 on his list. It might be the shock, but two days in and Arthur was still playing this whole ¡°leading the entire hive¡± thing by ear. If he had taken a second to realize that supplanting Chester would mean he would be in charge . . . he might have actually tried asking nicely for the card first. At least he had Brixaby and his friends to help him. And right now, he had an overdue meeting with the king. He looked at Horatio. ¡°You¡¯re in charge until I get back. Try not to let the hive burn down.¡± Horatio grinned and gave him a salute. ¡°Be quick,¡± he shot back. ¡°As soon as the other Rares learn you put me in charge, Sams will have to slap down some rebellious dragons.¡± ¡°Try not to let him have too much fun doing it,¡± Arthur said dryly. In truth, he wasn¡¯t too concerned about that. The reshuffling of leadership and revelation that he and Brixaby were not only Legendary but the dark card stealers whose stories had been going around the hive like a scary children¡¯s tale had shaken the Rares¡¯ confidence. Someone might try to unseat Horatio in the few hours that Arthur was gone. That was, if they could get past Sams, who was a much wilier fighter than any yellow should be. But Arthur would return, and then all their cards would go down Brixaby¡¯s gullet. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Arthur said with confidence. Then he nodded to Brixaby, who quickly cast the dark rower¡¯s portal. ¡°Where to?¡± the rower rasped once they were inside. ¡°Antechamber in front of the king¡¯s palace,¡± Brixaby said. The rower gestured to the boat. ¡°You always go the most interesting places.¡± Brixaby went first, and he seemed pleased that the rowboat was now so much bigger to accommodate him. Arthur was still getting used to his dragon¡¯s new size. He was nowhere as large as a typical Legendary. He wasn¡¯t even as big as Sams. But for the first time, he was actually larger than Joy, if only by a little. For the past two days, Brixaby had been exuding the absolute aura of smugness, and Arthur caught him flexing his larger wings and meatier limbs around Joy . . . who seemed very, very happy for her friend. I have got to figure out what a Rare and Legendary clutch would look like. It will be a big deal if the hive can expect more Legendaries. Make that number 673 on his list. And then there was the fact he still hadn¡¯t confessed his feelings for Cressida. 674. There were just so many things to do in the day, and not nearly enough time to do them, even from someone who had access to a timeless Personal Space. And a time-warping card. Cressida nudged his shoulder as they took a seat on the rowboat. ¡°You¡¯re brooding again.¡± He startled and sent her a sheepish smile. ¡°Suppose I am. There¡¯s just a lot to do back in the hive. I only just got started with Wing Purple. Now I¡¯m in charge of all of Blood Moon.¡± ¡°Well,¡± she said, ¡°Griff seems to be happy as the wing captain. That¡¯s one thing off your plate.¡± Arthur chuckled. ¡°He says that he¡¯ll be going back to second-in-command the moment a new purple Rare hatches.¡± She leaned in conspiratorially. ¡°Then let¡¯s hope that Joy and Brixaby¡¯s clutch is successful, right?¡± He stared at her. ¡°They haven¡¯t . . .¡± ¡°No! Not yet. But one day she¡¯ll be laying eggs. And if I know my dragon, Brixaby will be the sire.¡± Arthur grinned as the rower cast off the pier and started down the river. The boat ride was exceptionally long¡ªlonger even than it had taken to get from New Houston to Blood Moon Hive all the way across the world. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Arthur asked at last. ¡°There are many protections around the palace,¡± the rower replied. ¡°We are simply traveling through the magical blocks.¡± Arthur sent a look at Brixaby. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you picked out this card.¡± If anything, Brixaby¡¯s smugness only grew. Finally, however, they arrived. Arthur paused just before walking through the other side of the portal. He fully expected to be met by angry, bristling guards. After all, they hadn¡¯t exactly announced this visit ahead of time and had apparently just sailed through existing protections. There were guards in the large marble antechamber, but they stood in rows on either side of the portal. Lined up, alert, but with their weapons at their side. Nobody seemed surprised. And standing in front of them, dressed in the palace livery, was a man that Arthur recognized. He was the one who sensed lies. ¡°Ah,¡± he said, and gave Arthur a bob of a bow. ¡°We have been expecting you.