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Book 2: Chapter 43: Mana Unlocking Card

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 with the crest of the silver dragon: The Royal house.

The man's gaze flicked over him. If he seemed surprised Arthur had answered his own door and not the servant that the hive leaders sent — the one Arthur had dismissed without allowing him inside — he didn't say anything.

"Ernest Kane? Your presence has been requested by the king's inquisitors."

Arthur pretended an air of surprise. "What? Now?"

"Indeed. If you can come with me." The man's tone was not a question at all as he extended a hand down the hall.

"What is this about, Kane?" came Marion's voice, behind Arthur.

Turning back to the room, Arthur made a show of bowing to Marion. "Forgive me, my prince," he said in his most formal, and hopefully not overdone, voice. His Acting skill would be receiving a workout today. "I have been told—"

"Prince?" The man roughly shoved Arthur aside which neatly revealed Marion standing here, less than amused. Penn and Echo stood off to the side: Penn made a show of resting a hand on the hilt of his sword.

The man made a choked sound and fell to one knee, head dipped in a full bow. "Forgive me, Prince Marion. Princess Echo. I had no idea you were..." he seemed to catch himself before he said 'alive', "here".

That answered one question. All had done their best to keep quiet about the royal presence in this room — including sending well-meaning servants away — but no one knew if Agatha the mind-mage had spread the information around. Apparently, she hadn't.

Marion looked down at the man, top lip curling. He was in full-on Prince mode. "Why are you taking away my security guard?"

"Your... guard, my prince?"

Marion made an impatient gesture. "You don't see my attendants anywhere, do you?"

"Well... no. Forgive me, my prince but—"

Marion gestured to Arthur and to Penn. "These two men kept myself and my sister alive in the wilderness during an active scourge-eruption. Now you wish to remove one of them from my presence?”

The man was obviously awed by Marion, but the king — and therefore his inquisitors — ranked higher than a mere prince. Lifting his head, his shoulders straightened though he didn't rise from his kneel.

"I'm sorry, sir, but Ernest Kane has been requested by name." He hesitated. "We would be happy to send the elite hive guards to you, now we know you are here—"

"Out of the question," Echo said, speaking up for the first time. "I refuse to allow my person to be protected by mere guards."

"The solution is obvious," Marion continued where his sister left off, "We shall all go."

"Sir—"

"Ernest, Pennrow,” Marion said over the objecting man. Though his face was completely devoid of humor, there was a twinkle in his eye he couldn't quite hide. "Be on your guard. There's no telling what awaits us in this hive."

The man tried again, "My Prince—"

"And before you tell me there is no need, I assure you there is. It is my duty to report unusual activity to the royal inquisitors. As my sister and I suffered an assassination attempt from rogue illusionists, I say that qualifies."

"You... what?"

Echo let out a long sigh. "Why do you think we kept our presence here a secret? Honestly."

The derision of a twelve-year-old finally broke through the man's objections. Reluctantly, he stood. "Very well then."

There were three others similarly dressed men waiting for them out in the corridor. Arthur suspected he would have been surrounded like a prisoner had he come alone.

Instead, the man who came in to fetch him quickly walked to another and spoke in his ear. That man nodded quickly and bolted down the corridor. No doubt to warn the inquisitors of the royal surprise.

Arthur let Marion lead, just as Penn stood a step behind Echo, as if the two of them were really functioning as short-term guards.

They had planned during the night, and it was the simplest way not only to ensure they weren't split up, but to silently show the inquisitors their loyalty to the crown.

They were led up a few levels, which gave Arthur a few more sights to compare the two hives. Buck moon's long hallways were a uniform lighter tan as if it were made of a different rock. The outer walls were a latticework of large arched windows to the open sky. Only a few of those — located near important inner doors — had any type of covering which could be swung shut against driving rainstorms.

Though the sun was only beginning to rise at this early hour, the air had a heavy weight to it. Filled with moisture and thick with scented flowers. The glimpses of the vast city outside showed foliage everywhere — huge blooms in riots of colors which helped explain the scent. Birdsong was even louder than dragon calls.

Arthur knew Buck Moon bordered a desert. Water-based cards must be popular here.

As they ascended the levels, the way was made clear. People glanced at the flanking group and turned to press their backs against the nearest wall to let them pass, eyes turned away. They didn't even seem to notice Marion or Echo. The royally badged men were more than enough.

