Chapter 54: ... A Heist (Preparation)

    The next day, he and Horatio waited on a bare, rocky outcropping on the north slopes of the hive. Due to a constant, chilly wind from the northern snowy mountains, this side of the hive wasn''t well populated. The bits of vegetation that dotted the slopes were stunted and twisted by the wind. But being here gave Horatio and Sams privacy to speak.

    Arthur wasn''t entirely sure how dragons visited between hives – or why Sams wasn’t allowed to stay. The more he learned about dragons, the more glimpses he got into a society hidden among themselves. One with their own ranks and rules.

    Some dragons, like Doshi, were allowed to travel far and wide between hives in search of recruits for future hatchlings. Others -- mostly the combat-oriented dragons -- lived in an almost militaristic lifestyle with inner ranks. They spent their days at drills practicing fighting scourgelings, with the main excitement occurring during new eruptions.

    Then there were the dragons who lost their riders. Or the few who never linked to someone as a hatchling.

    They seem to be outsiders, for the most part. Some performed fetch and carry chores to keep the hive running. Some assisted directly with scourge eruptions without the magical aid of a rider’s card. Some, Arthur heard, disappeared into the wilds never to be seen again.

    He suspected the last was the red dragon who had given him his Master of Skills card.

    From what he understood, Sams lived in minor disgrace within his own hive. He was a Rare ranked dragon and was expected to link with another rider as soon as possible. He didn''t have the luxury of waiting, like Commons and Uncommons.

    But he had chosen to wait for Horatio anyway. His rider’s son.

    Horatio was rightly worried that Sams would not wish to wait much longer.

    Horatio had been told, approximately, when Sams was due to arrive. But it was a surprise when a small portal opened in midair. Usually, spatial manipulation dragons, which were the ultra-shimmery greens, reserved their mana for hive eruptions. But again, Sams was a Rare, and could pull strings.

    A large shape flew out of the portal. Its long tail barely exited before the rip in the air snapped shut again.

    Sams looped around once to get his bearings. He was a magnificent dragon, long and delicate looking with a pointed head like the tip of a spear. His color was like a burst of classic sunshine yellow, with a hint of luminescence shining out from within.

    While Sams was a Rare, he held no particular shimmer quality to his hide. That was likely why he had been allowed to stay unlinked from a rider all this time.

    Sams spotted them before long -- dragon eyesight supposedly rivaled a human’s -- and he glided down on great wings to meet them.

    His claws barely touched the stony ground before Horatio bowed to him, which was more curtesy than Arthur had seen him show... ever.

    Sams ducked his head, peering narrow-eyed at Horatio as if he were nearsighted. "Little one, is that you? You have grown large."

    Horatio choked out a laugh. "And you are as big as ever, Sams."

    The dragon ruffled his wings at the praise. But as he did, the wind shifted, and Arthur got a whiff of him. He smelled acrid and rotten, just like the dragon soil fields. It wasn’t a pleasant smell.

    "And you have the feel of Rare magic," Sams replied, still gazing at Horatio. His wings drooped slightly before his next pronouncement. "But I sense your card will not fit with mine."

    "I-- I tried," Horatio said. "I''m sorry, Sams. I ended up with a good card... But not something that would fit you."

    Arthur held his breath, waiting for the dragon’s reaction. He fully expected anger, even insult. After all, Sams had waited all this time for Horatio to get a compatible card.

    Instead, the dragon dipped his head and touched the point of his sharp muzzle to the top of Horatio''s hair. "You created a Rare card out of mere shards. Your father would be proud."

    "No he wouldn''t," Horatio said, bitterly.

    "He never expected perfection from anybody else," Sams replied. "Only from himself." Then he heaved a giant, dragon-sized sigh. "But I must find a rider soon."

    Horatio closed his eyes as if bracing himself. "I understand."

    "Why?" Arthur asked.

    The dragon’s head swung around to look at him. He didn''t answer, so Horatio spoke up. "Sams, this is Arthur. He''s my best friend out here, and I wanted to introduce you two."

    Sams regarded Arthur silently, and Arthur was reminded that adult dragons didn''t always speak to other people. He was used to Marteen and the simpler but gregarious purple dragons.

    Finally, Sam spoke. "I must find a rider because to be without one means a loss of privileges. I am lucky that I''m not required to attend to the scourge-eruptions. Instead, I''m relegated to using my powers to dry out the dragon soil fields."

    "Damn," Horatio said, softly. "I didn''t know that, Sams."

    "It''s not a bad job," Sams replied, and Arthur noted that he was much less formal when speaking directly to Horatio. "It is not as if I stand in the fields. I can fly above and work my magic. It is... Bearable."

    "Can you add another card to your heart deck?" Arthur asked. "Something compatible with Horatio''s new card?”

    "He''s still a little new to hive-life," Horatio said to Sams. Apparently, that had been a stupid question.