¡± ¡°Have you?¡± Arthur murmured, but he stepped aside as everyone came out of the portal. Last of all was Brixaby, who strode out as if he owned the place. He took a long look around. ¡°I remember this room being much larger.¡± Arthur rolled his eyes. He was not going to take the bait. Apparently, someone would, though. ¡°This room has not shrunken. You have grown significantly,¡± said a ghostly voice. The outline of Lung Bai, the king¡¯s Mythic dragon, appeared within the room. She was coiled around and around the parameter in her usual snaky form. To the side, Marion gasped and quickly bowed. Arthur thought it might be a good idea to copy him. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Yes, I have grown magnificently since we last met, have I not?¡± Brixaby said, fluttering his wings a little. Lung Bai let out a draconic huff of a laugh and turned to Arthur. ¡°So, you have returned to Blood Moon Hive. Not the first guess I had for you. I would have thought that you would have chosen Wolf Moon, in order to dispose of Whitaker.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to . . . dispose of Chester,¡± he said awkwardly. ¡°It just sort of happened.¡± ¡°Yes, but in doing so, you have advanced yourself.¡± Lung Bai did not sound at all unhappy, and Arthur let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Let me introduce you to my companions,¡± he said. ¡°This is Desmond and Sybil, the other two leaders from the hive. They have come to verify my story. Cressida, my¡ª¡± He stalled out for a moment, ¡°Trusted friend.¡± She gave him an amused look. He hurried forward, ¡°And Marion and Asha, who are here to see the king.¡± ¡°The former prince and healer.¡± Lung Bai nodded to them. ¡°You are most welcome.¡± Brixaby, growing bored of the introductions, asked, ¡°Were you aware of what Blood Drop and his rider were doing?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she replied. ¡°They were ruling their hive through fear. It was not, perhaps, the best way, but we figured there were those around to temper his appetites.¡± The ghostly outline of Lung Bai sent a severe look to Desmond and Sybil, who both shrank back and subtly stepped behind Arthur, using him as a shield. You are Legendaries, have some dignity, Arthur thought in an internal voice that sounded very much like Brixaby. But Lung Bai was not done. ¡°Now, if my nose is telling me right, it seems that you have Chester¡¯s card. Do you have the same appetite, young purple?¡± ¡°I always have an appetite for cards,¡± Brixaby said. Arthur quickly stepped in to answer the actual question. ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t. Even powerful cards can have a downside, and Chester leaned into this one. But his new card, Call of Life, is meant to be used in conjunction with others. They provide balance for this card.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± she commented. Then her attention turned to Marion and little Asha, who trembled under the Mythic¡¯s gaze. ¡°You have grown as well, origin of healing.¡± ¡°Begging your pardon,¡± Marion said, ¡°but what does that mean, exactly? Origin?¡± ¡°That, with proper care and attention, she will be very powerful. I would like to see you as a Legendary pair someday.¡± Asha straightened, and the others looked startled. Meanwhile, Cressida took Arthur¡¯s hand and squeezed it. When he looked over, she gave him a significant look that he read immediately. He nodded and addressed Lung Bai. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but the seers have predicted another eruption soon¡ª¡± ¡°And now you are a leader,¡± she said. He swallowed, but he refused to let his nerves, his self-doubt, speak for him. ¡°Yes.¡± Lung Bai moved quicker than Arthur could see. One moment she was coiled around and around the room, the next, the ghostly outline of her head was in front of Arthur, and he was looking into colorless eyes. ¡°The other hive leaders will not like that,¡± she observed. ¡°They¡¯re welcome to challenge us if they want,¡± Arthur replied mildly. ¡°Brixaby has been looking forward to it.