B2 Ch: 41 VIP (Patreon)

Arthur barely had time to collect his wits before he heard the distinctive snap of dragon wings at the balcony. Now he was looking closer, he realized there weren't any doors leading to the outside. It was open air, shielded by gauzy curtains.

He pushed his covers back and stepped out, pausing when he saw he was clad in a white linen shirt and loose tan pants. Someone had changed his clothing? How long had he been out?

It was full night outside, but the moon was three-quarters full and cast enough of a glow to see by.

Arthur's balcony was at least twenty levels high. And yet, looking out at the expansive unfamiliar city, many of the buildings were higher. Lights blazed in the windows from illumination card magic, and though he couldn't pick out details thanks to the night... there seemed to be no end to the city.

He'd heard time and time again that Wolf Moon hive was a small, inconsequential place. Now he was starting to understand what people meant.

He only had a few seconds to gawk. The sound of flapping wings grew louder. Arthur stepped back as a large dragon alighted on the balcony.

It was Sams, but there was something different about the dragon--

"Arthur!"

Horatio slid off of Sams' neck with a practiced movement, landing easily on the ground to come up to him. "How bad did the scourgelings scramble your brain?"

"Who are you again?" Arthur asked, grinning, and made himself take the friendly fist to his shoulder in reply.

Grinning, Arthur turned to Sams. "You look different."

It had been hard to pin down at first, but Sams' face looked subtly chubbier as if he had gained weight that he had lost. He had new muscle definition under his scales and his belly... was his belly darker?

"Come closer into the light so he can see you Sams," Horatio coached.

The dragon shifted around and the soft illumination from the candles inside fell over the dragon. The scales on his sides and legs were a richer shade of sunshine yellow, almost taken on a burnished quality.

His belly scales had an iridescent sheen to them. From the right angle, they flashed purple.

"I have linked my core card to a new rider with a new power," Sams said, "Why shouldn't I be a bit different?"

"That and they're working us half to death in training. Like Sams doesn't know how to fly and fight already," Horatio grumbled, but there was a smile on his face as he patted Sams' foreleg. Then he sobered up, turning to Arthur.

"We saw a little of that last eruption, before we got word to scatter thanks to that mind mage."

"You're in training and they had you fight in the eruption?"

Horatio's face briefly darkened, making him look much more like the boy Arthur used to know. "Yeah, but I had Sams to protect me. I can't believe the leaders sent you there without a dragon to back you up."

"I think they meant to keep us in the city -- you know, to give the nobles a taste of what life was really like." Arthur shrugged. With his emotions separated from the stark facts of the memories, he couldn't find it in himself to care.

Horatio eyed him skeptically. "Well, they got their taste and more. From what I heard, you made yourself a hero."

Arthur lifted a shoulder in a limp shrug. He didn't feel like a hero. When it came to the eruption, he didn't feel like much of anything. Likely, this was due to his emotions being stripped from the memories, but he couldn't bring himself to care much about that either.

Instead, he looked out over the strange city vista. "So, this is Buck Moon, huh?"

"Yeah." Horatio's grin was sharp. "You haven't seen nothing yet. It's so good to be back in civilization."

"I liked what I saw of Wolf Moon," Sams said, "It was quaint."

"Try living there for years," Horatio shot back.

Arthur, though, continued staring out towards the large buildings. How many of those twinkling lights were lit up in shops?

"You think I could find a mana card out there?"

"What, now? Aren't you supposed to be resting or something?"

"The mind healer said I've got an interview with the King's Men tomorrow," Arthur said. Maybe a vestige of emotion still lingered from the last few days' memories after all because he didn't want to be caught unprepared ever again.

Horatio's shocked reaction was enough to tell him he had the right to be wary.

Sams rumbled something deep in his chest and dipped his head down to look squarely at Arthur. "If the King's authorities have taken an interest in you..." He trailed off for a moment. "This is either a very good thing or a very bad thing."

"It's bad," Horatio said, predictably.

"I have been under the scrutiny of the King's dragon once." Sams shuddered so hard the scales around his folded wings clattered. "I was never more grateful to be only a Rare dragon."

"You're not 'only a Rare dragon," Horatio said loyally.

"A Rare to a Mythic is a mouse to a man," said Sams gravely.

Should he run for it? Arthur considered and then dismissed the thought immediately. No, he had come too far to turn away now. Plus, the King's attention might be a good thing considering he was seen as a hero.

But what if he learns I'm Calvan Rowantree's son? What if he's looking to place the blame on someone? What if he learns Cressida and I accidently set loose those scourgelings?

That had been an accident and he certainly wasn't at fault for the Rare cards that spawned the Mind-Singer to begin with.

But would it matter if the King was looking to place blame?

Despite his fears and doubts, Arthur couldn't entertain the idea of fleeing. Not when he'd come so far, and the Legendary egg was nearly within his grasp.

"All the more reason I need a mana card." He looked to Sams. "Would you be willing to give me a ride to a shop, or know a dragon who would?"

"Your brain's still scrambled," Horatio sighed. "You're in a hive, Arthur. We have commissary shops. Though," he said, "I'll have to do the actual shopping. The stores are stricter in civilized hives."

"Why do you need a mana card?" Sams asked. "Surely you don't intend to fight the king's men."

"They might have a mind-mage with them -- someone with a thought-sensing card." Habit had Arthur speak as generally as possible. "I can protect myself, but I've brought along some friends," he touched his chest meaningfully, "who might need some cover."

"That Personal Space of yours has come in handy," Horatio grinned. "Are they townsfolk you rescued or something?"

Arthur winced. "Remember Penn Rowantree?"

