All The Skills

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 reflex.

Brixaby turned in place, saw Arthur's projected Master of Skills card, and after a second's hesitation, projected his own still incomplete card.

There was a moment of silence as other recruits realized what was about to happen.

"No!" Penn yelled. Dropping the sword, he abruptly projected out a copy of his own Master of Combat between them. "You're clearly a fighter. Link to me!"

Had he been trying to kill Brixaby before... or had that been Penn's way of trying to impress him?

It didn't matter. Brixaby looked at Penn's projected offering. "Brother cards," he said smoothly. He couldn't read, but he likely could feel the power of the two Legendries — and how alike they were.

Penn flinched in surprise, and his focus narrowed on Arthur's Master of Skills projection.

Arthur hesitated, long ingrained habits to keep his secrets to himself flaring up. He knew what he had to do, but the old fear made it hard.

Still hovering in place, Brixaby made a deep humming sound. He looked from Arthur’s card to Penn’s and back again.

"Hmm. Combat is more impressive than Skills."

"Together, we can be unstoppable," Penn said, "Think about it, dragon! Pure combat combined with your abilities. No one would ever stand in our way!"

In answer, Arthur projected out his second card: Master of Body Enhancement.

Penn's eyes bugged.

Brixaby's deep laughter rang out. "Two is better than one. Though I would prefer three," he said with an evil draconic smile toward Penn.

Then he zipped forward to push his projected card against Arthur's two.

Penn let out an unbelieving scream as he scooped up his sword. "You son of a—oomph!"

He'd taken one step toward Arthur. Then Marion, his face waxy and pale, hair soaked with sweat, raised his hand palm out and summoned a wind blast at him.

It threw Penn across the stage so hard that his back struck against the transparent barrier.

Marion fell to his knees, wheezing with the effort.

But Penn wasn't a Master of Combat for nothing and was on his feet in a moment... only to find Echo in her brutish warrior form standing in front of him to bar the way.

At that moment, Brixaby's projected card pressed between Arthur's own.

The rest of the world fell away.

For dazzling moments that felt like eternity, Arthur saw Brixaby not as a tiny newly hatched dragon, but as a being equal to himself. He felt like he could see through Brixaby.

His dark core that made up his magical being pulsed with energy which drew from the card within.

Arthur had a heart deck, but Brixaby's entire being was constructed and nourished from his incomplete core card.

He felt/saw their energies mixing and sharing. A fourth card which existed neither in Arthur's heart deck or Brixaby's core, formed between them.

In that moment Arthur knew whichever of them died or unlinked first would grant the power of the new card they just created to the other.

But there was more. As the energy mixed, ebbed, and flowed between them, he realized they had the option to use each other's cards... or not at all.

Some dragons and humans kept their core and heart cards separate. Some used the other's almost as easily as if it had been their own. It depended on the comfort level of their link — and depending on how entangled their heart deck and core energies were, how hard it would be to unlink again.

He also felt Brixaby's greed for cards and knew there would be little point in keeping him out.

After all, Brixaby's greed reflected Arthur's own.

As the minimal boundaries were set, Arthur focused on Brixaby again. Specifically, the terrible weight of the Legendary cards in his temporary core.

One day Brixaby would be able to take and absorb high level cards as easily as breathing. That was not today.

Casually, he reached out and plucked the three extra cards from Brixaby's core. The little dragon hissed, but the sharp pain of their loss was soothed by instant relief. The swelling in his joints faded as did the lingering madness in his blood red eyes.

The final words of his card filled in as the link between them solidified and snapped into place.

A brand new card raised up between them filling a place that was both in Arthur's heart deck and Brixaby's core.

Counterfeit Siphon

Linked-Utility

Legendary

While in aura proximity to another active card wielder's power/effect/skill/spell, the wielder of this card may copy and use it. The copied power/effect/skill/spell will be effective for the following duration:

Mythic: 1 second

Legendary: 10 minutes

Rare: 1 hour

Uncommon: 12 Hours

Common: 72 hours

This card grants the use of mana.

Search for other Counterfeit cards to add to the same set.

The projections of the four cards — Brixaby's Call of the Void, Arthur's Master of Skills and Master of Body Enhancement, and the newly linked Counterfeit Siphon faded from view.

Arthur was left standing with three previously stolen Legendary cards in one hand, and a newly linked dragon sitting on his other.

Arthur was about to check the status of Brixaby’s core card when a haggard voice rang out.

"Thief!"

Penn managed to push his way past Echo. Sword in hand, he staggered his way toward them.

Some of the watching recruits yelled in outrage. Anyone with eyes could see Arthur had just linked the newly hatched dragon. But no one made a move to stop Penn.

After all, if he managed to kill Arthur, the dragon would once again be free to link... or to harvest.

Brixaby fluttered to Arthur's shoulder. “Allow me to take his card as punishment for his audacity," he said in what was likely meant to be a whisper. It boomed across the stage.

"Penn, stop. It's over," Arthur said. He didn't want to fight him — knew by all rights he had wronged him. Even though, arguably, Penn's family had wronged him first.

Penn's eyes were bright with anger and possibly tears. "You stole from my family!" he swung his sword.

Arthur grabbed a piece of firewood from his Personal Space, and the blade bit into the wood.

Penn did not waste a second. With a vicious twist Arthur could not follow, he ripped the wood away.

New Counterfeit Skill obtained: Disarm Opponent

Remaining Time: 9 Minutes 59 Seconds

New skill gained: Disarm Opponent (Defense Class)

Due to your card’s bonus traits, you automatically start this skill at level 3.

Arthur's eyes widened. The first notice had come from his new linked card.

The second had come from his Master of Skills card.

A moment before, he hadn't been able to follow the disarming move. But now he knew how to do it himself on a basic level.

He stepped into Penn's space and as his cousin brought the sword down, Arthur grabbed his wrist. He twisted, and Penn's fingers sprung open. The sword clattered to the ground.

Hanging onto his shoulder, Brixaby boomed out laughter.

In the next second, Penn lurched away as if yanked back by an invisible hand.

Arthur looked up to see that the shield had fallen. The audience of hive leaders walked to the stage.

Whitaker had his hand out, telekinesis powers on full display as he used it to drag the cursing, struggling Penn back by his clothing. With a lifting gesture, Penn rose into the air by his own belt.

"Well," said Leader Ismael. "It seems we have a new Legendary dragon rider."

And as Arthur stood there, amazed, the recruits who had a few minutes ago been his competition, lowered their gazes and bowed.

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