¡± Lung Bai laughed, and that laugh seemed to echo through Arthur¡¯s heart. ¡°Then come, let me see what your healers can do for my poor Elizar. He is having a bad . . . month.¡± A golden-gilded set of double doors opened on her command. The guards and the living lie detector stayed behind while the rest made their way down the hall, with Lung Bai escorting them. She had either shrunk herself, or perhaps had just become more snakelike to fit through the halls. It was hard to tell because the outlines of her body were indistinct and difficult to see. The hallways were, of course, large enough to allow for a dragon even larger than Brixaby¡ªand that was going to take some getting used to. So she had no problem walking side by side with Arthur. He glanced over and decided to risk a question. ¡°How goes the fight with the Mythic scourglings?¡± ¡°Poorly. You can see that eruptions are happening more frequently,¡± she said with an edge to her voice. ¡°I am pleased to see that you have stepped into your role as leaders of a hive, but I do not wish for this to tempt you off your path. We need another Mythic.¡± Cressida frowned at that. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just collect the cards that they need?¡± ¡°No, she can¡¯t,¡± Arthur said. ¡°They¡¯re Legendaries, not Commons. I don¡¯t . . .¡± He paused, realizing what he was going to say, but then just went with it. It was a slow realization he had come to as he had come to know his Master of Cards. ¡°I don¡¯t think a set of cards that powerful will approve if they¡¯re just given to somebody.¡± Cressida gave him a surprised look. ¡°You act like they¡¯re alive.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re alive, but there¡¯s definitely an awareness.¡± ¡°I believe that depends on the definition of alive,¡± Lung Bai mused. But no more could be said because they had reached a second, opulent chamber. With the king¡¯s dragon escorting, no one dared bar their way. Inside was a lush bedroom dominated by a bed large enough to sleep at least five people. A young man with stringy blonde hair sat up against the headboard, still dressed in nightclothes. Like Chester, King Elizar¡¯s apparent youth was based on card powers. But while his body was young, apparently his mind had not remained the same. Arthur wondered if he had fallen into a similar trap as Chester that way, too. He had been going through the records and spoken to Desmond and Sybil¡ªat least what they were willing to say for fear of offending Arthur. Chester was the oldest of the Legendaries. So old, in fact, that nobody remembered when he and his dragon had hatched. He¡¯d once been a red with fine pyrotechnic powers. Maintaining that youth had come at a cost. One of the first things Arthur and Brixaby had done was to find the hive¡¯s card library. The shelves were empty. How many cards had gone down Chester and Blood Drop¡¯s gullet? And how much power did it take to keep the king youthful like this? Was it simply the awesome power of a Mythic that for some reason couldn¡¯t cover absolutely everything, or was the king sucking the kingdom dry in the same way with his own version of the blood price? Six hundred seventy-eight on the list, he thought with a sigh. The king had not seemed to notice their entrance. He was busy looking down at his twitching fingers and mumbling to himself. He didn¡¯t even seem to recognize Lung Bai. The Mythic dragon went forward into the room. Arthur followed, and Marion and Asha were next. Perhaps only the healers and his dragon should have been in there, but Arthur refused to leave one of his people alone with the unpredictable king. Everyone else waited in the hallway. Marion glanced to the Mythic dragon for permission, and when she nodded, he and Asha made their way over to the king¡¯s side. There was a tray set up on one side of the table filled with several concoctions in colored bottles. Marion picked up one and read the label. ¡°What are these?¡± ¡°To keep him calm,¡± Lung Bai said. With a nod, Marion set the bottle down and began casting his spells. Meanwhile, his silver hatchling looked at the king with compassion in her eyes. Marion stayed coolly professional with no expression on his face, and Arthur wondered what he thought about all this. This wasn¡¯t just any patient, not any king. Elizar was his father. Asha must have received the results for the healing spells because she was the one who trotted back to Lung Bai. ¡°Everything that we can do for him will be temporary.