    "We may add new cards to our heart deck, as well as secondary and tertiary decks," Sams replied patiently. "But there may be only one card in our core of our being. It is the magic that we dragons are built around. The new card we release into the world upon our deaths. I cannot simply exchange it for another."

    "I''m sorry," Horatio said again, sounding wretched. "If I knew that they''d put you in the damn dragon soil fields, I would have sold this card. I don''t care how good it is--"

    "I... Might have an option," Arthur said.

    Both Horatio and Sams turned to look at him.

    Arthur hesitated. "But it''s not, um, exactly legal."

    More likely, though, Horatio was excited about the idea of getting another Rare card for himself.

    "I haven''t heard of a Seeker above Rare rank within the hives," Sams said at last. "I have no doubt the king has a card for it in the palace libraries-- if it hasn''t degraded from disuse. Would your uncle have access or be able to afford the services of such a person...?" He trailed off and shrugged one massive wing.

    Arthur stared up at the dragon, a little surprised at his sound logic. He was also a touch shamed at his surprise. Sams was a Rare-ranked dragon. He just hadn''t expected him to reason like a person. Even Marteen wasn''t that deep of a thinker.

    That red dragon who''d given him his card had also thought like a person. Motivations of spite and revenge and all.

    "I''m... a little surprised you two are taking this so well," Arthur admitted. "I thought I would have to talk you into it."

    "Stealing cards is a fine dragon rider tradition," Sams said, puffing out his chest. "Though the hive administrators have tamped down on it over the last few generations."

    Arthur hesitated. "When I was younger, I was caught near a scourgeling eruption. I saw a pink dragon being attacked by others. I think they were after its cards."

    That deflated Sams a tad. "That is not supposed to happen during an eruption, though... if the dragon and rider are far enough out of favor." He shrugged his wings again.

    Arthur decided to set that topic aside. He looked to Horatio. "For this to work, I’ll need to test something." Without waiting for Horatio''s reply, he reached into his storage space and pulled out the box of peeping chicks.

    Then he pulled out the piglet, which took a look up at Sams and started to squeal in panic.

    "Are you laying out a lunch?" Sams asked.

    "Nothing like that." He looked at the animals who seemed perfectly fine after their extended stay in storage. But he had to be absolutely sure. Arthur lifted his gaze to Horatio. "Do you trust me?"

    "That depends on what you''re about to ask me."

    Arthur stared at him, steady. "I need to see if I can store a person inside my storage."

    Horatio jerked back in surprise. "Why?"

    "I can''t say." Arthur held up a hand before his friend could speak. "The less you know about this, the better. But yes, it''s part of my plan to steal the cards. So far I''ve stored chicks and this piglet in there, and they''re all fine. But I need to know what it''s like inside. If it''s... tolerable for a person. And it''s not like I can put myself in. I''ll pull you out in ten seconds," he added.

    "No," Horatio said, after a moment. "Give me thirty seconds. That''ll give me enough time to look around, but it won''t be long enough for me to suffocate. Probably."

    Arthur knew he was asking a lot of his friend. Hopefully, he would be able to repay his trust. With a nod, he put his hand on Horatio''s shoulder and mentally reached for his storage.

    Nothing happened.

    "Uh..."

    Sams lowered his head to look at the two of them. "I''ve heard of similar powers before. Is there a restriction on sapient creatures in your card''s description?"

    "No," Arthur said.

    "Spatial magic can be finicky," Sams continued. "A lack of acceptance or trust from the other party may be enough to block the card. Because he is self-aware, Horatio may have to give express permission to store him."

    Horatio blew out a breath. "Fine. Arthur," he began grandly. "I give you my permission to throw me in your storage--"

    Arthur felt the sensation of a tug, and a moment later Horatio disappeared into his storage. His hand dropped.

    He was so shocked he forgot to count for a moment. Quickly, he started.

    "Twenty-nine, twenty-eight, twenty-seven..."

    "You had better be correct about this," Sams said as he stared at the spot Horatio had been.

    Arthur nodded and did not stop counting.

    At one, he pulled Horatio out again. Thankfully, he did not need to ask his friend''s permission first.

    "--over-powered storage space," Horatio continued. Then he looked around, seeing the two staring at him. "What?"

    "I just pulled you out of it."

    "No, you didn''t." He stared around, reading their expressions. Then he looked down at his hands as if searching for a change. "Wait, really?"

    "You didn''t feel anything?" Arthur pressed.

    Horatio shook his head, doubt on his face like he wasn''t sure if Arthur was playing a trick on him or not.

    "I guess the card description’s accurate about not experiencing time." He nodded. "Thank you, Horatio. That helps. Though a shame I can''t toss anyone who gets in my way in there." Specifically, whoever was guarding the cards.

    Horatio shuddered dramatically. "That card is scary enough."

    "Sometimes," Arthur said, "I wonder about utility cards. People overlook them, but they''re often more powerful than they seem."