Arthur walked into the giant indoor arena that hosted the dragon care classes, Brixaby on his shoulder.
At a quick glance, there were ten other dragon pairs. They were of all shades and sizes, though none smaller than Brixaby or larger than a dog.
Most of the young dragons were gathered in a group, wrestling while making growling noises. Two of the smallest dragons – about the size of a cat – fluttered around the fray on four rapidly beating wings. Those were the purples. One ...
2023-02-21 06:27:45 +0000 UTC
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Cressida soon excused herself, saying she wanted to get a start on purchasing things to "Make this room livable".
Arthur was a little surprised she had been serious about that, but knew better than to argue against the steely glint in her eye.
So with only a quick stop to find Carley and explain Cressida was authorized to come and go as part of his retinue, he took Brixaby to the kitchens.
The hive had giant kitchens on the lowest level where the bulk o...
2023-02-18 04:36:49 +0000 UTC
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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 ha...
2023-02-17 06:33:56 +0000 UTC
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By the time Arthur was dismissed by Valentina, he felt numb by the host of revelations. It was as if he had been bludgeoned over the head several times, and his blunt damage enhancement had not kicked in.
He’d been directed to slide off the gigantic dragon’s side to land on the firm cloud before. There, he found Brixaby who looked about as shell shocked as Arthur himself.
“What happened?” he asked as Brixaby landed on his shoulder.
“Eggs,” Brixaby said shortly. ...
2023-02-15 00:13:24 +0000 UTC
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Sitting astride a dragon which was landing on another dragon was an odd experience. Arthur noted how Sams carefully kept his talons lifted and how lightly he landed.
There was plenty of room on the giant back. Each one of Elissa's scales was the size of a platter used at a fancy feast. And as she wasn't actively flying -- simply floating on a cloud -- there wasn't any movement of her beating wings.
Still, Arthur caught Horatio sweating and suspected that Sams would be, too, if he ...
2023-02-11 06:08:51 +0000 UTC
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Arthur expected pomp and ceremony upon leaving for Wolf Moon, but the Buck Moon leaders were strangely absent. It might have had something to do with Brixaby’s ability – and continued verbal willingness to steal cards.
“I don’t see why I shouldn’t take from people who annoy me,” the dragon loudly grumbled as Arthur strode to the seventh level. Carley had been given directions to tell him to arrive there for transport to the new hive. “It was only a Common dragon, and I hav...
2023-02-10 05:38:06 +0000 UTC
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"I don't want it," Marion said.
Arthur stared blankly at him, his arms held out with Marion's card pinched between his fingers. This had been a rather trying day and for a full ten seconds he wasn't sure he had understood the prince correctly.
Blinking, Arthur said, "Come again?"
"He doesn't want the card," Brixaby rumbled from his perch on Arthur's shoulder. He seemed to have claimed that spot as his own as he hadn't moved from it over the last few hours. Only sat there and...
2023-02-08 06:04:09 +0000 UTC
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All,
Like the title says: The chapter's running a little long and so it'll be posted tomorrow.
Until then!
- Honour
2023-02-07 06:35:37 +0000 UTC
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The world was overly loud and bright when Arthur emerged from the Personal space. He was hit with a wall of sound -- people yelling in anger and in fear -- and realized he had let himself forget that it had been absolute chaos.
Brixaby launched off Arthur's palm. For a split second, Arthur worried that their deal was off, but the little dragon seemed to be just as surprised at the noise and had startled out of fear.
Brixaby turned in place, saw Arthur's projected Master of Skills ...
2023-02-04 00:10:04 +0000 UTC
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Loved people's reactions to the last chapter. lol. Hopefully this will help the cliff anxiety?
“Kane, look out!” Penn yelled.
Arthur ignored him. He set his feet, every muscle clenched, and concentrated with all his might on his Master of Body Enhancement card.
Brixaby the dragon fell on him, little pinprick claws digging into Arthur’s shirt. Invisible hands grabbed his Master of Skills card and tugged.
The ripping sensation in h...
2023-02-02 06:37:53 +0000 UTC
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Arthur couldn't quite describe how, but he could feel the presence of the egg before entering the auditorium -- the same one where he'd attended the lecture of dragon colors a few days ago.
There was a pull at his heart. As if something deep inside was reaching out and trying to connect.