"That's the noble you..." Horatio looked around and didn't finish. Smart. Who knew how many ears might be listening.

"Yeah," Arthur said awkwardly. "And Prince Marion and Princess Echo."

"You stuffed royalty in your chest?!"

****

After that, Horatio dragged Arthur back into the room -- which wasn't just any absurdly luxurious sickroom. This was apparently Arthur's guest-room as a Legendary dragon recruit.

Then Horatio showed him the flag system. There was a pole attached to the end of the balcony, and several different colored flags one could attach to the end using a pulley system.

"Blue is if you have a non-urgent request -- if you want to send messages to staff who might be on lower levels. White is for emergencies -- mostly medical, but the VIPs abuse it because they think every request is an emergency." Horatio rolled his eyes. "Purple is for personal transport, and green," he deftly clipped that flag on and pulled the cord, so it shot to the end of the pole, "is for meal requests. Sams, if you could?"

Sams gestured with a lazy claw and an invisible light source from nowhere illuminated the flag bright as if it waved at noon.

"I'd do it using my own card, but ultra-violet has funny effects on cloth," Horatio explained.

"Okay, but why are we putting up a flag?" Arthur asked. "I could eat, but we can just pick up something on our way to the hive commissary..."

Horatio turned incredulous eyes on him. "Look, I know things were a little small-minded at Wolf Moon, but you're not going to pull the next possible King or Queen from a live eruption-zone into safety and not offer them something to eat! Wait. Do they need healers?"

"Uh," Arthur said, "Marion might?"

Horatio actually facepalmed. Before he could properly yell at Arthur, there was a buzzing of wings at the balcony.

A graceful purple dragon with not the usual four but six wings moving so fast they were separate blurs, alighted in the small area Sams wasn't taking up.

"Hiya Sams," she chirped.

"Eloise," Sams replied with an indulgent bob of his head.

The purple turned her sharp muzzle towards the room. "How can Eloise serve?"

"Tell the kitchens to send up good quality food -- enough for five people, two of which are royal."

"Five people, two royals, much food," Eloise replied amiably.

"And a top grade healing potion, please," Sams added.

"Healing potion, aye! Bye Sams!" Rather than a dignified launch into the air, Eloise backflipped off the edge of the balcony. She was briefly visible buzzing away before the darkness swallowed her.

Arthur turned to Horatio. "I can't afford this! Do you know how much healing potions cost?"

"Are you saying a prince can't afford it?" Horatio shot back, amused.

Arthur thought about how casually Marion handed him a large sack of coins. He fell silent.

"You're in the VIP rooms. Very Important Pain in the hive's neck," Horatio said, "It would be a crime not to enjoy the benefits."

"I noticed you ordered for five people.”

Horatio's grin reminded him that they'd both grown up knowing Kenzie. "As your friend, it would be a crime for me not to enjoy the benefits either."

A knock came at the front door not long after. When Arthur answered, he was greeted by a team of people who came to set up an extravagant feast on the long wooden table standing next to the balcony. Presumedly to catch the breezes.

None of them gave the fact there were only two of them so much as a glance. Arthur supposed they were used to eccentric requests from VIPs.

A tiny vial that was the healing potion was set up on its own table.

Once the staff left, Horatio gleefully started picking out his favorite foods and piling them up on a plate. "Be a pal and store this for me?" he asked, "I want to be out of here before the royals arrive."

"Where are you going?"

"Shopping. I told you I'd have to purchase a mana card at the commissary, didn't I?" He held up his hand before Arthur could object. "You know I owe you big time for my Rare card."

"You helped me with... uh, getting it," Arthur said, still not wanting to admit to the crime aloud.

"That doesn't equal up and you know it. Besides, you got explaining to do, right?" Horatio was already on his way toward the balcony. "I'll be back later, with cards."

"Cards?" Arthur repeated.

Horatio just laughed and with a leap, alighted on Sams' neck. The dragon turned and illuminated a path in the dark sky ahead before he leapt from the balcony.

Arthur returned back in the room, absently grabbed a candied fruit from the table, and then set it down again. He didn't have an appetite: There were too many things to be done.

Marion first, he thought and walked over to grab the small vial that was the healing potion.

Then he concentrated and unstowed the prince from his Personal Space.

He barely caught Marion as he crumpled to the ground, white around the lips and looking seconds from passing out.

"Here, drink this." Arthur flicked open the top of the vial and shoved it at him.

Marion looked too dazed to understand what was going on. His eyes had taken on that distant gaze he got when he was focused on the future and not the past.

Arthur's Nurse craft skill twinged, and he pushed the vail at Marion's slack mouth to practically pour it down his throat.

Marion grimaced but it was only a small amount and within seconds his eyes cleared, and color returned to his cheeks. Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he looked up at Arthur.

"Where did you get a mana-health combination potion?"

"Was that what this is?" Arthur looked at the vial. There was no label. "Well, you're paying me back for it." He reached down to help Marion to his feet. "How are you?"

"Surprised not to be dead." He looked around. "The timelines I saw didn't include this place. Where's Echo?"

"She's--"

"Good idea storing her away too," Marion said, seeing his answer in the future. His interest turned to the food. "Do they have the candied--Ohh, they do!" He walked over to take one of the candied plums Arthur had seen earlier. "No, don't bring her here yet. She’s not hurt? And Penn made it?"

Arthur nodded.

Distracted again, Marion made his way to a short bookshelf set in the corner. He bent to examine the spines. "You and I need to talk."

His stomach sank. He had a feeling he knew, but he still had to ask. "About?"

Marion picked out a book and turned back to Arthur, casually opening it as he spoke. "The card you stole from me."