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Book 2: Chapter 68: Goodbye, Cousin

"My king," Lional said, "I formally beg for a reconsideration. I ask for justice."

"Get to the point, Duke Rowantree," the king said, looking bored.

"This boy," Lional spared a moment to glare at Arthur as if it wasn\'t perfectly clear who he meant, "linked with a Legendary dragon under false pretenses. My king, he is a threat to the Kingdom."

Arthur did not currently have access to his Acting skill, but he still had common sense. If he were an actual noble, he\'d consider his honor thoroughly insulted. Actually... He had to stop thinking that way. He now was a rider linked to a powerful dragon. And his honor had just been insulted.

Arthur stepped forward. "Of course that is the Duke\'s opinion. He expected his son to link to my dragon. And now that didn\'t happen, he wishes for the king to intercede."

He meant for his words to spit venom back at Lional. But even to his own ears, his phrasing was wooden and lacked a certain force. How much had he come to rely on his skills over the years? Who, or what, was suppressing them? And how long until he got them back?

A new thought hit him. What if it was one of the men surrounding the king? A mind mage might be able to block a card\'s power…

Automatically, he reached for his mental blocking skills. Of course, he couldn\'t get to them.

They were just as out of reach as everything else.

The king looked at Lional with a bit more interest. “Is this true?"

"Yes, it\'s true," Brixaby said dismissively, and gestured with his head towards Penn. "I considered that one right there, but Arthur—"

Arthur coughed sharply before Brixaby could let something slip about his pair of Legendary cards.

The little dragon hesitated. "I liked Arthur better."

"You mean, you liked his card better," Penn said bitterly. "A card that Arthur Kane stole from our family."

Arthur knew this accusation was coming and there was likely worse down the line. He still couldn\'t keep down a slight cheek twitch — something he would have easily suppressed had he had access to his skills. Meeting Penn’s eyes, he focused hard about the cards that should have been his by birth. “That card is mine by right.”

Penn shot to his feet, hands balled into fists. "That is a lie!"

In answer, Arthur looked to the man who had called out his lies before. The truth seeker watched the exchange impassively without comment. It seemed he was not going to weigh in one way or another. He didn\'t work for them. He worked for the king.

Finally, the king waved his hand at the truth seeker to give his permission. "So? What say you?"

"There are shades of truth within both of them," the man said.

The king rolled his eyes as if he were truly a teenager and not a man of importance. "Yes, so it seems our newest young Legendary rider purchased a card that you now claim is stolen. I find it interesting, Rowantree, that I am only hearing about a missing Legendary level card now."

"It has been a family matter," the Duke said tightly.

Arthur took in a breath. Keeping his mouth shut right might be the smart move. The king did not seem impressed with Lional\'s claim. But he knew that Lional wouldn\'t let this go, and they had much more damaging information on Arthur to reveal. The stolen card was only the opening act. Arthur\'s best bet was to distract from the issue by introducing a whole new one and possibly regain the momentum of this conversation. Lional or Penn would surely still bring out the ace up their sleeve, but by then, Arthur might have the backing of legitimacy.

He didn\'t want to rely on luck, especially since it seemed everything else was suppressed. But he didn\'t have much of a choice. The only other option was to let Lional accuse him on his own terms.

"I am sorry to correct you, sire," Arthur said evenly. "I didn\'t purchase the card, either. You see," he said, knowing that his next few words would change everything, "that card I have in my heart is mine by right of blood."

The king turned bright blue eyes on him, eyebrows raised. If nothing else, it seemed this little show was entertaining him.

All of this time, Lional had been respectfully knelt in front of the king. But at Arthur\'s words, he stood and turned to Arthur. "What nonsense is this?"

"Probably a lie," Penn said, bitter. "Everything that comes out of his mouth is a lie."

Arthur continued, "While I am now known as Arthur Kane, I was born Arthur Rowantree. That card is my rightful inheritance."

