Cressida stared at him with wide eyes. “So it’s true. Your dragon steals powers.”
Arthur’s heart sank down to his toes.
Carley, wisely sensing this was a conversation she didn’t want to be a part of, backed away to another room with a ‘good luck’ look.
“Nope!” Joy sang out, bouncing up high to get a better look at Brixaby. With a grumble, the little black dragon hovered a bit higher to stay out of her range. Joy glided back down and announced, “I still have my quest!”
Well, that was one question answered.
Arthur hastened to explain. “We’re still learning exactly what his card can do, but as far as I can tell, Brixaby only copies active powers, and only when he’s close — within the same aura.”
Better to let Cressida think this was Brix’s main power and not just their linked card. Especially if gossip was already flying around.
Cressida visibly relaxed. “Then you have my apologies for assuming. I’ve never heard of a power like that before.”
“Brix! Brix! Brix! Wait, I can call you Brix, right?” Joy asked, still bouncing. As she did, she flapped her wings for some extra, awkward height. Unlike Brixaby, her body was too large for her still relatively short wings to hold her long in the air.
Now that Arthur thought about it… was it unusual that Brixaby could fly so soon after hatching?
“What do you want?” Brixaby demanded gruffly, instead of answering her. He hovered in place, just watching her antics with a slightly confused look on his face.
Joy leapt up high again. “What’s your quest? I bet it’s a good one! I’ll tell you alllllll about mine if you want.” This last leap took her to Brixaby’s new height — at least until he buzzed upward a few more feet.
Unconcerned, Joy landed easily and leaped again.
“My quest,” Brixaby said grandly, “is a worthy one! I have one hour to discover how to grow larger.”
“Ohhhhhh. Maybe eat a meal?” Joy said. “Like, a lot, a lot of meat. Your tummy will swell, and all that food turns into muscle overnight. That’s what my Cressida says.”
As the two dragons chatted, Cressida walked over to join Arthur. She glanced constantly up to where Brixaby now buzzed around the high rafters as if showing off what he could do.
“He’s well proportioned,” she muttered, “Especially for just being hatched.”
Arthur waited a moment, expecting her to comment on his size. But she added, “The only ones in our dragon care class who are flying are purples. He… is purple, right?”
“I’m not sure,” Arthur admitted. “Have you ever heard of a black dragon?”
“No, just very dark blues. But I’m not an expert.” She turned her gaze to him. “I heard about the trials they put the Legendary recruits through. Was it bad?”
Arthur hadn’t let himself think much about the last couple days. Every time he did, he got a flash of the wild look on Penn’s face: The hurt and the betrayal.
Arthur had betrayed him several times in several different ways. He wouldn’t have done otherwise if he had to do it all over again, but… he didn’t like thinking about it.
If circumstances were different — if Arthur wasn’t who he was, and Penn hadn’t been his cousin who’d lived the life Arthur should have had — they could have been friends.
“It was bad, but worth it,” he said, looking up meaningfully at Brixaby.
He almost wished he hadn’t.
Brix was now using his feet to hang upside-down off the top rafter, watching Joy trying to flap up to him. It made him look more like a bat than ever.
“Yes, I can imagine. You’re a Legendary rider now. Congratulations. But…” Cressida looked around the bare, dusty suite. “This is where they put you?”
“It seems so.”
“Well,” she said briskly, “this will never do. I can help you arrange for supplies to be sent up. You need a mattress for your bed at the very least, though I don’t know if we can get one tonight.”
“No,” Arthur said quickly. “I have no way to pay you back—"
She laughed aloud, then quickly stifled it when she saw Arthur wasn’t joking. “Most of the upper tier riders have credit with the hive stores. Though it might take a few days for the hive to establish your official stipend.”
He had forgotten about that. Arthur had always worked for his money — he’d never had anyone give him anything just for existing.
Cressida went on. “The lower tier dragons — the Common and Uncommon have only minimal stipends used to feed their dragons and themselves on basic rations. Everything above that is earned through deeds during the eruptions, selling harvested cards and shards from scourgelings, or being on specialized teams like the Lobos who do search and rescue. As Joy is a Rare, we’re given a decent stipend to fit our needs, but of course we’re still expected to contribute and earn eruption bonuses. But as a Legendary…” she trailed off meaningfully and shrugged, “They’ll go over it in the dragon care class, I’m sure.”
“So, you’re saying I can go into a commissary and buy whatever I wanted?” Arthur asked, half teasing.
“An upper-level commissary,” Cressida said firmly. “You’ll need quite a lot to turn this cavren into a home. What is your personal style?”
“Style?”
She flicked her fingers. “Most men like forest green, rich browns, or other dark, muted colors. But that can leave a room looking closed in, and that would be such a shame with these wide windows and arch door. I recommend something in gold or cream, perhaps accented in red to fit your new station.”
Arthur just stared at her. “Do you have a decorating card or something?”
“No, I was raised to be the wife of a high-powered noble,” she said lightly, “but don’t change the subject. What colors do you prefer? Do you follow any artists? These walls could support some artwork…”
Feeling like a man about to drown, Arthur said, “Uh, what colors do you like?”
He was thankfully interrupted by the dragons.