This had to be a good thing, surely. He had been the one to find the egg. He had not fainted or faltered when other Legendary recruits had. Even though he wasn't going to be ...
2023-01-31 08:12:06 +0000 UTC
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As Marion predicted, the next day was announced as a day of rest and reflection for the final Legendary Recruits.
Arthur slept in until noon.
He was woken by Carley barging in and throwing open the curtains he'd pulled across the balcony, letting in light. He would have been angry, but she brought with her a plate of sandwiches.
His stomach rumbled and he instantly forgave her.
After eating--and of course secreting the extra sandwiches away in his Personal Space. Carle...
2023-01-27 06:16:14 +0000 UTC
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First chapter of two tonight! (Yes, I'm still working on the second. It'll be a few. Until then, enjoy!)
"You want me to do what?" Arthur stared at his friend. Or, the person he was beginning to think of as his friend. Now he was starting to wonder.
Marion winced, which struck Arthur as an odd reaction. Almost as if he didn't anticipate Arthur's question.
But Marion could see several seconds into the future... unless he had his Nullify card turned on.
...
2023-01-27 04:52:39 +0000 UTC
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Quick heads up to my lovely Patrons: The way this chapter's working out, it feels like it's going to be split into two. Both are coming to your computer screen (or phone, I don't judge) tomorrow.
Till then... any bets on what color dragon's coming out of that egg?
~ Honour
2023-01-26 04:45:36 +0000 UTC
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No, I'm not dead! Just received some sad personal news and I had to take a few days.
I can only try to make up for it with a (juicy?) chapter.
Whitaker looked down from his high box seat, which of course had luxuriously padded seats, angled to view all four quadrants of the arena with ease -- as well as looking glasses which magnified objects through some trick of the lenses for those who needed it. Food and drink were brought by courteous servants at the w...
2023-01-24 06:01:11 +0000 UTC
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By the time Arthur’s Blunt Force Damage resistance hit level 10, he received a welcome notification.
For reaching this threshold on a body-enhancing skill, you have gained an additional 5% quickened healing bonus from all blunt-force damage. In addition, your bones, organs and soft tissues are 10% more resistant to blunt force injuries.
He also noticed a marked uptick in attention from the audience.
He could not hear them, of cou...
2023-01-19 05:04:42 +0000 UTC
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After the meeting with the hive leaders ended, Arthur opened the door to his room was unsurprised to find two large men dressed in hive colors waiting for him just outside.
They had the air of guards come to march a prisoner to his execution. Though they were polite when they greeted him. Arthur had no doubt they had some card magic up their sleeves if he refused to go along quietly.
However, he was resigned to his fate.
As they walked down the hall — the two men flanking ...
2023-01-17 00:00:19 +0000 UTC
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My eyes snapped open.
For the brief span of time between one drone of the alarm horn and the next I thought that it might have been a messed-up dream. That I was still looking forward to my kick-ass totem. That it would be a bear or a wolf or something.
But my inner-eye showed me otherwise.
Something now occupied the space where the void-black hole had been. It was the image of a gosling curled up tight packed within. A baby bird ready to hatch.
The rim of light which ...
2023-01-15 07:34:58 +0000 UTC
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Arthur stopped in front of the door to his room, tugged down his shirt and then smoothed it out again. He was already dressed as nicely as he could be, but when faced with the prospect of a private meeting with the leaders, he felt it wasn’t enough.
Lastly before he stepped in, he activated his Gentle-Person’s charm card.
Valentina and Whitaker stood near the balcony. They faced each other and looked like they were in the middle of an intense, angry conversation. They broke of...
2023-01-14 07:01:41 +0000 UTC
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"Now, what do I mean by off-type cards?" Ismael said, over the murmurs of people all around them.
Arthur leaned forward, fascinated.
He couldn't help but think about Joy's hatching and how she had nearly died because she couldn’t link with an appropriate card.
Did that mean, on top of everything else, Legendary hatchlings were less likely to die than lower ranks?
"Let me make an example of myself and my dragon,” Ismael smiled up at them, and to Arthur it felt like ...
2023-01-11 23:10:32 +0000 UTC
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Marion guided Arthur to a room to the side of the gym he claimed was a sauna. Thick clouds of steam wafted out. The moment he and Marion stepped inside they were greeted by a servant in a hive uniform.