Lional lurched forward as if someone had clubbed him on the back of the head. He stared at Arthur, looked him up and down, and a new light came into his eyes. "You... You\'re Calvan\'s son?" Then his expression crumpled to be replaced by one of growing outrage. "So you are the one who opened the blood lock. Does your traitor father still live, boy? Answer me!" He moved towards Arthur, every line in him dark with menace.

On Arthur\'s shoulder, Brixaby hissed, "Take one more step and I will rip that Rare card I can smell out of your heart."

Lional stopped and one hand flew to his heart as if to cover it.

The king barked out a laugh and clapped his hands once like a child who had just seen an entertaining puppet show. "The reports are true! That dragon is fierce!”

"Sire," Lional turned to him, horrified and exasperated, "this rider has just admitted he is the son of Calvan Rowantree."

"Who?" the king asked.

"My king, you sent him to the borderlands for his treachery yourself, don\'t you remember?"

Within an instant, the king\'s face took on the look of a thunderstorm, ominous and angry. "Don\'t you dare presume to tell me what I remember or what I don\'t. I am your king, your sovereign, and better in every way! Remember your place!”

The blood drained from Lional\'s face and he once again fell into a kneel in front of the king. Reaching up, he tugged at Penn to do the same, but his son resisted him. He was too busy staring strangely at Arthur.

"What are you saying?" Penn asked, looking a little lost. It was as if he had missed the king\'s outburst altogether.

"We\'re cousins," Arthur said, bluntly.

Penn looked from Arthur back to Lional, and maybe he was imagining it, but he thought he saw a little bit of accusation in his eyes towards his father.. Then that accusation turned fully on Arthur. “How long have you known?”

“It doesn\'t matter,” Arthur said.

“I think it does,” Penn said. “Have you targeted me from the very beginning?”

Feeling an unexpected stab of guilt, Arthur looked away. “I couldn\'t tell anybody. My father was sentenced to the border. He is your father\'s older brother.” There. Let Penn make the connections himself.

Meanwhile, one of the king\'s assistants had bent next to him and was speaking quietly into the King\'s ear. Likely reminding him of something he refused to admit he forgot. The king slowly lost his annoyed expression and said, "Oh yes, Calvan Rowantree. Greedy man. Such a shame."

“And his son shares the same flaw,” Lional hissed. “My king, if you can forgive me this one request, I ask that you treat my son and heir equally as you do the son of a traitor. I ask for special dispensation, not for myself, but for Penn.”

The king eyed him. "Choose your words very carefully, Duke Rowantree."

“I only ask for equality and justice. This son of a traitor is a traitor himself. He has two Legendary level cards of the same set in his heart. I ask that one be removed—”

“No,” Brixaby boomed, and Arthur had to quickly grab the little dragon as he launched himself towards Lional\'s heart.

Lional continued, “… and that card be given to my son who has shown his loyalty to the throne. Let this mistake be rectified. If the little dragon linked to this set once, he can do it again.”

The king\'s expression had lost all trace of amusement as he looked back at Arthur. “So, the son of a traitor is a traitor, himself. How boring. I thought by linking a unique dragon, there would be something special about you.”

“My king, I didn\'t know the terms of my father\'s sentence. I left the village behind a long time ago,” Arthur said with an internal wince. To his own ears, his voice sounded thin and weak. “I only took my inheritance, what was mine.”

“...and in doing so, you broke our highest law,” the king replied. “Very well, let\'s get this over with. You could prove your innocence right now by showing me your cards.”

Arthur hesitated. There was no way he could prove his innocence since he was very much guilty of having a pair. Nor could he think of a way out of this. Plus, he didn\'t just have those two linked Legendary cards. He had a three of a kind in Rares as well.

There has to be a way. There has to be something, Arthur thought. Nothing came to him that wouldn’t get him into more trouble.

"Show them to me, or I\'ll have my men force you to do it," the king said, sounding bored again.

It was better to show some of his cards voluntarily than to have all of them forcefully revealed. Arthur gestured to his heart and projected his two cards: Master of Skills and Master of Body Enhancement.

"Then it is as Duke Rowantree claims," the king said. "Very well, Lional, for bringing this to my attention, you may have this special one-time dispensation. I reward those who are loyal."

