Book 4 Ch 1: Faberge Man
Arthur and Brixaby stood on a hill and looked out at the city ahead of them.
It was hard to miss.
Entirely encircled by steep brick walls, the buildings inside were arranged by height. The ones at the citys edge closest to the wall were the shortest. Each row further back was built slightly higher, allowing for windows or balconies to peek just over the ones in front. This repeated, row after row, until the buildings reached over twenty stories high in the middle.
Plus, every building seed to be made of different materials, varying in color and texture. So buildings were in several colors, giving them a patchwork look.
He wasnt sure if it was impressive or impressively ugly.
I sll no dragons.
Arthur glanced at Brixaby who had his head cocked to the sky. He barely seed interested in the city at all.
Not a surprise, Arthur said. Most cities back in our kingdom only saw dragons when there was an eruption nearby. I didnt even see my first dragon until I was twelve years old.
Brixaby gave an exaggerated shudder. Then you must be glad I am in your life!
Its made things interesting, Arthur said dryly. He gestured back to the city. Have you figured out what were here for?
The dark dragons gaze dropped to the city again. He shrugged. The card only tells where, not what. It probably assus we already know what were looking for. Now we are close, the map has been updated to the middle of that city. Then his head turned to look to the stand of nearby trees. Not with any urgency as if hed just heard sothing. He looked like he was considering.
Co to think of it the trees were strange. They were of a type of oak Arthur hadnt seen before. That wasnt what made them interesting: It was the fact they were here at all, so close to such a large city.
From their vantage point on top of the hill, he had a good view of the area before the walls. It was all scattered forestland with so straight dirt roads that led directly to arched openings within the city walls.
No farmland. No cultivated areas. And apparently, no one had ventured out of the city to cut firewood.
Very odd.
Arthurs train of thought was interrupted when Brixaby suddenly said.
I wish to hunt.
Hunt? Arthur echoed.
Yes! Brixabys chest swelled with pride. I think it would be delightful to hunt proper prey for once. Not just small animals like rabbits or cats.
Cats? Arthur almost asked before he decided he didnt want to know. I thought you liked your food cooked, he said, instead.
I do. I will hunt it and you will cook it. Several delightful slling creatures in this forest remind of venison.
Now Arthur got it.
His dragon had gone from the size of a parrot to the size of a small donkey. He wanted to try out his teeth and claws or maybe his new card powers. Theyd both gained so over the last few days.
If youre hunting, Ill scout out the city. Well et here this evening when the sun touches the horizon. In his mind, Arthur reactivated his Nullify card which worked on his Return to Start. But that could be lifted by either of them at any ti. Key in your Return to Start here, just in case.
Yes, it would be inconvenient if either one of us were sent to the sa Free hive. Brixaby crouched as if ready to take off. Then he paused. But if you encounter trouble, you will regroup here, yes? I am a dragon. But you have no claws. He looked faintly pained.
Im a Legendary cardholder linked to a Legendary dragon, Arthur said, summoning his inner Brixaby. Trouble will find itself in trouble with .
This seed to mollify the dragon. With a snort, he sprung into the air. Though he kept low, within the branches of the trees. No need to attract attention from this Kingdoms hives whoever they were.
Arthur waited until the sound of his droning wings faded. Then he turned to the city.
There was no way he would be able to hide who he was forever. As soon as soone realized he was linked to a dragon, the local hives would co calling.
And once it was learned he was a Legendary card holder, hed likely find himself entangled in local politics.
Being a Legendary rider had its downsides, Arthur thought. But it also gave him the strength to say no to whatever soone would want from him.
Straightening his shoulders, Arthur started down the hill toward the city.
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One of the weirdly straight dirt roads lay at the bottom of this hill. He walked along it toward his destination. The tall buildings made an excellent beacon.
Walking briskly, he soon ca up behind a large cart hitched to so plodding oxen.
That was where he found his second oddity. The cart was weird.
Arthur knew carts. Hed traveled with a trading caravan for so ti when he was twelve. Those were basic open-air carts with the contents usually covered with tarp or blankets to keep off weather or thieves away.
These were wide flatbed carts that contained two identically large wooden boxes that fit perfectly flush on the edges of the cart and stood so high they would have touched the low branches if the branches had not been sharply cut to avoid them.
And on top of these boxes sat four people in blue uniforms. Each faced a different direction, likely keeping an eye out for brigands. The one in the back saw Arthur and called out to him.
Arthur couldnt understand a word the woman said.
Thinking that distance had muddled the sound, Arthur responded with a friendly wave. His hands were empty, of course. Anything that could be a weapon was stored in his Personal Space.