¡± ¡°It will last a year at most,¡± Marion added. ¡°Then we will have to reapply the spell, but it will become less effective each time. There is buildup in his brain.¡± ¡°What is this buildup?¡± Lung Bai asked. ¡°Age,¡± Asha said. ¡°Humans are not meant to live forever.¡± Lung Bai¡¯s body flashed fully into existence before falling once again into outlines. ¡°Would you say the same for your rider? That he is simply too old to keep living?¡± Asha flinched and then bent her head. ¡°I understand.¡± And she looked up again with such compassion in her eyes that Lung Bai settled down immediately. ¡°I¡¯m only telling you the limits of what we can do,¡± Asha finished. ¡°He is a great man,¡± Lung Bai said with absolute loyalty, ¡°and if¡ª¡± She paused, then the tip of her tail shut the door to the corridor with a slam. Arthur, Marion, and Asha were the only ones to hear the rest of her words. ¡°If he is of right mind, the eruptions will slow. They may even normalize again.¡± ¡°Wait, you have control over that?¡± Arthur asked. ¡°I can control whether you use your powers or not,¡± she said. ¡°You think that our strength combined cannot exert some additional control over what goes on in our kingdom?¡± Well, that shut down Arthur¡¯s next question, which was if they had that much say over the eruptions, why hadn¡¯t they done anything? Maybe it had to do with their shared card or cards, but either way, Elizar couldn¡¯t, and Lung Bai could not bear to let her rider go and harvest his cards. Asha put one paw over the Mythic dragon¡¯s ghostly claw. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said with deep empathy. Arthur looked away, his lips pressed into a line. He wasn¡¯t nearly so forgiving. He hoped Brixaby, at least, would have the good sense to do what needed to be done if it meant the safety of the kingdom. He was a leader now, and he was coming to understand that there were sacrifices to be made. But if he had a chance to slow down the rate of eruptions, even for just a year . . . that would buy Brixaby and him some time to get to the rest of the cards in their set. ¡°Marion, do what you can,¡± he told him. Marion nodded and gestured for Asha to stand by him. Together, they cast their various healing cards. Arthur wasn¡¯t entirely certain what they could do that the palace healers could not, but Lung Bai seemed to think that they had greater power. Maybe it had to do with Asha being an Origin dragon. The origin of healing, he reminded himself. That sounded . . . powerful. A green-blue light washed over the king, and he stopped mumbling to himself, letting his hands fall loosely into his lap. He blinked, and as the light receded, he looked around. His gaze fell on his son. ¡°Marion? What are you doing here?¡± Marion took in a sharp breath¡ªclearly surprised that the man recognized him. The king looked on before he could answer. ¡°Lung Bai? Why is this man in my room? Who are you?¡± he said, this time to Arthur. He didn¡¯t recognize him. That . . . wasn¡¯t a complete surprise considering the king¡¯s state of mind last time. Arthur was still relieved. ¡°This is Arthur Rowantree, the newest leader of Blood Moon Hive,¡± Lung Bai said. ¡°How are you feeling, Elizar?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Why?¡± ¡°You have been . . . ill for quite some time.¡± She rustled her wings, and Arthur got the impression she was suppressing deep emotional pain by clinging to formality. ¡°Your son has healed you.¡± ¡°Yes, I see that. With a Rare power at that.¡± He eyed Marion for a moment then looked again at Arthur. ¡°Leader of Blood Moon? You seem a little young for it.¡± Arthur bit down a laugh at the bare-faced hypocrisy. ¡°I¡¯m new to the position.¡± ¡°And he comes to us with news of our kingdom,¡± Lung Bai replied. ¡°I have decreed that he speaks for the hives.¡± That was new, but Arthur could play along. He stepped up to the bed. Marion backed away, and Arthur took his place. ¡°Sir, let me tell you what¡¯s going on in our kingdom, the current rate of eruptions, and how we need your help . . .¡±