B3 Ch14: A Stealthy Card (Patreon)

**Re-edited Nov '23**

Brixaby darted forward.

Instinct made Arthur catch his dragon in mid-air as he darted toward Chablis. He didn't think Brixaby was going for her heart cards – at least he was pretty sure – but the effect was striking.

Chablis and the three human councilors who’d gathered next to her backed up hurriedly. Even Laird moved a step to the side, giving Brixaby a hard look.

"You blocked my rider's powers and then set him up to be assassinated!" Brixaby bellowed. He was so angry that he vibrated in Arthur's grip. “Arthur, let me go. I’ll show them what happens when they betray us.”

"No one betrayed you, that is absurd," Chablis said. "Young dragon, we would never allow your partner to be put in danger.”

"Not even for free Legendary cards?" Laird asked, dryly. "Utility Legendary," he said, with emphasis.

The other councilors pretended they did not hear him.

"This is ridiculous," one of the councilors, a male, said, "we gave this Kingdom rider permission to be among us only if he kept the card-locks on. He’s broken our one request: The locks must stay on!"

Brixaby inhaled as if to bellow, but Arthur got there first.

He kept his voice measured but stern. "I had the right to defend myself. That assassin came out of nowhere. You are lucky that I was able to break the card locks." He looked down at Brixaby, meaningfully. The dragon looked like he would happily tear out the cards from all their hearts.

"Is that a threat?" the counselor asked.

"Don't be a fool," Laird said, "a dragon who loses his rider and survives– one who is so young that he hasn’t even developed a secondary core – would go insane with rage. A Legendary would be near unstoppable. I think this is less of an assassination attempt on Arthur and more of an attack on our hive."

That visibly deflated most of the councilors. Chablis, especially, seemed thoughtful. She looked at Arthur. 

"For whatever it's worth, you have my personal guarantee that this attack was not ordered by our hive. We're not sure of your value to us, but we certainly were not plotting your death."

Arthur nodded, though he wasn't sure that he believed her.

"And you have my guarantee," Laird rumbled, "that we will interrogate this man and get to the bottom of it."

"That, I can agree with," another one of the councilors said.

The third remained silent and troubled as he looked at the assassin, but he did not object.

"That’s not good enough," Brixaby said, "I need guarantees that my rider will stay safe. I can't look out for him forever. I have crafting to do."

"Brixaby," Arthur sighed. Deciding the dragon had calmed down enough, he adjusted his grip and allowed him to stand on his shoulder. Thankfully, Brixaby didn't take this as an opportunity to dive for the councilors.

"Yes, interrogate the man," Arthur said. "But Joy needs a healer, now – the best healing you can get for her. And I expect it to be at no cost."

Chablis leaned back as if she had been slapped. "Of course, we wouldn't charge you for that. Healing is free here at our hive."

That wasn't always the case in Wolf Moon. Another difference between the two. But her attitude annoyed him. "So far I have been brought here against my will. Then a pair of the ones I’m responsible for has been convinced to leave my hive. Now this man attacked me, resulting in the injury to a retinue rider and a friend. So forgive me if I don’t expect the best out of you."

"You're lucky that I'm so forgiving," Brixaby added with a sniff.

There was an awkward silence. Arthur got the impression he hadn’t made any friends with that last speech, but he had made a point.

"We will let you know what our investigation uncovers," Laird said. "But, as we have no mind mages here, it may take some time."

Arthur filed that gem away for later, though he had no way of knowing if his statement was true or not.

Laird looked to Chablis. "Have someone gather up this assassin… Though I don't know what use he will be to us. You only took his cards?" he asked, looking at the downed, twitching man and then at Brixaby. "This isn’t the result of poison?"

"No, he is simply weak,” Brixaby said without pity. “He’ll come around when he finds a way to live without his cards.”

"Very well then. Chablis put this man under custody and send for a healer. I'll escort our guests to the visitor's quarters.”

Interesting. Larid wasn’t just one of the councilors. He was comfortable ordering the others around.

It looked like one of the human councilors was going to object. The old man got as far as saying, “Wait just a moment—"

Laird turned his back to him. Since he was a large dragon, it was effectively like putting a wall between himself and Arthur.