As they came to the final junction, Arthur's Telepathic Resistance

Skill activated.

That meant the king's inquisitors had a thought-sensor with them. He only hoped it was the type and strength Arthur could resist.

Silently, he activated his Area of Effect - Mental Resistance skill. That in turn fed off the new card Horatio had purchased for him last night.

Horatio had been as good as his word and had visited the hive commissaries on several levels in search of an appropriate card. He brought two cards for Arthur to choose from, saying he would return the one he didn't want and get his money back from it.

Arthur tried to pay him, but Horatio was insistent.

"I owe you," Horatio had hissed, glancing nervously over his shoulder at Penn.

Marion and Echo had been at the other side of the room, trying to eavesdrop on the Rare rider without looking like they were. Meanwhile, Penn was frowning as if he thought he recognized Horatio but unsure of where.

"I won't take a single coin from you," Horatio continued, "Now pick a card so I can get out of here. That noble is giving me the evil eye."

"That's just Penn's normal face," Arthur said and heard Echo's giggle before he had turned his attention to the two cards.

They were both Uncommon mana unlockers, though with important differences.

Fire And Mana

Uncommon

Utility

This card unlocks its wielder's mana for the duration the card is in their heart deck. In addition, the wielder is granted a minor affinity to the element of fire. The wielder will be able to manipulate flame to a lesser degree and adjust his or her body temperature by several degrees with no ill effect. The wielder can gather mana from any flame, from direct sunlight, or an object hot enough to burn.

Mana Vault

Uncommon

Utility

This card unlocks the ability to passively gather mana from all ambient forms of free-floating magic. Mana total, usage log, and remaining mana is visible within the wielder’s heart deck, labeled as the 'Mana vault'. This is a skill-based card. The wielder will be able to gather and store progressively larger amounts of mana as the vault levels up. This card can be stored in either the heart or an existing card anchor deck.

The fire was tempting, especially as Arthur still needed a proper combat card. But considering his most powerful cards were skill-based, the more straight forward Mana Vault was an easy choice.

He had tested his new mana card with the Area of Effect - Mental Resistance late last night and found the skill itself was only a light drain on his mana. However, when that skill actively shielded others, the drain was faster.

He could get perhaps twenty minutes of usage out of it, if he was lucky. Likely, he would need every minute.

Marion and even little Echo had confirmed that the king's inquisitors mostly worked to confirm their own agenda. They were not a real investigative force. Their job was to simply lend weight to whatever the king's objectives already were.

They were dangerous men. No one wanted a thought-sensor to dig something that could be used against them.

"Won't they be a little suspicious if they know you're hiding our thoughts?" Penn had asked when they were talking out their plan last night.

"I doubt any thought-sensor will be able to tell which one of us is doing it," Marion said. "That's a problem with those types—they get so used to being able to shortcut and read everyone's thoughts, they go blind everywhere else."

"They'll know it's not you or me," Echo pointed out. "Our cards are assigned."

"Which is why it's important both Arthur and Penn accompany us," Marion said to her, "It'll be more suspects to choose from."

Arthur only hoped it would not be seen as too suspicious. It wasn't illegal to hide one's thoughts, but perhaps the inquisitors wouldn't care.

They came to the final room at last: A large table with three stern men sitting on one side. Several chairs had been placed on the other.

Word must have come that the royals had insisted on coming.

The inquisitors rose at their arrival and bowed at the waist to Marion and Echo. This was a short motion. Not nearly so reverent as the ones before.

The large double doors closed behind them, sealing the group in with the inquisitors.

The man in the middle smiled thin-lipped. "We are pleased to find you two alive and well. Word has been sent to your father — he was quite annoyed at the thought of your loss."

"I do hate to annoy him," Marion said.

Echo simply murmured a quiet, "Thank you."

"Considering our security concerns, you don't mind if we conduct this little questionnaire as a group?" Marion asked, looking from one man to another.

Again, the thin-lipped man smiled again. The other two shrugged. "Of course not. It's mostly procedure at this point."

Arthur didn't believe that for a moment, but he pulled out a chair and sat when indicated to do so.

The man in the middle nodded to one at the end who made a show of tapping papers straight.

"Ernest Kane, son of Baron Mace Kane, isn't that correct?"

Arthur straightened. "Yes, sir."

"Interesting. You aren't labeled as Mace's designated heir. That would be your sister, Eleanor. Aged... eight." He looked up at Arthur. "Care to explain?"