"Do you need any assistance, sirs?"
"Full scrub down for my friend, top to bottom," Marion said before Arthur could reply.
"Very good, sir."
"Now wait--" Arthur started.
The man gestured and the thick steam coalesced around him into a warm syrupy cloak. Arthur didn...
2023-01-11 07:02:00 +0000 UTC
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Attribute points?
Arthur slowed down a stop as he read through the message. That had been a mistake.
He hadn't realized how much sheer momentum and stubbornness had been carrying his body forward. The moment he let himself pause and become distracted, abused muscles protested all at once.
Arthur crumbled ungracefully to the dirt track to the sounds of 'ohhhs' from watchers all around.
When had he gathered watchers?
He cou...
2023-01-09 01:10:44 +0000 UTC
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First of two chapters today! (That is, today Pacific Standard time.)
The first thing Arthur did was to dip into his personal space.
He stood in the middle of the large room. All the tools and supplies he had purchased from the Wolf hive commissary were there, stacked neatly as possible.
"I should add shelves," he muttered to himself. "But I have no idea how I would attach them to a wall.…"
Perhaps a skill or two in woodworking would do him...
2023-01-08 21:15:12 +0000 UTC
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Had Arthur not had any guidance he would have surely frozen. That would have been a dead giveaway he was hiding something.
He had already been leaning hard on his Acting skill, and he reacted as naturally as a improv artist given a line. Squarely meeting the inquisitor's gaze, he kept his own posture alert and interested, but not defensive.
Though no one else dared to move, every jot of the attention in the room was on him.
"My father believes my ...
2023-01-05 03:11:42 +0000 UTC
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A knock came at the door just as the last tones from the sixth hour morning bell faded into the distance.
Arthur was already dressed and waiting, as was Marion, Penn, and Echo. They had expected the summons to come in the early morning. It was an easy way to throw someone off.
After exchanging a look with everyone else and receiving nods in reply, Arthur rose to answer the door.
A severe looking man dressed in fancy robes stood on the other side. His badge was emblazoned wit...
2023-01-03 05:49:18 +0000 UTC
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In the next moment Arthur found himself inside his Personal Space.
Penn and Echo stood like living dolls in the middle of the room. Arthur turned away from them and instead went to the pile where he kept his tools.
Though he shoved everything into the Personal Space, the items collected more or less according to a category. He had not been thrifty during the impromptu shopping trip and he'd gathered everything he could think of from extra utensils to basic tools he thou...
2022-12-31 20:52:23 +0000 UTC
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I blinked.
I was standing in a completely bare room which was dim except for a faint light coming from high above.
I wasn't alone.
Something shifted in front of me and I realized it wasn't dark -- something stood in front of the single light source. I looked up and up.
My first thought was 'dragon'. It spread large, glorious wings, the light spearing through the wing feathers--
Hold up. Feathers?
The creature unfurled completely, long sinuous neck stretchin...
2022-12-31 02:34:01 +0000 UTC
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Twelve Years Later
"I hate corn," I muttered for maybe the thousandth time in my life as I shucked another ear off the stalk and shoved it in a bag. "I hate corn. I hate corn…”
My greedy heart chimed in, But I sure do love what it buys.
Nevertheless, I’d been at this all day, and now the sun was setting. There were only three more plants until the end of the row. Quitting time!
Harvesting wasn't hard or especially backbreaking work -- no, that would co...
2022-12-31 02:32:05 +0000 UTC
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Here's the updated link for the discord!
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.
.
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https://discord.gg/6n49u74WNW
Roles are supposed to be auto-assigned because of the Patreon link, but if you don't have one (and want one) let me know on the General channel and I'll hook you up!
2022-12-30 04:50:15 +0000 UTC
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Arthur barely had time to collect his wits before he heard the distinctive snap of dragon wings at the balcony. Now he was looking closer, he realized there weren't any doors leading to the outside. It was open air, shielded by gauzy curtains.
He pushed his covers back and stepped out, pausing when he saw he was clad in a white linen shirt and loose tan pants. Someone had changed his clothing? How long had he been out?
It was full night outside, but the moon was three-quarters ful...
2022-12-30 04:34:39 +0000 UTC
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