Lional rose. "Thank you, my king."

The king looked at Brixaby. "Dragon, your rider must die. When he does, you will have the option to relink to another. You would do well to consider this boy here."

For a dumbfounded second, Arthur didn\'t understand. His own death was being discussed so casually that it didn\'t seem real. But it was.

"Brixaby isn\'t going anywhere," Arthur said and reached for his last resort, which was his Return to Start card. Activating it would transport him back to his keyed-in point back at Wolf Hive. He still had Brixaby firmly in his grip. Perhaps it would take the little dragon too.

But like everything else, the card did not work.

"What is this madness?" Brixaby asked, struggling against Arthur\'s hold.

Numbly Arthur put him back on his shoulder. The dragon puffed himself out and put a possessive clawed forepaw on the side of Arthur’s neck. "I\'m not linking anybody else."

"Elizar, my heart," said the massive voice that was the ghostly Mythic dragon, "this Legendary is but a mere hatchling. Until he gains his own strength, his rider\'s death will backlash and kill him as well."

Arthur felt a brief jolt of hope. It was dashed a moment later.

"It would be far better for one of the heart cards to be removed and the link sundered before the traitor is executed," the dragon continued. "Fortunately, Brixaby\'s unique ability can be put into good use. Brixaby, pluck the card out of the traitor’s heart—whichever card you want, and bring it to your new rider."

“What?” Brixaby asked, dumbly, as if the Mythic had just told him to rip off his own arm and beat himself with it. “No!”

“And the other Legendary card will go into my library,” the king said. “Yes, I like this plan very much.”

On cue, Penn stepped forward and once again displayed his Master of Combat card for Brixaby to see. "This card is of the same set," he told the little dragon grimly. "Think about how powerful we could be if we add Master of Body Enhancement to Master of Combat. No one will stand in our way."

“T-there has to be something else, some other way I can prove my loyalty..." Arthur said, feeling numb all the way to his heart deck. But his words were weak, and he was flailing without his normal skills.

"Fighting is pretty great," Brixaby said. “But Arthur has done more in his life with his regular skills card than you have or ever will. I\'m going to go further and grow stronger with Arthur."

"I\'m afraid this is not up for discussion," the king said. "Hurry up. Pick a card from the traitor."

Desperately, Arthur tried his skills one by one. He even reached for the Sunring Portal spell, even though the ten minute timer had elapsed. Nothing worked.

He hadn’t picked up any more abilities from the people in this room even though he knew powers had to be activated. He was utterly and completely blocked.

This can\'t be happening, he thought, uselessly over and over. Though he feared for his life, the thought of being separated from Brixaby was far more worse and immediate.

Brixaby growled at Penn. "I don\'t want that boy. He is weak inside and Arthur is strong. I have the rider that I want."

Arthur backed away from the throne, though he didn\'t know what he was going to do. He had no plan. He felt completely helpless.

And he forgot about the Mythic dragon.

There was a flash of translucent movement. Arthur turned just as Brixaby was snatched off his shoulder by a giant hand.

As he was, he felt a shroud fall between himself and the dragon. Brixaby shrieked and clawed at the ghostly hand surrounding him.

"No, Brixaby!" Arthur yelled, and lurched towards him, but fell short. He still had his cards, but as if his heart had been cleaved into two.

A crackle of fire behind him made him look over his shoulder. The Sun ring portal opened, and through it was a brick stone room. Two of the king’s advisors stepped forward and grabbed Arthur under the arms. They hauled him to the portal and tossed him through.

He landed hard and scrambled up, looking back through the portal to the King\'s room and caught a flash of Penn\'s triumphant face, and Brixaby fighting hard against a grip that he could not see.

“Goodbye, cousin,” Penn called.

Then the portal snapped shut.

Arthur mentally reached for his Counterfeit Siphon card, knowing he had been close enough to the portal maker to possibly recapture that power. But, like everything else, the card was inactive. He still couldn\'t use any of his powers.

And he was alone.