“Who says I’ll help you with your quest?” Brixaby boomed. He had flipped up out of his hanging-bat pose and just looked down at her from his place on the rafters, like a king about to pass judgment. Then he paused. “What is your quest, anyway?”
“I want to join your retinue, when you make one,” Joy said, still bouncing.
Cressida whirled to her. “Joy! Remember what we talked about?”
“Oh? Oh! Right.” The little pink dragon stopped bouncing and her head lowered. “Cressida told me we’re supposed to be more delicate about asking,” she told Brixaby. “Sorry.”
Cressida’s face flooded with color.
Arthur chuckled. “You know, you’re the second person who’s asked me about that.”
“Not a surprise,” she said, not quite meeting his eyes. “It’s a high honor for all Rare pairs.”
Arthur glanced between Joy and Brixaby and remembered that awkward conversation Brixaby had relayed from Valentina’s dragon. “Brixaby just hatched, and no one has explained much about… retinues,” he said carefully. “Can you tell me what it means, exactly?”
She nodded briskly, visibly regaining her mental balance. “I’m sure they’ll go over it in your class. Basically, each Legendary dragon has their own under-riders and outriders — it’s a kind of mini-hive, or specialized team. They carry out the Legendary’s orders during a scourge eruption and help with the functions of the hive. That’s how Joy and I can be of the most use,” she added quickly, “I know Joy’s card doesn’t lend itself to combat, but Rares in the service of a Legendary get extra benefits and better pay. I can buy combat cards for Joy when she’s ready. Then we can be a help, combat-wise.”
“Pah, you’re wasted in combat.” Brixaby buzzed down to Arthur’s shoulder. “Your quest card will be very useful. I only have access to the power for an hour at a time, so I must keep you close. Yes,” he decided, puffing out his chest, “Joy and the girl may join my retinue.”
“Really?” Cressida and Joy asked in the same breath.
“Well,” Arthur said, “It’s not like I’m going to say no. I don’t know how to make it official, but—"
He stopped as Joy’s very vividly pink hide flashed to a brighter shade. It was as if someone had lit a light under her scales, making her almost painful to look at.
At the same time, Cressida’s eyes fluttered shut. Wisps of her red hair flew back as if she were caught in her own windstorm.
Just as quickly, Joy’s glow faded, and Cressida opened her eyes. She was smiling.
“Quest complete!” Joy chirped, “And I’m part of a retinue now! Yay!” She ran over, throwing her forearms around Arthur’s shin in a hug, adding her wings for effect. “We’ll be the best under-riders ever!”
“What just happened?” Arthur asked.
Smiling, Cressida explained, “Quest reward. It was a good one — I think joining a retinue is usually a lot harder than this. Joy just got three points added to her Charisma and I got two added to my base Intelligence. You have heard of attributes, right?”
“Yes. That’s quite the reward.”
She nodded. “But the reward isn’t why we came here. You should know that Joy and I intend to take our duties seriously. Even if we’re in training, and… well, you know that I’m already in your debt for helping me out with Joy’s hatching. I haven’t forgotten that, and— “
Arthur held up his hand. “I don’t need people in my debt. I just need good people on my side. Plus,” he admitted, “your quest card is really useful.”
Now she practically beamed. “I’m glad you see the use of it. Some of the combat-oriented dragon pairs don’t understand.”
“They’re big meanie-heads,” Joy agreed.
“Then I’ll show them what true power looks like when I rip their cards from their cores,” Brixaby said.
“Ohhh,” Joy said, “Can you really do that? There’s one green who— “
“No,” Arthur and Cressida said at the same time.
“He can’t really do that,” Cressida said, “Can he?”
“Not to allies,” Brixaby confirmed. “Because it upsets Arthur.”
Arthur winced. “I’d rather that didn’t get around.”
Cressida’s eyes went very wide then narrowed as if she were studying Arthur for something, then she nodded. “Of course I’ll be discreet, but young dragons usually… aren’t.”
“Yeah,” Arthur sighed. “This is Brixaby’s indoor voice.”
“What is wrong with my voice?” Brixaby boomed.
Using diplomacy with the deftness of a high leveled skill, Cressida changed the subject. “They are having you join dragon care lessons, right?”
“Yes, first thing in the morning.”
“That’s our class!” Joy cried. “We’re going to have so much fun. Today we practiced diving down on scourgelings. Like this!” She flapped heavily in the air and then dropped again, claws outstretched as if preparing to land on something and start tearing into it.
“It’s part combat, part hatchling daycare,” Cressida said in a low aside to Arthur. “The trainers separate the classes by month, so the hatchlings grow up together.”
Arthur frowned. “They expect you and Joy to hunt scourgelings?” That didn’t seem to be a good use of Joy’s quest talents. And the fierce little snarl on her muzzle as she pretended to dive on scourge didn’t look right on her face.
“No, we’re hoping to be in tactics, planning, or search and rescue,” Cressida said, “But everyone is trained in physical combat regardless of card powers, in case of emergencies. And I have my flame bears in case we get into trouble.”
Arthur nodded.
It seemed like tomorrow's dragon care class would be interesting.
“Brixaby,” he said, interrupting the two dragons who were talking about who was the better diver. “Looks like we have a big day tomorrow. Let’s see if feeding you up completes your quest or not.”
