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Book 2: Chapter 19: Mind Mage

"No, don't bother," Valentina snapped as Cressida went to collect her dragon. "It's only a three-hundred-year-old couch. At least the dragon is showing some life -- not that pale, half-dead thing. Sit down next to her, she'll settle. Not you," she said, fixing Arthur with a stern look. "You stand over there and wait while I talk to our newest dragon rider."

Arthur didn't have much of a choice as a gust of wind pushed him to stand by the far wall. That gust then turned into a rapid swirl around him, visible as a ghostly light fog. Abruptly, all noise cut off in the room.

Arthur saw Cressida's lips move but couldn't hear her voice. Valentina had set up a wind privacy shield.

It was a long conversation. Arthur didn't have much talent at lip reading, and though he watched closely whenever Valentina didn't glance his way, he didn't develop a skill.

From Cressida's expressions, he guessed she was recounting their evening in the scholar's library. At the end, Cressida pulled out the remaining cards they had harvested from the scourgelings. She must have collected them before they were whisked out of the apartment. She handed them to Valentina who looked them over carefully.

Finally, Valentina took a few minutes to examine the pink dragon. She extended her thin, but vibrantly colored wings, checked the baby dragon's teeth and felt down the length of her hide anything unusual.

Then, with a curt gesture, Valentina gestured for Cressida and Joy to go.

Cressida stood and curtsied. She glanced at Arthur, concern etched on her face.

Valentina made a shooing motion for them to get going and Cressida didn't have a choice.

Once they were out of the room, Valentina allowed the privacy shield to drop.

"Whatever Cressida said," Arthur began, "visiting the scholars was my idea. I dragged her along. I made her--"

Valentina snorted. "Do you take me for an idiot?"

"Of course not," Arthur said, sidestepping that easy trap. "But she shouldn't get into trouble for my mistakes. Don't send her away."

"Away?" Valentina rolled her eyes. "The card they made is a little unpredictable, but one of the more useful pink powers. Plus, we didn't have to go begging to the other hives for their Rare recruits."

Arthur was still worried. This night had been morally dubious at best and escaping without a punishment felt too easy.

Valentina must have read the expression on his face. "Lady Icehouse is off to training, you dolt. If you're lucky, you may someday join her... though we both know you have your sights higher than a mere Rare."

She gestured to the couch. "Sit. Let's talk."

Cautiously, Arthur did.

She studied him for a few moments. Her visible irritation had faded but it just made her unreadable.

Arthur tried not to fidget. Surrounded by such luxury and wealth... he felt like he ought to be doing something like serving tea. He was used to working for the rich, not to talking with them.

"I'm unsure if you should be commended for your actions tonight, or thrown out on your ear," Valentina finally said. "I ask you to save the Rare and hinted that you should make the scholars look foolish. Instead, you reveal a deep-seeded rot none of us had guessed at. But then manage to let scourgelings loose in the city! We still have dragon riders chasing them down."

"We didn't mean--" Arthur began.

Valentina jumped on that at once. "Then please tell me your version. Don't spare he details."

Arthur felt like he was being led by the nose into a trap.

He did as she asked anyway. The only parts he kept to himself had to do with Barlow, and how exactly he had grabbed a card from the stricken scholar.

Valentina remained silent until the end. Then she held out her hand.

"I wish to examine that card." She snapped her fingers at him when he hesitated. "Don't tell me you stuck it in your heart."

"N-no, of course not," he said, thrown. He reached into his personal space and removed the card. It was the first time he'd had the chance to look at it.

More Drunk, More Sober

Uncommon

Charm

By touching the vessel of any drink, the wielder of this card will be able to increase alcohol percentage by 5% or decrease it by 5%. The taste will remain the same. This is a permanent effect.

Valentina read it over as well and snorted. "This is why you never accept drinks from people you don't trust."

There was a knock at the door.

Valentina looked neither surprised nor frustrated at the interruption. "Come in."

A bald man in pure white robes glided in. He was thin with an overly large nose that didn't manage to distract from the shininess of his skull. He also wore the badge of a snow-white dragon pinned on his shoulder.

This was a mind-mage.

Arthur desperately tried not to think about all his secrets... which made him immediately think about all his secrets.

The mind-mage didn't so much as glance at him as he bowed a greeting to Valentina.

She waved at him in irritation. "Yes, yes. Did we get them or not?"

The mind-mage shot a look at Arthur but must have decided Valentina gave permission for him to hear the report.

"Unfortunately, no. Whitaker continues the search, though he is certain they are no longer in the city."

