Book 2: Chapter 23: Symmetrical Duplication

Book 2: Chapter 23: Symmetrical Duplication

The downside, of course, was the headache.

At first Arthur thought he could handle it. Then he stood to put the time-mark candle out. The pain in his head sharpened as he moved. IT was as if someone had shoved a metal bar up through the bottom of his skull, just where head met neck, all the way through and out the top.

He staggered to the candle, unsure if the sudden vertigo was due to the pain or if it was all rolled into one. It took all of his concentration to snuff the candle out. After that, he fell to his bed, curling up with his hands cradling his throbbing head.

He had lived hours in the space of moments. The backlash made sense though it wasn't pleasant.

Still, he couldn't keep a grim smile from stretching his lips.

What else could he improve, given all the time in the world?

Opening up his heart deck and scanning through his list of skills made his eyes water. So, instead, he planned.

He didn't realize he was drifting off before he was already asleep.

Arthur woke the next morning to a reduced -- through still present headache. It wasn't severe enough to keep him from moving.

When he sat up and looked around, he found someone had slipped an envelope under his door.

The paper was pristine white -- the sort of bleached he'd only seen the rich use. The note inside was on such thick, creamy paper that for a moment he thought it was a card.

The moment Arthur's fingers brushed across it, he felt warm energy zip up to his heart. There was a small card-anchor mark on the corner used for identification. He must have passed because fine dark ink revealed itself across the page as if being written in front of him.

This was a formal invitation for all Legendary hopefuls to attend a dinner the hive banquet hall tonight.

For a moment he allowed himself to imagine it would be like the Rare promenade. Would he be allowed to get close to the Legendary egg tonight? Close enough to formally present himself to the hatchling inside?

No, he realized after a moment's consideration.

Considering the danger of unleashed Legendary magic, there was no way the hive leaders would allow noble scions to troop past the egg and hope for the best.

After another moment's consideration, Arthur revised that: Valentina might threaten to do it, if only to weed out people who weren't serious.

Nevertheless, he doubted this was going to be a simple dinner. The hive leaders might have something in mind to narrow the recruits. The recruits themselves would be fiercely competitive.

With that in mind, Arthur decided to conduct a little experimentation.

He had hit Fabric Snipping - Level 9 last night using the skill card. But would he keep the skill if he removed the card from his anchor deck?

Only one way to find out.

A moment later, the card was in his hand. A quick check to the status list in his heart deck confirmed that the skill itself remained as it was still linked to his Master of Skills card.

But something... felt missing.

It wasn't nearly as bad as that time he removed the Return to Start card from his heart deck. He wasn't in danger of damaging himself or yanking out a piece of himself along with the card.

He simply felt, without being able to put his finger on it, that the card had more to offer him.The debut release of this chapter happened at Ñøv€l-B1n.

After a moment's thought, Arthur replaced it back into his card anchor deck. It wouldn't hurt to keep it there for now. He had the room. Plus, he could always switch it out later for other single-skill based cards. He'd seen a few smithing-type skills in the card shop yesterday. Learning quick skills from Common cards would be faster than apprenticing himself to the local crafters.

He had so much to do and so little time.

Speaking of time... the dinner was this evening. He knew Legendary recruits would be flooding into the hive. The beginning of the social pecking order would be established tonight.

Arthur wasn't interested in being at the top of the heap. He just needed to stay in the game: Only the egg mattered.

He briefly considered returning to his Personal Space, but he needed to be at his best tonight. Not crippled by a migraine.

"What?" He looked down at himself and checked to make sure all buttons were secured, especially around his pants. All was well. "Is something wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"Other than it's from at least three seasons ago? I can see why Joy said I was needed."

"What?" The mention of her dragon kickstarted his mind back into action. The little pink was nowhere around. "How is she? Where is she?"

Are you alright? He wanted to ask but that felt like too personal of a question.

Cressida's sharp gaze softened. "She's wonderful. Taking a nap, actually. The hive trainers have her on an exercise regimen to strengthen her lungs. But she sent me to you with an odd quest." She then held out her arm, and Arthur realized she was carrying folded dark fabric. He took it, shaking out a shirt so blue that it was almost black.

"It's not the most recent in men's fashion," Cressida said apologetically, "But it should fit. And it's better than... that."

"This is new!" All the pride in his new clothing had drained away.

"And which tailor's shop did you buy it from? Wait, don't tell me. Something close to the hive?" Cressida rolled her eyes. "You buy for the shop name, not for the location. Anyway, try it on."

It was only a shirt, though he felt a little strange changing it in front of a girl. At least there was no one else in the tunnel to see.

He felt the difference the moment the shirt slipped over his shoulders. It was a much tighter fit than the last one, though by design as it cinched in the middle. The fabric was breathable and there wasn't a bunch or pull. He still didn't know much about tailoring, but he could tell the fabric was... well, a cut above.

"Where did you get this?" Arthur asked.

"From one of my servants." She waved away his dark look. "They work for me, so they're impeccably dressed. Now, tell me you'll accept it."

"But, I..." He felt bad possibly taking the shirt from someone else. Especially something as nice as this.

"Go on," she insisted. "Accept it."

Oh well. Cressida likely compensated the staff member. "Fine. I'll accept the shirt."

There was a brief flash of night and Cressida plucked a glimmering, jeweled hair-pin out of the air. She examined it with an air of satisfaction.

Arthur could only stare. "What?" He felt like he'd been saying that a lot recently.

"I get rewards for every quest I complete. So far, it's just small things," Cressida said as she casually slipped the jeweled pin worth more money than some families made in a month into her pocket. "But I'm certain that will improve as Joy's power grows."

"Huh. Maybe I should try to link a pink dragon," Arthur said. "Meta powers are amazing."

"They are. She is. Joy, I mean." Cressida looked down and bit her lip. She looked like she was coming to a decision. "I never properly thanked you for helping me. You went above and beyond to help me link with Joy and... thank you, Ernest."

To his utter shock she leaned in and brushed her lips across the side of his cheek. When she pulled back, he knew he was flushing beat-red.

Mind stuttered to a stop, the only thing he could think to say was, "I said to call me Arthur, didn't I?"

"Arthur, then." She smiled. "You wouldn't be the first to hate your family name."

"I... uh... yeah." He wanted to scream at himself, but it was as if all intelligent thought had evaporated away.

Somehow Cressida looked at him as if he wasn't an idiot. "I mean it. I owe you, and if you're ever in need of mine or Joy's help... call on us."

The favor of a powerful meta dragon rider was no small thing. Arthur nodded.

Cressida said her goodbyes, wanting to return to her hatchling dragon. Arthur watched her go, still a little poleaxed.

Something she said drifted around his thoughts:

You wouldn't be the first to hate your family name.

Huh. That gave him an idea...