The cart was going very slow, so Arthur easily caught up to them. As he did, the guards stood.
Two of them were visibly ard with a spear and a sword. The other two were bare-handed, but Arthur suspected they had cards to defend themselves.
Another guard called out. The words were nonsense.
Another language?
Everyone Arthur had ever t spoke the sa language though there were accents.
He had one ti found a Polyglot Tongue card, though. Too bad hed never taken it. Hed thought it was pointless at the ti.
Where in the world am I? Arthur wondered, but it didnt matter.
The guards were waiting for a response. Arthur could only shrug and say, I dont understand you. Mind if I walk on past? Accompanied by pointing.
The guards exchanged glances and one said sothing else in a string of syllables and vowels that made Arthur wonder how hed even made those noises.
The tone, however, was universal: Caution.
I just want to get past. Arthur pointed again. He hadnt slowed. If push ca to shove, he didnt need their permission. Dont attack .
There was little enough room on the sides of the road, but he began to edge past.
One man he suspected was the leader, because the others kept looking at him, and frowned down at Arthur. Then, after a mont, he signaled for him to pass even though he already had been.
Thanks, he muttered.
When he got to the front, he nodded to the driver and took a double-take at the oxen. They were dark brown and woolly with massive heads and tiny black horns. Arthur gave them a wide berth.
Then he looked down and saw that the wheels of the cart werent following well-worn ruts in the road. They were fitted to a tal bar that had been sunk in a rail of so sort that ran at a perfectly straight line on either side of the road.
He glanced again over his shoulder at the cart and noted the size of the four huge beasts and how slow they were moving despite the help of a rail. Whatever they were carrying was heavy.
As Arthur walked on, he kept a light thought on his Phase In, Phase Out card. Just in case soone took a shot at him. While he heard muttering from the guards hed passed, no one did.
A quarter mile ahead, he saw another cart this one had the sa dinsions with the sa large boxes. Only it was green with gold nonsensical looping writing on the back.
It was also rolling up to the city wall, and several guards had already co around to chat with the driver.
There were more guards along the top of the wall. A lot of them.
One guard turned from the green cart and saw Arthur. He called him over.
Unable to understand, Arthur showed his open palms in an exaggerated shrug. I dont understand you.
Oakee, oakee, the guard said and led Arthur toward the wall to another guard who was seated at a small portable writing desk. From the more ornate uniform, he looked to be in charge.
The two gabbled and then the seated one stood and approached Arthur.
Do you know my language? Arthur asked.
The mans eyebrows rose. A Faberge. Its been a while since Ive seen one of you.
A what? At least the man spoke his language, though Arthur wondered how well.
Its what we call your Kingdom. Like the fancy egg, yeah? All your weird buildings co to a point, like an onion. He tented his hands and chuckled. Since you have no na for yourselves, we had to co up with sothing. So? How did a Faberge man find himself here?
Arthur, always ready to level up his Deception Skill, already had a story in mind. I bought a trip from a portal card user, but he was only a Common and he had the wildcard of his set. Made for a random destination. Arthur shrugged. I didnt care.
The man eyed him. Criminal?
So might say so, Arthur said. My family was sentenced to the border for my fathers cris. This wasnt too much of a lie, to muddle things in case the man had a truth-detection card.
Weve heard of such practices, the man said. Its barbaric to condemn an entire family for the cris of another. But we still dont tolerate criminal behavior here. If youre caught stealing, youll regret it.
Im not a thief. Im looking for a fresh start.
Thats what all thieves say. But youll be able to prove yourself. Im Domingo the two words that sounded like She Raf on shift, and youre at the border ofThe next few words must have been in his language because it was incomprehensible and long. Were the last of our great state. Did the portal drop you close to the city?
Yes, the buildings are hard to miss.
Youre a lucky kid. Wandering that forest isnt wise.
Why? Arthur asked. Does it belong to the local baron?
No such nonsense here. Domingo looked like he was going to say more but at that mont there was a commotion behind them.
The plodding cart was coming in at a greater speed the driver snapping the reins and cracking a whip over the back of the oxen to urge them to hurry up.
Arthur would have felt sickened except the guards at the top of the boxes were standing again. One threw out a lightning bolt at sothing behind them.
Seems youll see for yourself. Stand behind , Domingo said.
The guards on top of the wall ca on alert and called out to one another.
Then Arthur heard whistling from the trees. The sounds of scourgelings.
The attack happened in a flash.
Several scourgelings with massive, bulbous heads and gray hides, like mockeries of the oxen, sprang out from between the trees. Its head split open in half and clamped oversized teeth on the neck of one of the oxen.
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