Pursing wrinkled lips, Valentina shook her head. "If they had knowledge cards, they're smart enough to leave and set up a colony somewhere else. And if one is a mind-singer..." She looked like she was on the verge of a headache. "Well, Ernest, we will need your official testimony."

"Testimony?" Arthur repeated.

"Yes, to the king. He takes special notice whenever scourge fester up, and we'll have to act quickly to ensure the scholars are to blame. Not the hive."

He sensed an opportunity here. If he were shown to be helpful, a team player for the hive, Valentina might be obliged to look more favorably on him. "You need me to write out a statement?"

"Hardly." Valentina looked to the mage. "Devi, show him your trick."

Devi the mind-mage reached into his robe and pulled out a thick sheet of card stock. The size and shape with the rounded edges reminded him of magic cards, but this was simple, blank paper.

Or at least it was for a few moments.

Devi pinched one blank card between his fingers. It filled with ink... which started to move before Arthur’s amazed eyes. The image was a perfect representation of himself and Valentina sitting in the room. The last few moments of their back-and-forth conversation was represented by bubbles which appeared and disappeared over their heads.

Devi let him absorb the sight for a few moments then tossed the card aside for a fresh one. "That's one ability. My secondary card allows me to see specific memories."

Which he then imprinted on the card with perfect accuracy.

Arthur recoiled, all intention to be helpful draining away. "You want to read my memories? What if I refuse?"

Devi's expression was... oddly compassionate. "Earnest, every man entertains dark and unworthy thoughts. No experienced mind mage will hold that against you. But you should know I will only see what you intentionally choose to show."

"Also, you don't have a choice," Valentina said bluntly. "You are a key witness and I expect the king himself to take interest. If you don't provide voluntary testimony, he'll send one of his mind-mages to take what they need -- and they won't be gentle."

Arthur looked back and forth. He wasn't sure he trusted the two of them... but he did believe her.

"I haven't forgotten your help with saving the hive's newest Rare," Valentina said. "Establishing what you saw will help you in the short and long run. Also, if the scholar's guild is dabbling with mind-magic, we must know."

Arthur thought about it for a moment. "Let me see that card again."

Devi handed it over. Arthur looked at it carefully. The moving illustrations were only pictures. No inner monologue.

"You choose when the memory begins and ends," Devi said.

That meant if he was careful -- if he was in control -- he could shield Barlow's involvement as well as his own card's powers.

"All right," Arthur said. "What do I do?"

"Simply focus on the beginning of the event and go through linearly." Devi reached out and touched two fingers to Arthur’s temple. After a moment, he drew back. "Interesting."

"What?" Valentina said sharply.

"This boy has mental shields."

His Mental Resistance skill. Arthur's mouth went dry.

"A card?" Valentina asked.

"No, simply a natural resistance." Devi smiled down at Arthur. "It speaks of high discipline. But no matter, I can bypass them if I am prepared. Let us begin again."

Arthur went through the memory in surprisingly little time. The speed of thought was not just a saying.

Devi dutifully recorded the memories on three cards -- apparently there was a limit to how much each could hold.

Since it was his testimony, he let Arthur see and approve of each. To his relief, there wasn't anything objectionable... though since the memory was from his eyes, he was embarrassed about how much was centered on Cressida.

"Will Cressida provide testimony as well?" he asked.

"No," Devi said. "Never on newly linked pairs." He gathered the cards up. "I will transmit these to the crown at once."

"You do that," Valentina drawled. "Tell me if the king has anything interesting to say."

Devi smiled wryly at her, and Arthur had the impression the two were friends.

As he left, Valentina turned back to him.

"Now, let's talk about your reward."

"My... reward?" he asked, dumb struck.

"You were key to getting that Rare linked with a rider. And though I would have preferred the scourgelings not gotten out to wreak havoc on the countryside... that guilt falls on the scholars who let the rot fester. Not to the two idiots who tripped into it." She fanned out the Rare cards Cressida handed over, considered for a moment, then flicked the alcohol Uncommon back to him. "Pick two."

Arthur was not about to argue that he should be punished. He looked greedily over the cards.

The Phase In, Phase out tempted him, but now that he had time to examine the cards in detail, the perfect memory and memory bookshelf had the same general look to them.

Could they be part of the same set?

Only one way to find out.

Valentina nodded in satisfaction as he made his decision. Then she tucked the remaining cards away. He supposed she intended to take her due.

"Excellent. Now, I suspect once this hullabaloo dies down, the hive will host a festival to celebrate our new Rare pairing."

Arthur nodded and, sensing he was being excused, rose.

Valentina's next words stopped him in his tracks.

"Afterwards, of course, we will introduce the Legendary egg to the world. Be ready."