The old man fell silent. This conversation was apparently over.

Carefully, Laird moved Cressida aside from the unconscious Joy, and gently scooped her up within his claws.

"Come," he said simply, crouching down in a signal for everyone else to climb on his back.

Arthur exchanged a look with Brixaby, but did as Laird asked.

Despite the grim circumstances and his worry for Joy… he allowed a part of himself to feel amazed. His twelve-year-old self would never have imagined riding the red dragon who had changed the course of his life forever.

He just wished it was under better circumstances.

****

The guest quarters in the Free Hive was a small cave filled with basic furniture. It carried a musty scent as if no one had lived there for some time and it had been long neglected. Arthur was glad that Brixaby didn't say anything snarky about it. He only buzzed in and around as if scouting for danger.

Laird gently laid down the limp Joy on the balcony and flew off, presumably to check on the status of a healer. Instantly, Cressida rushed to her dragon’s side.

"How is she, really?" Arthur asked, after looking around to ensure they were alone. He hoped that there was nobody with an eavesdropping card monitoring them.

"I don't know," Cressida said. "The link is still strong between us, but…"

He finished for her, "You're only connected through her quest and linked cards."

"Yes."

"She's breathing, and..." Cressida placed a hand on the base of her neck. "Her heartbeat is strong. But I can’t tell anything else. Arthur," she looked at him, a well of emotion in her eyes. "The last thing I did before leaving Moon Hive for the class was to lecture her about collecting disgusting rodents for a quest…”

She trailed off, eyes brimming with tears. Unsure what to do, Arthur rested his hand on her shoulder.

“I love Joy,” Cressida continued. “Even when she’s so enthusiastic about everything she drives me up the wall. What if taking those cards has changed her?”

"We'll deal with that as it comes. And if she is… different, I’m sure you’ll still love the new Joy."

Because he knew that Joy would most certainly be altered by this; there would be some change, small or great, he wasn't sure.

Rising grief threatened to swamp him — he was fond of the little bubbly pink, too. But it was better for her to change, be altered, rather than to die.

He hoped.

There came a knock at the door. Arthur rose to answer it, letting Cressida and Brixaby sit next to Joy.

It was a middle-aged woman with a healer badge. She nodded to him and then all but brushed by Arthur to go inspect her newest patient.

Amused, Arthur closed the door after her. He’d gotten so used to being constantly scraped and bowed to at Moon Hive being treated as a nobody again felt odd.

The healer took one look at Joy’s ravaged forelimb and tsked under her breath. Instant green light started to spread over Joy. It wasn't too different from her newly green skin under the scales on her poisoned limb.

Finally, the healer spoke. "I was told to expect poison, though… It seems to be neutralized now. This is all necrotic damage, not too different from gangrene."

"Can you save her limb?" Cressida asked.

"Yes," she said, still brusque. Everybody let out a breath of relief. "But I'll be managing it for the rest of the day, rebuilding all this muscle and tissue. She will wake up ravenous, so be aware of that."

"Yes," Cressida wiped at her eyes, clearly relieved.

“No, girl. I mean, she will wake up literally starving. So while I work I want you to go fetch her meal. There are sheep in the lower paddock…"

While the healer spoke, Brixaby buzzed up to Arthur's ear. "Arthur, we need to speak. In private."

That was by far the quietest he had ever heard Brixaby before, and proof that he could whisper when he wanted to.

With a glance towards the balcony, Arthur left Cressida and the healer speaking and walked to the back of the room. "What is it?"

Brixaby, though, had a devilish look in his eye.

From nothing, or specifically, from Brixaby's own Personal Space, the dragon pulled out a card.

"The assassin had a third card. And I think it's one you'll like."

Arthur read the card.

A Stealthy Class

Rare

Utility

This card grants its wielder instant Stealth Class as well as a 50% boost to natural and skill-based stealth.

Stealth Class Skills:

Silent Movement – Level 10

Heightened Awareness – Level 10

Camouflage – Level 10

Evasion – Level 10

Deception – Level 10

Concealment – Level 10

When Equipped:

+ 3 to Luck

+ 5 to Perception

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